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Vol. 106-4 Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. — Jude 3

This Zimbabwean minister was raised to worship ancestral spirits, but everything changed when he encountered the God of Heaven.

2 Higher Way

ONIYAS GUMBO’S FIRST CONTACT with the Apostolic Faith church was through an issue of one of these magazines in the early 1970s when he was a twenty-year-old university student (see page 6). He read The Light of Hope, as it was then called, while deathly ill in an infirmary in Zimbabwe. He was drawn to the fact that individuals could experience the power of God in their lives, including salvation and divine healing. What he read led to a sincere prayer the very next day, which resulted in him being instantly healed and miraculously saved. Over the years, forty-five of his relatives have been converted through the efforts of the Apostolic Faith Church in Southern Africa.

My first contact with the Apostolic Faith Church was through a simple Gospel service conducted in our Roseburg, Oregon, church in 1974. I was a twenty-one-year-old university student. Unlike Brother Oniyas, I was physically healthy,

though sick of sinful living. After sitting through that ser-vice, which included personal testimonies and a simple,

understandable sermon by a pastor, I was interested. That very night I prayed a sincere prayer of repentance and was miraculously saved. Over the years, over forty of my relatives have been saved through the efforts of the Apostolic Faith Church.

When I visited Zimbabwe in 2011, it was striking to visit our churches and see firsthand what I already knew. What they taught and the manner in which they conducted their services and practiced their faith was the same as it is in Port-land, and the same as what I experienced in that 1974 Roseburg church service. More than interesting, it is powerful because it is rooted in the teachings of the Bible. The results are evidenced by many families around the world who have been impacted just as Brother Oniyas and I were impacted.

While we strive to lift up Jesus rather than our own church, we have a deep appreciation for the teachings and practices of the Apostolic Faith Church. The contents of this magazine are the product of Gospel meetings held in our churches, where sermons are extemporaneously delivered and testimonies spontaneously given. Afterward, the sermons and testimonies are transcribed, edited, and distributed free of charge, both in print versions and electronically through our website and mobile device application.

We pray that this magazine, like the one Brother Oniyas read so many years ago, will be a blessing to you as it was to him.

Around-the-World Impact

Higher Way (ISSN #1084-9807) is published quarterly by the Apostolic Faith Church, 6615 SE 52nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97206, U.S.A. and is mailed out subscription free. Periodicals postage is paid at Portland, Oregon. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Higher Way, Apostolic Faith Church, 6615 SE 52nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97206, U.S.A.

October—December 2013

Table of Contents

Darrel D. LeeSuperintendent

General

VIEWPOINT

Day to Day ............ 9 Evidence .............. 14Highlighting our Heritage ............. 21

A Timeless Message ................................ 3Obstacles Turned to Victory .......................6 Sermon Excerpts ....................................11A Longing Heart Satisfied ........................ 16 Unity in the Church ................................ 18

Higher Way 3

Is the Gospel message relevant in today’s society? Does it pertain to our era?

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul the Apostle taught that the Gospel message is relevant, no matter the culture or conditions one lives in. Whether Jew or Gentile, servant or master, weak or strong, loyal to the Law or ignorant of it, the Gospel will find you where you are. And it will make an impact on your life!

Paul’s desire was to help the unconverted in his day recognize the value of the Gospel message. In verse 22, he stated: “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Paul observed some aspects of the Jewish Law and customs in order to show the Gospel relevant to the Jews. When dealing with the Gentiles, he chose to ignore the Jewish customs and practices of the Law (though never at the expense of obedience to the law of Christ), in order to show that the Gospel was relevant to the non-Jewish community. He knew beyond doubt that there was nothing more relevant than the message of the Gospel, because it directly addressed the problems and moral issues society faced.

The same is true in our day. The Gospel message is timeless. It still addresses the problems and moral issues of society. It remains relevant

A Timeless Message

The years roll by and cultures change, but the

Gospel message is always relevant.

From a sermonby Darrel Lee

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4 Higher Way

even when it is rejected. People may walk away from it, but they will not escape the impact of what they heard. When unsaved people come under conviction, they know they need what salvation offers. Wherever they happen to be in life, they need it. It will change hearts and lives if it is embraced.

What Paul Did Not SayAs we read Paul’s words in 1 Cor-

inthians 9, we notice some things that Paul did not say. He did not say, “To win the sinner, I return to sinning.” He did not say, “To win the poker player, I begin playing cards,” or, “To win the gambler, I begin playing the lottery.” If he were alive today, he would not take up body markings and piercings, cross dressing, or filthy talking in order to appeal to the degenerate society that we live in. Paul did not want to render his message irrelevant by implying that it would leave you as you are—it will not! Salvation will take you from where you are to where God wants you to be. It will change you! There is power in the Gospel.

Paul said that he was indebted, having experienced this wonderful deliverance. To the Romans, he put it this way: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Paul did not say, “To gain acceptance by those of other faiths, I compromise my beliefs.” To gain the acceptance of

those of another faith, we would need to compromise our beliefs. However, we know what God put in our hearts. We must be faithful to our commis-sion, which is to deliver to the next generation the same Gospel message the previous generation delivered to us.

Paul did not say, “To win the world, I became like the world,” nor would others who stood for the truth in the time of the Early Church have rec-ommended that course of action. If we were to ask John the Beloved, for example, how he would view the approach to the Gospel in 2013, he would reply with the same words

he gave in his epistles: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). God calls us out of the ways of the world. In 2 Corinthians 6:17, we are told, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye sep-arate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” We will never win those in the world by becoming like the world. We will win those in the world world by showing that the Gospel offers some-thing better than what the world can deliver.

Never OutdatedSome things are viewed as irrel-

evant because they are outdated. I bought my first car in the early 1970s, a 1969 Mustang Mach I. In that car was an 8-track tape deck. It

is irrelevant today, except to a collec-tor, along with electric typewriters, rotary phones, VCRs, encyclopedias, and countless other items. The Gospel message may be old-fashioned—it is far older than any of those items—but it is never irrelevant! In any cul-ture, in any period of time, at any season of life, the Gospel message has power to impact your life if you allow it to do so.

In the church setting, some view prayer benches as being outdated. It is considered more fashionable to stand in a circle and hold hands, rather than kneeling together at a place of prayer. However, there is power in commu-nion—not with someone whose hand you might hold, but with the God who made you. He can transform your life, and no human being can do that.

Thank God for altars of prayer. I had never seen a prayer bench when I came to this church at twenty-one years of age. I had never seen anyone on their knees in prayer. I am glad that the church leaders did not decide some-time in the early 1970s before I arrived on the scene that society was moving forward and it was time to get rid of the altars. No, when I stepped into a Gospel meeting, I heard the simplic-ity of the Gospel presented, and at the conclusion of that meeting, they said, “You can come and pray at these altars. You can experience this Gospel.”

A number of years have gone by since the day I first saw an altar of prayer, but today I would like to repeat that same message: “You can come and pray. You can experience this.” You can be impacted, not by human beings but by a relevant message, because the message is from God.

Pressured to ChangeJames, the leader of the Early

Church in Jerusalem, and the Early Church converts were pressured by Judaizers to adhere to Jewish rituals practiced in the synagogues. James’ response was, “For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day” (Acts 15:21). He was saying, “The Jews in the synagogue have a different message. We do not need to be like them. God

Paul did not want to render his message irrelevant by

implying that it would leave you as you are—it

will not!

Higher Way 5

has called us to be who we are!” Nor do we, in our day, need to be like other churches. God has called us to be who we are. We cannot be influenced by what others teach or how they wor-ship. We do not criticize their efforts or how they operate, but we are confi-dent of what God has called us to be.

Our CommissionWe have a commission. Our rel-

evance is found in fulfilling our com-mission, which is to teach that a sinner can repent and be saved, that a saved person can consecrate his life and be sanctified, and that one who is saved and sanctified and is living a pure and holy life can be filled with the Holy Ghost. That’s relevant, and it can happen today.

