IN THIS ISSUE THE STANDARD. Editor s Notes By Athena & James Turner 4. Embracing A Kingdom Value System Part 1 By Andreas Kyriacou 6

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1 Volume Issue 1 January/February/March 2013 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

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3 THE STANDARD IN THIS ISSUE January/February/March 2013 Volume 17 Issue 1 Contributors Senior Minister Andreas Kyriacou Michael Morris Stephen & Nicole Kyriacou The Editors Notes Athen & James Turner The Editors Christalla Kyriacou Andreas Kyriacou When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19 In a world which is being flooded with destruction, darkness and evil, God the Father, by His Spirit, has lifted up a standard through His Son Jesus Christ. Christ, and Him crucified, is the standard we proclaim as the answer to the human cry for help. Editor s Notes By Athena & James Turner 4 Embracing A Kingdom Value System Part 1 By Andreas Kyriacou 6 Support This Ministry 15 Resources 16 Free Sermon Downloads 17 Faithfulness & Goodness Of A Loving Father By Stephen & Nicole Kyriacou 18 3 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

4 Wri en by Athena & James Turner. I t was plain that dad and mom were in need of a well-deserved holiday. Those that know my father well know that he s not the ideal holidaymaker. In fact holidays leave him feeling restless and frustrated. So it was with a li le trepida on that James and I invited my parents to join us on a trip we were planning to the Kruger Na onal Park. On 11 th February, my parents flew up and met us at Johannesburg Interna- onal Airport. We headed out of the city to our first des na on, which was perched among the crags and hills of the drama c Mpumalanga / Drakensberg escarpment. It was the perfect se ng for everyone to unwind and enjoy the idyllic and res ul surrounds. It also made a good prayer spot for dad who opted to stay put on one of our day drives. He rejoined us on our second ou ng to visit some of the scenic panoramas that the area is known for, my personal favourite, the Blyde River Canyon. A er four tranquil nights amongst the forests and waterfalls, we hopped back into our trusty VW Bus and headed down into the low veld to focus the remainder of our holiday on the Kruger Na onal Park. We spent seven nights visi ng different rest camps while maximising our early mornings and late a ernoons on game drives spo ng animals. We were richly rewarded! A highlight of our me together was dad bravely rescuing Isabella from a grumpy huge lizard (officially called a Water Monitor) that decided to 4 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

5 launch an a ack while they were wandering past him one morning. Dad grabbed Isabella by the arm and dived into a nearby bush. He armed himself with a s ck and sent the water monitor retrea ng back into the water a er a knock on the head. His granddaughter s hero! It was exhilara ng seeing so many animals in their beau ful, unspoilt natural habitat: on two occasions we came across male lions, the highlight of every game viewer. We also saw herds of Buffalo, Zebras, Impala, Giraffes, Elephants as well as Hippos lazing in the water. A personal favourite was a mother Hyena suckling her young pups. There were also a few exci ng and nerve-wrecking close-ups with a disgruntled bull Elephant and Black Rhinos. We enjoyed quality me together driving in the car for many hours and relaxing over our evening braais around the fire as well as the ritual nightly Trumps card game. Unfortunately we weren t able to topple James from his winning streak. Mom and I enjoyed the fact that there was very li le cooking and cleaning up to do. Mom was game with everything, always willing to get into the car for yet another game drive, entertaining Bella while enjoying the scenery. On our last day we wound our way 600 kilometers back to Johannesburg through the lush Magoebaskloof area, stopping for lunch at the quaint village of Haenertsburg. Mom and Dad enjoyed it so much they felt that they could easily re re in a small town just like it. All too soon it was me to hit the freeways of Gauteng to drop them off at the airport for their flight home to Cape Town. These are memories that we ll treasure and keep with us. Isabella loved having her grandparents with her to share in all the excitement. Taking me out to enjoy our beau ful country and to celebrate family is a blessing and we re deeply grateful for the opportunity. Athena, Isabella and James 5 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

