Pentecostalism revisited

[WayneB]

p.s. I do have another wonderful testimony that just happened to us recently - but I thought I'd hold back and leave others share.

It's really empowering, inspiring, and exciting to hear what God is doing/ has done when His children operate in faith and obedience to Him.

It build our faith.

It glorifies the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Don't hold back. Share brother. OK?

[Scudbuddy]

Thank you Scud. All is well now.

Traveller,

Thank you for being softer than I. I have had so many bouts with Christians who want no "conflict" whatsoever, and because of it, have given up the bank to the devil and his cohorts. I am a scrapper who tends to jump into that fight right away. Obviously that isn't your intention, and I misjudged you. Sorry. Please forgive me. Now that I have had several hours to think about it, I softened up some.

(Doesn't mean I take anything back about Steve. Steve and I need to finish up where he shut the conversation down. Until we do, he will find me "annoying." Which is exactly my intention. Onery, ain't I?)

[Scudbuddy]

Thank you Scudbuddy for the courage you show in taking this position and refirecting the discussion to its original focus.

I do not know Steve Hut or quite have a grasp of his theological views; however if he wants he has the freedom start a new topic on his theme of interest.

It is unfair to attempt to divert this discussion to ones own personal agenda.

Moreover, it intimates those who want to contribute to the discussion that you Scudbuddy have so graciously directed and facilitated up to this point.

Sachi

p.s. I do have another wonderful testimony that just happened to us recently - but I thought I'd hold back and leave others share.

It's really empowering, inspiring, and exciting to hear what God is doing/ has done when His children operate in faith and obedience to Him.

It build our faith.

It glorifies the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Thanks,

But I beg of you. More stories.

I will put a down payment on your next story. I will give another one, and that way you won't think you are hogging the show.

I was just coming back from a very hard mission trip. I had been ministering in Argentina, and the team I was with had been invited by my ministry partner. He knew them by ministering in their cities. He gave an open invitation to all to come, and didn't look too much into any of their backgrounds. It caused alot of problems during the trip. I was on this long flight back to America, tired, discouraged, and worn out by the constant bickering of a few of the misfits that had come.

These guys despised me (imagine despising little ol me) and made no bones about it. My partner who got funds from these guys didn't want to offend them, so did little to intervene. I was not in the mood to minister on the plane because of this, and when the Holy Spirit budged me about this beautiful woman sitting behind me, I was a little upset with Him too. I knew that if I talked to this woman, it would just add fuel to the fire of their constant judgement of everything I did. But God was persistent and rather unfeeling about my opinion of Him at the moment. (Later on He wasn't so unfeeling. My backend can still feel some of that "feeling", but I digress.)

He told me the secrets of her heart concerning her mother, and told me about 3 arrows stuck in her heart from the words of her mother. So I told her what the Lord told me, and the words her mother had spoken over her in detail. She broke down in tears, and gave her heart to the Lord right then. She was an Argentinian Model/Actress that Las Vegas was flying up to star in some of their musicals. As beautiful as she was, she was stunning after God set her free from the demons of her past.

[AnotherTraveler]

"Please relate these stories from your street experiences"

OK

In 1976 I was filled with the Holy Ghost at about 2 AM, having never been to a church to hear the gospel preached. I was "street preached" to by a cop (I hated cops in those days) and after a week of night by night witnessing/preaching, I got saved/delivered/baptized/filled/ and I became a different person so much so that my own brothers and sisters were convinced that I had lost my mind. (Not all of them have changed this opinion either)

Immediately I was found witnessing/preaching to my old drug buddies, ladies of the night, and others that are only found out after dark (I was a creature of the night, and when I got saved, I went to my own bunch, it took months to change into a daylight functioning person). Many got saved, and are today pillars in the home church.

I would preach on Mark 16 concerning the signs, and knowing nothing as I should have known (in those days I didn't know that I didn't know) I would lay hands on demonics and they would scream, spin in circles, spit, weap, and beg for me to stop because it burned them. (Jesus never laid His hands on a demonic, He spoke the word to deliver them) I would learn, but it was on the job training, and lots of people suffered needlessly but still were helped by the Lord.

Over the last 28 years, I have seen the Lord reveal His kingdom works in many strange ways, and He still surprises me with what He is willing to do, with no regard to the opinions of men. He knows that He is God, and we are not, and if we will work with Him in this day, we will sometimes be confused, embarrassed, hated, and humiliated, and this little list is what I like to call "persecution lite".

I have met people that have openly considered suicide because their entire family was killed because they were Christians and they were lonely and feeling the loss of their loved ones daily. I have a friend right now that went to the refugee camp this weekend in Ghana, trying to find a place to lay his head and food to eat. He is what is left of his family, and a muslim offered him food and lodging if he would renounce Jesus, he refused. He has been a man without a country for 7 years now, and he has written to me how many of the pastors are in fellowship with known criminals where he is, and though I am trying to send him some assistance, the matter is complicated by evil men in high office in the churches in his area.

