The Apostles' Doctrine

The Apostles of Jesus taught after the manner they were taught by the Master.  As they taught, so do we, so that we, too, can follow in the footsteps of our Lord.  We observe the teachings of the Apostles through the Book of Acts and through the letters (Epistles) to the churches of their day, and apply those teachings to our lives.  The Word of God applies to each and every age through the principles it teaches.  Ages come and go, but the principles of God never change.  We want those principles to be in us; hence, we have encapsulated that meaning into our name: The Apostolics of Portland!

Pentecost: What's That?

The day of Pentecost was observed in Jerusalem fifty days after the celebration of the Passover, which commemorated Israel's deliverance out of Egypt. It is significant that this day was chosen by the Lord to begin the fulfillment of Joel 2:28: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh...."  After our Lord was crucified, buried and after he ascended, the disciples were instructed to wait at Jerusalem for a wonderful promise.  This promise came on the traditional day of Pentecost in the form of a mighty experience with God.  As such, this experience is referred to as the "Pentecost" experience.  People who are "Pentecostal" in their relationship with God have that same experience.  It is for each of us, and we emphasize having that experience in our lives today.

The Way We Worship

We enjoy worshipping God openly with all our hearts.  We sing, we clap, we play instruments; in short, we worship much like David did when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem.  We make a joyful worship because God has given us much joy in His Spirit.

After Death: What?

Can anyone think of a more relevant question? What happens when we die, and we all probably will?  Only two people are recorded in God's Word as not dying - Enoch and Elijah!  All the rest of us must deal with this reality.  We all will pass through the narrow passageway leading from this life to the next - the passageway is what we call death. We shall all experience the transition into a new realm, another existence beyond this life and this world we know today.  God's Word tells that where we end up depends upon whether we have a right standing with God when we die.  Are we in a full, loving, saving relationship with Him, so that His Spirit is living inside of us and enabling us to walk in His Spirit?  And if so, are we walking in all the truth of His Word?  If you are uncertain about yourself, please don't put it off.  Get into His Word and seek Him with all your heart!  Contact us to better understand what His salvation has for you!

What Is Sin?

This question is of vital importance because of the fearful judgment against those who commit sin. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," thunders the Old Testament (Ezekiel 18:20). In like tones, the New Testament declares: "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). The one who lives in sin throughout his earthly life and faces God without having obtained divine forgiveness will be sentenced to an eternal punishment.  Sin is simply put, not obeying God.  Only by understanding Him more and understanding His Word can we truly know the ways that sin enters into our lives and how it hinders our relationship with Him.

Except Ye Repent

The three words of this title come from Luke 13:5, which reads, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish". Plainly, then, the tragic alternative to repentance is what the Bible calls eternal punishment.  In view of this fact, it is extremely important that everyone knows what repentance is and how it is accomplished.  The word "repent" means simple to turn around or turn away from a life of sin, with a determination to not sin again.  When someone is sick and tired of what this world does to them; when they are full of disappointment in serving the "master" of this world, Satan, they can make a complete turn around in their life by repenting of the old ways and seeking God's way in their life.

Why We Baptize in Jesus' Name

The Bible tells us "neither is there salvation in any other, for thre is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved."  It also tells us to "do all in the name of the Lord."  When we look at how the Apostles of Jesus Christ baptized in the early church, as recorded in the Book of Acts, every time they baptized, it was in the name of "the Lord", "Jesus Christ", or "the Lord Jesus."  Why?  Because that is how Jesus instructed them to baptize.  Matthew records that He said to baptize "in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."  Mark records Him as saying "in the NAME of the Lord."  Since the Apostles always baptized using the name of Jesus and since Jesus is the NAME of the Lord, that is how we baptize.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

The gift of the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, is simply God giving us His Spirit to live inside of us.  It is a special impartation of God to help us be what He desires us to be.  This gift is just that, ... a gift.  It cannot be earned or deserved.  It is the gift of God to those who have prepared a place for Him in their heart by setting Him first in their lives.  This gift leads us deeper in to His grace, making available to us all He has for us.  Many stop short, not realizing this gift is for everyone who will.  It is so important, that it is the "seal" of his acceptance of the gift of our lives to Him.  Through it, we obtain His righteousness, His peace, and His joy.  He came that we might have life, and through His Spirit, we can have life here on this earth more abundantly, and in heaven for all eternity. 

Why Did God Choose Tongues?

On the day of Pentecost, those that waited in the upper room experienced a new thing.  They each were filled with the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of God gave utterance.  The form of that utterance was in another language not familiar to those who were speaking it!  It was God speaking, now through a human tongue, giving praises back to Him!  God takes the same tongue that used to say vanities and curses, and uses it to magnify Him.  The Bible tells us that our tongues are our most unruly member.  Who can control it?  How we all know that it is such a hard thing to manage!  When our hearts are totally surrendered to God, he accepts us, comes inside of us, and then changes the use of our tongues to something beautiful as we magnify God in ways that only God can lead us to do.  Speaking in tongues is not the Holy Ghost; however, it is the initial outward sign that one has received God's gift of His Spirit.

Divine Healing

Jesus is the Great Physician. His knowledge of the human mind and body is complete. He can do more for the sick and the diseased than can all earthly doctors and surgeons combined. He created us; is it not reasonable, then, to believe that He can heal us when we are sick?  We believe God's Word when it says, "ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."  Anything we ask Him according to His will, if we ask in faith believing, we can receive.  When people approached Jesus with their needs, He was filled with compassion.  We find passages where He healed "every one of them."  Now the man, Christ Jesus, is our advocate.  If we ask anything in His name, we have confidence that our prayers are heard by God.  God is all powerful and fully capable of restoring the health he created in the first place.  By asking, we open ourselves to His Will.  It is not always His Will to heal, but if it is, by asking we can receive it!

Godly Life Style

Our desire is to please God.  We please Him through faith in Him, through obedience to principles in His Word, and through His Spirit living inside of us and leading us in ways that are pleasing to Him.   The Bible tells us to "be holy, as He is holy."  The word "holy" simply means be separated from things that displease God and be separated unto service to Him.  It means to draw close to Him, so much so that we begin to be changed by His very nature.  When we put away things that destroy our relationship with God and take up a life style that is pleasing to Him, we are obeying what God's Word tells us to do.  Simple put, the more we want from God, the more we'll move away from things that bring Him displeasure and dishonor Him and what He's done for us!