I left the assemblies of God pentacostal church in Australia, the pastor said to me when I left - You,ll never hear Gods voice again , no I will never hear your voice again! , I am still a Christian 38 years later, but must admit I am wary of church organizations now, so I dont belong to a church, but do visit an evangelical anglican church that my friend is vicar of ,thanks for your blog, many of us can relate to it, God Bless Tim
I’ve been called a whore and slave for piercing my ears and dying my hair. My own mother is brainwashed that she doesn’t realize how much mental abusive has been brought upon me. I was raised in a Pentecostal church. It’s taken me 20 years to have the courage to walk away from something that has brought so much pain instead of joy. Videos like this gives hope to me that I’m not alone and that I’m not wrong in thinking the same way. God is love. He wouldn’t treat people as this church does.
I was raised in the United Pentecostal Church international. My dad was a pastor and a founder of the church in pinconning, Michigan and I lived that way for 35 years. Finally, when I was 37 I started to research and read things for myself because I had Left the church for a while and went crazy partying and everything else and then I came back and I started to research the Bible for myself and found that so much was twisted. Scriptures were twisted to fit their narrative and it was legalism and everything they were making us do like women had to wear skirts and women couldn't wear jewelry. Women couldn't wear makeup. Oh my goodness god gave Jules to his children in the Bible. Anyways, this always gets me upset and I always can go on and on about standards. But I prayed that God would start to from our church, remove everything that was not of God and my husband became the assistant pastor after my dad had passed away. Now I'm the assistant pastor's wife and we've changed. We pulled out of the UPC and now are not denominational. We call herself apostolic Pentecostal still but we do not believe in any of their standards. We do believe baptism in Jesus name and in feeling of the holy Ghost. But now I pierce my ears. I wear makeup. I wear pants. I cut my hair. I dye my hair. Just wanted to share this when I think of what I went through and everything was forced to do. I still get upset and so does my sister and I continue to pray that God will help me forgive the UPC and not feel so bitter. I don't want my bitterness and dislike towards them to keep me out of heaven 😢
It's not just the Pentecostal churches that don't treat you as Jesus would. It's a lot of them. After being a missionary and attending different types of churches for the past couple of decades, it almost feels like the majority of people who go to church aren't even saved. It's very sad and I totally understand why people are rejecting Christianity and embracing new age and other eastern religions. Not that I would, but I understand it 😢
@@rhondaalmeida6104 I was raised in GoD church, we moved from Mexico to US and attending an UPCI church. No issues so far until a few months, they want my kids to take holiness classes, now they are sending me zoom invites for holiness for kids, etc.
I attended a apostolic/ pentecostal church since I was born. I was taught that the church was the way to God and without going to church I was some kind of rebel. While I was younger I would go to church with my parents and they instructed me to love music so I did. I eventually ended up being part of the worship team playing multiple instruments. When I was about 21-22 there was some pastor that went in and preached at the church I was attending. His message was that speaking in tongues is the true sign that you've recieved the holy spirit. At the end of the sermon he made everybody that hadn't spoken in tongues go to the altar and stand, close our eyes and say "I love you Jesus" over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. As people were saying this that preacher would go around pinning a small piece of red paper to our shirts in representation of the ones who had recieved the holy spirit. As I was saying this line I felt myself just stumbling on my words and ending up in a dry mouth but this man went over to me and pinned a little red tag to my shirt. In my head I would think this can't possibly be me speaking in tongues because I'm literally just saying one phrase over and over. When it was all over he rejoiced and everyone did aswell because so many people had red tags on them. This was one of the most idiotic, ridiculous, misleading, garbage that I have ever experienced in my entire life. This happens far too often and it's a hoax to get people to come to their churches. At the end of the day it's all a monetary gain. I remember I attended many church between the ages of 0 all the way to 25 and everyone required the members give 10% of their check. I remember I was talked to by the pastor because I was a drummer and playing in the praise team and he told me it isn't right that I am a worshipper and I'm not giving my 10%. These churches are all just means to make money. Please if you're reading this analyze the situation and don't be afraid to question. Don't feel alone If you decide to leave these places. God is with you nomatter where you are. Don't feel alone recognize the places are a cult that pray on people for monetary gain. My uncle was a pastor in one of these churches and he died and at his funeral they made it into a sermon asking people to come to Jesus and be baptized. His church was GIVEN away to some random person that didn't work for it at all. This made me realize that it's all about money. Please be careful everyone with these cultists
In the Bible what was the first thing that happened when a believer recieved the Holy Spirit ? Christians are human. They make mistakes. The bottom line is what does the Word say. The book of Acts is the beginning of the Christian church. All of Paul's letters are," To the Saints at.." They were already born again Christians and what Paul taught them about salvation can be seen in Acts ch.19. To find fault with people in a church as a reason for leaving is an excuse to do what we feel like doing.
One doesn’t seek tongues/One seeks Jesus and during praise it can flow out and unknown tongue/word language Repetition phrases aren’t going to cut it.That preacher was way off base...Just dialoguing
@@robertnieten7259so go to a church that has little or no integrity, lies are told ; you have to speak in tounges, you have give 10% of your pay, none of which is in the bible, it's simply made up by men. But you say go to this fake church anyway, you're an idiot brainwashed.
I'm about to throw my phone. You have GOT to be kidding me. Did you go to my church and sit through every single sermon? My God! I remember being at noon prayer in my church and the Lord said clearly! LEAVE. I was so confused. This is where he saved me, this was suppose to be the church I died in. I fast prayed fasted prayed and the Lord led me to a real Christ centered church. I can't not tell you how happy I am now. How free and unashamed to invite someone to my new church less they be can a stank sinner. The grandiose mindset I have been delivered from. My God! Thank you for sharing! 8 months free!
I began going to a Pentecostal church and I started seeing red flags everywhere.. Manipulation was rampant on getting new converts. I soon recognized this type of legalism completely denies grace and denying grace is denying Christ.. I now boldly follow Jesus in my pants and ear rings and love them all openly.. Praise God!!
I've started seeing this. Even thou I knew that I was assisting to an UPCI church, now they started trying me to sign up for Holiness for kids. I dont believe "teaching" holiness makes you holy. I understand teach the bible but when Jesus is in our hearts you live in holiness but not legalism
You don't know how grateful I am to have found your video. I have lived my whole life around evangelical Pentecostals. Most of the time, I was forced to attend their maddening services, their horribly loud crazymaking and disrespectful sounds. Time passed, I grew up, I moved to Spain with my mother in my teens and, thank God, I was able to get away and see things with more perspective and decide what kind of belief I wanted or if I really wanted to be part of a religion. At the age of 18, I fell back into the clutches of an evangelical cult of the assembly of God. From 18 to 23 years old, I continued attending, although I no longer believed in the bullshit they told. It's been 4 years since I decided to cut off all contact with neo-Pentecostalism and with too many legalistic people. Now I feel that I am prepared to know the true love of God in my life. Once again, thank you very much for your testimony.
I grew up in a United Pentecostal Church. We were told we were going to hell if we didn't speak in tongues. My family quit when I was 12 and every friend I had there, my only friends because I couldn't be friends with non Pentecostals, they abandoned me. Shunned me. I walked away from God himself after that even though just a child. I'm now saved by Jesus and His sacrifice! Amen
So glad to hear from you and to know about your grace awakening! True freedom is not found being yoked again unto bondage in the Pentecostal/Oneness system. It is found solely in Jesus Christ. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. ~ 1 John 2:27
Yes this is what we are being told, if you don’t speak in tongues you won’t make it in. There is only one true church .... ours! All other churches are false. Please pray for me. Please .....
LaNeeCollard My self and my twin brother left upc back in 1990. Had bad pastors,they were very demanding hateful. Way I look at it it’s hard enough get people in upc and they throw them out faster than they get them in.
@@lawrencethomas7975 UPC IS NOT A CHURCH!! IT IS A MINISTERIAL ORGANIZATION THAT LICENCES MINISTERS. THERE ARE MANY APOSTOLIC CHURCHES THAT ARE NOT LIKE YOUR DESCRIPTION AND ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPC. My experience since childhood has been very very different.
Patricia Hein Thank you Patricia for replying .I don’t really understand some of your comments like U P C not a church.The way you explain it I never heard about that.But I do know history and what I went threw the years in U P C.I did finish also in U P C college. When I was speaking about my brother had problems in the church he was from Tennessee and I from a different state.The first church in Upc was the wonderful preacher I ever had,a fine man which love us.then I move and I was going to another church ,he was old but a wonderful preacher but he died then I had nothing but poor mean pastors.Well I left UPC many years found some church’s will teacher me like a person and better teaching.You never explain your childhood.Today UPC can’t treat people today like they did in the 60 and 70 or they won’t come back.
I was in the United Pentecostal Church from the 3rd grade until I was 23. Everything you're saying is the truth. I was so spiritually abused by more than one pastor I sat under and it has affected my whole life. I'm now 47 and still struggle with flashbacks to the abuse almost on a daily basis. I'm so thankful that when I left in 1996 I prayed with all sincerity of heart and read my Bible for months that God would open my understanding to what His truth was, and not what I had been brainwashed into believing. He did just that. When my understanding was opened to the gospel of grace it was the best day of my life. It was then I was truly saved. When I read that we could not earn our salvation by works all of the chains of fear, condemnation, and guilt were immediately broken. I was free. My relationship with the Lord is deeper and stronger than it ever was while I was in the UPC. I'm so thankful for the questions I started having that lead up to my courage to exit. You sure don't bring up questions to the pastor. They don't like that. He had no scriptural answers for me and I knew it was time to go. My husband was feeling the same way at the same time. Also, things were happening that didn't sit well with my husband and myself. The final straw was at a harvest (halloween) party when the pastor's wife and another lady came dressed as black women. They were white and they had used something to blacken their faces and any skin that showed and we're talking like Mammie from Gone with the Wind. We had a young mother who was black and a new convert that had been coming to church and she was there that night. She was hurt and my husband and I were shocked and in complete disbelief that they had done that. My husband spoke up to the pastor's wife and she put her finger in his face and rebuked him saying, " Get thee behind me satan" because he confronted her on the blatant racism. Needless to say that was it for us. We never went back and that young mother didn't either. This pastor and wife had just moved to where I lived at this time and took over the church. We had several black families in our church. I don't know what happened to the rest of them cause we stopped going. I will never step foot into another UPC church. From the age of 8 until 23 I was in fear of going to hell every single day no matter how hard I tried to follow all of the rules. No child should ever live with that kind of fear. Thanks for sharing your story. People need to be made aware of how bad it can be in the UPC. I have so many stories I could tell but I won't.
Bless you for having the guts to leave. I saw enough of the possessed behaviour in that church, when I was 3 & 4, where my great grandma & aunts attended, to scare me into joining a much quieter church, where people can feel the spirit.
Same here kiddo. They got to me when I was 17 (baptist and AOG). Physical violence was very common. Even though i've been out for 20 years I still have to get it out of my head every day.
There might be a few in here that will say it's your fault, if you leave such a "holy" church...well, you just must have a nefarious spirit, evil motives...hogwash. I'm in my 70's and have a lifetime of experience with UPC and Apostolic type churches. I've met some individuals who were really sincere and loving people, but, the larger percentage have been hurtful, selfish, inconsiderate, and sometimes downright hateful. The accounts of what I've read in here of y'all's experiences rings very true, and I'm sincerely sorry that anyone had to go through it. There's no excuse except willful ignorance. Love is the greatest of the gifts, yet, there's little of that in these churches. You can't give out to others what you yourself don't have. Thank God for His grace and mercy, in them is true spiritual freedom to live our lives in the Jesus Way, loving Christ, and loving others as the Word of God teaches us to. May the Sea Walker wrap y'all in His arms and healing to hearts, we're still on this journey and we need each other to finish this course.
Me and my wife left a Pentecostal Holiness church last year. The process was painful, and my family was left devastated. But allowing the Lord to perform spiritual detox is beautiful and rewarding. If you are in that process as well, be patient. God is much bigger than you could ever imagine!
Hello Jonathan I left nearly two years ago and the process has been painful, and in some small ways, continues to be painful. However, the joy of following the message of Christ without the brain-block of the UPC/Oneness Pentecostal movement has been more rewarding. Knowing Scriptures and God without that disastrous system clouding my judgment has allowed me to be closer to what I see 'Christians' being in Scripture. Blessings on your journey,
People in church say many times that it takes courage to live for God and stay in church. It takes more courage to admit to being deceived for many years and fight the peer pressure to step away and take breath of fresh air. If you need to crank the PA system up to 11 just to get people to run the aisles and yell and scream, maybe it's not the Spirit moving the service after all.
slayer1am I must agree. I eventually started wearing ear plugs to church because of always leaving with a headache. I finally used a sound meter to prove I wasn't nuts and it was hitting 90db which is enough to cause permanent hearing damage. The Spirit likewise doesn't make people twitch, and spasm, and flop around like fish out of the water.
It's impossible without prayer and intimacy with Jesus , we need the comforter, the teacher , the holy Spirit , lamp upon our feet , or we can do nothing in our own power , we will not be able to love people who are unloveable like Jesus did all the way to the cross . . .
Divide The Word Blog Divide The Word Blog I currently am dealing with this, I met a young woman who has a wonderful heart and many admirable qualities that I could not find elsewhere and I chose her to be my wife. She has attended a Pentecostal church denomination her whole life. Her grandfather was the preacher and now her uncle is and all of her immediate family goes there so she has been bred into it. I currently do not know how to talk with her about it but I do not feel comfortable when I go there. I don’t like bashing any denomination because I feel that the devils greatest trick would be to divide all Christians, but every time I’m there I feel like an outcast because it’s like if I’m not worshipping and going crazy shouting and screaming and convulsing then I’m not really worshipping and they won’t come out and directly say it but I get the strong feeling that they do not feel that I’m right in Gods eyes and that I’ve never received the Holy Spirit because I don’t speak in tongues. I just don’t know what to do considering my wife will never probably try to think openly about it because not only would it be her feeling as if she is disobeying but I have a feeling that she would also feel like she would be dishonoring her family. How do you explain that you are worshiping just as well as they are even though you don’t jump shout and go crazy?
Our pastor likes the sound loud. Me and my hubby run the sound system and we turn it down the audience speaker after the pastor goes on stage to preach. Lol! We’ve had a elderly man tell us it was loud and thats why people dont like to go to loud churches.
