But, Lord, I'm A Southern Baptist

Holy Surgery

God wasn�t done stripping me of my pride. The following Friday night, the 38th day of my fast, I was asked to share my testimony at a renewal service at Calvary Temple Assembly of God in Springfield. As I began to speak, the cloud of God�s glory began to settle down on me. I knew I was about to fall. I quickly prayed, "LORD PLEASE DON�T LET ME FALL IN FRONT OF ALL THESE PEOPLE. I WILL BE HUMILIATED." I knew that if I fell I wouldn�t just "blend in" with others as at an altar service; I would be the only one.

God responded with words that I will never forget. "YOU WILL EITHER LET ME HUMBLE YOU, OR YOU WILL GROW HAIR AND EAT GRASS FOR SEVEN YEARS." I knew exactly what He meant. This referred to the judgment to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. I knew God was putting me to the test. This was a moment of decision, and I responded with, "YES, LORD. MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE."

I made it through my testimony without falling, and I was PROUD that I had passed the test God had placed before me.

As I concluded and began to return to my seat, Pastor Meeks asked me to return to the platform so that he could pray for me because he knew that I would be sharing my testimony with my congregation in two days. As soon as the prayer began, I went down. I laid on the floor for several minutes, consumed by the glory of God. When the glory lifted, I realized that my Bible was laying in a heap next to my head and the offering had already been taken. I picked up my Bible and crawled to my seat six rows back, wishing I had sat closer to the front.

God knew that making me crawl to my seat in front of 400 people would bring a humiliation that was needed to strip me of my pride and arrogance. As I collapsed into my seat, a woman behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Sir, my friends and I were noticing your socks while you were lying on the stage, and we thought they were pretty. Could we see them again more closely?" This was God�s way of dealing with the last speck of pride in my heart.

David said in 1 Samuel 6 that he was willing to suffer humiliation to behalf of the Lord. In light of the task that was before me�sharing my testimony with my Baptist congregation�I realized that I, too, must be willing to experience humiliation for the sake of Christ.