Watch Bishop Wagner’s Homegoing Service as it is streamed live from the Calvary Ministries International Website HERE.

Bishop Norman L. Wagner – Biographic Snapshot

World-Wide Leader and Personality – Pastor / Educator / Statesman / Servant

1976 Bishop Norman L. Wagner established a private school, Calvary Christian Academy, to meet the needs of families who lacked access to quality and cutting-edge education. In spite of Youngstown’s struggling economy, the school excelled and graduated many individuals who are now making their mark on the world; Executives, Professionals, Sports & Entertainment Figures, and Leaders including Youngstown’s current Mayor, the Honorable Jay Williams.

Against incredible odds, in 1984, Bishop Wagner spearheaded a building project to house senior citizens in the Youngstown community; Calvary Towers were erected and today still stand as a monument to Bishop Wagner’s commitment to better living standards for the senior citizens of his hometown.

Recognized for his positive influence and the significant contributions to the communities he serviced, Bishop Wagner has enjoyed visits to The White House by personal invitations from Presidents Ronald Reagan, and William Jefferson Clinton.

Musically, as a gifted singer, song-writer, and arranger, Bishop Norman L. Wagner along with his choir, received Stellar Nominations for songs, “Best For Last,” and “Excellent.” Additionally, he played a very significant role in the launch of now Multi-Grammy Award Winning Artist, Vicki Winans. His wise counsel and his integrity have earned him great respect and love among many internationally celebrated artists within the Entertainment Industry – as is demonstrated by the list of Artists scheduled to appear during his Home-Going services.

On National and Global fronts

In 1978, Bishop Wagner created and served as Executive Producer of “The Power of Pentecost,” a television program which went National in 1978 and International by 1985.

Bishop Wagner was presiding Prelate of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. (PAW) for two consecutive terms (1998-2004) with over two thousand churches under his auspices.

Bishop Wagner also founded and presided over the European Council of Nations (ECN) for over twenty years; a Christian organization of church leaders in Europe of varying ethnicities and languages. The ECN grew to over 40 churches under his leadership.

In 1986, Bishop Wagner established an international leadership conference, Pentecost In Perspective (PIP). The conference was designed to develop and equip leaders, as well as those in pursuit of leadership roles. This annual conference has been heavily attended by thousands of Christian and Business Leaders from around the globe for over two decades.

Bishop Wagner’s family and Calvary Ministries International wish to thank everyone for their efforts to honor the labor, the love, and the memory of this great man.

source: CNN

Bishop Norman L. Wagner led world’s

Pentecostals

By Grant Segall

February 05, 2010, 4:05PM

Youngstown — Bishop Norman L. Wagner led the world’s Pentecostals and helped Case Western Reserve University grieve for his slain nephew.

Wagner died Jan. 30 at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, a couple of weeks after heart surgery. He was 68.

“Bishop Wagner was an icon within Christiandom,” said Bishop J. Delano Ellis II of Cleveland’s Pentecostal Church of Christ. “The Pentecostal movement has lost one of its generals.”

“You could not encounter Bishop Wagner without coming away as a better person,” said Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams, raised at Wagner’s church and educated at Wagner’s charter school, Legacy Academy for Leaders and Arts. Williams’ chief of staff is one of the bishop’s assistant pastors.

Wagner moved to Canfield in mid-life but kept helping to lead his native Youngstown. He pastored Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church, where his mother was a charter member, since 1971, eventually turning it into Calvary Ministries International. He raised Calvary Towers for senior citizens.

Wagner led nationally. He was a White House guest twice and was named one of the country’s 100 outstanding black clergymen. A singer, composer and arranger, he was nominated twice with his choir for the Stellar Gospel Music Awards. He sometimes sang with Grammy winners Marvin and Vickie Winans.Wagner led worldwide. From Mount Calvary, he headed the diocese of Texas, founded the diocese of Europe and expanded the latter to more than 40 churches. He was presiding prelate of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World for two terms, 1998 to 2004, overseeing more than 2,000 churches with more than 1.5 million members.

He created “The Power of Pentecost” program, aired on the Praise the Lord and Armed Forces networks. He founded Pentecost in Perspective International, an annual leadership conference.

At home, he raised many relatives, including Norman Wallace, a nephew by marriage. While in graduate school, Wallace was slain in 2003 by a rampaging gunman in Case Western’s Peter B. Lewis Building. Wagner spoke at memorial events in Cleveland and Youngstown, urging survivors to turn grief into goodness.

“Tragedy doesn’t define you,” he said. “Tragedy creates a defining moment.”

He persuaded Case Western leaders to send dental volunteers to seal the teeth of Legacy students, as they do for many Cleveland students. He tried vainly to forge lasting bonds between the university and Youngstown.

Wagner held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana Bible University and a doctoral degree from Grace Theological Seminary, Dayton.His publicist, Debor’ah Benton said Wagner was warm and quick to laugh. Despite his many duties, “You had his full attention.”

Memorial events will be held Monday through Wednesday, when a funeral eulogy will be delivered by Bishop Horace Smith, Wagner’s successor presiding prelate. For details, call Calvary Mininstries International at 330-747-4445 or see calvary4u.org/#sch.

Norman Leonard Wagner

1942-2010

Survivors: wife, the former Rita Helen Wallace; daughters Christian Joy Wagner of Canfield and Camille Antoinette Barnes of Austintown Township; granddaughter British Milan Wagner of Canfield; two brothers and a sister.

Funeral: 11 a.m., Wednesday, Covelli Centre, 229 East Front St., Youngstown

Contributions: Calvary Ministries International, 1812 Oak Hill Ave, Youngstown, Ohio 44507

Arrangements: L.E. Black, Phillips and Holden, Youngstown

source: Cleavland.com

Thanks to http://www.youtube.com/user/ladelisak for uploading these clips.