I came out of a denomination called Free Holiness. And I can relate to so much of this. I had about 23 years invested before seeing truth enough to leave. And they are more hard core than this group he’s talking about in one aspect. They teach that after you receive the Holy Ghost, salvation, that you no longer sin. And if you commit one sin, you lose your salvation and can Never get it back. That’s correct: they teach that if you commit one sin after becoming a Christian, that you are forever doomed without hope. And they also believe it’s Holiness or Hell. All others are wrong. So glad to be out of that denomination 🙌🙌👏👏
I was saved and baptized in a Pentecostal church along with my mom and daughter which I feel it was God's plan for our salvation but after 3 years of their crazy ways of no wearing pants , makeup, just everything really made me think wait a second why are these people following man's doctrine instead of following Jesus. I was like all these people are fooled. I was astonished on how many mean people were in there and just a lot of jezebel leaders and it's ironic because they perceive a jezebel as someone who wears makeup because it says in the Bible she did her eyes but it's just the spirit. I felt like they were making not wearing makeup and not cutting their hair as an idol. It was just to much, thank you for sharing.
Wow! I faded out of my Pentecostal church about 7 years ago. I'm glad to see someone else who experienced some of the same things I experienced. Thanks for sharing.
I really appreciate your honesty and truthfulness. I attend a UPC church at the time but I'm not in agreement with much of the mindset that exists in the movement as a whole. The pastor preaches good sermons and the people who attend there are very nice folks. I have seen what you are sharing go on in that movement, if it ever starts where I'm attending (for the time being).....I'm gone! It takes a lot of courage for you to do what you have done. I greatly admire you. God Bless you and order your footsteps both now and in the future.
Thank you, Bruce, for stopping by and for the kind comments. It is encouraging to keep up the fight. There is just too much hate, judgmentalism and exclusivity in the system that must be exposed.
It’s sad but not all Pentecostal churches are like this. My mom passed away in December and the church she was member at for a long time has a new pastor. Without hesitation he said we could have her service there. Mind you my mom had not attended church there for over a year and me not being a member not being in any church. It’s sad when churches do this but not all churches and it’s members are the same. That goes for every religion.
I do understand when it comes to the preaching because I have sat in services that were not preached in love but I finally found an apostolic church that does. And it’s been an extreme beautifully emotional change. God has changed me and my love for him has never been this strong.
I was raised in the Pentecostal church. Many of my fathers relatives are preachers, bishops, heads of churches. I used to be a Sunday School teacher and went to church most days of the week and my father impressed on us to not be a "part of the world". All claimed to be "Holy saints of the most high God". Before I was 10 years old I knew what it was to be punched in the face by an adult, punt kicked across the floor, whipped to the point of passing out and being kept from school for two weeks so nobody could see the swelling on my body from the wire whip that tore into my flesh. As a teenager the minister approached myself and a female friend of mine and said he wanted to talk about sex. I told him "no, we are just friends and are not planning on having sex so no sex talk was needed". The minister left but continued to push us to talk about sex with him. I complained and was told to not question the preacher. I told others the preacher was lying about things and they told me I can't say that. One day the preacher called me into the office, he smiled as he told me he was kicking me out of the church. A few minutes later the preacher went to the pulpit and told the church that I was an "emissary of Satan" and was no longer a member of the church. When I got home my father kicked my butt out in the snow, nobody I grew up with helped me at all, not even anyone from my family. I starved, fought to go to school, lived where I could. I am almost 60 now and looking back not one time when I was hungry or cold did anyone from the church or my family reach out to help me from the position they put me through. To this day the same people still call themselves holy.
They are right they are holy...holy crap...What Father GOD hates fruit bearing cults playing church for the sake of appearances...So sorry the way you were treated. Forgive and forget/Stay close to Jesus/makes the devil jealous
I am so glad that you are sharing your story. I too belonged to the UPCI church for 25 years. I've been out for 5 years. It took a long time to heal from spiritual abuse/legalism. I put myself in Christian Counseling. I will say that I came across a a few exit UPCI testimonies, which lead me to a valuable website called Christian Koinonia Support Group ... which was AND STILL a very helpful website to me. I would read and view videos for hours and cry. I thank God for that website and people like you who share your story, to help others (and me). THANK YOU!
I'm glad to hear you got out @Nel Franks! It should be a sign to all when we have to use the terms, 'Coming In', or 'Getting Out'. I too am so thankful for the support I received and that is the reason I want to share my story as well, so that others who come after us have that support. God bless you and your continuing walk of Faith.
I am really sorry for the spiritual abuse you and your family suffered at the pentacostal church. Better late than never. You made a decision. Thanks for the video.
Thank You For talking about this, ive suffered much at the hands of these people!! we that have suffered from these peoples abusive behavior need a support group really, as i travel and meet people from all walks of life I find that, there is way more people suffering from this, right here in USA
I left a UPC church in Oregon after 25 years... I grew up in it since a baby... leaving has been the best thing that has happened to me. Slowly God is setting my mind free from legalism
Hello, @Elizabeth Yado I'm glad to hear you also 'got out'! Just three days ago I was walking to my home office (it was a Church night and I had no anxiety because I wasn't going!, and I said, 'This has been the best thing ever, to be free of that 'stuff'. Thank God that His Word is true when it tells us the Spirit will come and lead us into all truths. Us. Not the single man at the top. All of us will be led into truth, and that truth is not to be found in a spiritually abusive church! God bless you and your continuing walk of Faith.
The word Bible isn't in the Bible Brian Haley. It seems that you are just trying to troll on a word, but you should understand that the word 'legalism' is a descriptive word which describes a behavior.
Divide The Word Blog I too grew up in that mess. They hate me now cause I confronted them with scrip. Thanks for these videoes. They r money lovers also. So glad I got away from them. I always knew something was wrong. Reason I read my bible cover to cover. Straw that broke it for me was my son when he was 3 said daddy these people r not our friends. Amazing the wisdom God puts in the little ones. Thanks really enjoyed this. God bless bro.
Hi Elizabeth, I am 25, was a licensed minister with the UPCI, 5th generation and I have left also. I completely know this thought process, When God takes the lenses off, you will see all clearly.
"You can't uplift God when you are in idolatry to the man in the church." That one sentence completely sums up everything you are talking about. I left the Pentecostal church back in 2003. It's been difficult sometimes to maintain my independence when my family thinks I've "backslidden" because I no longer adhere to the Pentecostal belief system. Thanks for your video!
Left the UPCI , God opened my eyes through Galatians and Romans about the legalism, and He used the book of John to show me the truth of the Tri-unity of Himself, and has lead me into a little reformed theology
Wow' my wife and I are in the same boat. I have been introduced to reform theology from Piper 'Mcarthur' Sproul' Washer etc. I started studying romans and galatians ehpesians We are in a UPCI born and raised....im still speaking in tongues when i pray. Not sure of what to hold onto to or let go of. Please pray for clarity for us. We may be on our way out ' not sure what to do.
Totally agree with everything you talked about, have been through the pentecostal/evangelical system. I've recently left organized religion for good but will still pursue a bible-based relationship with God which will bring me greater joy. Was so sick of the legalism and toxic abuse. This is a world-wide problem.
Yes. Legalism is in a lot of churches. If they don't teach that Jesus saved you from ALL of your sins (not just your past ones) then it's a legalistic church. Only Jesus had the power to pay our debt of sin with His blood and He did that 2000 years ago. He even said, "It is finished".
I pretty much grew up in an Apostolic church. I had left for a few years and came back, but something was off. I just shrugged it off. As the years went by and I was seeking God more than ever, I feel as tho it was God showing me the transition the Apostolic church was making. Things that were preached about were now suddenly ok. Or it was twisted to fit the leadership, but the “ peasants” couldn’t do it. They would use scriptures like Acts 20:28 to justify having control over everything that I did. So finally I met this girl who wasn’t Apostolic, and they had a blast chewing me out and making little sarcastic comments every chance they got. And before I knew half the church knew. Then I started getting judgmental looks from all sides. One of the pastors sat me down and told me to break it off; and that if I kept pursuing this that I would backslide, become charismatic, and eventually lose my soul. That was when I knew this wasn’t right. That’s not how God works at all. Although I am thankful for certain parts of being apart of them. Because they truly did teach me to dig deep in the Word, and study it for myself. And I had a couple of great men there that taught me what I know now and help lay the foundation I have. However, it was time for me to move on and find true freedom in serving God. My wife and I are on fire for God and both of us are more vigilant than we have ever been...and it’s only gonna get better!!! In Jesus Name!!!!!!!
Excellent reply and thank you for sharing your story. Brian Williams! I've always continued to point back towards Paul when talking about modern Apostolic ministers. Most of them that I've encountered do not reflect Paul in any fashion. Paul led by example. He never condemned, never used fear tactics and most certainly never demanded peoples obedience. My former pastor told a young man who was still IN the church, that wanted to marry another young lady IN the church, "Until I feel your unwavering loyalty I will not let you have one of my girls." That 'girl' wasn't his daughter, yet he claimed ownership of her. She belonged to Christ. Paul simply asked for people to imitate him in his faith and walk with God. Never demanded people obey his commandments on dress, relationships, etc. "Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ." - 1 Corinthians 11:1(Amplified Bible) God bless your future in Christ and freedom!
Divide The Word Blog thx for the response and the videos. It just so happen to pop up on my feed yesterday. I told my wife that your video is by far the best I’ve heard. It’s not just rambling, it’s actual stuff of what I know now many people go thru. And also, I have friends that stay in that because it’s been a generation thing. But keep up the awesome work! I’ll be tuning in and watching to see what your next topic is. Thanks again brother.
Red flag when any Pastor claims ownership of a church member/delusional lying cultic spirit personality attribute/dangerous sign...Just dialoguing...Oh well Scripture reads “Judgement begins first in the House Of The LORD”...Starting with Pastors
The Lord spoke to my heart and said when a believer identifies as their denomination, it is idolatry. They say, I'm a Pentecostal instead of saying I am a born again believer of Jesus, or I'm a child of God. Plus they teach traditions of men as if they are doctrine and mock grace. They basically deny the gospel for a works salvation. It's fear-based. When I broke free, I felt God for the first time in a very long time. It was so beautiful! He reminded me He paid the price so I wouldn't have to. He told me to rest in His love. I'll never forget that moment. I'm free. I'm saved. I'm loved.
My family and I are struggling with this. We are thinking of leaving the church but fear being condemned. We love our brothers and sisters in Christ but feels like our standing with the church is more important than our relationship with God. For example, If we are not in good standing with the church then we are rebellious and certainly can’t be at peace with God.
Thank you for sharing your story, I left the apostolic church a few months back. I was part of the church for almost 7 years. I got in when I was 18 and was sucked in so quick....when I started to realize that I did not agree with what was going on, I felt it was to late. I wasn't allowed to cut my hair/trim, dye my hair...was told I could not wear makeup, pants, jewelry, certain shirts, no hair dying, no pantyhose...some said no eye brow plucking...no movie theaters...going to a doc. Right away was not always recommended....was told that God needed to be given a chance to heal before trusting a doc...the list goes on and on..no missing any kind of church function..getting so much put on you........I felt so trapped and controlled. There was this constant fear of doing something not to their standard and being labeled a backslider. I got to the point that I decided that leaving and finding truth was more important than pleasing others....so much more can be said....I have a story to tell and hopefully in due time I will share it here on facebook in hopes to help others. I am still dealing with the mental manipulation that took place! :/ The constant mentality of the group that only they were saved and have the truth and everyone else is unsaved. I am so much happier away from it now. But seeing others that I used to go to church with still is hard...you know they are judging and looking at you in disgust. It's so hard!
Hello Rebecca H. Thank you for commenting here and sharing your story. I have been out of the Apostolic Pentecostal religion almost a year now, and still, I struggle with the mental side of things. I have interviewed dozens, if not hundreds of people now, and all say the same thing. Years later many of them still struggle, and yet, there is great hope to find the real Grace of God that Paul taught, that salvation was by Faith, through Jesus Christ and the Grace HE offered, not the silly traditions that these men of the Pentecostal religion have made up. Sadly, the damage of legalism is real, but the truth is that God led you out, and now you are on the road to recovery! I pray many blessings in your journey, and please visit our blog for more guidance, if we can offer any, and we have an ASK section where you can anonymously ask questions about faith, your experience, and more. God Bless You!
Rebecca don’t be so hard on yourself/Jesus still and has always care/love for you.Therefore there’s no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...Keep the Faith Stay the course ...Blessings
I know what you mean. That quiet look, of disapproval, if we dare properly groom our hair, or ourselves, to look our best, to avoid looking frumpy. I caught that look from one of those women, as I was standing in line at the fabric store. Even though I was wearing a skirt despite not being in their "church." She would have had a conniption if she'd known I'm LDS.
It is like you are telling my story...thanks for being a vioce and sharing your experience. We left a UPC church last March (after a lifetime) and are for the first time, beginning to feel the freedom, liberty and Grace that comes when solely focused on Jesus Christ and him crucified...As I began to truly understand Grace, I realized how little of it is allowed in the Apostolic churches. Considering all their legalistic things that will send you to hell I formulated this question " at what point in the apostolic conversion does Grace take effect?"...when given the chance I ask this to many of the people we went to church with, and the answers have been rather amusing....keep up the good work... TK.
Thank you for the comment Troy, and I am thrilled to hear you say you left the UPC structural system. Grace is absent in Pentecostal churches. In contrast, John 2:27 tells us "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is the truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." Pentecostals idolize and abide in their pastors. If this were not true, the pastor wouldn't dictate their clothing styles, jobs, vacations, etc, etc. Abiding is Christ is allowing His Spirit to direct you in all things. God bless you on your journey to freedom!
I appreciate this video. I'm going through this right now. I've finally had enough and left what's called the Church of God that says there not a denomination, but are. There so legalistic in many ways that they deem to be the True church and all else are decided and don't have the light. So manipulating and twisting of Scripture is just bad. I too could not invite anyone to the church because I would be at fault of leading them astray knowingly. My husband was so hurt and doesn't understand. But you touched on so many levels in which I can relate. I dispised this church and I knew I had to leave. I finally said no when I was asked to give up my wedding ring and earrings. Legalism is such a bonding road to embark...
Hello Vanessa and thank you so much for watching and having the courage to post part of your story. Your husband will understand in time. Legalism is a slippery slope that never had a good ending. Those abused by it either must break (submit and be a lifer) or rebel and see the truth of God's Gospel, that all that was required for you and I was nailed to the Cross. Legalistic standards were once a recommendation for good living, and then as Mark 7:7 shows, these traditions of men were made equal to doctrines. Keep up the good fight, and thank God that your eyes were opened to the truth that Legalism and the Pentecostal denomination is not right.
