Moving To Cleveland!

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Here's more honesty.

When I left, I still had the fervent prayer life. Consistent Bible reading was always a struggle, but I did it. It was a matter of discipline, but it was also a matter of "OH NO! If I don't read my Bible today, it's the beginning of the end I'm about to backslide." Now with my prayer life, I wanted to pray and enjoyed the fellowship of God and with the saints in corporate and private prayer and it does bother me that I don't have the same prayer life.

I want that back.

But I am not on the precipice of hell fire because I am not praying 30 minutes a day every day.


Now more honesty.

Even while praying, reading and fasting, my life was marked by secret sins-- sins so serious that it defies all logic that a Holy Ghost filled Apostolic would ever be in a situation where they are battling such thoughts and actions.

But I couldn't talk with anyone about it. I couldn't tell anyone about it. I tried and jokes were made. I tried and the person in leadership dismissed what I was going through as a simple, "attack of the enemy". When I tried to continue the dialogue with that local leader, he made it obvious to me he was not comfortable talking privately about the issue and he did not direct me to anyone else.

There was no one to walk with me out of the deep trouble I was in. No one. So ultimately, I didn't have true fellowship with anyone because I couldn't be honest and true with them.

The Apostolics were just not prepared to deal with a person who was saved but still had a serious sin issue that needed to be dealt with-- openly, with patience and meekness.

So I kept my secret sins to myself (telling the Lord but no one else), crying at the altar at the end of every service, but falling every week or two to the same sin. Not once did I ever think the sin was ok, right, and I was always broken over the sin. It defied my identity as an Apostolic Christian.

My life made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

So I went to a place where my life would make sense.

Those people didn't have every Christian doctrine down pat-- but they sure did LOVE on me with the LOVE of Christ.

They LOVED me and confirmed their love towards me through their approachableness and willingness to listen, not judge, and pray with me. I have true accountability partners now, that KNOW me and love me just the way I am as the Lord forms His Likeness in me! I never had that in all my years as being an Apostolic. Remember, I was raised in this. My Dad is an ordained Bishop in his Apostolic organization. For a long time, Oneness Pentecostalism is all I ever knew.

With the A/G church I now attend, I have been able to be open and honest, sharing with them the childhood roots of my "then" current struggles.

They didn't minimize anything. They didn't tell me I wasn't saved. They agreed with me that I was in a dangerous place, but not out of reach of our Savior! They accepted and dealt with me as a repentant brother in Christ that was caught in a cycle of secret sin. Only the sin wasn't a secret between us.

The ability to confess and be real with TRUE HOLY GHOST FILLED CHRISTIANS is the key to helping me live an overcoming life.

I'm not perfect, but GOD IS MY WITNESS I AM LIVING SUCH A BETTER CHRISTIAN LIFE today! It is the truth!

I'm not conquered by sin every week, or every couple of weeks, or every month. The cycle of sin was broken when I started attending a church where I could be honest with people about what was going on without fear of ridicule and rejection.

So, I'm not running the aisles like I used to. But away from the church services, I am running the Christian race with victory, living a Christian life that makes more sense.

I won't give that up for anything in the world! I know my life has changed tremendously so, for the better, now that I am a real person with real relationships with real people. I am living real Christianity.

I don't pray 30 minutes a day like I used to, but I still pray.
I don't read my Bible like I used to, but I do still read.
Yes there is plenty of room for me to grow in these areas.


I want to attend a church where if I am struggling in a certain area, I can find fellowship with other brothers and sisters and together overcome each challenge by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

But it is hard to have a testimony among people you can't be real with.

Besides, when you really look at the scriptures WITHOUT ADDING ANYTHING TO THEM, salvation is by faith that comes before, concurrently or after water baptism, and the Holy Spirit baptism is a PROMISE to all those who are already saved, who already believe.

So not only do the Oneness Pentecostals not have every Biblical doctrine down pat, so many of them APPEAR unapproachable and un-real.

So deciding to go visit an Apostolic church once I move to Cleveland could possibly be a bad decision. However, I have thought and prayed about it and I think I should at least go and visit.

Despite their shortcomings, I know they are a people of prayer, usually. If it wasn't for that, the Oneness Pentecostals wouldn't have much of anything going for them at all. Their corporate prayer is what makes the difference in their services, their singing, their sermons. If they ever lose that, they'll be useless cause they definitely fall short in the other Christian areas.

We probably don't agree on much but this has to be your best post here and one I hope some pastors and church leaders will read and take to heart in dealing with folks who are struggling with issues that, regardless of how uncomfortable it may be for a pastor or church, need to be dealt with and not minimized.

[Jermyn Davidson]

No, my post is just more liberal, anti-apostolic drivel.

I'm spineless, wishy-washy and was probably never saved anyway.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

No, my post is just more liberal, anti-apostolic drivel.

I'm spineless, wishy-washy and was probably never saved anyway.

You said it, not me!

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

I remember when living in NC being accused by one of the brothers for speaking in "fake tongues". He didn't think I was saved way back then!

Sure it put me on the defensive, but I got over it.

Only Trins speak in fake lounges

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

Only Trins speak in fake lounges

I deleted that post 'cuz I didn't want to take thread in that direction, rehashing every thing wrong that ever happened while attending a UPCI church. That's not what I remember most about my time with them.

I do miss my times with them.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

I deleted that post 'cuz I didn't want to take thread in that direction, rehashing every thing wrong that ever happened while attending a UPCI church. That's not what I remember most about my time with them.

I do miss my times with them.

A UPCI church, means one UPCI, so therefore represents 100% of the UPCI churches? I wonder what someone would say if we use that method of judgement for races of people?

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

A UPCI church, means one UPCI, so therefore represents 100% of the UPCI churches? I wonder what someone would say if we use that method of judgement for races of people?

Sigh.

EB,
I have been a member of several UPCI churches in different parts of the country/world since the age 19 AND I did say I am going to visit one in Cleveland when I get there AND I said I miss the UPCI. I don't think I am judging all UPCI churches the same.

The Lord used the UPCI for a time in my life.
The Lord is using an A/G church right now in my life.
Both churches believe and emphasize the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Sigh.

EB,
I have been a member of several UPCI churches in different parts of the country/world since the age 19 AND I did say I am going to visit one in Cleveland when I get there AND I said I miss the UPCI. I don't think I am judging all UPCI churches the same.

The Lord used the UPCI for a time in my life.
The Lord is using an A/G church right now in my life.
Both churches believe and emphasize the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Don't blame Jesus Christ for your poor decisions. The Lord Jesus had nothing to do with you attending an Assembly of God church. Both believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost? One believes Jesus IS GOD, and the other believes Jesus is A god.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Don't blame Jesus Christ for your poor decisions. The Lord Jesus had nothing to do with you attending an Assembly of God church. Both believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost? One believes Jesus IS GOD, and the other believes Jesus is A god.

There are two prodigal stories in the Bible one prodigal was the son in the pig pen the other was the pig in the house. This thought came to me.

[TJJJ]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

There are two prodigal stories in the Bible one prodigal was the son in the pig pen the other was the pig in the house. This thought came to me.

HUH?

Years ago Bro Davis from Balch Springs (The Brother Davis that is in Prison now) preached about the prodigal pig. Using a real vague analogy.

There is not a story about the pig in the house.

What Scripture are you using?

I can only find one prodigal story and that is the prodigal son.