A reminder of how God used the Apostolic Father Bishop Norman L Wagner to bring the gospel to the world.

I am getting reports that Bishop Norman L Wagner, Youngstown Ohio has passed away. Dr Wagner was former Presiding Prelate of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. He was a mighty man of God gifted in the word, music ministry and the demonstration of the power of God through healing.

Let us pray for the Wagner family and the church at Youngstown at this time.

by David K. Bernard

Through Global Impact, we have established a goal of doubling our constituency, including the number of churches. To do this, we need local, district, national, and global strategies, and we need to work together as never before. The most effective method of planting new churches is for existing churches to establish daughter works and preaching points, because this approach provides for oversight, mentoring, accountability, spiritual and logistical support, and unlimited ability to reproduce.
In the past, we have relied primarily upon an entrepreneurial, pioneer model that has been effective in many ways but can sometimes result in isolation, kingdom building, turf protection, lack of accountability, and abuse of authority. Today, however, there is a greater need for a team model of planting many churches in an area so that diverse ministries can reach more people. Such an approach might resemble that of a business such as McDonald’s or Starbucks that seeks to increase its outlets. By multiplying locations, the company increases exposure, name recognition, and desire for what it offers. It thereby grows its customer base and benefits all its stores.

Specifically, we must plant more churches in population centers, and we need to identify target areas. We should target all counties, cities, and ethnic groups that do not have a United Pentecostal Church. At the same time, we must also target those that are under- reached, not just unreached.

For example, when the South Texas District established its growth goals, there was approximately one church per 60,000 people. Since the goal was to double, the district realized that there needed to be one church (or daughter work) per 30,000 people. If a city of 50,000 had one church, then it needed a second church. If a city of 100,000 had one church, it needed two additional churches. Cities of 1,000,000 or more needed as many churches as possible. Of course, in the process of aggressively starting new churches, districts need the input of existing pastors, and they need to emphasize ministerial ethics, accountability, and cooperation.

We have outstanding past examples, such as the work of David Gray in San Diego and James Kilgore in Houston. In recent years, exciting new examples have emerged such as efforts by James and Steven Beardsley in Delaware, Garland Hanscom in Ottawa, and Raul Orozco in Los Angeles.

As a founding pastor in Austin, Texas, for 18 years, my goal was to grow our church as big as we could, but since one church could not reach everyone I also wanted to partner with and plant other churches. We started 16 daughter works, eight of which are now self- governing and eight of which own a building or land on which they are preparing to build.

Growth often requires a change of operation or even a paradigm shift. To be frank, it involves sacrifice of time, money, labor, and personnel, but it is worth the investment to see the growth of the kingdom of God.

(Reverend David K. Bernard is the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International)

This is a classic which I’ve just had a re-read of.  It’s one of the first tracts I ever saw on the Oneness of God, it is powerful but simple, and still effective at communicating the truth of the Oneness of God.  What makes this tract so powerful is the quantity of scriptural evidence provided.  This is not opinion, it is just the word and it sends the reader to look into their own bible for themselves.  Whether you agree with the conclusion or not you’d have to say that anything that makes you search out the scriptures for yourself is a good thing.

Here they are in full (source: UPCI.org), or a PDF download version if you like.

1.  Is the word trinity in the Bible? No.

2.  Does the Bible say that there are three persons in the Godhead? No.

3.  Does the Bible speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? Yes.

4.  Do these titles as used in Matthew 28:19 mean that there are three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead? No, they refer to three offices, roles, or relationship to humanity.

5.  Does the Bible use the word three in reference to God? Only one verse in the entire Bible does so-I John 5:7. It speaks of the Father, the Word (instead of Son), and the Holy Ghost, and it concludes by saying, “These three are one.”

6.  Does the Bible use the word one in reference to God? Yes, many times. For example, see Zechariah 14:9; Malachi 2:10; Matthew 23:9; Mark 12:29, 32; John 8:41; 10:30; Romans 3:30; I Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; I Timothy 2:5; James 2:19.

7.  Can the mystery of the Godhead be understood? Yes. Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9; I Timothy 3:16.

8.  Has the Christian only one Heavenly Father? Yes. Matthew 23:9.

9.  Then why did Jesus say to Philip, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9)? Because Jesus is the express image of God’s person. Hebrews 1:3. The Greek word for personin this verse literally means “substance.”

10.  Does the Bible say that there are two persons in the Godhead? No.

11.  Does the Bible say that all the Godhead is revealed in one person? Yes, in Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:19; 2:9; Hebrews 1:3.

12.  Is the mystery of the Deity hidden from some people? Yes. Luke 10:21-22.

13.  Who is the Father? The Father is the one God, particularly as revealed in parental relationship to humanity. Deuteronomy 32:6; Malachi 2:10.

14.  Where was God the Father while Jesus was on earth? The Father was in Christ. John 14:10; II Corinthians 5:19. He was also in heaven, for God is omnipresent.

15.  Did the prophet Isaiah say that Jesus would be the Father? Yes. Isaiah 9:6; 63:16.

16.  When God said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26), was He speaking to another person in the Godhead? No. Isaiah 44:24; Malachi 2:10.

17.  How many of God’s qualities were in Christ? All. Colossians 2:9.

18.  How may we see the God who sent Jesus into the world? By seeing Jesus. John 12:44-45; 14:9.

19.  Does the Bible say that Jesus is the Almighty? Yes. Revelation 1:8

20.  Whom do some designate as the first person in the trinity? God the Father.

21.  Whom do some designate as the last person in the trinity? The Holy Ghost. But Jesus said that He was the first and last. Revelation 1:17-18

22.  How many persons did John see sitting on the throne in heaven? One. Revelation 4:2.

23.  If Jesus is the first and the last, why did God say in Isaiah 44:6 that He was the first and the last? Because Jesus is the God of the Old Testament incarnate.

