Brother Phillip Adkins

Greetings to all from Oak Harbor, Washington in the great Pacific Northwest. I would like to say thanks to the editor of the Apostolic Standard, Elder Henry Mobley, for the wonderful job he is doing; appreciation is also due to all who put hard work and labor toward keeping the Standard alive. May God’s richest blessing be upon all of you.

Psalms 94:16
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

As I began to write this article in the last few days of 2009, knowing that we are going into the year 2010, I began to reflect back over the past years of being blessed by the Wonderful Men of God that I’ve been privileged to be around. I recall the days when, as a young boy, I heard preaching by men like Elder Robert Cavaness, Sr., and Elder Carl Ballestero. I have good memories of sitting at the table with my parents, eating and listening to their conversations. I recall the straight-line Apostolic message they preached, their voices crying out for HOLINESS, and their plea for the people of God to climb higher in Truth. Paul said in II Timothy 3:14; But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. I still hold dear to my heart today the gospel that was taught to me and will always remember those who had a part in delivering to me God’s Holy Word. The message they proclaimed is still being lived by people all over the world.

Although some have erred from the truth, thanks be to God not all have gone the way of Ephraim, who, being armed in battle, turned back. As these men preached in their day, crying aloud, sparing not, lifting up their voices like trumpets, they asked the question, “Who Will Stand?” I can say with a spirit of confidence and not arrogance that we are still standing for this Apostolic message that was once delivered unto the saints. In days past I have read articles or heard some people say that since some of our good Elders have passed on, no one is crying out, “Who will rise up for me against evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” Thanks be to God, He still has a ministry that is still preaching and proclaiming, “Come out from among them and be you separate, saith the Lord!” (II Corinthians 6:17).

I thank God often for this Apostolic heritage that I was brought up in; I am grateful forever Apostolic preacher whom I have had the opportunity to hear. Some of them have gone by the way of the grave and, sad to say, some have erred from the truth. Some, praise God, are still standing strong today! Paul said in II Timothy 4:7; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Although some of our good Elders are gone, there are people who are still living the old-time way; they are fighting the good fight, they are staying on course, and are holding to their faith. With that said and taking nothing away from our good Elders who have passed on, Truth did not die when men like Elders C. W. Shew, Verbal Bean, Joseph Meade, John Pollard, J. B. Lambeth, Robert Cavaness, Sr., Carl Ballestero, and Daniel Frazier passed from the scene. These have gone on to be with the Lord; there are many others that I would like to mention but will not for the sake of space.

Much has been said about those who have gone before us, and rightly so. But what about those who are with us today, those who are crying out, “Who Will Stand?” Not much is said about men like Elder Robert Cavaness, Jr. whose preaching has made an impact on thousands of lives around the world, who has worn out numerous Bibles and is still crying out against worldliness, divorce, and remarriage, and, though some may laugh and scoff, I still hear him telling young and old preachers alike, “Stay off the golf course!”

To the chagrin of some people, I am proud to say that his 8″ x 10″ picture sits on my desk next to my pastor’s picture, Elder G. R. Adkins, another man of God who cries out against this passive generation. Consider the ministry of Elder Ted Wade. This man has made a big impact on my life since I was a young boy. He is one who lives and breathes the Bible and one that cries for a clean ministry. What about Elder Henry Mobley, a great Bible teacher, who still is proclaiming truth. What about Elder Terry Meade, a man of integrity, an awesome Bible teacher, one that I have known for years and who has never wavered on Bible doctrine? What about Elder Donald Coon, and eighty-year-old pioneer of the gospel, and I say that with all due respect; he is one who is still standing and crying out in this day, “Who will stand?” What about Elder D. J. Turek, a man of God who walks in the Holy Ghost? What about Elder Gail Rock, Elder Rick Hensley, Elder Jimmy Mustain, Elder Brad Lambeth, Elder Edwin Young, Elder Jimmy Guy, Elder Fred Shepard, Elder William Osman, Elder Steve Wheeler, Elder Nogota Aston, Elder Mike Phillips, Elder Charles Hale, and I could go on and on; please forgive me if I didn’t mention your name, but these men, along with many others, are still crying out “Who will stand?”

Let’s take a moment and even mention of some of our younger preachers who are crying out, “Who will stand?” Men like Elders John Coon, Wayne Lawhorn, Robert Burton, Frank Morimano, Roger Brantley, and Wayne Noble. These men are still holding up the blood-stained banner of the Apostolic Message; these are men with prayer lives, men with Holy Ghost anointing who get the call from heaven’s throne while on their knees at their sacred altars and not from the internet. I hear them from time to time preaching against video, television, the internet, and DVDs. No, they are not afraid to open their mouths and lift their voices to speak against sin that tries to creep into our churches. No, the message of our good leaders has not been quenched, their strong, bold, voices crying, “Who will stand.”

These voices can still be heard preaching against tight skirts, makeup, slits, jewelry, cut hair on women, low necklines and short skirts on the ladies, limp-wristed men, and soft-spoken teenage boys. Much can be said about the past and some spend a lot of time polishing the sepulchers of our forefathers. Some may say that this movement died when some of our good leaders passed on but I can proudly proclaim that we still hear preachers preaching the same message that our forefathers preached. Thank God for the watchmen on the wall whose voices ring out across the valley, across the mountain top, shouting out the truth from every city, metropolitan area, every village, and hamlet, from the east coast to the west coast, across every mission field in the world, crying with voices like that of John The Baptist, (Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Matthew 3:3).

This old-time message has not died! Although we live in a generation of weak-kneed cry babies, limp-wristed, pathetic, cowards, there are still people who like it just like our fathers and mothers had church, pulling out the old hymn book on Sunday mornings and singing songs like “I See a Crimson Stream of Blood,” What Can Wash Away My Sins?,” “He’s the Great I Am,” and “It’s All In Him.” Those are the kind of songs we grew up with, hearing the song leader sing and watching the saints dance in the Holy Ghost as they gave praise to God for the Revelation that came when souls repented, were baptized is the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

No, the OLD TIME WAY hasn’t died, and, yes, there is still a ministry that’s crying, “Who will stand?” Yes, there are a people who are crying out, “We will stand” with you, man of God! In closing, I say to every One God Apostolic Preacher, your message has not been in vain. Keep crying out with a loud voice; sound forth the trumpet of good news that Jesus is coming soon. And even to our young people in churches all over the world who are keeping their purity until marriage, Godly, wholesome, young saints, full of fire and zeal, fight on, young person, your reward is on the way.

In Romans 1:16 Paul said, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. I can say with the Apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, I am not ashamed of these good men whom I have mentioned in this letter nor of the message they preach. I am not ashamed of the people of God with whom I am associated today, men and women who still look the part of “old-time Pentecost.” Stand strong, my brothers and sisters, even when the scoffers of our day say that we are behind the times and they laugh and criticize our dress style; let them laugh on, we still want the Old Time Religion!

So, some may ask, “Who Will Stand?” A small remnant of people like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are declaring that we will not bow down to any lesser standard that what was given us. We hold it dear today!

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Apostolic Standard