We are not a living body that contains a soul! We are a living soul that dwells within a living body! March 2008
in this issue



This particular article started out as an email sent to a very dear couple who strive to work for Jesus, it was sent with the hope and prayer that they would begin to have a better understanding of Jesus Christ and the church. It seems appropriate to put it into this letter so that all will begin to understand the relationship of Jesus, the Church and us, the members of this church body.



The Beginning of the Church!



Dear Beloved in Christ,
 
 
The event: The Church Beginning! 
Pre-Pentecost;
 
 Act 1:7   He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; Act 1:8   but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

 Act 1:13   When they had entered {the city,} they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James {the son} of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas {the} {son} of James. Act 1:14   These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with {the} women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Editors note: read closely, this does not say that these were all who could put aside their quarreling for the common good. They were all of one mind, i.e.; same doctrine, same theology) 
 
The day of Pentecost;

Act 2:1   When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Act 2:2   And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Act 2:3   And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. Act 2:4   And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
 
Can you agree with me that this is the start of the church? Let's see more;
 
Act 2:37   Now when they heard {this,} they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Act 2:38   Peter {said} to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
Pay close attention to the above verses on the day of Pentecost, notice the sequence, can it be changed on a whim? Is Baptism simply a mere outward expression of the inner salvation? Not according to the scriptures, unless you desire to change the scriptures. Do you agree on what the verses above are saying? Repent, baptized for forgiveness and then receive the Holy Spirit.
 
There is more;
 
Act 2:41   So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Act 2:42   They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ( How important is the 'breaking of bread', or the Holy Eucharist, or Holy Communion otherwise known as the partaking of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Is this something to be done when we think of it, or when the mood strikes us or on a special holiday? This is fellowship with Jesus Christ and all of the saints, this is central to the church worship. Can you see that in the above verse?)
 
Jesus gives the Apostles power and authority;
 
Mat 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."
 
and again;
 
Mat 18:15   "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. Mat 18:16   "But if he does not listen {to you,} take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. Mat 18:17   "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Mat 18:18   "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.   (Do you agree that there is authority transferred here directly to the Apostles and in turn to the church?) 
 
Luk 9:1 And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.
 
Luk 10:19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
 
Can you even now, still deny the authority of the church? These words are from the mouth of Jesus Himself, you cannot love Jesus and desire to do his will and deny his words. Can you see here the authority?
 
What about this verse, it was even before the day of Pentecost?
 
Jhn 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
 
 
This is of vital importance, God's plan for salvation was through His Son, Jesus Christ who established the church, God does not enjoy His plan being mocked or mutilated by anyone who decides to develop his own personal doctrine or theology, regardless of how many times they say the name, Jesus, or how loudly they shout the name of Jesus. Wrong doctrine is wrong doctrine.
 
Pay very close attention to the bestowing of the Holy Spirit;
 
Act 8:18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
 
1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. (Do the scriptures lie or is the gift of the Holy Spirit bestowed by the laying on of hands?) 
2Ti 1:6 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
 
Hbr 6:2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
 
 
What about Church Hierarchy and Authority;
 
1 Timothy 3

1 A faithful saying: if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work
 
1 Timothy 3

2 It behooves therefore a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, of good behavior, chaste, given to hospitality, a teacher,
 
Philippians 1

1 Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.
 
1 Timothy 3

8 Deacons in like manner chaste, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre:

1 Timothy 3

12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife: who rule well their children, and their own houses.
 
(These are titles given in the church from the beginning)
 
What did Jesus teach about obeying those in authority?
 
Matthew 23:1-3
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the chair of Moses. 3 All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not.
 
(Our Creator is a God of order, authority is given to those to whom it is given, the order must be there because it is commanded. God is not a God of the 'Free for All' mentality).
 
Acts Of Apostles 20 
28 Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
 
 

The Prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ for His Disciples!

