Today a director from a local bank came to share during CF. He shared his testimony on his encounters and experiences with the Holy Spirit. He was from a methodist background, and was a very lukewarm christian. But his spiritual life took a turn when he went to Canada. God spoke to him while he was driving in his car and reminded him abt the importance of His word. He also shared of his baptism in the Holy Spirit, how someone told him that there was such a thing. The heat he felt when someone laid hands on his chest and how he felt God just wrapping His arms around him when he got slain.
All the things he shared was so familiar to me, for I have encountered such experiences with the Holy Spirit as well! Laying hands on people and seeing them fall under the power, at the mission trip in china- feeling my hand tremble with electricity vibes running through, prayed for deliverance with girl manifesting even before I laid hands, cg member sharing that she felt heat all over her and light when I prayed for her, moments where I felt His anointing and it was just me and Him alone.
Haha...yeah...God is so real in such supernatural encounters, and my faith is encouraged during those moments, and u just feel as if that it is not you, but it is Him doing the work through you.
I remember that when I first took part of Roy's cg, and saw him laying hands and people getting slain, I was all awed. Heh. I wanted "that" too. The "power" from God to do supernatural things. Yet when I tried and prayed for people, it was as if it was in vain. Nobody moved. I ended up with lengthy prayers, and sometimes gave a word to people that were not really sharp...I wasn't sure abt what to share when I prayed for them too. But I wanted "that" and I asked God....
It was during Benny Hinn's meetings I think when I saw the way he ministered and I understood the importance of waiting. Waiting on the Holy Spirit to come. Inviting Him and making Him feel welcome in the place. And this yearning for Him. A trusting in Him also that it is He who works in and touches people's lives. And so during cg session we just sang worship songs during ministry, very simple songs, and we just sang softly and we waited for His presence. I didn't say much, didn't have to. And it was so glorious, just feeling His anointing fill the place. It is wonderful wonderful. And laying of hands was just a matter of being a steward. Having the trust that it is He who works through me.
Going to China in April this year, during one of the worship sessions that Grace led, everyone just broke down into tears. It was the Holy Spirit touching many hearts, melting many hearts, speaking to people in areas that are so deep that nobody knew. And it was so sharp that when He spoke, people cried. Me too. I remember He spoke to me abt Hebrews, coming boldly into His presence. And then the next days when we had ministry...really all ready to go. Laying of hands and people just fall one by one....and then had inner healing as well. :)
I love the presence of God, and I love to minister the presence of God. I wished somehow that Covenant had more ministry sessions after services. Or that the worship style could be more charismatic.
And yes, I think that for me, I am so deeply convicted that God is real because of these experiences.
However I also remembered some times when I squirmed in the seat of the church because the interpretation of the word was just not contextualised. Today's lunch time sharing as well, I feel that it was not a very accurate interpretation of the Word. It is quite typical of charismatics to have "revelational" truths from reading the Word, and hence sometimes interpretations that are not exactly true to the Word. And how I wish that we can have both! A balanced Word and also a move in the Holy Spirit.
The wonderful amazing thing is how God uses us in our imperfect ways. Given that it is so impt for the Holy Spirit to move and hence we can't quench that...it is the arm that gives power.
Anyway was really good talking to this colleague who was from Church of our Saviour and then went to ARPC after a long long transition journey. And tho ARPC doesn't talk much abt the gifts of the Holy Spirit, these are things he believed in. Yet, he can stay in ARPC and accept these things cos these are not core to him. And one statement he made- if you agree with the church all the time, u don't have yr own relationship with God, cos having yr own r/s means that u seek out and go back and see if what is spoken is true.
And this is so true, there is no perfect church, no perfect humans. Only fallen creatures like us.
If the director was God-sent to speak to traditional christians w/o fresh revelations of who the Holy Spirit was, then I pray that for me- He will use the experience I have and help me speak truth into overly zealous and one sided charismatics.
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