Grace Fellowship

As a preschooler, Dad would take my two brothers and me to get a haircut. The shop had a rather large ceiling fan that made a whooping sound as it turned. There was no air conditioning, and this was pretty common at the time. The front door was open to help create a warm but humid breeze. Often, we fell asleep waiting our turn. Mr. Moore lifted us onto a wooden plank set between the armrest of the barber chair. This sat us up high enought to be reached. A white apron was tied around our neck to keep the hair off of our clothes. The clippers hummed lightly behind our ears as Mr. Moore balanced a cigarette between his lips. It looked like it might fall from his mouth at any moment. His eyes blinked continuously from the smoke curling around his face. So much for second hand smoke! Once my dad said, “Boys wait right here. I am going across the street to the store. I’ll be right back.” In a few minutes, panic set in. I began to wonder, would he really come back? As my eyes began to tear up, here he came just like he said. Although my father worked out of town on many occasions, he always came home when he could. His “being there” became a defining trait in his life. At his passing, I found myself unreasonably angry with him for not being there. I, a grown man with children of my own, had to deal with feelings of being angry for something that he couldn’t help. He just wasn’t there. In ministry and in life there are times when people with the best of intentions just can’t be there.

So what does this have to do with Costa Rica? On October 10th-18th, we went on a special mission’s trip to Costa Rica to teach pastors, among many other things. Our assignment included teaching on the Holy Spirit and the Gifts. Pastor Luis Rodriguez, the President of the Association of Bible Churches, had requested this topic. As a non-Charismatic/Pentecostal denomination, he wanted them to be given the opportunity to learn more about the infilling of the Holy Spirit with Gifts. This is one of my favorite subjects so I was given the task of teaching it.

The conference began on Monday morning, but we were invited to bring the Sunday morning service too. Many of the pastors arrived early and Pastor Adolfo was in charge of the morning meeting. This was held at their conference center- Campamento Rio Naranjo. It is a beautiful center with rolling mountains and green fields all around. There are no air conditioners but lots of open windows and ceiling spaces to let the air flow through. I taught on “Let the River Flow” from Ezekiel. It is about the river that flowed from the throne of God hitting the earth on the day of Pentecost. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

At the end of the message, we prayed for the needs of the people. Dexter, our associate pastor, prayed while Maria translated for him. (Maria is a great organizer and these trips would not be possible without her and Dexter’s hard work!) Eunice, a worship leader from “Oasis de Bendicion” in Augusta, GA., interpreted for me as we prayed. Eunice can sing the horns off a Billy goat. Worship is not an option for her! She enjoys moving in the Spirit and praying for people’s needs. She became so involved in praying for others that I was left alone. So, I just worshipped the Lord prayerfully to the side. Pastor Adolfo stood up to bring the meeting to a close so we could go to lunch. Since Hispanic people are very expressive and vocal in their worship, it is difficult to know exactly what is going on when you don’t speak the language.

Pastor Adolfo was singing to himself before the Lord with his hands slightly lifted and since I didn’t know the language, I could not tell if he were praying in Spanish or praying in tongues. I was about 12 feet in front of him as he stood on the stage. With my head bowed to the floor I heard these words in a singing fashion, “I will never leave you.” I thought, that sounds like English, but Dexter was nowhere around. Again Pastor Adolfo simply sang, “I will never leave you.” By now, I was looking right at him. A third time I heard him sing in clear English with my eyes firmly fixed, “I will never leave you.” My first thought was – does he speak English? He took us to lunch so I seized the opportunity to have Maria ask Pastor Adolfo, “Are you filled with the Holy Spirit and do you pray in tongues?” There was some hesitancy on our part because these pastors didn’t all practice this belief. Pastor Adolfo responded, “Si!” We continued, “Do you know how to speak any English?” No, was his response. “But Pastor Adolfo”, Maria explained, “the American pastor just heard you worshiping God in English!” Maria told him what he had said, “I will never leave you.”

I am not a sensationalist and neither is Pastor Adolfo. I have no interest in fabricating signs and wonders. God does very well without my help, thank you very much! While, I have heard of this phenomenon among many respected friends and ministers, it had never happened to me. Doubters will always explain it away in their minds. God is best understood from the Word and a recreated heart and not from fallen human logic. It was a sweet word from the Lord reminding me of a simple truth He has been working in me for sometime, “He will never leave us.”

In John 14:17-18, Jesus promised to give us the Holy Spirit whom the world could not receive! In verse 18, Jesus promises that He will not leave us as orphans! In Hebrews 16:5, He promises to never leave or forsake us. In Psalm 46:1, God revealed Himself as Jehovah-Shammah or “Jehovah is present.”

If the Lord had asked me, do you believe I will never leave you? I would have responded, of course I do Lord! I know it doctrinally in my head but what about emotionally? Sometime ago the Lord began to deal with me about knowing this in my heart. I wanted to argue, but Lord I know this! Gradually, lovingly and kindly, He opened this area of my life up as I prayed in the Spirit. “I want you to know Me as the One who will never leave you!” One of the benefits of praying in the Spirit is we do not know how to pray as we ought. But, the Holy Spirit knows how to pray through us. I wish I could report to you that the lesson has been learned well, but I have a feeling it is ongoing.

The Christian life is a journey and the Holy Spirit sweetly teaches and woos us if we are open to Him. It may not be learned in one setting but He continues to encourage us to write it upon our heart! Trust Me! Trust Me- for, “I will never leave you! I will never leave you! I will never leave you!”