The Apostle Jude may have been told, “Just listen to me, and I will bring you into the next century, Jude.” We can conclude that he was address-ing a concern about apostasy because he wrote, “It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Earnest effort was necessary because pressure to change existed. And earnest effort is neces-sary in our day as well. What will take us into the next century is the same Gospel message that brought us from the last century. At whatever point we stop conveying it from century to cen-tury, we have become irrelevant.

After Timothy’s friend and mentor Paul died, he may have been told, “You know, Timothy, if you want to be rel-evant, you need to stop preaching doctrine. Doctrine divides.” Actually, doctrine unites, and Timothy knew that. He remembered Paul’s instruc-tion, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teach-ers, having itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:2-3). He resisted any pressure to adjust his doctrine to accommodate the society around him.

Doctrine is more than the seven-teen Biblical truths that are published

in the Higher Way magazine. It is all the instruction from God’s Word. It is the kind of teaching that reminds hus-bands and wives to read the Bible and pray together. It is the kind of teaching that encourages parents to show their children how to pray at home. It is the kind of teaching that instructs chil-dren to obey their parents, husbands to love their wives as their own flesh, and wives to respect their husbands.

Embrace Sound DoctrineWe live in a society that clearly has

adopted a “create-your-own-spiri-tuality” mindset. A few months ago, it fell on me to pick up one of my

grandsons at his grade-school class-room. As I was waiting outside in the hallway, I heard the children singing a song prior to dismissal. The words of that song thanked the handiwork of the Creator—the earth, sun, trees, and water—but failed to thank the One who created them. Many in our society benefit from God but fail to acknowledge Him! Creating your own spirituality is like going to one of those buffets where they have hundreds of items, and you pick and choose what you want. If you don’t like it, you don’t take it. That might work at a buffet, but it will not work for getting into Heaven. We need to embrace sound doctrine—all of the Word of God.

John the Baptist was fearless in pro-claiming the need for his hearers to repent. He may have been told, “John,

your style of preaching will never work. If you want to draw a crowd, you need to tone down your message. You cannot remind people that they are sinners!” However, when he saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to hear him, his response was, “O gen-eration of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). He kept on preach-ing the message that God had given him. His responsibility was simply to deliver the message, and he did so.

Perhaps Paul was told, “To be rel-evant, you need to avoid putting people on the spot.” However, when he appeared before King Agrippa, he said, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.” Paul knew Agrippa’s back-ground, and he reminded the king of the understanding that he had. Agrippa said, “Almost thou per-suadest me to be a Christian.” Paul responded, “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds” (Acts 26:27-29).

Notice that Paul used the words, “this day.” The Gospel demands a decision from those who have not yet experienced salvation. The decision will either be “I am going to give my heart to the Lord” or “I am not going to give my heart to the Lord.” It is as simple as that. Those who say, “I am going to do it,” will leave rejoicing. Those who say “I am not going to do it,” will leave the same way that they came, bearing a load of sin.

Universally ApplicableThe Gospel message, with its focus

on redemption, is universally and perpetually applicable to humanity. It will never be outdated, superseded, or improved upon. Cultures change, laws are modified and updated, gen-erations come and go, but the Word of God is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. Respond today, and embrace its message!

Darrel Lee is Superintendent General of the Apostolic Faith Church and pastor of the headquarters church in Portland, Oregon.

The Gospel demands a

decision from those who have

not yet experienced salvation.

6 Higher Way

God has done wonderful miracles in my life. Even though my father passed away when I was thirteen

years old, God made it possible for me to later attend a mission school that was about 320 kilometers (200 miles) from where my family lived.

At the age of twenty, while a student at that school, I became quite sick. The whole right side of my body became paralyzed. I could not feel anything nor

This Zimbabwean minister was raised to

worship ancestral spirits, but everything changed

when he encountered the God of Heaven.

By Oniyas Gumbo

Higher Way 7

move on my own. I was close to dying. The school princi-pal thought that it was pointless for me to remain at the school, so he organized a team of people to accompany me to my home area.

The night before we were to leave, a student who had come across the Light of Hope magazine [printed in Port-land, Oregon, and now called Higher Way] visited the dispensary where I was hospitalized. He gave me the mag-azine, and I read it completely. It contained testimonies of people who had experienced the power of God in their lives. They testified of being saved, sanctified, baptized by the power of the Holy Ghost, and healed of various sick-nesses. That interested me and as I read on, I started pray-ing within myself.

The next day, the teacher who was appointed to accom-pany me home came early in the morning with three students to get me from the dispensary. They carried me to the bus stop on the highway. We got there at eight o’clock, and the bus was supposed to come around ten o’clock that morning. As we were waiting there, I was lying down, praying silently. I asked God if He was there. If He was not, I wanted to die. I prayed that if He was real, He would enable me to escape Hell. I also prayed that if what I had read in the Light of Hope was true, God would heal me. I told Him that I would give the praise to Him and not to men, and serve Him for the rest of my life.

From Paralysis to PraiseWhile we waited at the bus stop, the Lord saved me and

instantly healed me. I jumped up and down, praising the Name of the Lord and saying, “Jesus has healed me! I am healed, I am healed!” I was running around, praising God and clapping my hands. The people who had brought me to the bus stop and all those around could see it. My heart was bubbling with happiness, and I was joyfully testifying to everyone that Jesus is alive. Not only had He healed my body, but He had also saved my soul.

I told those with me that even though I was healed, I was not going back to school right then. I wanted to go to Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), to the church address given in the Light of Hope magazine, so I could see the people who were preaching the Word of God in this way. On the bus ride to Bulawayo, I continued to tell the people around me that the Lord had healed me.

When I arrived at the Apostolic Faith Mission, which was the headquarters for Southern Africa at that time,

I told the leader, Reverend Morgan Sengwayo, that I was a student and had come to confirm there was such a place in Bulawayo as the Apostolic Faith. I told him what the Lord had done for me and how He had healed and forgiven me. Reverend Sengwayo rejoiced with me and invited me to stay at the mission for several days and attend services. During my first Sunday service the Lord sanctified me.

That Sunday evening I boarded the train and returned to my school. When I testified to the principal how the Lord had healed me, he was shocked. He was surprised to find me alive, joyful, and very strong. Yet, he said that he did not believe the Lord had healed me.

When I testified to the students, some of them wanted to have meetings to learn more. Many of them sought the Lord. Some of them did not attend classes, but went instead into the bush to pray. So many students were out-side praying that the instructors could not teach their lessons.

The principal called me in and warned that I should not testify or have meetings with anyone. He said that I was confusing the students. I tried to point out that if anything, I was helping. For sixty years, although this was a religious school, nothing like this had happened at that school. I reminded him that people were making restitutions to him for the wrongs they had done. I myself was telling of the evil I had been doing at the school. Yet, he continued to instruct me to tell no one.

Eventually that principal was moved from the school. When the new principal heard about our services, he allowed us to have regular meetings, and to use the school bells to call people to come. We had a wonderful time as we went around the neighboring villages testifying. One time we went to the house of a woman who was dying with cancer and had been taken home from the hospital. We prayed for her, and the Lord healed her completely.

Turned from Ancestral Spirit WorshipWhen I finished my schooling and it was time to return

home, I told my family that I was born again and a new creature in the Lord. I expressed clearly to them that I would no longer worship ancestral spirits, because now I was worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. When they wor-shipped the spirits, I told them that they must not men-tion my name. Then I told them my decision to move to Bulawayo and look for a job, saying that the Lord would provide someone to look after me until I had one.

bstacles Turned to ictory

OV

8 Higher Way

When I arrived in Bulawayo, I had no place to live, so I stayed at the railway station. When Reverend Sengwayo found out, he was very sad and invited me to come to the mission until I obtained a job. While living at the mission, the Lord baptized me with the Holy Ghost. God’s power and glory filled my soul.

The Lord helped me get a job at a bank. After some time there, great diffi-culties arose. One morning my supervi-sor said to me, “You are not fit to work in the bank,” and she told me I was supposed to give my resignation and should leave at the end of that month.

