[Aquila]

I disagree. I'm not afraid of Trinitarians. Paul attended synagogues on the Sabbath to reason with the Jews. Paul also visited the Acropolis on Mars’ Hill, a pagan place of reasoning and philosophy to speak to the Athenians.

Being Apostolic means that we take this message and preach it wherever we find the opening. If it takes smiling and being friendly with a Trinitarian Christian to help some find the way more perfectly, I say we not be cowards or sissies and we do it.

Conversions are typically built by “relationships”. I’ve befriended a number of Trinitarians who thought Apostolics were cultists who after getting to know me and my family are now humbled by the Apostolic message. Three of these individuals are even Apostolic today.

I was raised in a Baptist home. A dear brother named Scott moved in next door to me and my mother. Scott and his family befriended us and were the friendliest neighbors we’d ever encountered. They did not only love each other, but they loved to us. They’d offer a friendly invitation to church occasionally which was rejected for a while. But they were sweet, loving, kind hearted. Rhoda, his wife, befriended my mother and prayed for her. Eventually we went to church with them. We were both filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in Jesus’ name. I’m thankful Scott had the Christian guts not to call us “filth” but to love us. My grandfather was a Baptist minister. Did Scott tell us my grandfather was “filth”? No. He told me that my grandfather sounded like a wonderful man who evidently loved the Lord.

Scott didn’t call us filth, “Satan’s ministers”, or any other insult. Scott loved us. Sincerely loved us. My mother was Apostolic until she fell asleep. I’ve served as a Sunday School teacher in the Apostolic church for seven years and preached for four. I’ve led souls to the Lord, most previously “Christians” who needed a deeper understanding.

I think sometimes we resent non-Apostolics because so many reject this message. But the truth is… no person comes unto the Father unless the Spirit draws him or her. If God isn’t drawing…all the witnessing in the world will not bring them closer to the Lord. Sometimes we then become bitter and hateful because we don’t understand why they would neglect so great a salvation. We imagine that they are just being obstinate or rebellious. While some are…most are simply not being drawn at the moment we speak to them. But we have to remember…even those being obstinate and rebellious may wake up with God dealing with them a year from now. If we’ve called them “filth” or “Satan’s ministers” we only frustrate what God is trying to do in their lives.

I do believe that there are ministers of Satan. But I’m hard pressed to identify them. In my experience Trinitarians are sincere, they’re just afraid to depart from what they’ve learned BECAUSE they are afraid of making a mistake and displeasing God. I’ve been there, so I know.

Perhaps the true “minister’s of Satan” are of our own number. These ministers teach the “truth”…but they teach it in a way that propels men from it. With hate filled speech and snarling malign these false preachers who are pretending to be Apostolic bring reproach on the cross in the eyes of the unsaved. No unsaved person wishes to hear about a Jesus that makes a person bitter and or hateful. No unsaved person wants a Jesus that makes people slanderous and cursing against those who need the truth more than anyone else. These hate filled preachers are so convinced of their own righteousness that they would rather seek to remain “pure” than extend themselves to LOVE someone who doesn’t know the truth. Of course, their tune might change if one might appear to be on the road to becoming a tithing member of their religious exclusive social club.

I digress.

I believe that deep down inside, beyond all the posturing you’ll do on this forum to save face and protect your pride, you know full well what I’m telling you is the truth.

May God grant you grace and peace through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.