Vanessa Olszen where was the Headquarters located? I have just started going back to the Church Of God(Cleveland,TN.) I was raised in this Church. Please let me know if its the same Church Headquarters? Really want to know.
So I have to admit, I laughed out loud when you talked about a man's car breaking down and the pastor telling him it's because he didn't pay his tithes. I dated a man in the UPC for two years and his mother said the exact same thing to him one time when his car broke down! So glad I found God's Love and grace afterwards. Thank you for your videos. I wish these would have been around when I left the UPC almost 20 years ago,
Darcy, I've been convinced that the Oneness Pentecostal and other very fundamental religious sects inadvertently practice witchcraft, believing they can hex or pray curses or struggles over people and then use life circumstances as proof of their power and authority. Simon the Sorcerer wanted to buy this power and he was chastised as following satan.
“If you can’t be right you can’t be saved!, that’s the definition of legalism.” !BOOM! I had to hit pause on the video and let out a breath. Thank you for that.
Wow, YES! YES! I experienced this big time! And I have been through it all! Oh my I'm so thankful and Blessed I left a particular church! I totally hear ya on this stuff! Thanks for sharing this! No Weapon that is formed against me shall prospher! and every tongue that rises up against me thou shall condemn. Amen! No weapon formed against us will prospher! God is greater than the lies of man.
EVERYTHING stated in this video is the ABSOLUTE TRUTH! I left the UPC church over ten years ago. There are quite a few reasons why I left. First is different beliefs in what was being taught as to how I felt. Second, I suffer with "complicated grief disorder." The minister told me that I may NEVER see my loved ones when I pass on, but that I will be too busy worshipping the LORD to even worry about them. That comment HURT ME BEYOND WORDS! I miss my loved ones BEYOND MEASURE!!! If these ministers think that they are helping people with GOD'S LOVE, THEY ARE ONLY HARMING PEOPLE EMOTIONALLY FOR LIFE!!!
The time I realized the church was doing me more harm than good was when I kept my relationship with an ex boyfriend (who went to the same church) a secret because as a private person I didn't want the questions or all the eyes on us in fear that it would ruin it. I later went to the same school as them with a full ride (not because my ex went there) and when I went back to church I was shunned, called a sinner and a demon. I still go there from time to time I haven't gotten the will to just leave since I am still dependent on my family. I'm scared but videos like these give me hope that I can leav
Hi, brother. I used to be heavily, heavily, involved with a charismatic Catholic group (basically Catholic Pentecostals) and I relate too much with these stories. I'm so sorry about what happened to you, and I want to pray for you on this. This is so courageous, and this was a breath of fresh air.
Just wanted to say thanks for this video. I have felt alone battling this in my mind for many years. Just knowing others have gone through this helps me to feel less alone in life. :)
Thank you SOOOO much for these videos! I commend you for putting them out there. I wish they could reach everyone...especially those who are caught up in these types of churches. If you would be so kind, please provide advice on how I should handle the current situation I find myself in. My son has been attending a Pentecostal church that broke away from UPC. I believe it may be the same one you attended. He has been there for a few years now. Even though he knows I do not believe in how the Pastor and Bishop are running the church and I refuse to become a member, he continuously asks me to attend. Recently, it blew up because I didn't respond to his text asking me to come to a service. When asked why I did not respond, I told him the Pastor and Bishop dictate everything and I don't agree with them instructing people of their church to not be around/associate with people who have left the church...either voluntarily or involuntarily. I told him it is sad. He basically told me (via scriptures and in his own words) that I am being deceived because I attend another church and don't believe in what his Pastor teaches. There is much more to this, but you get the gist. Our conversations ended with him instructing me to talk to his Pastor about my "misconceptions" of him or he will not be around me. I have nothing to discuss with his Pastor and now my son has decided he will rarely see me. I have basically lost my son. I just wish he would open his eyes! How can I help him to see? Any and all comments are appreciated. Thank You!
Hello and thank you for commenting and sharing your story - as painful as it is. When I read your comment I sat back in my chair almost in tears. I am akin to you - my son attends the church, though he left once and returned. My son moved out of my home on the advice of the pastor and bishop of the church, and admitted to me that he had been ready to 'cut me off'. My advice would be this: Never reply in kind. Never show your son that you would be willing to 'cut him off' for his choice in a church, as hard as that is. It is a cult, this is proven by your comments and the behavior of your son. They are trained explicitly to be aggressive and to wipe their hands of even family who does not agree. It is a sick place, but you'll never convince your son of that by responding the way they expect you to. Continue to be loving, but do not give in. This is bully tactics. The pastor and bishop of that church were convicted of violating child labor laws. They were sued for defamation of character and paid a large sum of money to shut up the accuser. They have had wanted fugitives of sexual abuse crimes working in their Sunday school classes, and I've witnessed them violate restraining orders to ensure people were 'in church'. Time will prove all things. If you want to talk to me privately, you can visit our blog at www.dividetheword.blog and use the comment section to reach me privately. Blessings and I will pray that your son has his eyes opened to the love of Jesus that would never put some demands on his heart, mind and family.
Pray my friend, Pray like you never have before. Love him as much as you can, but I am afraid there is little you can say to change his mind. Your love may be the only thing that can get through to him. My bleeds for you and I will pray for your situation.
He might be in the more modern Pentecostal church, like my aunt & cousins joined, b/c they wanted to cut their hair, wear pants, go to prom, go to movies, wear jewelry, & make up, yet still serve/worship God on Sunday. They're very musical, friendly, nice, helpful people, but got away from the Assembly of God, legalism. They make good Trump supporters too.
God bless you for your testimony. I have to say that I can identify with these things you have shared. I stayed 5 years in a toxic church where one man is the everything, no plurality of elders. He encouraged gossip about me. People spying on me. After so many years of manipulation and guilt trip. And it almost damaged my faith. I was called a sinner and not qualified to serve in the church. For a long time, I thought i was crazy and was the one seeing things wrong. The whole facade of holiness had basically brainwashed me. I have so many stories to tell. Maybe one day I will tell it. Now I experience the freedom and direct leading of the Holy Spirit, and not man.
I'm sorry you had this experience. I Pastor an Apostolic church and we do NOT have this type of ideology or culture. We realize that many "others" will be saved and that our appearance is not tied to salvation. I realize that many have been wounded, hurt, or even abused in Pentecostal churches, and I seek to rectify that as much as possible. Thanks for sharing your story, and if anyone else watching would like to hear about a Spirit-Filled church in the Apostolic faith that is NOT the way that is described here, please reach out. God Bless.
@Chris Thank you for your reply Pastor. I have interviewed a handful of United Pentecostal and other Apostolic pastors who hold to the Apostolic tradition but we are seen as fringe-edge or black-sheep Pentecostals because, like you, they see Love and Grace transcending rules, regulations and man-made ideals. I appreciate that move that is taking place. Blessings,
Yes! Thank you for this, well said. This is exactly what God kept showing me, Idolatry... I'm hearing it a lot with different ones who have decided to leave, which is confirmation for me. Thank you for taking the time to post these blogs and to openly share your story, God bless you and your family!!
Thank you for stopping by! I am but one voice out of thousands crying out about the false doctrines of abusive religious organizations. We can now clearly see, that who the Son sets free, is free indeed! Come out of bondage, legalism and the yoke of 'law' that Oneness Pentecostalism wishes to burden you down with and live in the liberty of Christ! God bless,
I think of this in the context of Paul's life. He went from a religious zealot filled with pride regarding his religious pedigree and knowledge of the Law to pursuing Christ. Religion died and a relationship with God was born!! The Lord he persecuted in the name of religion BECAME his Savior. Paul is proof that there is a difference between religion and a relationship with a living and loving LORD. Praise God that He changed your heart. God bless you.
I use to be forced into the religion. What you said about spiritual blackmail is so true though! I've heard that same get in the boat message too, and so many times in the church. Getting yelled at basically in every church service about how if we ever leave the church God will shun us. It's toxic and not right I'm so glad I left.
That's another thing I didn't like about Pentecostal & Baptist preachers. Pounding on the pulpit, screaming at people. Then there are those, that get televised, getting caught, hooking up with hookers.
I appreciate what you do it is worth it and it makes a difference I too left a UPC church 3 years ago and a lot of what you say it hits home I think did we go to the same church? Because my former Pastor he said a lot of the same things your pastor said and no one can feel or know what we know only after they take the step we did I have come to that conclusion I have family thankfully In that particular church that still love me and we have a great relationship only because I talked to them before I left and I wanted them to hear it from me and know that I wanted them in my life, I knew that once I left that things would be said about me and if I left without talking to the ones I loved they could be sucked into that because of the loyalty they have toward the Pastor I was very respectful to the Pastor and he even acknowledged that but the mere act that I left was enough alone to make me an outcast to him and that church I’m sorry I went on and on but brother you helped me out a lot I appreciate your work
I left the UPC in 2003 and was ostracized by my former pastor. He told me not to talk to any person in his church, even though I had made a lot of friends. It's been a struggle to acclimate to a non-UPC church. I think that's another sign of the toxicity of the legalism that they espouse. I'm so glad though, that I have left the organization and I have embraced the true power of grace, which has nothing to do with external standards. Thanks for your video. I'm sure it will help a lot of people
So glad you left this horrible cult. What you're describing is happening in a lot of churches. So many preachers don't want to be shepherds, they want to be self-serving dictators.
Antoinette Chatagnier The word of God declared that the Spirit would lead us into all truth. I am thankful that he opened your eyes in a time of spiritual darkness. God bless
It was so nice to come across your site! God bless you for your work. I grew up Roman Catholic, and was even considering becoming a monk, but things just did not add up theologically. When I finally left, the big one Roman Catholics face is turning their backs on Jesus by turning their backs on the Eucharist. Well, Eucharist means Union, and to think that you have the right to "hold God hostage" by professing God in one breath, and covering up raping of children and lots of other man made doctrines of "tradition" as if this justifies it, is just plain wrong. Better to live in truth than to accept a lie, and that is my advice to many well meaning Roman Catholics out there. Leave and don't feel guilty. It is your duty to leave a corrupt church. I was a caregiver for my mother for 8 years, as she was paralyzed from a stroke. When she went home, they denied me a funeral, because they said she could have attended mass every sun, with assistance. We even had a dangerous steep driveway, which is dangerous for a person in a wheelchair, depending totally on the caregiver for her very life. No excuses, I was told. Luckily I found a compassionate priest who did a memorial "service" but no funeral. UNHEARD OF!! People can't believe it, but it's true. Talk legalism? Canon lawyers in the Roman Catholic church. "Sacred" Canons? Rules of Thomas Aquinas..I commend you on your work. When I was interested in the Trappists, only thing they wanted to know was how much college I have had. Not my life experience, or my heart, just how logical I could be. In my opinion, the Roman Catholic church is a system of logical theology, and that's all they care about....doctrine, doctrine, doctrine, and controlling you, your bankbook, and even your children, must go to Catholic school, or it's a sin. I now a happy Christian, a happy Episcopalian. God bless your ministry!!! Peace to all who read this...I've never experienced the Protestant abuse, but it's a real mind-warper! Even Eastern Orthodox believe they are special in God's sight, cause they are Orthodox. Concentrate on the teachings of Jesus.
@Gary Thank you for sharing this, and being part of the channel. I know that the Roman Catholic church is very much like that, which inspired my writing on the Similarities Between Oneness Pentecostalism and Mideival Roman Catholicism. So very sorry you had to endure that abuse. Blessings,
You are spot on!! Tattle on everyone and Pastor has to be right, always. Noone ever hears from God except for ministry. I waa told I was dragging my son and myself into hell because we were trying to help the youth minister's daughter from being abused by her parents who put marks on her, called her worthless. Out of the goodness of our hearts we were trying to help but they twisted it.
Dude, loving these videos. I'm still in the upc church but it for certain reasons that can't be helped. As far as SPIRITUALLY, I left long ago. What was rhe genesis of my choice? I started studying the bible. God's word drew me away from religion.
@@mcmurphp1 you left the church because of the hypocrite member? brother its not the people that you worship its GOD..as long the church teaches the true doctrine of JESUS we must stay.. its not the church members why we stay at church its JESUS
I was in a spiritually abusive Word of Faith mega church for three years and wish I would have left sooner. Most of the abuse occurred from other members I served in media auxiliary with who were close to lower level leadership, had been at that church longer than I and allowed themselves to be used in proxy of the pastor. So it was really coming straight from the head pastor towards me whenever I openly questioned or disagreed with something or someone. Not slander, not gossip, but simply had a difference of opinion or conviction about something, and in one instance was absolutely necessary to openly reject what came from the pulpit on a Sunday during conversation after service, due to strong biblical error. In retaliation, my having a disability was subtly mocked from both the people I served along side and the pulpit because I didn't go along with whatever and was excluded from certain things or shunned socially. Thinking for yourself isn't allowed there and is seen as a threat. Very cult like. I see a lot of parallels of spiritual abuse in Pentecostalism and Word of Faith.
I grew up Methodist, baptized Pentecostal (born again), married Mormon, divorced Mormon, married Catholic, went to previous mentioned services and Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and JW. Nothing seemed to click with me. I just went through the motions of being a believer. Then I started investigating more than the most recent versions of the New Testament. That's when things started adding up. The truth has been lost in translations, redactions, substitutions, editions, and cultural biases. We all must relearn from the earliest scriptures and religions histories if we are to find truth. Go for it boys and girls!
@@Fashn4LaDieS That didn’t work for me. I went to the different versions of the Bible. Then I started to get my answers. The truth set me free from pulpit heresy.
2:56 Us vs them mentality. We are the right, they are the wrong. You have to come into our way to be right. And if you don't obey all of our ideals then your can't be right. And if you can't be right then you can't be saved. There's the definition of legalism. Mark 7:7 meditate on
Bro, what a coincidence. I accidentally came across your RUclips. Everything you said, I saw in my former Pentecostal church. Thank God, I am out of there some tears back. Hallelujah
Everything you talked about is what I did to innocent sheep. I was active duty and did preaching as a side job. I hurt good people for selfish reasons. I was fake, foolish and a false preacher. I split up families and became a very controlling leader. I am now reaping what I sowed. It’s painful and I deserve everything the Lord is doing to me. I thought I was a strong and courageous sergeant how knew God better than anyone. But in reality, I was a scared, weak and a pathetic person. I was a very self-serving man hiding behind a fig leaf. I have tears as I type this. I am so sorry for what I have done. I live in constant fear and anxiety now as I fumble through life. Some days it’s not worth living anymore. I am so sorry. So very sorry for what I have done and for those I have hurt.