24.  Did Jesus tell Satan that God alone should be worshipped? Yes. Matthew 4:10

25.  Does the devil believe in more than one God? No. James 2:19.

26.  Does the Bible say that God, who is the Word, was made flesh? Yes John 1:1, 14.

27.  For what purpose was God manifested in the flesh? To save sinners. Hebrews 2:9, 14.

28.  Was Jesus God manifested in the flesh? Yes. I Timothy 3:16.

29.  Could Jesus have been on earth and in heaven at the same time? Yes. John 3:13.

30.  Does the Bible say that there is but one Lord? Yes. Isaiah 45:18; Ephesians 4:5.

31.  Does the Bible say that Christ is the Lord? Yes. Luke 2:11.

32.  Does the Bible say that the Lord is God? Yes. I kings 18:39; Zechariah 14:5; Acts 2:39; Revelation 19:1.

33.  How could the church belong to Jesus (Matthew 16:18) and yet be the church of God (I Corinthians 10:32)? Because Jesus is God in the flesh.

34.  Will God give His glory to another? No. Isaiah 42:8.

35.  Was there a God formed before Jehovah, or will there be one formed after? No. Isaiah 43:10.

36.  What is one thing that God does not know? Another God. Isaiah 44:8.

37.  What is one thing that God Cannot do? Lie. Titus 1:2.

38.  How many Gods should we know? Only one. Hosea 13:4.

39.  How many names has the Lord? One. Zechariah 14:9.

40.  Is it good to think upon the name of the Lord? Yes. Malachi 3:16.

41.  Does the Bible say that God alone treads upon the waves of the sea? Yes. Job 9:8

42.  Why, then, was Jesus able to walk upon the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:25)? Because He is God the Creator. Colossians 1:16.

43.  Is God the only one who can forgive sin? Yes. Isiah 43:25; Mark 2:7.

44.  Why, then, could Jesus forgive sin in Mark 2:5-11? Because He is God the Savior.

45.  Is Jesus the true God? Yes. I John 5:20.

46.  If God and the Holy Ghost are two separate persons, which was the Father of Christ? Matthew 1:20 says that the Holy Ghost was the Father, while Romans 15:6, II Corinthians 11:31, and Ephesians 1:3 say that God was the Father. There is no contradiction when we realize that God the Father and the Holy Ghost are one and the same Spirit. Matthew 10:20; Ephesians 4:4; I Corinthians 3:16.

47.  When Paul asked the Lord who He was, what was the answer? ”I am Jesus.” Acts 9:5.

48.  When Stephen was dying, did he call God Jesus? Yes. Acts 7:59.

49.  Did Thomas ever call Jesus God? Yes. John 20:28.

50.  How could Jesus be the Savior, when God the Father said in Isaiah 43:11, “Beside me there is no Savior?” Because “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” II Corinthians 5:19.

51.  Does the Bible say that Jesus was God with us? Yes. Matthew 1:23.

52.  Did Jesus ever say, “I and my Father are one?” Yes. John 10:30.

53.  Can it be proved scripturally that Jesus and the Father are one in the same sense that husband and wife are one? No. The Godhead was never compared to the relationship of a husband and wife. Jesus identified Himself with the Father in a way that husband and wife cannot be identified with each other. John 14:9-11.

54.  Does the Bible say that there is only one wise God? Yes. Jude 25.

55.  Does the Bible call the Holy Ghost a second or third person in the Godhead? No. The Holy Ghost is the one Spirit of God, the one God Himself at work in our lives. John 4:24; I Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 12:13.

56.  Can Trinitarians show that three divine persons were present when Jesus was baptized by John? Absolutely not. The one, omnipresent God used three simultaneous manifestations. Only one divine person was present–Jesus Christ the Lord.

57.  Then what were the other two of whom Trinitarians speak? One was a voice from heaven; the other was the Spirit of God in the form of a dove. Matthew 3:16-17.

58.  What did the voice say at Jesus’ baptism? ”Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11. As the Son of God, Jesus was the one God incarnate.

59.  Does the Bible say that God shed His blood and that God laid down His life for us? Yes. Acts 20:28; I John 3:16. God was able to do this because He had taken upon Himself a human body.

60.  The Bible says that God is coming back with all his saints (Zechariah 14:5) and also that Jesus is coming back with all his saints (I Thessalonians 3:13). Are two coming back? No. Only one is coming back–our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13.

*Taken from the Word Aflame Tract “60 Questions on the Godhead with Bible answers” #6125″

There’s a video (here’s the link) on both ApostolicLive.com and YouTube of a baby/toddler named Kanon Tipton.  He is probably the world’s youngest preacher.  Now, I can’t understand a word he is saying. And it’s clear from the clip that like any child he is imitating what he has seen.  BUT, isn’t it awesome that rather than pretending to shoot, curse or dance like Michael Jackson this child is preaching – I love that.

Train up the child in the way they should go and when they are old they shall not depart.  I also have my own young preacher at home as my daughter who is also a toddler will lay hands and pray for you, shout Jesus, tell the preacher to “stay there” or “take your time”, and she can play a mean piece of tambourine.   And, just last night she was reciting the first five books of the bible – aged only 2 years old.

Watch out Kanon Tipton!  (and keep up the preaching!)

T F Tenney (@TFTenney) is probably the most re-tweeted Christian on Twitter right now.  For those of you who don’t know who T F Tenney is, he is a former Superintendent (i.e. Bishop) of the United Pentecostal Church International, a role he held for 27 years, having oversight of 300 churches and 800 ministers (1).  The man has some experience!  His wife, Thetus is also a minsiter in her own right (2), having authored several books and his son Tommy Tenney is author of the bestselling book, and now movement The God Chasers.  

