URGENT! Seeking pastor/mentor/prayer instructor

I've been reading my Bible inconsistently for the past twenty years (I'm thirty-three) and on an almost daily basis for the past four to five years. I've always read and prayed in the closet... I've been to several churches but have no ongoing fellowship with other Christians except for the random soul I meet here and there (because of the hypocracy and humanism so rampant in the various denominations). Over the past five years I began to "shed" most of my possessions and, within the past few years, the majority (if not all) of my old friends. And I'm kind of dreading Christmas because I'll be visiting my mother and her friends who dabble in anthoposophy/theosophy...

About a month-and-a-half ago I visited a site (www.crossroad.to) where I read some quotes by A.W. Tozier and after googling his name, found sermonindex. Listening to his sermon "Holy Spirit: Why Some Can't Receive Him" had me groaning and weeping and praying all night - because if there had been someone, ANYONE who would have told me this twenty years ago my whole life wouldn't have been such a terrible waste. Oh Holy Jesus on high thank you for bringing your beautious and blessed words through your faithful servent Tozier! How magnificent thou art to convert a lost sinner through the voice of a man dead for forty years! Amazing! Miraculous are your ways, though they confound the wisest among men!

I listen to Tozier and Ravenhill every night for hours and hours on end, have quit my job bartending, have lost most, if not all of my friends, own near to nothing and I'm ON FIRE WITH THE HOLY GHOST. But I desperately need communion with someone, anyone who's on fire like Tozier and Ravenhill. I want an unpopular man to instruct me, a preacher in a small, out-of-the-way church who preaches Jesus the way He is, not the way we'd like Him to be. I want a fundamentalist who can instruct me in prayer, righteousness, patience, charity and love. I am willing to relocate (within Canada, New Zealand, or Ireland) and to put myself at the disposal of the pastor and church. I've left my career and my friends for the LORD (and probably my family, too) and would be satisfied to sweep and mop the floors of the House of God if it gets me closer to Jesus and His family.

Please, I beg of you in Jesus' name, if any of you know a pastor who's on fire with the Holy Spirit, please let me know here on sermonindex or by my email, which is visible on my tag.

God Bless Us All,

Corey H

p.s. This preacher should be the "fire and brimstone" type who's mouth is a "rod of correction". Thx

crsschk, thanks for the quick reply. I am currently in Edmonton, but my location doesn't really matter as I there's nothing here to tie me down. I'm interested in discipleship with a sound preacher filled with the Holy Ghost and will go wherever I need to find such a man.

In reply to your statement that "there is enough of the peculiar and helpful saints within these confines", I do require a live person I can interact with and, more importantly, LISTEN and LEARN from. Though I thank the Lord Jesus for bringing me the wonderous sermons of Tozier, I yearn for communion with LIVING saints.

-Corey

Thanks Richie,

Greg, the operator of sermonindex, put me in contact with Ricky and we've spoken a few times... though our schedules are a little out of sync so we haven't had a chance to meet. Thanks for the other contacts.

Also, I kind of want to get out of Edmonton.

-Corey

I know what your going through brother. You probably feel isolated, lonely, and misunderstood. That's great!!! Now you know how Jesus and the apostles and every true child of God feels. Were only pilgrims passing through, this is not our home and were all homesick for a country.

I want to tell you to be careful and don't expect people to be perfect because none of us are. Find a good church where the man of God preaches the Word of God and does not compromise, but don't expect him to be perfect, you'll save yourself alot of hurt.

God bless you
J-bird

I most certainly can relate to all of this. I do find myself feeling like there is no one who can understand what is going on in my heart or head. This is also why SI has been such a refreshing community to be a part of.

Accountabilty to another who is every bit as broken and fallen as I am is less motivating than someone who has tasted victory and lives a holier life than I.

I do often wonder what the "Biblical protocal" is. Is it acceptable for me to seek and desire intimate disciplship, like Paul was to Timothy? And since I don't currently have that, should I be actively seeking it?

