I was brought up Baptist. We initially started out well. The pastor had a Waltons type family with kids that did well. The church grew to 400 and there was charity and good feeling in the congregation. As time went on....
1. Some girl busted the youth group for smoking dope at one of their get togethers
2. Few of the youth group ended up good Christians, they let the pastor go
3. They get a well educated preacher who was very dry in his delivery
4. Things go from bad to worse
I remember we were made to believe that speaking in tongues was of the devil and Pentecostalism's origins were in Africa. When I was 17 I moved in with my Grandmother here in Virginia where I fell in with the Pentecostal Holiness where the pastor...
1. Very disciplined guy - Up at 6AM every morning
2. Rejoiced in what he called being a Pentecostal Holiness country preacher
3. Revivals - At least one every two months - All with unique and good evangelists
4. Would let the Holy Spirit have his way in service
5. Take time to pray for the sick at church and in the hospitals. Carried a bottle of anointing oil with him
6. Was a friendly guy and would come visit you
7. Loved God and very Christlike.
8. A great, loving, and supportive family man as well
9. I have never heard him the first time put down Catholics or Baptist. If any had issues it was in our Pentecostal movement, and we had to watch that daily to keep the experience pure.
And I knew exhorters who would...
1. Work the local chemical factory and farm at home
2. Raised good family, him and were happy, tongue talking Pentecostals.
3. Would merrily shout in church, at home, and in the hayfield
4. I have seen farm equipment down and they would quickly fix things like hay rakes and balers. They claimed that God himself helped them mechanically and would show them things. I have never seen their hay balers broke down and they baled perfect bales every time. In which, the balers ability to tie knots mechanically has always amazed me.
5. In the altar services they would kneel behind me in prayer and tears would roll off their cheek and onto my shoulders
There were many others who would let the praises roll during church service. During the altar service old Evans Linkous used to weep like a baby. And if he were to look back to catch the amazed look in my eye he would weep, "The Holy Ghost! The Holy Ghost!" And point to all the souls being blessed around the altar. After I experienced these things for myself the people would make a fuss, or in the words of the Apostle Paul, glorify God in me. One day, after an autumnal week of beautiful Virginia fall and revival I lay on my bed with open door, listening to the Katydids sing their praises to God, reading Run Baby Run, with fireflies lighting up the mountain as they would fly, and heard the Spirit ask... "Put the book down" and then continue, "Where is all that hatred, strife, and bad feeling?" In which examining my eternal man there was nothing there but sheer beauty. I thought to myself... Oh my! I got exactly what those folks got!
Now they did not exhort me to speak in tongues but to find that place where I could sense the Spirit speak.
