The Knowing 3 - "Sing Like a Refrigerator!"

...God was preparing a clean slate for me to get to know Who He truly is and I was in for the ride of my life.

Shaking foundations

The next Sunday, I went to a Pentecostal¹ church for the first time in my life. The same church the young pastor (who chased the demon out of our house) was a part of. 

It is amazing how God tested my heart - I always said that I did not want to go to a “happy clappie” church, because the preachers have long oily hair and they scream at you; never mind the weird “tongue talking” thing and falling on the ground! Well, that is exactly what I got when I stepped into this church!

Ironically this specific church’s Pastor, has short grey (nice clean) hair and he rarely gets exited enough to raise his voice at all, but this particular Sunday, he was preaching elsewhere... The oily hair pastor was a travelling evangelist (later found out there are 5 different types of preachers who preach in Pentecostal churches and evangelists are usually the ones who like to raise their voices...) who just came to preach on that particular Sunday!

If God had not already instructed me to let go of all pre-conceived ideas about Him and His church, I probably would have walked out. After working through the little issue of the long oily hair and the screaming, I was able to participate in the whole of service, and not just focus on what I thought I didn’t want.

The people in the church seemed so sincere when they sang at the beginning of the service. Each person singing with their eyes closed, their arms up in the air and expressions of true love, as if they where singing to woo the love of their life. First they gave thanks, with sounds of a cheering crowd at a sports arena, and later it turned into a love song that would bring even the rocks to tears. The physical air in the building seemed to thicken and gain weight, pressing down on my shoulders like a heavy rain cloud about to drop out of the sky.

Why is it that so many churches teach, that emotional stirring “leaves the body” when you walk out of church, on the other hand, cold hard facts on the bible will stay with you if you sit in church like a corps and sing like a refrigerator. Why do we not love God like the bride in Song of Solomon?

Song of Solomon 1:13-14 (Amp)

13 My beloved [shepherd] is to me like a [scent] bag of myrrh that lies in my bosom.

14 My beloved [shepherd] is to me a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En-gedi [famed for its fragrant shrubs].

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Luke 19:40

He replied, I tell you that if these keep silent, the very stones will cry out.

Matthew 23:27

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything impure.

To be continued...

1. Definition: "Pentecostal" Christians may also be described as "Charismatic." Pentecostals include Protestant Christians who believe that the "manifestations of the Holy Spirit" are alive, available, and experienced by modern-day Christians. These manifestations or gifts of the Holy Spirit were seen in the first century Christian believers (Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10; 1 Corinthians 12:28) and include signs and wonders such as the message of wisdom, the message of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues. The term Pentecostal, therefore, comes from the New Testament experiences of the early Christian believers on the Day of Pentecost. Pentecostals believe in the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit." -  Mary Fairchild