To The Apostolic Man

"I was dangerous on the street; now I'm dangerous for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I don't want to be no weak-kneed, jelly-backed Christian."  Elder Ronald E. Smith, Sr., Assistant Pastor, Apostolic Church of God, Chicago, Dr. Byron T. Brazier, Pastor

"And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for Jehovah your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath."  Joshua 2:11

The Apostolic Man knows and lives in the truth that his Lord, Savior, and Judge can come to receive His own at any moment.  He knows and agrees with the Holy Spirit's words by the Apostle John in I John 2:18 that the world lives and breathes the moments of "the last hour."  The Apostolic Man knows that literally billions of unsaved souls face an eternity of divine wrath as the just recompense for unrepentant sin, and that his service in Christ's Name will be closely and perfectly evaluated by his Lord's eyes that have seen, do see, and will see all done in thought, word, and deed.  The Apostolic Man therefore, thinks in the brilliant light of Christ's return and serves Him with all his ability and volition.  Equally as important, the Apostolic Man cleaves to that which is holy and good, hates and eschews that which is evil and corrupt.  The Apostolic Man would rather die than live in sin.

Seeing that the hour is very late and has an urgency and solemnity that is palpable, The Apostolic Man must cling to God's Word and feast on it as never before, for the Scripture is the sword, shield, and refuge of the Apostolic Man-- the Word of God is the richest repository of Truth, wisdom, and power in the universe.  It is the very dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and greatest treasure to be possessed by man.  How then, can the Apostolic Man continue wasting precious hours and days in the thrall of dancing flickerings of multiple television screens watching pointless athletic contests?  The time has long since passed when smartphones cannot continue to keep us spiritually blind, deaf, and dumb.  If not to advance the Gospel, how can Facebook and Twitter preoccupy the Apostolic Man with their endless, ultimately meaningless banter?  Surely, there is nothing inherently sinful about social media.  What is sinful is how they are allowed to dominate the time of the Apostolic Man; that which has our attention and devotion, that which predominantly controls the will is a god.  And if that controlling influence is not Jehovah then it is idolatry.

The Apostolic Man has learned how to mercilessly wage continuous war against his flesh to keep it in subjection to the Holy Spirit Who has taken up residence within him.  This evil, godless world is awash with illicit drug use, pornography, sexual perversion (passed as "alternative lifestyles") and religious activity devoid of power to deliver from sin.  The Apostolic Man knows that friendship with this world and its wicked system makes him an enemy of Jesus Christ.

The Apostolic Man knows that God is holy and can not, will not tolerate sin at any time, nor in any form.  The Apostolic Man knows that God hates sin, and whatever God hates, the Lord Jesus hates.  Christ's holiness demands that we live lives of holiness, refusing to compromise with a wicked world and the Satanic philosophies and doctrines that dominate this present age.  Holiness means that one is "set apart" for special or sacred use.  To say that Christ is holy is to say that He is not only totally free from sin but He cannot be tempted to sin, for there is nothing in Him that is subject to the lure of sin.  Christians are called to emulate Christ, therefore the Apostolic Man is to be holy as well (Lev. 10:1-3; 11:44, 45, I Peter 1:15).  And while it is impossible to be without sin while in these corrupt bodies, the Apostolic Man knows that holiness is the prime goal, the aim or every thought, word, and act.  Without holiness, the Apostolic Man cannot please the Lord at all.  Therefore the Apostolic Man not only rejects sin, resists temptation but refuses to provide himself opportunity to subject himself to his flesh.

The Apostolic Man knows that before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church in America will probably face persecution by a society that is growing more and more anti-christian.  The Apostolic Man knows that his perseverance to stand in the evil day depends on how closely he walks with his Lord now.  The Apostolic Man must fervently cultivate his relationship with his Lord now while he is able to worship the Lord without inhibition in relative peace and under the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.


All of his classes, countless meetings, his service within the walls of the church, his uplifting days of worship on Sundays and in Bible study must now-- now-- translate into vigorous, fierce warfare against a massive Satanic kingdom that holds the entire human race under oppressive humiliating rule.  The Apostolic Man must realize that each day must be a state of heated war without quarter against a host of dark, sinister enemies that don't sleep, rest, or tire of attacking mankind perpetually.  The Apostolic Man knows that to be effective he must be in the Lord's will every second and it is His will to spread His saving Word through word and testimony, by righteous conduct, and to labor in prayer day and night.

We should strive for individual success but also collective victory, for we are all members of Christ's body.

Eternal souls of men, women, and children who are hopelessly lost without Christ demand that we let go of every thing or person that can distract or impede our service in advancing the cure for sin-- the Gospel.  


The gates of hell should tremble before the advance of Apostolic Men!  The corrupt institutions that bleed our society of its dignity should dread currying the ire of Apostolic Men who are armed with the Word of God and who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, yet Christ's Name continues to be blasphemed and scorned.  Apostolic Man, do you not see that our lives of compromise have encouraged their disdain?  Can you not see that sin keeps us from boldly fighting our holy war against the Prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 6:12)?  We must live transparent lives before a distrustful world and the loud exclaims we proudly make to "Man up!" must be words we live by.  We have to live like we actually believe it and we must be willing to die for it for the honor of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ is at stake.