I know we should not rely on men to build us into a spirtual house. Unfortunately, men are sometimes more real and tangable to me than is God...

An update: after a late night of prayer and fasting, this morning I went to a charming little Presbyterian church in Edmonton (the first time I've been in a church in at least a year). I brought my Bible. Good thing, too, since there weren't any Bibles in the pews. 80% songs, 10% Bible (Zephaniah 3:14-20, Luke 3:7-18 - nothing but good news for everyone, everywhere) and 10% new age peace & love rant. The only Bible there other than mine was on an alter...

I recall Wurmbrand's warning in "In God's Underground" that he had seen the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place and that it was compromised preaching in the pulpit.

Maybe church isn't such a good idea. Anyone know of a good desert?

-Corey

Maybe church isn't such a good idea. Anyone know of a good desert?

Send me your phone number brother.

Peacecraft wrote:

Maybe church isn't such a good idea. Anyone know of a good desert?

Corey!! I know EXACTLY how you feel! Lol, This line about the desert is ironic to me because I literally live in the desert, in Arizona. Now the cool thing is that God has plopped me here in the desert and transformed my life in a matter of months. Led out into the desert to be changed forever. NOW, the problem is I can no longer attend the church I am at because all around me I see compromise and watered-down Christianity. Just today, I'm taking a class called Evangelism explosion and our pastor has said we are not to teach commitment/salvation as requiring that we accept Jesus as Lord or that repentance is required (only accepting him as Savior and trusting him). I was in tears! How vile a thing! So now, I'm in the same boat, I've been to so many churches. If anyone knows of a church with a pastor who is on fire and preachers in the Spirit, and is unpopular because he speaks TRUTH then please tell me too!! I live in Tucson, Arizona, I will drive hours to Phoenix if I have to, I just want something more than this fluffy, happy, empty Christianity that is being taught. WHERE IS THE POWER?? Sorry, I can't help you Corey, I'm very much in the same boat!

Don't feel so bad. I live in the Bible-church belt of North Carolina and it's a desert also. No church for me. I teach in a retirement community on Sunday morning and that by invitation. I didn't ask for it. It was an "outta the blue" kind of thing, an open door for someone to walk through. Seems no church would accomodate those folk who have since told me I fill a void in their lives. I pray God that is so. I believe that is so. Been there almost a year. Started with sixteen and because I speak Jesus only 5 have remained faithful. All the rest quickly jumped ship in aweek or two. No music and I speak for close to an hour; a fast hour. They don't object. For a bunch of 85-95 yr olds, that's pretty good; that's gotta be God, for them and me.
I say me because I have no church because of reasons shared here. This gives me responsibilty for which I must pray and study to show myself approved. Trust me, the Holy Spirit will convict if you are careless about God. He will also excite your sensibilities to Him if you are hungry for Him. God has met me on numerous occasions in these early morning hours.
So to Corey and anyone else I would encourage to remain faithful and allow God the time He needs to bring about the more certain path He would have you take in your endeavor for intimacy with Him. It may not be what you want or expect. That's only because He knows our frame better than we do. So whatever your hand finds to do in Him or in life, for that matter, do it as unto Him. Trust Him with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. He will direct us if we have a love for Him as He desires-craves. The key to success in this is to be emptied of the world, it's influences-attractions-solicitations and be filled with Him who teaches us His ways that we have His Life and have it more abundantly.

These two books I have found to be foundational. After reading them, I find I need no others aside from my Bible:

"The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers" with CD. and "The Ultimate Intention". These two books will shed fresh light on your Bible. It will come alive. Understanding other authors like Tozer, Ravenhill, etal will be easier with fresh insight given to what what they speak of. Recognizing false teachings will also be easier to do.

www.seekerstrove.com

www.amazon.com/Complete-Works-Oswald-Chambers/dp/157293039X

I pray this is a help to you, Corey

In Jesus,

Orm

You are all kind, faithful brothers and sisters... I know because my eyes are welling with tears!

