All this Emotion

[NotforSale]

I have been pastoring for about 13 years. I was introduced to the Apostolic faith while in the Marine Corps, 30 years ago. The experience was beyond words and my testimony is genuine. I still serve the Lord today and love His Word beyond measure.

I've been married 28 years, raising 3 children in the Church. Through the years I have seen many falicies within religion and the Apostolic movement. I do love our message, but not always our means to deliver it. I don't feel my concepts are the result of that dreaded word, compromise, but an honest evaluation of the Church and God's Word.

Coming from the Catholic faith, spending 18 years in this organization and seeing the indescribable failure within the ministry, I feel it is wise to take a closer look at our own patterns and understand where we are going. We are human and can fail just like anybody else. We cannot rest upon the cynical idea that we can't fall like others. Even amongst our own ranks, we have seen the worst of the worst.

I have pleaded in prayer for understanding regarding our "hype" to get people excited about serving God in fullness. Our services and Conferences can be places where emotional drunkeness satisfies for the moment, but when reality strikes, we are left in the quandry of confusion and little strength. The fruit is a saved soul on Sunday night, but the rest of the week is nothing but a real world with real problems.

Looking at the Scripture, never do we find Jesus teaching to a crowd with all of this hype. Screaming, yelling, rolling on the ground, patting preachers on the back, all of this seems to point a direction not leading to God Himself. Pretty soon people don't come to church for anything but their "fix". I have family members and church members who have been injured at an altar call. Preachers shaking their head while praying for them, then losing their balance and fallling to the ground, hitting their head, is not God.

Sometimes crowds can be so loud, you can't hear what the preacher is saying and people are saying amen to something they can't even comprehend.

My burden is to draw nearer to Him and His ways, not the Apostolic church ways. We need to stop comparing church to a football game and remember, Church is a place that is sacred. Hoping pews and going into a frenzy won't save anybody. I think we need to take a closer look at the Word for direct guidence on proper Church order and conduct.

It's so funny how we criticize others on practice or form in their Faith, but then we do things that totally contradict sound doctrine. We must be cautious about this, because this leads to the worship of man. Coming to church is based on the fact, "Who can move me?". The Big Name Evangelist, or the Biggest Church, or where the Choir sings the best, that's where to go.

I've heard it said, if Jesus walked down the streets of our cities, most Apostolics would miss him. He was born in a manger (rejected) and died by his own (rejected). His life was always in question because he chose the low road.

God doesn't fill Apostolics; He fills those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. He sees the man who smites his breast with honesty about his sinful condition and need for help. Duty is the guide to complete integrity with God, not feeling. We must learn to go, even if we don't want to go.

[Praxeas]

We certainly need to be introspective and honest with ourselves in this area.

There is nothing wrong with being emotional, however at the same time we need to be less demonstrative imo and we need to be biblical.

Unfortunately we have stressed the physical demonstrative in our ranks as evidence of somethings that it simply does not support.

We call it worship, the bible does not support that running the aisles is worship.

We portray it as being spiritual, the bible makes no claim.

We portray a service where in there was plenty of that kind of activity as "a move of God" and the bible does not support that.

I love what Bro Stoneking says...he said (paraphrase) "We come out of a service and we say 'we had a powerful service'...We may not have had a powerful service, it might have been a happy service but not necessarily powerful. When the power of God falls the blind see, the deaf hear, limbs grow back"

I don't know about you but some of the most powerful services made me weep, made me stand in awe...but never made me run around in circles.

Having said that, as I said earlier, nothing wrong with emotion...but emotions are joy, happiness, rejoicing....the lame man was healed and he came leaping for joy. He was not out of control. He was not shouting at the top of his lungs hystrically. He did not dance in a circle with his eyes closed until he tripped over someone or smacked them in the face.

It is possible that we have become so accustomed to that sort of antics that we associate it was the move of God and have become performace oriented. We have to have something happen. We expect something to happen and so like a Benny Hinn meeting where the real miracles are absent, we rely on visual effects. People in a BH meeting see someone falling over and because of where they come from they are conditioned to think something just happened.