I did not tell anyone about what had transpired, but simply prayed about the matter. Before the end of that month, an inspector from the head office of the bank came to our branch. He inspected everything and reviewed everyone. At the end, he put his recommendation in a sealed envelope and gave it to the manager. In that letter, he said that I was the best person to take a position in Harare, where I would be a sub-accountant. Two days before I was supposed to leave that employment, my supervisor said to me, “You thought that I had fired you, but instead I am promoting you. You are going to be the first African to go to Harare as a sub-accountant.” In Harare, I was given a company car. However, I did not yet have a driver’s licence, so a chauf-feur drove me.

A False AccusationAfter some while, I was promoted to a management

position. One time, the owner of a large company called to falsely claim that I had shouted at him. He insisted that I be fired or he was going to close his account. I was instructed to take all the branch keys and the car to the bank’s head office. There I was told that I was being fired for shout-ing at a client. When I told them that I had never talked

to anyone in that way, we discussed the matter for a long time. Finally the bank officials said they would not fire me, but that I should report to a different department of the bank the next morning. As time passed, I was promoted to a management position in that department.

Later I went to work for the Zimbabwe Broadcast-ing Corporation, and was the first African to oversee the accounting there. The Lord allowed me to hold several executive positions during my eighteen-year stay at ZBC, ending with the top job. After leaving ZBC, the Lord gave me a prosperous business.

Obstacles Turned AroundOver and over, there have been situations that looked

to be big obstacles, yet the Lord turned them around for better things. It has always benefited me to trust the Lord. God gave me a wonderful wife and we serve Him together. We had the privilege of bringing up our five children to know God, and now we are grandparents of two lovely granddaughters.

Over time, I have had the opportunity to tell my family members about Jesus. Some of my nieces, nephews, and

cousins were the first to be saved. I kept praying, and in time, my prayers were answered when my mother was saved in 1999, at the age of 100. She was the first from my immediate family to get saved, then my two sisters and two brothers prayed and received their salvation. My mother moved from our rural home to live with my family until she was called home to Heaven at the age of 113.

My eldest brother, who is the firstborn, is now living in Harare. He and his son burned their ancestral materials after my brother was saved. He is enjoying the Gospel and regrets the time he spent refusing salvation. About forty-five of my close relatives,

including immediate family members, have answered the call to the Gospel as a result of my learning about Christ and giving my life to Him.

In recent years, it has been my privilege to see God working among His people in Southern Africa. Whether in Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, South Africa, or many other countries, the Gospel is the same. When a heart is open to the truth, God comes in and makes a change. The results show in that person’s life. It is wonderful!

There is nothing apart from Jesus Christ that I want to spend my time on. I just want to be used by Him in whatever way He sees best.

Oniyas Gumbo is the Apostolic Faith Church District Superinten-dent of Southern Africa.

About forty-five of my close relatives,

including immediate family members, have

answered the call to the Gospel.

Higher Way 9

DAY TO DAY

Several weeks ago, Lily, our three-year-old granddaughter, spent the day with us. Midway

through the morning, she announced somewhat dramatically, “Grandma, I’m starving!” I glanced at the clock and decided that a few crackers prob-ably wouldn’t spoil her lunch, so I instructed her to sit down at our kitchen table. Pulling out a package of the crackers that are her current favorite, I dumped them onto a small plate in front of her.

Lily is being homeschooled, and Grandma and Papa have been trained to utilize day-to-day events as “teachable moments.” So I pointed to the crackers on her plate and suggested that she count them before she ate. She pondered that

for a moment, then agreeably put out her pointer finger and began, “One…two…three…” I noticed that as she counted, she shoved the broken crack-ers to one side with her finger and did not include them in her numerical assessment. When I pointed to the broken pieces and asked her, “Lily,

why didn’t you count these crackers?” a perturbed crease appeared between her eyebrows. In a voice that clearly indicated her displeasure at having to state the obvious, she said, “Grandma, those crackers are broken!”

Of course, I chuckled at the time. A few days later, I was reading in the Book of James during my devotional time, and came across this verse: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4). The word “count” made me think about Lily’s refusal to count the broken crackers. I wondered: How often might we do the same thing when it comes to counting all the circumstances of life as joy? It is easy to be thankful and full of praise for the blessings God has given us. But how much harder it is to count as joy the things that make us feel sad, fearful, frustrated, discouraged, or stressed—in essence, the “broken crackers” in our lives!

Clearly, that is what we are instructed to do. Notice that

when James said, “Count it all joy…” he was not referring to the acceptable, pleasant, posi-tive aspects of our existence. He specifically stated that

what we are to consider as joy are the “divers temptations” (or trials) that come our way. Now, that’s a challenge!

ount ItC JoyAllBy Karen Barrett

A little girl’s selective counting brings tomind the Apostle James’ instruction.

10 Higher Way

Once my attention was caught by this admonition, I was curious about the circumstances of the people James was addressing in his epistle. A little background study revealed that the Apostle was not writing to individu-als whose lives were free of hardship. He was directing his admonition to persecuted Jewish believers who had been scattered among pagans and were experiencing the challenges that come to displaced persons in a hostile environment.

Since he was giving instruction, James obviously was indicating that to experience God’s abundant, overflow-ing joy involves a choice as to whether or not we will heed his advice. He was not just saying, “Be happy!” Happiness is a subjective state, but James was encouraging these persecuted Christ-followers to make a more objective judgment. “Happiness” might imply to his readers that they could expect a carefree life or a constantly cheer-ful mood. Neither of these was what James had in mind. He acknowledged the presence of extremely unhappy experiences in his readers’ lives. At the same time, and with no perception of any contradiction, James counseled them to rejoice during those very experiences of hardship. He encour-aged them to face their trials with an attitude of joy, rather than viewing them as a punishment, a curse, or an unforeseen calamity.

His message is applicable for Chris-tians today. I suppose for many of us, our initial reaction to “count it all joy” might be, “Easier said than done!” I have to confess that I’ve had thoughts along that line. Yes, we know what we are supposed to do. But how do we do it? How is it possible to count times of sadness, fear, frustration, affliction, discouragement, or stress as joy?

Perhaps the secret lies in looking at the big picture. James hinted at that when he went on to say that “the trying of your faith worketh patience.” In the original language, the phrase “trying of your faith” has the implica-tion of a test that is designed to prove

the quality of something. Since James specifically pointed to “faith” as being the target, we know that he was not giving comfort to people who were suffering as a consequence of their sins. He meant the hardships and suf-ferings that Christians encounter as they are following the Lord. In those times, we are admonished to trust our loving and sovereign God to use the trials for our spiritual good.

One positive fruit of a trial is spe-cifically mentioned: it “worketh,” or develops, our patience. Which one of us would claim we have enough of that priceless virtue? The fact is, we cannot really know how much patience we have until we are under pressure. Rough times can teach us patience. James goes on to add a further instruc-tion, “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” The Apos-tle was pointing us to a focus on the end result, rather than the pain of the moment. Being perfect and entire—spiritually mature and complete, with every spiritual faculty developed in a balanced life of holiness—is an end result we all long for, and one that is worth making the effort to obtain.

James was not alone in this teaching. His fellow apostle, Peter, wrote much the same advice to the Christians who were scattered throughout the Roman provinces of Pontus, Galatia,

Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. His instruction was, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

The German theologian Helmut Thielicke was once asked what he saw as the greatest defect among American Christians. Thielicke’s surprising reply was, “They have an inadequate view of suffering.” Like James and Peter, he was pointing out that the time of trial is not the time to rejoice less. When we are enduring sickness is not the time to pray less. When we suffer loss is not the time to love others less. Rather, those times are opportunities to practice the joy, peace, and love that are to characterize the Christian life. Not all the things that happen to us are enjoyable. But spiritual perception can reveal the will and work of God in the midst of trials, and in that we can rejoice. We can accept life’s hard spots because we know that the Lord is working in our lives and He prom-ises that good can and will come from them. He’s not done with us yet, and everything He allows has a reason!

Joy is not dependent upon circum-stances. It is something we can possess, irrespective of what happens in our lives, good or bad. Joy comes from our relationship with Jesus Christ, and the steadfast assurance that He is working in and through every event that comes our way.