I believe his tweets are so popular because seldom do you find a 75 year old Bishop sharing his wisdom over the internet. Here are a few tweets from T.F. Tenney: -

1.   A man was given a medal for humility. He put it on. They took it away from him.
2. Worldly Christians makes about as much sense as heavenly devils.!
3. What sits on my pew is not my doctrine but my tolerance.
4. Faith is the current coin of Gods Kingdom. With it you can buy anything God has. Without it you are broke.
5. 57 years ago tonight I married the love of my life. She still is. We started out with nothing and still have most of it.

I love what this man of God can do with a 140 character word limit!  If you want some spiritual edification I’d recommend you add T.F. Tenney to you Twitter feed.   Or, for more information T.F. Tenney’s ministry website is http://www.focusedlight.net

There is a lot of shifting right now. We are on the fault line of an emerging age. Things are changing. Much of the change and unrest is directly related to the prevailing philosophy of our day, postmodernism. Postmodernism is the overarching philosophical framework by which many Westerners comprehend the world. Unlike the modern world that preceded it, which was built upon propositions, scientific law, and cause and effect, postmodernism denies absolute truth; distrusts authority, theories, and institutions; and has a deconstructionist approach to traditions and social conventions. Postmodernism has affected architecture, art, music, and most every other discipline including faith. Click on the link below to read more from Pastor Rodney Shaw on the emergent church.

 http://rodneyshaw.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/where-do-we-stand-postmodernism-the-emergent-church-and-apostolics/

Dr David Berndard was elected as the General Superintendent, of the 3 million member, United Pentecostal Church International last month (October, 2009).

David Berndard has been the United Pentecostal Church International’s most well known ambassador for the last few decades due to his outstanding contribution to the field of Apostolic Pentecostal Literature.  Pastor Berndard has written books such as The Oneness of God, The New Birth, Spiritual Gifts and many, many others.

He came from missionary parents who served as leaders in the UPCI and he holds several degrees including a magna cum laude (with highest honours) in Law.  Dr Bernard is also President of the Urshan Graduate School, an Apostolic Pentecostal Bible College run by the United Pentecostal Church International in the USA.  I am praying that God anoint and empower Dr Bernard for the work ahead, he is definitely a champion of the gospel and a man of God.  Let us all keep him and his family in our prayers.

This was the press release on the UPCI website…

St Louis – October 5, 2009. The United Pentecostal Church International announces the election of the Reverend Doctor David K. Bernard as General Superintendent of the 3-million-member church. The ministers of the organization selected Reverend Bernard at their 85th annual General Conference held in St Louis last week.

David K. Bernard is the founder and senior pastor of New Life Church in Austin, Texas. He is also District Superintendent of the South Texas District of the United Pentecostal Church International and president of Urshan Graduate School of Theology, located in St Louis. He has earned a doctor of jurisprudence with honors from the University of Texas, a master of theology from the University of South Africa, and a bachelor of arts in mathematical sciences and managerial studies with high honors from Rice University. He is currently a doctor of theology candidate in New Testament at the University of South Africa.

In addition to his ministry in Austin and throughout the United States, he has ministered in forty-five countries on six continents. Bernard is also a prolific writer who has written extensively on the Bible, theology, the history of doctrine, and Christian living. To date, he has written thirty books, with a circulation of about 750,000. He has been published in thirty-six languages. In addition to his books, he has produced debates and teaching series on CD and DVD and other preaching and teaching helps on CD-ROM.

David Bernard and his wife, Connie, have three children, Jonathan (married to Sara), Daniel, and Lindsey, and one grandchild, Elijah.

The United Pentecostal Church International, headquartered in St Louis, has 30,000 churches in 192 nations around the world and a ministerial membership of 27,000. It was formed in 1945 from the merger of two previously established organizations. The UPCI emerged out of the Pentecostal movement that began in Topeka, Kansas, in 1901. It traces its organizational roots to October 1916, when a large group of ministers withdrew from the Assemblies of God over the doctrinal issues of the oneness of God and water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

For the past eight years, Reverend Kenneth F. Haney has served as the General Superintendent of the church. Reverend Bernard is the 7th General Superintendent in the church’s history.

I was baptized and discipled in a church affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.  When I was considering getting credentials with the PAOC, I was surprised that at one time the PAOC actually subscribed to oneness theology.  How did all this happen?  Early on in the Pentecostal movement some people began to notice that in the book of Acts (on which much of their theology was based) that people were baptized in the name of Jesus rather than the traditional formula from Matthew of the name of the Father, Son and Spirit.  Further reflection suggested that the explanation for the discrepancy was that the name of the Father, Son and Spirit was in fact Jesus.  That is there was no Trinity, just one God and that God’s name was Jesus.  This theology has been around since the beginning of the church and is known as modalism since it teaches that God appears in different modes throughout history rather than having a plurality of persons within the divine unity.  For people who struggle with the complexities of the Trinity, there is a certain attraction to this.

Although the PAOC later rejected oneness theology and embraced trinitarian theology, oneness Pentecostalism continues to exist in the United Pentecostal Church and various apostolic movements.  What are trinitarian Christians to make of oneness Pentecostalism?  Normally heresies are defined by a deficient Christology.  No one can accuse the oneness Pentecostals of that.  They could easily affirm the early Christian creed of Jesus is Lord.  That is not to say that I agree with their theology.  I do not think that the Father’s affirmation of Jesus at his baptism or transfiguration makes any sense if the Father and Jesus are the same person.  Nor does Paul’s differentiation of the Father and the Son.  I firmly believe that the Trinity is the best explanation for the data we have in the Bible regarding the relationship between the Father, Son and Spirit.

I also have concerns about legalism within oneness Pentecostalism.  I have known people who have belonged to the UPC.  Not only are there strict rules about clothing and hairstyles, mixed gender swimming is allowed only if everyone is fully clothed.  I am told that pastors are to sign an annual document stating that they do not own a television set.  I was also told that the wearing of wedding rings as an obstacle to salvation was a live issue.

