Episode 134: The Apostles right to the believers in Antioch

In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting

mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world

and the life of all. Give us wisdom by Your law and

enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge.

Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be

obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at

every hour. O You who enlightens the

rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my

Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and

divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son

and Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

The last two weeks have been quite challenging to the entire

world, most importantly to the Christian world, Christendom.

We began with the murder of the two young brothers in the Church

of Annunciation and then our sister.

I'm please forgive my ignorance, I forgot the names.

And the sister who is travelling on public transport, who got

stabbed in the neck and no one went to the hell.

Maybe there was fear. I I don't know.

I don't want to judge. Then we hear of another school

shooting, another two children. Their lives were taken.

And then we come to our brother, the son of our faith, our

Christian faith, our brother, Charles James Cook.

There is only one thing that comes to my mind and I learned

from this and I think I've been trying to give this message and

and here at home that the martyrdom that awaits those who

love the Lord, who preach the Lord, who live the Lord not in

perfection, trying to attain that completion.

The martyrdom is at hand, O beloved Christians, faithful

Christians, faithful Christians who live their life, who offer

every minute of their lives to the perfect will of God.

Yes, we drop the ball, we sin. We're all sinners.

Our brother, the late Charles, wasn't a St.

He even confessed to this in one of many of his programs or when

he was speaking on the campuses. He he, he boldly confessed that

we're all sinners. We fall short.

But when we have Christ in our minds, in our hearts, and we

want to live that life, and more importantly, when we want to

bring people into that same realm of holiness, martyrdom is

knocking at the front door. It's at the door.

Blessed are you who are persecuted.

This is the cross that we this is denying ourselves, beloved,

denying ourselves and truly take up the cross.

Sunday. I I believe the funeral has been

set for Sunday, this coming Sunday.

We've prayed for the repose of our brother.

He's he's sold to be accepted along the and and counted and

numbered along the just and righteous among all the Saints

of our Lord who died and shed their blood for the Lamb, who

are now crying according to the Book of Revelations.

They are crying out. So they're not, they're not

asleep. They're not asleep crying.

They are crying out. How long?

They're worried about us, Our brother, the late Charles will

join them as well. How long, O Lord?

How long are they? Are they going to be persecuted

through many means? I don't want to go too much.

I don't want to go into politics.

Well, we pray that the Lord will forgive his sins and trespasses,

which we all have, and that he will truly grant him that

everlasting life. Our sister Erica, if you're

listening by chance, well, no, I don't believe in chance.

But if God has moved you and God has arranged for you to listen

to this message, a mere sinful servant of God is praying for

you. But if there's consolation

there, take a consolation. The entire Christian world is

praying for you and for your two daughters.

And we know that the cross that Christ has given you to bear, he

will also give you the comfort. We say in Assyrian Alhammad

Nikhle, may the Lord rest his eternal soul.

Not only oh, and I forgot our brother Ashur Nissan, also in

German, in France, in a wheelchair preaching the word of

our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Radical Muslims, I will say it, radical Muslims used machetes to

murder him because he was preaching Jesus Christ, their

Lord, their savior. If they don't accept Shum, our

brother Arshur will be in the bosom of Moses.

And if they haven't repented and return and turn away from this

evil, they will be burning in Shoal and asking Abraham, oh

father Abraham, please send Arshur to dip his fingers in,

in, in the water because we are burning.

We want him to come and wet our lips.

But if you want to hear what our father Abraham will say, you

read the the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

Let's continue. Let us not stop.

We continue to preach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but

the truth which is Jesus Christ praise between his name Acts of

the Apostles and we see we've been learning how the church has

been been built upon the truth and how the church has from the

day of its inception and conception and beginning.

The church has been preaching the truth and using the truth

the truth in our last episode just the recap St.

James, the Bishop of Jerusalem whom Jesus appeared to after

resurrection 1st Corinthians 15 seven Now let me tell you

something find me in the Gospels where it mentions that Jesus

appeared to James. It doesn't and if I stand

corrected glory to God. But Saint Paul is mentioning

this. How did Saint Paul know this

Please call this the oral tradition.

It was passed down. Saint Paul had asked people had

told him that this is what happened.

So just because it's not in the the New Testament and Saint Paul

or in the Gospels, I'm sorry, in the synoptic Gospels St.

Paul mentioned, it doesn't mean there is an error there.

No, no, no, no, Saint Paul had heard it and he writes it.

