Next to the house
I was saved in the Baptist Church in 2002 but since I was baptised in the Spirit in January 2012, denomination was not an issue for me. I was more interested in hearing from the Lord and go wherever he would send me and do whatever he would like me to do.
After three days in Belfast, I found a room to rent in a house in the Ravenill Avenue in East Belfast. I was praying the Lord to show me in which church to go on Sunday. There are so many churches in Belfast! Each 100 meters or so you have one and it’s not a joke!
I felt the Lord was telling me to go to the one which is next to the house. When I went out on Saturday, I saw two churches next to the house. A gospel hall and a Methodist church. The Gospel hall was closer so I made up my mind and said to myself that I would go there to worship on Sunday.
“I was at home”
I had checked the time on the previous day but when I went to the Gospel Hall on Sunday it was closed for some reason. This is how I ended up in the Methodist Church. I had never been in a Methodist Chuch before.
The worship was quite similar to the Baptist Church. I had a very warm welcome and I felt I was at home straight away. Even if the average age of the people in the church was around 60, I felt home.
When I went home after the service I felt the peace of the Lord in my heart. It was as if the Lord was telling me I am with you everywhere you go. I am with you always until the end of the world.
I started to go to the church during summer and the minister and his family were away in holidays but the congregation was so welcoming.
“Martin & Katalin”
As my wife and kids were still in France, I had plenty of time for the Lord! I was going to each prayer meeting and I was fellowshipping. I always was the youngest but I was learning a lot from them as they would testify about their journey with the Lord.
In one of the midweek service, I met Martin & Katalin as we were at the same table watching a video of Jim Cymbala.
As we were talking they saw the fire of the Holy Spirit through me and they were really encouraged in their faith. They invited me to their house as they would hold a monthly prayer meeting.
They had been praying, with another couple from a different church, for revival in Northern Ireland for two or three years.
We have not seen the expected revival but we are persistent and we still meet once a month for prayer.
I have been so blessed to be in their company. My mind has been opened on a different style of relationship with the Lord. They would not be talking all the time like me and believing the Lord for the crazy things that I do but they would be really faithful in everything they do.
I believe I had to learn this from them.
“At home everywhere”
I learned also that I am home everywhere as Jesus-Christ through the Holy Spirit is with me everywhere I am. It’s not about feeling the presence of God in lively or quiet music but it’s about knowing the Lord dwells in our heart whatever style of music the worship team would choose.
There was such a gap between the congregation and me. Gap of style, gap of age, gap of style of music, gap of energy. Martin and Katalin and I are so different but it is Christ in us who made the difference. He is able to unite when the world divides.
Like the Apostle I can say
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1Corinthians 2 v 2
Keep this in mind
The Lord is not in a specific church or in a fancy location but he is in you if you have received him as your saviour. He is with you everywhere you go even if you don’t feel his presence.
ajourneyonearth.com 