Some of these things are typical of holiness movements and may vary from group to group and region to region.  I am even more concerned about their requirements for salvation.  It is not enough to just repent and place faith in Jesus, accepting the price he paid on the cross.  One must also speak in tongues and be baptized in Jesus’ name only.  While I accept that tongues continues to be a gift for today, I think Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians that it is not for everyone.  Also, I find it difficult to believe that God would hold a person back from eternal life because they were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, especially when it is a biblical formula.

Are oneness Pentecostals Christians?  I have serious concerns about bad theology, legalism and the presence of works righteousness.  I would encourage oneness Pentecostals to carefully read the Scriptures and see the Father and Jesus from another perspective.  But if a oneness Pentecostal is trusting in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation, even with bad theology and bizarre rules, I think that they should be considered Christian.  I am sure more conservative Christians would disagree with me and I did not come to this position lightly.  In the end, it is all up to God and it is not our role to pass judgment.  All we can do is to have frank and open discussion, better biblical teaching and offer grace in our attempts to build bridges.

Arians, Ebionites, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, theological liberals, and othe pseudo-Christian cults have long used Colossians 1:15 to deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, claiming that the notion was contrived long after the apostolic period through the syncretization of Christianity with Greco-Roman polytheism. What gives these hard-hearted people (who are in much need of prayer that God would open their hearts so that they would receive in it the true gospel) the opportunity is the text “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” Such people use that text to deny Jesus Christ’s pre-existence and divinity, claiming that it proves that Jesus Christ was the first thing that God created i.e. the chief angel. They deal with such passages as the Johannine prologue by stating that it only means that Jesus Christ existed before the creation of the world, the natural universe, or that God created Jesus Christ and then Jesus Christ created everything else. Another angle is the assertion that takes more seriously the gospel of John (and other places that identify Jesus Christ as the Word of God) is that Jesus Christ’s creation occurred the first time that God spoke or thought, or at the very least the first time that God spoke or thought with respect to creative activity. Truthfully, the doctrine of “the eternal generation of the Son”, while considered orthodox, comes very dangerously close to semi-Arianism when taken to its logical conclusion, so those who espouse this doctrine erect logically artificial and arbitrary barriers in order to keep from being counted as heretics. The only difference is that semi-Arianism (Jesus Christ was created the first time God spoke) views Jesus Christ with respect to ontological, philosophical or logical time (while realizing that actual time is a part of creation and thus does not exist in eternity) where “the eternal generation of the Son” denies, ignores or refuses to deal with ontology. You may ask “why should a Christian deal with abstract concepts like ontology anyway?” Well, that is a question that must be answered by the people who adhere to and preach “the eternal generation of the Son” doctrine, which really has no reason for existing beyond philosophy, as it has virtually no practical implications on orthodoxy or orthopraxy (right thinking and right living). If you are going to adhere to and preach a doctrine – especially one that is in and of itself not a core doctrine of the faith but still has real implications for other core doctrines of the faith (as “the eternal generation of God the Son” does for Trinity) – you had better be prepared to deal with what the doctrine implies and leads to. In any event, both semi-Arianism (Jesus Christ originated when God first thought or spoke) and “the eternal generation of the Son” (Jesus Christ exists as God speaks and does so without being a function of time in any way) pose problems for the nature of existence itself, which is that something can only exist if it exists as a unity. This is borne out in Genesis 2:7 and Ecclesiastes 3:21, which make clear that a man cannot and does not exist unless there is a unity of body and spirit. By the same token, God does not exist without a unity of the Father, the Word and the Spirit. If the Word or the Spirit or the Father require creation or generation, that negates the Unity without which God does not exists, and thus violates Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” Also, as scripture also declares God to be unchanging, God does not create or generate new parts to Himself, so what would be created or generated would necessarily be either a creature (Arianism/Jehovah’s Witnesses) or another god (what “eternal generation of the Son” would possibly lead to if its ontological implications were acknowledged and dealt with rather than simply shoved into “eternity” and ignored).

So, regarding “eternal generation of the Son”, the position should be that the Son is not generated but like the Father and the Spirit simply is and has always been, and this is what the meaning of the Name of God I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14) refers to. Further, it is something that is not only true with respect to time (keep in mind the Arian/Jehovah’s Witness argument, which deals with the problems posed by Jesus Christ’s being a creature by simply saying that it is true by being before Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1-18) or timelessness (“eternal generation of the Son”) but ontologically as well. (Truthfully, since the ancient near eastern mindset that produced the Bible did not include ontology, which is a western construct, then God referring to Himself as I AM THAT I AM  of Exodus 3:14 is true spiritually. Where the western mindset has reduced spiritual truth to being merely allegorical, moral, ethical or abstract, the Biblical mindset recognizes spiritual truth as being as explicit, valid and relevant as is 2+2=4 or the law of gravity, or moreover that 2+2 is only always equal to 4 or the law of gravity is only always consistent because of the spiritual truth that is behind it, defines it, and sustains it, and that spiritual truth is none other than Jesus Christ. And yes, the fact that it was most definitely Jesus Christ who appeared to Moses as the flame that did not burn the bush and used the Name I AM THAT I AM with reference to Himself is not only relevant, but would necessarily preclude Arianism/Jehovah’s Witnesses or “eternal generation of the Son”, for had those been so Jesus Christ would have had to say “I am the first that was created” or “I am he who is generated.”)