 
Jhn 17:1   Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
Jhn 17:2   even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
Jhn 17:3   "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Jhn 17:4   "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
Jhn 17:5   "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jhn 17:6   "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
Jhn 17:7   "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
Jhn 17:8   for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received {them} and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
Jhn 17:9   "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;
Jhn 17:10   and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.
Jhn 17:11   "I am no longer in the world; and {yet} they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, {the name} which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We {are.}
Jhn 17:12   "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Jhn 17:13   "But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
Jhn 17:14   "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Jhn 17:15   "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil {one.}
Jhn 17:16   "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Jhn 17:17   "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
Jhn 17:18   "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Jhn 17:19   "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
Jhn 17:20   "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
Jhn 17:21   that they may all be one; even as You, Father, {are} in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Jhn 17:22   "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
Jhn 17:23   I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Jhn 17:24   "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Jhn 17:25   "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;
Jhn 17:26   and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 
It is my fervent and daily prayer that you accept this truth. Your zeal for Christ does not go unnoticed, you only need to understand the truth of scripture. Our Holy Creator is one of order, Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins and bring us back into communion with the Father. There is no other way.
 
Jesus Christ established a church that He Himself taught before He left and then the Holy Spirit was sent to guide the church into all truth. The Church is the guardian of the truth as well as the teacher of the truth and the servant of all who are in need of the truth.
 
These truths are given in scripture, read and study in much meditation through fasting and prayer.
 
Yours in Christ,
 A humble servant of Jesus Christ
Monk Michael
Teaching of the Church!

I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing the truth.

I warn you that if truth offends you then you should not read the truth, if you are truly working for Jesus the Christ then please read the following truth and think about it. Once convicted, then change your life to reflect it.

About what is the beginning of wisdom

Saint Nikolai Mostwise bishop of Zicha and Ochrid

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7).

If someone were to know the number of stars in the heavens and the names of the fish in the sea and the amount of the grass in the field and the habits of the beasts in the forest and would not have the fear of God, his knowledge is as water in a sieve. And before death, his knowledge makes him a greater coward than the completely ignorant.

If someone were able to conjecture all the thoughts of mankind and to foretell the fate of mankind and to manifest every mystery that the earth conceals in its depths and not have the fear of God, his knowledge is as milk poured into an unclean container from which all the milk is spoiled. And in his hour of death, his wisdom will not shine even as much as a piece of charcoal without a flame, but his night of death will make his death even darker.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." How can he who has not begun correctly, finish correctly? Whoever started out on a wrong path from the beginning must turn back and must take-up the correct beginning, i.e., he must tread with his feet on the correct path. He who does not have the fear of God cannot have the love for God. What are we talking about? He who has no fear of God has no faith in God. The greatest ascetics, those who mortified themselves and who for a period of forty or fifty years daily and nightly lived a life of mortification until death, were filled with the fear of God and these, the most sinless among mortals, cried out in their hour of death: "O God, have mercy on me a sinner!"

The fear of God is the salt of total piety. If there is not that salt then all of our piety is insipid and lax. The fear of God girds the loins, girdles the stomach and makes the heart sober, restrains the mind and flogs self-will. Where is repentance without the fear of God? Where is humility?  Where is restraint? Where is total chastity? Where is patience? Where is service and obedience?

O my brethren, let us embrace this word as the holy truth: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." O Lord Almighty, implant Your fear in our hearts.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.


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It is obvious that Jesus meant for the church to be one in Spirit and in teaching. There is only one truth.

There is only One God, One Lord Jesus Christ, One Holy Spirit, One Christian Church. It is plain and obvious that the Holy Spirit does work through those in many different denominations. God still uses those who are true to Jesus Christ. However, this does not change the truth of the teachings of the original Orthodox Church.

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Please give these things prayerful thought, meditate on these words, learn to be still and listen to the Holy Spirit in the quiet time.

This will continue next issue. See you then.

Monk Michael

I'll see you in the next issue. Send this to your friends and family and ask them to sign up. You cannot know Jesus without becoming concerned for the life of everyone you meet.
Thoughts and meditations!

Are You Saved?

Has anyone ever asked you this question or have you yourself ever asked this question of someone? How many actually understand the meaning of the idea of salvation through the Blood and Body of Jesus the Christ?

