Note:  It is recognized that there is controversy surrounding Epli; maybe this is good because people are hearing a message of the need to ready for Christ's return!  The signs abound everywhere that Christ will come soon.  At some point though some of the questions for peaceful clarification need to be resolved theologically based upon God's Word.  Time does not permit this at this moment.  Also questions will continue to abound especially for very traditional Moravians as some think Epli wants to start a new church or ministry.  Moravians should be noted by great love, not great hate.  One of our Moravian Church leaders said recently, "It should be understood by now that we need to deal with our disagreements in love and not labeling or calling our brothers and sisters who we think they are."

Commentary continued:

The most important piece of understanding is what does God’s Word have to say?  Since this is a short commentary, I will try to be a brief.  According to the New Testament epistle of I John 4:1, we are told to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” .  Also in Matthew 7:15-23 we are warned, “Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”  Also I will address a bit later on what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:1-6 about his experience in Paradise.

The following is written with a view to help answer current questions surrounding, Abraham “Epli” George, who clinically died from a sno-machine accident in Manokotak, Alaska.  From his NDE he was transformed by Christ Jesus.  He now is sharing this story to whoever will invite him to speak in the Churches of Alaska.

I spoke with Brother Epli briefly after his testimony at a Spiritual gathering at 1^st Congregational Church in Anchorage, Alaska, in November 2007.  During the Fur Rondy Musicale week in February 2008, at Anchorage, Alaska, I interviewed him, in fact invited him out to lunch so that I could get to know him.  In an over hour long luncheon discussion with this man, I found out that he has hurt deeply and is in sorrow because of some misunderstandings that are originated out of  Moravian leadership and leadership from at least one other denomination.  Brother Epli shared that possibly where the misunderstandings started was when a man on the Yukon stood up and stated that he is an “Anti-Christ and False Prophet” without fully listening to his testimony.  As a result on the rumor mill which is strong in Bush Alaska, this man has been slandered and spoken evil of by some.  Because of gossip this man’s testimony is being questioned aggressively.  It is my hope that as one pastor of the Moravian Church I may be able to help clear up any misunderstandings.

Within the Alaska Moravian Church for anyone who speaks within the congregations must have the approval of the local Church elders.  To my knowledge Brother Epli has shared his testimony in several Moravian Churches in southwestern Alaska as well as twice among the Moravians in Anchorage and Wasilla.  To my knowledge there has not been any formal Church discipline brought upon this man.  If there are false claims or false doctrines being shared within context of the local Church, its’ Elders must discipline always in love with a view to winning the erring one.  If the erring one does not submit, the Church member is asked to leave the Church.  So too, if the local Church elders have a problem that cannot be resolved internally, then they are directed by the Alaska Province Book of Order to consult for further action with the Alaska Provincial Board President and usually a Bishop in attendance who has a grasp on Church Order and Doctrine.

As of today, no one has issued a claim that Brother Epli is an Anti-Christ or False Prophet.  If he is a false prophet, the local Church Elders should deal with this problem immediately.  If this man is functioning within the confines of the local Church and is not in line with God’s Word or not in line with the Alaska Moravian Church Book of Order, he must be rooted out!  Again, it also very clear in our Brotherly Agreement that if a charge is brought it must be brought by at least two witnesses, not one.  Since there are rumors abounding, it must stop!

After my luncheon engagement with Brother Epli I left with a deep feeling of this man’s personal integrity.  He is far from displaying any narcissism; in fact he is not a narcissist and in his words are not narcissistic.  He is a humble Yupik-speaking man who remains open and is willing to listen.   For me this is the biggest check in my spirit; this man is willing to listen!  Not only that, he is submissive to God’s Word.     

There is more.  Brother Epli related to me that he loves and respects his Moravian Church.  He wants to do everything he can to advance Jesus Christ and His Word.  That is why he waited an entire week in Anchorage after the Rondy to speak at Rough Around the Edges Outreach, a new Moravian Church plant in Wasilla on March 8, 2007.  

Abraham George is an active serving Elder of the Manokotak Moravian Church located in Bristol Bay Alaska.  Manokotak is a traditional Yupik community.  Many of its people commercial fish for a living off the waters of Bristol Bay.  Epli has the support of his pastor, local church board, collaboration of the traditional elders in the community, and encouragement of the local VPSO head (who tended to him after his accident), a former Alaska Provincial Board President, as well as many other notable people in the community. 

In quick summation, many people recognize that this man has had a legitimate “out of body” experience.  And out of this very personal NDE story, Epli was given a story to share before Christ comes again in glory.  This testimony is one of his journey to heaven and hell.  Sounds almost too incredible to be true, but it is shared as a personal testimony.  Brother Epli knows that all that is needed is God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to convict and win people for Christ.  Fancy stories are not necessary.   But since he has a story to share, he has a big passion to tell his story to warn people of Christ’s imminent return.  As he gives his testimony, he is very clear that “Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life” (John 14:6).  He does not plan to start his own church as some claim.  Epli respects the traditional Moravian Church and wants to do his part to revive the institutional church for Christ’s glory. 