6 Embracing A Kingdom Value System By Andreas Kyriacou Part 1 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Ma hew 6:19-21 NKJV) This familiar scripture has such a wonderful and rich implica on for you and me today. It has to do with the very thoughts and mo va- ons of our hearts and if we take heed to what Jesus is trying to communicate through it, we will find that it will cause us to re-evaluate how we think, what we feel and why it is that we believe the way we do. Jesus said that our hearts will always be where our treasure is; meaning that our hearts will wrap around and pursue whatever we treasure or highly value in life. Another way of saying it is, "your heart will always be with what you value. This is a fundamental law in life. We always devote ourselves and gravitate towards the things we value the most. What we respect we will always a ract! If we value the kingdom of God over and above the systems and culture of this present world, then our devo on and commitment will also be there. 6 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

7 Jesus was teaching us in Ma hew 6 to embrace a heavenly value system based on the principles of the kingdom that are eternal and incorrup ble, rather than an earthly value system which is temporary and subject to corrup on and decay. He was saying, Wrap your heart around my kingdom and invest your lives in it rather than pursuing what the people of this world seek a er. Jesus is teaching His disciples here to simplify their lives by giving priority to God s kingdom and trus ng Him to provide for their basic needs while here on the earth. He is saying that the spirit and culture of this age is characterized by worry, stress, anxiety and unrest which are mainly fueled by unbelief and rebellion against God, warning them not to fall into the same trap that the people of this world are falling into; mainly being consumed by materialism and indulgence of the flesh. Jesus said that the unbelieving world s values and pursuits are centered around the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life. If what we treasure and value in life is based on a worldly value system - which is governed and dictated to by the devil and the flesh - then our lives will be subject to decay and corrup on. The Babylonian and worldly system of commerce and industry is subject to decay and corrup on and its coming to an end, but the kingdom of God and those who live by it's values will con nue forever without end. We are also given very clear instruc ons from the apostle Paul in Romans 12:2 NKJV where he says, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of 7 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

8 God. Paul also writes to the church in Colossi saying, You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is si ng at the right hand of God. Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. (Colossians 3:1, 2 ERV) What he is saying is that as believers and new crea ons in Christ we should become heavenly minded rather than earthly minded. John the apostle said it this way, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17 NKJV) John was not referring to people when he said do not love the world but to a worldly culture and value system that is governed and founded on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. What are Values or a Value System? Values are what a person considers to be important, valuable, and worthy of love honor and respect. A value system, therefore, is a set of principles or ideals that we highly esteem and consider to be of importance. These values guide our behavior and conduct. Our value system is the sum total of our ideas and beliefs. It includes every opinion we hold about life. Each thing we like or dislike, and the importance each one has to us, merges to form our unique value system. Our value system develops through what we are taught and experience, what was communicated by our parents, teachers, and 8 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

9 influen al people in our lives, combined with our reac on to them, forming our preferences and our unique perspec ve in life (worldview). Ul mately, every opinion we have in life is based on something in our value system. There are only two sets of values in the world; one is of God and the other of the world. There are things the unbelieving world values and holds dear and there are things that God holds valuable and dear, and the two do not mix. The worlds value system is founded upon the lusts and the desires of the fallen nature of man, namely the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. God s value system, on the other hand, according to 1 Timothy 6 is founded upon righteousness, godliness, faith, love, pa ence and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11). Ci zens of the kingdom of God should learn to live only by God s values and standards and not the world s. The problem arises when we try to live in both worlds, mixing the two. Listen to what James says about it: Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4 NKJV) An adulterer is an individual who has a covenant rela onship with one, and yet becomes involved with another. The Church has pursued rela ons with the world unfaithfully, while boas ng that all her sins are washed away by the blood of her covenant with Jesus. She has become adulterous. James goes on to say in James 4:3 NKJV: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 9 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

10 Worldliness a Major Crisis in the Church Today We have a crisis in the Church today because many of the world s values and standards have crept into the Church and are considered normal and acceptable in Chris an circles. Worldly fashions dictate how we dress, Hollywood dictates how we entertain ourselves, worldly psychologists tell us how to raise our children and many of the world s pursuits con nue to dominate our thinking and way of life. What shall we eat, what shall we drink? What shall we wear and where shall we live? We are constantly bombarded through the media with what the world considers successful and worthy of our pursuit. This worldly thinking has produced much of the carnality present in our Churches and has dulled our spiritual senses and discernment. Many in the Church today have been placed in very uncomfortable situa ons as a result of their disobedience and worldly pursuits. Jonah was terribly uncomfortable in the belly of the whale, but God is more concerned with the produc on of our character than the provision of our comfort. God will once again, in His great mercy, judge His people if we refuse to judge ourselves and return to righteousness. Listen to what God s word says in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 NKJV, For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 10 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

