Welcome Letter | Biography

Greetings from the Diocesan of the 22nd Episcopal District Council

ONE LORD, ONE WAY , On This Shall We Stand!

Dear Saints:

Throughout all the dispensations, we see God establishing rules that regulated His relationship with mankind. During the dispensation of Law, the rule was that man would make a sacrifice to atone for his sin. At the same time, the High Priest would also make a yearly atonement, while, still, there was a flame that burnt perpetually, trying to keep open the lines of communication between God and man.

However, in the dispensation of Grace in which we live, the plan to bring us into right relationship with God is capsulated in Acts 2:38, where Peter declares that the Lord of the Old Testament had been made the Christ of the New Testament. He then commands the feast of Pentecost attendees to repent, be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and surely they would receive the Holy Ghost, the promised Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. This plan had been promised from the beginning in Genesis 3:15, explained by Joel, fulfilled in Matthew 28 and Acts 2, and outlined perfectly by Paul in Hebrews 10, showing us the blessing of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. Now, we can come boldly to the throne of Grace and find help in our times of need. Now, we have power. John says any other plan makes one a thief and a robber. There is only ONE WAY!

Thank God, the Acts 2:38 way not only gives us access and power, but this Spirit of Truth leads us into all truth (John 16). One of the problems these Pentecost attendees had was that they did not know the truth about Jesus. However, the scriptures are filled with the truth about the relationship between this Son and his Father, declaring them to be one (John 10:30 ). Paul, reveals Christ as the incarnation of the Godhead (Col. 2:9); while John uncovers God’s divinity and brings us step-by-step into His taking on a robe of flesh – Jesus (John 1:1-14). He continues to teach on this oneness when he writes: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one” (I John 5:7-8, see also 1:1-4, 2:18-24, 4:1-3, and 5:7-8). There is only ONE LORD!

Saints, truly, salvation according to the scriptures reveals the doctrine of the oneness. Paul reiterates this in Ephesians 4:4-6, declaring that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one Faith, one baptism, and one God and Father. This is the faith for which Jude urges us to earnestly contend. Thus, on these precious and holy precepts shall this great DC-DEL-MD Council of the 22 nd Episcopal District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World stand! There is only ONE LORD and ONE WAY!!!

Holding Fast Our Profession,
Bishop Charles Edward Johnson
Diocesan