Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson
You know what Sir? You're right. I do want to return to my old church. I don't like my AOG church all that much any more. Great people. Nice sermons. A billion ways to connect and get to know others and serve and do. But lately, I feel like I'm stagnant. Then the sins of my past try to grab hold of me, bringing more discouragement. The really GREAT thing about the AOG church is the openess and transparency that is encouraged so that when I do fall, there are people there that I can confide in with the confidence that they're not talking about my failures to others, or looking at me as if I'm not a Christian at all.
I never experienced that before at any other church that I've attended anywhere in the world-- UCPI, Church of Christ, WOTCC, or COGIC.
The stagnation I'm talking about can mostly be addressed by my actions away from the church, in every day life. Consistent prayer and fasting, discipline in what I place before my eyes and most importantly for me, discipline in my thought life. These are things that I am making subject to the Name of Jesus. As I make more progress in these personal areas, my perception will change for the better, I am sure.
But man oh man, what I would give to have the Holy Ghost break out in just one of our services! These people are missing out on so much and frankly, I'm bored and really wanting to experience GOD like that again at my current church. Hungry? No, starving!
I guess everyone else who has left "the mothership" just gets used to things being different. I am sure there are explanations that work well for them, but at 1:30am there is nothing more that I want in this moment than to KNOW that when I go to church this Wednesday night, there will be a move of God at my church-- one where the people of God are praising and worshiping the Lord for an extended period, where people start to dance in the Spirit and just praise the Lord until!
Maybe I'm just such a baby in Christ to want this to happen at my church-- so immature that I don't realize that my desire is selfish and unnecessary. Oh Well. I'm spoiled rotten, but I know what I'm missing out on and I'll never forget what I've already experienced!
It's like being a single guy introduced to a good woman, only to realize in frustration that there's no spark, no chemistry.
Rhetorically, do you know what it is like to be in love? Do you know what it is like to lose yourself in praise? Do you know what it is like to dance under the influence of the Holy Spirit while knowing that you're not the one moving your legs? Do you know what it is like to leap for joy so much more higher than what you could ever do while driving in for a lay up?
Yes I want to be in a church where the Lord could and maybe even would move like this at least once a year.
However, I don't want this at the sacrifice of the truth of God's Word.
The Holy Ghost baptism is for all believers, but salvation is by grace through faith. The "New Birth" happens at faith-- regeneration by the Word of God. Everything else that follows, flows from a heart that has been converted by the Power of the preached Word of God. The signs will follow those who believe and the point of salvation is not at the manifestation of the signs, but at the point of faith.
This difference is not a small difference.
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