Bishop E. S. Harper - A Call to Separation

Bishop Norman L. Wagner - Shekinah II: Trapped In Transition

Bishop Norman L. Wagner preaching on Nov. 6, 2009 at the Original Mantle Conference: "Shekinah II: Trapped In Transition."

Pre-1900 Examples of Apostolic Doctrine in North America

The following is derived from a symposium paper co-authored by Stewart A. Bertram and Stephen E. Kuntzman in the Spring of 2005 and presented to Parkersburg Bible College (Parkersburg, WV).

History undeniably records various elements of distinctly Orthodox Apostolic doctrine in North America as early as 1677, which was only 70 years after the first permanent settlement was established in Jamestown.[1]  What we will attempt to show is a chronological outline of these various apostolic doctrines and practices as they appear in the index of North American history.  While many will view this as a restoration of Apostolic Pentecostal experience we maintain that it actually proves the continued existence and growth of the orthodox teaching of the book of Acts.  We further assert that there have always been pockets of true believers in every century following and obeying the true message of the New Birth.  Some examples record partial alignment with the Apostles’ doctrine, the following is a list of some of those instances:

• Society of Friends (Quakers) – “…our tongues loosed and our mouths opened, and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave utterance, and as His Spirit led us.”[2]
• John Wesley (1703-1791) – “What so impressed and encouraged John Wesley and his followers, what so shocked, startled, and bewildered his contemporaries, is no mystery to the modern psychologist, to whom it is known as glossolalia…”[3]
• Charles G. Finney (1783-1875) – “I received a mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost…No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart.  I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart.”[4]
• John Miller – a Presbyterian minister wrote Is God a Trinity in 1876 and “believed that the doctrine of the trinity was not biblical and that it greatly hindered the Church….He emphatically declared the full deity of Jesus Christ.”[5]
• D. L. Moody (1837-1899) – According to R. A. Torrey, Moody’s friend and associate, he once witnessed Moody walk to the pulpit to preach but instead of addressing the crowd in English he began to speak in another language.  This occurred one more time before he was able to gain control and preach to the audience, but “only after much prayer and praise.”[6]
• Lowell, Ohio (1835) – a group of Camisards and/or French Huguenots establish an Orthodox Apostolic Acts 2:38 believing Church, but article IX of the church constitution changes the baptismal formula from Jesus’ name to the trinitarian formula in 1847.  In 1980 Dr. Nelson preaches the Apostolic message to the congregation and they convert back to the orthodox message of Acts 2:38.[7]
• Dan Huntington (1850) – baptized people in Boston, Massachusetts in Jesus’ name.[8]
• Canada (1854) – “There was an organization of Acts 2:38 clergymen in Canada.”[9]
• America (1865) – More than 160,000 Americans spoke in tongues.[10] [11]
• Alvin E. Velie (1884-1904) – all pre-1900:[12]

1)      Wrote the book Safety First Acts 2:38.

2)      Baptized over 1,500 people in Jesus’ name in Wisconsin.

3)       Preached in various locations along the Mississippi River.

4)      Preached a considerable amount of the time in the Salvation Army.

• Charles Fox Parham – “the first leader in the twentieth century Pentecostal movement, began to administer water baptism in Jesus' name, although he apparently did not link this practice with an explicit denial of trinitarianism.”[13]  Parham also “formulated the basic Pentecostal doctrine of ‘initial evidence’ after a student in his Bethel Bible School, Agnes Ozman, experienced glossolalia in January, 1901.”[14] 

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[1] Weisser, Thomas. After the Way Called Heresy. 1981.

[2] Bresson, Bernard L. Studies in Ecstasy. New York: Vintage Press. 1966. p. 48-52.

[3] Bowen, Marjorie. Wrestling Jacob: a study of the life of John Wesley. London: Watts & Co. 1948.

[4] Finney, Charles G. Memoirs of Charles G. Finney, being an Autobiography. New York.
1876.

[5] Bernard, David K. The Oneness of God. Hazelwood: Pentecostal Publishing House. 1993. 31 May 2005.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pentecostal/One-Ch10.htm.

[6] Darbee, Lennard. Tongues: the Dyanmite of God.

[7] Nelson, Joseph. Church History. Parkersburg Bible College. Lecture given and Church Constitution shown to class on 18 November 2002.

[8] Synan, V. Aspects of Pentecostal-Charismatic Origins, NJ: Logos. 1975.

[9] Arnold, Marvin M.  Apostolic History Outline. Arno Publications, Inc. 1985.

[10]Ibid.

[11] Blunt, John H. Dictionary Of Sects, Heresies, Ecclesiastical Parties, And Schools Of Religious Thought. Ann Arbor: Gryphon Books. 1971. 

[12] Nelson, Joseph. Church History. Parkersburg Bible College. Lecture on 18 November 2002.

[13] Bernard, David K. The Oneness of God. Hazelwood: Pentecostal Publishing House. 1993. 31 May 2005. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pentecostal/One-Ch10.htm.

[14] Synan, V. Pentecostalism. 16 April 2005. http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/pentecos.htm.

It's All In Him

If you've ever been to an Apostolic church, that has been around for any length of time, you'll hear this song at some point.  It's still one of my favorite hymns to sing.

