Volume Two, Issue One
9/98
Dear Pastors & Church Leaders,
Before you simply delete this mailing, PLEASE READ THE FEATURE ARTICLE!
It
has important information for the health of your church.
NEW UPDATES
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LETTERS to
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You can order Juanita Simpson's new book "WALKING THE WAVES" also.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
The feature article of this newsletter is a warning. It is a warning
against a group that holds to heretical doctrines. It is very important
to
the future of the church on Guam and Micronesia.
If your web browser cannot display HTML files, you can find this article
online at the "Deception In The Church" website at:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/prc.htm
May the Lord give you the boldness to stand against this apostate church
here in the islands of Micronesia!
In His Hands,
DITC
---
"Pacific Revival Center"
Wolves Among The Flock
by Sandy Simpson
------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a church that is trying desperately to ingratiate itself with
the rest of the body of Christ on Guam. This article is a
warning that they are hiding behind the fact that they "went out from
us" long ago (1 Jn. 2:19). The church is affiliated with the
UPCI (United Pentecostal Church International). It has recently
changed its name to Pacific Revival Center. They allowed
their church to be prominently displayed in the Pacific Daily News
in the Lifestyle section, have advertised "miracle" and
"revival" meetings in the PDN and with public signs, at which unseemly
pleas for money were made, and have helped initiate a
semi-regular "Worship & Praise" 1 event that they are inviting
all churches on Guam to participate in.
Please be aware that the UPCI holds to heretical doctrines. On
top of this fact, they have now added the elements of the Third
Wave which include demonic "manifestations", Latter Rain/Manifest Sons
Of God and other false doctrines of the counterfeit
revival movement to their already heaping platter of unbiblical views.
Beware of association with this group!
The following is a short synopsis of their doctrines as taken from their
official web site on the Internet. Read their doctrinal
views in their own words to determine if you think you should be in
fellowship and "unity" with this group. This group has gone
far beyond the bounds of normal charismaticism. They are more
properly associated with hyper-charismatic or cult groups.
Here are three views, in their own words, where they departed our company
long ago:
“The doctrinal views of the UPCI reflect most of the beliefs of the Holiness-Pentecostal
movement, with
the exception of the “second work of grace,” the historic doctrine of the
Trinity, and the traditional
Trinitarian formula in water baptism. It embraces the Pentecostal view
that speaking in tongues is the
initial sign of receiving the Holy Spirit.“ (http://www.upci.org/main/about/)
These are four deviations from the basics of orthodox Christian doctrine.
The Scriptures are clear that there is only one work
of grace through Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24, Acts 4:12), one God in three
persons that comprise the Trinity (Ga. 4:6, Mt. 28:19,
1 Jn. 5:7), that we are to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19) as well as in the name of Jesus
Christ, and that tongues are not the only evidence of the work of the
Holy Spirit in the life of a believer (1 Cor. 12:29-31).
The following statement shows that they have separated themselves from
the unity of believers. They hold that the rest of
Christianity, which holds the Trinity as one of the five essential
doctrines of Christianity, has departed from Biblical revelation.
“In distinction to the doctrine of the Trinity, the UPCI holds to a oneness
view of God. It views the
Trinitarian concept of God, that of God eternally existing as three distinctive
persons, as inadequate
and a departure from the consistent and emphatic biblical revelation of
God being one. The UPCI
teaches that the one God who revealed Himself in the Old Testament as Jehovah
revealed himself in His
Son, Jesus Christ. Thus Jesus Christ was and is God. In other words, Jesus
is the one true God
manifested in flesh, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily (John 1:1-14; I Timothy
3:16; Colossians 2:9).” (http://www.upci.org/main/about/)
UPCI also views God as one but not manifested in three persons.
The historic doctrine of the Trinity as laid out in Scripture
presents us a picture of God as being one "What" and three "Whos",
with each "Who" possessing all the attributes of
Deity and personality. The following is from their official doctrinal
statement:
". . . Father
God is a Spirit (John 4:24). He is the Eternal One, the Creator of all
things, and the Father of all
humanity by creation. He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there
is no God (Isaiah 44:6). There
was no God formed before Him; neither shall there be after Him (Isaiah
43:10)."
". . . Son
Jesus is the Son of God according to the flesh (Romans 1:3) and the very
God Himself according to the
Spirit (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:16); the creator
of all things (Colossians
1:16-17); God with us (Matthew 1:23); God made flesh (John 1:1-14); God
manifested in the flesh (I
Timothy 3:16);He which was, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty
(Revelation 1:8);the mighty
God, everlasting Father, and Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus Himself
testified of His identity as God
when He said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:7-11)
and “I and my Father are
one” (John 10:30). It took shedding of blood for the remission of the sins
of the world (Hebrews 9:22),
but God the Father was a Spirit and had no blood to shed. Thus He prepared
a body of flesh and blood
(Hebrews 10:5)and came to earth as a man in order to save us, for in Isaiah
43:11 He said, “Beside me
there is no Saviour.” When He came in flesh the angels sang, “For unto
you is born this day in the city
of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11)."
". . . Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost is not a third person in the Godhead, but rather the Spirit
of God (the Creator), the
Spirit of the resurrected Christ. The Holy Ghost comes to dwell in the
hearts and lives of everyone who
believes and obeys the gospel, as the comforter, Sustainer, and keeper
(John 14:16-26; Romans
8:9-11)." (http://www.upci.org/tracts/doctrine.htm)
UPCI also holds to the view that water baptism is a part of the salvation
process -- is necessary for salvation, and must be
administered in the name of Jesus only as evidenced by the following:
". . . Water Baptism
Water baptism is an essential part of New Testament salvation and not merely
a symbolic ritual. It is
part of entering into the kingdom of God (God’s church, the bride of Christ),
and therefore, it is not
merely a part of local church membership. (See John 3:5; Galatians 3:27)."
