Grace Fellowship

While writing the first blog on Costa Rica, it became very obvious that it could not be done in one article. This is a continuation of those thoughts.

The day I asked Jesus into my heart at the age of 9, I remember gripping the back of the pew in resistance to the Spirit’s urging. It was uncomfortable but I knew there was a tug on my heart to yield my life to Him. Many who have come to Christ can testify of similar experiences. Yet, in our churches today there seems to be a trend to make people so comfortable that I wonder if we aren’t missing the voice of the Lord. Someone once said,”God loves us just the way we are but He loves us too much to leave us that way.” We shouldn’t purpose to make folks intentionally uncomfortable but the exaggerated emphasis on comfort can quickly become an idol if we aren’t careful.

How many times have people said to a pastor, “I have a guest coming to church, please preach a good one today or let’s don’t do anything to make them uncomfortable”? Where does trusting God come in? Who but God knows what is working in that person’s heart? Wouldn’t it be better to be left uncomfortable than to be untouched and unchanged? Trouble occurs when we want to do the Holy Spirit’s job for Him, rather than simply be used by Him. In the light of this, I have never understood why there is so much controversy over the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

At the conference center, Campamento Rio Haranjo, I taught three more times on the Holy Spirit and the Gifts. After the sessions, there was sweet worship and Q&A time. I was surprised at their well thought out questions and the comfort level at which they seemed to express themselves. After lunch and between breaks, they came over and continued to ask many wonderful questions through Eunice who interpreted. Their hunger to know more about God was refreshing. Then, I asked Pastor Rodriguez what he would like me to share in my last lesson. He said, “Your testimony is very similar to mine, coming from a denominational church, could you share it and how it affected your ministry?” I laughed and agreed to the task “but you must know it ruined my plans for ministry. It became a total walk of faith that took me away from the denomination I so dearly loved.” After sharing with the pastors, there seemed to be a river of compassion flowing from the Holy Spirit to us.

Some days later, we were in Pastor Juan’s home. (Pastor Juan sponsored us being there and introduced us to Pastor Rodriguez, the president of the Association of Bible Churches.) When you walk into Pastor Juan’s front door you can see straight through to the back door. The doors are left open to allow a breeze to flow through. In the kitchen is a wood burning stove where they cook meals and make coffee. One of his members may walk in the back door just to say hello. It is not unusual for him and his family to sit, talk and laugh together.

The interpreters, David and Eunice, were laughing and talking to Pastor Juan as we drank coffee. I heard him say something like “El Pastor Felipe.” I didn’t have to know the language to understand that he had said something about me. So, I asked, “what did he say?” They said he was just laughing about your hearing Pastor Adolfo worshiping God in English and said you will be speaking Spanish next. As they continued talking they said, “Wait a minute, pastor he’s serious! Pastor Juan said when you had finished preaching he heard your praying by yourself. You were speaking Spanish but it wasn’t formal Spanish, but in our dialect. It was like country or Costa Rican Spanish.” “What was I saying?”, I asked. He responded, “You were just magnifying the Lord and thanking Him that He allowed you to be here with these people.”

What is the lesson I am learning? It is to be less consumed with wondering why Christians fight over such clear  truths and simply enjoy what He is doing in me! My mind often struggles with why believers would dare compromise such a beautiful supernatural experience of love given by the Father. Instead of asking why should I pray like that shouldn’t it be why not? Most people who have asked me what good is praying in the Spirit have never trusted God enough to go to His Word to find out. It is not a badge of maturity or spirituality. It is simply a language of love given by our heavenly Father to be enjoyed and to help us when we pray.