BIBLE BELIEVERS FELLOWSHIP 

 Synopsis: Bible Believers Fellowship is a community aligned with the New Testament Church, welcoming all believers as brothers and sisters without formal membership. They emphasise belonging to Christ and adhere strictly to the Bible as the ultimate authority, focusing on the Great Commission to spread the Gospel. The fellowship operates independently, guided by the Holy Spirit, and promotes unity among believers as the body and Bride of Christ. They view the Godhead as one God manifesting as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit without hierarchy, with Jesus being both fully God and fully human while he was on earth. Believing humanity is inherently sinful, they teach that Jesus' sacrifice offers redemption. Salvation is granted by God Himself through His sovereignty that ignites our faith, leading us into repentance and living righteously under Christ's lordship.

Who Bible Believers Fellowship are…

Bible Believers Fellowship considers itself as a member of the New Testament Church, which began on the Day of Pentecost and will continue until our Lord returns for the catching away of His Church at the Second Coming of Christ (Ref: 1 Thessalonians 4:16). Our church has no members as in “joiners” and that the God ordained members of the mystical body of Christ are our brothers and sisters; and are welcome to attend our services, regardless of what denomination they belong to. The people who are of our assembly belong to Christ, not to Bible Believers Fellowship. We say that the assembly is our post of duty where we commit to spreading the Word of the Lord as a functioning part of the church body (Ref: Hebrews 10:25). We have no law but love, no creed but Christ and no book but the bible. We regard our fellowship as a local body of Christian Believers and use the term “Bible Believers Fellowship” as a statement not a title, with which we describe our common faith. This is because we teach the Bible to be the absolute authority and source of all church doctrine and revelation. We believe that the Great Commission applies to our assembly and take seriously the mandate to preach the Gospel to every creature (Ref: Mark 16:15). Bible Believers Fellowship is an independent, autonomous body of Believers, making its own decisions under the leadership of the Holy Ghost and Scripture (Ref: Acts 6:3, 13:2; 1 Corinthians 2:13). We regard the Church of God as those who are called out from the world by God and are in figure the body and Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ref: Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 19:7-9). In addition they are chosen of God, “Called out of darkness into His marvellous light” (Ref: 1 Peter 2:9), having their citizenship in heaven. (Ref: Ephesians 2:6). The Church is founded upon Jesus Christ himself and his revelation (Ref: Matthew 16:17; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20, 5:20; Colossians 1:18). The body of Christ is not separated by race or by status such as Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female but are all one in Christ (Ref: Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:14, 20-25). We promote unity among fellow believers and churches that understands that our fellowship with one another is valid only under the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, having our sins forgiven. (Ref: 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:1).

What the Word of God is…

The Holy Bible is the handbook of our assembly and we regard it as the unrivalled supreme Word of God and guiding light for all generations. We believe that God looks after His Word, and although many assemblies might differ in their interpretation of the scriptures, we believe that the Word of God is inerrant and at its core is the revelation of Jesus Christ. We attempt to follow the teachings of the Bible in the spirit of grace, which includes the instructions of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, who taught that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Ref: 2 Corinthians 1:19). The book of Hebrews clarifies in its first chapter that God now speaks to us through His Son, and we understand “His Son” to mean the Word of God itself (Ref: John 1:1-3, Hebrews 1:1-3). For us the Word of God is powerful and alive, capable of bringing life to those who hear and believe it. Consequently, we believe that the Word of God can bring life to both the living and the dead (Ref: John 11:25-26). The Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Ref: Hebrews 4:12). We believe that Jesus, the author of the Word is still alive today and that he oversees the execution of his Word in demonstration and power (Ref: 1 Corinthians 2:4; Hebrews 12:2, 13:8). We believe that the Word of God teaches that signs and wonders as spoken of the New Testament follow those who believe today (Ref: Mark 16:17-18). The Word of God should be studied and there is a blessing given to those who read it (Ref: 2 Timothy 2:15; Revelation 1:3). The bible warns us against those who would pervert the gospel (Ref: Galatians 1:7-9; 2 Timothy 3:5; 1 John 4:1).

