My friend and I had been constant companions for the previous 2 weeks. I had been staying with her while we attended the revivals. She was the only friend I had who seemed to see the excitement of being a Christian, on fire for the Lord, ready to witness to any one on the street! When we saw an ambulance go by, we would pull over and hold hands and pray earnestly for the person to be okay and rebuked the devil for causing the accident! We were full of zeal! I knew that I was called "to be a part of a latter rain ministry". I didn't have a clue what that really meant, but I was eager to jump in! My friend and I went house to house laying our hands on sick people and rebuking the devil! We visited churches and spoke in their Sunday Schools about the end times we were living in and people's need to make sure they are right with God. We were going forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, crying "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
We visited the Church in Paragould that Friday night and I took my friend with me. Sitting in service that first time, I was intrigued. This church, mom and dad believed, could be the answer to all our searching. But I knew that God had already begun something in my spirit and in my life. I would be very reluctant to hand that over to just going to a church some where again! So I sat in service with a critical eye. One thing I noticed was that they all looked clean and "churchy". My friend leaned over to me and said "These are just one-ness Pentecostals." I replied "You think so?" She continued "See they all have long hair and no jewelry. That's what they are". I was well aware of what oneness and Pentecostals were, but they were also all about hellfire and brimstone and we were told they didn't preach that here, and if they didn't then this was like no other place that we'd ever been before. But we needed to clarify that and watch and see how things go.
I wasn't opposed to their dress standard. As a matter of fact, I respected it. I remembered in the Assembly of God, one of the pastors that was sent there, had a wife who only wore dresses. I remember at 12 or 13 years old thinking "When I get to be a Christian, I'm going to be like her".
During that first service, my friend was in my ear continually, whispering about the things said and done. It was made clear to me that she didn't like this church and she was a big influence on me as well. She and I left before service was out and that night I returned home for a while.
That night I had a dream. I dreamed that I was standing in one room looking towards another room that was through a doorway. I was about to cross the threshold. Before I crossed I wanted to bring my friend with me so I looked to see where she was and I grabbed her hand and I crossed the threshold, and when I crossed over, our hands split and when I looked back, she was standing in the arms of a man she had just went out on a date with a couple of times. So I knew that where I was going, she would not be coming with me. The next time I talked to her, she accepted to marry that man that I saw her with, standing in his arms.
The next night, I decided to give this church a fresh try again. So this time, I went without my friend and decided to feel it out for myself. While I was waiting on mom and dad to finish getting ready, I was sitting in the living room, and I picked up one of my dad's little booklets that he had just gotten in the mail. It was a Megiddo church booklet. I began reading it. The author was talking about the devil, but almost in a mocking way. "Some people believe that the devil is a red fork-tailed creature with a long fork in his hand". As I was reading, I wasn't sure what his point was. I remember my dad saying "Deb, what do you think about that book?" I said "He sounds like he's saying he doesn't believe in the devil!" Dad replied "He don't!" I said "Oh, I don't believe that" and I tossed the book over on the end table. Dad replied "I don't know. He makes sense. I've never thought of it before the way he brings it out, but I'm going to read it and consider it".
My eyes rolled. Oh my gosh. As if we're not different enough from normal Christians! We don't need yet another crazy doctrine to separate us from churches. I crawled in the back seat of our car and looked out the window as mom drove towards the church. I considered the idea of no devil. But how could there be no devil? What about all the bad things that happened in the world? What about the Enemy, the Opposer of us all, who doesn't want us to be saved? What about that show "The Excorcist"?! There had to be a devil. Maybe he's not red, and maybe he doesn't carry a pitchfork or have a fork-tail, but there has got to be a devil. Otherwise, why do I have the problems that I have?!
All the way to Paragould (about a 30 minute drive) I contemplated this new idea of there not being a devil.
Finally we arrived at the church and they started service with a song and the feeling was good. This church was different than any other I had been in before if only in the fact that they had a band. That was definitely a cool idea!
