You know the drill, the first look at a beer commercial (combined with the fact that you are watching TV), you will be an alcoholic and pimp (because of the pretty girls on the commercial) tomorrow.
I am not torn. I am loyal to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. I have always baptized in the Name of Jesus. I have had the Holy Ghost since I was 5 years old. I have never been a "Trinitarian" preacher nor a "Oneness" preacher. I have always been a JESUS Preacher. I preach and teach the Revelation of Jesus Christ with no apologies.
I do not hang with the TBN crowd and do not defend them. I do minister in any place where the door opens. Just because I minister for someone that does not see the same revelation as I do - does not mean that I believe everything they do. I have had "Trinitarians" and "Oneness" in my pulpit that have taken liberties that I did not appreciate and I told them so and will not have them back. I have had some in my pulpit that ministered in the particular Revelation that God gave them - and it blessed me and the people and they are welcome back. It is not a Trinity thing or a Oneness thing with me - it is about MINISTRY!
Our focus at CA is NOT doctrine - but Ministry. We have a foundation of Doctrine - but we build up people with Ministry.
At one time - I focused almost totally on Doctrine. I can preach the Revelation of Jesus Christ just like many others can - but here I choose to build a house of ministry.
I know that is hard for those that DOCTRINE is EVERYTHING so much that they forget Jesus Christ and his ministry and what he told his disciples to do was MINISTRY.
Baptism in the NT was MINISTRY - Not a your going to hell if you don't do it my way DOCTRINE!
Sorry guys, I love ya - just can't live with ya.
Ephesians 4:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 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: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
The purpose of the 5 fold ministry is for the perfecting (maturing - furnishing) or the saints, and to develop them for the work of the ministry.
Verse 13 - How Long? Until everyone comes into the unity of the Faith (Doctrine), and the knowledge of God.
Verse 14 - The result of this is that they will not be tossed about by every wind of doctrine.
The ultimate result of the perfecting and development for ministry to have people grow out of the child state into having a solid understanding of doctrine. If you never preach or teach doctrine, you are failing in your responsibility to your people.
No wonder people don't know what they believe. No wonder the trinity preachers are being accepted into their pulpits and will eventually be adopted by their people.
I pray that God will always give the church the real 5-fold ministry that would establish the church in Bible Doctrine.
We might as well throw out the following scripture:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
The false preachers of today..... I just preach ministry but no doctrine. We just preach acceptable, societal issues that will be pleasing the ears of my itching ears congregation. One God... My people can't handle that. Absolutes.... What are they?
Guess what? You are failing in your responsibility to God and to your people. The scriptures are given for the reasons detailed in this verse. If you don't preach the Absolute Doctrines found in the Bible, please stop calling yourself Apostolic, because the Apostles preached the doctrine revealing in the Old Testament, and fulfilled in Christ.
I am not targeting specifically the author of the post that I have quoted, but am speaking generally of the spirit of this age that is sweeping up many preachers in our day.
I beg to differ. I have been in three churches now where the Trinitarian-Oneness debates were shown, and lock, stock and barrel, there were folks pretty upset afterward because of the confusion brought about, the fact there was no one to answer their questions at the end in the town hall.
Interestingly enough then-UPC Robert Sabin himself was present during one of these times. It was a pretty heated situation.
I am always confused, Jesus said that the Holy Ghost revealed "Who do you say that I am" but then on the other hand we think everyone should accept it at face value with no depth.
Carp,
There is meat to the Oneness doctrine but to say basic statements like Jesus is God in the flesh or there is only one God who is one or to describe God as three manifestations isn't meat. You can teach babes the basics but eventually they will want meat. They will have questions that they would like answers to. Like if Jesus is God why did he say he could do nothing of his own self? Oneness teaching can be taught in layers like basic math which leads into the harder stuff like Algerbra, Trig, Calculus. But you have to build on the basics before you can get to the more difficult things.
I've been working on trying to understand the meat for two years now. I've learned alot from Trinitarians in my search but I've also been confused by them as well. I've found I don't agree with everything Bernard, or Dulle, or others I've read on forums say. I'm going to keep searching. That's why I asked AB what he meant by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Now that I think about it I don't think he meant a certain teaching but perhaps he was referring to what Jesus said that no man knows the Son but the Father, and no man knows the Father but the Son, and to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
__________________
His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
You know the drill, the first look at a beer commercial (combined with the fact that you are watching TV), you will be an alcoholic and pimp (because of the pretty girls on the commercial) tomorrow.
ahh yes, in that case, i have left the trinnies behind and am now some form of pagan.
(I gots me a 42inch High Def TV)
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I would like to point out that I am both an Ultra Con (according to the resident expert Dan who is most often being Dan) and I have a 42 inch DLP High Def Television on which i like to watch sporting events.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I can understand not shoving meat down the mouths of babes, but basic Oneness teaching is not meat. Saying Jesus is God manifest in the flesh is not meat, or saying God, who is a omnipresent Spirit, took on flesh and blood to take away the sin world is not meat, or Jesus Christ is God with us, or that there is only one God.
But you said you believed in another teaching of Oneness other than Bernard's and I was curious as to what it is. You gave me the link to your website and I was hoping I could find it on there, but it isn't. I'm not trying to give you a hard time for leaving the UPC, being on TBN, or whatever you do. I'm interested in your version of Oneness.
I do not teach "basic Oneness Hall/Bernard" theology at Church Alive. I have never believed it and have never taught it. I do teach that Jesus Christ is God manifest in the Flesh. I teach that God, who is an omnipresent Spirit and has not flesh, bones and blood, took on human flesh and blood and gave himself as a sacrifice for the sin of mankind and that we can only be saved or redeemed from sin if we repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Flesh/Son of God. I have always taught that there is only One God and His revealed name in the earth is the Lord Jesus Christ. I have always taught that God was IN Christ - reconciling the world unto Himself. I believe that we enter into Covenant with God in the waters of Baptism when we take on the Name of Jesus Christ. I believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is a free gift from our Father and that we will speak in a supernatural language and manifest the fruit of the Spirit when we are filled to overflowing with God's Power. We will then be witnesses of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
These are things that I teach but I do not take a message to preach this to the attenders of Church Alive. I teach this to Leadership. We deal with things like this in classes. When I preach or teach a message to the entire assembly - I construct those messages - to MINISTER to the people. Over half of our attendees are also in Leadership Classes.
I did not say I "believed in another teaching of Oneness other than Bernard's". I do not believe that one, two or three men or a committee can define God for an entire movement and then if you do not agree with their theology - you don't "believe the TRUTH". What they teach is Oneness Pentecostal Denominational Theology and I do not believe one can put God in a box and define him and confine him to one's own sectarian and elitist views.