New Member Orientation – Week 1
Tonight was my first week in new members orientation and I admit that I've been anxiously waiting for this day to arrive so that I may learn of the message to be delivered through this newfound venture. I arrive just in time and upon entering was immediately greeted with hugs and handshakes welcoming me to the class. The atmosphere was pleasant and I noticed that everyone joked as if they were more than new members. After a few more minutes of greetings and upon receiving my new member orientation manual we were instructed on today's lesson which would cover Baptism of the Holy Spirit? This is when it became obvious that I was the only "new" member and that everyone else was already ahead of me in their lessons. Seeing the confusion on my face one of the teachers advised me not to worry and advised that I would come full circle with the lessons. During the ceourse of this lesson discussion was extended on the following subjects:
- Speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4)
- Using tongues as a gift (1 Corinthians 14)
- Tarrying for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost (Luke 24:49; Acts 10:38)
Considering how long it's been since I studied all of this seemed foreign but comprehensible. So I sit, listen, and observe how everyone engages themselves in the discussion. I admit that I was very pleased in the way the teacher presented the instruction. Her approach is passionate and inviting which keeps everyone engaged and inspired. Towards the end I even feel compelled to speak but it felt just as good to sit back and observe how things were done. The last and final part of the discussion focused on the biblical definition or interpretation of the word "tarry" as used in the following context: Jesus instructed the disciples to wait and tarry fir the Baptism of the Holy Ghost or the promise of the Farther which would endue them with the power to witness to the uttermost parts of the world (Luke 24:49; Acts10:38). So for homework we were tasked to learning and understanding the definition of the word "Tarry" from the spiritual perspective. This means it was probably time to pick up a spiritual dictionary.
Today's Message
I came to the conslusion that the lesson from today's venture centered on the discussion of using tongue as a gift. I've never found myself speaking in tongues but I've seen a few people do it and wonder if it's a gift I'm ready to receive? I've been in plenty of situations where I've tried to inform and advise from the perspective of the greater good. The question I have to ask myself is what made me think that I was ready to advise on a particular situation and that particular time? Was God speaking through me and using me as a tool to deliver a certain message and a certain time? As I sit here tonight is God using these people as vessels to deliver instruction to me and the rest of the class? How should I receive and intepret this message before I validate it as real or false? These are the thoughts racing through my head. As I continue to take in the instruction I can't help but wonder if I've led anyone astray through a messages? Although I feel I had the best intentions where they received with the best of intentions.
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