Firm Foundations for your Faith

By Dr. Peter Hammond

The Apostles Creed - “... always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” 1 Peter 3:15. If you are asked, can you define the essentials of your faith? Can you give an answer for the hope that is in you? Do you know what you believe? And why you believe it? Would you know what to say? “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions that you were taught, whether by Word or our epistle.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15

The Authority of Christ and the First Day Sabbath - Which is the true day of worship for Christians - Saturday or Sunday? Listen to: the clear teachings of Scripture, the Apostles and the Early Church Fathers. “Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” Isaiah 58:12

Biblical Faith and Modern Counterfeits - There is much talk about faith, but little understanding of what faith is. Too many people think of faith as: "A blind leap into the dark" – the very opposite of reason and logic. All too many think of faith as wishful thinking, along of the line of "wishing upon a star.” It would seem that many people are confusing presumption with Faith. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss..." James 4:3.Many people proclaim faith today, but all too often it is fake faith. Many times, what is being promoted is faith in faith. However, Biblical Faith is all about the Object of that Faith. You can have all the faith in the world, misdirected, and it will do you no good. It is not the amount of faith that matters, but in Whom you place your faith. “Expect Great Things from God! Attempt Great Things for God!”Biblical Faith is bold and brave and has its boots on. Do not settle for less than God's very best.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Peter Hammond
• Release date: Mar 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310872051

Dr. Peter Hammond

Dr. Peter [e-mail]. O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South AfricaTel: 021-689-4480Academic:Baptist Theological College, Cape Town - Christian Missions Diploma (Cum Laude), 27 November 1984 (Baptist Theological College is now: Baptist Theological Seminary)Whitefield Theological Seminary, Lakeland, Florida, USA, Graduate School of Theology - Doctorate of Missiology in the Field of Applied Missions, 16 October 1998Antioch Bible College Institute and Seminary, Cartersville, Georgia, USA – Doctorate of Divinity, 22 May 2004Accomplishments:Founder and Director of Frontline Fellowship since 1982Founder and Director of Africa Christian Action since 1991Founder and Convenor of the Biblical Worldview Summit since 1991Founder and Chairman of Christian Liberty Books since 1995Founder and Convenor of Great Commission Camps and Courses since 1998Founder of Literature4Africa in 2003Founder and Chairman of The Reformation Society since 2005Founder and Chairman of Livingstone Fellowship since 2006Founder and Principal of William Carey Bible Institute since 2007Founder and Principal of the Henry Morton Stanley School of Christian Journalism since 2018.Author of:Answering Skeptics (also translated into Afrikaans)Frontline: Behind Enemy Lines for ChristBiblical Principles For Africa (also translated into Afrikaans and French)Biblical Worldview ManualChaplains HandbookCharacter Assassins - Dealing with Ecclesiastical Tyrants and TerroristsChristian History of Africa ManualChurch History ManualThe Discipleship HandbookDiscipleship Training ManualFaith Under Fire In Sudan (first published in 1996, expanded edition 1998 and third edition 2010)Holocaust In Rwanda (also translated in to French)In the Killing Fields of MozambiqueMake a Difference - A Christian Action Handbook For Southern Africa (co-authored with Miriam Cain and Philip Stott)New Testament Survey - Exploring the Central Messages of Every Book of the BibleOld Testament Survey – Exploring the Central Messages of Every Book of the BiblePower of Prayer HandbookPractical Discipleship (also translated into Afrikaans)Putting Feet To Your FaithReforming Our Families (co-authored with wife, Lenora Hammond)Security and Survival HandbookSketches from South African HistorySlavery, Terrorism and Islam - The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat (three editions)South Africa - Renaissance or Reformation?The Christian at War (also translated into Afrikaans, German and Spanish)The Great Commission Handbook (formally The Great Commission Manual in 9 editions)The Rise of the GayGB and the Pink Inquisition (co-authored with Christine McCafferty and Taryn Lourens)The Ten Commandments –God's Perfect Law of Liberty (also translated into Afrikaans) in two editionsVictorious Christians – Who Changed the World (also translated into Afrikaans)Editor of Frontline Fellowship News since 1982.Editor of Christian Action magazine since 1992.Contributing Editor of JOY! Magazine from 2006-2016Producer of weekly radio program Salt and Light on Radio Tygerberg from 1995-2016Editor of Gospel Defence League since 2016Weekly presenter of Christian Perspective on the News on Radio Cape Pulpit since 2018Initiator and Convenor of the 1995 and 1996 Christian Voice marches to Parliament.Initiator of the Calvin500 movement and conference in Geneva, Switzerland July 2009Initiator and Convenor of the Livingstone200 in 2013Initiator and Convenor of the Reformation500 culminating in Wittenberg, Germany, October 2017Initiator and Convenor of the ZwingliReformation500 culminating in 2019Chairman of Flame Lily Foundation – Cape of Good Hope since 2018.Chairman of the Cape Independence Forum since 2019.Missionary to Mozambique and Angola in the 1980s, to Zambia, Rwanda and Sudan in the 1990s.Initiator of the Boxes with Love and Bibles and Bikes Projects for evangelists. Have conducted over 18,000 meetings, church services, lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, Bible studies and outreaches across 38 countries since conversion and call to Missions in 1977.Courses completed include: Evangelism Explosion 3, Cross Cultural Communication, Way of the Master, Muslim Evangelism and Child Evangelism. Received missionary training and worked in Scripture Union and Hospital Christian Fellowship.