They do the same thing, differently, in the RCC. They have candles, they have shiny objects, they have a lot of visual and audio stimulation...then they tell them the priest is working a miracle by turning the bread into flesh.

I have seen some of the most bizarre antics. I have seen someone literally leap into the baptismal tank..suit and all and come out dripping wet. Oh please don't tell me that was the will of God. That kind of thinking is what got us in the mess we are in. The Will of God is the Word of God. What we do turns outsiders off. Yet WE are supposed to be winning souls. Paul warned

1Co 14:23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

and

1Co 14:40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

What is happening in our midst is excess IMO. I hear people, young people mostly, talk about "My worship"...worship is never about self. We should NEVER have pride in worship as if one's demonstrative display is somehow out doing someone elses. That is scary.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

I have been pastoring for about 13 years. I was introduced to the Apostolic faith while in the Marine Corps, 30 years ago. The experience was beyond words and my testimony is genuine. I still serve the Lord today and love His Word beyond measure.

I've been married 28 years, raising 3 children in the Church. Through the years I have seen many falicies within religion and the Apostolic movement. I do love our message, but not always our means to deliver it. I don't feel my concepts are the result of that dreaded word, compromise, but an honest evaluation of the Church and God's Word.

Coming from the Catholic faith, spending 18 years in this organization and seeing the indescribable failure within the ministry, I feel it is wise to take a closer look at our own patterns and understand where we are going. We are human and can fail just like anybody else. We cannot rest upon the cynical idea that we can't fall like others. Even amongst our own ranks, we have seen the worst of the worst.

I have pleaded in prayer for understanding regarding our "hype" to get people excited about serving God in fullness. Our services and Conferences can be places where emotional drunkeness satisfies for the moment, but when reality strikes, we are left in the quandry of confusion and little strength. The fruit is a saved soul on Sunday night, but the rest of the week is nothing but a real world with real problems.

Looking at the Scripture, never do we find Jesus teaching to a crowd with all of this hype. Screaming, yelling, rolling on the ground, patting preachers on the back, all of this seems to point a direction not leading to God Himself. Pretty soon people don't come to church for anything but their "fix". I have family members and church members who have been injured at an altar call. Preachers shaking their head while praying for them, then losing their balance and fallling to the ground, hitting their head, is not God.

Sometimes crowds can be so loud, you can't hear what the preacher is saying and people are saying amen to something they can't even comprehend.

My burden is to draw nearer to Him and His ways, not the Apostolic church ways. We need to stop comparing church to a football game and remember, Church is a place that is sacred. Hoping pews and going into a frenzy won't save anybody. I think we need to take a closer look at the Word for direct guidence on proper Church order and conduct.

It's so funny how we criticize others on practice or form in their Faith, but then we do things that totally contradict sound doctrine. We must be cautious about this, because this leads to the worship of man. Coming to church is based on the fact, "Who can move me?". The Big Name Evangelist, or the Biggest Church, or where the Choir sings the best, that's where to go.

I've heard it said, if Jesus walked down the streets of our cities, most Apostolics would miss him. He was born in a manger (rejected) and died by his own (rejected). His life was always in question because he chose the low road.

God doesn't fill Apostolics; He fills those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. He sees the man who smites his breast with honesty about his sinful condition and need for help. Duty is the guide to complete integrity with God, not feeling. We must learn to go, even if we don't want to go.

I appreciate your transparency, NFS, and think you are on to something here. GOod post.

[A_PoMo]

AMEN!

[steve p]

I concur.....sometimes we get into "EVENT" christianity. I have been caught up in that and yes, was left wanting. I am grateful for preachers and teachers who have brought me and others through this kind of thinking and have helped set our feet on solid ground.
I can get and do get very emotional at times, but never does it overshadow or take the place of a grounded "every day" walk with Jesus. Blessings

[ILG]

Very good post. Thanks for sharing.

