Month: April 2026

Beloved Apostolic Faith Church Family,

As Easter dawns once more, our hearts are filled with gratitude to God for the priceless gift of His only begotten Son, whose sacrifice secured our salvation. Among the many beautiful truths woven into the Easter story, one detail has stirred my thoughts deeply in recent days—the stone rolled away from the entrance of the tomb (Mark 16:1–5).

The stone was not rolled away so that Jesus could come out, for the risen Christ is not confined by barriers, seals, or guards. Rather, as Scripture tells us, it was moved by the angel of the Lord (Matthew 28:2) so that others could see inside.

It was rolled away:

for the grieving women, that their sorrow might be relieved
for the doubting disciples, that their faith might be restored
for every generation since, that we might behold the undeniable truth that the tomb is empty, and Christ is risen!
God did not conceal His resurrection power behind the stone. Instead, He revealed it—making a way for all who are bound by sin, fear, sorrow, or uncertainty to see and believe that our Savior lives, hallelujah!

The stone also represents a barrier that cannot be moved in our own strength. Today, many stand before their own “stones” of sin, fear, regret, shame, or disappointment. These obstacles can feel immovable, and indeed they are too great for us. Yet, we are reminded this Easter that no stone is too heavy for the resurrection power of God to roll away! And He not only delivers us from what has us bound, but also empowers us to step into His purpose, His grace, and the fullness of His resurrection power.

This Easter, God invites us to draw near, to look by faith into the empty tomb, and to declare with renewed conviction: Christ is risen indeed! May the power of God roll away any stone that might be hindering you today, granting you the same assurance, joy, and victory experienced by the disciples on the first Easter morning. May you encounter Him afresh and come away with a deeper love for our risen Savior.

With love and Easter blessings,
Sola Adesope
Superintendent General
Apostolic Faith Church.

Beloved Apostolic Faith Saints:

In the spring of 1906, gathered inside a simple home located at 214 Bonnie Brae Street in Los Angeles, California, a group of people began to pray for revival. It was exactly 120 years ago today—on April 9, 1906—that after ten days of prayer and fasting, several of those who were gathered received the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

News about this outpouring spread quickly, and soon crowds began to gather outside to hear William Seymour preaching from the front porch of the Bonnie Brae Street home. When the crowds became too large for that home, the group found a new location on Azusa Street, where our founder, Florence Crawford, would soon join them. She had been saved before then, but when she joined the Azusa meetings and sought the Lord, she was sanctified and later baptized with the Holy Spirit.

What started as a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Los Angeles soon spread to Portland when Sister Crawford arrived here in December of the same year. She brought with her the message that the Pentecostal experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost could be received by saved and sanctified believers. Some people received the Holy Spirit even on her first day in Portland, and during the past 120 years many more have continued to receive the same experience.

For 120 years now, the Apostolic Faith Church mission has been to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the years, we have witnessed many lives, once shattered by sin, be transformed—souls have been saved, sanctified, and baptized with the Holy Ghost. From our humble beginning to this day, the Spirit of the Lord has moved mightily—just as He did on the Day of Pentecost when the first disciples were “all filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4).

Today, as we thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, we also honor those who came before us—the pioneers of faith who prayed without ceasing and carried the flame of revival down through the years. Yet even as we celebrate the past, we do not dwell there. Thank God, the Holy Spirit who came on Pentecost, at Bonnie Brae Street, and at Azusa is still moving today. We unite in prayers and stand in expectation of another outpouring of the Holy Spirit to usher the Church into glory.

To mark this 120th anniversary, let us renew our consecration to God and pray fervently that He will rekindle our passion and love for Him as we seek a fresh outpouring of His Spirit. May our generation burn with the same fire of the Holy Ghost and pursue God with the same hunger and devotion as those at Bonnie Brae and Azusa. May we have a purpose to preserve the ancient landmarks that God has established, and may we continue to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3).

In Christ,
Sola Adesope
Superintendent General
Apostolic Faith Church

A Devotional on Joshua 3:5 & Matthew 5:8

“Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” — Joshua 3:5 (KJV)
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” — Matthew 5:8 (KJV)

🔥 The Hidden Connection

These two verses are separated by centuries—but united by one truth:

👉 Purity precedes revelation.
👉 Consecration precedes manifestation.

In Joshua, God is about to open the Jordan River—a miracle.
In Matthew, Jesus reveals who truly sees God.

Both answer the same question:

Who experiences God deeply?
Not the curious. Not the casual.
But the consecrated and the pure.

🕊️ “Sanctify Yourselves” — The Demand Before the Wonder

Israel stood at the edge of impossibility. The Jordan was overflowing. No bridge. No strategy.

Yet God did not say:

“Prepare your weapons”
“Study the river”
“Organize yourselves”

He said:
👉 “Sanctify yourselves.”

Why?

Because God’s wonders are not triggered by human readiness—but by spiritual alignment.

Sanctification is not outward performance. It is:

A heart laid bare before God
A will surrendered
A life separated from hidden compromise

God was saying:
“Before I change your situation, I must address your condition.”

💎 “Pure in Heart” — The Qualification to See God

Jesus goes deeper.

Not just clean hands.
Not just religious activity.
👉 “Pure in heart.”

The heart is the unseen center:

motives
desires
secret thoughts
private loyalties

To be pure in heart means:

No mixture
No divided allegiance
No hidden idols

Purity is not perfection—it is singleness.

A pure heart says:
👉 “God, You are my only pursuit.”

⚡ The Penetrating Truth

Put the two verses together and you get a sobering reality:

👉 You will not see the wonders of God if your heart is divided.
👉 You will not experience God clearly if you are inwardly compromised.

Many want:

miracles without consecration
encounters without purification
God’s hand without God’s holiness

But God says:

“Sanctify… and you shall see.”

🪞 A Mirror for the Soul

Ask yourself honestly:

What am I holding onto that God is asking me to release?
Where is my heart divided?
Do I desire God—or just what He can do for me?
Is there hidden sin I have normalized?

Because the greatest barrier to seeing God is not distance—it is impurity.

🌊 The Promise: Wonders and Sight

These verses don’t just confront—they promise:

Joshua 3:5 → Wonders among you
Matthew 5:8 → They shall see God

Not maybe. Not occasionally.

👉 Certainty.

When a life is consecrated and a heart is pure:

God becomes visible in ways others miss
His voice becomes clearer
His power becomes evident
🙏 A Closing Prayer

Lord,
Search my heart beyond what I can see.
Remove every hidden impurity, every divided desire.
Teach me to sanctify myself—not outwardly alone, but inwardly in truth.
Make my heart pure, single, and wholly Yours.
That I may not just hear about You—
👉 but truly see You and experience Your wonders.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.