So Saint James solves the issue at hand, but he teaches them

that this is what we need to do to the to the, the Gentiles that

are coming into Christianity. They don't need to be

circumcised, but they need to stop from fornication or sexual

immorality. This is why those who preach

Jesus Christ are being murdered. Not because we say Jesus is the

way the life, but we condemn sexual immorality.

We condemn, you know, the the Sodomites.

We condemn the lives of Sodom and Gomorrah that are apparent

today. And we read Marisha Dad, Bishop

of Hadith circa 18850, and he writes this according to the

custom of the appeasing of demons, meaning that it was not

allowable for women to belong to a man unless they had first been

prostituted to the priest in the idol, the temple in the idol of

in the the idol temple. So Saint James says we need to

tell them that they need to stop this and they need to stop

strangled blood, they need to cook the animal Leviticus 1710

to 12 and this Saint James proclaims verse 22.

Then the apostles and elders with the whole church chose men

from among themselves and set them, send them to Antioch with

Paul and Barnabas, namely Judah, who is called Barsabba or

Barsheba and Silas, men who were leaders among the brethren.

Verse 23. And they wrote a letter and

sended by them after this manner.

This is what they wrote, the apostles and elders and brethren

to the brethren's of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria

and Silesia. Greetings.

Let's stop there. The entire trip.

First it was the apostles. Of course it has to be the

apostles, because Christ gave the apostles the key to the

Kingdom of heaven. The apostles, then the

presbyters, the priests, the clergy, then the entire church.

The whole church community agrees, of course, because the

Church is not just the apostles and presbyters.

The Church is not just the faithful.

No, it's the apostles, the presbyters and the church

community. Hence when we come to church on

a Sunday, you too are offering that holy mystery.

You too. But there is the priest of the

altar who is under the auspices of the high priest, which is

Jesus Christ, and the deacons who are the resemblance of

Saint, the angels, and they are the mouth of the people, the

congregation. And there is you offering this

sacrifice. That's why the priest speaks in

third person term or he speaks plurally.

There's such a word because everyone is offering that holy

mystery. They also agree to some men from

the community of Antioch, faithful people, by the way,

faithful, they know these people.

They were faithful. They send them to Antioch with

Paul and Barnabas and we're going to read why.

And Judas, he was also named Barsabbas and Sealas, leading

men. They were leading men.

So they were leading. They were, they had a position

in the church. They were examined.

They were proven to be correct in their faith, their doctrine,

their teaching. And then they were accepted to

lead and they were sent with Saint Paul and somebody and

there was a written a letter was written and the letter was as an

evidence of the actual discussions that took place

regarding the matter presented to the apostles and the apostles

decree, beloved, the apostles decreed, not the presenters, not

the faithful community, the apostles decreed.

And because the apostles have agreed decreed, it now becomes

Canon law. So when the Apostolic Church

tells you, instructs you and commands you, it is law.

It has to be backed up by the law.

Not because I'm telling you. No, no, no, Robbie.

Yes, Father, you tell me. Can you show me?

Is there a, a canonical law? Yes, it is.

Aiming finish. Done.

Case sealed. Well, I don't think and I don't

feel well. Thoughts of deception, deceptive

feelings of deceptive. The heart can be deceptive.

No, no, no, it's the law it has become.

It has been bound by the apostles on earth, which makes

it bound in heaven. Matthew 1619.

And I'm going to read that it becomes law.

And this was so evident in this chapter, beloved, the

significance of the place of the apostles authority in the

church. They appealed to the Holy

Scriptures, but they then appealed to the experience of

the Holy Spirit. And that's where they came to

their decision. And Christ did that as well.

You know, when the when the Pharisees and the priests were

being ticked off because Jesus was eating with the tax

collectors and the and the prostitutes and you know, and

they were saying, well, that's not right.

Of course they were right. They're on the point.

Leviticus stand verses 8 to 10. Yeah.

What's holy should not have any relationship or should not be

mingled with what is defiled. They were correct.

But Jesus said, hey, I said that law, I am God.

Now I am going to tell you that Yeah, I'm not going to adhere to

solar Scriptura. No.

And the apostles being moved by the Holy Spirit did the same,

beloved. And how did the apostles come to

the binding decision, not merely, as I said, appealing to

the Scriptures of the Old Testament Testament, but more so

to the experience, admonishment, rebuking, guidance of the Holy

Spirit of one person, Saint Peter, verses 24 to 26.

Let's keep going. We have heard that.

Now listen to this. We have heard that certain men

have gone out to disturb you with words, thus upsetting your

souls, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law

concerning these things. We have never commanded them.