Fear and anxiety comes from Satan. Sgt be grateful God opened your eyes to what is truly biblical. Sounds like you have much knowledge about things not of Jesus Christ. There are many people who are bound for an eternity in hell you can reach. Look at what life Saul lead before he turned his life around to live for Jesus Christ
We have a Loving Forgiving Heavenly Father/repent through King Jesus Mediator Redeemer for Holy Spirit renewal restoration in your prayer closet. Forgive yourself The Blood Of The Lamb paid the price in full/It is finish...devil is a liar and wants to throw your past to your face/still accusing you ...There’s Power In The Blood ❤
Thank you for sharing this video. I was a part of the UPC for half of my life. i was 14 when i joined and now im 28 and preparing to leave. i was gone for 6 months and went back because i felt alone and felt bad for leaving. now i want to leave for good but dont know how. but everything you said is spot on. hopefully i can leave the upc cult for good this time. thanks for sharing and have a blessed day.
Hi there and thanks for stopping by. I've experienced that many people are locked in fear about the curse of God coming on you for leaving. And, because we cut off the majority of.the world around us, when we leave the abusive religious system of Oneness Pentecost, we can feel even more isolated and alone. But, I promise you, there are enormous communities out there that can help you, even on Facebook I belong to many communities like Breaking Out, I Used to ...Up, Faith After Deception, and may more. I also found that after I left and spent a long time truly studying, my faith increased. My prayers are with you.
yeah. they teach you to get rid of your family and friends when you join the church and youre taught that the church is youre only true family. its built that way so that when you leave, you have no one. you broke youre relationships when you joined the church and now that you left the church you have no one because the church is told not to fellowship with you any more. its sad.
Thanks for sharing your story brother, I was in Upc for 17 years (I had left for a year at one point, but felt so much condemnation inside that I went back for another 3 years) Left for good 2 years ago now, still healing, and vids like this have helped a lot. I’ve just recently gotten to the point where I can study and understand the Word with a clean pair of lenses, so to speak. Funny, Mark 7:7 was the exact scripture The Lord used to lead me out this final time. It was so scary, having been in it from age 20 to 37, my entire identity was wrapped up in that organization. But after stepping out in faith, and relocating to live near family and finding a new church, I have been so blessed, and I can see The Hand of The Lord in every area of my life! My life is so full of love and peace and joy now! Hallelujah! Thank you merciful, gracious Jesus!
So glad to hear your story LisaMarie! It was these kinds of videos that helped me in my time of leaving. I was absolutely alone - my wife stayed in the organization and all but one friend cut me off, and even that one friend eventually cut me. Our community of 'outsiders' is vital to healing. Blessings to your freedom and journey ahead and I look forward to being part of that.
It is a very good video. I have paid tithes every week for years and my truck still broke down. The Pastor at the church you attended is misleading people to believe that if they pay tithes they would have problems. I give and pay tithes by choice. Not by obligation.
I go to a Pentecostal church I had a 35 year drug and alcohol addiction it was broken the day I walked into that church I simply take what applies to me in the moment please don’t judge me I’m still new but I’m simply saying I’m not where I was I’ve learned one thing everybody’s journey is different I respect that 💕🙏💕
I am sorry for what the pastor did concerning your mother's memorial service. Very wrong, unloving and uncalled for. Not a Christian response at all- where was the love? He has built for himself a throne and a kingdom. SMH Yes, in an unhealthy church, the focus is on the church/group and/or the pastor. While a believer's focus should be on God, the teachings and practices of unhealthy churches help to bring about a change in that to where our focus shifts to them and we don't even realize it while it's happening. So many things we thought we were doing for God were in actuality for our church and pastor. You are doing a nice job on these videos. I like your presentation and attitude and they are very easy to watch.
Thank you @Christian Koinonia. I greatly appreciate you sharing my videos to help get the word out and for your support to others who went through this journey as well.
Unfortunately, sometimes we worship, praise and listen People in the church, not God thru Holly Spirit. But if we are looking for Him, He will guide us to the Truth, Himself. Amen. Pray for people around the world.
At 2:00 A.M. in the morning last night, I had the realization that we were conditioned and trained to be, "Little, Pentecosttal Robots!" All of our actions or even possible actions were legislated into acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Afterall, we were "A PECULAR PEOPLE," and we had to look and act as "PECULAR" as possible, and definitely NOT fit into other churches or normal society. I encourage ALL young people and middle-aged people to explore other Charismatic Churches, for the purpose of discovering there is a "Normal" alternative to the UPC!
Hi Jeannie - you are correct. I look back at my time in the Apostolic Pentecostal faith and I see a bunch of automatons running around doing the bidding of the pastor. Our loyalty was to the pastor, not to Christ. That, unfortunately, is the sadness of the Pentecostal faith. Jesus takes a back seat to the local church leaders.
It’s a good thing you left because God’s real church is supposed to be under Paul’s gospel or ministry and we are under grace today. I hope you have your grace awakening like I have. I was in the UPC for 36 years and just left in August of this year-best thing that ever happened to me!!
Wow! Congratulations! Isn't it SOOO Wonderful and Freeing? 🤗 I have left all the lies myself! I pray more people will see the error and leave also. May God enlighten more and more eyes to all of the Apostolic Pentecostal false doctrines.
They teach about GRACE, but I don't think they understand, "GRACE!" It's a FREE GIFT and not dependent upon keeping LEGALISTIC LAWS and jumping thru hoops, trying to be in Church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wed. night Bible Study, Friday night youth groups, Sat. afternoon bake sales or church cleaning, etc....... Grace is ours, once we know Jesus, whether or not we choose to JUMP THRU Pentecostal HOOPS!
I've always wondered, "How are they "Apostolic?" The apostles never preached LEGALISM. because Jesus came to destroy the LEGALISTIC SYSTEM of His day: The LEGALISM of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I love your insight and gift of discernment , I'm a thinker myself , we are instructed to test everyone by there fruits , they were like the scribes and Pharisees, all commandments no Grace , All do and don't, the letter of the law that kills instead of the spirit of the law that is freely given and restores, watch out for artificial fruits IMITATING THE Holy Spirit that HAS no foundation, JESUS
Hello and thank you for being so open. I was in a UPC Church from age 3 until I left as a teenager; returning several times as an adult. My story is much deeper as I was molested at the age of 9 by the co-pastor who later became pastor (his mother was original Pastor). The control affected myself, my family, our lives. My mother who was a prayer warrior, Sunday School Teacher, and preached at youth services at times continued in the church till her death. I am almost 69 yrs old now. I so wish I could speak to someone about my experiences, the affects of the Pentecostal requirement for Total OBEDIENCE . I am still controlled by those teaching in some ways. I have no faith in man but Love God. Still feel the need to protect this man and his family and the church even after his death. I wish there was some way to speak of my story without posting it here for all to see. I am not that brave.
@Kekeami How unbelievably sad! I also understand your hesitation. Most people who simply leave without a story to tell are afraid of the backlash and judgementalism of going public. Kekeami, I am by no means a counselor, and I can do little for you in that regards, but I would suggest you visit www.spiritualabuse.org, which I have found to be very helpful, and you will find a lot of support, stories, and articles from people just like you. The one thing that helped me the most was knowing I'm not alone and have somewhere and someone to turn to. It sounds like that is something you need as well. Their Facebook page is also a place to find connections and articles to help. Lastly, there is a book that was instrumental in coping with my thoughts on the experience, and that is The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse. I'll provide the link here. goo.gl/AgStoz Please visit my blog site where you can use the Contact form to connect with me directly. I'll be glad to be a talking point for you. Visit my blog at dividetheword.blog
I recently left the only thing I ever knew with church ''Apostolic''. I am now going to a church that was once Apostolic, but left the legalistic views several years ago. This has been a hard adjustment for me. Apostolic is all I've ever known. I went there time after time sitting in the pews dying, because I was empty and so miserable. My husband said we should try this new church that had left the Apostolic doctrine and I was hesitant, because I knew that if I did I would lose friends I had in the Apostolic church. It's almost like they would rather you go nowhere and go to Hell than go to "that kind of church" . I am still adjusting, but I do love my new church. There is such a freedom there and if you went in with a blind fold on to this church you would never know the difference in their worship and the Apostolic worship. They still praise God and love him with their whole hearts.
@Prometheus I am sorry to hear about your circumstances, though I have heard it many, many times. Please visit my blog, at www.dividetheword.blog/contact and send me a message. I am part of many ex UPC and Cult groups that I connect you to.
You're not alone. I was raised in the UPCI and remember so many times I was embarrassed. When I left, people who I thought were my life long friends and my actual family, cut me off completely. It's been 8 years since I left and I know who I am mor now than I ever have. The UPCI IS a cult. The people who stay have devoured the "koolaid" so to speak. If God exists, I can certainly tell you, He's NOT in the Pentecostal church. They breed narcissistic psychopaths that thrive on brainwashing the simple minded. I hope we find peace. Anger isn't worth it.
Hi Melodi, thank you so much for the amazing comment. You are right - the spirit that these churches experience isnt God's, I've come to the conclusion it was manufactured. Was it always coincidence that the louder the preacher shouted, the more 'Holy Ghost' there was? The most part of course is the devotion to the leader. My old pastor told a young man who had just asked permission to marry a girl in the church, "Until I feel you unwavering loyalty I won't give you one of these girls." So that young man is going on to show unwavering loyalty. The right hand man in the church would often say, "You come against my man of God....boy, you'll get the five folded ministry!" This was said while pumping a fist in the air. This man of God has robbed disabled elderly people on Social Security of their incomes, demanding they pay tithes even when unable to afford basic living necessities. This man was found guilty of violating child labor laws, using church kids unpaid in a commercial company owner by the pastor, and paid nealry $1million in settling a defamation after publically shaming the man who exposed the violating of children. And there are those who have had enough koolaid to continue calling this man a true Man of God. It's a shame. But being angry towards them only emboldens the followers to stand by the craziness.
Great video and insight. I agree there appears to be too much power given to pastors, almost pope like reverence given to them and are infallible. Basically putting your salvation in the hope they are preaching the right interpretations and messages of the bible.
The UPC is a ministerial organization with many flaws. While any religious organization can argue that it helps ministers reach more people, it also becomes more legalistic because of its own "rules" to insure that all their ministers are preaching the same thing. UPC is NOT "THE CHURCH". No manmade organization is!! That is why their are many independent Apostolic churches. Churches that I have attended have never demanded tithing or anything else. The individual congregants had differing views on standards. The pastors preached modesty and temperant behavior, but each individual had to determine in their own mind and heart what that meant. One pastors wife cut her hair. Many women cut their hair, but wore it up or to their shoulders. No one ever preached or questioned coloring my hair, which I did regularly. Skirts were prevalent at church, but pants were worn casually or split skirts. Make-up was usually worn with a light modest touch. All churches, no matter what denomination, tend to take on the personality of the pastor. I think ministerial organizations lend themselves to that. Even so, not all pastors are like that!! Why didn't you leave earlier?? Acts 2:38 and the Apostolic doctrine in the Bible are not wrong simply because men want to be tyrants!! Do not lose your soul because their are hypocrites in the church. My Mother told me, " If the persons in front of me, behind me, beside me in the pew, are all hypocrites, and even those preaching, then I will go to be with the Lord alone". We are only responsible for ourselves! I love my Apostolic and pastor, but he is not my God, and I am not afraid to disagree and make up my own mind. The congregants you speak of have no backbone!
Ohhhh yeah the whole “you won’t have your spiritual blessings if you leave” the spiritually abusive church I was in told that to a friend who was leaving at the same time we were. Horrible.
Jennifer Marconi Yep if you leave you won’t be blessed because you’re out of the will of God. This has been told to us at church. I’m so torn, leave ..... stay..... leave
Or their famous word they use "Disobedience." If you leave they say you are being disobedient and God won't bless you if you leave the church. This is what I'm going through right now. 😣
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The holiness Pentecostal Church is included. My daughter and I was so traumatized, that it has broken us and we're just trying to build our lives back
I left the assemblies of God pentacostal church in Australia, the pastor said to me when I left - You,ll never hear Gods voice again , no I will never hear your voice again! , I am still a Christian 38 years later, but must admit I am wary of church organizations now, so I dont belong to a church, but do visit an evangelical anglican church that my friend is vicar of ,thanks for your blog, many of us can relate to it, God Bless Tim
I’ve been called a whore and slave for piercing my ears and dying my hair. My own mother is brainwashed that she doesn’t realize how much mental abusive has been brought upon me. I was raised in a Pentecostal church. It’s taken me 20 years to have the courage to walk away from something that has brought so much pain instead of joy. Videos like this gives hope to me that I’m not alone and that I’m not wrong in thinking the same way. God is love. He wouldn’t treat people as this church does.
I was raised in the United Pentecostal Church international. My dad was a pastor and a founder of the church in pinconning, Michigan and I lived that way for 35 years. Finally, when I was 37 I started to research and read things for myself because I had Left the church for a while and went crazy partying and everything else and then I came back and I started to research the Bible for myself and found that so much was twisted. Scriptures were twisted to fit their narrative and it was legalism and everything they were making us do like women had to wear skirts and women couldn't wear jewelry. Women couldn't wear makeup. Oh my goodness god gave Jules to his children in the Bible. Anyways, this always gets me upset and I always can go on and on about standards. But I prayed that God would start to from our church, remove everything that was not of God and my husband became the assistant pastor after my dad had passed away. Now I'm the assistant pastor's wife and we've changed. We pulled out of the UPC and now are not denominational. We call herself apostolic Pentecostal still but we do not believe in any of their standards. We do believe baptism in Jesus name and in feeling of the holy Ghost. But now I pierce my ears. I wear makeup. I wear pants. I cut my hair. I dye my hair. Just wanted to share this when I think of what I went through and everything was forced to do. I still get upset and so does my sister and I continue to pray that God will help me forgive the UPC and not feel so bitter. I don't want my bitterness and dislike towards them to keep me out of heaven 😢
It's not just the Pentecostal churches that don't treat you as Jesus would. It's a lot of them. After being a missionary and attending different types of churches for the past couple of decades, it almost feels like the majority of people who go to church aren't even saved. It's very sad and I totally understand why people are rejecting Christianity and embracing new age and other eastern religions. Not that I would, but I understand it 😢
That is such an unbelievably harsh word to hear from anyone who allegedly loves you 😳 I am deeply sorry you experienced this.
