1 Timothy 3:15, "...that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
Acts 8:26-29, “(26) And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. (27) And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, (28) Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. (29) Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”
Apostolic Life Cathedral | Sept. 22, 2024 | 10:00 AM
Text: John 13:33-35
(33) Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
(34) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
(35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
God prepares you for what you will face in life by teaching you how to serve others with Love & Humility.
The disciples crowded through the door into the large upper room, eager to eat the Passover supper with Jesus.
Peter and John had arrived early to make everything ready, and the room was filled with the scent of roasted lamb, fresh-baked unleavened bread, vegetables, and vinegar. No one had eaten since noon, and now it was late evening. Everyone was hungry.
They all hurried to take their places, reclining on mats and cushions around a low table. No doubt many of them tried to sit as close to Jesus as possible. John had taken advantage of his role as organizer of the meal to ensure he was right next to Jesus.
Judas sat on the other side of Jesus. Both sat in places of honor…
However, No one made use of the large ceremonial jars full of water and the towels by the door they had just entered. Their feet were soiled with the dust, debris, and filth from the roads and streets they just walked.
There was no servant present and not one of the disciples was willing or thoughtful enough to take on that lowly role and wash the other’s feet.
When they had all gathered, Jesus said, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15–16).
Jesus broke the bread and passed it around the table, telling them this bread was His body, which was broken for them. He passed around the cup of wine, saying, “This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19–20).
The moment was solemn and holy.
Yet a low, muttered argument started up among the disciples. Perhaps those relegated to the far end of the table were casting envious glances at John, Judas and the others who had positioned themselves closest to Jesus.
The old argument was flaring up again…
Somehow, despite following the humble Jesus, there developed a debate and a point of contention among the disciples. In their pride they began to argue among themselves:
“And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest” (Luke 22:24).
Jesus took one last opportunity and turned it into a teachable moment.
At other times, Jesus had stopped them and taught them the greatest of them should be the servant of all, but His words had not reached them.
Jesus decided to send a much stronger message and without whispering a word, Jesus rose from supper, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured a basin full of water, and approached the table. He knelt at the feet of the first disciple, placed his foot into the basin, washed it clean, and then dried it with the towel around His waist.
A hush settled over the room.
Embarrassment. Confusion. Conviction.
Jesus was preaching a message more powerful than any other—one that would change the disciples’ lives forever. Actions speak louder than words.
Jesus Served His Disciples Because He Loved Them
Jesus loved His disciples enough to humble Himself and wash their feet. Jesus did not just tell His disciples He loved them; love moved Him to action.
Many people are happy to be served, but few are happy to serve.
Do you want to know if you have a heart for others?
How do you respond when you are asked to serve others?
In Jesus’ day, the lowliest servant or slave was expected to wash feet. That task was dirty and demeaning, yet Jesus willingly served because it was needed.
He saw a need and loved His disciples enough to meet that need.
Jesus loved His disciples enough to give them a powerful object lesson.
He knows that infighting will tear His church apart.
You will not be who Jesus called you to be as long as you are wrapped up in petty positional politics.
The church has no time to be weighed down with popularity contests and posturing.
Jesus loves you too much to let that be your future.
He loved His disciples too much to see them distracted by such selfish ambitions. So, He lovingly humbled Himself and intervened.
This was no surprise; Jesus had already shown humility and was about to example it even further:
Philippians 2:7–8, He “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus loved His disciples enough to wash their feet, and He loved you enough to die on the cross for you.
Jesus Corrected Peter’s Objections
All the other disciples seem to have submitted without protest, but when Jesus reached Simon Peter, Simon Peter asked in disbelief, “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” (John 13:6).
The use of the honorific “Lord” is noteworthy here. Clearly, Peter was focused on the disconnect between Jesus’ status as his Lord and Jesus’ humble actions of a servant. Peter could not understand what was happening. In his typical brash way, Peter protested, “Thou shalt never wash my feet” (John 13:8).
Why do you think Peter refused to let Jesus wash his feet?
Peter probably had been thinking he was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God. Maybe he had even been arguing that exact point with the other disciples. After all, didn’t Jesus give Peter the keys to the kingdom of Heaven? (See Matthew 16:18–19.)
Yet in that moment, Peter was getting a very different picture of what leadership of the church might look like.
He was either so convicted that he felt unworthy of Jesus’ service, or he was recoiling from the idea that the greatest in the Kingdom might be expected to serve in this way.
Jesus corrected Peter: “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me.”
Peter replied: “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
Jesus Modeled Service and Humility
Jesus now had His disciples’ undivided attention.
His words would sink in deep.
