The Side-Effect

It was a weekend of firsts. The first time I had ever been around charismatics and pentecostals. The first time I had heard worship completely led by the spirit. (which, by the way, was fantastic.) And it was the first time I was ever “slain in the spirit.”

It was the last night of our time at the International House of Prayer gathering. To say it had been an eye-opening experience is an understatement, but I came to appreciate every minute of it. Including this crazy speaker on our last night there. He was energetic, passionate and looked exactly like Elton John’s doppelganger. I was giggling and mesmerized all at the same time. At the end he invited to the front of the stage anyone who wanted to have an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Well, the whole place stood up except for my friends and me. We had no idea what to expect. But when it came time for our section to head to the stage, we went. And it was crazy. An associate of “Elton John” was walking in front of everyone and blowing on their forehead. It was so bizarre. Until he came to me. He blew and all of a sudden I looked at my friend next to me and yelled, “Oh my gosh, I’m going down.” And down I went and stayed there for quite a while. My legs were too weak to stand. When I was finally able to leave the auditorium, I summed the night up to a wild and crazy experience thinking that was that. But the next day, the side-effect of this encounter surfaced.

I had an overwhelming desire to read my Bible. And so I did. For the entire way home on the plane. And then, once I got home, I proceeded to read through the entire Bible 3 times in 3 different translations: The NIV, the Amplified and the New King James. I underlined, outlined and kept notebooks of subjects. I was Russel Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind.” I had been a Christian my entire life, but I don’t think I had ever truly read the Bible up to that point. And once I began I couldn’t stop. And I’ve continued to read it. Not in the driven need to read, but in a desire to read. It’s been almost 20 years since that experience and my love of scripture has never waned. I read it regularly just because I can’t not read it.

Until two weeks ago. I stopped reading my Bible. Because my friend, Jake, recommended a book entitled, “How Not to Read the Bible.” And let me tell you, this book has rocked me. Not only in giving explanation to mind-boggling verses, it has pointed out to me how little I truly understand scripture. I’ve come to realize that I have spent my years reading and not comprehending. When I’ve come across verses or stories or accounts that make my mind go blank, I just keep reading. When I don’t understand a verse or what God is doing or why he’s saying what he’s saying, I just shrug my shoulders, say, “Oh you know God. He’s good whether I understand him or not,” and then read on. But now as I’m reading Dan Kimball’s book, I can’t continue in this fashion. Because I’ve been missing a lot.

I’ve been missing the depth of God’s love. I’ve been missing how thoughtful and detailed He is when it comes to making his people holy and set apart. But most importantly, I’ve been missing the context in which God has spoken and led and moved throughout the Old and New Testament. So, when I pick up my Bible again, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be similar to my initial “slain in the spirit” side-effect. I’m going to be a bit driven, but, this time, taking it at a much slower pace. I’m not only going to be reading but researching and studying in order to truly understand and embrace God’s Word.

In 1948 Frederick M. Lehman, a 20th Century author and composer, wrote a song called “The Love of God.” This man truly understood what I’m facing today as I begin to read the Bible with fresh eyes and with a determination to read and comprehend it no matter how long it takes. The last verse says this:

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill, and everyone a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

That’s a bit how I feel as I look to my future, picking up my Bible again and reading. I’ve got my work cut out for me and it’s gonna take a while, this time around, but I’m ready, knowing that it most likely will continue on through the other side of heaven. All because of a crazy side-effect from having an encounter with the Holy Spirit.