11 The Call of the Spirit for this Hour Deep down in my heart I hear the Spirit crying out and calling the Church into a deeper level of commitment to the values of the kingdom of God. He is calling the Church to launch out into the deep and there experience more of God than we have ever experienced. We must experience a deeper level of surrender to The Lord and to what He considers important; denying the flesh and its natural inclina ons. We must go deeper into the things of the Spirit and develop depth of character, embracing with all of our heart what God embraces and rejec ng what God rejects. Much of our allegiance and devo on is given over to the natural appe tes and desires of the flesh. This has brought weakness in the Church. Somewhere along our walk with God we became comfortable and sa sfied with what we have and in the process of me we ve become lukewarm and complacent. Spiritual decay and boredom has set in and we ve go en stuck. We ve lost our hunger for God and the things of the Spirit, replacing them with the comfort and pleasures of this present world. Hosea 6:3 NKJV says, Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the la er and former rain to the earth. What is our pursuit to be? Success, ministry, a good marriage, the blessings of God, healing, prosperity? God forbid. Our pursuit is to know Him! When we pursue Him - not for what He has or can do, but for who He is - we will find the treasures hidden with Him. It is in this secret place that gi s are given freely, never to be taken from you. King Saul pursued a kingdom while David pursued God. Saul lost his kingdom trying to hold on to it, yet, because God had established David's kingdom, even when David yielded it to Absalom, God gave it back. 11 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

12 The me has come for believers to know and be fully persuaded in whom we believe, what we value, and why. We can no longer remain on the fence, vacilla ng between two opinions. Elijah challenged God s people in the Old Covenant and called them to life changing decisions. He said,.... How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people answered him not a word. (I Kings 18:21 NKJV) Developing a Personal Value System Having a personal value system gives us structure and purpose by helping us determine what is meaningful and important to us. Our values help us express who we are and what we stand for. If we are unaware of, or become disconnected with our values, we end up making choices out of impulse, preference or instant gra fica on, rather than on solid reasoning and responsible decision making. The true values that we hold are the ones which we actually live by. If we claim to value something, yet do the opposite of it, then we 12 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

13 actually value something else. If I claim to value truth, yet lie, then there is something more important to me than telling the truth. My lies prove that I hold some other value more deeply than honesty. Our Values Define our Character Our values impact every aspect of our lives, including personal and work behaviors, our interac ons with family, friends, and co-workers; our decision-making processes and the direc on we take in life. This is why it is so important to know and examine what we value and believe to be important to us. Las ng changes can only take place when our values change. In order to bring meaningful change in our quality of life, we first have to change our value system because values determine behavior and conduct. For example, I cannot influence you to pray or establish a consistent prayer life unless you see and realize the value of prayer. I can teach you about prayer, the benefits of prayer, and all that it entails but un l you realize the value it has in your life you will not pray no ma er what I say about it. We cannot influence believers in Christ to witness and share their faith with others unless they see the value of a saved life. We cannot influence people to do what is right and live a godly life unless they see the value of godly living. If we desire to see meaningful changes of growth and development in our fellowships we need to adopt those kingdom values which will inspire and empower us to change. Having values which are wri en on paper will do us no good unless they are in our heart. The psalmist says, I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart. - (Psalms 40:8 NKJV). The Psalmist delighted in doing the will of God because God's values were within his heart. 13 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

14 It's not Enough It's not enough to a end Church services and prayer mee ngs! It's not enough to give our thes and offerings. It's not even enough to read our Bibles and pray once in a while. If all of these things we do are not bringing about transforma on in our character and a change of lifestyle that will a ract the sinner to Christ and influence them towards God and His purposes, then it's all in vain. God s word says, Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is wri en of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart. I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salva on; I have not concealed Your loving-kindness and Your truth From the great assembly. - (Psalms 40:6-10 NKJV) Moving into maturity in our rela onships with God means that we move beyond the menial acts of religion. It means that we allow God s word and His values to form the very founda ons that we build our lives upon. This is far more than just lip-service. This is a life that is lived as a worship song unto the Lord, demonstra ng the love and nature of God to a lost and hur ng world. My prayer as I conclude the first part of this ar cle is that what I have shared with you will both challenge and inspire you in both your personal walk with the Lord, as well as in your role as a spiritual leader within your fellowship, workplace and community. May God s word and His Spirit minister grace and restora on to you as you humble yourself before Him and allow Him to minister His mercy and forgiveness, as well as His love and His grace. God bless you. 14 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

