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Old 01-21-2010, 10:33 PM
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Sam Sam is offline
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Location: near Cincinnati, Ohio
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Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

On 1/7/2010 I posted something here called "Acts 2:38 in A.D. Urshan's Life."
I meant it to be informative, not to be controversial. According to the records there were 26 replies (some of them were mine) and 445 views.

I'd like to post something similar now about Acts 2:38 in my life.
I'm not doing this to argue, just for information.

As most of you know, I am what we refer to here as a "one-stepper." I accept "three-steppers" as my brothers and sisters. We just don't quite agree on how the "three steps" of Acts 2:38 apply to us.
---------------------------------
On Monday March 28, 1955 after attending service at a local Baptist Church, I came home and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. I was 17 years old. I did not feel any great feeling but something happened that forever changed my life. I became what the Bible calls "a new creature." The change in me was so noticeable that 50 years later at our high school reunion some still referred to the "old Jim" compared to the "new Jim." I went on and a few months later was baptized by immersion in a nearby lake and joined the local Baptist church. I read my Bible, developed a prayer life, attended church regularly and even filled in and taught Sunday School and spoke in a youth meeting.

As I read the Word I realized that there was more available for me. I saw gifts and miracles in the Bible but they were not happening in our local church. When I asked about this I was told that those things were temporary to get the infant church established but they were no longer needed.

I began to pray for an experience in the Bible called the filling with the Holy Spirit or the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I listened to radio preachers like Jack Coe, Bishop S.C. Johnson, A.A. Allen and C.M. Ward and continued studying the Word.

On October 27, 1955 (just 7 months after my conversion experience) I was baptized in Jesus' name at Elim Tabernacle UPC in Milwaukee, WI. A month or so later I began to attend a church called Bethel Tabernacle UPC in Racine, WI. Then on May 20, 1956 I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

I spent one year (1956/1957) at a UPC Bible school in St. Paul, MN. There I was taught that I was not even saved or a child of God until I had spoken with tongues. Of course this brought up questions. I was taught that what I thought was salvation was only repentance, a conception but not a birth as the seed of the Word was planted. I was taught that my water baptism in Jesus name was a birth of water (baptismal regeneration) but not enough to make me a child of God yet. I was taught that when I spoke with tongues more than a year after I invited Jesus to come in, He finally honored my invitation to come in, and I was then born of the Spirit.

I actually taught and preached that same thing for some time but in time I came to the conclusion that I could no longer continue to do so and be true to the Lord and what He had done in my life and to the Word of God as I understood it.

So, where am I now? I consider myself Apostolic because I have found out that how I believe agrees with what our Apostolic pioneers believed and preached for many years. I believe that there is only one true God and His name is Jesus or YHVH-Savior. I believe that when I asked Jesus Christ to come in back on March 28, 1955 He honored my invitation and came in as the Holy Spirit and made me a child of God. I believe I have been water baptized according to the Word of God but it was an act of obedience and not something I had to do to get saved or to become a child of God. I believe I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit like many (about one quarter or 120 out of 500) of the early church members were in Acts chapter 2. It is my opinion that this baptism in the Spirit was an enduement of power to help me in my walk, worship, work, and warfare but was not the birth of the Spirit.

I can fellowship lots of people without judging them and I consider anyone my brother or sister who has made a personal commitment to Jesus whether they have been water baptized and/or Spirit baptized or not. I also recognize others as brothers and sisters who insist on all three steps according to Acts 2:38 for salvation but I do not agree with them on that.
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Sam also known as Jim Ellis

Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
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  #2  
Old 01-23-2010, 08:57 PM
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noeticknight noeticknight is offline
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Posts: 777
Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

Thank you for sharing your story and testimony Sam. I'm still trying to sort many things out for myself, and I greatly appreciate when others reflect about their journey in the faith. This post blessed me.
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  #3  
Old 02-05-2018, 03:11 PM
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Evang.Benincasa Evang.Benincasa is offline
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Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam View Post
On 1/7/2010 I posted something here called "Acts 2:38 in A.D. Urshan's Life."
I meant it to be informative, not to be controversial. According to the records there were 26 replies (some of them were mine) and 445 views.

I'd like to post something similar now about Acts 2:38 in my life.
I'm not doing this to argue, just for information.