We want to be “perfect and entire, wanting nothing” spiritually. So let’s accept the broken pieces along with the whole. Let’s count as James would have us count, with an understanding that trials are God’s way of helping us to a greater spiritual maturity and a deeper relationship with Him. Let’s count them all joy!

Karen Barrett is Office Manager at the Apostolic Faith Church World Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

Joy comes from our relationship

with Jesus Christ, and the steadfast assurance that

He is working in and through every event that comes

our way.

Higher Way 11

ISAIAH 40:31 SAYS, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” The phrase translated “wait upon” means to be bound together by twisting. When we are bringing a situation to God in prayer, we are not just mark-ing time until God comes through. We are not just waiting in line for Him to meet our needs. Rather, we are “twisted together” with Him; we are waiting with Him. When we bind ourselves with God, we will be renewed even while we are waiting for Him to undertake in the matter.

There are many ways this verse can encourage us. It says “they shall walk, and not faint.” That speaks of a Christian life that is consistent and steady. It doesn’t stop but keeps going at the same pace. This is only possible when a person is bound together with the Lord, and is gaining strength and endurance from that connection.

“They shall run, and not be weary.” We want to run toward holiness and righteousness. When we are bound together with God, we want what He wants. Our desire should be to apply ourselves to prayer and having the love of God at work in our lives. That will increase our consistency.

Mounting up as eagles brings to mind a picture of flying. My brother-in-law has a friend who charters a plane for people who want to get into the wildernesses of Alaska and visit places that cannot be reached by car. They fly above the hindrances to reach their destinations. When we bind ourselves together with God and wait with Him in faith, He can cause us to fly above the doubts, fears, and negative thoughts that the enemy would place in our paths. Those won’t bog us down.

We want to be connected with God so that we have faith which enables us to say there is victory ahead even if we see no sign to indicate it. Perhaps the facts do not look very positive, but we can still have confidence in God. Joshua and Caleb illustrated that. Along with ten other men, they

went to spy out the Promised Land. They saw the giants and the high-walled cities; those were the facts. But they were bound up with God enough to declare, “We are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30).

No matter what the facts are, we can believe God. We do not know how God will work, but we know that He will. We want to be bound together with Him and let our faith rest in knowing that He has a plan for victory. — Randy Baltzell

HAVE YOU EVER FELT that you’ve been put on someone’s waiting list?

The Bible tells about a rich young ruler who came to Jesus, wanting to know how to obtain eternal life. This young man had the greatest opportunity in the world: to talk to Jesus. You can’t get any better than that! Jesus quoted the commandments, and the young man said he had kept these. But Jesus knew his heart and told him that he lacked one thing—he needed to sell what he had and give to the poor. Scripture says, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful” (Matthew 19:22). He put God on a waiting list.

Years later, the Apostle Paul stood before Felix, the gov-ernor of Judaea. As Paul reasoned with him about the Gospel, Felix trembled. But he said, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25). The Spirit of God was convicting Felix, but he decided to postpone yielding.

Might we also do this? When God calls after the hearts of the unsaved, sometimes they say, “Not right now.” At times God tries to pull some trust or consecration from people, yet they may respond, “Lord, I just don’t have it now. Wait.” When the Spirit of God reasons with a per-son’s heart, he or she is experiencing God at His best. No one else can pull on the heart like God; no one else can make a difference like God. How can people possibly delay responding to Him?

Sermon ExcerptsFrom Camp Meeting 2013

No WaitingList

BoundTogether

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God never puts us on a waiting list. Jesus came to this world and suffered extremely to give the human family sal-vation. In Psalm 84, He promises not to withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. Why would anyone want to delay following Him wholeheartedly?

Several years ago I was visiting my parents in Alabama when a call came that my oldest brother had been in an accident. We rushed to the hospital, and when we walked into the emergency room, we learned that he only had a scratch. When he was released, he wanted to stop by his car, so we did. It was a mangled mess, and immediately I could see that he should not have lived. I looked at him and said, “You need to pray! Don’t you want to give God your life?” He said he did, so we went to his home and got down to pray. But after a little while, it was clear nothing was hap-pening. I leaned over and asked him, “Can’t you pray?” He said, “I’m not ready yet.” He was putting God on a waiting list! There was nothing more I could say or do.

Several years later, my brother called me and said, “I just got saved.” What great news! Thank God for His mercy to my brother, but no one has the promise that such mercy will be extended.

When God speaks to our hearts, we need to respond. We want to do what God is asking us to do. No more waiting! — Ron Gaddis

WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, we used to play a trick on tourists. Since New York City has many high rise build-ings, several of us would stand on the sidewalk and look up. Often, the people walking by would look up also, even stopping for some time though there was nothing to see.

While there is no harm in finding ourselves standing on a sidewalk looking up at nothing, what we are looking at spiritually is critical. It will determine whether we have the ability as believers to stand tall and endure the tests that come our way. We want to be looking at Jesus.

During his exile on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John wrote, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, . . . . And I turned to see the voice that spake with me” (Revelation 1:10, 12). If we could talk to John today, perhaps we would ask him, “What were you looking at? Were you looking at the stones on Patmos, or the isolation you were in? Were you focused on the hot sun that was beating on your back in the lonely prison isle of Patmos? Were you looking at your circumstances and the fact that many of your friends and contemporaries had given their lives for the faith?” Of course John would say, “No, I was not looking at any of those things.” What was John looking at? He was looking at Jesus, and what he saw astounded him.

John had walked with Jesus throughout His ministry. When Jesus died and then rose again, John saw the res-urrected Christ. Yet when John saw Jesus on the Isle of Patmos, he saw the glory of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. John said, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead” (Revelation 1:17). Jesus’ glory was so great that it brought John to his knees. Why did John need to see Jesus in this manner? When he did, he was able to do what God told him to do. He was instructed to “write these things” and he did.

All of us need to see Jesus spiritually. When we do, we will understand our need for salvation. After that, we can experience the grace of God in sanctification. Then we can seek and be filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And our experiences continue to become greater as we serve the risen Savior. If we continue looking at Jesus, He will give us the strength and power to serve Him in every aspect of our lives.

Are you looking at Jesus today? — Johnny Wyatt Jr.

IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS we read the words of Moses and Aaron as they spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

Looking atJesus

Separate fromthe World

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“The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword” (Exodus 5:3). At this time, Egypt was the seat of civilization, and idolatry was rampant. God had a plan to restore His people, and His plan had requirements, including that the Children of Israel were to leave Egypt. He wanted His people to worship Him, and to do that, a separation from Egypt was necessary.

At first Pharaoh said no, so God sent plagues upon the land, and then Pharaoh suggested a compromise. How-ever, God’s commands were specific, and He intended them to be obeyed in full.

Today, also, God requires His people to be separate from the world. The Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The “world” in this context means anything that would cause us to be alienated from the Lord. To “love not the world” necessitates being separated from anything that moves us away from God and toward the world. Separation does not mean to be taken out of society, but it means to be kept away from the evil about us.

The devil tries to suggest compromise, but to do that means there must be some concession. Compromise involves partial surrender of principles. That might be all right in business or in politics, but in following God’s instructions, compromise is not acceptable.

The life of a Christian who is separate from the world will be noticed by others. Before he was saved, one of our church brothers in the Philippines was fond of “collect-ing” chips from a casino. He made them into a souvenir keychain. After he was saved, he learned about the doc-trine of restitution and God showed him that he must make that right. He returned all the chips to the casino and said, “I am willing to suffer the consequences for what I have done; I am sorry and am giving all these chips back to you.” The manager asked our brother if he was a Chris-tian, and our brother replied yes. The manager said, “I have never seen a Christian like you!” Our brother had a distinguishable character; he was separate from others.

If we want to be separated from the world, we need to stay close to Jesus. We want to be like Him—holy, harm-less, and undefiled. God wants us to be separate, to have a distinguishing kind of faith. He will help us and strengthen us to live in that way if we will let Him. He will give us peace and victory. — Joey Ruiz

COURT SYSTEMS around the world have officials who serve as bailiffs, sheriffs, marshals, and judges. When an individual is required to appear before a judge, someone is deputized to give that person official documents which include the date, time, and place of the necessary appear-ance. When the deputy presents the papers, he says, “You are served.” Whether that individual reads the summons or not, whether he obeys or not, under law that person is required to appear before the judge at the appointed time and place.