15 Would you like to support this ministry? If you have been blessed through this ministry or in reading this publica on, and would like to support us through the giving of an offering or dona on, please feel free to deposit your contribu on into: South Africa: Bank: FNB, Account: Alpha & Omega Ministries Interna onal Acc. No.: , Branch No: Or Alterna vely Post To P.O. Box address on back page USA: Post To: Alpha & Omega Ministries Interna onal Inc ANACONDA DR, NEW PRT RICHY, FLORIDA, , USA 15 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

16 RESOURCES Books A Life Confronted with the Truth Join Andreas as he recounts his drama.c conversion in this autobiographical story of how God reached out to a young and desperate man and called him to a life of Godly service. Prayer & Fas.ng In this booklet, Pastor Andreas Kyriacou discusses the importance of prayer and fas.ng with biblical principles on how to incorporate these Chris.an prac.ces into one s daily walk with God. The Excellence of Revela.on Knowledge Just off the press- an Exci.ng New Book The life and faith of every believer is founded upon the revealed knowledge of God s Word by the Holy Spirit. In this booklet, Pastor Andreas Kyriacou discusses how there is no subs.tute for revela.on knowledge, and shares with us the keys on how to a ain it. For more informa.on on how you can obtain these books, please contact our church office or us at andreas@alphaomega.org.za 16 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

17 FREE Sermon Downloads We are happy to announce that sermons from our local church, interna onal ministry journeys and messages in Greek are available for download through our local church and interna onal ministry websites. The URL s are as follows: Local Church: Interna onal Ministry: By clicking on the Sermons tab, you will be able to download sermons as either a Podcast, an RSS feed or an MP3 from Dropbox, all free of charge. Teaching Series Embracing a Kingdom Value System For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Ma hew 6:21 (NKJV) This is an enlightening and challenging teaching series on the importance of living life according to kingdom values. Many believers strive to live a life that is pleasing to God, yet are o en met with disappointment as they struggle to bring their thinking and lifestyle in line with the His Word. Pastor Andreas teaches us that it is the values we treasure that determine our behavior and that our ac ons reveal to us what it is that we truly value in life. We encourage you to visit us at h p://alphaomega.org.za/sermons/ to download this teaching series for free and learn about some of the values that govern the kingdom of God. 17 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

18 Faithfulness & Goodness Of A Loving Father! Stephen & Nicole's Tes mony! By Nicole Kyriacou I n Psalm 36 verse 5 the psalmist wrote Your mercy, O L, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. His faithfulness reaches to the clouds - I can iden fy with the psalmist as he meditates and ponders on God s goodness, extolling His faithfulness, and how good it is to trust Him; he is trying to put into words what he feels in his heart as he looks up at the sky and can t see the end of it, and that helps him to express in a song how unfailing and wonderful God is. When I look back at my journey with the Lord, I too am in awe of how much He loves me and the wonderful things He has done for me since I have come to know Him and understand His ways. Space does not permit me to elaborate so I will just summarize. I grew up a ending Sunday School and I am grateful to my mom who encouraged us to follow Christ and know Him personally which was contrary to the tradi on of our Portuguese family in prac cing Catholicism. 18 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

