Letter of Encouragement
July 2020
FROM THE DESK OF: Elder Richard Best
TOPIC: The Great Divide - Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ
Greetings saints and friends in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We honor the Prophets, Prophetesses, Bishops, Pastors, Mothers, Elders, Evangelists, Teachers, Ministers, Deacons, and all the Saints of God. It is written in the gospel of Luke 24:45-47, "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name along all nations, beginning at Jerusalem". The initial salvation or the entrance into the church, which is the new birth, is spoken of several places in the gospel. In John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". To further clarify he said in John 3:5, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God". After the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the receiving of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), the Apostle Peter having perfect understanding of the entrance into the church revealed by the Holy Ghost gave this wonderful revelation in Acts 2:38 when he said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (water and spirit). Furthermore, Acts 2:41 says "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls". There are other scriptures that supports the entrance into the church. A good reading of the book of Acts of the Apostles and the epistles will further edify the believer. After the new birth the process of growth begins in the Kingdom of God through sanctification, for this is the will of God (see I Thessalonians 4:3 and II Thessalonians 2:13). This is a progressive growth from babe to maturity. The bible says, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen" (II Peter 3:18). This is life-long of course, until death or the catching away, which is a complete transformation from corruption to incorruption, or mortality to immortality (I Corinthians 15:52-54). Of the two positions mentioned in this letter, the initial salvation or new birth and the growth in the Kingdom of God, a third will lend a completion to this letter, that is, the position of the unsaved. Looking back at the first scripture Luke 24:45-47, the gospel is for all nations, all people (see Acts 1:7-9); but the preaching of the gospel only saves those that believe. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). I Corinthians 1:21, "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe". So how can you believe if you have not heard? That is why Jesus Christ instructed the gospel to be preached. There are many that believe and yet have not been baptized. The great divide between them - the water. The children of Israel stood on the side of Egypt; between them and freedom was the water. You know the events that unfolded; God parted the Red Sea and they went over on dry land. We have a wonderful revelation in I Corinthians 10: 1-4, that they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. The Lord Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). So if you are standing on the shores of your sins and the water is before you, come into the water, repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and receive the Holy Ghost. May the Lord Jesus bless you.
TOPIC: The Great Divide - Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ
Greetings saints and friends in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We honor the Prophets, Prophetesses, Bishops, Pastors, Mothers, Elders, Evangelists, Teachers, Ministers, Deacons, and all the Saints of God. It is written in the gospel of Luke 24:45-47, "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name along all nations, beginning at Jerusalem". The initial salvation or the entrance into the church, which is the new birth, is spoken of several places in the gospel. In John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". To further clarify he said in John 3:5, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God". After the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the receiving of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), the Apostle Peter having perfect understanding of the entrance into the church revealed by the Holy Ghost gave this wonderful revelation in Acts 2:38 when he said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (water and spirit). Furthermore, Acts 2:41 says "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls". There are other scriptures that supports the entrance into the church. A good reading of the book of Acts of the Apostles and the epistles will further edify the believer. After the new birth the process of growth begins in the Kingdom of God through sanctification, for this is the will of God (see I Thessalonians 4:3 and II Thessalonians 2:13). This is a progressive growth from babe to maturity. The bible says, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen" (II Peter 3:18). This is life-long of course, until death or the catching away, which is a complete transformation from corruption to incorruption, or mortality to immortality (I Corinthians 15:52-54). Of the two positions mentioned in this letter, the initial salvation or new birth and the growth in the Kingdom of God, a third will lend a completion to this letter, that is, the position of the unsaved. Looking back at the first scripture Luke 24:45-47, the gospel is for all nations, all people (see Acts 1:7-9); but the preaching of the gospel only saves those that believe. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). I Corinthians 1:21, "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe". So how can you believe if you have not heard? That is why Jesus Christ instructed the gospel to be preached. There are many that believe and yet have not been baptized. The great divide between them - the water. The children of Israel stood on the side of Egypt; between them and freedom was the water. You know the events that unfolded; God parted the Red Sea and they went over on dry land. We have a wonderful revelation in I Corinthians 10: 1-4, that they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. The Lord Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). So if you are standing on the shores of your sins and the water is before you, come into the water, repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and receive the Holy Ghost. May the Lord Jesus bless you.