How we view the Godhead…

The Godhead is a mystery and the only one who can say with certainty that they have the correct understanding of the Godhead is God himself, and to say otherwise is presumptuous and arrogant. That the Godhead is a mystery is borne out in Revelation 10:7 that states that the mystery of God should be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel (Ref: Revelation 10:7).  So with humility we say that our understanding of the Godhead is that God is one God (Ref: Deuteronomy 6:4). Therefore, the roles of the Godhead are viewed in a functional context that would depend upon the revelation of God’s purpose, whether it be for the purpose of God asserting Himself as King of all the universe, making His will known to us through the unction of the Holy Ghost as our inner prophetic enlightener, or fulfilling the priestly office in the work of redemption. There is no hierarchy within the Godhead as each 1persona, be it Father, Son or Holy Ghost; all are equal in authority and power and are one and the same. A comparison can be made in figure using the ‘three manifestations of the human body – i.e. Body, Soul and Spirit’ two parts which have no visible form and yet the three discernible parts would be viewed as the same person and would be considered indivisible whilst alive in the flesh (Ref: 1 Thessalonians 5:23). The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Christ (Ref: Colossians 2:9), and in this body God was able to mingle with humanity (Ref: Hebrews 4:15) and became vulnerable moreover, capable of dying for our sins which he did (Ref: Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 9:28) and to be touched by the feelings of our infirmities (Ref: Hebrews 4:15, 5:2). Jesus was one hundred percent God, and one hundred percent Man. He was God when he created the world (Ref: John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-16) and he was Man when he went to the cross (Ref: Philippians 2:8). It makes sense to us that for Jesus to be a genuine substitute identified with the people he represented, God in the form of Jesus would have to have had experienced our finite minds and bodies when he experienced life as we experience it, else he would not be qualified to understand our human condition. This would be to the extent that he could identify with us who understand the concept of not knowing what is going to happen next until it happened. He would have to understand the concept of enlightenment through gaining knowledge by revelation [Example: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him...] (Ref: Revelation 1:1; John 5:19, 30, 8:28). In the form of a man his flesh had to pray (Ref: Matthew 26:36). The Bible states that we are purchased by the blood of God (Ref: Acts 20:28) which is the self-same blood of Jesus (Ref: Ephesians 2:13). Likewise, God and his Word are one and the same (Ref: John 1:1-3, 14). Even though God was Jesus’ father, the Bible also states that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost (Ref: Matthew 1:20). That Jesus is the same person as God, is borne out in Isaiah’s prophesy, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Ref: Isaiah 9:6-7). Jesus claimed that he was the Comforter (Spirit of Truth, Holy Spirit) that was to come (Ref: John 14:18, 15:26) and Jesus also claimed that he was the manifestation of the Father (Ref: John 14:8-9). In the Book of Revelation Jesus further claims the titles reserved for God himself on several occasions (Ref: Revelation 1:8, 17, 22:13).

How Humanity is fallen and needs a saviour…

We understand that the human race has fallen into sin by one man’s disobedience to God, and consequently all are thus born into sin and have a sinful nature (Ref: Psalm 58:3; Romans 5:12). Therefore, there has never been one righteous among us apart from Jesus who was born without sin for the purpose of becoming our substitute sacrifice and consequently our redeemer acceptable to God (Ref: Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:21-22). We understand that the heart of man is desperately wicked and seeks to exalt itself above God’s Word (Ref: Genesis 3:5; Isaiah 14:14, 37:23; Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, man’s problem is that he is naturally separated from God for the Bible states that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ref: Romans 3:23). However, God’s remedy for sin has been dealt with by Jesus’ sacrificial death for fallen humanity, as the scripture states that Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the tree (i.e. The Cross), that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (Ref: 1 Peter 2:24).

What the Gospel of salvation is…

The Gospel should be preached and be of sound doctrine found squarely in the scriptures and agree with the Apostle Paul’s teaching (Ref: Galatians 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 2:1). The Gospel as stated by the Apostle Paul declares, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present (i.e. At time of writing), but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me (i.e. The Apostle Paul) also, as of one born out of due time (Ref: 1 Corinthians 15:1-3). The Gospel sets out to bring people to Faith in Christ through the understanding that, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. In addition it is understood that “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (Ref: John 3:16-17).