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Firm Foundations

for your Faith

Boxset

by Peter Hammond

Published by Frontline Fellowship Publishing at Smashwords

Permission is hereby granted to any church, mission, magazine or periodical to reprint or quote from any portion of this publication on condition that: the passage is quoted in context, and that due acknowledgment of source be given. Please also mail a copy of any article to Frontline Fellowship, PO Box 74, Newlands, 7725, Cape Town, South Africa.

Typesetting - Colin Newman

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, used with permission.

Livingstone Fellowship

P O Box 74 • Newlands • 7725 •

Cape Town South Africa

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Web: www.livingstonefellowship.co.za

The Apostles Creed

The Authority of Christ and the First Day Sabbath

Biblical Faith and Modern Counterfeits

Other Resources Available

About the Author

The Apostles Creed

By Peter Hammond

Copyright 2009 by Peter Hammond

Published by Frontline Fellowship Publishing at Smashwords

Permission is hereby granted to any church, mission, magazine or periodical to reprint or quote from any portion of this publication on condition that: the passage is quoted in context, and that due acknowledgment of source be given. Please also mail a copy of any article to Frontline Fellowship, PO Box 74, Newlands, 7725, Cape Town, South Africa.

Typesetting - Colin Newman

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, used with permission.

Livingstone Fellowship

P O Box 74 • Newlands • 7725 •

Cape Town South Africa

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Web: www.livingstonefellowship.co.za

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of Heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, He died and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He rose again from the dead.

He ascended into Heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of God,

the Father Almighty;

from there He shall come to judge the living

and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit;

Christ's holy universal Church,

the fellowship of Christians,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

THE APOSTLES CREED

"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the Truth, to which He called you by our Gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by Word or our epistle. Now, may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, Who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work." 2Thessalonians 2:13-17

God has called us to salvation through sanctification by the Holy Spirit and belief in the truth. We are called to stand fast in this truth, and to hold fast to the apostolic traditions. When we understand the times, and rightly divide the Word of Truth, we will be more effective in God's service. When we know what we believe and why we believe it, and know how to defend it in argument, then we will be more effective in evangelism and discipleship.

Always Ready

We are commanded to: ...always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you... 1 Peter 3:15

If you are asked, can you define the essentials of your faith? Would you be able to give an answer for the hope that is in you? Do you know what you believe? And why you believe it? Would you know what to say?

As the Lord's Prayer is the prayer of prayers, and The Ten Commandments is the Law of laws, so the Apostles' Creed is the creed of creeds.

A creed is a confession, a declaration, and an affirmation. It is a handy statement, a summary of the foundational teachings of Scripture. The Apostles Creed makes an ideal personal statement of our Biblical convictions because it neatly summarises truths that the Bible reveals, and requires, for salvation.

However, many individuals are hostile to the very idea of creeds. I have regularly heard pastors declaring: I have no creed but Christ!

Identifying Idolatry

That sounds all very well, but the question arises: Which Christ? All too many people have a very strange distortion of who Jesus is. We had a well-known political priest declare that he could never worship a god that was 'homophobic'. If homosexuals don't go to heaven, he declared, I don't want to go there!

Frequently, when engaged in personal evangelism, we hear individuals declare: My god could never send anyone to hell! We need to agree with them. Their god couldn't, because their god doesn't exist. He is a figment of their imagination. They have violated the second Commandment by making an idol of a god in the temple of their own minds.

We've had an individual apply for work at our mission and declare that she had had an abortion because she had prayed and asked what would Jesus do in her situation? She confidently declared that she knew that in her situation Jesus would have also had an abortion!

There are so many un-Biblical, imaginative, idolatrous perceptions of who people think God