BREAKING NEWS!! UPCI goes one stepper!!!!
 

Can it be true?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!





My UPCI affiliated 3-STEPPER church pastor preached last night on salvation through the GRACE OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!! Without once even mentioning ACTS 2-38!!!!!!!



:faint :faint :faint :faint :faint



AND a couple of people repented and recieved the HOLY GHOST, speaking in other tongues?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!

BUT WE ARE NOT BAPTISING THEM TILL SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:runhills:reaction:runhills:reaction






What can this mean?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

:uhoh :uhoh :uhoh :uhoh






Is UPCI going 1 stepper?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!

:paranoid :paranoid :paranoid






Have we lost our way?!?!?!!??!!?!?!





:drama :drama :drama



or is this whole 1 stepper / 3 stepper thing just gotten so far away from the unity of the church that Hubble can't even see it any more??


BTW!!! The above news flash concerning our service last night is true.

(for all the morbid hypotheticalist , I'll let you know if they DIE before Sunday)

But wait...wait...hold on....

How can THAT be????

They got the Holy Ghost without having their SINS FORGIVEN by being water washed?????????????

NO WAY......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EVERYTHING must follow proper order as outlined in Acts 2:38, step by step.

If that's what your pastor felt to preach, that's fine, it got the job done. But we still have to be focused on what that job is, and what salvation consists of. If you want to call it 3-steps or whatever, that doesn't matter to me, that 3-stepper name is irrelevant and kind of demeaning, what it is is the BORN-AGAIN experience. ALL of Acts 2:38 has to be followed, and with the knowledge of the person following Acts 2:38. If someone gets baptized in JESUS' name, and doesn't know that they're getting their sins washed away, and that there is no other name, whereby they must be saved, then they just got wet. Anyways, great to hear GOD filled some people with HIS Spirit. I do NOT, however, think it wise to not baptize someone, if the ability to baptize is there. If you all have a baptismal tank and didn't fill it on Wednesday because you figured, "Eh, we'll just do it on Sunday", I'd say that's not good, and it's not very apostolic of all of you. But, praise GOD HE's merciful to you in your error and merciful to me in mine (the main thing HE's not wanting, is for us to be complacent in error!).

GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex

Hey! If they come back on Sunday! That is a good thing many never return upon doing all 3 toe taps on the same night....

Y'all are in big trouble now. Next thing you know you will be telling folks to repeat the sinner's prayer and find a bible believing church.

Just don't let word get out in your district. Your pastor might find himself in big trouble.

How true...

You never see them again even after all three steps. Next time you hear from them they are deep in sin and bitter.

I've also seen people receive the Holy Ghost while the preaching was going on, never repenting as seen in their subsequent lives, getting up without either going to the altar or to the water.

I've seen them sitting there shaking and talking in tongues then get up, wipe sweat, whisper "whew," then walk out never to return.

LOL! the three stepper that preached at my church last sunday preached about the Leveling Field which he said was repenance... never once mentioned Acts 2:38.


imagine that. I thought we only preached Acts 2:38 and ignored things like the cross, and the blood, and such. LOL.

He must have read our post here on the ole AFF....

About time he looked at more then.......ABI 2:38

Nathan

Do you think by repeating the same thing over and over, it will somehow magically become true Nathan?

first of all, the preacher that preached never visits our fair site.
second of all, he often preaches this way... as do most of the guys I know who believe as I do.

Hey, I obeyed Acts 2:38, yup, all those three steps, and what'd ya know, I'm still in GOD's Church, living holy today. And my sister, she did the same! It worked for one AG kid like me, and one Methodist girl like her.

GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex

BOLOGNA.

While I am a so-called three stepper, I received the Holy Ghost before baptism.

Baaa - LOG - na????

LOL...

What I said was said tongue firmly planted in cheek
:D

i was "saved" (sinner's prayer of repentance) at age 12, received HG at 18, and was baptized one month later. talk about spreading out your steps...:)

Now brother, I challenge you to show me one post on this forum in which I have made that statement.

You have got to be joking?!?!? Let me just say , some people on this forum have been to some intresting churches and met some Intresting people.

I read page one and got real sick of every post except one or two.

My comment was sarcastic only in nature.. I don't know who you are talking about. I was only referring to what you stated...

Nathan

That is awesome. I am sure you went to a solid church who shared with you beyond just Acts 2:38.

Nathan

I got the Holy Ghost 4 years before baptism in Jesus name for which I am thankful. However its not a good thing when Preachers do not baptize straightway. They are not following the Apostolic practice and that leads to the confusion in the hearts of people.

The big mess over one or three steps is caused by mens experiences not by the doctrine of the new birth. One repents and perhaps receives the Spirit and they are thrilled and rightly so. But if baptism is put on hold then after time passes it does not mean so much to them. They have already been serving the Lord in what they know so its hard to conceive they have not been "fully saved". Trust me thats the way my own experience was.