He asked them if they knew what He had done to them. Were they self-aware enough to take the lesson to heart?
Jesus drove the lesson home:
“Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”[2]
They learned a lesson that they never forgot.
I Will Serve Others in Love and Humility as Jesus Directs Me
That lesson is just as much for us today as it was for them then.
Pride and the desire for higher position is just as much an issue in the church today as it was among the disciples in the first century AD.
If we are not careful, we can engage in hero worship, putting leaders on a pedestal only Jesus should occupy.
And if leaders are not careful, they can begin to think they belong there.
Jesus’ example brings us back to the reality He taught His disciples another time when they were disputing about who should be the greatest. “And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Never forget that the greatest among us is to be the servant of all.
The most important person in the Church is not at the top, but at bottom, humbly serving everyone out of love.
Your greatness in God’s Kingdom is directly related to how many people you love and serve; not how many people love and serve you.
Jesus Prepares Us
Jesus repeatedly warned His disciples of what was coming.
He even tried to brace them for another great shock.
One of those sitting around the table, who had just eaten the Passover supper with Him and whose feet He had just washed was going to betray Him.
Someone in the room—someone in Jesus’ small circle of disciples—was a traitor.
Jesus told them to brace them and to prove His deity and foreknowledge: “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.”[3]
Here again is one of Jesus’ numerous “I AM” statements sown throughout the Book of John, the Gospel that heavily focuses on Jesus’ deity.
Jesus knew Judas’s betrayal would shake the other disciples, but it may also increase their faith, understanding He had a plan all along.
Finally, Jesus dipped a piece of bread into the wine vinegar and handed it to Judas. Immediately, Satan entered into Judas, and Jesus told him, “That thou doest, do quickly.”
Judas left immediately, and Scripture records it was night. Judas stepped out of light into darkness, literally and figuratively.
Jesus Gave a New Command to Love One Another as He Loved Us
Even as hatred and greed drove Judas into darkness, in the upper room Jesus was talking about love.
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).
It seems strange that Jesus mentioned a new commandment, considering how much He had already taught about love.
Love the Lord thy God.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love your enemies.
But this was the first time Jesus specifically told the disciples to love one another.
Perhaps, in light of their earlier arguing over position, He felt it was necessary to spell it out.
He did not simply say, “Love one another,” but He added, “as I have loved you.”
The love we are to show one another is a humble, self-sacrificing love. This kind of love would impel Jesus to wash the disciples’ feet and die for them.
The kind of love we are supposed to have for each other is both challenging and inspiring.
Of all the proofs of discipleship, selfless love for one another is the one Jesus points to above all others.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
No wonder I Corinthians 13 says no matter how eloquent and spiritually gifted we are, without love we are nothing.
If we give all we have to the poor or even our bodies to be burned, without love we are nothing.
A life of humble, loving, self-sacrifice is the most eloquent proof of discipleship.
Just as Jesus Prepared the Disciples,
He Prepares Us for What We Will Face
Jesus knew He was giving His disciples a seemingly impossible mission.
Soon He would be gone, leaving them with the task of spreading the gospel across the world and establishing God’s kingdom on earth.
But Jesus did not leave them unprepared. He lived His life as an example in front of them. They saw how He was moved with compassion and healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, and raised the dead.
They saw how He pitied the crowds and fed them with bread and fish.
They saw how He took authority over demonic spirits. Even they had gone out two by two, preaching, healing, and casting out demons. They had seen how Jesus humbly ministered to the simplest needs.
Jesus walked in supernatural power and served in menial tasks.
Then Jesus gave them hope by promising that He would rise again on the third day as a convincing testimony to His deity.
He promised them the power of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost would teach them all things and bring all things He had spoken to them to their remembrance (John 14:26).
The Holy Ghost would give them power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Through the power of the Holy Ghost, the early church would turn their world upside down.
Just as Jesus prepared His disciples, He also prepares us.
We have His life of love as an example through the pages of Scripture. We can experience His authority and also feel the calling to meet the simplest needs of those around us through humble service.
And we too can receive the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit living in us, speaking through us, and empowering us to change our world.
Amy Carmichael, “One can give without loving but cannot love without giving.”
Bishop Edwin S. Harper, “Jesus didn’t give His apostles scepters, but He gave them towels because He commissioned them to serve, not to be a Lord over God’s heritage.”
Apostolic Life Cathedral | March 19, 2024 | 7:00 PM
Call for UPCI Ministers – International Day of Prayer and Fasting – March 23-24
Call to Repentance: Pray for nation, the world and world-wide revival
Esther – a time when God worked through shadows. God’s name isn’t mentioned in Esther. He chose to work through men and women.
