Being Apostolic (was Moderate Apostolics)

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Dear Brothers and Sisters of Higher-Fire:

I have thought long about adding my five cents worth to this topic. After
some discussion with a dear friend and prayer, I am sending this post in.

To me, being Apostolic, is more than any "doctrine".  It is Life the way God
intended it to be.  What ever title you slap on yourself there are some very
important scriptures that we all have to obey to be saved.

Mind you this post will not be some deep theological dissertation.  God
chose the "foolishness" of preaching.  My words are very simplistic, but
believe me they come from the heart.

When Jesus found me, I was a heathen.  I knew there was a God, because He
had been dealing with me as to the fact that He existed and I tried to find
Him but never knew how.  When a precious "saint" of God came knocking on my
door in April of 1982, I was awakened from a dream.

In that dream, I saw the purest golden white light.  I heard a host of
people, not deafening, but together, repeating only the Name of Jesus over
and over.  I made two statements: 1) "I thought you don't get a second
chance."  2) "I thought there would be a nuclear war before I died."
Obviously, I died and was before the White Throne judgement.  To this day, I
wonder if God has really given me an actual second chance at life (not just
spiritual).

My point is, this was the beginning of my walk with Jesus.  I put off doing
a Bible study and going to church for about 6 weeks.  But when Sis Debbie
and Bro Clancy came to my home on June 14, 1982, it was a meeting designed
by Jesus.  They did an impromptu Bible study with me that lasted 3 hours.
By 10:30 p.m. that night, I had seen the plan of salvation, Acts 2:38, like
a brick had just hit me square in the face.  I asked if I could get baptized
that night. (mind you, I had never been to an "Apostolic" church service as
of this time).

I went to the church with them and met the pastor, Bro Porter.  He went over
the Acts 2:38 plan of salvation with me to ensure I really knew what I was
doing. You have to understand how much conviction I was feeling at this
moment.  I was really rude to him.  I said, look they already did this, can
we just get on with this!  I am not ready to meet God if He comes back or if
I die, so I NEED this! 

Patiently, Bro Porter finished up, and we went into the baptismal tank.  I
was buried in the lovely Name of Jesus and came up speaking in other tongues
as the Spirit of God gave the utterance! 

What occurred here, was this group of people were following the teaching of
the Apostles.  I followed the teaching of the Apostles, too.

As I have grown in the Lord, I have, and I hesitate to use this word,
"softened".  I have never backed down from the convictions that Jesus has
placed upon MY heart.  James 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,
and doeth it not, to him it is sin.(KJV)  

One of the prayers that I have prayed since I received salvation, has been:
"Lord, help me to love people the way You love them."  He has been helping
with this ever since.

When we love God as we are commanded in Deut 6:5 And thou shalt love the
LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
might. (KJV), we will have a different perspective of things.

I DO NOT condone sin!!!!!!  We are to love the sinner and hate the sin.  But
I have found that when people really Love God as in Deut., then the things
need to be dealt with, will be taken care of BY God!!! (not us or our opinions)

If we can remember this verse:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ:(KJV)

Some points I'd like to make about this verse:

1.  Unity of the faith:  before I joined Higher-Fire, I would keep up with
the posts by reading the archives. (it was about 3 or 4 months before I
joined) I wonder how many people, that are without the faith once delivered
unto the saints, are doing this?

2.  Unto a PERFECT man?  Is any man perfect on this list?  I don't think so.
If so, God would have taken you already, because there was ONLY ONE who was
perfect and the world CRUCIFIED Him!  No one could stand to be in your
presence! ;-P

3.  measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  If we measure
ourselves by the scriptures (remember Jesus was the Word incarnate), we
would not be doing so much "rock" throwing.

In closing (I know some of you are glad),
Jude 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye
should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
(KJV)

Please, brothers and sisters, be careful what kind of posting you are doing
on this list.  I love Higher-Fire and the people who make it up.  I want see
this list be a way that we can not only encourage each other, but maybe
witness to those who have not experienced what we have.  It is ONLY by His
Grace and tender mercies that we have and know, what we have and know!!!!!

As Bro Tenney said, we need to keep the main thing THE MAIN THING!







In HIS Service,
Sis. Wendy Horn
ICQ# 5768674
Calvary Apostolic Church  Wilmington, Delaware