When the Holy Spirit wants to come down and stare you straight in the eye... where can you hide? Where can you evade?? Such was the case at this year's CS Retreat - "Entering into the Abundance of Christ."
The event - in all honesty was almost a chore.
The speaker - in all honesty was average.
The topic - was overused and conventional.
Holy Spirit - He is real. He is powerful. He was there.
Morning TWA - not a big fan of corporate devotion. Right away... Pastor Alan asked, "Henry, how do you show your love for your wife?" I wanted to answer "I sing to her." But I resorted to a safer answer.
Then in that morning's passage... God ridicules those who sing with an empty heart. Further down the passage... God condemns the sin of 玷污婚姻的床. I wanted to find a place to hide. Tears started welling up.
In the speaker's message... in between dozing in and out of consciousness... he says, "If Jesus came to your house, you can have that one spot in your house that stinks so bad.. that reeks of evil... you would never want Christ to see." Ohhhh...but He sees. He knows. And His Spirit was tugging my heart.
Towards the end... there was a time of intercession and prayer. I could not NOT go out. It wasn't to the speaker. Nor to Papa John and Christina. Standing there... was my beloved 國威 and Connie. Two of the most unassuming and loving people God created. I needed to confess my sins. My impurities. My sin against God and sin against my wife. How I've broken my vows. How I am an unfaithful husband.
No words of condemnation. None. They praised God for my openness. They celebrated the fact that Jesus' blood has the power to cleanse. They wept and cried with me as we stood in front of our Lord and Savior. There is no hiding. None. The Holy Spirit was there. For sin...for righteousness... for judgement.
And long gone, much foreign, is the feeling of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Yeah yeah...we're a charismatic church. No no... do we value any manifestation. But when the Spirit chooses to tell you... "I'm here..." that feeling is indescribable.
I love my church. I love my wife. I love my God.
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