So if the witness of scripture is to be internally consistent, how can Colossians 1:15 be true? How can Jesus Christ be the firstborn of every creature? The common way is to use the actual definition of firstborn, which is “first in rank” and use it in reference to Jesus Christ’s authority, dominion and rule as creation’s King. It refers to Jesus Christ as Ruler of the universe par excellence. According to this definition, the original firstborn of creation then was Adam. Thus, this is certainly not because Adam was the first thing created (because Adam was created on the 6th day, and thus temporally was actually the LAST thing created!) but because God gave Adam dominion over the earth. Adam forfeited this dominion and firstborn status, and this dominion transferred to Satan. However, Satan was only a usurper. He held the dominion but never the firstborn status, and even his dominion was illegitimately and temporarily possessed just as the pagan Athaliah was illegitimately ruler of Judah for a time (for 6 years, with 6 being the number of a man, how’s that for numerology!) before being replaced by a legitimate rightful monarch that was a son of David. Consider the typology. Athaliah: type. Satan: antitype. Joash: type. Jesus Christ: anti-type. Jesus Christ was the second Adam who not only took on the dominion legitimately but also the firstborn status that Satan could never have even by theft.

Now God gave Adam dominion, the status of firstborn, so that Adam could serve God and in this way God would be glorified through Adam’s service. Adam, of course, was disobedient and utterly failed to fulfill the purpose of his creation – mankind’s creation – which was to serve and glorify God. However, Jesus Christ did so. By way of the incarnation, Jesus Christ became fully man. Born under the law to God’s elect people Israel, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law with His perfect life, living in perfect obedience to God the Father, and fulfilling the purpose of mankind’s creation and also mankind’s destiny, which was and is to glorify God through perfect service forever. So, Adam was the firstborn of creation that failed and died. Jesus Christ is the firstborn of creation that succeeded, was resurrected from the dead and is alive forevermore, and therefore is the Head of all redeemed mankind who will fulfill the purposes mankind’s creation – to serve and glorify God – through Jesus Christ by being Jesus Christ’s own Body. This perfect eternal service is impossible for us to achieve on our own – as Adam proved – but is attainable only by being in Jesus Christ, and our being joined to the firstborn of creation. Where Adam failed to be the progenitor or head of a nation, a people, a race of perfect eternal servants (or even to be this perfect eternal servant himself) Jesus Christ succeeded and is the Head of the church, the bride, the body of Christ.

Now Jesus Christ only succeeded in fulfilling Adam’s original purpose and therefore becoming the true firstborn of creation because unlike Adam, He is fully God. However, Jesus Christ was only fit to fulfill Adam’s purpose, to become the second Adam, by being fully human just as was Adam. Christians can be rightfully accused of refusing to deal with the true nature and implications of Jesus Christ’s humanity because of our desire not to sin and become heretics. Of course, Jesus Christ is the eternal and self-existing God, part of the Triune Godhead. However, this same Jesus Christ was incarnated into A CREATED HUMAN BODY! Jesus Christ’s human body was born of a created woman’s created seed just as was you and I. The ovum in Mary was not eternal, but was created along with Mary, and as such Jesus Christ had a created human body just as do you or I. This body was not simply some animatronic shell, cover or mask for the true divine Person pulling the levers under the covers, which incidentally is a form of the docetism heresy. That implies that Jesus Christ was a fake human who only seemed real. But we know from Romans, Hebrews, Genesis 3:15, and elsewhere that Jesus Christ was a fully thoroughly 100% real human who experienced physical and mental growth, hunger, pain, thirst, agony, isolation, frustration, rejection, temptation and even natural death just like the rest of the human race. That is why He is able to be our priest, His identification with us. However, many of us take the scriptures that refer to Jesus Christ’s identification with us to be more of an association, an affiliation, something less than real. This thinking falls short of the truth of Biblical revelation, and is based on the modern western meaning of “identify with”, which implies merely allegiance or advocacy. For instance, it is possible for a wealthy person to “identify with” the poor through feelings of compassion, works of charity, even political and social advocacy. But unless that person literally gives all his money away and renounces any connections or privileges that he has (i.e. a title or family heritage that he may use to recover at least some of his wealth and status) he will never actually be poor. Jesus Christ did not identify with humanity in that sense, a false and ultimately superficial sense.

Instead, Jesus Christ identified with humanity in the true sense by becoming one of us! Now humans cannot in any way become God in any sense. But in the greatest miracle that ever was or will be, Jesus Christ DID become a human in every sense! And make no mistake, do not be deceived: humans are part of creation. So even though Jesus Christ is God who pre-exists creation, accomplished creation, and in every way transcends creation, when Jesus Christ was incarnated into human flesh, HE BECAME A PART OF CREATION! Now do not be offended or deceived. First off, being God and also not being born of Adam’s seed but rather being the Word of God born of a virgin by the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ had no part in the sin and corruption that creation fell into, and it no part in Him. After all, please recall that creation was originally sinless, a fact proven by God calling it “good”, and God has never at any time called anything sinful or evil “good” except that which God justified by graciously imputing His own righteousness to it (as is the case of sinners). Second, this is not to be confused with such liberal heretical abominations as “process theology” or “death of God theology” which at times holds that God completely surrendered His divine nature. Instead, Jesus Christ became part of creation through His incarnation (becoming fully human) while never at any time ceasing to transcend creation because of His divinity (self-existing and eternal). You can call it the “hypostatic union” if you absolutely must (I do not and have even been accused of adhering to the Nestorianism heresy because of it), but that does not alter the facts.  The result is that through His becoming part of creation, Jesus Christ is given the role of both priest/intercessor/savior for creation (the part of which is elect and will be redeemed) and the judge of creation (the part which is not and will not and whose fate is destruction).