Whoa, whoa. Now I know why some of our

Protestant brothers and sisters don't like reading and preaching

from the books of the No. I, I, I encourage you the to

read the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

It is the procedure, the foundation, the constitution of

the Church. Verse 25.

Therefore, we have considered the matter while we are

assembled and we have chosen and sent men to you with our beloved

Paul and Barnabas, men who have dedicated their lives for the

name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So you can't write them off.

These people are faithful. Some who went out, that is to

say, we didn't send them. These people who are causing the

disruption, we didn't send them. They had no authority from us.

So when you want to go out and evangelize and preach, which is

great. Amen to that.

Let me, let me give you an example of, of what I'm going to

talk about. Our brother, the late Charles in

his religious talks and discourses, 2 things he has

confessed to and he was at, you know, he was trying to trying to

press the issue #1 was the disrespect that Saint Mary, the

mother of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ was

receiving from the Protestant churches the disrespect.

He corrected it and he went on to say that the Apostolic

churches have history. They have the church fathers,

they have it complete. And I'll go on to say, so that

you don't think I'm only bragging about the Apostolic

churches because I am a priest of the Apostolic Church.

No, no. And he admonished the Apostolic

churches as well and said, however, the evangelization,

mission and missionary of the Apostolic churches has somewhat

ceased. You're right, my brother, rest

in peace. You're absolutely right.

Here we are. That's why we're here today,

That's why we're here. That's why we have podcasts,

that's why we have live streaming of preaching the word

of God. So they say the apostles say,

listen, we didn't send them. So whoever has come out to you

without our consent and authority, no, no, no, don't

listen to them. And we see Paul touching up on

something that is somewhat confirming what they saying.

Romans chapter 10 verse 14. Therefore, how would they call

Romans 10:14

to this one that is Jesus unless they believe in him?

Or how would they believe him unless they heard him?

And how would they hear without a preacher?

And how will they preach? Listen very carefully.

How will they preach unless they are sent?

Not go out and do it on their own.

No, that's why we have the, the the the one saved always saved.

Calvinistic heresy. That is why we have the the

rapture heresy. Yeah.

You know, what's God, What God's going to do for you?

He's going to come and he's going to rapture.

Who's going to take away all those who believe so that they

don't have any, you know, persecution?

Why do you take out our brother Charles, who's a martyr before

he was martyr? Why didn't he do that?

Where's this rapture coming? All these people that are dying

for Christ, suffering for Christ, being persecuted for

Christ. When is this rapture coming?

It's not coming. It will not come.

By the way, 23rd Steven, Are you ready?

Are you ready? There's another heresy by some

foolish. I don't know who is.

I don't even want to know. I'm not even going to Google his

name. He's calculated that the 23rd of

September, the world is ending and he's raking it in again.

I think, you know, gullible naive people, God bless them,

pure in heart, maybe pounding them with money, giving them

money. 23rd of September, we say in a scene robust Soho.

Enough of this heresy. How will they preach if they are

not sent the church and which church?

I think now you're sort of coming to that understanding and

maybe confession that yes, OK, but OK, enough, Robbie, enough,

Father. Yes, yes, we understand.

OK, OK. The Apostolic Church, because

for 15 chapters from the book in the Bible, let's go solar

Scripture, the Bible. You have not me.

No, no, no. You have hit the message home.

It is the Apostolic Church. St.

John Chrysostom uses this in one of his homilies in Antioch.

When a heresy, A heretic called, I think it's called anumism,

there was a heresy, anumism they were teaching the Son was

completely unlike the Father had risen.

That means definitely unlike the Father, not only the Son wasn't

the isn't the Father. This is what we say.

The Son is not the Father, the Father's the Father, The Son is

the Son, but the Father and the Son have a being, have a have a

nature, which is the divine nature.

Look at what he said He said This you have received as your

patrimony, that is from your Father's, the desire never to

allow the teachings of our faith to degenerate into heresy. 3rd

or 4th century. What makes this clear?

In the time of your ancestors, he's going to allude to this.

People came here from Judea. He's preaching in Antioch.

People came from Judea who were muddying the clear waters of the

doctrine taught by the apostles. They were exhorting your

ancestors to practice circumcision and to observe the

Mosaic law. Those who then lived in your

city did not remain silent, Amy. And then we see this.

Nor did they put up with this innovation.

He calls it an innovation. Not even a theology, not always

a doctrine, an innovation. Someone come up with it.

