Expert: Brian Thompson - 10/10/2006

Question
When i was younger my parents took me to a Apolstolic church, sometimes i felt forced to go. in my heart i feel bad on not giong any longer with the Apolstolic faith most of these churches are so fire and brimstone. no make up, no pants, no tv, but, the one thing i loved about them was they really love to have church.  But the buck seems to stop there. I have visited churches, and assemblies, i really liked them. But now my brother got saved in a apolstolic fiath, i feel its giong good for him,  but i cant see myself back there again. but why do i feel guilty? Ive gone with him a few times, but they seem so pushy, or, so into them selves just always go go go and so judgmental on those who seem to stray just a little and for you to earn youre way back you have to step down just a little. can you give me some background of this faith called The apolstolic Faith and why they always preferr or insisting correcting you by saying its the holyghost not the holyspirit? so the wonderful people i flip the channel on from time to time on the christain station on tv, are they too giong to go to hell, becouse they are not apolstolic? These are just a few questions i have, but i dont want to give them all at once.This is the first time i ever dared to question the faith so please help me to understand some of this.  Im just getting a new look in life and there is so much i want to accomplish in this lifetime.  And learning how to use the computer is one of them. I want so much want to serve God but im so confused and actually was looking at other sights that was looking for pen pals and something was tugging at my heart not to go there.  then i accidently got this sight, so here i am.  I dont know if you will ever get this e-mail becouse the way i handle the computer is just the basics. Waitng to hear from you soon.

Answer
I really cannot comment on the Apolostic Church. There is no one Church which has the only truth. Any church that tells you that they have the only revelation is headed in the wrong direction. Paul found the same problem and I leave it to you to read up on his answers.

You have to find a Church that you can worship God freely in. If that is an Assemblies of God church then good, but a church should feel like a family, you don't go because of compulsion, but because of relationship with God.

I will tell you this, and it is entirely scriptural. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus for those who believe, so where you find condemnation you find a religious spirit in operation. Some churchs go overboard in trying to protect believers from the world, but we are called to be in the world but not of it. You cannot be in the world by withdrawing from it, but niether do you have to take on its value systems.

The things you spoke of, particularly fashion, are of the world, so you have to find your own accomodation there but seek the guidence of the Holy Spirit. Technology is a trap, so you have to be aware of this and be carefull of the use you make of it