The Psalmist said, “When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:2). He was not talking about coming before an earthly judge. He was speaking of the heavenly Judge, the Eternal Supreme God.

Appearing before God is a revealing experience because He knows all about us. Nothing is hidden from Him. People who trust in the god of money, religious rituals, or their positions and authority will find those things are not enough. Those who trust in education, or their possessions will find themselves lacking. We cannot appear before God in our own strength. We must come in lowliness of mind, in humility of spirit, and with a heart that is willing to yield everything to Him. We need to be repentant, recognizing that we desperately need a Savior.

When are we called to come before God? The Bible tells us clearly that God’s appointment book has one time and date on it—now. Every appointment with God is for this moment. Scripture repeatedly states that now is the time; now is the day; now is the time for salvation.

Does God want us to come before Him? He certainly does! Today is our opportunity to come and appear before Him. You can come just as you are. He will heal your broken soul. He will cleanse your heart and make it new. The time to let Him do this is now. You will never be sorry! — Michael Anthony

An Appointmentwith God

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AS A CHILD, I had problems. The major problem was that I did not have retentive memory; I wasn’t able to recall things. I really thank God that He answers prayer. My mother took me to church, and after the sermon, she knelt in the pews. Crying, she said, “God, this is my only son, please deliver him.” As the tears flowed down her cheeks, God touched me. I felt something inside, and that was the start of my deliverance.

When I got back to school, I began excelling. I exceeded expectations and it seemed the school wasn’t up to my level, so I was moved. I went from one school to another. God’s hand was in it. He gave me the privilege to attend the best school in the state. The more I went to school, the more I exceeded expectations.

That was not the salvation of my soul; it was just one step toward my sal-vation. One day the head of the school told me, “You are going to represent the school [in an exam] and receive awards.” I became so proud; I thought I was indispensable. God knows how to corner one up, though. I failed the exam woefully. I was disappointed and my school was disappointed. I thank God that my teacher was a member of the Apostolic Faith Church. He told me, “You need to pray.” That was on a Friday. I went to church on Sunday, and the lesson was about Nebuchad-nezzar. I felt like I was Nebuchadnez-zar in my pride. Jesus Christ talked to me through the lesson. He gave me godly sorrow, and when I repented, He saved my soul. To God be the glory! — Arinze Nwachukwu (Houston, Texas)

IN 1956, WHEN I was just a little boy, the Lord came into my heart and saved me. I attended a revival meeting and the minister preached from Revela-tion 20:11-12, “And I saw a great white

throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God...” I’ll never forget that night as I sat in the church and he quoted that Scrip-ture. I saw myself standing before God on the Judgment Day without a Savior.

At the end of the service, I ran to the altar, but I didn’t know what to say, so I just knelt. The Lord didn’t save me right then. I went home and said to Mother, “I want to be saved.” She said to me, “We will go back to church tomorrow; they are having a prayer meeting.” I went back, and when I got to the altar, I began to cry out, “Save me, Jesus! Save me, Jesus!” The old minister came and laid his hand upon my head, and it seemed like Heaven opened up—glory to God! A warmth came into my heart, and when I left the church, I felt as if I was walking on air. The grass seemed greener and the sun seemed brighter. It was because God had saved me. He also sanctified me and filled me with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Now I’m on my way to Heaven! — John Wyatt Sr. (The Bronx, New York)

I AM CERTAINLY GRATEFUL for what the Lord has done for me. As a child, I went to a church and was taught about Jesus, that He died for me and He loved me. I thought He was great and tried to honor Him in my life, but I was trying to do it on my own, and that doesn’t work.

I’m so thankful that my brother started attending the Apostolic Faith Church and was saved. Through him, the Lord talked to me. I knew it was the Lord because I had known Him as a child. He wanted me to get saved and He was telling me that I had sinned, and I couldn’t argue with that. He gave

me conviction, and I felt miserable enough to get on my knees and apolo-gize, and agree to live a different life. I was twenty-four, and my life changed so much. There were a lot of adjust-ments, so many that the people who know me now can’t imagine me not being saved. That’s the Lord!

I have a wonderful Christian hus-band and three beautiful children, one of whom is already in Heaven. My son just turned eleven, and it was eleven years ago on a Tuesday night that I was in a pretty serious condition with my pregnancy and the doctor said, “You need to have this baby.” I was by myself and scared, not anticipating that I would have a baby that night, but the Lord said, “You’re not alone. I am right here.” I could feel Him next to me and I knew that everything was going to be okay.

I am so thankful that time and time again in my life, through sick-ness, through grief, through joy, God is there, and I wouldn’t want to live a second without Him. — Maria Green (Portland, Oregon)

MY TESTIMONY is that I was raised in a Christian home and asked Jesus into my heart when I was four years old. Now I am forty-four, and with every year that passes, I am more amazed that God could speak to someone that young. He did, though. He called me in a very personal way, and I responded all alone. Nobody said anything to me; the Lord called me, and I went to the altar by myself. I am thankful I answered that call.

Just a few years later, as my under-standing grew, the Lord showed me that I needed to be sanctified. Again, I was so young. I look back now and am amazed that God would call a child, but truly, the Gospel is simple enough that even a young child can receive it.

EVIDENCE

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PERSONAL TESTIMONIES OF THE POWER OF GOD

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?Acknowledge “For all have

sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

Confess “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Repent “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all like-wise perish” (Luke 13:3). “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).

Forsake “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him . . . for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).

Believe “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begot-ten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

If you are a new Christian, write us and request the tract entitled, “Start-ing Out.”

www.apostolicfaith.org

The Lord sanctified me at home while I prayed with my mother, and a few years later, He filled me with the bap-tism of the Holy Ghost.

I am thankful that God has been faithful all through my life. He taught me to fix my eyes on Him. He has been the answer to every problem. He has done miracles in our home. When the doctor said our daughter would die, we asked the family of God to pray, and the Lord wonderfully and miracu-lously healed her. I want to give back to God everything He has given me. — Rosie Lambert (Woodlake, California)

I WANT TO PRAISE GOD for ever saving me. I was not raised in this church and I didn’t know Jesus as my personal Savior, but I was taught about church and that I should go. One day, as I watched my mother leave this earth, I thought, Why me? If there is a Jesus, why isn’t He here now? But I knew she had given her life to Christ.

I wanted to know if there was a real Jesus, so I began to search the Scrip-tures. Then my husband gave his life to Christ, and he was so happy while I kept steadily searching. I thought, This man is too happy. What is he so happy about? Everything!

I began to go to church in Los Ange-les and I felt the love of the people there; they were so patient with me, and I had many questions. The love of the saints and the Spirit of the Lord began to draw me, and one day God answered my questions. I got saved, and I knew it. No one had to tell me, I knew what I had. Then the saints said, “There is more; you can get sanc-tified.” I thought, What is this? Now I will have to do more research. God began to show me sanctification, and I received it. The saints were still patient with me as the Lord showed me other things. Then they said, “There is

something called the Holy Spirit.” I said, “Well, what is that? I need to look at that.” God showed me the baptism also, and one day while riding in a car, I received it. That’s been a long time ago, but from then until now the Lord has kept me. He has been good to me, and I want to give Him all the praise, honor, and glory. — Vanessa Gaddis (Richmond, Virginia)

RAISED IN THE Apostolic Faith Church, I have beautiful memo-ries from when I was a boy. Though our church was little and of a small number, there was a sweet, sweet spirit in that place. My dad was very strict, and he would say, “You boys behave. Sit and fold your hands, and don’t turn around during the service,” so we concentrated on what was happening. We knew the people there loved the Lord, and we recognized that God’s Spirit moved among them.

I became a Christian and had a wonderful experience with the Lord when I graduated from high school, but I am sad to say that I turned away from my commitment to Him. The

Lord didn’t forget me, though. At the age of twenty-two, as a married man, the Lord dealt with my heart, sending Holy Ghost conviction.

