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The Actions of An
Honest Heart
By
Elder Jerry Chapin I had been in the ministry serving various Baptist churches over the past thirty-one years; twenty-two of those years had been spent pastoring Primitive Baptist churches. Although I have an advanced degree in theology, I had never taken much time to study church history. My background is in education and I have a minor in history, yet somehow I had missed the importance of the history of the New Testament church. The Lord kept impressing me to study the book of Acts, so in the fall of 1997 I began. This study eventually led me to a change of conviction about many beliefs I had embraced over the years. I
was surprised to find that the early church always
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Yet, ever so true to my Seminary training, I had always
baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
After
all, does not the scripture tell us to baptize in the name of the Trinity when
we are told to “Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost”? (Matthew
28:19) Imagine my surprise when I
found the answer to be an emphatic no!
Further study revealed to me that there are not three distinct and
separate persons in the Godhead, but that the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost is Jesus as shown by Isaiah
9:14; Matthew 1:21; John14:9,18; and John 16:7. I
then concluded that if my sins were to be remitted, I would have to be baptized
in His name, since He was the one who had died for my sins.
What a revelation this was to me! But this is exactly what is taught in
Acts chapter 19. Paul found some
disciples and asked, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?”
(Acts 19:2) When they
replied they hadn’t heard about the Holy Ghost, but had been baptized unto
John’s baptism, Paul explained that “John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance saying unto the
people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on
Christ Jesus.” (Acts 19:3)
When they heard that, they were baptized, this time in the name of the
Lord Jesus. After Paul laid hands
on them, they received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues, and prophesied.
The
account of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 really paralleled my situation. He was a
devout man who feared God with his entire house. He was a giving man, a praying man, and yet, God had
determined there was something lacking in his life to complete his salvation.
While Peter was preaching the gospel to Cornelius and his household, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word…For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”
(Acts 10:44, 46) This speaking with tongues was the initial evidence that they
were filled with the Holy Ghost. I
began to see that the plan of salvation was given on the day of Pentecost when
Peter told the multitudes what they must do.“…Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38) I
realized that this experience was what I lacked to make my own salvation
complete. During
this time of in-depth study, I had been carrying on an email correspondence with
my daughter Kim and her husband, Deano Graham, who is the music minister at the
Pentecostals of Apopka, a United Pentecostal Church in Apopka, Florida. They had told their pastor, Brother Mike Williams, about my
study, and he sent me information on the Oneness of God, baptism in Jesus name,
the new birth, and speaking in tongues. The
only question I still had was on the new birth.
However, Brother Williams’ teaching was clear and to the point, and I
saw and accepted the births of water and the Spirit in a new light. As
I progressed in my newly acquired knowledge of truth, Deano called to say that
Brother Williams wanted to pay for my wife and me to fly to Apopka so he could
baptize us in Jesus name. Each time I think of his offer, it brings tears to my
eyes; he loved our souls enough to want to do that for two people he really
didn’t know well. In
the meantime, Kim sent us each a prayer cloth.
She told us to put it in our Bibles. I was familiar with the aprons and
handkerchiefs that Paul used, so I put it in my Bible and didn’t think any
more about it. Since
my wife Pearl doesn’t like to fly, we drove to Apopka. I had always enjoyed
the preaching of Brother Williams, but I did not understand the worship style of
Apostolics and had never really “felt” anything. Of course, at those times I wasn’t looking for anything,
either. This
time when we entered the foyer, we were greeted as always by the friendly people
there. When we entered the sanctuary, I could hardly stand up; the power of God
was all over me! I knew what I had come for, and I was not going to be
disappointed! They sang the usual choruses, but I could not even see the screen.
God had told me that He had something special for me, and I wanted it. Brother
Shelly Hendricks, an evangelist from Kentucky, preached that first Sunday in
April 1998, and his subject was receiving the Holy Ghost.
God had planned for him to choose that sermon on that particular day¾just
for us! I could hardly wait until
he gave an altar call. Pearl and I
were the first ones at the altar, and it took less than two minutes for us to
receive the Holy Ghost. I spoke in
a language that I didn’t understand, as the Spirit gave the utterance. Brother
Williams baptized us that same night, in the name of the one who had remitted
our sins and saved us, my Lord Jesus Christ.
In all my previous years of ministry, I had never experienced anything
like this. What a glorious time
they must have had on the day of Pentecost! After
the service, Kim told us that evangelist Ray Perry had anointed the prayer
cloths she had sent to us, and that they had prayed over them that we would
receive the Holy Ghost. Prayer
cloths are a powerful tool that God can use to accomplish miracles.
I still carry that prayer cloth in my Bible to this day. Since
then, I have been licensed with and ministering in the United Pentecostal
Church. Now,
I can joyfully say with the Apostle Paul "
But this I confess unto thee, that after
the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing
all things which are written in the law and in the prophets." (Acts
24:14) ninetyandnine.com
Article © 2000, Jerry Chapin -------
Elder
Jerry Chapin ministers in
Russellville, Alabama. |
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