my history of experiences or.. "charismatic" experiences with the Holy Spirit before the last couple of months is relatively short:
In junior high, my small group leader took my group on a sunday night to a Benny Hinn gathering at the Maybe Center. My leader had told several stories of healing, peoples limbs growing back, getting out of wheelchairs etc and how Benny would be interrupted by the voice of God on his shoulder. But when I was there nothing cool happened but some people in the crowd got in a speaking in tongues shoot-off. They would interpret their own word that, at least in my memory, seemed contradictory to the last persons word. I left with dishonor in my heart for Benny and the crowd... this summer I found out from a friend that he was healed at a Benny Hinn meeting of terets syndrome... (whoop, whoop!)
After a DC Talk concert (dct in da house) we past a car that was broken down in the parking lot and a dude that probably went to oru invited us to pray in faith for the car to miraculously start. he assured us that if we had faith that the car would start. i tried to muster up all that i could but left feeling like it was my fault that the car didn't start... i'm sure there were more little moments from being around the tulsa/oru charisma...
In high school, a group of friends went to a Darrell Evans worship set at Bread of Life(?). it was a school night so i left early but the next day i heard stories of all my friends getting "drunk" in the Spirit. I was a little disappointed i missed it, but really more weirded out.
At Dayspring camp before my Sr year of high school, during worship I heard my friend Chris crying outside of the pavilion. I had the thought to go pray for him. As soon as I touched him i fell down wailing as well. I was weeping uncontrollably the the feeling i was experiencing joy. it was awesome. it happened went on for 20 minutes or so and i worshipped from the ground with Chris for the rest of the night. I had no idea what happened or what to do with it, but i liked it. The experience would come to mind frequently later and the only hypothesis for the situation was that my Junior year was when i started to struggle with seasons of depression. Maybe there was an impartation of faith and hope to last it out...
My most significant moment was my sophomore year of college I was laying in bed deeply depressed. in tears i cried out for help and Jesus came to me in a vision. He told me that I was healed and to "follow Him". His eyes and the look on His face were indescribably loving and compassionate....
A couple years later I had another encounter with a vision of Jesus during worship at a conference in Waco. It was really a simple encounter with the Love of God. No big physical or emotional healing, just a really great moment.
In the last 2 years of beginning to really value the presence of God i have increased sensation while i pray or rest in His presence. i'm aware of the slightest draft on my skin, temperature changes in different places, etc. Fairly regularly my palms get really hot and/or tingly and the air feels weightier almost like i'm swimming in water.
I've always believed in miracles and the power of God, mostly because i experienced it. I've always believed that knowing Jesus is an experience, a relationship rather than just ideas or theology. Jesus lived in 2 worlds, the Kingdom of God first and He brought it to ours. I've always wanted more of the Kingdom to bring (on earth as it is in heaven) but experienced not as much as i wanted and saw little fruit in my seasons of boldness and prayers for the sick, etc.
But the "water level" seems to be rising... This is a season of coming into something.
In April Kelly and I went on a road trip to the Northwest, primarily to visit a church that we had been listening to podcasts and other teachings from. We were impressed by endless stories of renewal, healing, salvation, provision, etc and had to go. Other members of our team had visited before they left and highly recommended it. The culture there was completely different than anything i had seen before. Tons of really happy people. We felt more welcome than in any other church we had ever visited. Strangers prayed for us. Someone gave us a check... They have healing rooms every weekend so we went because Kelly has problems with one of her legs and she was told that she could not get pregnant without "help". They prayed for her leg first. I saw it lengthen and then begin to shake violently for a few minutes before it stopped. Then they told us that we would be pregnant before the end of the summer. To be honest, we still haven't seen tangible results in her leg, but she is pregnant as promised.... While there we were encouraged to ask for impartation prayer from any leader that we saw there which we did. We also had individual sessions with a prayer counselor there that were really impactful for both of us.
The head pastor, Bill Johnson was traveling that weekend, but was in Dallas at a church a week and a half after we got back to OK. We went to see him. After his teaching time he led prophetic healing time in which Kelly's IBS was healed. Afterwords we tried to meet him to ask him to pray for us. He was praying for a kid with a dressing on his stomach but we saw that his wife was standing off to the side. We asked her to pray for us. She did and we both went down. It was my first traditional "wacking". She asked for the Lord to release the Spirit of Intercession on us. I felt waves of wind over me from left to right. When i got up Bill was right there so I grabbed Kelly and he prayed for us. When he put his hand on me there was a spreading weight from where he was touching me. I was not going to go down again right after i got up, but when he was done i had one hand on the floor holding myself up. I didn't hear a word of his prayer but Kelly said he asked for impartation of signs, wonders, healing and creative miracles. Kelly had to drive home because i was "drunk" until we crossed the state line.
We really felt a stirring to go after more and to live in the atmosphere of heaven with the Holy Spirit. Much of our community in Norman has been on a similar journey. We've been "treasure hunting", talking and praying for one another stirring up faith.
In August we left Norman to join our team. Our team meetings (3 times a week) were dynamic and filled with hunger for more of the Lord's presence. Each meeting seemed to increase in momentum. We felt like we were on the cusp of more. Back in Norman we were hearing stories of outbreaking laughter and joy, multiple visions of Jesus, people getting "wack"ed, general "drunkenness" and more. On a Sunday night (for us) we skyped with a group from normcom that have been experiencing that stuff and they prayed/prophesied over us. Before they were done I was on the ground because of the feeling that is was just too much work to stand up. Ken had talked about how this isn't something that you earn or strive for, but it's just a part of our inheritance that we freely receive. On the ground I couldn't strive for anything. i got cold bath of joy. The team started praying for each other and others jointed me, the beached whale on the ground. It was so much fun. Some of the us were "drunk", most laughing. We were giving prophetic words to each other and soaking in the presence of God. It was a unique experience for us all. We are giving one of our team meetings a week to waiting on the Holy Spirit and going running with it. We've had 2 more meetings like it and its been more of the same: tons of laugher, different people being touched and going down, and more. Last night as our meeting was winding down Drew prayed for me, his hand was burning hot on my back and i slowly went down. After a while on the ground i had the sensation that Jesus was holding my hand and I was getting waves of gentle power through my right hand. I also had a couple flashes of heavenly scenes. I feel like in the last 2 1/2 weeks i've gone from unleaded fuel to jet fuel. I'll have bursts of joyful laughter in the middle of class and have visions of renewal/revival everywhere i go...
All the team has been dreaming a lot, too, in the last month. Every night multiple team members have significant dreams. I'm not usually a dreamer. I've had clusters of significant dreams i've used for direction in life. i've never needed to journal them to remember them, but now there are so many i'm starting one... especially when i nap. My first dream here was there was a huge amusement park in our neighborhood (there was a burger street next to it). My feeling is that we are testing out all the rides and soon it will be open to the public... And they'll eat of the bread of life. (what else could burger street mean?)
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