Prepare for the greatest revival and harvest of this generation.
Joel 2:15-21
(15) Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
(16) Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
(17) Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
(18) Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
(19) Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
(20) But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
(21) Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Bobby Wade
To turn God’s favor to the Church as we repent for our mediocrity.
If we do, we will see Signs, Miracles and Harvest like we have never seen.
This International Day of Prayer and Fasting can turn tide in the favor of the Church and dislodge principalities.
If we do not heed pray, He will turn the Harvest to another.
James 5:16b, “The effectual [energetic] fervent prayer of a righteous [pure] man availeth much.”
Righteous men and women, pure in their spirit and motives, know that effectiveness in prayer has more to do with God and less to do with them.
It is God responding to the power, the energy, the life that is in the prayer of the righteous…
Prayer that is full of the Holy Spirit, understanding, heartfelt and full of passionate, fervent, zealous faith.
Ephesians 6:10-20
(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
(16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
(19) And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
(20) For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
“All Prayer” = With all kinds of prayer; prayer in the closet, with the family, the social meeting, the church service;
prayer at the usual hours, emergency prayer, prayers when you are tempted, or when you just feel like praying;
prayers of supplication for ourselves, or prayers of intercession for others.
All Prayer is the great weapon of our spiritual armor, and by this we may hope to prevail[1] – against our true enemy.
“…when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:6).
“Pray, don’t pose.” –Mark F. Kuntzman
Old Song: “Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door…”
In January I was in a prayer meeting and saw a gold string/cord that attached to everyone in the room.
It was a prayer connection. We are all connected by prayer.
All Prayer will Elevate, Change and Shift your life into areas you didn’t know existed.
Some people will be intimidated by a truly righteous man or woman of prayer and faith. They will be try to drag you back down to their level of mediocrity.
They are satisfied with the common, the average, plain vanilla
But God’s Church was born of the Spirit and will stay in the Spirit…
We are Spirit born and Spirit led
The people of Nazareth event tried to drag Jesus down when they said, “isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”
He had just come from a 40 day fast and prayer – All Prayer – has supercharged Him for ministry that made him unrecognizable to those who had seen Him grow up.
Don’t allow the enemy to drag you down to his level. He’s a surface traveler, slithering on his belly, feeding on the dust of the earth.
The Word of the Lord came to me and said:
You have been content to let others fight openly while you quietly fight behind the scenes, but now is the time to step up and lead on the battlefield as I begin to call my faithful officers to higher roles.
You may not think you are up to the task of this endtime revival and harvest, the enemy tries to remind you of past failures and weaknesses, but I want to remind you:
Ro. 8:32-39, “…Christ…maketh intercession for us.”
When Jesus places His intercession between you and your past nothing can pass through, reach around, or bypass His prayer for you and you are thoroughly freed from your past.
So, pray with All Prayer.
And while your praying, maintain a Pure God-Centered Motive.
Staying in a constant state of prayer, a constant God consciousness, can far outweigh what the natural eye can see.
It’ll allow you to navigate with spiritual eyes of understanding amd see ahead.
This is what Paul & Silas learned in Philippi:
Acts 16:16-21
(16) And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
(17) The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
(18) And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
(19) And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
(20) And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
(21) And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
Eli Hernandez on Pure Motives
Your motive is key to success both in spiritual maturity and in prayer.
The damsel with the spirit of divination was trying to appeal to any signs of pride and arrogance still attached to Paul and Silas
If they had fallen for her words and allowed the vexation to take root their covering of humility would have been pulled off making them vulnerable to satan’s attack.
Since God resists the proud, if Paul and Silas had given in to impure motives a jailer and his family would not have been saved.
Pure motives must be maintained in prayer, if not, pride and arrogance will come in and get in the way and change pure motives into impure motives over time.
We must humble ourselves to avoid becoming a target of impure motives.
David’s prayer should you mantra “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
David knew what it was like for his motives to go off course.
Because he knew how to repent he could make a course correction.
A pure motive will discern spirits, and we are told to “try the spirits.”
So, if what someone tells you doesn’t line up with the written Word of God, no matter how exciting, appealing or emotionally fulfilling it may be, don’t let it into your spirit.
If you listen to that false voice, you may miss your own Philippian jailhouse conversion story.
Try the spirits – don’t judge them – with the Word of God.
There is a difference. There are those who judge, reject, criticize, then go out to eat and talk about how wrong that person was.
And then, there are those who try the spirit, reject it because it contradicts the Word of God, but then go on and pray to God for that person to come in alignment with the Word of God.
Which one are you?
Lord, search our hearts…remove those tendencies in us to judge and criticize others.
