CIRCULAR LETTER April 2009

Special greetings to all of you, my beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ in all the different countries, with the Word from Rom. 1:1-5:

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures, … we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name …”

What a profound introduction by the apostle in his first epistle! By grace he was called to the apostleship to bring about obedience of faith through his ministry among the believers from the nations to the glory of God. This came to pass not by the preaching of just any gospel, but through the preaching of the Gospel of God as it had been announced by the holy prophets and promised in the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. The same everlasting Gospel, which is based exclusively on the Holy Scripture, is what we proclaim even now. The Apostle Paul was aware of the responsibility that came with his divine calling and dedicated his whole life to the ministry of the Lord. That is the case to this day with every true servant of God who has received a direct calling. 

In Rom. 15:17-18 he testifies, “I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed …”

Even in the Old Testament, faith and obedience towards God were the main issues with the people of Israel (Heb. 11):

By faith Israel took possession of the Promised Land.

Through obedience they experienced the mighty blessings in the Land of Promise.

On account of their disobedience, however, they were eventually taken into Babylonian captivity.

“Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.” (Neh. 9:26).

“The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.” (Isa. 63:18).

The early church, which by faith was granted all the promises, unfortunately remained in obedience and, thus, in that blessed state for only a short while. Through disobedience the believers were scattered into many different denominations. 

True faith and obedience are, therefore, of utmost importance for every individual who is part of the New Testament Church. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (Heb. 3:12). Unbelief is, indeed, apostasy from the living God. Only faith connects us to Him, brings about obedience, and finally leads to unfeigned love among the believers, as the Apostle Peter wrote, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” (1. Pt. 1:22).

Just as it was with Israel, God cannot tolerate unbelief and disobedience in His Church from the nations.

Abraham, the father of faith, is the example for Israel, for the Church, and for every believer. He believed God (Rom. 4:3) and finally experienced the fulfilment of the promise the Lord had given him. In complete obedience he was even prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac upon the altar. The Apostle James connected faith, obedience, and works, making the following point: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (Jas. 2:20-22). Jesus Christ, the promised Son, was obedient right unto His death on the cross (Phil. 2:7-8). “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him …” (Heb. 5:9). This must be the case with all sons and daughters of God who were crucified with Christ and rose with Him to a new life. Like the Apostle Paul, they can testify, “… nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me …” (Gal. 2:20).

Every passing day increases our expectation to partake in the promised Return of Jesus Christ. Now, at the end of the time of grace, the true believers who have been called out from all the nations must be separated from everything that does not coincide with God’s Word and, hence, is not in agreement with the Will of God. It is the only way they will become the “Word-Bride” destined to meet the Bridegroom — not a “Message-Bride,” for there are many different groups within the circles of the message claiming to be the Bride. There is only One whose Name is “the Word of God” (Rev. 19:13), and there is only one Bride of the Lamb who will be His wife after the marriage supper: “Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” (Rev. 21:9). There is only one Bride Church that bears His Name and is foreordained to experience the fulfilment of every promise found in God’s Word. She returns to the original teachings and practices of the early church and also to the first love and will be one heart and one soul, as in the beginning.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. “

“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1. Jn. 4:7-8+12).