Abraham “Epli” George, a Yupik Eskimo, indeed has a refreshing story to tell with humor and love of Christ and His Word.  This story may be a tale by some, but because of the unusual circumstances surrounding this man’s life, he has been radically transformed with many witnesses who can tell the story first-hand.  His is a story of a man who literally was given “a second chance”, when he died on November 30, 2005.  Due to the extent of his injuries Epli’s EMTs and physicians were dumb-founded that he survived.  Epli says he was resuscitated by “battery cables”.  For almost a month he was in a coma.  After he awoke on December 25, 2005 he noticed a special “cloud of smoke circling his bed” presence of God around his bed.  Three days later on December 27, 2005, although clinically proven that his ribs were shattered, his liver punctured and with a broken lower back among other injuries, he was healed by Jesus Christ and walked out of the Anchorage Native Medical Center as a much more whole person than before the accident.

Truly Christ gave Epli a second chance!  This Alaskan native was literally pulled out of sin and alcoholism to live for Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Epli’s story is an incredible story of one man’s journey to heaven and hell.  During his journey, Brother Abraham was directed by Christ to tell the world that Christ is going to come “very soon” and that everyone needs to prepare for this history changing event.

Epli’s story is “a testimony” that God gave a humble Bristol Bay fishermen to give glory to Jesus Christ.  He says this is a testimony that Jesus Christ wants him to share wherever he is invited.  He claims he is not a prophet.  Since he is a man in a fallen world he realizes that he can still sin.  He is not perfect.  And I believe he will say “afterlife experiences” are not reliable, that’s why his message is only a testimony, but God’s Word is always reliable.  Everything that he strives to share are based on biblical ideas, not unbiblical ideas.  He does not want to lead people astray, but to lead them to the Shepherd of the flock.  His purpose is to get people to believe in the second coming and to get them to repent.

One scripture I have checked into that might refute the sharing of spiritual experiences is Paul’s experience of paradise as related in II Corinthians 12:1-6.  For Paul this was an “indescribable experience.”  “How it took place is not known, whether in the body or out of the body; only God knows.”   In paradise Paul heard unspeakable words which he says were “unlawful for him to utter.”   It is important to note that this means that that the deep, intimate experience was for Paul and for Paul alone. God forbade him to reveal and share it.

Why did God forbid revealing this experience?  Paul needed a very special experience and strengthening from the Lord; therefore, the Lord met Paul in a very special way. The intimacy was not to be shared.  This is a lesson for us!  Our intimate experiences with the Lord are to be as personal as our intimate experiences with our spouses! We are not to be boasting of experiences with the Lord. Such boasting makes us appear super-spiritual, tend to make others feel inferior, and tends to make others seek and focus on experiences instead of the Lord.

I think Paul would agree that a man with such spiritual experiences has the right to boast, but Paul says that he will “boast only in his infirmities.”  Very simply if Paul knew a man who had had such a spiritual experience, he would personally boast in that man, but he will not boast in himself.  Paul desired but one thing: not to be judged by such spiritual experiences, but by what is really essential—what they saw in his life and what they heard him preach and teach.  The reality was and it is important to understand that Paul could have proclaimed the truth of his experience describing it in detail, but he would not, so that people would not begin to think too highly of him.

Most of us would agree that exalting the person who has had some unusual experience is always dangerous.  That’s why Paul kept his experiences to himself. He wanted men to know only the absolute essential in life: the testimony of his pure life and witness for the Lord, Christ Jesus and Him crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended and who will come back again soon.

Moravians are Christocentric.  The true test of a man with a message is what he does with Christ Jesus.  Is Christ glorified or the man exalted?  After praying about it, speaking to the man directly, and after praying about it more, it is my opinion in the 21^st Century God still allows certain spiritual experiences.  Paul had many revelations.  In our day and age before the coming of Christ, Joel prophesied that there will be a pouring out of God’s Spirit which should create many revelations, dreams or visions.

Christ Jesus, our Lord, allowed Brother Epli a special experience through his NDE.  It is the hope of this commentator that before Christian’s reject this man, ask him questions.  Get to know him.  You will find that he has a servant’s heart.  The scripture is very clear, “by their fruits you shall know them.”  It is very clear that whenever and wherever this man shares his story people respond to the Bible and Christ’s message of salvation, not to him.  “Jesus’ arms are open wide to whoever will receive Him”.  The invitation that Brother Epli shares is to join God’s family. 

One final observation:  When God’s Spirit pours out there is renewal, restoration, and souls won for Christ Jesus and the kingdom of God.  Following great revivals of the past there is always a renewed interest in the Holy Scriptures.  In Manokotak, Alaska, where this man serves as a very active Moravian Elder, there are many home Bible studies that meet regularly.  All leaders of the weekly study cells point the people to the local Moravian Church.  The Manokotak Moravian church is full every Sunday and the offerings are very strong.

As one Moravian pastor I would like to thank Manokotak Moravian Elder, Brother Abraham “Epli” George for helping us with a Church plant in Wasilla, Alaska, on March 8, 2008.  He gave a Christ centered and scripture honoring testimony.  I am glad that over 70 people showed up.  I praise God that over 10% of the people went forward to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, find forgiveness, restoration, and prayer.

© Copyright 2006 Anchorage Moravian Church
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