When I was in high school, a move of God’s Spirit swept across our small south Texas town. People from the Baptist, Methodist, Nazarene, and other evangelical churches were being gloriously baptized in God’s Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. Needless to say, not every pastor in these churches took too kindly about what was going on. I remember that one pastor made use of his weekly column in our local Brazoria County News newspaper to attack this move of God. Looking back, I now can see just how foolish his thoughts were. But, try as they may, these pastors and their arguments arrived too late. Those individuals who had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit had already undeniably experienced a “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8) and teaching from God’s Word to validate their experience.
Not too long ago, I came across a statement that has resonated in my spirit. Perhaps you’ve heard this statement before or even used it yourself. Here it is …
“A person with an experience
will never be at the mercy of a person with an argument.”
I’ve modified it slightly to make it become one of our core values in ministering to children and youth. My statement is …
“A child/youth with an experience backed by the Word of God
will never be at the mercy of a person with an argument.”
Children’s/youth ministry leader, providing this type of experience must be at the forefront of our priorities. In our ministry, we must provide an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to freely minister, have the children personally experience His powerful ministry, and back up the experience with the Word of God through our teaching/preaching. I can speak from my own personal experience about the importance of this type of ministry. As a child, I both saw and experienced the movement of the Holy Spirit and had the teaching provided to validate what I was seeing and experiencing. The end result? No argument could dissuade me or cause me to deny the reality or question the soundness of my spiritual foundation. What I read in the Bible or heard taught from the Bible in my Sunday school or children’s church was both personally experienced and witnessed in our services.
Do yourself a favor. In the back of your Bible, write down my modified quote and then, before each service, read the quote and ask the Holy Spirit to make each service a question-mark-removing service where all doubts and uncertainties are eliminated. Then and only then will you establish a “TODAY is the day of the Holy Ghost” generation in your church.
Go now and forever establish an unbending, unwavering generation of Holy Ghost warriors!