As most of you know, I am what we refer to here as a "one-stepper." I accept "three-steppers" as my brothers and sisters. We just don't quite agree on how the "three steps" of Acts 2:38 apply to us.
---------------------------------
On Monday March 28, 1955 after attending service at a local Baptist Church, I came home and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. I was 17 years old. I did not feel any great feeling but something happened that forever changed my life. I became what the Bible calls "a new creature." The change in me was so noticeable that 50 years later at our high school reunion some still referred to the "old Jim" compared to the "new Jim." I went on and a few months later was baptized by immersion in a nearby lake and joined the local Baptist church. I read my Bible, developed a prayer life, attended church regularly and even filled in and taught Sunday School and spoke in a youth meeting.

As I read the Word I realized that there was more available for me. I saw gifts and miracles in the Bible but they were not happening in our local church. When I asked about this I was told that those things were temporary to get the infant church established but they were no longer needed.

I began to pray for an experience in the Bible called the filling with the Holy Spirit or the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I listened to radio preachers like Jack Coe, Bishop S.C. Johnson, A.A. Allen and C.M. Ward and continued studying the Word.

On October 27, 1955 (just 7 months after my conversion experience) I was baptized in Jesus' name at Elim Tabernacle UPC in Milwaukee, WI. A month or so later I began to attend a church called Bethel Tabernacle UPC in Racine, WI. Then on May 20, 1956 I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

I spent one year (1956/1957) at a UPC Bible school in St. Paul, MN. There I was taught that I was not even saved or a child of God until I had spoken with tongues. Of course this brought up questions. I was taught that what I thought was salvation was only repentance, a conception but not a birth as the seed of the Word was planted. I was taught that my water baptism in Jesus name was a birth of water (baptismal regeneration) but not enough to make me a child of God yet. I was taught that when I spoke with tongues more than a year after I invited Jesus to come in, He finally honored my invitation to come in, and I was then born of the Spirit.

I actually taught and preached that same thing for some time but in time I came to the conclusion that I could no longer continue to do so and be true to the Lord and what He had done in my life and to the Word of God as I understood it.

So, where am I now? I consider myself Apostolic because I have found out that how I believe agrees with what our Apostolic pioneers believed and preached for many years. I believe that there is only one true God and His name is Jesus or YHVH-Savior. I believe that when I asked Jesus Christ to come in back on March 28, 1955 He honored my invitation and came in as the Holy Spirit and made me a child of God. I believe I have been water baptized according to the Word of God but it was an act of obedience and not something I had to do to get saved or to become a child of God. I believe I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit like many (about one quarter or 120 out of 500) of the early church members were in Acts chapter 2. It is my opinion that this baptism in the Spirit was an enduement of power to help me in my walk, worship, work, and warfare but was not the birth of the Spirit.

I can fellowship lots of people without judging them and I consider anyone my brother or sister who has made a personal commitment to Jesus whether they have been water baptized and/or Spirit baptized or not. I also recognize others as brothers and sisters who insist on all three steps according to Acts 2:38 for salvation but I do not agree with them on that.
Bumped in memory of Sam.
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  #4  
Old 02-05-2018, 03:55 PM
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Steve Epley Steve Epley is offline
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Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa View Post
Bumped in memory of Sam.
We discussed this many times.
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  #5  
Old 02-07-2018, 07:49 AM
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Godsdrummer Godsdrummer is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Kennewick Wa
Posts: 4,669
Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam View Post
On 1/7/2010 I posted something here called "Acts 2:38 in A.D. Urshan's Life."
I meant it to be informative, not to be controversial. According to the records there were 26 replies (some of them were mine) and 445 views.

I'd like to post something similar now about Acts 2:38 in my life.
I'm not doing this to argue, just for information.

As most of you know, I am what we refer to here as a "one-stepper." I accept "three-steppers" as my brothers and sisters. We just don't quite agree on how the "three steps" of Acts 2:38 apply to us.
---------------------------------
On Monday March 28, 1955 after attending service at a local Baptist Church, I came home and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. I was 17 years old. I did not feel any great feeling but something happened that forever changed my life. I became what the Bible calls "a new creature." The change in me was so noticeable that 50 years later at our high school reunion some still referred to the "old Jim" compared to the "new Jim." I went on and a few months later was baptized by immersion in a nearby lake and joined the local Baptist church. I read my Bible, developed a prayer life, attended church regularly and even filled in and taught Sunday School and spoke in a youth meeting.

As I read the Word I realized that there was more available for me. I saw gifts and miracles in the Bible but they were not happening in our local church. When I asked about this I was told that those things were temporary to get the infant church established but they were no longer needed.

I began to pray for an experience in the Bible called the filling with the Holy Spirit or the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I listened to radio preachers like Jack Coe, Bishop S.C. Johnson, A.A. Allen and C.M. Ward and continued studying the Word.