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by steve p

I concur.....sometimes we get into "EVENT" christianity. I have been caught up in that and yes, was left wanting. I am grateful for preachers and teachers who have brought me and others through this kind of thinking and have helped set our feet on solid ground.
I can get and do get very emotional at times, but never does it overshadow or take the place of a grounded "every day" walk with Jesus. Blessings

Amen!

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

I have been pastoring for about 13 years. I was introduced to the Apostolic faith while in the Marine Corps, 30 years ago. The experience was beyond words and my testimony is genuine. I still serve the Lord today and love His Word beyond measure.

I've been married 28 years, raising 3 children in the Church. Through the years I have seen many falicies within religion and the Apostolic movement. I do love our message, but not always our means to deliver it. I don't feel my concepts are the result of that dreaded word, compromise, but an honest evaluation of the Church and God's Word.

Coming from the Catholic faith, spending 18 years in this organization and seeing the indescribable failure within the ministry, I feel it is wise to take a closer look at our own patterns and understand where we are going. We are human and can fail just like anybody else. We cannot rest upon the cynical idea that we can't fall like others. Even amongst our own ranks, we have seen the worst of the worst.

I have pleaded in prayer for understanding regarding our "hype" to get people excited about serving God in fullness. Our services and Conferences can be places where emotional drunkeness satisfies for the moment, but when reality strikes, we are left in the quandry of confusion and little strength. The fruit is a saved soul on Sunday night, but the rest of the week is nothing but a real world with real problems.

Looking at the Scripture, never do we find Jesus teaching to a crowd with all of this hype. Screaming, yelling, rolling on the ground, patting preachers on the back, all of this seems to point a direction not leading to God Himself. Pretty soon people don't come to church for anything but their "fix". I have family members and church members who have been injured at an altar call. Preachers shaking their head while praying for them, then losing their balance and fallling to the ground, hitting their head, is not God.

Sometimes crowds can be so loud, you can't hear what the preacher is saying and people are saying amen to something they can't even comprehend.

My burden is to draw nearer to Him and His ways, not the Apostolic church ways. We need to stop comparing church to a football game and remember, Church is a place that is sacred. Hoping pews and going into a frenzy won't save anybody. I think we need to take a closer look at the Word for direct guidence on proper Church order and conduct.

It's so funny how we criticize others on practice or form in their Faith, but then we do things that totally contradict sound doctrine. We must be cautious about this, because this leads to the worship of man. Coming to church is based on the fact, "Who can move me?". The Big Name Evangelist, or the Biggest Church, or where the Choir sings the best, that's where to go.

I've heard it said, if Jesus walked down the streets of our cities, most Apostolics would miss him. He was born in a manger (rejected) and died by his own (rejected). His life was always in question because he chose the low road.

God doesn't fill Apostolics; He fills those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. He sees the man who smites his breast with honesty about his sinful condition and need for help. Duty is the guide to complete integrity with God, not feeling. We must learn to go, even if we don't want to go.

I really like your thoughts on this.

[pkdad]

While our worship services can be loud and of the flesh, people showing off and out of order perhaps is the lesser of evils. I grew up in a Church with no musical instrumentation, no 'amens', no testimonies and no Spirit!

Our modern movement is still very young, and if the Lord will tarry, perhaps we will find in most areas diversification of 'mild, medium, and hot' services to conform to us. It does test my holy Ghost in not getting a bad spirit when I dislike what goes on in worship and other areas of an Assembly. Iron sharpens Iron, and if everything between us all were peachy-keen, how could we learn to love the unlovable?

[cliff d]

I like to think of my walk with the Lord in terms of a child in the maturing process.
As a new born we need to be held (always feeling those holy ghost goose bumps and that tingling freshness of the spirit) every day.
As we approach the toddler years we will wonder off from time to time but never to far always running back for that warm tingling feeling we need.
Than as we reach adulthood we rely more on the word and not so much the feelings.....
But as adults we return to our parents from time to time with a greater understanding of why we feel the way we do(we have now reached that place the times of refreshing that the bible speaks of).