They were like courageous hounds who saw wolves attacking and

destroying the entire flock. They sprang after the wolves and

did not let up, chasing them and driving them away.

They saw to it that the apostles from every corner of the world

sent them their decision in the form of a letter that would

protect them from any attack launched against the faithful by

those innovators or modern noses.

Modernizes and all such as might come thereafter, but listen to

what he said. It's not in the scriptures

right. They saw to it that the apostles

from every corner does he every corner of the world.

He must have heard that and it wasn't only injured every every

apostle that was alive then adhere to this and was in

agreeance. That's defending the faith

beloved. Not so much without.

That is against paganism and other faiths outside of

Christianity. No, that is a given and it

doesn't take much. No effort to defend Christianity

from non Christianity. 3 words. 3 words.

Learn them, learn them. Jesus is alive.

Simple praise and glory me to his name.

Jesus is alive, I worship and a Lord that is alive.

He is alive and he's working and his his his life is within me

and I have a connection with him.

I share in his life. Each time I go to the church and

I partake in the holy mysteries. I partake in the life of Jesus

Christ. Getting excited, right?

Life of Jesus Christ, but no more.

So the heresies within in Jesus name hiding behind a cross and

not believing in the power of the cross and the Bible and

teaching false doctrines and heresy, false teachings within.

Beloved we need to be alert. Our late brother Charlie started

to preach this as well. Be alert verse 27.

And we have sent with them Judah and Cillas so that they may tell

you the same things by word of mouth to avoid non acceptance of

the decree coming from Paul and Barnabas.

Rings a bell right today the same things happening.

What was that? What are the verses?

Come on, I'll give you 3 seconds.

It's finished. You try me. 1915 Matthew 1816 to

Corinthians 311. From the mouth of two or three a

matter is established. Practicing what the Lord

preached in the church, practicing what the Lord

preached. And the Lord preached because He

knew that one day it would be practiced.

That's why we say His words are alive.

They're active in His church, in our lives by word of mouth.

Did you hear that? And we sent with them Judas and

slides so that they may tell you the same things by word of

mouth. Our rule, instruction and

written instruction. Second Thessalonians 315

Therefore, my brethren, be established and hold to the

tradition. Tradition, that word that is

despised and frowned upon. Tradition.

You are very traditionalist. It's in the Bible.

I'm living a word in the Scriptures traditions with a

capital T by the way, hold fast that you have learned.

Hold fast on those traditions that you have learned whether

word or by now and that's what was happening.

See the the the apostles practicing what they were

preaching, but mainly the apostles practicing what was

taught to them by Jesus Christ. Praise be to His name, verse 28.

For it is the will of the Holy Spirit and of us.

What for? It is the will of the Holy

Spirit. Praise His name and of us.

What to lay upon you no additional burden than these

necessary things? The Holy Spirit, of course, it

appears the Holy Spirit because they appealed to the experience

of Saint Peter, Peter and the Holy Spirit.

It was good. When Peter spoke, it was good.

It was the Holy Spirit that worked through him and and spoke

to him. Good.

That word that appears seven times in Genesis chapter 1,

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

verses 1 to 31, good. It was pleasing to the Father

and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, one God, it was

pleasing. And then he says, and to us

what? Oh, no, no, dear Apostles, no.

What do you mean? To us?

You're mere men. You're only men.

You're nothing today. You're only man.

You're doing so fine. And now you go ahead and add

yourselves to the equation. Is it Saint Luke who's getting

excited and, and, and, you know, adding or, or was it truly this

word? Well, it was the word.

And yes, of course, they have every Christian given, I'm

sorry, every Christ given, right to add themselves to the

equation. And we're concluding Matthew

Matthew 16:19

chapter 16, verse 19 to you. I shall give the keys of the

Kingdom of heaven. Everything that you will bind in

the earth will be bound in heaven.

And anything that you will lead release in the earth, it will

have been released in heaven. Of course you can.

Yes, Matthew 1040 Whosoever receives you receives me, and

whosoever receives me receives him whom sent me.

That's why they add themselves to the equation of the appeasing

of the Holy Spirit and appeasing of the apostles.

Whoever receives you receives me.

This is Christ's commandment, and whoever receives me receives

him who sent you. That's why it was the Holy

Spirit and and it it's us, it appeases us.

It is befitting us that we shall make this conclusion and this

decree. It was the authority they had

been vested with, given to them by the Holy Spirit through our

Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Praise and glory be to His name now, not all times and forever.

Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's

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Until next time, God bless you all.