Renewing The Apostolic Movement

• Messages sorted by:[ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

    In his response to my article on The Life Cycle of a Denomination Bro.
Fretwell noted that denominations have indeed followed the cycle of decline
advanced by  Bro. Tenny.

      Can this cycle of decline be broken?  I think it can!  The dynamic
origins of the Apostolic movement in the revival fires of the twentieth
century must be understood.  Our forefathers were great apostles, prophets,
pastors, evangelists, and teachers, not great theologians and philosophers.
They recieved a revelation of the mighty God in Jesus Christ and were called
by God to preach the Gospel, baptize in the name of Jesus Christ, pray for
others to recieve the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and teach holiness and
discipleship.  The Apostolic faith was not to be another theological system
to be added unto the many other systems of antiquity, but a living faith
based upon a personal encounter with the risen savior Jesus Christ.  The
emphasis in life and ministry was placed upon converting the world, not upon
creating and defending a theological system.  The truth of the Apostolic
faith was established by the power of the Holy Spirit as thousands recieved
the revelation of the name of Jesus, were baptized in His name, and recieved
the baptism in the Holy Spirit.  Having begun in the Spirit we cannot be
made perfect by the flesh.  The rationalistic emphasis of modern Apostolics
which seeks to establish the truth of the Apostolic faith and win converts
by the power of intellectual arguement is a radical departure from the
original Apostolic faith.  To break the cycle of decline there must be a
return to the centrality of the proclamation of the gospel and the life
changing experience of Jesus Christ received in the power of the Holy
Spirit.
    The great diversity which has always existed in the Apostolic movement
should also be recognized and affirmed.  The first issue of the Pentecostal
Herald following the creation of the UPC,  1945, gave voice to this
diversity.  According to Oscar Vouga the Herald was to be open, and I quote,
for articles which may or may not be the opinions of all brethern...articles
on such subjects as the New Birth will be recieved, whether or not they
teach that the New Birth  takes place before baptism in water and spirit.  A
spirit of controversy was to be avoided in all articles.  An openness to
embrace and not deny the diversity of the Apostolic movement can break the
cycle of decline.
    Holy Scripture needs to be restored to a place of primacy over chersihed
Apostolic doctrines with the understanding that the same spirit who spoke to
our forefathers can speak to us and reveal more truth from the Word of God.
J. L. Hall spoke of the danger of turning the Articles of Faith of the UPC
into a rigid creed which stifles theological freedom during the 1986
Symposiun on Oneness Pentecostalism.  Scripture and Scripture alone must be
the rule of faith for the Apostolic Church.  This principle was the driving
force behind the reformation.  Scripture must  be the master over Apostolic
confessions of faith.  The Holy Spirit, the author of Scripture, is still
its best interpreter.  Apostolics must allow the Holy Spirit to utilize
Scriptue as its unique witness to Jesus Christ and speak forth the Word of
God afresh for every generation through fallible human vessels.  This was
the pattern followed by our Apostolic forefathers, the pattern which brought
revival and which can bring us renewal.
    And the Apostolic movement should be renewed!  There is a world which
needs to know the power of Jesus' name.  There is a world which needs to
receive the  revelation of  the mighty God in Jesus Christ.  There is
a world which needs to be baptized in the water and the Spirit.  To
accomplish this it must be an Apostolic Church.  A church which proclaims
the gospel and evangelizes the world in the midst of its doctrinal
diversity.  A church which is united to accomplish the great commission.
    In the first edition of the Pentecostal Herald, 1945, Oscar Vouga spoke
of the victory against division won by the merger of the PCI and PAJC.  But
he also noted that peace had not yet been achieved.  I quote,
     As an organization, we the United Pentecostal Church, have won one of
the greatest battles in the history of our movement, we have won the war
against division and become one against a common enemy, but now we must win
the peace.  It will require as great an effort to win the peace as it did to
win the war we have just won, but by his spirit we will win.  If we can walk
in the spirit, we will have the Peace of God, if we walk after the flesh we
cannot expect anything but the works of the flesh, which are these;  hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, and such
like.  And let us remember, that they which do such things shall not inherit
the kingdom of God.  Yes, we will win the peace, and that by much prayer,
praying until we see another outpouring of the Spirit of God.  Beloved, let
us pray for a Holy Ghost revival, and walk in the Spirit so that there will
be the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, etc.  Thus the world
will know that we are the children of God.
    To break the cycle of decline we must achieve the peace Bro.  Vouga
longed for.  Only an Apostolic Church at peace can be renewed and
effectively unite to evangelize the world