Introduction
Welcome to the Holy Spirt Church Online Blog!
Glad you stopped by. Hope you will stay and learn a little something about Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Mario Murillo, in his excellent book, Vessels of Fire and Glory, tells how neglected the Holy Spirt feels. According to Murillo, we’ve broken His heart. Mainline churches may catechistically repeat the Apostles Creed in which He is mentioned, but you had better not pray openly in tongues—either in an attempt to heal someone in the congregation or motivated rising from your pew to address the congregation. To do so is to invite the wrath of the pastor, maybe even be asked to hold your peace or not come back to that particular church. I know, because on at least one occasion, I was castigated by a pastor. In that case, when I suggested that the pastor had the ability to pray in tongues.
My Story
My name is Sandy Bristol. I became a reverend under Pastor Bill Bakkeby in August 2022. Pastor Bill has a ministry called Word of Grace Ministry Fellowship. He and his wife Elaine led me to Christ back in 2012. Coming to Christ was the moment that changed my life; although at times the changes were slow and for the most part imperceptible. For the ten years preceding my becoming a minister, I often fed myself with the word of God, as Pastor Bill said one day. I would often sit in church and imagine what it would be like to preach. Of course, being a pastor is much more than that, but I loved the idea of preaching. Throughout Pastor Bill and his wife Elaine have been my cheerleaders, encouraging me to embrace my calling. Pastor Bill told me to start a blog, and he is the one who encouraged me to preach.
On my ministerial application under areas of interest, I selected evangelism and the ministry of helps. I have no problem whatsoever approaching strangers and leading them to Christ. It comes naturally to me. I also enjoy pitching in wherever I can to help a church grow. I love to solve problems and to help people be their best through Christ.
In 2022, I became an ordained minister of the gospel through a small storefront church in Beulaville, North Carolina under Pastor Malcolm Batts. As he said at the time, God has already ordained you, we are just agreeing with Him.
Thanks to the Holy Spirit who lives within me, I display a hunger for the Word of God, the teachings of Christ that is renewed every day. I’ll spend hours praying, catching up on the latest prophetic word from Dutch Sheets or Robin D. Bullock. Other pastors who have influenced me are Nathan French and Katie Souza.
I like to find out where a person’s faith is, if he or she has any at all, and to try to take him or her to the next level. On days when I travel to and from the island, you’ll find me on the upper deck of the ferry in the same seat intently engaged in conversation with the person who sits next to me, trying to find out if he or she has heard about the gospel. I take Jesus words in Matthew 28:19-20 seriously:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
When Christ comes into your heart, you want to do everything to please him. The desire of his heart becomes the desire of your heart.