The Local Church

It Began With My Mother

In 1982 the Lord Jesus began seeking me for the church. I was already regenerated and going in and out of different denominations. I was a divorced mom, living at home with my parents and baby. My mom came home from work one evening and said she met a man “who believed the same way I did.” He talked with Mom and said he and his wife would be happy to pick me up for Sunday meetings anytime. I thought that was nice and forgot about it. My mom saw him every three – six months since he was an auditor visiting her company at intervals to do our credit. He always told my mom the same message—“happy to pick up your daughter for a meeting.” I just thought “How nice,” and forgot about it. At the final audit he did there he gave my mom his card with his name and the address of the local church in Newton. I put the card in my wallet and forgot about it.

Two years later it was time to go back to work. The night before starting my job I was cleaning out my wallet and found his card. At the time I was going to a denomination. I began my job in September. I was also asking the Lord to introduce me to some people at work to read the bible with. Well, “ask and you shall receive.” (John 16:24) Two months later, in November, I was sitting in the cafeteria reading my bible when a brother came up to me and said, “I see you’re reading the Word. Are you a believer?” I said “Yes.” He sat down and we talked for about one hour. In that short time the Lord showed me a wonderful truth. There were two trees in the Garden – the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I knew these were two trees but I never SAW it. I was so excited. The Lord began removing the veils. But the amazing part was yet to come. As this brother and I were talking, I asked him where he went to church. He said Newton. Now I hadn’t thought of the other couple from Newton in ages and had even torn up his card. Out of my mouth I said (and Newton is a large city) that the only ones from Newton I know is a person with a long last name that has a baby. He said that could be so and so and I said YES! Well I told him about my mom’s knowing the brother through work and how they had said they would pick me up and how nice they were.

From that point on, we began having meetings during lunch break with other Christians. It was wonderful. My parents and I got together with the two families for dinner one evening and I loved it. Meanwhile I was attending the Assembly of God church but something inside me was different. Now during the week we had home meetings at my home and I began to see something different about these believers from my own church members. I had no idea what it was. They began picking me up for Lord’s day meetings. I’d stay the weekend at their home since it was a long drive, but when I look back I see it was shepherding, nourishing and cherishing. Something in me was responding to it. Finally, the day came when I did not feel to go back to my previous church and I began reading books written by Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Things were being unveiled to me. Then I had an experience of touching my spirit. I never knew we had a spirit with which to touch God, and it was awesome.

Later, I had a question for this brother at work: “There has to be something more to God than just going to church on Sunday and hearing a sermon.” This brother didn’t preach to me or try to convince me; all he did was shake his head and say “Amen.” There was something inside me that wanted to know what the difference was between the believers in the local church and religious Christians I had known before. I found out. It was just more Christ. And when I realized that, I knew that was what I wanted. Just more Christ. Another confirmation was when I read The Economy of God by Witness Lee. I was touched by that book. I began realizing I was home.

It took me several years to see God’s planning and arranging beginning three years before I began to meet with the church, but I am grateful to the Lord for His mercy to me. The Lord never gave up on me to bring me to His Body.

G.S. | Back to List

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