"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law."

(Gal. 5:22-23)

August 2009 Newsletter

Foundations of our Faith by Paul Galligan

A major work of the apostle is to check foundations, to strengthen foundations and, in some instances, to re-lay foundations. An apostle is to be a wise master builder  (1Cor.3:10); one who is able to facilitate the building of God s house. The house belongs to Jesus the Christ (Heb.3:6), and we the people of God are the house, being fitted together as living stones into Him (1Pet.2:5).

Every house that will stand the testing and trials needs to be built on the only true foundation, which is Jesus Christ (1Cor.3:11), and built according to His word, not man s tradition, whether that tradition is Roman Catholic or Pentecostal, or even coming under the current title of apostolic .

Even as the church has foundations, built on the foundation of apostles and prophets  (Eph.2:19-20), that is, built on the revelation of Jesus Christ that is brought by apostles and prophets, so the individual believer s faith is to be properly and securely founded on the elementary principles of the oracles of God. When the foundations are properly laid, that is, taught and practiced, the church corporately can grow to maturity and onto perfection. We need God s permit to go on to perfection (Heb.6:3) and God will not give the permit unless the foundations have been laid thoroughly.

 

Let us review the foundations which are listed in Hebrews 6:1-2.

Repentance from dead works

All sin is a dead work but in the context of the book of Hebrews, the dead works specifically refer to the dead religious works  of Judaism. The writer is constantly comparing and showing how much better and superior, the New Covenant is to the Old Covenant. Every man s sacrifice is now replaced by Christ s sacrifice; therefore man s sacrifices are dead works. So much of our order of service and church programs can easily be religious dead works, actually stifling our growth to maturity, rather than nurturing and facilitating growth.

 

Faith toward God

Religious dead works are replaced by faith toward God   turning from works to the obedience of faith: believing in, being baptised into, and being filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and then doing the ordained works (Eph.2:10). So often our local church  is operating according to prescribed denominational norms and we think we are being successful when we are operating according to these norms; yet all the time the word of God is being neglected. Revelation is rare and the believers are not growing up to maturity, to spirit- motivated good works, functioning in the body, giving life.

 

Doctrine of baptisms

Baptisms (washings) is in the plural. What is the doctrine of baptisms ? Some say it includes baptism in the Spirit and that is why it is in the plural. However, baptism in the Spirit is the outworking of laying on of hands  and the Greek word for baptisms  is washings , referring to water!

The New Testament teaches clearly on three baptisms: the baptism of John, the baptism of Jesus and the baptism of believers. These are the three baptisms [washings] that we need to be taught in so that this foundation is thoroughly laid in our lives and experience.

 

John s baptism

John s baptism was a washing in water. Baptised in the Jordan  Matt.3:6.

John s baptism was for repentance of sins. John indeed baptised with a baptism of

 repentance  Acts 19:4 [see also Matt.3:11; Mk.1:4; Lu.3:3].

John s baptism was a sign baptism, pointing to the One coming after, the Messiah

 Jesus. He shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah  Lu.1:17, [see also

 Lu.3:16; Mk.1:7-8; Matt.3:11; Jn.1:33]

John s baptism was the will of God for the people. God sent John to prepare the way

 for the Messiah. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for

 themselves, not having been baptised by Him  Lu.7:30.

 

Jesus  baptism

Jesus  baptism was in water. Jesus came up immediately from the water  Mat.3:16

Jesus  baptism was the baptism of Messiah Himself; the fulfilment of the sign: Jesus

the Messiah was baptised. Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptised  Mt.3:13

Jesus  baptism was not for repentance of sins, but to fulfil all righteousness  Mt.3:15

When Jesus was baptised the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of

 God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him  Mt.3:16. The coming of the Spirit

in this way is totally new. A man in the earth is able to be filled with the Spirit of God.

At Jesus  baptism, a voice spoke from heaven, conferring sonship (Mt.3:17). What

Adam had lost was now restored in Jesus and much more because the Spirit of God was

now fully living in a man. Jesus was not just a living soul , but now a life giving Spirit 

 (1Cor.15:45).

Baptism was the will of God for Jesus: Permit now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil

all righteousness  Mt.3:15.

 

Believers  baptism

The fulfilment of both John s and Jesus  baptisms.

Believers  baptism is immersion in water. And the eunuch said, See, water. What

hinders me from being baptised   Acts 8:36. Note, the Greek word for baptism  means

immersing or dipping in water , not sprinkling. There are no baptisms by sprinkling

recorded in the Bible.

Believers  baptism is for repentance and remission of sins, (Acts 2:38).

Believers are baptised into Messiah, the sign outworked. Buried with Him through

 baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the

 Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life  Rom.6:4, [see also Gal.3:27;

1Cor.12:13]. Believers are baptised into the NAME of Jesus Messiah [Christ].

Baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 

 Mt.28:19; that is in the name of Jesus Christ  Acts 2:38; they were baptised in the

name of the Lord Jesus  Acts 19:5.

Believers are to receive the Holy Spirit as a result of being baptised for the remission

 of sins  Acts 2:38. When Paul laid hands on them [after their baptism in water] the

Holy Spirit came upon them  Acts 19:6.

Baptism can be a time for the prophetic word to be declared over the believers, as it was

for Jesus and for Paul (Acts 9:15-18).

