Pentecostal? Not me.....Never!!

I know for sure that you will not be reading this until Monday, and there is no telling when I will post it then. I really need to get my own internet connection. Maybe when I move into my own place that will happen for me. I really like writing this little bit, and I will probably be writing a lot more when I get moved. I was hopping the first week of March, but it could be as late as April. Whenever it actually is it will be at the most perfect time, because I laid it in the hands of the Lord.

What I wanted to talk about today is the denominational preference that I have chosen. All the time I was growing up I attended a Baptist church. Other than going to vacation Bible school at a Methodist church a couple times it was always a Baptist church. I always made so much fun of the Pentecostal folks on various different levels. Actually, on every level that I could think of.

Back home in Alabama we had a group of the Pentecostal’s that like to handle snakes. Not just any kind of snakes. They would handle the poisonous ones. The old mean rattlesnakes, and the cottonmouth variety. They always said that the Lord gave them power to tread over these snakes. You know that I have read that scripture, but there was one that also says thou shall not tempt thy Lord thy God also. To me that was nothing but a strict violation of tempting.

One of the pastor's wives got bit, and almost died one night. The State brought the pastor up on charges of attempted murder. I though that was hilarious at the time!!    I felt bad for her, but wouldn't you think that she should have known better?    I know for a fact that if I had of been in that church the moment that the first snake came out of it's cage I would have been out the door!!   I have a pact with snakes.   As long as I can get away from them, they can live!!

Besides the snake thing the pentecostal folks done other weird things. They talked in a gibberish language that I could not understand. I was never sure if they could understand it themselves. The would take some kind of oil, and put it on other members of the church. I knew that the Bible talked about anointing people with oil, and pray for their healing when they were sick.

There was another thing that they did that I couldn’t understand either. A person would walk up to the preacher, and he would slap them in the forehead. The next thing they were laying out in the floor shaking. This made no sense to me at all. They called it being slain in the Spirit. I though that it was nothing more than faking a move, but I didn't know why they would even do that, unless it was to fill the plate when they passed it around. 

I was a Baptist, and I was a good Baptist. A baptist among baptist!! I had never seen any of this going on in my church. We just sang traditional hymns from the book. The only person that ever got excited was the preacher. Most of the time he didn't get that carried away either. I had heard talk of the Holy Spirit, but I don't think that He ever came to this Baptist church, or any that I ever attended.

Thirty years later a friend ask me if I would go to church with him. The first thing that I ask was what kind of a church it is. When he said that it was a pentecostal church I just laughed in his face. There ain't no way that I am going to be in the same room with a bunch of snakes. Then my buddy laughed, and assured me that there would be no snakes in the service. I really was closed minded. I though all the Pentecostal’s were the same. I really thought that all them was guilty of playing with snakes.

I went with him, and I was amazed at what I saw. Now keep in mind that I was nervous that first time. I was intrigued enough that I went back the following Sunday. I saw all kinds of people talking, and praying in tongues. The good thing was the fact that I was motivated by the language. I though that I would be scared, but I wasn't. I was actually drawn to them. I saw them break out the oil, and start anointing people, and praying for them. The strange thing was the same, as the language. I was very intrigued, and wanted to share the same expeirence.

Within three months I had joined that church. I have not felt out of place yet. I love being the thing that I have made the most fun of any of the religious groups. You can find me sitting on the sixth row right in front of the pulpit. I love to raise my hands towards the heavens, while I worship my Almighty God. I don't speak in tongues yet, but I am looking forward to the day that I can. Actually, i just want to be able to pray in tongues. I can recognize when Holy Spirit is present, and now I know that He is real!!

I have been slain in the Spirit once, and I fell in Love with Jesus all over again. I love to be anointed with oil, and prayed over. The truth of the matter is that I love being a Pentecostal!! I fit right in like a well made glove. I never in my life thought that this would happen to me.

 God is good!!              Ain't He?

…..........Much Love