This should cause us to read Colossians 1:15 in a new way. We either read “image of the invisible God, firstborn of creation” devotionally, or we view those as two facts that while true are separate. Instead, Colossians 1:15 is a unity. It describes the incarnation! Man is made in the image of God. Jesus Christ became a man. Jesus Christ became not just any man, but the second Adam. As the first Adam was – until the fall – the firstborn of creation, Jesus Christ by virtue of His incarnation, life, ministry, atoning and substitutionary death on the cross and resurrection not only became the second Adam, but did so in a way that far transcends and exceeded the first Adam! So, not only did Jesus Christ fulfill the original intent of humanity (and by extension of creation, for man is part of creation and creation was accomplished to please and glorify God) but Jesus Christ fulfilled the original intent of mankind and creation in a way BETTER and MORE PLEASING to God the Father than we ever could have ourselves, even if we were to somehow live perfect lives! Again, even if somehow we were to live perfect sinless lives, we would never fulfill the purpose of humanity better or give more honor and glory to God the Father than did Jesus Christ! And not only did Jesus Christ fulfill the purpose of humanity to the glory of God the Father as God the Father’s Suffering Servant, but He did it FOR US as OUR SERVANTS! It is often said that Jesus Christ died for us on the cross, but He also LIVED FOR US BEFORE GOING TO THE CROSS! As a result, Christians receive the benefits of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection!

Now how many of you out there are parents? Or take care of elderly or handicapped people? In your role as a parent or caretaker, you do for those under your trust and care what they cannot do for themselves: you earn a living, you provide housing, food and clothes, you pay taxes, and in many cases you literally do the work of dressing, bathing, feeding and monitoring them or you pay for the services of someone else who does. A great part of your life is doing for others what others cannot do for themselves and allowing others to benefit from it. Well, that is the same thing that Jesus Christ did for you, except in a grander and more majestic way on an infinitely greater scale! Your purpose in being created was to glorify God, and not only did Jesus Christ do something for you that you could not do yourself, but He did it better than you could ever do even if you could!

And consider that for a second. This child that you are taking care of as a parent will one day grow up and take care of himself. Your son or daughter might do a better job! As a matter of fact, if you are a good loving parent, you hope that they will for themselves and for their own children! By the same token, what if this person who has suffered a stroke or is paralyzed gets healed by God. They go from being taken care of by you to taking care of themselves, and again a decent moral person would hope that they would receive better care from their own hand than they did from yours. And this is an example of how and why what Jesus Christ did for you is so amazing, so special. Because no matter how much you grow up, no matter how much your body (or mind) gets healed, better or stronger, you will NEVER be able to live a perfect life. You can exist for an eternity and still NEVER be able to do what Jesus Christ did for you by living a perfect life on your behalf, and you CERTAINLY would never be able to use your own perfect existence to justify someone else by imputing your righteousness to them.

But Jesus Christ did all that and more by becoming the image of the invisible God, a man in the image of God who yet is simultaneously is God. And He did not rest or be content with simply being a man in the image of God who also is God, but He also succeeded in living a life that glorified God the Father at all times and in every way. And it is because of this that God glorified His Name above every Name, that God bestowed the status of “firstborn of creation” upon Him! Jesus Christ is God who became part of creation and now sits at creation’s head as its Ruler, King, and Firstborn, and did all of this without violating that which is revealed in scripture which is part of God’s nature, which is that God is unchangeable! That is right, Jesus Christ accomplished creation, became part of creation, and became priest for redeemed creation and judge for that which is not redeemed without His Divine nature being altered or changed in any way. (Incidentally, this is something that liberal theologies – i.e.  process theology and open theism – deny.) Now again, I am not a “hypostatic union” guy, but I do acknowledge that the hypostatic union doctrine does articulate and explain this.

So the core of Colossians 1:15 is that Jesus Christ has full membership in both Deity and creation by way of the incarnation. Jesus Christ did this in obedience to God the Father, but He also did it for you! However, in order to partake of the benefits of Jesus Christ becoming a man so that He could die on the cross for your sins in your place, you must believe that these things are true, and as a result turn away from your sins and submit to Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior. If there are any people who do not believe in Jesus Christ as described here, I encourage you to do so right now. If there are any Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, oneness pentecostals, Muslims, Jews, Roman Catholics or anyone else who denies the Deity or true nature of Jesus Christ or His life and work as clearly revealed through scripture, I encourage you to turn away from those and submit yourself to the truth. I do not say “accept the truth” because that implies that you are in some way an entity who has a role in creating, deciding, or being an arbiter of truth. Rest assured, only God is the creator, decider, determiner, arbiter and revealer of truth, so these things are going to be true whether you accept them or not. So, your duty then is to respond by believing them through faith and following through with obedience. That is the way, the only way that you can submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and be saved.

For more information follow  The Three Step Salvation Plan.

In answer to a post i wrote some weeks back I found out at the weekend that although John Francis did used to be a beliver in the Trinity he converted some years ago to the Apostolic doctrine of 1 God manifesting as Father, Son & Holy Ghost – rather than 3 eternally seperate persons. I also learned that the baptismal formula used at Ruach is according to Acts 2:38 in Jesus’ name (which is the correct interpretation of Matt 28:19).

I was happy to hear that such a prominent ministry was teaching biblical truth concerning the Godhead and Salvation.

This is what I heard, from a credible source, if anyone knows anything different ie a member of Ruach, pls let me know and I’ll correct/clarify/confirm accordingly.

Anointed preaching from Minister Wayne Clark at Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic’s Holy Convocation 2009.  This message exhorts the church to find the way of holiness and not continue with “business as usual”… let us go back to the fear of the LORD and then we will see his power manifesting in the church.

Thanks to the creators at www.bethelunitedchurch.com again for creating this.

Listen to Dr Holdsworth of Greater Grace Apostolic, Jamaica preahcing at Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic) Holy Convocation 2009, Crowing Day (Thursday).

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1897666

Here ’s a selection of clips from today’s home going service for Mother Chloe E Dunn.

Ephesians 2:18 is rightfully labeled a Trinitarian text:

For through him[Christ] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (TNIV, emphasis added)

So after purchasing TD Jakes’s Life Overflowing—a compilation of six separate volumes on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians—for a $1, I thought I’d consult a Oneness Pentecostal on Ephesians 2:18:

Being in Christ gives us the position and legal right to enter the heavenly throne room, but the Holy Spirit who lives inside us is the one who ushers us into the presence of God with confidence and boldness. (p. 138)

Mr. Jakes says all the right things.  So what makes him a Oneness Pentecostal after saying these things about the Son, the Father, and the Spirit?