This is a verse that is commonly used to teach an incorrect doctrine of Salvation;Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God;

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

So what is the point in saying that the scripture above is commonly used to teach a false doctrine of salvation? The teaching basically goes like this; if you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and you say the words of a prayer asking Jesus to come into your heart and live there that you will have salvation as a gift from God that you can never lose. Now to prove the point that this gift can never be lost, this verse is added to the teaching; Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So what's the problem you ask? Because many do ask and give a lot of grief to those who disagree with this false teaching which was never taught since the beginning until the reformation and the mass leading of faithful away from the teachings of Jesus Christ into this false gospel and flagrant lie. How can this be?;
St. Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity. 24 Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these my words, and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand, 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof. 28 And it came to pass when Jesus had fully ended these words, the people were in admiration at his doctrine. 29 For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes and Pharisees.

So, I am saying to all who read this, heed the words of Jesus Christ, heed the words of all of the scripture, the Beginning of the Church in the first article of this letter is scripture and nothing more, arguing with me is a waste of time I did not write the scriptures, arguing with me regarding this subject is in truth arguing with Jesus the Christ and in turn arguing with God Himself, it is nothing more than human pride in worshipping in the way that you yourself personally have chosen and not in the manner prescribed by God, remember where pride got Satan? Think long and hard on this, Jesus said that those who do not obey Him will not see the kingdom of heaven, you just read those words above, I don't care how many demons you have cast out nor how many people you have led to Christ, obey Jesus or do not enter into the Kingdom, I did not make this statement up you have read it for yourself.

You have also read in the first article that Jesus started a church to spread the true gospel, to be in obedience to Jesus means to be in obedience to the church. Think, think, think, do not let your time here be wasted on frivolous lies and false doctrine, do not be mislead by fame or fortune but be lead by the Word of God; Jesus the Christ.



Have something to say about this article? Want to add a few comments? Do it here; Putting in my 2 cents.
Think about these things.

Monk Michael
The Market Place!


These are our current offerings for your enjoyment and growth. We are different from most self-defense systems but yet very similar to others. At the New Warrior Ministries we promote self-defense against sin in ourselves as well as self-defense against the attacks of others towards our families or neighbors.

 Our series of training DVD's features the popular 'Miss Jackie'. She is not a martial artist so when she portrays the victim on a training film she is learning those particular survival tactics for the first
time as you watch. See for yourself how quickly she picks up the tactic and begins to use it. Learn along with her. Start now.



View a short clip of our 'Prevent the Abduction' film.  This film may be purchased Here and on our  'New Warrior DVD & Manual' link in the left hand column on the home page of the website.


View a short clip from the first DVD in our 'Home Invasion' series This film may be purchased Here and on our 'New Warrior DVD & Manual' link in the left navigation bar.


Our Manual 'Basic Training'! is second to nothing else out there if you want to change your life to become a better person Spiritually, Mentally or Physically. Biblical teachings on being a husband, a wife and raising children. Just click the book icon to take you to our order page,


 The next films to be shot will be;
  1. The Combat Stick! Self-defense using a common walking stick or cane. Simple and easy to learn and use!
  2. Slow Motion Health! Exercise routines that anyone can follow regardless of age and physical ability. This video has been shot and is now in editing.
 
When clicking the More Shopping at Amazon.com link below, you must use your browser back button to come back to this page.
  
 
 
              
The Spirit of the Fight! Physical Training!


This is your health, March 2008.

Hello to you,
I found a link that looks to be pretty interesting for your health. It is a sympton checker, it works pretty simply, you click on male or female and then start clicking on the body parts that you are having a problem with. I won't write much in this month's health article because there is already so much to read and the link is pretty self-explanatary, have some fun and remember that this is simply a tool and will not diagnose anything, that is the role of your doctor, heed this advice please.

Here is the link; http://symptoms.webmd.com/default.htm

Does this make sense to you? Live right, live honestly and live spiritually, when you do this it will not matter what is happening to you, you will always have love in your heart.
NCEP Logo National Cholesterol Education Program
I hope that you enjoyed this article. I will say again, watch what you eat and do your exercises. We will have more films coming out on these things soon. Keep an eye out. Also follow the link below this article called "Breathe" and do the simple slow motion movement at least 10 to 20 times per day.

Questions or comments? Send them here; I have something to say about it!

Don't forget to follow the links below for this month's self-defense and exercise plan.
Monk Michael
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