The devil had been trying to destroy me, both body and soul. Crohn’s dis-ease had taken hold of me. The enemy had been telling me there was no hope for me, but I knew the Lord was deal-ing with my heart.

One Easter Sunday, I made my way to an altar of prayer. The devil told me, “If you get saved now, it’s cow-ardly.” God is so good. He not only saved me, but one night while I was seeking sanctification, He reached down and wonderfully healed my body. I left the church rejoicing! I was a lumberjack in the woods, and before God healed me, I didn’t have a lot of strength. The Lord gave me new physical strength and also spiritual strength. He has saved, sanctified, and baptized me.

This camp meeting my wife and I put in an urgent unspoken request. Yesterday we received the beauti-ful news that God had answered that prayer. It is a miracle! I give all the praise and thanks to the Lord. — Kirk Hewlett (Langley, B.C., Canada)

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My parents separated early in their marriage, when my sister, Karin, and I were

young. Mother was soon hospitalized with tuberculosis, perhaps in part as a consequence of stress and a broken heart. Because of this, my father placed Karin and me with different foster families over several years.

It was while we lived with Mr. and Mrs. Crow that God sent Pete Hiebert to our door to invite us to Sunday school at the Apostolic Faith Church in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. We accepted and began attending regularly. At church, I listened to the Word of God given in the lessons and preaching. It was clear that the people there loved us with a sacrificial love. I learned that God loved me and that Jesus died for my sin, and that He was

preparing a home in Heaven for those who serve Him. I could tell that God had done something in the lives of the people at church, and I wanted what they had. One day at the age of nine, I went forward and prayed. I wondered, Is God real? Could He possibly be real? Right then God dropped faith into my heart. I asked Him to forgive me, and He washed my sins away.

Even though I was only a third-grade girl, God changed me that night. The Crows could see the dif-ference. I told them, “My friend sure is easier to get along with these days,” and they said, “It’s not her; it is you. God made a change in you when He saved you.” God also put a song in my heart. After I was saved, I would walk to school singing praises to God. An elderly neighbor lady stopped me once

Foster care, abuse, and her mother’s

serious illness were all part of this

young girl’s childhood, but God drew her

to Himself.

ALongingHeartSatisfied

By Marie Garrison

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and inquired, “Are you a Christian?” I replied, “How did you know?” That song of praise has never left me.

Two years later, my sister and I were reunited with our mother. Mom told us, after we were grown, that she felt convicted when she heard us singing, “Everybody ought to go to Sunday school,” and praying, “Lord, make the people who should go to church, go to church.” She asked where we would like to attend church and we replied, “The Apostolic Faith.” Soon after, Mother was saved. After that, she faithfully read the Bible, prayed with us, and set an example of godly living.

Mom worked as a waitress or kitchen helper in a nursing home. At times she wasn’t well enough to work, but God provided. Once when we were without food, Mom said, “Let’s get down and pray; we have nothing to eat.” We prayed and a short time later, someone delivered a box of food to the front door. Mom told us that when she started tithing, God stretched her money. I knew He did because Mom’s attitude of trust instead of worry con-firmed her statement.

God not only saved Mom, but He sanctified and baptized her with the Holy Ghost. He gave her peace, joy, and a forgiving heart. She never said anything critical about our father. I knew that if he would have supported us financially, as the court had man-dated, my mother’s life would have been significantly easier. However, I later learned that he had threatened her life if she tried to force him to pay. Mom told me that God had helped her to forgive Dad. She didn’t ever, to my knowledge, ask anyone but God for help. We were poor, but happy.

Growing up, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to please God. Early on I realized with awe that the God who created the universe loved me. I felt compelled to give Him the rest of my life. I learned in church that Satan was the enemy of God and a hard taskmaster. I had also person-ally experienced the heartache that sin brings; I was abandoned by my natu-ral father and abused by a foster father who was an alcoholic. At church, however, I met men and women who could be trusted. There, I was neither

exploited nor used. It seemed an easy choice—love the God who loved me or be a slave to the enemy of my soul. I knew I wanted to continue serving the Lord.

The first time our family attended camp meeting in Portland, Oregon, I was twelve years old. Steve Cherwick brought us, and on the way he said, “We are not going to camp meeting to see the beautiful camp grounds, or eat good food, or make new friends, or hear inspiring preaching—although you will experience those things. We are going to seek God.” His words

were meaningful to me then and now. During camp meeting when I was eighteen years old, God called me to a deeper walk than ever before. He reminded me that I had been mean to my sister, and I repented. I rededicated my life and sought God for sanctifi-cation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and God gave me those experi-ences as I prayed.

The damaging actions of my father and the abusive foster father had caused me to fear men. However, through my teen years I prayed that if it was God’s will for me to marry, He would lead me to a godly man. In His time, God did just that. At the camp meeting when I was nineteen, a young man named Chuck Garrison and I became friends among a group of young people who were hungry for God. Chuck received the baptism of the Holy Ghost that year, and I was impressed with his dedication to the

Lord. I moved to Portland that fall to finish my last year of high school and complete a one-year course in nursing. Chuck and I took time to pray and get better acquainted. We continued to spend time together, and I learned through his actions and words that he could be trusted to treat me with respect.

Chuck and I married on Decem-ber 30, 1961. I joined him as he completed the last six months of his stint in the Army in Elisabeth Town, Kentucky. We didn’t know where we would go when he was discharged, but we trusted God to lead us. We ended up in Seattle, Washington; half way between our hometowns of Port-land, Oregon, and Vancouver, B.C. We were privileged to rear our four children under the shelter and pro-tection of God and our loving Seattle church family. Chuck passed away almost fifteen years ago, but I thank the Lord that He gave me thirty-seven years with a good man. We served God together all of those years.

Six years ago, I was diagnosed with oral cancer and was told that if I had surgery and the cancer had not yet spread, I would have a 50/50 chance of survival. I prayed and so did others. After surgery, it was discovered that the cancer had already spread to sev-eral lymph nodes, so I continued treatment with radiation and chemo-therapy. I told God that I would like to live if that was His will; but live or die, I would praise Him. The doctor told me that if I was cancer free five years after the operation, it would be very unlikely that the cancer would return. Praise God, I am still cancer free.

Through the years, the Lord has been a Father and later a Husband to me. He’s been my Savior, my Lord, my Healer, and my best Friend. He is with me in joy and in sorrow. He has given me so many blessings, and every day I have His peace and contentment. When God changed my heart, He gave me something that has satisfied my every longing, and knowing Him is the treasure that I seek.

Marie Garrison is a minister of the Apostolic Faith Church in Seattle, Washington.

The Lord has been a Father and later a Husband

to me. He’s been my Savior, my

Lord, my Healer, and my best

Friend.

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me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:20-23).

In praying “for them also which shall believe on me through their word,” Jesus was looking ahead to the Church of 2013. He was praying for us—that we might be one with our fellow believers

and with Him. He knew the necessity of oneness between His followers if the Church was to fulfill its mission on this earth.

What is unity? The dictionary defines it as “complete agreement among persons regarding attitudes, opinions, and intentions.” As an illustration of unity, consider a

While Jesus was in the Upper Room with His disciples, just hours before His Crucifixion, He prayed

this beautiful prayer: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent

UNITYIn The Church

Principles for cultivating oneness among believers.

From a sermon byBob Bishop

© mstay | iStockphoto.com

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symphony orchestra. The orchestra makes beautiful music when the instruments are in tune, the musicians are at the same place in the piece, and everyone is following the con-ductor. All of these components must be in place! In the Church, the members share a common purpose, do what is necessary to promote unity, and have a commitment to the same goal—to follow Christ’s instructions so that the Gospel can go forward.

Why do we need unity?Why do we need unity in the Church? In our text,

Jesus gave the reason: “. . . that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (verse 21). Oneness among Christ’s followers will indicate to the world that He was sent from God himself to be the Savior. Verse 23 repeats the same thought: “... that the world may know that thou hast sent me.” To know someone indicates a rela-tionship. Jesus wanted the world to have confidence in Him and trust Him for salvation. This is the goal of the Church—to be a witness for Christ so that others may come to know Him.