Yet it cannot be gainsayed or resisted that Jesus said he who believes AND IS BAPTIZED shall be saved. Or that Peter said Repent AND BE BAPTIZED for the remission of sins and so on.

When Preachers leave something out of the preaching that should be in its trouble. And no I dont think you have to mention or preach Acts 2:38 all the time. But when you are talking to one seeking salvation yes be like the Apostles. Tell them what they MUST DO.

You must be a real short time newbie to Pentecost or else you have had little to no experience in it.

Amen.

Good Post....

37 years across 3 UPC churches, one in north Louisianna, one in south Arkansas and currently in Central Arkansas.

I was fortunate (thank God) to have pastors who shielded the congregation from such ...................whatever you want to call all that stuff you talked about.

First off , to say one recieved the Holy Ghost but failed to repent by ones later actions in life is to refuse to believe one can backslide. Which is basicly the same as once saved always saved, its like you think recieving the Holy Ghost makes one "perfect".

As for the one that got up and walked out after "speaking in tongues"....how do you know that was God? After all he did get up and walk out, is God so weak He can't keep a soul who has seeked out the Holy Ghost? Your sure he didn't go to another church?

The point here is, there is no steps, but there is scripture. The Gospel is the gas that powers the Acts 2-38 machine.

Salty huh....lol

Fasting and prayer tonight, see ya'll in the morning, God Bless

PREACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My salvation was experienced in proper order. Ha! :D

I repented at the age of 6, fell in love with Jesus and became a devout believer and follower and was remarkably and gloriously born again.

I was baptized at the age of 9 and I'll never forget that experience either. I knew what I was doing, I understood why and it was totally meaningful.

I received my personal Pentecost at the age of 15.

I'd sought long and hard for this wonderful anointing and baptism of the Holy Ghost. For me, it happened as I was alone praying on my knees in between the pews of the church.

It was a complete total step of faith that I took where I simply stopped talking English and began speaking in a new language. There was no major emotion. It happened quietly, but it was REAL! The change it made in my life spiritually speaking was profound and resulted in immediate ascendency to new heights in regard to my prayer life, understanding of spiritual things and the calling and anointing on my life.


:thumbsup

All I can say for you sir...

You have not seen very much in your 37 years. I've been all over the U.S. in hundreds of churches for almost twice as many years. I've seen it all. I testify to you as I have seen and experienced. I've seen people get the Holy Ghost\ in their seats, get up and walk out to never see them again only to continue in their sin. Sir...it happens.

I've seen people go to the altar, weeping, (supposedly) repenting and then go straight to the water to get baptized in the name of Jesus subsequently receiving the Holy Ghost while still in the water, speaking in tongues. THEN, walk out to never return again, returning immediately to their sin.

In neither case did these two actually REPENT...neither case. Neither of them repented. How do I know? They returned immediately to their sin. In case you have forgotten, repentance is TURNING from their sin. Since they did not turn from their sin...there was NO repentance. Seeeeee ??? :D

agaian brother, you equate salvation to perfection

I can't help but also say I feel for these pastors and congregation. For one to come to the salvation of the Lord and not be cared after by the church is not something I would want to answer to.

I am fasinated by your testimony of receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Scotty...

What do you mean "equating salvation to perfection?"

Also, do you think that a church, a pastor or whoever, has the ability to nail someone's foot to the floor and make them stay in church? Do you think that it is possible to be "cared after by the church" if the person will not allow themselves to be "cared after?"

I remember that many years ago there was a standing joke about the only way to make sure that they make it to heaven is to baptize them in the name of Jesus, pray them through to the Holy Ghost and THEN knock them in the head. Funny, true enough. But a grain of grey matter will tell you that it is impossible to do that. You can't overide someone's will. If they are willing to take step one through thee and then walk out into sin again, never to return. No one can do anything about it...unless you know something that I've not learned. Help me out, if that is the case.

Now, if you have not seen examples of the two senarios that I spoke about, I understand. There are some churches that are so dead that you hardly ever see anyone get the Holy Ghost at all. I visited a church not too long ago where the new Pastor told me that there has not been anyone to get the Holy Ghost there in over two years. I am afraid that case is more wide spread than I like to think.

Of course. However, I am attempting to portray a hardnosed stance these days. :D

I am unfamiliar with this terminology, "fully saved? What's up with that? Are they partially saved?
If they never go any further, will they be partially resurrected?

Good grief. lol

There is such a thing as maturing in Christ and growing in grace and truth. Some get as far as repentance and then stop there. God has so much more for the Christian, but fear or lack of faith often hinders us from receiving the fullness .