BACK TO BASICS

[Mfumu T Mpiana]

Acts 1 (KJV): 4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Dear beloved in CHRIST, Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, The CHRIST JESUS, who showers us every day with His grace and mercies that faileth not. It is a privilege and honor for me to preach by way of the internet, if the pornographers, pimps, hackers, criminals pedophiles are using the internet as a vector for the mischief its does not limit us from using the same medium to share The TRUTH of GOD. We find ourselves in a day in age were everybody want to be their own master, we have moved from theology to meology (the worship of me, myself and I). In the process the word of GOD is suffering violence in the mouth of those who claim to have been called by HIM. Many are looking for loopholes in the word of GOD to sin, although there is none, people are literally combing through the word of GOD or taking it out of context to please themselves. Nevertheless, many think that it is the new church or new era of Christiandom, not so, that is religion at it best; just as the Pharisees perverted the word of GOD to their advantage and having people walking away from GOD because of dos and don'ts. I thank GOD because HE still reigns supreme and is opening the eyes of those that seek diligently after HIM without a double mind for a true Christian as but one mind the mind of Christ. In our subject matter today, we will talk about the foundation of THE CHURCH OF CHRIST as JESUS told Peter in Mathew 16 (KJV): 18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Many are saying that the church is in trouble, I submit to you not so unless JESUS did not know what HE was talking about or HE is not the GOD HE claimed to be. A house build by man cannot in any occasion be the housing place of GOD, every Sunday as we go to the house of worship so called "church" we should bring GOD in us instead of us expecting HIM to meet us there. As I get into my text under the subject of Back to Basics, I would like to see by analogy what the early Church built up on and compare to what we are doing today, because If they did not stand on the teaching of CHRIST, they would not have accomplished all of that which they did and we would not have come to this great salvation. The Bible has never been rewritten again except translated in different languages to fulfill Acts 1:8. The book of Acts in the French Bible is under the heading of Actes des Apotres, which means the actions of the Apostles if literally translated, it have been how the Apostles did it. CHRIST is resurrected, the Apostles are going through an epiphany; the Man is really alive as HE told us, HE was not joking and Thomas had in his face because he wanted to see the marks to believe. Acts 1: 4 JESUS is in His resurrected body and giving the Eleven HIS last instruction, watch this, HE commands them not to depart from Jerusalem, and we know that JESUS is GOD and after resurrection HE had all HIS power, and I could have say anything to be done and it would have but telling them to wait, whooh! LORD what is the point there, we should be out to in the field winning souls for the kingdom. I want to say to someone that GOD is not in a hurry to put you out there because probably you will fail, JESUS wanted them to be ready because HE knew the danger ahead, and if we read further in the Bible we will discover what they were in for this shows only the preeminence of JESUS as GOD, the disciples whom became Apostles later did not what was awaiting them out there. Acts 1: 5 They were waiting for the promise of the Father that they heard from JESUS, which was not much of a physical thing but a spiritual empowerment, the filling of the HOLY GHOST as JESUS told the in John 14 (KJV) 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Acts 1: 6 At this point there was no shadow of a doubt that JESUS is CHRIST and HE has the power that HE declared to have as HE was accomplishing HIS FATHER purposes. JESUS is talking about a great event but the disciples mind was elsewhere and caught into earthly things. They jumped on the restoration of Israel as a kingdom, but it has become very evident to me that we cannot see in thing in the same scope with GOD, they are caught in the visible while GOD was talking about great spiritual things that will occur to turn the earth upside down, very often GOD will begin to reveal to us great things but will interrupt HIM with our futile plans and visions. I submit to you cannot see better that He who created your eyes. Nevertheless GOD never get distracted by our tunnel vision, if HE has declared something His word will not come back to HIM void, I hope today you know that kind of GOD I am talking about who will not be disrupted by you falling from your calling or you not fully comprehending was HE is about to do and let me tell you one thing is in control and His plan will surely come to pass. JESUS stayed the course of the plan by informing them that GOD need counsel from nobody, and HE was talking really good in Acts 1: 7 "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." Which literally translate to "Let GOD mind HIS own business?" How assuring is it to know that I have a GOD who does not need me to help Him, a GOD who can handle it, a GOD who can deal with it, a GOD who can get stuff done unsupervised for He started the all process, if any help GOD might use from me is to be still and know that He is GOD, there is nothing I can add or deduct from that. Acts 1: 8 JESUS is about to drop the commission of His Church, and I do not mean this building, which in my estimate is a house of worship because if we throw some lights, a D.J, JDs, Courvoisier, Moet, you know the top shelf stuff and what have, we have a bar because those who still go and/or go to bars they have their worship service going on there too. A debate always rises amongst the religious, seminaries, scholars, theologians, the Pharisees and Sadducees at this point; there are many people now praying to GOD for the filling of the HOLY GHOST, to be honest with the practice is unbearable, I really do not know how special my prayer has to be to convince GOD to fill me with the HOLY GHOST. I heard at occasions that HOLY GHOST will work on you from a remote location to convict you of your sinful nature then will move-in later, although the Bible does not specifically stress that, many go on a limb to make some believe so. Some say the speaking in unknown tongues is evidence of the filling of the HOLY GHOST and my Bible says nothing of the sort. Nobody will be filled with the HOLY GHOST more than JESUS, but He never spoke in an unknown tongue any time, nevertheless let me stay away for this is a different sermon. The disciples which became apostles. Where to wait for power from up on high. When Paul said be not drunk with wine be filled with the HOLY GHOST, now tell me if a person is drunk and some of us know what I am talking about, he/she will be referred to as DUI meaning driving under the influence, why not filled with alcohol? To be filled with the Spirit simply means to be under the total influence of the HOLY GHOST, period and once that occurs it unleashes and empowers one to begin the witnessing of JESUS CHRIST not all the charades that goes on today, the influence/filling of HOLY SPIRIT is to point people to JESUS, that is what my Bible reads. When you read down the chapter, the apostles did just that and they did not go against the commission in no wise. It is high time that we stick to the word of GOD, the plan of GOD, the will of GOD and as the church that JESUS establish we will be able to be witnesses unto the world. May GOD bless you through HIS word today. Amen.