Then Bro. Bass got up and started talking. He mentioned the devil. He said that a lot of people think that the devil is a red, fork-tailed flying creature "out there" somewhere. I almost jumped out of my chair. Yes! I was wondering about that on the way here! He continued to address and acknowledge everything that I had thought about and wondered about on the way to church that night! It was as if he'd been in the car, listening to my thoughts! It was as if he'd heard our conversation! He laid it all out, and it made sense! My evil thoughts were because of a fallen nature, not because of another creature. I'm the only one with me all the time, other than God. My choices, my thinking, and my lusts all had to carry some responsibility and not just blame this "devil" for everything!
I went home with two great impressions that night. First I was astonished that for the first time in my life, I was actually "nourished" from a church. I felt that I had been added something to. It was the first time I ever felt that I received more in the service than was available of God at home alone! My questions were addressed. My needs were met. It was the first time I'd ever been edified. The second thing was the idea that there may not be a devil. I had to study this out, but this pastor really made sense! And I'd never heard anyone use so many scriptures! He not only declared his doctrine, he used scriptures to prove it. I'd heard many hellfire and brimstone messages where the preacher never used any scripture at all. But this man used his bible the entire time he taught! Scripture after scripture made sense. I'd never seen the word of God used in that way before.
Those were two great impressions, the 3rd impression was the band. I was impressed and blessed by the band. Not only the sound of the music, but the fact that the youth had something to do in the service like that! I immediately wanted to become part of their band and choir!
That Sunday, we were just about "sold" on this new church. Everything was great so far. I loved the spirit that I felt. I loved the band. I loved the fact that I heard the word of God being taught. Mom and dad really seemed to like it as well, but they were still reluctant to put their heart in it. Mom had been hurt many times. She'd been called a devil by the 7th Day Adventists. She'd been asked to leave by another church (she asked too many questions in Sunday School) and she'd been set down from testifying or anything in several other assemblies. We only survived as long as we did in the Assembly of God because mom refrained herself from testifying or asking questions at all. She was welcome to come in and just sit, and pay tithes. Dad rarely attended the Assembly of God church. He couldn't tolerate the hellfire preaching and that was almost all they preached back then. It was usually less than 30 minutes, but it was intolerable for him to listen to. So they came with hope for, but not much faith in, this new church.
So Sunday they decided to speak to the pastor directly and ask him point blank if he believed in hell! We had to know that before we could accept this way. He and his wife had asked us over for dinner so it was the perfect opportunity. I remember my heart sinking when my dad asked "Do you believe in hell?", and Bro. Bass responded "yes". None of us responded but we all must have looked very disappointed because Bro. Bass said "of course you have to understand what hell is". So I said "we're talking about eternal torment, fire and brimstone, you'll burn forever and ever. Do you believe in that hell?" Bro. Bass smiled at me and said "Do you?" I was growing very tired of going around the bush. Either you believe in it or you don't! So I responded "No, we don't believe in it and we won't be going to church anywhere where they do believe in it, so if you don't believe in it and you want us to come here, you better tell us so now!" Bro Bass said "Is that right?" and looked at my dad, who responded "Yeah, that's right". And Bro. Bass finally confessed "No, I don't believe in that kind of eternal torment hell. But the bible speaks of hell and there's more than one way of being in hell. Hell can just be a condition! Jonah was in the belly of hell for 3 days! Imagine the stink and how uncomfortable he was, outside of God's will and stuck in the belly of a fish! He was in hell."
So we communed with Bro. Bass about hell and clarified what we all meant by the word hell, and my family left there thankful that what we heard was true, although we were disappointed and grieved that he didn't openly confess his belief to us from the beginning. We understood later that he was trying to be wise and not filet the fish before it was in the boat, but if we hadn't paused to ask the question a different way, we would have never gone back to that church, believing that they were just another hellfire and brimstone assembly.
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