There is spiritual power in one-ness, and we want power in the Church. Unity is necessary for revival to occur. We read in Acts 2 that when the Day of Pentecost came, the disciples were “with one accord in one place.” That means they were in unity! They all had the same purpose, the same desire. They were headed in the same direction spiritually. And when they were in one accord, they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. That was revival! Then Peter preached a sermon and three thousand souls were converted.

The Word of God helps us understand what prevents unity and what promotes it. Perhaps the biggest hindrance to unity is a lack of prayer—prayer in our individual lives and corporate prayer in the church body. Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). When we fail to pray regularly, consistency is lacking in our Christian lives. If we continue to neglect prayer, our lives will not back up what we claim to be, and our witness will be gone.

A lack of prayer may result in strife and discord. The Old Testament prophet Amos asked the thought-provoking question, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The writer of Proverbs lists seven things that God hates, and concludes the list with “he that soweth dis-cord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:19). The word discord means “strong disagreement; not getting along.” We do not want discord to exist in the Church.

Careless words can damage unity. The Apostle James said that although the tongue is only a small member of the physical body, “how great a matter a little fire

kindleth!” (James 3:5). A small instrument can wield great destruction. A few words spoken in haste can destroy rela-tionships that took years to build. Thoughtless comments can destroy unity between brothers and sisters in the Lord very quickly. How careful we must be that our communi-cation with others—both verbal and electronic—is truth-ful and kind.

Discord can also come into the church through resis-tance to church authorities and the order that God’s Word prescribes. In Hebrews 13:17 we read, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is

unprofitable for you.” Order is nec-essary for the welfare of the church, and believers are instructed to yield to those who are set over them by the Lord. In turn, those leaders give an account of themselves to God. This Biblical mandate is timeless. If we want unity in the church, we are charged to submit ourselves to the order God has put in place.

What promotes unity?We have looked at some behav-

iors that destroy unity; now let’s consider what promotes unity. In Philippians 1:27, the Apostle Paul instructed the church at Philippi to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Notice that Paul said

“striving together,” not “coasting together.” Unity takes effort! The Apostle was encouraging these believers to do whatever they could to remain steadfast and in spiritual oneness with one another so the Gospel could go forward.

In the next chapter, he repeats the challenge, telling them to “be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:2-3). After Paul challenges the Philippians to be of one mind, he goes fur-ther, exhorting them to respect one another, and to think of others as better than themselves. Selflessness promotes unity in the church.

Paul penned a similar message to the church at Ephe-sus, writing, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffer-ing, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring [work-ing hard] to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” How important it is to be humble, long-suffering, and forbearing of one another! Paul was saying, “Don’t be easily offended. Work hard to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Peace is the “glue” that holds us together. When we live at peace with one another, our hearts are united.

The Apostle was encouraging these

believers to do whatever they could to remain steadfast and in spiritual oneness with one another

so the Gospel could go forward.

20 Higher Way

Differences of perspective are inevitable, because God made us individuals. Living in harmony does not mean we will agree on everything; there will be many opinions, just as there are many notes in a musical chord. At times reconciliation will be needed. The dictionary says reconcili-ation is “to call back into union and friendship the affec-tions which have been harmed; to restore to favor.” Have you had a disagreement with someone else? Go to that person and seek reconciliation! Do all you can to restore the relationship. That will promote unity.

My wife is a supervisor at a clinic for one of the hospi-tals in Yakima. They have a company-wide policy of “no triangulation.” In other words, if an employee has something against a co-worker, he does not go to the supervisor. Rather, he goes directly to that co-worker and straightens it out. A “no tri-angulation” policy is good for the church as well. If you have a disagreement with your brother or sister, do not run to the pastor. Do not go to someone else and say, “Oh, pray for so and so, because he did this to me.” We read in Matthew 5:23-24, “There-fore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” It takes purpose and determination to maintain unity, and reconcilia-tion is a part of that.

Pray for one anotherOne of the most impor-

tant things we can do to main-tain oneness is to pray one for another. Have you ever seen a person get up after a good prayer meeting and seek conflict? It does not happen! It is hard to hold something against your brother or sister if you are praying for that one. In James 5:16, we are admon-ished, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another.” Prayer is a powerful resource when it comes to preserving oneness in the Body of Christ.

While we must do our part to promote unity in the church, it is important to realize that we cannot achieve oneness with God and with each other in our own strength. We must be saved and sanctified in order for true unity to exist.

In His prayer, Jesus prayed that He might be in us, and that occurs through salvation. We come to Christ with a repentant heart, confessing that we have sinned against Him, and by faith accepting the provision that He made at Calvary for our sins. The Spirit of God witnesses that

we have been forgiven, and we have peace, knowing that Christ has come to abide in us.

After receiving salvation, we must seek to be sancti-fied. In John 17:17, Jesus prayed for His followers, saying, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” In verse 19 He said, “For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified.” God wants a pure Church, a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. That is the goal! Jesus prayed for our sanctification, that we might be holy and separate from the world, and one with Him and each other. Saved and sanctified individuals enjoy that kind of unity, and it comes in no other way.

The results of unityPsalm 133 describes the results

of unity: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

The Psalmist compared unity to the holy anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head when he was anointed as the first high priest of Israel (see Exodus 29:7). That precious oil which had been blended together with spices that were fragrant. And the Psalm-ist says that just as that precious ointment covered Aaron from the top of his head to his feet, unity should cover us. When that is the case, the result will be attractive—it will have a pleas-

ant “fragrance” to the world. But even more importantly, God will be pleased, and will command the blessing of life evermore.

When we live in unity, we will win spiritual battles, because the Spirit of God will be able to flow in an unob-structed manner. There will be success in prayer because there is nothing to hinder. We will be able to pray with confidence toward God, knowing that there is nothing between us and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can get down and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth with pure hearts.

Do you want God’s blessing upon your life and upon the Church? Make sure you are one with God and with His people!

Bob Bishop is pastor of the Apostolic Faith Church in Yakima, Washington.

Jesus prayed for our sanctification, that

we might be holy and separate from the world, and one with Him and each other. Saved and sanctified individuals

enjoy that kind of unity.

Higher Way 21

Highlighting Our Heritage

This woman searched for

something that would satisfy her desire for God.

Step by step the Lord led her to learn about the

Gospel.

By Audrey Hinkle

Before I reached my teens, my mother made it clear to me for the first time that if I would live

right and obey the Bible, I would go to Heaven. If not, I would go to Hell for all eternity. I remember so well how I purposed in my heart, right then, that if there was a choice, I would go to Heaven. Sadly, it was many years before anyone told me the way to make Heaven my home.

At sixteen, I moved to Medford, Oregon, and rented a room in a lady’s home. Then I went to work in a café. During that time, such a hunger came into my heart to know more of God. With my first paycheck, I bought a Bible and each night read it faith-fully and prayed with the little under-standing God gave me. Somewhere I had heard that Jesus would return to earth, and I felt that it would surely be soon. One night, as I prayed, a won-derful feeling came into my heart. The next day, I had such a love for my fellowman and faith that if I died I would go to Heaven. However, there was no one to teach me. Without guidance or the knowledge of how to keep this wonderful feeling, it wasn’t long before I lost it.

I continued to read my Bible, and called myself a Christian because I still wanted to please God. When I was eighteen, I read in the Bible that a woman should have long hair, so I began to watch those around me, looking for someone with long hair who lived for God. I knew one woman who had long wavy hair, but it seemed that she was vain. Another was very worldly. I decided it must be impossi-ble to do everything that I read about in God’s Word, so I gave up on obey-ing the Bible.

Many years passed, and the day came when discouragement took control. I was married and living in Ruch, Oregon. I had four young chil-dren, and my husband had begun to drink heavily. Things seemed so hopeless that I could see no reason for living, and even thought about sui-cide, though my mother had always said that was a coward’s way out. One day while reading my Bible, I saw so clearly how I was failing God. I cried out to God from the depths of my heart, “Help me to get to know Jesus like I should know Him.”

