Let’s Move it Out of the Basement

On Friday and Saturday, I participated in the Men’s Encounter at my church. It sounds like a left-wing touchy-feely fest where men cry and admit they like to do needlepoint, but such was not the case. It was a surprisingly well-structured boot camp for charismatic Christian men who needed to be shown the way into the Holy of Holies. That’s a good way to describe it.

I left for church at about 4 p.m. on Friday, got home late, woke at 6 a.m. yesterday, and got home at 9 p.m. So you could say I had a busy couple of days.

Unfortunately, each of us had to sign a promise in which we said we would not disclose what went on. Were that not the case, I could tell you more about it. But the first rule of Faith Club is: you do not talk about Faith Club.

I guess I can make a few general remarks. We learned about forgiveness, repentance, purity, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, among other things. And the approach the church took made it clear that these things are weapons. The speakers also helped us understand that if a family or a city or a society is to change for the better, men have to lead. That’s a Biblical principle. When women or children are forced to lead–or choose to do so out of rebellion–it means things are going very badly. Men are supposed to rise out of their selfishness and protect and provide. That’s the way the universe was designed.

Some of the testimonies were amazing. I guess I can mention two, since they were revealed later at the regular church service.

One guy showed up because a friend–a talented singer who tears up the stage every weekend–invited him. He didn’t buy into prayer in tongues, but he still took part in the session in which people were baptized with the Spirit. He said that in his heart, he was sort of mocking the pastor, not expecting anything to happen. Then something rose up inside him, and he started speaking. And unlike the vast majority of people who get baptized, he understood what he was saying! Very odd.

During one part of the Encounter, I heard a real commotion going on not far from me. I won’t describe it, but I think it’s okay to say I witnessed it. In church, we heard a testimony which appeared to explain it.

A 14-year-old boy decided he was an atheist, and he told his parents. He said he would keep going to church in order to make his mother happy, but he didn’t believe any of it. Somehow, his father got him to go to the Encounter. The kid was planning to get high with his friends when it was over.

At one point , he was praying with his head down, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and no one was there. But he saw a shadow on the floor. The shadow of Jesus. As he continued to pray, he saw shadows of evil faces on the floor around him, and they faded out and disappeared. I wish I could tell you what happened after that, but I can’t. To say he was affected emotionally would be putting it lightly.

It’s easy to conclude that Christian testimonies are nonsense, because they take place in churches that are imperfect. Every church has some error and some sin in it. Some churches are just plain silly. But God told us he uses foolish things to confound the wise, and it’s true. And he does astonishing works through people who are not only imperfect, but sometimes, seriously flawed and even embarrassing. It’s a hard thing to get used to. It would be nice if Christians were all super-dignified models of maturity and wisdom. But we are not.

If God can use Nebuchadnezzar, surely he can use you.

Today I turned on the PC and looked at my email, and I found an incredible testimony from a reader who asked for prayer. I didn’t get around to posting her request. I prayed about it, and I planned to blog it when I got the Encounter behind me. But God didn’t wait. He did something I can hardly believe. If she’ll allow it, I’ll blog it.

It’s impressive when I post a prayer request and something good happens, but it’s not a great shock, because so many faith-filled people read this blog. That there would be power in their prayers is not surprising. But it’s startling when the result comes before I can post the request. God still does wonders, every day.

A few weeks back, we had a women’s conference, and they had to use the entire sanctuary. This time, they used curtains to shrink the seating area, and we only had about 250 people. That shows how men are letting God down and exposing society to every possible kind of attack. We are something like forty percent of churchgoers. And we’re the ones God wants to use to reach everyone else! Every week my church is overloaded with women, because the men who should be there can’t be bothered to show up. They’re sleeping it off next to floozies or just doing their own thing. I used to be one of those men.

The Encounter is worth going to, even if you don’t go to this church. It’s open to everyone. I believe they’re having another one in a few months. I hope other churches are doing the same thing. A church without men is weak and headed for trouble. We shouldn’t let our selfishness imperil the women and children around us.

More

I got permission to blog the other testimony. At the end of a November 19 email, a reader wrote this:

“If you think of it, pray for my husband. I married him in 1970. He was 21. He soon started drinking. He has been drinking ever since then and is drunk every day. Very drunk. He is still functioning at work and all like that, but its not much of a life. His name is _____.

I appreciate all your writings and your present course especially. May God continue to bless you and your family. I know he has wonderful things for you.”

I usually put requests like this on the blog, but I was busy with the Men’s Encounter, and I was going to blog this one today. I did pray however. And here’s what she wrote at 1 a.m. on November 21:

“Steve,
did you pray for him or something? WHile he was sleeping it off today he saw in him mind’s eye a beer can and “heard” the statement that he was giving his whole life to alchohol. Uh, wowie.
Don’t let up and I won’t either.

He was pretty sober when he woke up and I was friendly and told him that that well, you got a pretty clear message.

Amazed,
_____”

How about that? God didn’t even wait for you guys to pray. Sometimes his kindness is too much to comprehend.