I had been a youth (pastor/leader) for years and was disillusioned with the fact that I couldn't hear GOD'S voice as I thought I should.
Frustrated, with telling others what the Christian Life should look like, but not knowing the power to get there or showing them how to get there.
Do, Do, Do
Don't Touch, Don't Taste (as Paul said).
One Sunday morning, I was shaving, as my family was getting ready to go to church (building).
It was a typical Sunday - or so it appeared...
Then....
GOD spoke!
To me - Of all people! Believe me, I wasn't ready for what I was about to hear.
DAD speaks to Eric "Son, I want you to STOP going to Bayview______ church" (i left the name out on purpose but GOD spoke the entire name.)"
Eric: Where do you want me to go - LORD??
- no answer....
I repeat my request, as to where do you want me to go to church? My thinking is, if I leave one I must take my family to another - right?
So that Sunday I ignored the LORD, thinking HE wasn't telling me enough.
And for 1 month (4 Sunday's) continued to go, there was a strange silence.
After 4 weeks, my wife comes to me and questions "Whats wrong?"
Saints, you can ignore what GOD tells you for so long, but it weighs on you.
And you also know, our spouses know us, they know when we are up or down.
You see, I didn't know
what to tell her, if I tell her we aren't going to church anymore, she will wonder if I'm backslidden, and if I tell her what GOD said (very clearly to me), she will ask what I asked, in that ..ok, where do we go next?
So, I was confused - it doesn't take much at times...
But after a month of fighting what the LORD directly told me, I couldn't take it.
I told my wife, what the LORD told me shaving that Sunday morning.
What she then said, floored me!
"that is what the LORD told me too, but I was afraid to tell you!" she said!
We got on our knees and asked together, what do we do next?
The LORD spoke "You are to leave the church, so that you learn how to BE the church"
And we left that day, and never returned! Hallelujah.
The training HE gives, and the growth and the miracles just keep getting better and better.
That was years ago, and later the LORD sent an angel to confirm things for me, but that is another story.
Just like Mary told the servant at the wedding of Cana: "Whatever, HE says - do it!".
John 2:5
The other thing I learned through it, is this:
GOD won't give you the 'next thing', until you do the '
last thing'.
-eric
The Exchanged Life
