Being Apostolic (was Moderate Apostolics)

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

Hi:

My name is Wenona Russ.  I am a fairly new member of Higher Fire-about 
3 days or so, and I must say that I am blessed to know that there is 
such a network of believers who can just fellowship, submit prayer 
requests, or just jive around in the unity of the faith.  


I do not know if one of the objectives of this network is 
to argue over non-essential issues or not.  I mean this as no offense 
but one of the things that keeps me away from labels (denominations) of 
any kind is the division it implies.  God admonishes us to be in unity 
of the faith.  The Word says a house divided against itself cannot 
stand.  We all can learn from one another; we should not let the fact 
that one group has a revelation of God or another has another 
revelation of God separate us...for it is in the division that Satan 
can work.  

I am a saint that has very recently re-dedicated her life to Christ and 
the number one thing that God has been dealing with me about is keeping 
the peace and unity of the brethren.  You see, I almost backslid not 
because of something obvious like fornication or lukewarmness but from 
my insistence on 1) not forgiving my brethren for wrong they had done 
and 2) my stubborness on proving a point.  At some point, I did not 
agree with a certain set of rules or whatever that were being practiced 
so I set out on this crusade to prove my point.  The entire thing was 
pointless and a waste of time, it took more energy to argue my position 
than just to forgive and forget for unity's sake.  I learned that if my 
brother and I do not see eye to eye on some things-doctrinal or 
personal and if it is going to cause confusion or a riff of some 
sort-to leave it alone and pray for the other party that their eyes 
will be opened.  And to pray for myself because a lot of times we 
notice the twig in some one else's eye and fail to see the tree that is 
protuding out of our own.

Please do not take this as an offense; I still love the fact that there 
is fellowship going on.  It is very important.  But more important than 
that is to love one another.  What is the use of fellowshipping with 
one another if you do not love one another?  For love covers the 
multitude of sins..and errors...and misinterpretation...or failures.  
For if we speak in tongues as of angels and have not love, we are as 
tinkling brass.  Though we give our bodies to be burned for another and 
have not love, it profiteth nothing.  And if we give our portions to 
the poor, w/o love, it is nothing.  For love does not puff itself up, 
acteth unseemingly, does not recall past wrongs, or offends one to 
prove a point.

I love you with all the love of Christ that He has shed abroad in my 
heart thus far in my renewed walk with Him, and I pray that more time 
and energy is spent edifying one another, praying for one another and 
exhorting one another than clashing over trivial doctrinal issues.  I 
came out of an Apostolic church and greatly admire the Apostolic 
church, but I believe it is the heart of God that should lead us to put 
aside doctrinal issues that cause division and do whatever it takes to 
keep the peace...Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall see God...

Let's work together...he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit 
is saying to the church.  If you recall, when Jesus spoke to the seven 
churches in the book of Revelations, He pointed out some things 
regarding each church-good and bad, truth and error.  And He admonished 
them to come Up Higher-in essence.  Each church had a "revelation" of 
who Christ was and He commended them for it, but encouraged them to get 
to know Him a little better in a way they had either forgotten or never 
knew before.  No church has all the knowledge of God, and neither 
should any of us profess that we do.  Read further in I Corinthians 13 
and you will notice that tongues, prophecy, healing...all the spiritual 
gifts will cease when He returns, but love endureth forever.  Let's 
reach for that "Higher Fire" spoken of in this chapter...now abideth 
faith, hope and love...but the greatest (or Highest) of these is love...

Wenona Russ


----------------------

russw@bc.edu
Boston College

"God's love is all-encompassing, all-knowing, and all-empowering; let 
His Perfect Love fill you and encompass you today..."