tNcc Church Camp 2015 (Where's the Pole)

Where is the Pole? (The week at tNCC Camp 2015)

We were still talking about the previous night’s message by Rob Rufus. It made good conversation as we lunched together at Bukit Gambang Church Camp (2015); each shared our take on the analogy, especially the one about the birds perched on the high tension power lines; blissfully unaware of the kind of voltage that was coursing underneath their feet (claws). Nothing happens to them because there was no ‘ground’ connection and therefore the birds were unaffected and their lives continue as per usual.  And so the same way the Christians have become so accustomed to a powerless Christianity (void of the Acts of the apostles) that we have unfortunately ‘accepted’ what is sub-normal (below par) Christianity  to be ‘normal’. And when the ‘normal’ is upon us, we invariably eye the normal with suspicion, strange, or worse something to be feared. So life goes on ‘happily’ for the birds (of a feather) until one day, one little bird gets too close to the pole (makes contact) and whoosh the power is unleashed. All along the power has been just underneath our feet, but suddenly in one second all have now become conscious of the power (of God) available to us Christians.

But most of all, the one that got zapped!

And so everyone applauded Rob’s use of the powerful, but simple imagery to underscore his point. 

Until, someone at the table popped the question, “But how do I find this pole?  I’ve been looking for this pole for a long time”

It was a good question indeed. 

Where is this “pole” which will impart to us the power to live the Acts of the Apostles (as in the Book of Acts, when the church was first introduced to the power of the resurrected Christ).

In the book of Acts, the Christians were first introduced to the glory of God there was a power encounter which the writers could only described the visitation as a “mighty rushing wind.” The glory came, and they ‘felt’ its presence. When the heavenly ‘charge’ of God’s glory contacts a mortal man, there is bound to be a ‘reaction’ on the latter. (oh, soon later, the men were accused of being drunk by the people. )

So where is this pole?
(this question has gotten me thinking as I turn it around in my head. Anyway here is my take on it)

The pole is here. The Holy Spirit is the Pole.

When we are in Christ, the Holy Spirit (HS) is in us; we have that ability to draw down his manifest glory.   

When we make a positive connection to his manifest glory, ( jumps our ‘cables’ so to speak), it will open up to us a new spiritual dimension we were unaware of previously.  

How does this resultant power happen ? When FAITH enters the equation.

a) right where we are at we can draw near to HIM ( in our personal quite times) and experience  the    glory presence descend. Or when

b) someone who is a carrier of the ‘charge’ releases /makes a connection with another by the “laying on of hands” and we become recipients.

(..every good and perfect gift comes from the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit..")

That the heavenly charge transfers much like an electric charge is the observation of many.

( be warned never touch an animal (or person) electrocuted say by lighting; don’t ever touch the person even if  he/she is not twitching cos the body still carries a high charge. )

By the same application, when the spirit man is charged by the Holy Spirit and he then becomes a ‘power bank’,  who has received a recent boost from the power supply, and dangerous! (to the darkness)

After the camp was over, we had one last lunch at the resort and we had another impromptu demonstration of the power charge of the Holy Spirit. The dining hall was almost empty as most were preparing to check out of the rooms. I was talking to a brother Matt, who was zapped right at his seat during one of Rob’s earlier sessions . And as he telling us his experience, I could see his body vibrating uncontrollably. And across the table, I could see Linda (my wife) twitching like how she is when hit by the Holy Spirit; suddenly the atmosphere around table area just became ‘electric’ and then I said, “hey I too wanted some of that too.”

And so I reached my hand over to receive and Matt  reached over to make a 'contact'. We broke out in some good belly laughs (muffled at first but later quite unrestrained ). 

Laughter is a good release.

After some few minutes at calm and composure, I looked around to see if we were becoming too much of a spectacle. At the corner of my eye I saw another dear brother,  and I beckon him over, and after we laid our hands on his shoulder, he too began to receive the ‘charge’ from heaven and together we had a good time of laughter and a release. ( this brother could still feel the tingling on his hands in the aftermath )

As we drove home from Bkt Gambang we talked about the refreshing experience.

Two weeks later, I was told Matt was used in a powerful way to give a word of knowledge of an ailment his relative (an unbeliever) had, and began to pray for her. The next day, she called by phone, to say she was 90% pain free. He continued to pray over the phone and after a second prayer she declared she was 100% healed.

 I am sure (after this) she will be open to receive the Lord Jesus into her life.

I too felt a refreshing and a renewal to declared the good news to a stranger whom I had the pleasure to introduce our lovely Savior to him.

As I pondered the recent camp, I am again convinced that we do need the power available to us. 

Yes the Charismatics have gone overboard with the gifts. I have seen and have personally experienced the abuses, the excesses and sometimes the downright absurdity BUT we need not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The gifts and power is ours; it is valid and relevant. 

And we need to be armed and dangerous.