On October 27, 1955 (just 7 months after my conversion experience) I was baptized in Jesus' name at Elim Tabernacle UPC in Milwaukee, WI. A month or so later I began to attend a church called Bethel Tabernacle UPC in Racine, WI. Then on May 20, 1956 I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

I spent one year (1956/1957) at a UPC Bible school in St. Paul, MN. There I was taught that I was not even saved or a child of God until I had spoken with tongues. Of course this brought up questions. I was taught that what I thought was salvation was only repentance, a conception but not a birth as the seed of the Word was planted. I was taught that my water baptism in Jesus name was a birth of water (baptismal regeneration) but not enough to make me a child of God yet. I was taught that when I spoke with tongues more than a year after I invited Jesus to come in, He finally honored my invitation to come in, and I was then born of the Spirit.

I actually taught and preached that same thing for some time but in time I came to the conclusion that I could no longer continue to do so and be true to the Lord and what He had done in my life and to the Word of God as I understood it.

So, where am I now? I consider myself Apostolic because I have found out that how I believe agrees with what our Apostolic pioneers believed and preached for many years. I believe that there is only one true God and His name is Jesus or YHVH-Savior. I believe that when I asked Jesus Christ to come in back on March 28, 1955 He honored my invitation and came in as the Holy Spirit and made me a child of God. I believe I have been water baptized according to the Word of God but it was an act of obedience and not something I had to do to get saved or to become a child of God. I believe I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit like many (about one quarter or 120 out of 500) of the early church members were in Acts chapter 2. It is my opinion that this baptism in the Spirit was an enduement of power to help me in my walk, worship, work, and warfare but was not the birth of the Spirit.

I can fellowship lots of people without judging them and I consider anyone my brother or sister who has made a personal commitment to Jesus whether they have been water baptized and/or Spirit baptized or not. I also recognize others as brothers and sisters who insist on all three steps according to Acts 2:38 for salvation but I do not agree with them on that.

Well said Sam, this is the way I see things too. Sorry to hear of Sam's passing, he was one very special person.

See you on the other side.

Loran Adkins known as Godsdrummer
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  #6  
Old 02-07-2018, 09:27 AM
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Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

We spend time here with some people we haven't actually met in person, but when life is taken, we feel as though we have known them. RIP, Sam!
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  #7  
Old 02-08-2018, 06:33 AM
Aquila Aquila is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 31,124
Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

Sam was truly a kind soul. I remember him sharing a business card on Facebook. It read:
James Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
When I read this, I felt that it was very balanced and it shaped my personal approach to some degree.

I guess he touched my life quite a bit.

Rest in peace, Jim. While another saint of God has gone home, Heaven's gain seems to always mean our loss. May God comfort and keep those who are mourning their loss until we all meet again in the great bye and bye.
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  #8  
Old 02-20-2018, 01:55 AM
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Praxeas Praxeas is offline
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Posts: 45,774
Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:


  1. There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
  2. The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
  3. Every sinner must repent of their sins.
  4. That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
  5. That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
  6. The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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  #9  
Old 02-24-2018, 07:42 PM
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CC1 CC1 is offline
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Re: Acts 2:38 in Jim Ellis' (Sam) life

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa View Post
Bumped in memory of Sam.
Thanks Benihana for bumping this. It brought back a lot of memories of Sam's posting and brought a tear to my eye.

I think he was the perfect example of someone who could post their beliefs in a non confrontational way. He was so nice I don't think anybody could be angry with him. A true gentleman.
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"I think some people love spiritual bondage just the way some people love physical bondage. It makes them feel secure. In the end though it is not healthy for the one who is lost over it or the one who is lives under the oppression even if by their own choice"

Titus2woman on AF
F


"We did not wear uniforms. The lady workers dressed in the current fashions of the day, ...silks...satins...jewels or whatever they happened to possess. They were very smartly turned out, so that they made an impressive appearance on the streets where a large part of our work was conducted in the early years.

"It was not until long after, when former Holiness preachers had become part of us, that strict plainness of dress began to be taught.

"Although Entire Sanctification was preached at the beginning of the Movement, it was from a Wesleyan viewpoint, and had in it very little of the later Holiness Movement characteristics. Nothing was ever said about apparel, for everyone was so taken up with the Lord that mode of dress seemingly never occurred to any of us."

Quote from Ethel Goss (widow of 1st UPC Gen Supt. Howard Goss) book "The Winds of God"
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