His Birthday, My Birth Day!

The first time Mike and I walked into Walk on Water Faith Church in Osage Beach Missouri, Mike said the hair on the back of his neck literally stood up (in a good way). He said he knew he was “home”.

I will be totally honest. I wasn’t so sure. Dr. Larry Ollison’s teachings were so foreign to me. He taught how to walk in spiritual authority (Luke 10:19), use our words to shape our lives (Matthew 12:37), and how Jesus came to provide abundant life (John 10:10). I wanted to believe it but yet, it all seemed too good to be true. At that point, it was too much for me to wrap my brain around.

Every Sunday, Mike raved about the service, everything from the worship service to Pastor Larry’s teachings. Every Sunday, I tried to piece together what Pastor Larry was teaching. Every Sunday, I left church determined to never go back. I just couldn’t make sense of it. (1Corinthians 2:14) Somehow, by the time the next Sunday rolled around, I was headed back to church.

After approximately six months of attending Dr. Ollison’s church, we learned that there was going to be a birthday celebration for him. I wasn’t comfortable in going to any activity except regular service because during regular service I could sneak in the back, hear the message and sneak out. I didn’t have to connect with anyone and I was doing a really great job operating in my comfort zone.

Most churches have many events outside their “normal” church service, i.e. fellowship dinners, annual picnics, etc. Please understand, even though these activities can be a lot of work, God may use an event outside regular service to set someone free and change their life forever.

I felt very pulled to go to Pastor Larry’s birthday celebration even though it was something completely out of the norm for me. I talked to Mike and we decided to go and sit in the back…you know, where we could quietly slip out and not be noticed.

During the party, people took turns telling about how Pastor Larry had contributed to their lives. There were a lot of very heartfelt tributes to him and his ministry. There were some very funny videos played that had been deleted from and added to. It was a “roast” party.

During the celebration, something happened to me and I was immediately changed forever. As I was in the sanctuary packed full of people who were doubled over in laughter, it was like I was transported. I could see the people laughing, I could hear them laughing, and somehow God used laughter to heal a deep part of me. I felt as if I had been born again! I didn’t respond to an alter call, I didn’t repeat the sinner’s prayer, I didn’t fit into any theological mold…but somehow, in a very supernatural way, God rebirthed me. Maybe He took all my prior "savings" and molded them into one. From that day forward, I never got saved every time I heard an alter call as I had done numerous times before. All the sudden, being born again was real to me. I knew that I knew that I knew, I finally experienced my spiritual rebirth. Every year on Pastor Larry's birthday, I celebrate his birthday and my birth day!

• A merry heart does good like a medicine. (Proverbs 17:22, NKJV)
• The joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10, NKJV)
• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galations 5:22, 23 NKJV)

God delivered me through laughter at a roast. How cool and awesome is He?