Bob Laughlin called me from Denver and said he needed to talk to me. God had given him a word of prophecy for my wife and me. Bob is a well-respected friend and I was eager to hear what he had to say. We knew him to be authentic and trustworthy. His message to me was encouragement for the near future and proved to be a blueprint for many years to come. It helped create faith for me to take risks in the future.

Another evangelist, however, who ministered in the prophetic word very accurately, was not allowed to minister in the church we pastored because of what we knew about his personal and family life. Since the pastor is the gatekeeper for the flock, he must, on occasion, make a hard call. If the congregation knows the pastor will protect them from misuse or abuse of the spiritual gifts, they will feel safe when the gifts are used properly.

Having grown up in Open Bible and belonging to a Charismatic/Pentecostal organization, we have seen many things come and go under the guise of “Holy Spirit movement.” Every minister has a few horror stories to share when the subject of public manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are discussed. Over the years, however, we have seen a reticence in many pastors who simply are not comfortable with something they cannot control or predict. The old adage, “throw the baby out with the bath water,” becomes the safest thing to do. Their services are evangelical but lack the dimension of Holy Spirit empowerment.

Our experience has exposed us to a wide spectrum of experiences within the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement. Some of those experiences proved to be based on fad instead of God’s Word. Other experiences helped pave the way in our understanding of the Holy Spirit and His desire to genuinely touch His people.

We learned that the key to allowing the Holy Spirit to impact our services was to create an atmosphere in which He is welcome and expected. This required instruction and patience. Churches often miss the genuine move of the Holy Spirit because proper teaching has not taken place. Instead, an atmosphere is created in which things happen, but there is no guarantee that it is the Holy Spirit who caused them. If proper teaching precedes the Holy Spirit’s move, the atmosphere is a safe place in which God’s touch is relevant and personal – nothing offensive that would have visitors running for cover. Rather, they will be drawn to the power and love of God.

The world is looking for something real. The Holy Spirit provides the only power that can really change a person’s life. We have seen Him transform congregations into gatherings to which people look forward to coming – and bringing their friends and relatives. Why? We prayerfully set the stage for God to move in lives. When that happens, word gets out that there is a place where God truly shows up! It is not a contrived, forced display of the spiritual gifts, but rather a supernatural manifestation that leaves little doubt of its authorship.

Sundays produced expectant crowds in which visitors watched intently as God began to move among us. They did not want to run for cover. They wanted to experience for themselves the same life-changing power that changed their friend or family member who invited them. As pastors, we could actually see the Holy Spirit move from person to person. People responded in various ways, and welcomed the touch. Along with physical manifestations came tears of joy and repentance. This was the real deal! We did not hype the situation nor did we try to control what God wanted to accomplish. We provided explanation when needed. Mostly, we just enjoyed the refreshing move of God’s Spirit like a cool breeze on a steamy-hot day.

We were not concerned with what would “work” with a crowd. We wanted simply to execute the will of the Father, knowing that “Father knows best.” Make no mistake. God will not show up in a place where He is billed as a center-stage circus act. He does not like to be placed in a performance box and given a predetermined portion of our services. Nonetheless, He responds to the congregation that wants His genuine touch and will precede His arrival by paying the price in prayer.

Jim and Kris Beaird have ministered as Open Bible pastors for 30 years in Minnesota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Iowa. They currently reside in Brandon, Florida, where Jim presently serves as Southeast Region Superintendent for Open Bible Churches. He and his wife, Kris, have three grown sons, Kyle, Jeff, and Nate.