Questions and Answers

This section of our website was set up to answer questions about basic Christianity, our beliefs, and even answer and address the issues of skepticism found in religious minds. Skepticism-based questions are a common thing when you step outside of tradition/religion and begin to walk in the freedom of Christ, especially when you facilitate ministry. Yet we know that “if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Though we list some basic beliefs on our Statement of Beliefs, we can go more into detail and utilize more basic dialog here. Also, though we have no need to prove anything to anyone but Christ, it is our hope that through such here, we shall help to tear down the walls of religion that have kept, and continue to keep, God’s people in unnecessary bondage throughout the ages. Click the questions below for the answers; if you have any questions you’d like us to answer, email us at questions@ugfe.org.

Skepticism Questions

Are you ordained?
Have you been to Seminary?
Are you a pastor?
Where is your church?
Where do you go to church?
Who is your covering?

 Doctrinal Questions

Are you saved by baptism?
What name should you baptize in?
Do you believe in tithing?

Are you ordained?
We must first understand that ordination comes from God alone. Though man can recognize it through paper credentials, it is God who calls us, for even the paper can be given to someone not called. Yet, it is by my fruit and the testimony of those touched by this ministry that my calling was established, and now in the words from Isaiah 61:1-3, I boldly declare that the Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach. I am completely ordained and called by the Lord God.

Now, in order to satisfy man’s requirements, that my calling may not be hindered, my calling has been recorded and documented through the following:

• I’ve held ordination with United Christian Ministries International.
• I’ve held a license to preach from the African Methodist Episcopal Church
• I currently hold ordination with United Christian Faith Ministries.
• I currently hold ordination with Universal God & Faith Equilibrium Ministries

Have you been to seminary?
Another form of legalism that religion and the modern-day Pharisees try to enforce on the ministry of Christ is to require seminary. Seminary doesn’t validate one’s call; it only enhances it. Likewise, seminary without a genuine call from God still doesn’t qualify you to be a minister; it only makes you educated in religion.

Most often, Pharisee-minded “Christians” try to use the scripture 2 Timothy 2:15, “study to shew thyself approved unto God…,” to force seminary as validation for ministry.

First, the scripture applies to ALL Christians and it simply means to study the word, period.
Second, it says to be approved unto God, not unto man.
Third, reading the Bible itself – God’s Holy Word – is the most valuable tool as the Seminary books are only expanded interpretation of it.
Fourth, the HOLY SPIRIT is the greatest teacher.
Fifth, paying thousands of dollars for the same education you can get for free doesn’t make the revelation thereof greater.
Sixth, how many of the disciples and apostles of the Bible went to the Pharisees’ institutions? (Rhetorical question)

Overall traditional education can have great value; I don’t deny this and encourage you to go as far as you can educationally. It is wrong, however, to judge a person’s worth from a piece of paper.

For the religious minded though, my formal education includes a Multimedia diploma, a B.A. in Ministry, college work towards a degree in Communication, and various independent Bible and Arts courses, and mentorship from various pastors.
 

Are you a pastor?
In the sense of being a shepherd or overseer, I pastor UGFE Ministries, which ministers to many people around the world, but in the function of one that oversees a specific, regular congregation I am not. In the words of K-Drama, a Christian rap artist, “The streets are my pews and the block is my pulpit.”

My primary function and office in the five-fold ministry is that of a prophet. God’s word has declared to me just as in Jeremiah 1:5, that “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” God has called me to declare the literal voice and word of God to the church, in exhortation, and in correction, and I shall do this boldly in His name. My calling as a prophet has been tested and proven, confirmed through the words of other prophets as well (1 Corinthians 14:29).


Where is your church? Is your ministry real?
Jesus said that he would destroy the temple and lift it back up in three days. (Mark 14:58) He replaced the physical, stone temple with our bodies, which all united complete the body of Christ. In other words, the people are the church; not the building. When a pastor leads a church, his church is the members (those he ministers to), not the building. I don’t have a physical building, but there are many to whom I regularly minister that are found throughout the world. Therefore, my church is everywhere. In addition, the broadcast services are also home church services that people can visit in person.