@@rhondaalmeida6104 I was raised in GoD church, we moved from Mexico to US and attending an UPCI church. No issues so far until a few months, they want my kids to take holiness classes, now they are sending me zoom invites for holiness for kids, etc.
I attended a apostolic/ pentecostal church since I was born. I was taught that the church was the way to God and without going to church I was some kind of rebel. While I was younger I would go to church with my parents and they instructed me to love music so I did. I eventually ended up being part of the worship team playing multiple instruments. When I was about 21-22 there was some pastor that went in and preached at the church I was attending. His message was that speaking in tongues is the true sign that you've recieved the holy spirit. At the end of the sermon he made everybody that hadn't spoken in tongues go to the altar and stand, close our eyes and say "I love you Jesus" over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. As people were saying this that preacher would go around pinning a small piece of red paper to our shirts in representation of the ones who had recieved the holy spirit. As I was saying this line I felt myself just stumbling on my words and ending up in a dry mouth but this man went over to me and pinned a little red tag to my shirt. In my head I would think this can't possibly be me speaking in tongues because I'm literally just saying one phrase over and over. When it was all over he rejoiced and everyone did aswell because so many people had red tags on them. This was one of the most idiotic, ridiculous, misleading, garbage that I have ever experienced in my entire life. This happens far too often and it's a hoax to get people to come to their churches. At the end of the day it's all a monetary gain. I remember I attended many church between the ages of 0 all the way to 25 and everyone required the members give 10% of their check. I remember I was talked to by the pastor because I was a drummer and playing in the praise team and he told me it isn't right that I am a worshipper and I'm not giving my 10%. These churches are all just means to make money. Please if you're reading this analyze the situation and don't be afraid to question. Don't feel alone If you decide to leave these places. God is with you nomatter where you are. Don't feel alone recognize the places are a cult that pray on people for monetary gain. My uncle was a pastor in one of these churches and he died and at his funeral they made it into a sermon asking people to come to Jesus and be baptized. His church was GIVEN away to some random person that didn't work for it at all. This made me realize that it's all about money. Please be careful everyone with these cultists
In the Bible what was the first thing that happened when a believer recieved the Holy Spirit ? Christians are human. They make mistakes. The bottom line is what does the Word say. The book of Acts is the beginning of the Christian church. All of Paul's letters are," To the Saints at.." They were already born again Christians and what Paul taught them about salvation can be seen in Acts ch.19.
To find fault with people in a church as a reason for leaving is an excuse to do what we feel like doing.
One doesn’t seek tongues/One seeks Jesus and during praise it can flow out and unknown tongue/word language Repetition phrases aren’t going to cut it.That preacher was way off base...Just dialoguing
@@robertnieten7259so go to a church that has little or no integrity, lies are told ; you have to speak in tounges, you have give 10% of your pay, none of which is in the bible, it's simply made up by men. But you say go to this fake church anyway, you're an idiot brainwashed.
@@robertnieten7259You ever heard of the Pharisees ? Jesus was everything they weren't. Which camp are you in ?
@@leonceboudreauxwolf I'm in the camp with my savior, Jesus !
I'm about to throw my phone. You have GOT to be kidding me. Did you go to my church and sit through every single sermon? My God! I remember being at noon prayer in my church and the Lord said clearly! LEAVE. I was so confused. This is where he saved me, this was suppose to be the church I died in. I fast prayed fasted prayed and the Lord led me to a real Christ centered church. I can't not tell you how happy I am now. How free and unashamed to invite someone to my new church less they be can a stank sinner. The grandiose mindset I have been delivered from. My God! Thank you for sharing! 8 months free!
I began going to a Pentecostal church and I started seeing red flags everywhere.. Manipulation was rampant on getting new converts. I soon recognized this type of legalism completely denies grace and denying grace is denying Christ.. I now boldly follow Jesus in my pants and ear rings and love them all openly.. Praise God!!
UPC is evil
I've started seeing this. Even thou I knew that I was assisting to an UPCI church, now they started trying me to sign up for Holiness for kids. I dont believe "teaching" holiness makes you holy. I understand teach the bible but when Jesus is in our hearts you live in holiness but not legalism
You don't know how grateful I am to have found your video. I have lived my whole life around evangelical Pentecostals. Most of the time, I was forced to attend their maddening services, their horribly loud crazymaking and disrespectful sounds. Time passed, I grew up, I moved to Spain with my mother in my teens and, thank God, I was able to get away and see things with more perspective and decide what kind of belief I wanted or if I really wanted to be part of a religion. At the age of 18, I fell back into the clutches of an evangelical cult of the assembly of God. From 18 to 23 years old, I continued attending, although I no longer believed in the bullshit they told. It's been 4 years since I decided to cut off all contact with neo-Pentecostalism and with too many legalistic people. Now I feel that I am prepared to know the true love of God in my life. Once again, thank you very much for your testimony.
I grew up in a United Pentecostal Church. We were told we were going to hell if we didn't speak in tongues. My family quit when I was 12 and every friend I had there, my only friends because I couldn't be friends with non Pentecostals, they abandoned me. Shunned me. I walked away from God himself after that even though just a child. I'm now saved by Jesus and His sacrifice! Amen
So glad to hear from you and to know about your grace awakening! True freedom is not found being yoked again unto bondage in the Pentecostal/Oneness system. It is found solely in Jesus Christ.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. ~ 1 John 2:27
Yes this is what we are being told, if you don’t speak in tongues you won’t make it in. There is only one true church .... ours! All other churches are false. Please pray for me. Please .....
LaNeeCollard My self and my twin brother left upc back in 1990. Had bad pastors,they were very demanding hateful. Way I look at it it’s hard enough get people in upc and they throw them out faster than they get them in.
@@lawrencethomas7975 UPC IS NOT A CHURCH!! IT IS A MINISTERIAL ORGANIZATION THAT LICENCES MINISTERS. THERE ARE MANY APOSTOLIC CHURCHES THAT ARE NOT LIKE YOUR DESCRIPTION AND ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPC. My experience since childhood has been very very different.
Patricia Hein Thank you Patricia for replying .I don’t really understand some of your comments like U P C not a church.The way you explain it I never heard about that.But I do know history and what I went threw the years in U P C.I did finish also in U P C college. When I was speaking about my brother had problems in the church he was from Tennessee and I from a different state.The first church in Upc was the wonderful preacher I ever had,a fine man which love us.then I move and I was going to another church ,he was old but a wonderful preacher but he died then I had nothing but poor mean pastors.Well I left UPC many years found some church’s will teacher me like a person and better teaching.You never explain your childhood.Today UPC can’t treat people today like they did in the 60 and 70 or they won’t come back.
The Pentecostal Church was forced on me as a little boy. It was terrifying. It was literally soul sucking. Thank you for posting this
I was in the United Pentecostal Church from the 3rd grade until I was 23. Everything you're saying is the truth. I was so spiritually abused by more than one pastor I sat under and it has affected my whole life. I'm now 47 and still struggle with flashbacks to the abuse almost on a daily basis. I'm so thankful that when I left in 1996 I prayed with all sincerity of heart and read my Bible for months that God would open my understanding to what His truth was, and not what I had been brainwashed into believing. He did just that. When my understanding was opened to the gospel of grace it was the best day of my life. It was then I was truly saved. When I read that we could not earn our salvation by works all of the chains of fear, condemnation, and guilt were immediately broken. I was free. My relationship with the Lord is deeper and stronger than it ever was while I was in the UPC. I'm so thankful for the questions I started having that lead up to my courage to exit. You sure don't bring up questions to the pastor. They don't like that. He had no scriptural answers for me and I knew it was time to go. My husband was feeling the same way at the same time. Also, things were happening that didn't sit well with my husband and myself. The final straw was at a harvest (halloween) party when the pastor's wife and another lady came dressed as black women. They were white and they had used something to blacken their faces and any skin that showed and we're talking like Mammie from Gone with the Wind. We had a young mother who was black and a new convert that had been coming to church and she was there that night. She was hurt and my husband and I were shocked and in complete disbelief that they had done that. My husband spoke up to the pastor's wife and she put her finger in his face and rebuked him saying, " Get thee behind me satan" because he confronted her on the blatant racism. Needless to say that was it for us. We never went back and that young mother didn't either. This pastor and wife had just moved to where I lived at this time and took over the church. We had several black families in our church. I don't know what happened to the rest of them cause we stopped going. I will never step foot into another UPC church. From the age of 8 until 23 I was in fear of going to hell every single day no matter how hard I tried to follow all of the rules. No child should ever live with that kind of fear. Thanks for sharing your story. People need to be made aware of how bad it can be in the UPC. I have so many stories I could tell but I won't.
Bless you for having the guts to leave. I saw enough of the possessed behaviour in that church, when I was 3 & 4, where my great grandma & aunts attended, to scare me into joining a much quieter church, where people can feel the spirit.
Same here kiddo. They got to me when I was 17 (baptist and AOG). Physical violence was very common. Even though i've been out for 20 years I still have to get it out of my head every day.
There might be a few in here that will say it's your fault, if you leave such a "holy" church...well, you just must have a nefarious spirit, evil motives...hogwash. I'm in my 70's and have a lifetime of experience with UPC and Apostolic type churches. I've met some individuals who were really sincere and loving people, but, the larger percentage have been hurtful, selfish, inconsiderate, and sometimes downright hateful. The accounts of what I've read in here of y'all's experiences rings very true, and I'm sincerely sorry that anyone had to go through it. There's no excuse except willful ignorance. Love is the greatest of the gifts, yet, there's little of that in these churches. You can't give out to others what you yourself don't have. Thank God for His grace and mercy, in them is true spiritual freedom to live our lives in the Jesus Way, loving Christ, and loving others as the Word of God teaches us to. May the Sea Walker wrap y'all in His arms and healing to hearts, we're still on this journey and we need each other to finish this course.
Me and my wife left a Pentecostal Holiness church last year. The process was painful, and my family was left devastated. But allowing the Lord to perform spiritual detox is beautiful and rewarding. If you are in that process as well, be patient. God is much bigger than you could ever imagine!
Hello Jonathan
I left nearly two years ago and the process has been painful, and in some small ways, continues to be painful. However, the joy of following the message of Christ without the brain-block of the UPC/Oneness Pentecostal movement has been more rewarding. Knowing Scriptures and God without that disastrous system clouding my judgment has allowed me to be closer to what I see 'Christians' being in Scripture.
Blessings on your journey,
People in church say many times that it takes courage to live for God and stay in church. It takes more courage to admit to being deceived for many years and fight the peer pressure to step away and take breath of fresh air.
If you need to crank the PA system up to 11 just to get people to run the aisles and yell and scream, maybe it's not the Spirit moving the service after all.
slayer1am I must agree. I eventually started wearing ear plugs to church because of always leaving with a headache. I finally used a sound meter to prove I wasn't nuts and it was hitting 90db which is enough to cause permanent hearing damage.
The Spirit likewise doesn't make people twitch, and spasm, and flop around like fish out of the water.
It's impossible without prayer and intimacy with Jesus , we need the comforter, the teacher , the holy Spirit , lamp upon our feet , or we can do nothing in our own power , we will not be able to love people who are unloveable like Jesus did all the way to the cross . . .
Bingo
Divide The Word Blog Divide The Word Blog I currently am dealing with this, I met a young woman who has a wonderful heart and many admirable qualities that I could not find elsewhere and I chose her to be my wife. She has attended a Pentecostal church denomination her whole life. Her grandfather was the preacher and now her uncle is and all of her immediate family goes there so she has been bred into it. I currently do not know how to talk with her about it but I do not feel comfortable when I go there. I don’t like bashing any denomination because I feel that the devils greatest trick would be to divide all Christians, but every time I’m there I feel like an outcast because it’s like if I’m not worshipping and going crazy shouting and screaming and convulsing then I’m not really worshipping and they won’t come out and directly say it but I get the strong feeling that they do not feel that I’m right in Gods eyes and that I’ve never received the Holy Spirit because I don’t speak in tongues. I just don’t know what to do considering my wife will never probably try to think openly about it because not only would it be her feeling as if she is disobeying but I have a feeling that she would also feel like she would be dishonoring her family. How do you explain that you are worshiping just as well as they are even though you don’t jump shout and go crazy?
Our pastor likes the sound loud. Me and my hubby run the sound system and we turn it down the audience speaker after the pastor goes on stage to preach. Lol! We’ve had a elderly man tell us it was loud and thats why people dont like to go to loud churches.
I came out of a denomination called Free Holiness. And I can relate to so much of this. I had about 23 years invested before seeing truth enough to leave. And they are more hard core than this group he’s talking about in one aspect. They teach that after you receive the Holy Ghost, salvation, that you no longer sin. And if you commit one sin, you lose your salvation and can Never get it back. That’s correct: they teach that if you commit one sin after becoming a Christian, that you are forever doomed without hope. And they also believe it’s Holiness or Hell. All others are wrong. So glad to be out of that denomination 🙌🙌👏👏
I spent 15 years in a Pentecostal church. It was truly oppressive. I am so glad to be free of the bondage of it.
I was saved and baptized in a Pentecostal church along with my mom and daughter which I feel it was God's plan for our salvation but after 3 years of their crazy ways of no wearing pants , makeup, just everything really made me think wait a second why are these people following man's doctrine instead of following Jesus. I was like all these people are fooled. I was astonished on how many mean people were in there and just a lot of jezebel leaders and it's ironic because they perceive a jezebel as someone who wears makeup because it says in the Bible she did her eyes but it's just the spirit. I felt like they were making not wearing makeup and not cutting their hair as an idol. It was just to much, thank you for sharing.
Wow! I faded out of my Pentecostal church about 7 years ago. I'm glad to see someone else who experienced some of the same things I experienced. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you @Robin for commenting!
I really appreciate your honesty and truthfulness. I attend a UPC church at the time but I'm not in agreement with much of the mindset that exists in the movement as a whole. The pastor preaches good sermons and the people who attend there are very nice folks. I have seen what you are sharing go on in that movement, if it ever starts where I'm attending (for the time being).....I'm gone! It takes a lot of courage for you to do what you have done. I greatly admire you. God Bless you and order your footsteps both now and in the future.
Thank you, Bruce, for stopping by and for the kind comments. It is encouraging to keep up the fight. There is just too much hate, judgmentalism and exclusivity in the system that must be exposed.
It’s sad but not all Pentecostal churches are like this. My mom passed away in December and the church she was member at for a long time has a new pastor. Without hesitation he said we could have her service there. Mind you my mom had not attended church there for over a year and me not being a member not being in any church. It’s sad when churches do this but not all churches and it’s members are the same. That goes for every religion.
