The Holy Spirit and FIRE
Tired…but awake. We went to a conference tonight @ Acts Temple * and the preaching was on being filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And with fire. Double-barrel like a shotgun. Good stuff, there…
I tell you what, too… those are some worshiping people and we greatly enjoyed worshiping our Lord with them. I thought at one point that we might shake some rafters loose…and then the Bishop had the guts to say, “Is anyone bold enough to DANCE for the Lord in this place tonight?” Hooooooo… and so dance we did.
At the end Pastor Price called for people wanting the fire of God…not singly being filled with the Holy Spirit, nor even singly the fire of God, but doubly being baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire… I think everyone in the church got prayed for, including Ken and I. There was indeed a fresh touch from God and fire indeed. What I felt was different… and very hard to describe. I went from anticipation and expectation to elation to feeling like God and I were fighting a battle [edit to add: fighting a battle TOGETHER, not against each other]… a very intense one I might add: my hands were balled up in fists and I was screaming (at least, I think I was) - this didn’t last long, perhaps a minute? and I just as suddenly felt this sense of overwhelming victory and inner solidness (don’t know how else to describe it) that wasn’t there before.
Now, had you asked me five minutes prior, “Kathi, is anything wrong, anything missing” I’d have said no… doing just fine. But now it almost feels like a puzzle piece has been pressed into place. Maybe in the morning when I’m not tired I’ll be able to describe it better…but I wanted to at least get some initial impressions down tonight.
* Acts Temple is the church that bought the old Level Cross AG building. GREAT folks. I’m going to blog on their church sometime because they’re really neat in how they do lots of things (one of which is, when God’s doing stuff, people aren’t allowed to interrupt, period. I like it.)
October 30th, 2007 at 6:42 am
“…my hands were balled up in fists and I was screaming (at least, I think I was) - this didn’t last long, perhaps a minute?”
Dave, having quietly slipped into church without anyone noticing him sees this, turns pale, and runs, not walks, to the door.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
I would’ve noticed you slipping into church
But let me ask you this, my friend. What do you find so frightening in this? (please understand that I am not in any way diminishing you or your reaction…I just want to see your perspective on it, and maybe-just-maybe allay some fear. Maybe.)
November 1st, 2007 at 10:33 am
“But let me ask you this, my friend. What do you find so frightening in this?”
Well if I saw some one doing this I would think they were in extreme emotional distress. Not the kind of thing I’d expect in church - but then again I’ve never attended church.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Interesting.
Let me say this, first… “distress” - would not be the right word at all. And I should also say that this was a battle that God and I fought together, as opposed to against one another. Don’t think I made that at all clear and I’ll probably go back and edit the original text later.
I’ve found that physical reactions generally are not the manifestation - folks tend to see “charismatic stuff” like people slain in the Spirit or dancing or laughing and think THAT is what the Spirit is doing. Really, He’s working on the inside, and you can feel it and the body just has to react. (that’s my opinion and experience BTW, it’s nothing I’ve got a shred of evidence outside of there to back it up with
)
So, D, a follow-up question: What *would you expect in church?
What is your sense of what should happen at church, and what should not?
November 3rd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
“So, D, a follow-up question: What *would you expect in church?
What is your sense of what should happen at church, and what should not?”
Oh I don’t know…..how about the normal sermons which seem to consist of:
1. God’s a really swell guy.
2. You’re a filthy, miserable, wretched sinner (and blatant to boot!)Which leads to:
3. Turn or burn.
Not yelling, screaming, falling to the floor like you’re having a seizure.