Thanks for your support, prayers, and love. I had a discussion last night with my cousin (about our living LORD. He's intensely insightful yet estranged from his family) and I was trying to explain to him the true meaning of "communion with the saints" and how, when we pray, we "meet in the clouds together with Jesus", no matter where we are on earth. What a strange and wonderful thing to be converted by an mp3 recording of a man dead some forty-odd years and to find my real family in this electronic medium!

God bless you all and I'll be praying, thinking, and musing about your peace and wellbeing all day!

-Corey

Dear Corey,

Your post has blessed me so much. I have had the same struggle in the past year or so. I didn't see how the churches I went to were different from the world, but I knew no better. It was not until this summer when I went to Bulgaria that I saw what "a demonstration of the spirit and of power" meant. Now, I, just like you, have been discipled by God alone, having only a friend with me--another college student--who knows the Spirit of God. That has been all, our church, the communion of the saints, the gathering of ourselves together. We haven't been to a congregation for weeks!

I just want to tell you, Corey, and to all of you brethren who feel the same way, that you are in a good place to be, in the wilderness. And the Lord is going to work in you, even if the whole world were turned against Him. What matters is that your heart is right before Him, that you seek Him and love HIm with your all, that you lose your life so you can find it--and God will surely reward those who diligently seek Him!

I still do not know--have not received a certain answer from the Lord--about what congregation I should seek, or what Spirit-filled minister will disciple me. One thing I know though: it is said in the Word, "And they shall all be taught by God." I know that all I need is Him. I need to seek Christ first and foremost, and trust Him that He will complete His work in me, knowing also that all things will work for my good, according to His perfect will.

One last thing, Corey: do not let the enemy bring you to despair or frustration! Rejoice, because your name is written in the book of life. You are now 33. The Lord did not start His ministry until He was 30, and He turned the whole world upside down. And to His disciples He told, "You shall do even greater works than these." With the Lord all things are possible, Corey! Praise His holy, precious name!

Let the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you always,
Slavyan

Hi Corey,

About a month-and-a-half ago I visited a site (www.crossroad.to) where I read some quotes by A.W. Tozier and after googling his name, found sermonindex. Listening to his sermon "Holy Spirit: Why Some Can't Receive Him" had me groaning and weeping and praying all nigh

What was it about this sermon that had you weeping? I haven't listened to it yet but I probably will. :)

sscott,

you asked "What was it about this sermon that had you weeping? I haven't listened to it yet but I probably will. :)"

To sum it up briefly, Tozer didn't tell me what i WANTED to hear, he told me what I NEEDED to hear. I'd been reading the Bible religiously for years, and an unregenerate sinner all that time, but had NEVER HEARD anyone talk so frankly and with such conviction. Sure I'd been to church, and had many a superficial Christian ask me, "have you accepted Jesus into your heart?" But I'd never heard the voice of a good shepard care so much about his flock that he'd risk angering the goats by saying, in all truth and scripture, that some so-called Christians in his congregation will never be able to receive the Spirit. He mentioned that a man or woman who is "disturbed" or "alarmed" by the conviction of their conscience, and knew something radical had to be done, was far better off than the Christian that was was sure of his salvation (and man, oh man, was I on trial). Everything he said was scriptural, passionate, and without a doubt, Holy. The Spirit was talking to me through Tozer. I wept.

Austin-Sparks has a sermon in which he mentions how reading the Bible without the aid of the Holy Ghost is downright dangerous for a worldly man. I think what he meant was the cognitive dissonance, the enmity between the World and the Spirit playing out in the mind rather than the heart, can cause great damage. I almost went insane reading the saints prophesy one thing, the church doing another (which I knew I could never be a part of), and my wretched soul caught between two worlds with no VOICE of a good shepard to rebuke me, and guide me into safety.

The Holy Spirit led me to an interesting reference about "why some can't receieve Him" during breakfast this morning:

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." JOHN 3:8

Why would the Holy Spirit seek out a sin-locked man like me? Whatever thy reason LORD, thy will be done!

God bless all of us here on sermonindex! I love you all!

-Corey