I do understand when it comes to the preaching because I have sat in services that were not preached in love but I finally found an apostolic church that does. And it’s been an extreme beautifully emotional change. God has changed me and my love for him has never been this strong.
It is good to hear truth about what goes on in UPC congregations . UPC Pastors have too much control over people's lives ..
I was raised in the Pentecostal church. Many of my fathers relatives are preachers, bishops, heads of churches. I used to be a Sunday School teacher and went to church most days of the week and my father impressed on us to not be a "part of the world". All claimed to be "Holy saints of the most high God". Before I was 10 years old I knew what it was to be punched in the face by an adult, punt kicked across the floor, whipped to the point of passing out and being kept from school for two weeks so nobody could see the swelling on my body from the wire whip that tore into my flesh. As a teenager the minister approached myself and a female friend of mine and said he wanted to talk about sex. I told him "no, we are just friends and are not planning on having sex so no sex talk was needed". The minister left but continued to push us to talk about sex with him. I complained and was told to not question the preacher. I told others the preacher was lying about things and they told me I can't say that. One day the preacher called me into the office, he smiled as he told me he was kicking me out of the church. A few minutes later the preacher went to the pulpit and told the church that I was an "emissary of Satan" and was no longer a member of the church. When I got home my father kicked my butt out in the snow, nobody I grew up with helped me at all, not even anyone from my family. I starved, fought to go to school, lived where I could. I am almost 60 now and looking back not one time when I was hungry or cold did anyone from the church or my family reach out to help me from the position they put me through. To this day the same people still call themselves holy.
They are right they are holy...holy crap...What Father GOD hates fruit bearing cults playing church for the sake of appearances...So sorry the way you were treated. Forgive and forget/Stay close to Jesus/makes the devil jealous
I am so glad that you are sharing your story. I too belonged to the UPCI church for 25 years. I've been out for 5 years. It took a long time to heal from spiritual abuse/legalism. I put myself in Christian Counseling. I will say that I came across a a few exit UPCI testimonies, which lead me to a valuable website called Christian Koinonia Support Group ... which was AND STILL a very helpful website to me. I would read and view videos for hours and cry. I thank God for that website and people like you who share your story, to help others (and me). THANK YOU!
I'm glad to hear you got out @Nel Franks! It should be a sign to all when we have to use the terms, 'Coming In', or 'Getting Out'. I too am so thankful for the support I received and that is the reason I want to share my story as well, so that others who come after us have that support.
God bless you and your continuing walk of Faith.
Nel Franks t. Thanks Nel, you have helped me in a huge way.
I am really sorry for the spiritual abuse you and your family suffered at the pentacostal church. Better late than never. You made a decision. Thanks for the video.
Thank You For talking about this, ive suffered much at the hands of these people!! we that have suffered from these peoples abusive behavior need a support group really, as i travel and meet people from all walks of life I find that, there is way more people suffering from this, right here in USA
I left a UPC church in Oregon after 25 years... I grew up in it since a baby... leaving has been the best thing that has happened to me. Slowly God is setting my mind free from legalism
Hello, @Elizabeth Yado I'm glad to hear you also 'got out'! Just three days ago I was walking to my home office (it was a Church night and I had no anxiety because I wasn't going!, and I said, 'This has been the best thing ever, to be free of that 'stuff'.
Thank God that His Word is true when it tells us the Spirit will come and lead us into all truths. Us. Not the single man at the top. All of us will be led into truth, and that truth is not to be found in a spiritually abusive church!
God bless you and your continuing walk of Faith.
What legalism? Do you get that term from the Bible?
The word Bible isn't in the Bible Brian Haley. It seems that you are just trying to troll on a word, but you should understand that the word 'legalism' is a descriptive word which describes a behavior.
Divide The Word Blog I too grew up in that mess. They hate me now cause I confronted them with scrip. Thanks for these videoes. They r money lovers also. So glad I got away from them. I always knew something was wrong. Reason I read my bible cover to cover. Straw that broke it for me was my son when he was 3 said daddy these people r not our friends. Amazing the wisdom God puts in the little ones. Thanks really enjoyed this. God bless bro.
Hi Elizabeth, I am 25, was a licensed minister with the UPCI, 5th generation and I have left also. I completely know this thought process, When God takes the lenses off, you will see all clearly.
I used to be part of OP Church also. i agree with all you said my brother in Christ. Thank God for his grace through Jesus Christ.
"You can't uplift God when you are in idolatry to the man in the church." That one sentence completely sums up everything you are talking about. I left the Pentecostal church back in 2003. It's been difficult sometimes to maintain my independence when my family thinks I've "backslidden" because I no longer adhere to the Pentecostal belief system. Thanks for your video!
Once you are out of legalism of pentecostal church, you feel like a giant rock is lifted off your shoulders.
When I left apostolic Pentecostal church they tried using fear. Pne lady told me "The blood of your family will be on your hands come judgement day"
Left the UPCI , God opened my eyes through Galatians and Romans about the legalism, and He used the book of John to show me the truth of the Tri-unity of Himself, and has lead me into a little reformed theology
Wow' my wife and I are in the same boat.
I have been introduced to reform theology from Piper 'Mcarthur' Sproul' Washer etc. I started studying romans and galatians ehpesians
We are in a UPCI born and raised....im still speaking in tongues when i pray. Not sure of what to hold onto to or let go of.
Please pray for clarity for us. We may be on our way out ' not sure what to do.
Prayer language is important/devil don’t know what you are telling The Father through Christ Jesus with Holy Spirit Helper
Totally agree with everything you talked about, have been through the pentecostal/evangelical system. I've recently left organized religion for good but will still pursue a bible-based relationship with God which will bring me greater joy. Was so sick of the legalism and toxic abuse. This is a world-wide problem.
Yes. Legalism is in a lot of churches. If they don't teach that Jesus saved you from ALL of your sins (not just your past ones) then it's a legalistic church. Only Jesus had the power to pay our debt of sin with His blood and He did that 2000 years ago. He even said, "It is finished".
I pretty much grew up in an Apostolic church. I had left for a few years and came back, but something was off. I just shrugged it off. As the years went by and I was seeking God more than ever, I feel as tho it was God showing me the transition the Apostolic church was making. Things that were preached about were now suddenly ok. Or it was twisted to fit the leadership, but the “ peasants” couldn’t do it. They would use scriptures like Acts 20:28 to justify having control over everything that I did. So finally I met this girl who wasn’t Apostolic, and they had a blast chewing me out and making little sarcastic comments every chance they got. And before I knew half the church knew. Then I started getting judgmental looks from all sides. One of the pastors sat me down and told me to break it off; and that if I kept pursuing this that I would backslide, become charismatic, and eventually lose my soul. That was when I knew this wasn’t right. That’s not how God works at all. Although I am thankful for certain parts of being apart of them. Because they truly did teach me to dig deep in the Word, and study it for myself. And I had a couple of great men there that taught me what I know now and help lay the foundation I have. However, it was time for me to move on and find true freedom in serving God. My wife and I are on fire for God and both of us are more vigilant than we have ever been...and it’s only gonna get better!!! In Jesus Name!!!!!!!
Excellent reply and thank you for sharing your story. Brian Williams!
I've always continued to point back towards Paul when talking about modern Apostolic ministers. Most of them that I've encountered do not reflect Paul in any fashion. Paul led by example. He never condemned, never used fear tactics and most certainly never demanded peoples obedience. My former pastor told a young man who was still IN the church, that wanted to marry another young lady IN the church, "Until I feel your unwavering loyalty I will not let you have one of my girls."
That 'girl' wasn't his daughter, yet he claimed ownership of her. She belonged to Christ. Paul simply asked for people to imitate him in his faith and walk with God. Never demanded people obey his commandments on dress, relationships, etc.
"Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ." - 1 Corinthians 11:1(Amplified Bible)
God bless your future in Christ and freedom!
Divide The Word Blog thx for the response and the videos. It just so happen to pop up on my feed yesterday. I told my wife that your video is by far the best I’ve heard. It’s not just rambling, it’s actual stuff of what I know now many people go thru. And also, I have friends that stay in that because it’s been a generation thing. But keep up the awesome work! I’ll be tuning in and watching to see what your next topic is. Thanks again brother.
Brian Williams similar situa cion,about legalism and control whom the son ,sent free ,is free indeed.alleluya.
Red flag when any Pastor claims ownership of a church member/delusional lying cultic spirit personality attribute/dangerous sign...Just dialoguing...Oh well Scripture reads “Judgement begins first in the House Of The LORD”...Starting with Pastors
The Lord spoke to my heart and said when a believer identifies as their denomination, it is idolatry. They say, I'm a Pentecostal instead of saying I am a born again believer of Jesus, or I'm a child of God.
Plus they teach traditions of men as if they are doctrine and mock grace. They basically deny the gospel for a works salvation. It's fear-based. When I broke free, I felt God for the first time in a very long time. It was so beautiful! He reminded me He paid the price so I wouldn't have to. He told me to rest in His love. I'll never forget that moment. I'm free. I'm saved. I'm loved.
My family and I are struggling with this. We are thinking of leaving the church but fear being condemned. We love our brothers and sisters in Christ but feels like our standing with the church is more important than our relationship with God. For example, If we are not in good standing with the church then we are rebellious and certainly can’t be at peace with God.
Just curious...did you and your family leave the church?
Beautiful presentation. Bless you.
Thank you for sharing your story,
I left the apostolic church a few months back. I was part of the church for almost 7 years. I got in when I was 18 and was sucked in so quick....when I started to realize that I did not agree with what was going on, I felt it was to late. I wasn't allowed to cut my hair/trim, dye my hair...was told I could not wear makeup, pants, jewelry, certain shirts, no hair dying, no pantyhose...some said no eye brow plucking...no movie theaters...going to a doc. Right away was not always recommended....was told that God needed to be given a chance to heal before trusting a doc...the list goes on and on..no missing any kind of church function..getting so much put on you........I felt so trapped and controlled. There was this constant fear of doing something not to their standard and being labeled a backslider. I got to the point that I decided that leaving and finding truth was more important than pleasing others....so much more can be said....I have a story to tell and hopefully in due time I will share it here on facebook in hopes to help others. I am still dealing with the mental manipulation that took place! :/ The constant mentality of the group that only they were saved and have the truth and everyone else is unsaved. I am so much happier away from it now. But seeing others that I used to go to church with still is hard...you know they are judging and looking at you in disgust. It's so hard!
Hello Rebecca H. Thank you for commenting here and sharing your story. I have been out of the Apostolic Pentecostal religion almost a year now, and still, I struggle with the mental side of things. I have interviewed dozens, if not hundreds of people now, and all say the same thing. Years later many of them still struggle, and yet, there is great hope to find the real Grace of God that Paul taught, that salvation was by Faith, through Jesus Christ and the Grace HE offered, not the silly traditions that these men of the Pentecostal religion have made up.
Sadly, the damage of legalism is real, but the truth is that God led you out, and now you are on the road to recovery! I pray many blessings in your journey, and please visit our blog for more guidance, if we can offer any, and we have an ASK section where you can anonymously ask questions about faith, your experience, and more. God Bless You!
Rebecca don’t be so hard on yourself/Jesus still and has always care/love for you.Therefore there’s no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...Keep the Faith Stay the course ...Blessings
I know what you mean. That quiet look, of disapproval, if we dare properly groom our hair, or ourselves, to look our best, to avoid looking frumpy. I caught that look from one of those women, as I was standing in line at the fabric store. Even though I was wearing a skirt despite not being in their "church." She would have had a conniption if she'd known I'm LDS.
Comparing this to Jim Jones of today. I have learned sooo much over the last couple of months. We have found a new church, and is so free.
It is like you are telling my story...thanks for being a vioce and sharing your experience. We left a UPC church last March (after a lifetime) and are for the first time, beginning to feel the freedom, liberty and Grace that comes when solely focused on Jesus Christ and him crucified...As I began to truly understand Grace, I realized how little of it is allowed in the Apostolic churches. Considering all their legalistic things that will send you to hell I formulated this question " at what point in the apostolic conversion does Grace take effect?"...when given the chance I ask this to many of the people we went to church with, and the answers have been rather amusing....keep up the good work... TK.
Thank you for the comment Troy, and I am thrilled to hear you say you left the UPC structural system. Grace is absent in Pentecostal churches. In contrast, John 2:27 tells us "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is the truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."
Pentecostals idolize and abide in their pastors. If this were not true, the pastor wouldn't dictate their clothing styles, jobs, vacations, etc, etc. Abiding is Christ is allowing His Spirit to direct you in all things.
God bless you on your journey to freedom!
I appreciate this video. I'm going through this right now. I've finally had enough and left what's called the Church of God that says there not a denomination, but are. There so legalistic in many ways that they deem to be the True church and all else are decided and don't have the light. So manipulating and twisting of Scripture is just bad. I too could not invite anyone to the church because I would be at fault of leading them astray knowingly. My husband was so hurt and doesn't understand. But you touched on so many levels in which I can relate. I dispised this church and I knew I had to leave. I finally said no when I was asked to give up my wedding ring and earrings. Legalism is such a bonding road to embark...
Hello Vanessa and thank you so much for watching and having the courage to post part of your story. Your husband will understand in time. Legalism is a slippery slope that never had a good ending. Those abused by it either must break (submit and be a lifer) or rebel and see the truth of God's Gospel, that all that was required for you and I was nailed to the Cross. Legalistic standards were once a recommendation for good living, and then as Mark 7:7 shows, these traditions of men were made equal to doctrines.
Keep up the good fight, and thank God that your eyes were opened to the truth that Legalism and the Pentecostal denomination is not right.
Vanessa Olszen where was the Headquarters located? I have just started going back to the Church Of God(Cleveland,TN.) I was raised in this Church. Please let me know if its the same Church Headquarters? Really want to know.
When Jesus said “Be ye Holy like my Heavenly Father is Holy” Holy Spirit shows me my Holiness comes from Christ Jesus/His Blood From Calvary’s Cross❤
Wow! Giving up your wedding ring, is never a good sign.
My old pastor was preaching a funeral and bashed another minister/church during the sermon.
So I have to admit, I laughed out loud when you talked about a man's car breaking down and the pastor telling him it's because he didn't pay his tithes. I dated a man in the UPC for two years and his mother said the exact same thing to him one time when his car broke down! So glad I found God's Love and grace afterwards. Thank you for your videos. I wish these would have been around when I left the UPC almost 20 years ago,
Darcy,
I've been convinced that the Oneness Pentecostal and other very fundamental religious sects inadvertently practice witchcraft, believing they can hex or pray curses or struggles over people and then use life circumstances as proof of their power and authority.
