FAITH, ONCE DELIVERED
FAITH, ONCE DELIVERED, “WORTH CONSIDERING” 1/3/21
In starting the new year I have added some more 1st time e-mails to my blog so felt to give you and them the basic foundation that I will be using this year in case they would like to add or delete any addresses. Also new is our effort to help you start a New Testament House Church if moved by the Holy Spirit. www.OhanaChurch.Life (ohana = family in Hawaiian.)
It is the responsibility of the Overseers/Bishops/Elders of a gathering
place of our Lord’s Flock to help provide:
Protection, Sound Doctrine, Fellowship, Instruction
and the necessary process to help the flock come to be like their Shepherd.
as guided by the Holy Spirit of God.
The Early Church has this expression of faith to consider:
We believe in Unity in essentials,
Diversity in non-essentials,
and above all, Love
The following are teaching of our Lord and His Apostles
which may be the very “Essentials”
of the Christian faith for a John 17 unity.
Essentials for Affiliation
There seem to be six basics of the Christian faith, which are essential for salvation
and upon which all Christians should agree.
Trinity Fellowship Int. www.Trinity-Aloha.org
Ken Smith<>< Elder, ken@trinity-aloha.org
The present Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, John 20:28, Heb. 1:8 9), the Word of God Himself made man in Christ Jesus (Col. 1:16. Compare Gen. 1:1). Who “laid the foundation of the earth” (Heb. 1:10 12 & 2:7-18. Compare with 1 John 5:7 and John 1:1.)
The Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14, Mt. 1:23, Luke 1:27).
The Blood Atonement (Acts 20:28, Rom. 3:25, Rom. 5:9, Eph. 1:7).
The Bodily Resurrection (Luke 24:36 46, 1 Cor. 15:1 4, 1 Cor. 15:14 15).
The Second Advent of Christ Jesus to set up His Kingdom (Isa. 9:6,7, Rev. 19 )
The inerrantcy of the Holy Scriptures themselves (Psalms 12:6 7, Rom. 15:4, 2Tim. 3:16 17, 2Pet. 1:20). *
*This is a reference for folks who claim to have revelations apart from the Holy Scriptures and which can not be supported by Holy Scripture. We among ourselves, we may vigorously debate other items, such as the merits or means of baptism, the validity of various Bible translations, the authority of the Presbytery, etc. Such quests for truth in love are totally acceptable within the confines of Christianity because our salvation does not rest upon those doctrines.
The Following Positions of doctrines seem to be considered foundational.
Our Creator is manifested in a Trinity of, God the Father, God the Word and God the Holy Spirits similar to water as liquid, ice and vapor but all H20. This essence of God’s nature is found in 1 Jn.5:7. Love, Holiness, and Power may be seen in these three manifestations of God as in the Evangelical, Sacramental and Charismatic expressions of faith but without the balance of each other tends to become indulgent, sanctimonious and perhaps even a carnival. For more on God’s authority and nature: www.Trinity-Aloha.org Find the link to “Keys To The Kingdom.” Check the contents for your area of interest.
The Word of God created Jesus who was born of a virgin as the second Adam, a perfect man. The world under God’s judgment of sin loved the world and gave us Jesus as the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Jesus died in our place and was raised from the dead by the power of God for our justification and He shall come again as Jesus the Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords and His reign shall be forever, Isa.9:6, Isa. 52 & 53, Ps. 22
Disciples may also be filled with the Holy Spirit and learn to enjoy the fruit, gifts, and ministries of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can give the grace and power to live a holy life and to minister the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Anyone who truly walks in faith and love and make Jesus Christ the LORD and King of Kings in their lives. Roman chapters 8-12 and become eternal citizens of the Kingdom of God through faith,
love, humility and obedience.
Events are closing for the final judgment in the history of mankind. Those who have yielded to Jesus as Lord will become His brethren in the eternal family of God. Those who reject the Lordship of Jesus and the forgiveness offered by God and live an egocentric life will be separated from God’s presence, creation and light and exiled into isolation and outer darkness for eternity. God will not force anyone to come under the authority of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Freewill is most precious in God’s creation and all souls are eternal. Our choice in time is to learn to want to live with Him in light. To reject His light it might be good to read the little Book of Jude.
I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord, Master, and Savior. By faith in Christ Jesus, I am forgiven, cleansed, healed and made a citizen of His eternal kingdom. Jesus Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law of sin, sickness, weakness and eternal death through His death on the cross for me. I believe in the Trinity of one God: Almighty Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Creator made flesh, The Word of God who was begotten as the second Adam. He was born of a virgin, died for my sins, rose for my justification and is coming again soon, in great glory, to establish His Kingdom on earth. I believe in the new birth from above, the baptism in water, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I confess that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all my sin and I am now made the righteousness of God in and through Christ Jesus. I confess that I can do all things through Christ who is my strength as I abide in Him. I confess that this world is not my home. I confess that I am a pilgrim in a foreign land and I look for that certain return of my Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. I confess that there is but one holy universal and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ and all those who are born from above are brethren and citizens of His kingdom. I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is being perfected by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers and other ministries of His Church until all the faithful come into the unity of the faith and the bond of peace and are changed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, (Eph. 4:1 16.)
As per scripture and the history of the very early Church:
The qualifications for Bishops (Elders, Overseers, Eph.4:11) are clearly laid out in 1 Tim.3:1 7, Titus 1:5 16 and Deacons (Servants of the Church) 1 Tim.3:8 13.
Concerning “Elders/Bishops/Overseers” Titus 1:5 & 7 Here Paul uses the words Elder and Bishop as the same. The concept is one who oversees our Lord Jesus Christ for the Holy Spirit.
The Apostolic “company” of Eph.4:11 are for “Elders” in general but specifically are “Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers” for the perfecting of the saints. The Greek word for Overseer is Bishop. So these Elders are the servant consensual authority on earth for a local area Church of our Lord Jesus Christ hopefully guided by the Holy Spirit. They are not a dictatorship nor a democracy. They are the stewards of the Kingdom of God while the King is away. There is usually a first among equals who is the moderator and takes care that the decisions of the council are all in loving influence. Great care is given for the unity of the faith in the bond of peace as unity is more important that action. Therefore great care must be given in selecting the Elders/Bishops/Overseers/Apostolic Company as there is a need for pure holy unity in the Holy Spirit or nothing eternal may happen. I can find no validation for women being “Elders” in the New Testament Church. Also the tradition of the church to use a democratic voting system among the congregation is not Biblical and falls under the condemnation of Laodicea in Rev. 3:14 22 and the other excess is the dictatorship of Rev.17 & 18. A prophesy concerning the counterfeit church.
The Early Church seem to have 5 layers of teaching and ministry:
1. The Elder with an assistant (Deacon) whom he was mentoring.
2. The local weekly “House Church” gathering.
3, The local “Eldership Council” for guiding the local church in a given community area to speak the truth in love and unity.
4, The local community gathering of Christians to a given place of all the “House Churches” to consider the ministry of an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist or Teacher.
5. The gathering of the Presiding Elders to an international gathering to keep the unity of the faith in the bond of peace so as to have no confusion in the Church of Christ Jesus.
And I am open to suggestions in love to consider making this statement more accurate.
Yours, in HIS great LOVE and wonderful grace and mercy, Ken<>< www.trinity-aloha.org
( Add / Delete, ken@trinity-aloha.org “Worth Considering” Library, link on Homepage.
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