The marriage of these two is finely displayed by Luke in Acts 2. The opening part of this chapter records the establishment of the Church on earth by the Lord Jesus. He accomplished this miracle by baptising the 120 into the Baptism which He had previously undergone at Calvary, and He did it with or by means of the Holy Ghost. The major reason He endured His crucifixion was that this should be accomplished. Following the record of the founding of the Church and the swift addition of a further 5000 to them, Luke loses no time in telling us that 'they (all) continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship (Communion) and in breaking of bread (the symbol of Communion) and in prayers'.
So we see that right in the beginning, upon the very threshold of Church history God set the pattern — it was first baptism then communion. Every single member of that first church assembly went straight from one into the other. God and the apostles joined these two together that they should remain for all time the most fundamental and necessary ordinances of the Church. He added no other to them as though He were implying that together with them it should form an obligatory trilogy of common acceptance among His people; He ordained these two and made them universally obligatory upon His Church, and that is all. Other ordinances there are and each has its proper place and in that place is binding upon the person or persons concerned, but consideration of them reveals that none is obligatory upon every member without exception as are these two.
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.