Why is there so much hatred between Apostolics?

[LadyCoonskinner]

When you read the Bible, you see the devil being cast out in a number of places. Then, when a person has the experience of being filled with the Holy Ghost and it is a very real and life changing experience, a person then has to think about how to weigh what is evil. There are varying degrees to which people give attention to the devil in the Apostolic church. Usually, the more attention that is given to it, the greater likelihood of emotional instability.

I was gonna stay out of this, but this one line really "caught" my eye. Because one may be a little more in-tune with the spirit world than others, does NOT, in any form, mean that they are "emotionally unstable"!!!!!!!!! I am more sensitive to "spirits", but that does not mean I am unstable or wierd, or odd. I am just in-tune more with what's going in the spirit.

I pray daily, that God allows me to be more sensitive to Him, and in doing that, I automatically become more aware of what's going on around me, physcially and spiritually. I want to be used to reach people who need a Savior, and in doing that you made aware of what's really going on in their world sometimes. Sometimes, that includes being a little more aware of "the big bad devil" and what he's putting people through, and what they unknowingly allow him to do to them. But, in NO WAY am I suffering from "emotional instability" because I am used in this way.

You know better than that. You were used in this at one time. You were one of the most spiritually sensitive people I had ever met. You loved God and wanted to be used by Him, but just because you were more sensitive to the spirit, whether it Divine or Demonic, didn't make you "emotionally unstable". You were used and blessed by God.

Becareful with the "broad-brushing" here....

[TJJJ]

Originally Posted by Sam

Why is there so much infidelity among Apostolics?

Why is there so much child abuse (physical, mental, sexual) among Apostolics?

Why is there so much spousal abuse among Apostolics?

Why is there so much gluttony among Apostolics?

Why is there so much disregard for civil law (traffic laws, tax laws, etc) among Apostolics?

Why is there so much dishonesty among Apostolics?

Why is there so much teen age pregnancy among Apostolics?

Why is there so much ............. among Apostolics?


Because Apostolics are human just like everyone else.

GOOD POINT SAM!!!!

Let's not ever forget our HUMAN factor!

[LadyCoonskinner]

Originally Posted by moniker

I come to you hoping you can answer several serious questions. Doing so will require some time, contemplation and bravery.

Here goes...

1. Why is there so much hatred between Apostolics?

2. Why are Apostolics so afraid of intellectualism?

3. Why do Apostolics give an inordinate amount of attention to the Devil, witchcraft and all things superstitious?

4. Why are Apostolics territorial?

5. Which is the greater threat to Apostolics; the Emerging Church, or introversion?

1. I believe that hatred is too strong a word. Everyone of us come from different backgrounds and some believe stronger than others, and some are more capable of "allowing" and "condoning" things and allowing fellowship with those "gray areas" than others are. I don't believe it is hatred.

2. Some may be afraid of it, but some are not afraid of intellectualism, but they are concerned that when you begin to "question" you open yourself up to confusion. You can begin to question EVERYTHING, and that is not good. Because, in lieu of "trying to find out what this means and what that means", you begin to "water" everything down, you begin to lose faith and trust in most things. NOTHING is sacred anymore. You begin to question motives and behaviors that really have nothing to do with you, but you begin to wonder if anything in life is real, solid, honest, etc.

3. Already answered that in my post above.

4. Why are we territorial? Well, let me tell ya this way. What if you planted a garden, tilled that ground, pulled all the weeds, watered, even when it never rained, EVERYDAY you were there. Working and sweating and bleeding, sacrificing...get my point... When I work with someone and I invest my time and energy, money, prayers in the middle of the night, or getting in my car to go referee a fight in the middle of the night and walk into a house with kids screaming and crying and begging me to keep mom or dad from leaving, or walking into the ER to see someone mangled or dying from a heart attack, or spending HOURS in the hospital while a woman is in labor and trying to coach her through the pain and get a baby born, or cry with a family because a loved one died and that loved one went to the same church you did, or listen to a teenager scream at the unfairness of God and the church, and turn their back and walk away with you begging them not to and then have to sit back and watch while the walk willingly into a world of sin and perversion while their mom and dad are screaming and crying and asking you to do something and to help....

Get the idea....TERRITORIAL......YOU BETCHA!!!!

