Acts20.com

....or are not faithful every Sunday to church or when the doors are open.Sadly, taking an introspective look at my life and beliefs 25-30 years ago really leaves me embarrassed. The above are such instances.We who have the Holy Ghost are more enlightened than those who don't...People are weak spiritually because they don't spend enough time in prayer...(element of truth....but it's attitude)Churches not having sunday PM service are a little loose....Why don't people talk about Jesus at their work place? Do they no love him?....

Here's one I've been thinking about lately... We sure had church today, brother! The pastor didn't even preach a sermon!Church was extra special because God's word wasn't opened and the gospel wasn't proclaimed?

It was special because the Holy Ghost rained down on God's people and they were blessed, encouraged, healed and strengthened!My people know, if the Spirit begins to move, I am going to move with Him.With no disrespect to the Word of God.The Lord pities His people, sometimes He will not wait for the sermon to be delivered.Not here anyway. Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church

Yeah... that's not biblical, Andy. Sorry.You shouldn't confuse ecstatic emotionalism with a move of God's Spirit. Jesus said that His Spirit would speak of Him. If the gospel isn't proclaimed, God's people have been left wanting, no matter how great they felt during worship. It is God's word that is our bread of life. God's word that washes and sanctifies us. God's word is the truth that sets us free.

Son, when did you visit SPWC?How could you know what is happening here.Oh, you don't. Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church

Andy, if you want to continue this discussion with Scripture sometime, just let me know.

Know!Show me where worship in the Spirit is forbidden.I wonder if you have ever had a genuine encounter with the Holy Spirit.Are you Church of God Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church

Andy, I never said worship in the Spirit is forbidden. I said that God's people are missing it when they celebrate Scripture being absent in a service. It's one thing to celebrate a move of God's Spirit, but to do so in a manner that suggests such services are superior to those where an elder declares God's word is not correct. If you have never heard anyone boast about how great the service was and use the absence of God's word as evidence, then I'm not talking about anything you have been a part of.Boy people get grouchy when you poke at their traditions.

And yes, I have had extraordinary experiences in the Holy Spirit. I could talk about them for hours. Starting from the moment I came to Christ. I rejoice for all of them. I celebrate all of them. I am grateful for all of them. They have been times in which God has shown his mercy, love, and grace to me.But how much more the preaching of the gospel, whereby men who are dead in their sins return to life!I am not saying we should not have moves of God's Spirit in our churches. I am not saying Scripture necessarily declares that God's word must be a part of EVERY Christian gathering. I am saying God's people are missing it when they celebrate a service because Scripture was absent from it. Celebrate a move of God's Spirit, yes, but not the absence of Scripture.If you've never heard something like the quote above, then I question your Pentecostal credentials.

These folks are not celebrating an absence of the Word of God.They are celebrating a move of the Spirit.You have misread their meaning.I have said the same thing and I am the Presiding Elder (preacher).How was Church?WOW! It was great, I didn't even preach. The presence of the Spirit was so strong and so many were blessed!The Church of God had dwindled until the Pentecostal awakening.I do not question God's timing. Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church