Baptism is the will of God for every believer. [Mk.16:16; Matt.28:19]

 

Laying on of hands

Primarily to receive the Holy Spirit  the normal way to receive the Holy Spirit is through the laying on of hands. The Jews on the day of Pentecost (Acts2:4), and the Gentiles in Cornelius  house (Acts 10:44-46), received a sovereign outpouring and infilling of the Holy Spirit. The 3000 new believers on the day of Pentecost would have had hands laid on them (Acts 2:38;41). The baptised believers in Samaria received when the apostles laid hands on them: Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit  Acts 8:17.

[see also Acts 9:17 & Acts 19:6]

Laying on of hands is also for healing, blessing and commissioning and ordination, impartation of gifts and ministries.

 

Resurrection of the dead

When we are baptised we are raised with Him in resurrection life. The resurrection of the dead is only a reality because Jesus died and literally rose from the dead three days later, the firstborn from the dead  Col.1:18.

Jesus  resurrection is the basis of eternal life; because He rose, we can receive eternal life as He is now a life giving Spirit  (Jn.5:25 & 1Cor.15:45). Jesus  resurrection leads to life in Him for every believer. The resurrection life is meant to be the normal Christian life but it is also a goal to be attained, That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead   Phil.3:10-11.

 

Eternal Judgement

It is declared in the gospel (Jn.3:16), whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

We are governed by eternity; we must choose now, whom we will serve. Eternal judgement is dependent upon our response to Jesus the Christ. The say the sinner s prayer  approach to eternal life  you will now go to heaven   has trivialised the Biblical foundation of eternal judgement. Judgement is all around us now, and everyday we either live in life and peace in the kingdom or we struggle and strive in the sea of humanity. We have been conveyed out of the domain of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love   Col.1:13.

 

When the foundational principles are taught and being practised, then the church can go on to perfection  Heb.6:1.

***************************************************************

Breaking bread from House to House

We are back. after seven days of visiting brethren as far north as the Atherton Tableland [1,800kms from Toowoomba]. We had a very fulfilling time, simply visiting brethren from house to house . Janet and I were sharing in nine different houses, our biggest gathering being seven of us altogether! We took three other team members, including Alberto from Colombia, and left them to be part of a house church gathering in the Proserpine area. They experienced a wonderful four days of house visitation and then two days of numbers of brethren gathering on the property for the weekend. Alberto comes from AOG ministry background and of course house ministry is somewhat different; much more relational and fellowship based  he loved it and was ministered to personally as well. We came back rejoicing at the simple nature of church in the house. We hear of the promotion of simple church  or whatever it is called, but we experience the reality of it.

We were away on the monthly community weekend. Pastor Rob had the responsibility of facilitating the weekend. One of our brothers who is on the team going to Myanmar in late September, shared the word at the preaching night on Friday. There were some new folk in attendance and through words of knowledge, two of the visiting ladies were ministered to for physical healing. On the Saturday training day three different brethren each taught a session, and then in the Sunday meeting two other brethren had the opportunity to teach and preach. All reports are very positive and then on Sunday afternoon nine brethren were baptised, four of them travelling from Brisbane, including one husband and wife  brand new Christians. That husband texted Nick the next day to say he was speaking in tongues and  enjoying a wonderful feeling  . Some of our local Sudanese brethren were among those baptised and apparently it was very powerful.

Peter Akeck, the Kenyan apostle ministering in Pakistan, is having a fruitful time with brother Afrif in leaders seminars and crusades  150 gave their lives to Jesus and many healings were witnessed. 

CALENDAR

 

September: Fri 4th  7.30pm worship & preaching

                Sat. 5th  Training day at SHILOH: sessions  10.30-12.30; 1.30  4pm

                Sun.6th  COMMUNITY SUNDAY at SHILOH  9.30am Teaching

                                  10.30am Worship/Communion/Preaching

                                                     followed by fellowship lunch

 

Global Communion of Apostles meeting, Charlotte, North Carolina

   Paul & Janet dept. 12th for USA, home on 29th

              Mon 14th  18th Sept

              Sat 19th  Sat 26th training at Jeff Suttles  house church, Hendersonville NC

 

Myanmar trip: Arend Tibben & Paul Esselink   Arr.21st Sept. & Dept. 15th Oct.

                              Ros & Roger Fraser, Restoration & Revival Ministries, Killarney

                              Going to Myanmar for 3 months, Roger teaching English and Ros

                               doing ministry work

 

October: Fri 2nd  7.30pm worship & preaching

                Sat. 3rd  Training day at SHILOH: sessions  10.30-12.30; 1.30  4pm

                Sun.4th  COMMUNITY SUNDAY at SHILOH  9.30am Teaching

                                  10.30am Worship/Communion/Preaching

                                                     followed by fellowship lunch

 

November: Fri 6th  7.30pm worship & preaching

                  Sat. 7th  Training day at SHILOH: sessions  10.30-12.30; 1.30  4pm

                  Sun.8th  COMMUNITY SUNDAY at SHILOH  9.30am Teaching

                                  10.30am Worship/Communion/Preaching

                                                     followed by fellowship lunch

 

December: Fri 4th  7.30pm worship & preaching

                  Sat. 5th  Training day at SHILOH: sessions  10.30-12.30; 1.30  4pm

                  Sun.6th  COMMUNITY SUNDAY at SHILOH  9.30am Teaching

                                  10.30am Worship/Communion/Preaching

                                                     followed by fellowship lunch

 

 

2010 JANUARY APOSTOLIC TRAINING SCHOOL

Mon. 4th Jan. to Fri. 22nd Jan.

 

 

PROPOSED TRIPS 2010

February   India

March  Myanmar & Philippines

April  Africa

May  Africa 

 


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