J. T. Pugh - The Removal of Humiliation

J. T. Pugh addressing Zion Tabernacle

There are moments in a believer's life when a sermon is preached and received in such a way that the individual leaves changed, and not just moved. The event stays lodged in the mind as a watershed moment.  Such was the message delivered by the late Rev. J. T. Pugh to the congregation of Zion Tabernacle in Kokomo, IN, on Sunday morning, November 7, 1993.

His Text: Joel 2:26-27
His Title: The Removal of Humiliation
Alternate URL: http://kiwi6.com/file/qttwty566g


For me, the moment holds infinite benefit.  I witnessed lives changed, healed, and restored as that man of God delivered the Word of God.  My own life-course was altered that morning as I sat in the pew listening to Bro. Pugh deliver his heart.

So, for your benefit, I am posting that message here in the hope that someone else will be as blessed as I was so long ago.

T. W. Barnes - The Power of the Name

T. D. Jakes once wrote, “The devil may be out to defeat you, but God is out to defeat the devil.”[1]

In fact, He has already done more than that: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn. 3:8).

Jesus Christ has all power (Mt. 28:18, “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”) and we have access to that power through the Name of Jesus.

Acts 3:4-7

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

“Look on us” - - you’ve got to be focused to receive your miracle.  This is the way to deal with people in pain and in need of the touch of God.  Get their attention.  You have what they need.  You have JESUS!

Give your total attention to Jesus and look Him in the eyes with eyes of faith and expectation.  Get so close to Him that you don’t see anybody else, hear anyone else, or are aware of anyone but Him.  Strive to only hear and see Jesus.

Peter and John had everything they needed to minister to the man.  They had a Name:

• It was stronger than the devil’s name
• It’s stronger than your problem
• Greater than your need
• More intoxicating than your pain

That name is Jesus!

The name of our Lord Jesus Christ is higher than any other name and it “is holy, harmless, undefiled…and made higher than the heavens” (Heb.7:26).

Philippians 2:9-11, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Only the Name of Jesus can heal you and make whole that which is crippled in your spirit, soul, or body.

Why is there so much power in the Name of Jesus?  T.W. Barnes attributed it to the following reasons: 

1. His Word is in it – John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word…”
2. His Blood is in it – Jesus is a blood name that redeems all people from sin and the effects of sin (sickness, disease, mental disorders).
3. His Spirit is in it – The Holy Ghost that you received when you spoke in tongues the first time was that Spirit of Christ in you.
4. The authority of heaven is in it – All power in Heaven and earth belongs to Jesus Christ.
5. His faith is in it – He made every by the power of His own Word.  He spoke it and it happened.[2]

When we speak the name of Jesus the devil sees all these things coming at him and he runs.  Satan cannot stand against the Name of JESUS.

Are you tired of shouting and nothing happens?  Do you ever “Amen” the preacher but no change happens in your life?  Are you aware of the people all around you every day in need of this Name and not experiencing the power of Jesus, His Blood, mercy, the Holy Ghost, peace, deliverance?

We’ve go to learn to put that name in action.  All that man needed once the Name was spoken into his life was for somebody to put it into action and help him get to his feet so he could stand, walk, and leap.

There are people in the church and in the world who need you to speak the right name into their life.

That name is JESUS!

Reach out your hand in faith, call upon that Name, and put your confidence on Jesus, not the person praying for you. 

Place your trust in Jesus and He will heal your sickness/lameness, He’ll strengthen you in your areas of weakness and give you boldness.

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[1] Jakes, T.D. (1997). So You Call Yourself A Man? Bethany House Publishers: Bloomington, MN. p. 40.  (**Much of this is taken from pages 56-58 as well**)

[2] Freeman, Nona. (2007). A Prophet in our Time.

Confession To Momma

My Momma

Today is Mother's Day, God has commanded us to honor our Father and Mother (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 15:4-6; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20), and it is the first commandment of the Decalogue with a promise attached to it (Ephesians 6:2). 

I love my Mother, LouAnne Kuntzman. 

However, I am unable to be with her this year on Mother's Day. So, I decided to write her a poem, which is not one of my strengths, to try to convey to her my love and appreciation. 

I know it falls short, but I’m trying…So, read at your own risk.
_____________________________________

Confession To Momma

Stephen Kuntzman

The calendar today is marked “Mother’s Day,”

So, here are some things I need to say:

I’ve burned down a barn, crashed some cars,

Smarted off, smoked cigars,

Fought my siblings, cheated in school,

Couldn’t swim then jumped in a pool.

I’ve been late, don’t much date,

And I hate to say, I sometimes obfuscate.

I’ve drank beer, and bleach as well,

I told a lie, and Dad spanked Phill.

I was awake that night on Poplar Street,

Fred won’t think that was neat.

I’ve been mean, sometimes cruel,

Told dirty jokes, and acted a fool.

I’ve been a bully, full of pride,

I know sometimes it was for me you cried.

One thing’s constant, one thing’s sure,

You’ve loved me despite all these quirks.

I never doubted I could come home,

Or call you late on the telephone.

They say confession is good for the soul,

But it’s my experience you’ve already known.

So, with midnight here, and the calendar in sync,

Here’s one last declaration upon which to think:

I LOVE YOU more every day, and know you feel the same way.