(http://www.upci.org/tracts/doctrine.htm)
". . . Formula for Water Baptism
The name in which baptism is administered is vitally important, and this
name is Jesus. Jesus’ last
command to His disciples was, “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). We should
notice that He said
name (singular) not names. As previously explained, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost are not names of
separate persons, but titles of positions held by God. An angelic announcement
revealed God’s saving
name in the New Testament: “She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt
call his name JESUS: for he
shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The apostles understood
that Jesus was the name
to use at baptism, and from the day that the church of God was established
(the Day of Pentecost) until
the end of their ministry, they baptized all nations (Jews—Acts 8:16; Gentiles—Acts
19:5) in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ." (http://www.upci.org/tracts/doctrine.htm)
UPCI holds that "spiritual baptism is necessary to put someone into
the kingdom of God". Who exactly does the "putting" is
not mentioned. This ignores the verses in Scripture that state
that at the moment that a person puts their faith and trust in Jesus
Christ, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13, 2 Cor. 1:22,
1 Cor. 12:13). The Scriptures are clear that this is one
process, not two "works of grace" (2 Tim. 1:8-10, Eph. 2:8-9, Eph.
1:13). The two or three instances where the Holy Spirit
indwelled believers in the Bible after salvation were as a result of
their not having had the gospel of Jesus Christ preached to
them, merely the gospel of John unto repentance, baptism and the news
of Messiah. They had not heard of the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit. Subsequent to those few occasions mentioned
in Acts, the Holy Spirit always indwells believers at the
moment of salvation (Eph. 1:13, Joel 2:28). The Biblically unsubstantiatable
doctrine of a "Second Blessing" is compounded by
UPCI in their belief that the evidence for the baptism of the Holy
Spirit in all believers is tongues. This goes against Scripture
that teaches that all believers do not evidence the same gifts of the
Spirit (1 Cor. 12:29-31). Any "evidence" or "manifestation"
(this word is used only once in the Bible) of the Holy Spirit is given
not for show or "proof" but for the "common good" (1 Cor.
12:7-11). What follows is their official view on these two unbiblical
doctrines:
". . . Baptism of the Holy Ghost
The baptism of the Holy Ghost is the birth of the Spirit (John 3:5). This
spiritual baptism is necessary to
put someone into the kingdom of God (God’s church, the bride of Christ)
and is evidenced by speaking
in other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit of God give utterance."
(http://www.upci.org/tracts/doctrine.htm)
Stated above we have five major departures from sound doctrine into false doctrine. UPCI denies:
(1) The Trinity (Ga. 4:6, Mt. 28:19, 1 Jn. 5:7).
(2) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit at salvation (Eph. 1:13, 2 Cor. 1:22, 1 Cor. 12:13).
(3) That water baptism and repentance go hand in hand (Acts 2:38),
but that salvation is obtained only in Jesus
Christ by grace through faith (Acts 16:31, Rom. 10:9); it is an important
public statement of faith (Acts 2:41), a
sharing in the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3) and a picture of the death
and resurrection into new life (Rom. 6:5).
(4) Baptism is to be administered in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit as commanded in Scripture (Mt.
28:19) as well as in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 19:5), but not
exclusively either way.
(5) The evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of the believer
is the fruit of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7) and,
subsequently, any or all gifts of the Spirit, given not for show or
"proof" but for the "common good" (1 Cor.
12:7-11), as the believer grows up into Christ (Eph. 4:15), in grace
(Rom. 12:6) and earnestly desires them and
seeks after them (1 Cor. 12:31, 4:1).
There are other doctrinal deviations from sound doctrine within the
belief system of the UPCI. This is the reason they have long
been considered to be beyond the pale of Christian orthodoxy.
One of the classic signs of a cult is denial of the doctrine of the
Trinity.
Other cults that have denied the Trinity are: Branhamism started by
William Branham, founding father of many "Jesus-Only"
Pentecostals such as the UPC; many Apostolic churches including Apostolic
Overcoming Holiness of God; The Door/Potters
House; Jehovah's Witness; Mormons; Children of God/The Family; Christadelphians;
First Church of Christ, Scientist; Living
Waters; Pentecostal Assemblies of the World; Pentecostal Churches of
Apostolic Faith; Shepherd's Chapel, Arnold Murray;
Swedenborg Foundation; Unitarianism;United Church of Jesus Christ and
many others. The majority of cults, and of course
other religions, deny the doctrine of the Trinity.
Pacific Revival Center of the United Pentecostal Church International
has recently deviated further into the Third Wave
counterfeit revival and its unbiblical and dangerous doctrines.
For more information on the "revival" movements emanating from
RHEMA, Toronto, Brownsville and other places, read my web pages at:
Dear Christian saints ... stay away from this church!
1 Addendum: Recently PRC members have dropped out of the "Worship
& Praise" music group mentioned above. Please
support any efforts of the true body of Christ to come together in
unity for corporate worship, and especially for evangelism,
always being like the Bereans, checking what is said and done against
the authority of the Word.
©1998 Sandy Simpson
May be freely distributed in its original form.