The Apostolic Man is born again by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:5-7, Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Apostolic Man is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:8-11).

The Apostolic Man is holy as Jehovah is holy (Leviticus 10:1-3, 10, 44-45, Deuteronomy 14:2).

The Apostolic Man loves Jehovah his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

The Apostolic Man loves his neighbor as himself (Mark 12:31).

The Apostolic Man loves God's Holy Word (Psalm 119:97-100, Isaiah 8:20).

The Apostolic Man worships God (Psalms 147, 148, 149).

The Apostolic Man loves his wife, provides for his family (Ephesians 5:25-33, I Timothy 5:8).

The Apostolic Man has the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11).

The Apostolic Man is humble and serves others (John 13:12-17).

Bishop Arthur M. Brazier: Greatest Man Who Ever Lived?

Consider the names Superman, Batman, and Iron Man and take note of the first commonality between these characters. There could obviously be a myriad of conclusions that could be drawn concerning their similarities, but chief among every commonality could possibly be that they are imaginary characters we might call "super heroes." Each one, respectively, are strong, indomitable, and brilliant, but are these things only in comic books and across silver theatric screens. In the hearts and minds of child and adult alike, the deeds of these valiant heroes dazzle and excite and even more inspire some to ascend above what they are, yet, these characters are forever beyond the reach of they that follow their adventures. Even when actors, with captivatingly convincing performances personify the very essence of these heroes, reality, like a mercilessly frigid gust swoops in reminding those fans that the "super heroes" are, alas, not real at all. They are in the end just intangible ideas and are of no consequence.
Julius Caesar. Emperor Charlemagne. Napoleon. These names inspire others to bring great dreams to fruition and in others, these names are but reminders of the damning pride of men and the blind folly of they that followed them without reason. Each of these men once held sway over hundreds of thousands, even millions of people and controlled with unquestioned authority (for a time) innumerable acres upon the face of the earth. These mighty men, with stern words and fiery eyes, commanded some of the most feared armies in all of human history and were heads of empires that absolutely and with brutal efficiency ground their rivals and enemies to powder. While these potentates by some are viewed as perfect examples of the pinnacle of human ambition and brilliance, just as many mark them as timeless examples of the depths of the depravity of the human heart. As companion to all their power and, at times spendor, was death- even the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of human beings. Americans in particular, should be thanking God daily for being spared the rule of despotic statesmen as these. Julius Caesar ruled Rome, Charlemagne over the "Holy" Roman Empire, and Napoleon crowned himself emperor over a French empire he wanted to rule the planet, yet one thing more have they in common; they are all dead men. Their impact on humankind has been harsh and terrible and their brand of greatness should be shunned.
I consider another man now. A man who most certainly can be mentioned in the same breath as Dr. Martin Luther King, George Washington, Malcom X, Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, a man who also had/has possessed tremendous influence over tens of thousands, possibly more. The man I speak of did not through subtlety, guile, or malice ascend to the height of his power and influence nor upon the works or backs of others. The man I speak of is Arthur Monroe Brazier, commonly and respectfully addressed as the Honorable Bishop Arthur M. Brazier (1921-2010), Pastor Emeritus of the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois.
It is my assertion that real greatness is measured not in "shaking up the world" or remaking the world in one's image, but in the impact one makes in individuals, how one affects the thinking of men, women, even children. So often, they that are regarded as great stand aloof from the rest of us. Consider celebrities, star atheletes of today. Many of them maintain a "buffer zone" between themselves and they that provide them their plush lifestyles. Not so with Bishop Brazier. His greatness was in his accessibility to those that he served- and he seemed to never, ever forget that he was a servant, a servant to his Savior Jesus Christ and to his congregation who hung on his every word. All of his knowledge, all of his rich, bitter, joyous, painful experiences he deposited into his children and his church. He withheld nothing from them as some do, as to maintain their "buffer zone."
Bishop Brazier was a man of unflinching courage and flawless dignity, unafraid to reveal his flaws but was filled with too much integrity to be undone by them. The Bishop was a military man, serving his country with honor during World War II in a segregated army, marched with Dr. King through the streets of the most racially charged, segregated, and hostile city in the nation at the height of the Civil Rights struggle, stared down the Blackstone Rangers of Woodlawn, and had the courage to part ways with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World- and with dignity and faith in his God looked the beast of cancer squarely in its hideous eye and fought it to his death. He won, however, by his life.
Obviously, I could go on. I could continue and truly not even do his memory justice as I'm sure I have not so far. But his mark has been indelibly made onto the hearts of so many people because he gave himself to people based on their need, based on the command to do so from the Book he cherished. His greatness, no doubt will be remarked by magazines, history books, and journals, but will best be displayed in the lives of men and women who will walk in the example he set. Sounds simple? Well, it is. Gloriously simple. This man split lives wide open, he changed minds, not with armies, empires, fear and terror, or impossible feats of physical strength but with his devotion to his Lord, love for people, and love of Truth. His mark shall continue to be felt well into the future. Greatest man who ever lived? If you asked Bishop Brazier that, I surmise he would simply say, "No, I'm not the greatest, not even close. But I know who is, and his name is Jesus Christ. If you only knew where He brought me from and what He brought me through..."

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