I had surgery

I had surgery last week to remove my gall bladder. It wasn't fun. I have had something wrong for the last four years: from having an appendix removed to tearing a muscle completely in my right calf to other things.

Sometimes during these trying times I have come closer to God and yet my Bible study hasn't improved nor prayer time become more consistent, yet I feel closer to God. I am glad I follow such a great and awesome God.

I was watching a video yesterday and want to share some of what I received from it.

Have you ever heard of someone calling themselves Pentecostal or Evangelical or Protestant or Catholic? Most Christians in some form or another do.

I see these as ways of identifying more with a family group than anything else yet sometimes the identifier gets in the way of the true family we are supposed to be a part of.

For example, as a believer in the Pentecostal experience, I see many in Pentecost who follow after the experience instead of the person of Jesus Christ. Many times the work of the Holy Spirit seems to overtake the following of Christ,

As one who believes in the experience, I must be wary of how I speak of it because the experience is more of a distinctive in my following Christ. The experience is not the end. I think of it more a beginning.

Look at each group who experienced a Pentecostal moment in the book of Acts. Each time it was a empowering or enabling to become witnesses of Jesus. If I am a believer in the experience, then I need to see the experience as more than just a personal moment with God and begin to see it as His commissioning of me to go out and become a witness.

My witness is my way of life. Either I really believe or I don't. So do not let names get in the way of your being a follower of Christ. Follow Him and He will direct your path.

I develop this more as time goes on. Thanks for your prayers.