True Church

While I was wondering around on Saturday afternoon, outside of the Women of Faith conference, I felt curious about something. Back and fort I went in my mind. "Should I . . . or shouldn't I? What could it hurt?"

I've heard it said that curiosity killed the cat. This little kitty may not have experienced death, but she did suffer a terrible blow.

As my weekend wore on, I noticed (as we all did) a small group of people picketing outside of the conference. They held a sign that read "WOF leads to Hell". I thought to myself, "Wonder what this guy is all about. He seems harmless enough . . . maybe I should just go and see where he is coming from. Maybe I could straighten him out a little."

After spending most of the day alone with God in the park, I decided to saunter up and check things out. The guy with the sign was addressing two women who were passing by. The conversation peeked my interest, so I stayed a bit longer just to listen. Scripture was pouring out of this guy's mouth, leaving me no room to argue. After all, the guy was proclaiming the indestructible indisputable Word of God - word for word. I found myself agreeing inside to what he was saying.

After the girls left, I decided to step up to the plate, and began carrying on a conversation of my own. I kept myself open, so that I could really get a handle on where he was coming from. One verse after another backed up his very strong opinion of what was going on. This guy thought that WOF, and many other Christian organizations were mirrors of a false Christianity, that is sadly poisoning this world.

What he said made sense at the time. There really ARE parts of the Bible that people just don't want to accept . . . for whatever reason. He spoke of God as angry, and a murderer. Hate, fury and rage painted a picture of the God he named the same as I did - Jesus. But somehow, I just couldn't see the God I know and love fitting his description.

I should have walked away. I should have thanked him for his time, and politely bowed out. But no, I let the assault continue as I stood there and took it. He said I was not saved. He accused me of attending a false church. He accused my Pastor of being a false teacher. He said that my Holy Spirit experiences up to this point had been demonic.

Wait a minute. I can take most things . . . I feel like God has really strengthened my faith through the years . . . He and I, we can get through anything together. But hearing that the God I love and serve could in fact be the devil himself disguised as light . . . that shook me to the absolute core.

After the conference, I told my friends about it and asked them to pray for me. I felt this heaviness on me that I just couldn't get out of my mind. Flashes of horror threatened to torment me off and on. Even today, a couple of days later, I will get a shudder of fear surge through me.

I am having to work through this somehow - this guy really did have some good points here and there. I will not go as far as to say that I don't believe that I am really saved - because I do. I won't accept his opinion that I attend a false church, and that Pastor Dave is a false teacher - because those are flat out lies.

The part I am having to work through though, is my own personal relationship with God. To think I have been praying to someone other than the One True God sends me down a painful part of my past. I was deceived once before, when I was a part of the Mormon church. Nothing in all of my life has been more hurtful -nothing more difficult to overcome.

If you are reading this, please pray for me. I trust that this experience will solidify my trust in God, because I know that He is going to prove to me that it really is Him. God will reveal to me, in the most intimate and wonderful way - that I do in fact belong to one TRUE CHURCH of a million.

I may not have every Scripture verse to banter back, defending my faith. But I can say that I know, that I know, that I know - that the God I give my life for . . .

His name is LOVE.