Assemblies of God 2013 Statistics Released

[FlamingZword]

Originally Posted by Sean

Amen, I cannot call a person my brother in good conscience unless they are baptized in the name of Jesus. I dont care if they believe everything else different than me. Their baptism is the deal breaker to me.

Actually baptism is the deal breaker for the Catholic church too.

If you are baptized in the trinity, you are still considered a member of their church. You are just "protesting" brethren, but still brethren.

All those people in all those protestant churches seem to be ignorant of the fact that the Catholic Church still claims them as part of their church.

[houston]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

I do believe Jesus expects our baptism to be correct. I also believe HE KNOWS the hearts of all men. If indeed someone receives the Holy Spirit before water baptism God is showing he accepts their faith.

If he accepts their faith who am I not to? AND YET now that they have the Spirit he can guide them into that other "step".

Like hop-scotch.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

I do believe Jesus expects our baptism to be correct. I also believe HE KNOWS the hearts of all men. If indeed someone receives the Holy Spirit before water baptism God is showing he accepts their faith.

If he accepts their faith who am I not to? AND YET now that they have the Spirit he can guide them into that other "step".

I was actually referring to people who were baptized calling on the name of the Lord, but the one baptizing them did not invoke the name of Jesus (like those baptized in the titles). Personally, I do not believe it is scriptural to pray for people to receive the Spirit who have not been baptized.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Amanah

I don't know what the actual retention rate is at FPC Palm Bay, but we do have visitation follow up, discipleship classes, and Home Friendship Groups where people can plug in and grow if they want to.

My personal experience was one of God dealing with me over time. I receive the HG at age nine at an AoG chuch that my mother and I were invited to visit. When I was a teenager, a street preacher showed me baptism in Jesus name and I was baptized in Jesus name at his local church, but didn't continue to attend. I told my sister about the HG and JN baptism but wasnt going to church anywhere myself. One day she called me on the phone to tell me about an awesome church she was visiting where people were receiving the HG and being baptized in JN, I happily attended there for about 20 years. I left when the church went through a major transition and I was a semi churchless wanderer for a period of time until God led me to FPC Palm to get plugged back in.

People may come in, get the HG, get baptized, you can try to establish them, but in the long run, you don't know where their journey is going to lead them. This does not mean that God has left them or is not continuing to work on them or that they won't eventually find their way home be it back to their original church or somewhere else. It is their choice.

Amanah, thanks for sharing your thoughts! There are always two sides to every coin, and I appreciate your insight. I praise the Lord that His mercy continued to draw you to Him. I believe many are in your shoes, and after having experienced a genuine birth in the spirit, continue to seek, and search after the Lord.

[votivesoul]

I guess the AoG is kind of a sacred cow around here???

I post about how statistics can be skewed through a misrepresentation of data, especially in terms of how an organization has changed over time (since it's inception 100 years ago), including acts of compromise, and people come out of the word-work to freak out in order to defend a man-made organization.

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

I guess the AoG is kind of a sacred cow around here???

I post about how statistics can be skewed through a misrepresentation of data, especially in terms of how an organization has changed over time (since it's inception 100 years ago), including acts of compromise, and people come out of the word-work to freak out in order to defend a man-made organization.

I only said something because that is my denomination

If it was a Oneness organization would you be so quick to point out how data could be misrepresented or skewd or is that just reserved for those like the AG who you don't consider brothers in Christ?

[Reader]

Freak out? Sacred cow? Funny!!

All I said was in response to you was - The exact same may be said of UPC growth, PAW, ALJC & all other Apostolic organizations.

And that's the truth!

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Originalist

I was actually referring to people who were baptized calling on the name of the Lord, but the one baptizing them did not invoke the name of Jesus (like those baptized in the titles). Personally, I do not believe it is scriptural to pray for people to receive the Spirit who have not been baptized.

No one prayed for me to receive the Holy Spirit. I had never been in a Pentecostal Church in my life. I had not been water baptized nor had I yet went to any Church after I repented.

Six weeks later I had this experience with tongues and prophecy! Did I perceive it was the Holy Spirit baptism? No because I did not know enough of the word to understand that.

Now I agree with you it is not scriptural to pray for one to be filled with the Spirit unless they are water baptized. And yet if it happens to someone then it is nonetheless God showing he accepts their faith.

Having said that nothing says they are then ok to not be baptized in water in Jesus name.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

No one prayed for me to receive the Holy Spirit. I had never been in a Pentecostal Church in my life. I had not been water baptized nor had I yet went to any Church after I repented.

Six weeks later I had this experience with tongues and prophecy! Did I perceive it was the Holy Spirit baptism? No because I did not know enough of the word to understand that.

Now I agree with you it is not scriptural to pray for one to be filled with the Spirit unless they are water baptized. And yet if it happens to someone then it is nonetheless God showing he accepts their faith.

Having said that nothing says they are then ok to not be baptized in water in Jesus name.

Good points all the way around.

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by Originalist

Good points all the way around.

I enjoy reading yours and MTD's posts.