19 It was in my last year of high school that I truly began to seek a deeper rela onship with the Lord and became more consistent in a ending church and bible studies. I joined the ladies choir and later the youth choir and enjoyed serving in the church wherever I could. I served as a Deaconess and member of the worship team playing the organ and singing for four years before my mom and I were given the opportunity to relocate to Cape Town. It was a dras c move, but both of us can say we had an amazing peace about the decision and there was no looking back. A er a month of living in the city, we were invited by friends to a end a service at Alpha & Omega Chris an Fellowship and from that first service we a ended, we knew in our hearts that this was the church God wanted us to se le in. We were so impressed by the teaching we received, by the Praise & Worship, by the friendliness of the people but most of all we felt again the incredible peace that this was the place for us. My mom and I became members of the church and I joined the worship team and that is where I met Stephen. When we first met I did not have a clue that he would one day be my husband. He was very shy, but a er a few years he and I became very good friends. I felt like I had known Stephen my en re life. At the start of our courtship the one challenge we were presented with was that my mom would be reloca ng to New York and there was the ques on whether I would want to follow her a er some me. I had to decide before commi ng to the courtship if eventually re-loca ng would be more important to me than our rela onship in the future. The Lord gave me the verse in Psalm 37:3-4 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 19 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

20 I knew in my heart that it was God s will that I remained in South Africa even though it was difficult knowing that I would be living on my own without my mom and could not go live with her even if I wanted to. It also says in the bible that God sets the solitary in families and He did just that. He set my mom and I in the family of Alpha & Omega where we were accepted and loved, and He set me in a family by bringing Stephen and I together. Pastor Andreas and Christalla treated me like a daughter long before Stephen and I were cour ng and then on becoming Stephen s wife, I gained a mom, dad, and an extra pair of sisters. By Stephen Kyriacou S imilarly to my wife, Nicole, I too have a founda on scripture that tes fies to the faithfulness and goodness of our heavenly Father, Proverbs 3:5-12 (The Message transla on). For me personally this scripture has been my compass in life. God Himself guiding me, instruc ng me, and direc ng my walk in life. Proverbs 3:5-12 (The Message transla on) Trust God from the bo om of your heart; don t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he s the one who will keep you on track. Don t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. 20 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

21 But don t, dear friend, resent God s discipline; don t sulk under his loving correc on. It s the child he loves that God corrects; a father s delight is behind all this. From my first steps, God s hand has been tangible and ever present on my life. Born of God fearing parents, who don t just prac ce religion like an ac vity or chore, but rather who enjoy a deep in mate rela onship with our loving Father. As long as I can remember, together as a family we have walked under the Leadership of Jesus Christ, the head of our household. My dad living out the verse:...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15) My dad (whom many of you know as Pastor Andreas ) was, is and will always be my dad! For me, I have grown up knowing my dad as both my natural and spiritual father, a rare and precious privilege. Together with my mom, he has always been there, available to provide insight and direc on in all issues of life. Not that we gave them much to worry about, but this is all down to our godly upbringing. From bible stories as bed me reading, prayers ushering in hidings, to the constant knowing that dad is somewhere spending me with God (if not in his prayer closet, then across the sea spreading His Word). It was in this loving and God rich soil I grew up as a man, embracing the God of my father as my own. The church and people of Alpha Omega are as much my home and family as my natural ones, an extended spiritual family if you will. Growing up in church, from playing with ac on figures in the back pews (when we congregated at Pinelands Methodist) to playing drums on Sunday mornings, I have never known a Sunday without the ministry of the Word and the people of Christ. 21 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

22 I am truly blessed, always surrounded with family who love and seek the Lord wholeheartedly. It was in this family, this same Church I grew up in, Alpha Omega, that the Lord ushered in one of His greatest blessings in my life, my wife Nicole. As you have read Nicole s words, God relocated her and ensured our paths would meet. God s hand, as it was throughout both our early lives, was ever present, growing and blossoming our love for each other, through our courtship and marriage on 24 September Today, our Heavenly Father has blessed us with a lovely home, wonderful places of work and a special dog. Everyday I am thankful, not just for His blessings, but for the people and family he has blessed us with. It fills us with such humility to know that we serve a faithful and a good God, thank you dear heavenly Father. 22 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013

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24 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION Alpha & Omega Ministries Int. THROUGH THE ONE - REACHING THE ALL Calling the Lost Cultivating the Saved Commissioning the Trained Our Vision To extend and establish the influence of the Kingdom of God Our Mission To equip the saints for the work of ministry Place Of Worship: Alpha & Omega Christian Fellowship 43A Ringwood Drive Pinelands Cape Town TEL: International Ministry: Alpha & Omega Ministries International Box Panorama, 7506 Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA TEL/FAX: alp0003@mweb.co.za Website: 24 THE STANDARD Jan/Feb/March 2013