Simon the Sorcerer wanted to buy this power and he was chastised as following satan.
The problem with Pentecostal churches is the lack of serious biblical scholarship.
“If you can’t be right you can’t be saved!, that’s the definition of legalism.” !BOOM! I had to hit pause on the video and let out a breath. Thank you for that.
Wow, YES! YES! I experienced this big time! And I have been through it all! Oh my I'm so thankful and Blessed I left a particular church! I totally hear ya on this stuff! Thanks for sharing this! No Weapon that is formed against me shall prospher! and every tongue that rises up against me thou shall condemn. Amen! No weapon formed against us will prospher! God is greater than the lies of man.
Amen!
so sorry about what this pastor has done to you and your family during your mom's memorial.
EVERYTHING stated in this video is the ABSOLUTE TRUTH! I left the UPC church over ten years ago. There are quite a few reasons why I left. First is different beliefs in what was being taught as to how I felt. Second, I suffer with "complicated grief disorder." The minister told me that I may NEVER see my loved ones when I pass on, but that I will be too busy worshipping the LORD to even worry about them. That comment HURT ME BEYOND WORDS! I miss my loved ones BEYOND MEASURE!!! If these ministers think that they are helping people with GOD'S LOVE, THEY ARE ONLY HARMING PEOPLE EMOTIONALLY FOR LIFE!!!
These people really believe all you do in heaven is worship God and that's it? Sounds like a never ending church service.
Focus on the ones still there. Is opposite what God tells us to do. You are suppose to go after the lost.
The time I realized the church was doing me more harm than good was when I kept my relationship with an ex boyfriend (who went to the same church) a secret because as a private person I didn't want the questions or all the eyes on us in fear that it would ruin it. I later went to the same school as them with a full ride (not because my ex went there) and when I went back to church I was shunned, called a sinner and a demon. I still go there from time to time I haven't gotten the will to just leave since I am still dependent on my family. I'm scared but videos like these give me hope that I can leav
Finish your degree, & then run.
After a year reading actual church history i stepped away from all restoration movement "churches "
💯
I can’t believe how many things I can relate to that you mentioned. It’s just insane! Thank you Lord for freedom!
Hi, brother. I used to be heavily, heavily, involved with a charismatic Catholic group (basically Catholic Pentecostals) and I relate too much with these stories. I'm so sorry about what happened to you, and I want to pray for you on this. This is so courageous, and this was a breath of fresh air.
@Mark Thank you sir, blessings,
Just wanted to say thanks for this video. I have felt alone battling this in my mind for many years. Just knowing others have gone through this helps me to feel less alone in life. :)
Thank you SOOOO much for these videos! I commend you for putting them out there. I wish they could reach everyone...especially those who are caught up in these types of churches. If you would be so kind, please provide advice on how I should handle the current situation I find myself in. My son has been attending a Pentecostal church that broke away from UPC. I believe it may be the same one you attended. He has been there for a few years now. Even though he knows I do not believe in how the Pastor and Bishop are running the church and I refuse to become a member, he continuously asks me to attend. Recently, it blew up because I didn't respond to his text asking me to come to a service. When asked why I did not respond, I told him the Pastor and Bishop dictate everything and I don't agree with them instructing people of their church to not be around/associate with people who have left the church...either voluntarily or involuntarily. I told him it is sad. He basically told me (via scriptures and in his own words) that I am being deceived because I attend another church and don't believe in what his Pastor teaches. There is much more to this, but you get the gist. Our conversations ended with him instructing me to talk to his Pastor about my "misconceptions" of him or he will not be around me. I have nothing to discuss with his Pastor and now my son has decided he will rarely see me. I have basically lost my son. I just wish he would open his eyes! How can I help him to see? Any and all comments are appreciated. Thank You!
Hello and thank you for commenting and sharing your story - as painful as it is. When I read your comment I sat back in my chair almost in tears. I am akin to you - my son attends the church, though he left once and returned. My son moved out of my home on the advice of the pastor and bishop of the church, and admitted to me that he had been ready to 'cut me off'.
My advice would be this: Never reply in kind. Never show your son that you would be willing to 'cut him off' for his choice in a church, as hard as that is. It is a cult, this is proven by your comments and the behavior of your son. They are trained explicitly to be aggressive and to wipe their hands of even family who does not agree. It is a sick place, but you'll never convince your son of that by responding the way they expect you to.
Continue to be loving, but do not give in. This is bully tactics. The pastor and bishop of that church were convicted of violating child labor laws. They were sued for defamation of character and paid a large sum of money to shut up the accuser. They have had wanted fugitives of sexual abuse crimes working in their Sunday school classes, and I've witnessed them violate restraining orders to ensure people were 'in church'.
Time will prove all things. If you want to talk to me privately, you can visit our blog at www.dividetheword.blog and use the comment section to reach me privately.
Blessings and I will pray that your son has his eyes opened to the love of Jesus that would never put some demands on his heart, mind and family.
Pray my friend, Pray like you never have before. Love him as much as you can, but I am afraid there is little you can say to change his mind. Your love may be the only thing that can get through to him. My bleeds for you and I will pray for your situation.
He might be in the more modern Pentecostal church, like my aunt & cousins joined, b/c they wanted to cut their hair, wear pants, go to prom, go to movies, wear jewelry, & make up, yet still serve/worship God on Sunday. They're very musical, friendly, nice, helpful people, but got away from the Assembly of God, legalism. They make good Trump supporters too.
God bless you for your testimony. I have to say that I can identify with these things you have shared. I stayed 5 years in a toxic church where one man is the everything, no plurality of elders. He encouraged gossip about me. People spying on me. After so many years of manipulation and guilt trip. And it almost damaged my faith. I was called a sinner and not qualified to serve in the church. For a long time, I thought i was crazy and was the one seeing things wrong. The whole facade of holiness had basically brainwashed me. I have so many stories to tell. Maybe one day I will tell it. Now I experience the freedom and direct leading of the Holy Spirit, and not man.
Thank you for commenting, and being part of the channel! I look forward to hearing more of your story someday, Blessings,
Sounds like JW. They encourage spying as well.
I'm sorry you had this experience. I Pastor an Apostolic church and we do NOT have this type of ideology or culture. We realize that many "others" will be saved and that our appearance is not tied to salvation. I realize that many have been wounded, hurt, or even abused in Pentecostal churches, and I seek to rectify that as much as possible. Thanks for sharing your story, and if anyone else watching would like to hear about a Spirit-Filled church in the Apostolic faith that is NOT the way that is described here, please reach out. God Bless.
@Chris Thank you for your reply Pastor. I have interviewed a handful of United Pentecostal and other Apostolic pastors who hold to the Apostolic tradition but we are seen as fringe-edge or black-sheep Pentecostals because, like you, they see Love and Grace transcending rules, regulations and man-made ideals. I appreciate that move that is taking place.
Blessings,
Yes! Thank you for this, well said. This is exactly what God kept showing me, Idolatry... I'm hearing it a lot with different ones who have decided to leave, which is confirmation for me. Thank you for taking the time to post these blogs and to openly share your story, God bless you and your family!!
Thank you for stopping by! I am but one voice out of thousands crying out about the false doctrines of abusive religious organizations. We can now clearly see, that who the Son sets free, is free indeed!
Come out of bondage, legalism and the yoke of 'law' that Oneness Pentecostalism wishes to burden you down with and live in the liberty of Christ!
God bless,
I think of this in the context of Paul's life. He went from a religious zealot filled with pride regarding his religious pedigree and knowledge of the Law to pursuing Christ. Religion died and a relationship with God was born!! The Lord he persecuted in the name of religion BECAME his Savior. Paul is proof that there is a difference between religion and a relationship with a living and loving LORD. Praise God that He changed your heart. God bless you.
I use to be forced into the religion. What you said about spiritual blackmail is so true though! I've heard that same get in the boat message too, and so many times in the church. Getting yelled at basically in every church service about how if we ever leave the church God will shun us. It's toxic and not right I'm so glad I left.
That's another thing I didn't like about Pentecostal & Baptist preachers. Pounding on the pulpit, screaming at people. Then there are those, that get televised, getting caught, hooking up with hookers.
Thank you for sharing. Please continue to speak your heart. You have helped me
Thank you Ryan, for watching, commenting and being part of the channel. Blessings,
I appreciate what you do it is worth it and it makes a difference I too left a UPC church 3 years ago and a lot of what you say it hits home I think did we go to the same church? Because my former Pastor he said a lot of the same things your pastor said and no one can feel or know what we know only after they take the step we did I have come to that conclusion I have family thankfully In that particular church that still love me and we have a great relationship only because I talked to them before I left and I wanted them to hear it from me and know that I wanted them in my life, I knew that once I left that things would be said about me and if I left without talking to the ones I loved they could be sucked into that because of the loyalty they have toward the Pastor I was very respectful to the Pastor and he even acknowledged that but the mere act that I left was enough alone to make me an outcast to him and that church I’m sorry I went on and on but brother you helped me out a lot I appreciate your work
I think for all those years wasted u were just drinking milk
Such as: if you can not make it here, you can't make it anywhere. That was said across the pulpit . When they are suppose to be preaching truth.
I left the UPC in 2003 and was ostracized by my former pastor. He told me not to talk to any person in his church, even though I had made a lot of friends. It's been a struggle to acclimate to a non-UPC church. I think that's another sign of the toxicity of the legalism that they espouse. I'm so glad though, that I have left the organization and I have embraced the true power of grace, which has nothing to do with external standards. Thanks for your video. I'm sure it will help a lot of people
People can tell you anything they like, but they have no real power over you. Talk to whomever you like!
So glad you left this horrible cult. What you're describing is happening in a lot of churches. So many preachers don't want to be shepherds, they want to be self-serving dictators.
Once I really read the word with an open heart.... I saw this was creature worship and I was not worshiping the True God.. this changed my life!
Antoinette Chatagnier The word of God declared that the Spirit would lead us into all truth. I am thankful that he opened your eyes in a time of spiritual darkness. God bless
Divide The Word Blog
One night when I was praying God spoke to me and said “they preach a fallen god”
It was so nice to come across your site! God bless you for your work. I grew up Roman Catholic, and was even considering becoming a monk, but things just did not add up theologically. When I finally left, the big one Roman Catholics face is turning their backs on Jesus by turning their backs on the Eucharist. Well, Eucharist means Union, and to think that you have the right to "hold God hostage" by professing God in one breath, and covering up raping of children and lots of other man made doctrines of "tradition" as if this justifies it, is just plain wrong. Better to live in truth than to accept a lie, and that is my advice to many well meaning Roman Catholics out there. Leave and don't feel guilty. It is your duty to leave a corrupt church. I was a caregiver for my mother for 8 years, as she was paralyzed from a stroke. When she went home, they denied me a funeral, because they said she could have attended mass every sun, with assistance. We even had a dangerous steep driveway, which is dangerous for a person in a wheelchair, depending totally on the caregiver for her very life. No excuses, I was told. Luckily I found a compassionate priest who did a memorial "service" but no funeral. UNHEARD OF!! People can't believe it, but it's true. Talk legalism? Canon lawyers in the Roman Catholic church. "Sacred" Canons? Rules of Thomas Aquinas..I commend you on your work. When I was interested in the Trappists, only thing they wanted to know was how much college I have had. Not my life experience, or my heart, just how logical I could be. In my opinion, the Roman Catholic church is a system of logical theology, and that's all they care about....doctrine, doctrine, doctrine, and controlling you, your bankbook, and even your children, must go to Catholic school, or it's a sin. I now a happy Christian, a happy Episcopalian. God bless your ministry!!! Peace to all who read this...I've never experienced the Protestant abuse, but it's a real mind-warper! Even Eastern Orthodox believe they are special in God's sight, cause they are Orthodox. Concentrate on the teachings of Jesus.
@Gary Thank you for sharing this, and being part of the channel. I know that the Roman Catholic church is very much like that, which inspired my writing on the Similarities Between Oneness Pentecostalism and Mideival Roman Catholicism. So very sorry you had to endure that abuse.
Blessings,
It’s all about “The Blood Of The Lamb for remission of sin”Are you wash in the blood❤Blessings
You are spot on!! Tattle on everyone and Pastor has to be right, always. Noone ever hears from God except for ministry. I waa told I was dragging my son and myself into hell because we were trying to help the youth minister's daughter from being abused by her parents who put marks on her, called her worthless. Out of the goodness of our hearts we were trying to help but they twisted it.
Same happen at funeral of my sister. This is so sadistic, I never come back in that place or any other church
I'm so glad we found the facebook group for those who've left the UPC!!!
Dude, loving these videos. I'm still in the upc church but it for certain reasons that can't be helped. As far as SPIRITUALLY, I left long ago. What was rhe genesis of my choice? I started studying the bible. God's word drew me away from religion.
what is the name of your fb group?
I left the church because of all the hypocrisy at its finest.
@@mcmurphp1 you left the church because of the hypocrite member? brother its not the people that you worship its GOD..as long the church teaches the true doctrine of JESUS we must stay.. its not the church members why we stay at church its JESUS
Well Done Brotha... Thank you for this!
I was in a spiritually abusive Word of Faith mega church for three years and wish I would have left sooner. Most of the abuse occurred from other members I served in media auxiliary with who were close to lower level leadership, had been at that church longer than I and allowed themselves to be used in proxy of the pastor. So it was really coming straight from the head pastor towards me whenever I openly questioned or disagreed with something or someone. Not slander, not gossip, but simply had a difference of opinion or conviction about something, and in one instance was absolutely necessary to openly reject what came from the pulpit on a Sunday during conversation after service, due to strong biblical error. In retaliation, my having a disability was subtly mocked from both the people I served along side and the pulpit because I didn't go along with whatever and was excluded from certain things or shunned socially. Thinking for yourself isn't allowed there and is seen as a threat. Very cult like. I see a lot of parallels of spiritual abuse in Pentecostalism and Word of Faith.
Clearly what a wonderful son you were - be proud of that.
Thank you Silent Fades. I appreciate that very much.
Do you believe in trinity now just wondering not being crazy lol
I grew up Methodist, baptized Pentecostal (born again), married Mormon, divorced Mormon, married Catholic, went to previous mentioned services and Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and JW. Nothing seemed to click with me. I just went through the motions of being a believer. Then I started investigating more than the most recent versions of the New Testament. That's when things started adding up. The truth has been lost in translations, redactions, substitutions, editions, and cultural biases. We all must relearn from the earliest scriptures and religions histories if we are to find truth. Go for it boys and girls!
