Apostoic worship??

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I think you're deceived and are a mouthpiece of satan.

It usually takes a paragraph for me to tell him that, but brevity is good.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

It usually takes a paragraph for me to tell him that, but brevity is good.

The guy reads a lot of books, but I was raised in that claptrap, and know it when I see it.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

What would you say would be his opinion of the religious direction you have taken?

He'd disagree with my new found agreement with Preterism, but he'd not think it was salvific. He was a Mid-Tribber. He didn't like short sleeves, television, the internet, and the list could go on.

I've largely left a good deal of the UPCI standards he held. But I still believe the core doctrines he taught such as Oneness, Acts 2:38, praying three times a day, fasting, digging in and praying in tongues at least once a day, in visions and gifts of the Spirit, etc. Not sure what he'd say about house chuching, but he emphasized home based "care groups" as essential. He'd sometimes say just attending church isn't enough, true discipleship is in care groups. He was critical of courts, government authority over marriage, and war. He was a WWII vet, so his opinion of war was that it was no place for an Apostolic. He even tried to talk me out of enlisting. As stated in this thread, I believe it's possible, and beneficial, to pray so deeply you experience a trance and receive visions. I see no issue with repeating the name of Jesus or hallelujah in prayer. Nor do I condemn prayer that moves you and is emotional. He's the one who once told me that if your prayer doesn't move you, it won't move God. He'd even say that if your sermons don't move you, they won't move God. I believe it's possible to walk in the prophetic and the gift of the seer, as he did. He was big on prayer cloths, and the principle of residual anointing, and I believe in it too.

I could go on, but the primary things I've walked away from are the UPCI-like standards, not the spiritual principles, doctrines, and disciplines he taught.

[Michael The Disciple]

I've seen elders with white hair weeping as they slowly say the name of Jesus over and over with such reverence and adoration it made me cry watching them. That wasn't mantra yoga. It was just repeating the name of the one you love. There's no way Rev. Huss Shearer was practicing mantra yoga. LOL

Elder Shearer was the first Apostolic Pastor I met. He was powerful and had wisdom. Not sure which word perhaps both, strong/strict would describe him. Old time Pentecost in consecration with a string of miraculous testimonies following him.

He opposed ANYTHING "Charismatic" or new age and would have even unto the death. I can see in my minds eye him weeping at the altar for the souls of men and for men to live holy.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

Elder Shearer was the first Apostolic Pastor I met. He was powerful and had wisdom. Not sure which word perhaps both, strong/strict would describe him. Old time Pentecost in consecration with a string of miraculous testimonies following him.

He opposed ANYTHING "Charismatic" or new age and would have even unto the death. I can see in my minds eye him weeping at the altar for the souls of men and for men to live holy.

He was big on Holiness. You're right, he'd weep over the pulpit, "If you fall in love with Jesus, you'll live holy!!!" He inspired holiness. Yet, he was patient, kind, and gentle in person and in counseling. Being a vet, he understood PTSD (he called it shell-shock), and encouraged you too lean on God's grace and seek healing. He perfectly balanced his strictness with grace, love, and compassion.

The next couple pastors I had ruled with an iron fist. No patience, compassion, or inspiration. He warned us that the UPCI was becoming a white washed tomb.

No, he didn't tolerate the new age or occult things like ouji boards, tarot cards, crystals, etc. But he didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater either. He'd laugh when men would call him a warlock because he believed in and practiced the gifts. People either thought him a warlock or a prophet, though he'd never call himself anything but a man in love with Jesus. At our annual FEAST conferences they'd call him a prophet, but he'd dismiss it...he was truly humble. He firmly believed in the supernatural aspects of walking in the Holy Spirit, and demonstrated it almost daily.

I will be honest, I believe he was a prophet.

[Aquila]

You know, repeating the name, statements of praise, adoration, weeping, and emotional prayer and worship in prayer meetings were common. Speaking of the FEAST conference, I remember T.F Tenny, Tommy Tenny, Huss Shearer, Jonathan Suber, Brother Watkins, Pastor Smith from Main, and Bro. Jeff Arnold (a personal favorite), all in the fellowship hall praying with us (I was in the choir). They all prayed the same way.

One can call such repetition Yoga all they like. But it only shows that they don't know what they're talking about.

My point about soaking/contemplative prayer isn't that Keating and his kind discovered something we need. It is that they stumbled on something we Apostolic Pentecostals have done naturally and biblically for generations. They're late to the game, and they don't have the doctrine. They're a day late and a dollar short. If Keating wants to truly experience real soaking prayer, he should attend an old-time Apostolic prayer meeting.