Do they then confuse themselves?

I had to write a post about the International Facebook Revival, it started life as a private video on Facebook, attracting 204 comments and 79 likes, it then became a Facebook Group which has 126 members.  So, what is it?

Basically, it is a tongue-in-cheek look at the way the older generation worship by the “now” generation.  And, have they been watching our parents closely!*  It was created to promote an event the church was putting on, I spoke with the creator Andre Simms and he confirmed that as a result of the clip they had a lot of young people come to their event.

I can’t deny this video makes me laugh when I watch it, it is one of the best bits of “black” comedy since The Real McCoy was aired in the UK in the 90’s.  I shared it with an older person who had never been on Facebook before and they did not recognise it was a joke.  That’s how good of an imitation the clip was! There’s still something though that makes me feel a little uneasy about imitation worship, but I get what is being done.  As I said though, there is something in this that makes me a bit unsettled… I think it is the dangerous line being trodden of bordering on sneering at the sacred.

So, by now you’ve probably watched the clip.  It is so loaded with cultural “in jokes” that you might not have got it.  However, if you did what did you think?  Do you think it shows the need to throw off some of our ways and move with the times, or do you think it captures all that is good and distinct about Carribean Apostolic praise and worship?  I’m of the view that its highlighting a generational shift.  The way we experience God will no doubt change as different generations rise up with different styles of expression unique to their cultural setting.

However, the old generation have THE ANOINTING.  The singing, clapping, dancing, shouting, skipping is always power packed.  Lucid, unstructured worship that is “subject to change” is also good because that is what Pentecost is all about.  It is about being led by the Spirit.

So, as we develop and as we worship God “our way”, let’s keep it anointed, keep it pure, keep it lively, keep it so that sinners will run from off the street and yeild their life to God.

*spot the mistake when he introduces them as “apostolic, catholic” – what?!?! Apostolic is not Catholic!

Adding this clip to the blog as a piece of cultural anthropology.  It is quite an accurate snapshot of how Apostolic Pentecostal baptismal services are conducted by Apostolics with West Indian roots.  

The service usually involves: -

1. Baptismal candidate wearing white, or a similar garment (symbolic of purity, holiness)

2. Women’s heads are covered – in accordance with the Apostolic doctrine of heads being covered when praying or prophesying.

3. Congregational singing is going on in the background – in recognition of Jesus’ words that Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents.   Likewise, the church on earth expresses great joy.

4. The songs are usually about baptism i.e. ‘take me to the water’s’  and after the baptism a song of repentance is sung such as ‘goodbye world, I’ll stay no longer with you’ or a song about the New Birth, or Jesus’ soon return. 

5. The minister will ask the candidate to confirm their faith in Jesus’ before being baptised. Sometimes, they will say words to the effect of: “thy vows oh Lord are upon me until death”.  Then the baptiser will say: “upon the confession of your faith, I now baptise you in the name of Jesus Christ (for the remission of your sins)”. 

6. Usually, the words “in the name of Jesus Christ” are timed in such a way that as the person hits the water the Name of Jesus is invoked over them.

7. Sometimes, the candidate will come up out of the water speaking in unknown tongues.  Usually always, the candidate will be crying or feeling the great overwhelming change that God has wrought in their life.  If the candidate expresses no emotion at all, it is a signal that they may not actually have believed in my opinion – this should be the happiest day of someone’s life.

The church above is Hackney Penetcosal Church in London, Pastored by a female pastor, Pastor Douglas.  It is not uncommon in West Indian Pentecostal Churches for a female to be in a position of pastoral leadership.  Although, it is much more unusal for a woman to be ordained as a Bishop within either a Trinitarian or Oneness Penetcostal Church, despite the many women missionaries, evangelists and pastors.  Maybe one day we will see another extordinary woman of God, whom the Spirit of God is upon and the leadership of the church are led of the Spirit to ordain a woman bishop.  Just as Mother Christine Agatha Walsh in Jamaica was a Bishop – her ministry started during the 1930’s.

Oneness Pentecostals, as well as Christians who support and fellowship with oneness Pentecostals, here is a question of you.

The Bible declares God the Father, called the Ancient of Days (see Daniel 7, especially verses 9, 13, and 22) to be King in various places. The Bible declares God the Son, called the Angel of the Lord in His preincarnate form (see Joshua 5:14-15, also Exodus 3:4-6 cross referenced with Exodus 3:2, Acts 7:30, Acts 7:35 ) and the Word of God (John 1:1-18, Proverb 8 especially verse 30) and Jesus Christ to be King.

However, the Holy Spirit, called the Spirit of God the Father (Matthew 10:20, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18) and the Spirit of God the Son (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:9, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18) is never declared to be King by scripture at any time. Also, where both God the Father and God the Son are both spoken of as being glorified and exalted, to my knowledge God the Holy Spirit is never spoken of by scripture as being glorified or exalted at any time.

How is this possible? I welcome your replies. Thank you.

Greetings!

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This is such a powerfully awesome clip!  The song goes: -

You can tell the world about this,
You can tell the nations about that,
Tell them Jesus has come,
Tell them that the Comforter has come,
It brings joy to my soul,
It brings joy to my soul (repeat till fire falls)

This song has so much meaning to me.  In a world where companies are spending £million$ to get their message out through advertising on TV, Radio, Online, Mail, Billboards and so on we just want people to know that Jesus has come!

The clip above was from the funeral (homegoing) service of Bishop A. G Miller, who was a founder member of Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic) in the UK, and pastored over the Northern District of churches from our Manchester assembly.  What could make  people so happy at a funeral?  The thought that Jesus has come! And, the assurance that those who know Him don’t die, we just sleep until He comes again to raise us up on the last day.