You must study it out in your mind, then pray about it, with real intent.
@@Fashn4LaDieS That didn’t work for me. I went to the different versions of the Bible. Then I started to get my answers. The truth set me free from pulpit heresy.
Yup I just finally left 32 years for me :(
I'm just so glad I am not alone.
Thank you so much for sharing-
I'm currently in a UPC & it's so hard right now-
Brother your videos are really helpful since iam the only member in my in who left legalistic church.
God bless you! Thank you so much for this video! It has helped me tremendously!
Thank you for stopping by Buffy, blessings to you
2:56 Us vs them mentality. We are the right, they are the wrong. You have to come into our way to be right. And if you don't obey all of our ideals then your can't be right. And if you can't be right then you can't be saved. There's the definition of legalism.
Mark 7:7 meditate on
Bro, what a coincidence. I accidentally came across your RUclips. Everything you said, I saw in my former Pentecostal church. Thank God, I am out of there some tears back. Hallelujah
@Safety First I'm glad to hear of your freedom from false religion! Blessings,
Everything you talked about is what I did to innocent sheep. I was active duty and did preaching as a side job. I hurt good people for selfish reasons. I was fake, foolish and a false preacher. I split up families and became a very controlling leader. I am now reaping what I sowed. It’s painful and I deserve everything the Lord is doing to me. I thought I was a strong and courageous sergeant how knew God better than anyone. But in reality, I was a scared, weak and a pathetic person. I was a very self-serving man hiding behind a fig leaf. I have tears as I type this. I am so sorry for what I have done. I live in constant fear and anxiety now as I fumble through life. Some days it’s not worth living anymore. I am so sorry. So very sorry for what I have done and for those I have hurt.
Fear and anxiety comes from Satan. Sgt be grateful God opened your eyes to what is truly biblical. Sounds like you have much knowledge about things not of Jesus Christ. There are many people who are bound for an eternity in hell you can reach.
Look at what life Saul lead before he turned his life around to live for Jesus Christ
We have a Loving Forgiving Heavenly Father/repent through King Jesus Mediator Redeemer for Holy Spirit renewal restoration in your prayer closet. Forgive yourself The Blood Of The Lamb paid the price in full/It is finish...devil is a liar and wants to throw your past to your face/still accusing you ...There’s Power In The Blood ❤
Thank you for sharing this video. I was a part of the UPC for half of my life. i was 14 when i joined and now im 28 and preparing to leave. i was gone for 6 months and went back because i felt alone and felt bad for leaving. now i want to leave for good but dont know how. but everything you said is spot on. hopefully i can leave the upc cult for good this time. thanks for sharing and have a blessed day.
Hi there and thanks for stopping by. I've experienced that many people are locked in fear about the curse of God coming on you for leaving. And, because we cut off the majority of.the world around us, when we leave the abusive religious system of Oneness Pentecost, we can feel even more isolated and alone.
But, I promise you, there are enormous communities out there that can help you, even on Facebook I belong to many communities like Breaking Out, I Used to ...Up, Faith After Deception, and may more.
I also found that after I left and spent a long time truly studying, my faith increased. My prayers are with you.
yeah. they teach you to get rid of your family and friends when you join the church and youre taught that the church is youre only true family. its built that way so that when you leave, you have no one. you broke youre relationships when you joined the church and now that you left the church you have no one because the church is told not to fellowship with you any more. its sad.
Thanks for sharing your story brother, I was in Upc for 17 years (I had left for a year at one point, but felt so much condemnation inside that I went back for another 3 years)
Left for good 2 years ago now, still healing, and vids like this have helped a lot. I’ve just recently gotten to the point where I can study and understand the Word with a clean pair of lenses, so to speak.
Funny, Mark 7:7 was the exact scripture The Lord used to lead me out this final time.
It was so scary, having been in it from age 20 to 37, my entire identity was wrapped up in that organization.
But after stepping out in faith, and relocating to live near family and finding a new church, I have been so blessed, and I can see The Hand of The Lord in every area of my life!
My life is so full of love and peace and joy now! Hallelujah! Thank you merciful, gracious Jesus!
So glad to hear your story LisaMarie! It was these kinds of videos that helped me in my time of leaving. I was absolutely alone - my wife stayed in the organization and all but one friend cut me off, and even that one friend eventually cut me. Our community of 'outsiders' is vital to healing.
Blessings to your freedom and journey ahead and I look forward to being part of that.
It is a very good video. I have paid tithes every week for years and my truck still broke down. The Pastor at the church you attended is misleading people to believe that if they pay tithes they would have problems. I give and pay tithes by choice. Not by obligation.
I go to a Pentecostal church I had a 35 year drug and alcohol addiction it was broken the day I walked into that church I simply take what applies to me in the moment please don’t judge me I’m still new but I’m simply saying I’m not where I was I’ve learned one thing everybody’s journey is different I respect that 💕🙏💕
I agree with you 100 percent. I am suffering in this type of religion. I appreciate your videos. Thank you!!
I am sorry for what the pastor did concerning your mother's memorial service. Very wrong, unloving and uncalled for. Not a Christian response at all- where was the love? He has built for himself a throne and a kingdom. SMH
Yes, in an unhealthy church, the focus is on the church/group and/or the pastor. While a believer's focus should be on God, the teachings and practices of unhealthy churches help to bring about a change in that to where our focus shifts to them and we don't even realize it while it's happening. So many things we thought we were doing for God were in actuality for our church and pastor.
You are doing a nice job on these videos. I like your presentation and attitude and they are very easy to watch.
Thank you @Christian Koinonia. I greatly appreciate you sharing my videos to help get the word out and for your support to others who went through this journey as well.
Unfortunately, sometimes we worship, praise and listen People in the church, not God thru Holly Spirit. But if we are looking for Him, He will guide us to the Truth, Himself. Amen. Pray for people around the world.
At 2:00 A.M. in the morning last night, I had the realization that we were conditioned and trained to be, "Little, Pentecosttal Robots!" All of our actions or even possible actions were legislated into acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Afterall, we were "A PECULAR PEOPLE," and we had to look and act as "PECULAR" as possible, and definitely NOT fit into other churches or normal society. I encourage ALL young people and middle-aged people to explore other Charismatic Churches, for the purpose of discovering there is a "Normal" alternative to the UPC!
"PECULIAR!" I can't believe I misspelled it twice
Hi Jeannie - you are correct. I look back at my time in the Apostolic Pentecostal faith and I see a bunch of automatons running around doing the bidding of the pastor. Our loyalty was to the pastor, not to Christ. That, unfortunately, is the sadness of the Pentecostal faith. Jesus takes a back seat to the local church leaders.
How do I join the facebook group for people who have broke away from legalistic churches?
THANKYOU FOR POSTING THIS I NEED THIS I NEED DELIVERANCE HELP
It’s a good thing you left because God’s real church is supposed to be under Paul’s gospel or ministry and we are under grace today. I hope you have your grace awakening like I have. I was in the UPC for 36 years and just left in August of this year-best thing that ever happened to me!!
Paul's gospel?
Paul taught JESUS' gospel,
and even Jesus said the gospel was not actually _his,_ but GOD's!
Wow! Congratulations! Isn't it SOOO Wonderful and Freeing? 🤗
I have left all the lies myself! I pray more people will see the error and leave also. May God enlighten more and more eyes to all of the Apostolic Pentecostal false doctrines.
joyinjesus Amen!!
They teach about GRACE, but I don't think they understand, "GRACE!" It's a FREE GIFT and not dependent upon keeping LEGALISTIC LAWS and jumping thru hoops, trying to be in Church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wed. night Bible Study, Friday night youth groups, Sat. afternoon bake sales or church cleaning, etc....... Grace is ours, once we know Jesus, whether or not we choose to JUMP THRU Pentecostal HOOPS!
I've always wondered, "How are they "Apostolic?" The apostles never preached LEGALISM. because Jesus came to destroy the LEGALISTIC SYSTEM of His day: The LEGALISM of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I love your insight and gift of discernment , I'm a thinker myself , we are instructed to test everyone by there fruits , they were like the scribes and Pharisees, all commandments no Grace , All do and don't, the letter of the law that kills instead of the spirit of the law that is freely given and restores, watch out for artificial fruits IMITATING THE Holy Spirit that HAS no foundation, JESUS
Hello and thank you for being so open. I was in a UPC Church from age 3 until I left as a teenager; returning several times as an adult. My story is much deeper as I was molested at the age of 9 by the co-pastor who later became pastor (his mother was original Pastor). The control affected myself, my family, our lives. My mother who was a prayer warrior, Sunday School Teacher, and preached at youth services at times continued in the church till her death. I am almost 69 yrs old now. I so wish I could speak to someone about my experiences, the affects of the Pentecostal requirement for Total OBEDIENCE . I am still controlled by those teaching in some ways. I have no faith in man but Love God. Still feel the need to protect this man and his family and the church even after his death. I wish there was some way to speak of my story without posting it here for all to see. I am not that brave.
@Kekeami How unbelievably sad! I also understand your hesitation. Most people who simply leave without a story to tell are afraid of the backlash and judgementalism of going public.
Kekeami, I am by no means a counselor, and I can do little for you in that regards, but I would suggest you visit www.spiritualabuse.org, which I have found to be very helpful, and you will find a lot of support, stories, and articles from people just like you. The one thing that helped me the most was knowing I'm not alone and have somewhere and someone to turn to.
It sounds like that is something you need as well. Their Facebook page is also a place to find connections and articles to help. Lastly, there is a book that was instrumental in coping with my thoughts on the experience, and that is The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse. I'll provide the link here. goo.gl/AgStoz
Please visit my blog site where you can use the Contact form to connect with me directly. I'll be glad to be a talking point for you. Visit my blog at dividetheword.blog
I still fight daily in my head the things taught in my youth.
I found the "oneness" type of pentecostalism and "holiness" pentecostalism generates and/or celebrates non-biblical extremes.
I recently left the only thing I ever knew with church ''Apostolic''. I am now going to a church that was once Apostolic, but left the legalistic views several years ago. This has been a hard adjustment for me. Apostolic is all I've ever known. I went there time after time sitting in the pews dying, because I was empty and so miserable. My husband said we should try this new church that had left the Apostolic doctrine and I was hesitant, because I knew that if I did I would lose friends I had in the Apostolic church. It's almost like they would rather you go nowhere and go to Hell than go to "that kind of church" . I am still adjusting, but I do love my new church. There is such a freedom there and if you went in with a blind fold on to this church you would never know the difference in their worship and the Apostolic worship. They still praise God and love him with their whole hearts.
Hello Michelle
I'm so glad that you and your husband found your way out of Legalism and in to a more healthy, balanced church! Blessings,
I would love to find a church like that
I wish I had a group that left upc to talk to because that church almost ruined my life.
@Prometheus
I am sorry to hear about your circumstances, though I have heard it many, many times. Please visit my blog, at www.dividetheword.blog/contact and send me a message. I am part of many ex UPC and Cult groups that I connect you to.
You're not alone. I was raised in the UPCI and remember so many times I was embarrassed.
When I left, people who I thought were my life long friends and my actual family, cut me off completely.
It's been 8 years since I left and I know who I am mor now than I ever have. The UPCI IS a cult. The people who stay have devoured the "koolaid" so to speak.
If God exists, I can certainly tell you, He's NOT in the Pentecostal church. They breed narcissistic psychopaths that thrive on brainwashing the simple minded.
I hope we find peace.
Anger isn't worth it.
Hi Melodi, thank you so much for the amazing comment. You are right - the spirit that these churches experience isnt God's, I've come to the conclusion it was manufactured. Was it always coincidence that the louder the preacher shouted, the more 'Holy Ghost' there was?
The most part of course is the devotion to the leader. My old pastor told a young man who had just asked permission to marry a girl in the church, "Until I feel you unwavering loyalty I won't give you one of these girls." So that young man is going on to show unwavering loyalty. The right hand man in the church would often say, "You come against my man of God....boy, you'll get the five folded ministry!" This was said while pumping a fist in the air. This man of God has robbed disabled elderly people on Social Security of their incomes, demanding they pay tithes even when unable to afford basic living necessities. This man was found guilty of violating child labor laws, using church kids unpaid in a commercial company owner by the pastor, and paid nealry $1million in settling a defamation after publically shaming the man who exposed the violating of children. And there are those who have had enough koolaid to continue calling this man a true Man of God. It's a shame.
But being angry towards them only emboldens the followers to stand by the craziness.
Great video and insight. I agree there appears to be too much power given to pastors, almost pope like reverence given to them and are infallible. Basically putting your salvation in the hope they are preaching the right interpretations and messages of the bible.
The UPC is a ministerial organization with many flaws. While any religious organization can argue that it helps ministers reach more people, it also becomes more legalistic because of its own "rules" to insure that all their ministers are preaching the same thing. UPC is NOT "THE CHURCH". No manmade organization is!! That is why their are many independent Apostolic churches. Churches that I have attended have never demanded tithing or anything else. The individual congregants had differing views on standards. The pastors preached modesty and temperant behavior, but each individual had to determine in their own mind and heart what that meant. One pastors wife cut her hair. Many women cut their hair, but wore it up or to their shoulders. No one ever preached or questioned coloring my hair, which I did regularly. Skirts were prevalent at church, but pants were worn casually or split skirts. Make-up was usually worn with a light modest touch. All churches, no matter what denomination, tend to take on the personality of the pastor. I think ministerial organizations lend themselves to that. Even so, not all pastors are like that!! Why didn't you leave earlier?? Acts 2:38 and the Apostolic doctrine in the Bible are not wrong simply because men want to be tyrants!! Do not lose your soul because their are hypocrites in the church. My Mother told me, " If the persons in front of me, behind me, beside me in the pew, are all hypocrites, and even those preaching, then I will go to be with the Lord alone". We are only responsible for ourselves! I love my Apostolic and pastor, but he is not my God, and I am not afraid to disagree and make up my own mind. The congregants you speak of have no backbone!
How do you deal with guilt
Ohhhh yeah the whole “you won’t have your spiritual blessings if you leave” the spiritually abusive church I was in told that to a friend who was leaving at the same time we were. Horrible.
Jennifer Marconi
Yep if you leave you won’t be blessed because you’re out of the will of God. This has been told to us at church. I’m so torn, leave ..... stay..... leave
Or their famous word they use "Disobedience." If you leave they say you are being disobedient and God won't bless you if you leave the church. This is what I'm going through right now. 😣
I agree. I was told that too
God bless you brother