Spirit and Works

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One day, my wife handed to me a leaflet for a Christian concert with rap music, reggae and so on. I was not deeply moved to go as I still had painful memories regarding Rap with Christ.

For some reason she was insisting that I should go as I would like it. So I eventually went with our daughter with me. She was 7 at the time. I really enjoyed this concert! There were around 30 people in a hotel but I was impressed to hear the youth testifying about Christ and what he did for us at the cross. They were so young but yet so bold!

Making disciples 

I had a nice chat with the pastor at the end of the concert and I was enthusiastic about what they were doing. They were strong on evangelism and discipleship. Basically the concept was 1) Reaching people with the gospel, 2) Disciple them in Jesus’ way, 3) Release them as pastors so they can “reproduce” themselves.

All their activities would be organized to serve this concept. They would go to outreach for 1h each week, they would do concerts every two months. They were part of a worldwide fellowship with near 2000 churches.

I was wow!!! I could see the potential for personal growth which could lead me in my calling. The Lord had spoken to me In a dream in 2012 and I was seeing the opportunity to get ready to start ministry.

Dilemma

There was no evening service in the Methodist church we were going. Therefore we would fellowship with the Methodist on Sunday Morning and with the Pentecostal on Sunday evening and that was great during three weeks or so.

I was learning a lot with the Pentecostal church. I could sing in tongues in the services, reaching people in the street. Two different worlds with the Methodist but I liked also the people in the Methodist church and I began to feel pressurized as if I had to make a choice.

My wife was quite ok to keep going to two different churches but I was unsettled! I spoke to the Pentecostal church’s pastor and he confirmed that it’s better to go to one church.
I spoke with the minister of the Methodist church who said the same thing.

I was talking to the Lord about it but I could not have any clear direction of one or the other. It was as if I had to take a step of faith and believe God for the rest. And this is what I did.

Like a fish in water

In March 2013 we committed ourselves with the Pentecostal church and I was so glad. So excited about discipleship. I was learning a lot about reaching people, disciple people and we could practice this every week.

After a few months I was asked to do some ushering. We would pray for the sick quite often and some people would be healed miraculously. Usually a couple who has a calling would be discipled for 3 or 4 years then they would be released in the field to start a church in a different place.

I was already seeing myself being sent to France to take care of Pontault as the Lord asked me to in a dream.

I also started to walk in the gifts of the spirit like the gifts of word of knowledge or prophecies. We would go to conference each year in London where different preachers of the fellowship would bring the word so all the pastors and church workers could be revived.

Still growing

We had been in the Pentecostal church for over two years I knew the time was approaching for me to be released. In January 2017, my pastor sent us for a week-end to help a church in Cork (South of Ireland). Their pastor was away for a couple of weeks and that was an opportunity for me and my wife to grow.

We met a couple who had been married for a few months there and we spent a lot of time with them which was great. They told us that we had been a blessing for them as they were at a turning point in their couple.

I remember that I could not sleep on Saturday as I was going to preach front of people I did not know. My wife and I were going to run the entire service. But the Lord was with us and brought peace in my heart. It’s about him and not about us.

In the church I was teaching a foundation class to the new believers once a week and I was also following on them. Calling them during the week, spending time with them to keep them in the spirit.

I also organized a concert in the street while our pastor was away and I could see how the Lord was using us to impact people’s life.

He said “Stop!”

In April 2015, with my wife and our two kids, I had the opportunity to visit Israel with a group of French Christians. This group was led by Henri Viaud-Murat who has a lot of teachings about walking by spirit. The Lord spoke to me a lot through his teachings.

Three majors things happened during this trip 1) The Lord confirmed that he wanted me to go to Pontault, 2) I understood what the Lord meant by the pharisees and their traditions, 3) He said to stop the Pentecostal experience.

I could not really explain why I had to stop but I knew I had to stop. When we came back from Israel, the first day in Belfast I went to my pastor’s house and told him that I was stopping. He was obviously surprised. I struggled for 2 or 3 weeks. I was in 2 minds but eventually this thing would not go out of my heart. I knew I had to stop.

That was not an easy period but I understood that it’s the Lord who directs my life and not myself. He knows why he makes us take some ways. I understood later that The Lord wanted me to learn some specific things on people that I had to learn through the Pentecostal experience but he never intended for me to stay and have my destiny fulfilled with them.

That was a painful time. I felt I was letting people down but as the same time I wanted to follow what I believed the Lord was telling me.

Today I can say with Solomon

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
Proverbs 3 v 5

 

Keep this in mind

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Sometimes we struggle to make some decisions or we don’t understand why the Lord wants us to take some ways when other ways seem more obvious. But He knows best what we need to go through so we can be equipped to do what he planned for us.