God answered that prayer. Only a short time later, a lady invited me to

Forgiveness at Last

22 Higher Way

Such joy came into my heart! I could hardly sleep that night as I rejoiced

over the glorious gift He had given to me.

some Gospel meetings that the Apos-tolic Faith was scheduled to hold in an old store building in front of the house we lived in. I did not see how I could go, but she suggested I ask my hus-band to keep the children. He did not usually do that. However, he agreed, and that night I went to the service. Oh, the wonderful things I heard! The music was beautiful; I enjoyed the singing of the old hymns. I went to a couple more meetings and the testi-monies began to catch my attention. Through them I began to understand that God worked in the lives of indi-viduals, answering prayer directly.

After hearing one woman tell of her mother being healed of cancer, I put God to the test. For many years, I had suffered with severe headaches. They had started when I was fourteen and was thrown from a car and dragged quite a ways with my head in the gravel. No amount of aspirin would deaden those headaches. The next time I felt one coming on, I prayed. Then I put it out of my mind, for I knew if I continued to think about it, I would lose faith. Sometime later, I realized the headache had not gotten bad, and to this day, they have never returned.

As the meetings progressed, I learned that if I repented of the sin and wrongdoing in my life, Jesus would come in and forgive those things and put within me the power to do what the Bible said. This was what my heart had longed for since I was just a child.

I did not yield to God’s call right away. I was afraid of what my hus-band and others might say. One night I decided I would not go to church because I felt the neighbors were watching and they knew I was going every night. Then one of them stopped by on her way and told me I had no excuse to stay home because I lived so close. I was glad, because I wanted to go so badly.

By the time the final service was held in that building, I knew that I needed an experience of salvation in order to be a Christian. The preacher asked for those who wanted prayer to raise their hands so that others could pray for them. A friend of mine had come with me, and I knew that if I raised my

hand, she would tell our husbands as well as other friends. I thought they would laugh and make fun of me, and I would be alone. I did not have the courage to raise my hand, but sud-denly, I could not breathe. As the min-ister continued to ask for people to raise their hands, I could hear nothing. I felt that if I did not raise my hand, I would need to run outside for air. At last I lifted my hand, but when they asked me to stay and pray, I said, “No!” When we returned home, my friend did tell everyone about it, and they made their remarks, but I just wished I had followed through and prayed.

A short time later, I began attending the Apostolic Faith Church in Med-ford, Oregon, about thirty miles from my house. As I sat in the meetings, God showed me my sins and the con-viction grew even heavier. Before long, I was praying a great deal of the time. God blessed me many times in private prayer as I went about my chores, but somehow I could not believe that He would forgive me. As a result, I prayed for over a year before my faith reached out and claimed the promise of salva-tion.

On May 3, 1953, Brother Clarence Frost preached about the Crucifixion. I felt I was guilty and so I repented. Knowing that God had blessed me many times, my faith took hold, and I received His witness of real salva-tion. Such joy came into my heart! I could hardly sleep that night as I rejoiced over the glorious gift He had given to me. There was always some-thing missing until that night when Jesus became my Savior and I became His disciple. Later God sanctified and baptized me.

God gave me thirteen children, and in the raising of them, He gave me strength. Sometimes we needed miracles in our lives to keep on going. One time while I was cutting wood, I sent my oldest son into the house to move a pan on the woodstove. I forgot there was another pan at the front of the stovetop filled with hot grease to fry bread in. He moved the wrong pan and splashed hot grease all over the front of himself. He was not wear-ing a shirt, and came out of the house screaming. I got on my knees and

Higher Way 23

You may obtain additional information about these doctrines, and learn about our publications in foreign languages by writing to the Apostolic Faith Church at 6615 SE 52nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97206, U.S.A. or visiting our website at www.apostolicfaith.org.

Before these magazines are sent out, they are always prayed over for the healing of the sick and the salvation of souls.

A Statement of Bible Doctrine

The Divine Trinity consists of three Persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost, perfectly united as one. Matthew 3:16-17; 1 John 5:7.

Repentance is a godly sorrow for and a renouncing of all sin. Isaiah 55:7; Matthew 4:17.

Justification (salvation) is the act of God’s grace through which we receive forgiveness for sins and stand before God as though we had never sinned. Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Entire Sanctification, the act of God’s grace whereby we are made holy, is the second definite work and is subsequent to justi-fication. John 17:15-21; Hebrews 13:12.

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the enduement of power upon the sanctified life, and is evidenced by speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. John 14:16-17,26; Acts 1:5-8; 2:1-4.

Divine Healing of sickness is provided through the atonement. James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:24.

The Second Coming of Jesus will consist of two appearances. First, He will come to catch away His waiting Bride. Matthew 24:40-44; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Second, He will come to execute judgment upon the ungodly. 2 Thes salonians 1:7-10; Jude 14-15.

The Tribulation will occur between Christ’s coming for His Bride and His return in judg-ment. Isaiah 26:20-21; Revelation 9 and 16.

Christ’s Millennial Reign will be the 1000 years of peaceful reign by Jesus on earth. Isaiah 11 and 35; Revelation 20:1-6.

The Great White Throne Judgment will be the final judg-ment when all the wicked dead will stand before God. Revelation 20:11-15.

The New Heaven and The New Earth will replace the pres-ent heaven and earth, which will be destroyed after the Great White Throne Judgment. 2 Peter 3:12-13; Revelation 21:1-3.

Eternal Heaven and Eternal Hell are literal places of final and eternal destiny. Matthew 25:41-46; Luke 16:22-28.

Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman that is binding before God for life. Neither person has a right to marry again while the first companion lives. Mark 10:6-12; Romans 7:1-3.

Restitution is necessary, where- in wrongs against others are righted. Ezekiel 33:15; Matthew 5:23-24.

Water Baptism is by one immersion “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matthew 3:16; 28:19.

The Lord’s Supper is an insti-tution ordained by Jesus so that we might remember His death until He returns. Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

Foot Washing is practiced according to the example and commandment Jesus gave. John 13:14-15.

We believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible, and endorse all the teachings contained in it. Following is a summary of our basic doctrines.

started praying, and in a few seconds he stopped screaming. On Sunday, he didn’t want to go to church because he had spots all over his face, neck, and chest. We prayed and God removed the spots that showed above his shirt collar.

Another time, five of the children came down with whooping cough. While my eight-month-old baby was coughing, she stopped breathing completely. For some time, I worked to revive her, but couldn’t. I sent one of the children outside for my hus-band and he tried to revive her also. She turned blue, and it seemed she was gone. I cried out to God, pray-ing desperately, and she just started breathing naturally again. I feel God gave her back to us that day.

One summer, a forest fire started near our house. It came closer and closer until the firemen came and told us to evacuate. The children prayed that God would spare our home. The fire came down the hill and stopped across the narrow road from our house. Later, the firemen told us that live embers had fallen on our house. Though it was summer, and the house was old, none of the embers caused a fire.

When I needed shoes for two of the children and did not have the money, I put what I had in the tithe box, and the next time I went to church, there was a bag with my name on it. Inside were two pairs of shoes, just the right size.

One Thanksgiving, we had noth-ing special for our meal, and a couple showed up with a complete Thanks-giving dinner. So many more prayers have been answered that it would be impossible to list them all.

My heart is full when I think of how God has blessed me. He has provided for every need, and there have been joys without number.

Audrey Hinkle was born on October 21, 1926 in Berry, Arizona, but spent most of her life in Medford, Oregon. She was a prayer warrior who had a tre-mendous burden for lost souls. She took every opportunity to tell what God had done for her, and brought many into the Gospel. The Lord called her home on February 14, 1998.

Are you interested in knowing more about what is going on in Apostolic Faith churches around the world? Go to the

Pastor’s Journal on our website at apostolicfaith.org. The accounts posted there will help keep you informed about current events and answers to prayer within our organization. Check back frequently to access reports related to the latest missionary trips, news from pastors around the world, details about international camp meetings, and other news items.

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