5. Since these are the only choices, I'd have to say introversion. Why? Because it is easy for ANYONE to become introverted and let it be just us four and no more and what's going on in your own world and forget about everybody else.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by moniker

I come to you hoping you can answer several serious questions. Doing so will require some time, contemplation and bravery.

Here goes...

1. Why is there so much hatred between Apostolics?

Because I'm RIGHT and you're WRONG. That's why!

[The Lemon]

Well.......I was talking to a minister friend of mine last week concerning one specific area that is listed in this post - that being "Territorial". First, let me say that in all liklihood, not ALL apostolic church's/leaders are territorial. We need to be careful not to broad brush all apostolics, especially when none of us on here knows every apostolic out there.

That said, I have seen and am aware that there are some leaders and pastors who are very territorial, which is really a symptom of insecurity. Our church's should pull together and help one another win cities to the Lord - pulling talent, calling and ideas to create synergy - sadly, in some cases this does not happen because a pastor feels "threatened". It is truely an elementary attitude.

There is, in some cases, too much emphasis on sheep stealing, etc. I feel, as I have said before many times on this forum, that the root cause of the division is that church has become too much of a business and less a spiritual body of believers. I still don't understand why Paul could hold a trade and plant church's and mentor other ministers, and yet today there is such an emphasis on "Full Time" ministry.

I have been around awhile and heard all the arguments about the necessity of full time ministry - even still, it seems to me, at least in the circle I have been around, that folks have not idea about the principle of "Less is More". Too much burn out going on these days - I wonder who we are serving sometimes....God or our own ambitions??

Sorry for the rant.......I just feel that we should work more toward unity then exclusivity.

[Aquila]

In Paul's day they didn't do church like we do. In Paul's day they just met in homes, had prayer meetings and studied Scripture together. They also took free will offerings to meet various needs. They didn't need a full time CEO or production planner.

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by The Lemon

Well.......I was talking to a minister friend of mine last week concerning one specific area that is listed in this post - that being "Territorial". First, let me say that in all liklihood, not ALL apostolic church's/leaders are territorial. We need to be careful not to broad brush all apostolics, especially when none of us on here knows every apostolic out there.

That said, I have seen and am aware that there are some leaders and pastors who are very territorial, which is really a symptom of insecurity. Our church's should pull together and help one another win cities to the Lord - pulling talent, calling and ideas to create synergy - sadly, in some cases this does not happen because a pastor feels "threatened". It is truely an elementary attitude.

There is, in some cases, too much emphasis on sheep stealing, etc. I feel, as I have said before many times on this forum, that the root cause of the division is that church has become too much of a business and less a spiritual body of believers. I still don't understand why Paul could hold a trade and plant church's and mentor other ministers, and yet today there is such an emphasis on "Full Time" ministry.

I have been around awhile and heard all the arguments about the necessity of full time ministry - even still, it seems to me, at least in the circle I have been around, that folks have not idea about the principle of "Less is More". Too much burn out going on these days - I wonder who we are serving sometimes....God or our own ambitions??

Sorry for the rant.......I just feel that we should work more toward unity then exclusivity.

Great Post!

[Raven]

LC
About being territorial? Remember one crucial point: The garden is God's garden no matter how much time and effort we put into it. It's when we begin to think of it as our garden and keep a record of all our contributions to it that we stray from God's Grand Plan. But ... I do get your drift.

Raven

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by Raven

LC
About being territorial? Remember one crucial point: The garden is God's garden no matter how much time and effort we put into it. It's when we begin to think of it as our garden and keep a record of all our contributions to it that we stray from God's Grand Plan. But ... I do get your drift.

Raven

Bro. Raven, your post reminded me of something I had noticed lately.

I noticed for a few years, the bluejays that came each summer to nest
in our trees in the back yard. They would become very "territorial", in that
they would dart down and peck on the cat and squirrels that liked our back
yard with several large shady trees also.
It came to mind a few days ago, "I haven't seen any bluejays lately! Wonder
where all the bluejays have gone"! Could it be that the very things they were
pecking on, had removed them! I did notice that the cat (that belongs to a
neighbor, but likes to hang out here) is still around. Haven't noticed any
squirrels lately either. I wondered why the neighbor's cat liked it over here
so much. Evidently he found something to eat, but I haven't fed him.

Falla39

[rgcraig]

Excellent post The Lemon!