Ministry doesn’t get more real than this. By broadcasting our services online we can reach people with the good news all around the world, people who would never ordinarily go into a church building. Jesus said to GO into the world (Mark 16:15), not wait for the world to come to you. This is why we are outreach, and because of this we are able to take the gospel to those the traditional church could or would never reach: the sick and shut in, the atheists and agnostics, the criminals, the prostitutes, the rejected of society. Sadly, the rejected of society are often even rejected by the churches they try to attend to find love and acceptance, and as a result of that rejection that religious, hypocritical people cause, they go back into the sin that welcomes them with open arms. So to answer if the ministry is real: absolutely, with no doubt about it.
 

Where do you go to church?
Where do you think? I go to church the same place any pastor or overseer goes to church, at my own church. A person cannot minister at his/her ministry while sitting at another. Ask your own pastor the same question and he/she will look at you like you’re ignorant. In fact, if you would ask such a question as that, you’d be surprised at how many pastors started from their homes. Your church probably started from a home fellowship.

Who is your covering?
First and foremost, my covering is Jesus Christ, for it is He who called me and led me into ministry. Paul the apostle did not have a covering, in the way that modern religion tries to yoke it upon ministers; he only had Christ… and Christ was enough. Christ is ALL that I would need to satisfy His requirements, which are the only requirements that matter.

Are you saved by baptism?
A believer is not saved by baptism. Let us understand baptism though, and the two types of baptism. First there is water baptism, as was done by John the Baptist. Matthew 3:11 indicates that water baptism was done for repentance, also known as for the remission of sins. It also signifies the death of our old self, and taking on the new life in Christ (Romans 6:3). We continue this practice as instructed by Christ and the apostles.

The second baptism is of the Holy Spirit, and fire (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5). The Holy Spirit was promised to us by Jesus, and when we receive it we will receive power (Acts 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). This power enables us to do the will of God and overcome anything of the world, and is essential in an effective Christian ministry.
 

What name should you baptize in?
Jesus said to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) and the apostles in various scriptures said to baptize in the name of Jesus. This is not contradictory, and I would advise to simply use the name of Jesus. The reason is that the ascension of Jesus completed the delivery all power into His name (Ephesians 1), so the name Jesus encompasses the work and authority of all, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As such power was given into His name, the apostles continued simply using the name of Jesus.
 

Do you believe in tithing?
This question should be asked more like, “do you believe that tithing is mandatory?”  First, I must address the yoke that religion is wrongly placing on so many. You will not be cursed for not tithing because Jesus took up all curses at the cross (Galatians 3:13). It doesn’t make you unsaved for you are saved by grace through believing on Christ (Romans 10:9). The church must stop using this spiritually-illegal legalism to control the giving of members. The debate is endless, but I’ll be brief by advising both sides. First I will say that I’m not against tithing either, but I am against leaders teaching their flock that they are cursed for not doing it, and manipulating their flock to do it through fear. It is a good place to start with your giving and a good way to be consistent in giving. I encourage you to read this teaching here for more details though.

The tithe was an old covenant practice, which actually was adopted into the Law of Moses, as it existed before the law through the priesthood, first noted when Abraham gave a tithe (which means tenth) of his spoils of war to Melchisedec. The grace of Jesus freed us from, and replaced, the law and the priesthood (Hebrews 7-8), as a greater covenant where we give freely and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). Paul taught that those with more to give should give more, and with less give less, so that balance is established. The blessing of tithing comes not so much because it is a tithe (obeying the law) but because it giving, and giving from the heart cheerfully. But if you do it for law, then you are under the whole law. On that point, if you really look at it, tithes were never money; and if someone tried to give money, there was a penalty for it (Leviticus 27:30-32). Though there was money used during these times, even for other types of offerings or dedications as seen earlier in this chapter, the tithe was to come from the land. So, if a church wants to force a tithe, they must then force the whole law, and second they need to be requesting substance from the land (animal sacrificing and all), not money.

The problems with many who learn that they are not cursed from not tithing though, is that often then stop giving altogether, which is the wrong move. So in that case he/she should set a certain amount, such as ten percent, to keep consistency. Though the new covenant replaced the law, we were then instructed to give our whole selves, presenting ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5). And often Jesus in the gospels, and the apostles by instruction of the Holy Spirit in Acts, would tell the saints to sell EVERYTHING and give the money to the poor. We must now give financially according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, determining ahead of time what should be given and giving it cheerfully. If we sow sparingly, we reap sparingly, but if we sow bountifully, we reap bountifully. In addition we give our praise (Hebrews 13:15), our talents, our time, and everything else that the Lord has blessed us with, cheerfully, to fulfill God’s will in the earth.