Help us to try the spirits based on the unity of The Holy Ghost and the Word of God.
As we go into this International Day of Prayer and Fasting on March 23rd and 24th (from 6 pm – 6 pm)
Let us repent.
Pray for our nation, our world,
Seek God’s face for revival and growth
Pray for a fresh outpouring of the supernatural
Check our motive.
All Prayer is Motivated Prayer – What motivates your prayers?
[1]Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible. Ephesians 6:18.
We were recently blessed, in West Virginia, by the ministry of Pastor Alan Hosch, and his wife, Rachel. He has been a senior pastor for 18 years and has served the last 14 years as senior pastor of Apostolic Gospel Church of Harris, Minnesota. The Hosch’s also have three sons and two daughters-in-law.
Alan & Rachel have a beautiful ministry of encouragement, especially for those in pastoral ministry. He is also a missionary to South Asia, a podcaster, a bi-vocational pastor and has recently written a book entitled The Healthy Church.
If you serve in any area of ministry The Healthy Church will be a blessing to you. I appreciate Pastor Hosch for having the burden and vision to write such a book because he is addressing issues that need addressed right now in the the Body of Christ.
As presbyter of section 4 in the West Virginia / Wester Maryland District of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), it was my honor to host our section’s annual ministers and spouses Christmas banquet. Pastor Hosch and I were reacquainted at General Conference of the UPCI and after we spoke the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask him to be our guest speaker at the event. I am so glad he was able to oblige us because what he shared with over 60 the pastors, ministers and spouses richly blessed and encouraged them as he spoke on the necessity of refusing to allow the enemy to bind them and their ministries with thoughts of inadequacy and condemnation. If you need similar encouragement, read his book!
Pastor Hosch also has a podcast entitled: The Healthy Church Podcast, which contains over 20 episodes where he has interviewed many ministers from a wide variety of ministries and experiences. If you recognize these names then you will want to give the podcast a listen: Raymond Woodward, Aaron Soto, Jerry Dean, Brian Kinsey and others.
I was pleasantly surprised and honored when Pastor Hosch asked to interview me for the episode linked at the top of this page (and below). Normally, I would not be so bold as to post a podcast I’m in and ask everyone to listen to it, but I believe that Alan Hosch has been situated at a strategic time by God to ask questions, open topics and engage in dialogue that needs to be discussed in our movement.
Some questions in the interview:
What is the greatest challenge to the practical side and/or administration of the local church?
What is the greatest challenge to the spiritual side of local church ministry?
How does one use the Gifts of Wisdom and Knowledge to understandthe hidden struggles in the church?
I always enjoyed hearing Steve Richardson sing his own songs, and he was such a gifted songwriter, and Jeff Harpole was one of his best friends and a great singer.
In particular, I love this song…just wish my brother, Phillip Kuntzman, was with me so we could sing it together. 🙂
I know this was recorded at the UPCI General Conference, but I don’t know when it was recorded. ______
He Took the Law in His Own Hands
By: Steve Richardson
Verse 1:
Every time a nail was driven deeper in the wound, it signified the law was doomed. Every time another drop of blood flowed down, it set us all on level ground. God of Heaven had a reason that was you and I, and even in His dying He did more than die.
Chorus:
He took the law in His own hands. He took the nails in His own blood and signed redemption’s plan. And the covenant upon that tree promised grace to you and me. I praise the Lord for Calvary where Jesus took the law in His own hands.
Verse 2:
Though they tried the innocent He offered His own life, the perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice. So the Word fulfilled the law and brought eternal life, He knew the cost and still paid the price. He who knew no sin became the sin of everyone, and He set us free by shedding His own blood.
End:
I praise the Lord for Calvary where Jesus took the law in His own hands
Bishop Norman L. Wagner (Pentecostal Assemblies of the World) preaching “The Night Before the End” in 1987 to the Because of the Times conference in Alexandria, Louisiana, and introduced by Nathaniel A. Urshan, who was the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International at that time.
Here are some more pictures of pamphlets written by Oneness Pentecostal / Apostolic writers, which I took at my Grandmother’s home in South Bend, IN several years ago.
I read recently that if you want to change your generation you need to preach, but if you want to change future generations then write. I’m thankful these authors wrote these pamphlets.
Here is an excellent pamphlet written by the late David F. Gray, entitled “Chart of the Seven Men and the Two Natures the Secret of Victory Over satan and Power with God,” which he wrote and published in 1957.
Read and enjoy!
Title: Chart of the Seven Men and the Two Natures
Author: David F. Gray
Publisher: David F. Gray
Year: 1957
Description: The secret of victory over satan and power with God.
The Pillar and Ground of Truth 