[Aquila]

And those guys weren't stuffy wet blankets either. Jeff Arnold would always make a point to scare my wife when at the church. One night in prayer just before taking the platform, Arnold was a couple minutes late. We were all, hands raised, eyes shut, praying for God to move in the service. Arnold quietly walked up the steps towards us, reached through the bars of the hand rail and grabbed my wife's ankle! She jumped and started screaming, and we lost it because we knew he'd get her somehow! Lol

Serving God was enjoyable, fun, and refreshing. Everyone wasn't so critical. We loved and trusted one another. We sought to understand one another, not tear each other down. We had one anothers backs, in spite of our different perspectives. We didn't look for heresies just to discredit another minister in the hopes of taking his position or to boost ego. The heresy hunters aren't about truth. They're about slander and power grabbing. I certainly don't remember anyone slandering a brother over the style of music he likes. (Though, we might tease or razz you a bit).

Those were great days before Pastor Shearer fell asleep and everything became all about how hard you enforced the rules, politics, positions, slander, big money, and posturing.

Honestly, I miss those days sometime.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Aquila

He was big on Holiness. You're right, he'd weep over the pulpit, "If you fall in love with Jesus, you'll live holy!!!" He inspired holiness. Yet, he was patient, kind, and gentle in person and in counseling. Being a vet, he understood PTSD (he called it shell-shock), and encouraged you too lean on God's grace and seek healing. He perfectly balanced his strictness with grace, love, and compassion.

The next couple pastors I had ruled with an iron fist. No patience, compassion, or inspiration. He warned us that the UPCI was becoming a white washed tomb.

No, he didn't tolerate the new age or occult things like ouji boards, tarot cards, crystals, etc. But he didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater either. He'd laugh when men would call him a warlock because he believed in and practiced the gifts. People either thought him a warlock or a prophet, though he'd never call himself anything but a man in love with Jesus. At our annual FEAST conferences they'd call him a prophet, but he'd dismiss it...he was truly humble. He firmly believed in the supernatural aspects of walking in the Holy Spirit, and demonstrated it almost daily.

I will be honest, I believe he was a prophet.

My first knowledge of him a cousin of mine was going to the Lighthouse. He told me stories of how Bro. Shearer cast out demons both at Church and in homes.

The first time I visited there as a young Jesus Freak one of my old friends from sin asked if he could go to Church with me. I took him with me. As we knelt to pray during the meeting my friend got up and went to the altar.

I saw a group praying with him and right away he was getting baptized in Jesus name. He said when he was at the altar he had began speaking in tongues!

Some years later I had a house Church going. We had been praying for a demon possessed women without results. I called Bro. Shearer not knowing if he would come and help me, he didnt much care for house Churches but nonetheless he came with a few brothers.

We prayed and struggled with the enemy. Later that day the breakthrough came. So I have a few good memories of him altho I was never a member of the Church.

We visited now and then but I could not take some of the "standards". I know he is missed by many.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

My first knowledge of him a cousin of mine was going to the Lighthouse. He told me stories of how Bro. Shearer cast out demons both at Church and in homes.

The first time I visited there as a young Jesus Freak one of my old friends from sin asked if he could go to Church with me. I took him with me. As we knelt to pray during the meeting my friend got up and went to the altar.

I saw a group praying with him and right away he was getting baptized in Jesus name. He said when he was at the altar he had began speaking in tongues!

Some years later I had a house Church going. We had been praying for a demon possessed women without results. I called Bro. Shearer not knowing if he would come and help me, he didnt much care for house Churches but nonetheless he came with a few brothers.

We prayed and struggled with the enemy. Later that day the breakthrough came. So I have a few good memories of him altho I was never a member of the Church.

We visited now and then but I could not take some of the "standards". I know he is missed by many.

Yep, I also remember the casting out of demons in church and in homes. Those were some very intense things that were done, quite regularly, I should add. I cut my teeth with regards to spiritual warfare in those house calls and altar encounters. A lot of what people say today about spiritual warfare is so simplistic and wishy washy. Then they mock the very things I experienced first hand in those days. It's almost like they never had to fight a stronghold for a few hours, or even half the night. They don't believe in spirits manifesting or nothing like that anymore. They don't even believe in prayer cloths anymore. But in my day, all this stuff was the norm if you were Pentecostal.

[Aquila]

Oh well. I'm just the local heretic, witch, yogi. What do I know? Lol