For those that left the UPC...

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by Mirth1981

I never said that I struggled with standards. I was struggling with how to leave the UPC. That was the point of this thread. I wanted insight from those that had also left, because the organization makes it very difficult for people to leave without being mistreated.

And I did leave the UPC btw. And I have no regrets whatsoever that I'm not a part of that organization anymore. I feel relieved actually. So relieved.

Mirth,
Just wondered, did your husband leave with you!

[missourimary]

Originally Posted by ILG

I left the UPC in 2005. I never struggled with keeping standards at all. As a matter of fact, I mostly enjoyed it at the time. It is a fallacy that Apostolics have that people who leave don't love God enough to keep standards and just want to be like "the world". I am very relieved I left too. Time has made me happier than ever.

My church left the UPC years ago, but I left my church last year. I had always followed the standards completely. I didn't leave because of standards or because of a love for the world. I can honestly say that I've been happier this last year than I was for years in church. I'm very glad I left, too.

[Aquila]

I still attend a UPCI church. However, it's rather moderate, but sound in doctrine. The associate pastor is actually licensed with a different organization! lol God hasn't directed me to leave, so I still attend (though I can't always make every service). In a men's meeting we were discussing the "Kingdom of God". I found myself agreeing quite a bit with another brother of our church who is currently licensed through Apostolic World Christian Fellowship. I typically make no bones about it... I'm not UPCI.

I have few issues with their doctrine as a whole. There are some minor points where I think an idea has to be more developed, but that's just my opinion. Where I struggled was when I was a preacher I was expected to "preach the standards". When searching the Word of God I found little biblical basis for many of the standards taught by UPCI as essentials. I had little problem with obeying the standards... I struggled with how to deal with knowing they were unbiblical and teaching them to others, including my own family. At the time I attended an Ultra Conservative UPCI church. We left and prayed for about a month before attending the more moderate UPCI church I attend now.

I don't believe the UPCI will change. I do believe that it will shrink until it's insigificant in light of the more broad "Apostolic Movement".

If I could find an Apostolic church that believed the Word as I do, I'd attend. However, most are too relaxed on what I believe to be essential doctrines or they are far too legalistic, their legalism being based on traditions of men. So this moderate UPCI church works for me.

[faithit166]

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2008/...n_skirt_1.html check this out

[Aquila]

Men wore skits throughout the 1500's. Soldiers also had skirted uniforms. The Scottish men have worn kilts. All were distinctly masculine.

If a Scottish woman wears a kilt, she's wearing men's apparel.

[faithit166]

the word skirt in hebrew is kanaph strongs 3671 it means edge or extremity.hem men did not wear skirts back in the day

[KWSS1976]

No Faithit166 everyone wore robes n tha day...both men and women..

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by KWSS1976

No Faithit166 everyone wore robes n tha day...both men and women..

Well, KWSS1976, looks like they'll be wearing the same clothing again, if that
be so!

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by Godsdrummer

Truth Seeker
Where do you find that? Peter told the crowd on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Ghost was a gift. And what commandments must be obeyed to be saved? The command to be baptized?

You quoted several scriptures with the words obey and salvation in them trying to prove a point that one must obey someones list of commands to have salvation instituted in their lives.

Well here is a news flash, we know that every translation has its differances because new understanding of the greek come to us as time goes on. But one thing God has never left in confusion is how to be saved. But it is not from a plan of works. It is a plan of faith in God.

What works did the children of Isreal have to obey to be save when bitten by the serpent in OT? They had to look at the serpent Moses had lifted up. Now I guess you could say looking up with faith was a work. Every action can be looked at as a work.

But the only action Jesus said to Nicodemus he had to do was to be born again. And it was not a three part plan. John 3:1-16, you can try as long as you like to make born of water into baptism but it just is not there in that passage, unless you take verse 3:5 completely out of contex with the rest of the passage. How do you fit water baptism into looking to the cross with faith to be saved, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildreness?

Now don't be drugged by the works based teachings that are all around you, just because a word in your KJB is translated obey does not make it mean what obey in the English language means. Get a good bible dictionary I like Vines. Strongs concordence with the greek and hebrew is good to. If you are not suprised at what you find when you start to check the base meaning of many of the words used to preach works based doctrines I will be suprised.

Just to give you a primer their are at least 3 greek words that are trans. from greed to english as obey, and only one has the significance given by works based teachings and that is found in Ephesians 6:1. this verse is not the only example but then don't take my word for it or your pastor, check it out for your self.

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him

Whta is that saying?

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Men wore skits throughout the 1500's. Soldiers also had skirted uniforms. The Scottish men have worn kilts. All were distinctly masculine.

If a Scottish woman wears a kilt, she's wearing men's apparel.

That is too logical for some to grasp, though.