My point is that if we as the church don't start "offending" the wicked men that sit at times in high places, we stand to be governed by Satan, who sitting in the seat of God, proclaims that he is God, and Ezekiel 34 is truely coming to pass right now, with some of us shoving others, and some of us seaking the scattered.

[Scudbuddy]

"Please relate these stories from your street experiences"

OK

In 1976 I was filled with the Holy Ghost at about 2 AM, having never been to a church to hear the gospel preached. I was "street preached" to by a cop (I hated cops in those days) and after a week of night by night witnessing/preaching, I got saved/delivered/baptized/filled/ and I became a different person so much so that my own brothers and sisters were convinced that I had lost my mind. (Not all of them have changed this opinion either)

Immediately I was found witnessing/preaching to my old drug buddies, ladies of the night, and others that are only found out after dark (I was a creature of the night, and when I got saved, I went to my own bunch, it took months to change into a daylight functioning person). Many got saved, and are today pillars in the home church.

I would preach on Mark 16 concerning the signs, and knowing nothing as I should have known (in those days I didn't know that I didn't know) I would lay hands on demonics and they would scream, spin in circles, spit, weap, and beg for me to stop because it burned them. (Jesus never laid His hands on a demonic, He spoke the word to deliver them) I would learn, but it was on the job training, and lots of people suffered needlessly but still were helped by the Lord.

Over the last 28 years, I have seen the Lord reveal His kingdom works in many strange ways, and He still surprises me with what He is willing to do, with no regard to the opinions of men. He knows that He is God, and we are not, and if we will work with Him in this day, we will sometimes be confused, embarrassed, hated, and humiliated, and this little list is what I like to call "persecution lite".

I have met people that have openly considered suicide because their entire family was killed because they were Christians and they were lonely and feeling the loss of their loved ones daily. I have a friend right now that went to the refugee camp this weekend in Ghana, trying to find a place to lay his head and food to eat. He is what is left of his family, and a muslim offered him food and lodging if he would renounce Jesus, he refused. He has been a man without a country for 7 years now, and he has written to me how many of the pastors are in fellowship with known criminals where he is, and though I am trying to send him some assistance, the matter is complicated by evil men in high office in the churches in his area.

My point is that if we as the church don't start "offending" the wicked men that sit at times in high places, we stand to be governed by Satan, who sitting in the seat of God, proclaims that he is God, and Ezekiel 34 is truely coming to pass right now, with some of us shoving others, and some of us seaking the scattered.

Wow! Struck 24 karat gold there. Where are you from? This is the good stuff. (Not saying the other stories weren't good.) Are you from Africa, or are you ministering down there?

[AnotherTraveler]

I'm in West Virginia, USA. I recently returned from a short trip to Jamaica, and I have a burden to assist the poor saints there, as well as wherever the Lord would send me.

My pastor has provided me with a letter that asks for anyone that can to assist me, and he is willing to receive inquiries concerning me at his home or at the church.

There is a little website that has some photos of the last trip to Jamaica at

http://jesushelpsjamaica.pledgepage.org/

My pastor's wife is leaving on tuesday for Jamaica (if the airport is open) with a small group, the recent hurricane has made the place a mess, so travel into the mountains is probably going to be more difficult than usual. Please keep them in prayer.

[Scudbuddy]

I want to keep this thread alive with stories. I will share another one, but please, I know some of you have some stories out there. Don't be shy. This is a boost to help others jump on the wagon of winning souls. Stories give us faith.

Once, after a mens retreat, I was with my pastor and a couple other guys in a Dennys. Across from us was these two Jehovah Witnesses having a dinnertime bible study. My pastor has a heart to witness to those in bondage to cults, so he marched over there and gave them the gospel. They shot him down rather quickly, and he came back to the table and said to us "What we need now is a "Word of knowledge." At that very time the Lord had told me three things about one of the women, and his statement confirmed it. The leader left to go to the bathroom, and I jumped over there and told her my name, and then told her that she had back problems, hated men due to a nasty divorce, and struggled with severe loneliness. That God loved her where she was and that she did not have to earn her way to heaven or to be one of the 144,000. I then asked her if I could pray for her. (She confirmed everything by the way) We bowed our heads and God did His thing. Needless to say when the leader got back, she was not a happy camper. But that other woman was.

[AnotherTraveler]

What a wonderful story! Proper use of the Gifts will always have a deliverance, or a healing, or a slavation, or a renewed hope, and always a defeated devil.

Lord Jesus, please multiply in each of us these kinds of works, and help us to be doers of the work in our generation.

[stevehut]

1- And I honestly did not understand his last post.

2- Steve is not going to come on this thread and put down Pentecostals

1- Sure you do. I have stated my scriptural reasonings in here several times. No one knows that better than you. If you should disagree with them, then...well, that's a different matter.

2- Looks like the only person in here putting people down is you, Scudder.

I'm simply discussing issues. You made it personal.

[stevehut]

If I had said "As lost as a Pentecostal in Mass", would you have considered that rude?

I found it quite amusing, actually. Anyone who's offended by that has a very thin skin, methinks.