About retaining people; as for the "50" who are filled with the HG and however many are baptized, let's say, when I say you can't find them in church next Sunday, I mean, you can't find MOST in ANY church (and what's the use of going to a trinitarian church once you've been exposed to Truth?). I really could have said, though, because this is more along the lines of my personal experience, the person filled with the HG or baptized would be in church for three or four services and then be gone. And it's not only this way with UPC churches, but also with the Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, ect... Just in those other churches, they'd become a "member" or have their child dedicated, rather than get filled with the HG. Ok, so good, the UPC got these people excited and HG filled and whatnot-great! Then where are they again? Oh yeah, at home on Sunday mowing the lawn or golfing. What did they get (again in the UPC churches in my area) on a regular Sunday morning when the revival hoopla was done? A dry, watered down message, so the new convert figured, "Why waste my time?" "Why waste a Sunday morning, when I can go fishing?" And I remember Sunday's where the wheather was good and the UPC church was practically empty.
But you get a good church, with a GOD annointed pastor who'll preach what you need to hear, even if it makes him unpopular... A church that'll keep holiness... I know there are still some UPC churches like that, but let me tell you this, EXCEPT for two or three in New England I don't know any other UPC's. And it kills me to have to say this, and it kills me that I have to drive for over an hour to get to a good church and that I have to drive 7 hours for good fellowship (conservative brethren in Canada).
I also want to consider the parable of the sower. It is one thing to hear the Word preached and an entirely different thing to be filled with GOD's Spirit and to be buried with Christ in baptism. My parents have been to church, heard the Word and left and continued with their lives, I understand that COMPLETELY. But if they were to get HG filled and baptized and they then leave the faith, well I'm not even supposed to break bread with them now, am I? In fact, they're better NOW, than if they obeyed
Acts 2:38 and then backslid, right?
The people in this parable hear the Word and recieve it, and it's difficult to tell exactly what happens or where they are in salvation. I can recieve the Word with joy, set out to obey the Gospel and then get sidetracked by the cares of this world. If I however OBEY the Gospel, or in some cases have the Gospel THRUST upon me, but I haven't counted the cost to begin with and I abandon Christ then I'm in real bad shape. There are some preachers that'll baptize anyone or try to get people HG filled on the spot, without explaining repentence to them and what it means to die to self. They do this mainly out of wanting numbers, excitement, a thrill, and I'm not saying they're not good intentioned but they're going about it all wrong. You cannot be filled with the HG without repentence, and you can't repent without knowledge of what sin is. But instead of that tough route, let's do "thumbs up HG"! Woo-hoo! I am so tired of that, and it happened at GC and Youth Congress. Youth Congress was especially bad, I can't think of any youth that I personally know, who was HG filled at Congress that is still in church today! In fact, I know of a UPC girl who just backslid, found out about her today.
I've got to stop my ranting. But the UPC has just got me so saddened because of it's lack of solid holiness preaching, lack of retention of young people and new converts and just the overall state this denomination is going.
GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex
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