To recognise Christ as our Saviour, 'repentance' is a necessary prerequisite to experiencing salvation (Ref: Acts 2:38, 17:30). Therefore, the promise is given of power to become the children of God to those who believe (Ref: John 1:12). To accept salvation we must admit that we are a sinner and surrender to his will. We must repent and be willing to turn away from sin and to seek righteousness. We must believe that Jesus died for us on the cross, after which we call upon the name of the Lord with faith that we might be saved and that Jesus might become Lord of our lives (Ref: Romans 10:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 3:20).

Note: 1persona - In ancient Greek culture, the term "persona" is often associated with the concept of masks used in theatrical performances. The word itself is derived from the Latin "persona," which referred to a character or role played by an actor. In Greek theatre, actors would wear masks that represented different characters, allowing them to embody various personas. This practice was significant in conveying emotions and traits of the characters to the audience. Additionally, the term can also relate to the philosophical discussions about identity and the self. In this context, it represented the outward expression of an individual, distinguishing between one's true self and the roles one plays in society. Overall, "persona" in ancient Greece encapsulated both the theatrical and the philosophical dimensions of identity and representation.

Daily Scripture Reading

To You Who Bring Small Children to Church 

Listen to the Song

There you are sitting in worship or Bible study. Your child, or toddler, is restless. Perhaps they’re even a little boisterous. You try to silence them, and nothing. You try to pacify them with food or toys, and nothing. Eventually, you resort to the last thing you wanted to do: you pick them up, and before a watching audience, you make the march out of the auditorium. All the while, you’re a little embarrassed. Maybe you’re a little frustrated too. You might even think to yourself, “There’s no point in coming to church. I get nothing out of it because I have to constantly care for my kid.”

I want you — you mothers and/or fathers — to know just how encouraging you are to so many. The little elderly woman who often fills alone beams with a smile at the sight of you wrestling with your little one. She’s been there before. She knows how hard it can be, but she smiles because to hear that brings back precious memories. To see young parents and their small children brighten her day, and she may have just received bad news this week about her health, but seeing the vitality of young ones removes — if but for a moment — her fears.

The older man who always seems to be grouchy notices you too. He’s always talking about how children in this day have no respect or sense of good. But, he sees you — a young family — in church, and you don’t miss any gathering. Like clockwork, he can depend on the sight of you and your young family. You give him hope that maybe the church isn’t doomed after all, because there are still young parents who love God enough to bring their restless children to worship.

The family who’s unable to have children notice you too. They’d love to be in your shoes, but for whatever reasons, they are unable to bear children. They’ve thought about adopting, but they’re not sure if that’s what they want to do or if they will keep on trying to have children of their own. They’d love to talk to you for a little while about the joys of your children. They need you.

Then there’s everybody else. Some people will honestly become frustrated by noisy children in church. They have this warped idea that reverence includes absolute silence. It doesn’t. When parents brought their children to Jesus, the disciples rebuked them (Matt. 19.13-15), but Jesus rebuked His disciples. He said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” The term translated “children” in Matthew and Mark is "paidon". The root of the word “pedagogue” is from this word. It defined children of either an infant state, or more particularly, it was with reference to those who were half-grown and could be either males or females.

When Luke wrote his account of this narrative, he used the word "brephos"; which means “infants.” Luke wasn’t contradicting Matthew and Mark’s account, because Luke wrote that they brought the infants “also” (Luke 18.15-17). They would have squirmed, maybe even cried. This was likely why the disciples rebuked the parents; as well as that they might have thought that the children were too young to understand the blessing Christ pronounced over them.

Bring your children to church. If you don’t hear crying, the church is dying. As hard as it might be for you as a parent who’s half-asleep, keep on doing what you’re doing. You are an encouragement, and you’re starting off your children’s lives as you should.

Source: Veritas Venator

Posted on September 25, 2013