1-800-HEAVEN

Danny, my brother, came to Christ before me. For years, our families spent Thanksgiving together up in the mountains of Northern California. The little town is called Sonora. Before living in Sonora, he lived farther up the hill in a beautiful city named Twain Heart. When I got saved, it was mid-winter of 1972. I called him and told him that I had received Christ as my savior, and I didn’t know what to do next. His suggestion was to come up for a week, and my wife and I can sit in on some bible studies. The drive was long and beautiful. I had not been to that part of California. The first night we got there, he had the people who attended his Bible study over for a BBQ and to meet his big brother, whom he had been telling stories about. After eating, we gathered in his living room and started with prayer. I was listening, not knowing how to pray. The couple next to us were really fervent in prayer. He was an ex-biker from Fresno, and I figured he was ex-Hells Angels; later, he confirmed it. Not knowing what to say, I said, “Lord, I have no idea what to say, but I like what these people next to me have, and I want it. At the time I was saying it, I was sitting in my brother's big, comfortable, easy chair. Conny was sitting on the floor in front of me. When I said that to the Lord, something hit me —like a lightning bolt. I came up out of that chair and jumped clear over Conny and started jumping up and down, talking in a language I had never heard before. Crying, singing something, and just so filled with the joy of the Lord. Over a short time, I came back down to earth. I had to ask Danny what happened, and that’s when he started another bible study so we can understand the power of the Holy Spirit. The next day, we were eating breakfast, and I asked him what was next. He just smiled and explained the concept of water baptism. When he finished, I said that Conny and I needed to be dunked. When can we do it?

How about tonight? He asked, and I said, “Great, you guys have an indoor pool in the little town. No, but my pastor has one in his backyard. I said, “Great”. I forgot to ask him if it was heated. Midwinter in the mountains means weather in the 30- to 40-degree range. The water in the pool with no heater would be in the low twenties. And it was. Conny and our daughter were poolside when I jumped in. Yes, it was extremely cold, but I was happy to be there. The pastor prayed for me, and down I went. When I came up, I had a big grin on my face, but the next thing I heard was a scream from my daughter. She was crying hysterically. Conny asked what was wrong, and she said, “The man took all of Dad's curls”. That was 55 years ago, when I had hair.

Conny had not received the infilling of the Holy Spirit that night at Danny’s place, and for the next six weeks, she was in prayer day and night, pleading with the Lord to fill her. One afternoon, after attending classes at the bible college, we were in our small kitchen talking. I felt the Holy Spirit's prompting to pray for her before preparing dinner. Suddenly, she looked at me with a shocked expression, put her hand over her mouth, and, with the other, waved me off. She sprinted to our bedroom, and I could hear her speaking a strange but beautiful language. God is so good. 

Acts 2:36 “For this promise is for you and your children and for all far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Here, you are told that these gifts are for all who are in the house of the Lord. That is, you, Christians, who confess Christ as Savior. However, to obtain these gifts, you must contend for them with all your spiritual strength. You have to petition the Lord of Glory. You must not let personal fears or teaching that contradicts the Word of God and the words of others who cannot come with teaching from men who spread fear of such gifts. Would God give you something destructive to His children? No never!

My friends, there is much in God that you are not hearing from the pulpits today. Very few will teach that sin will send you to hell. That kind of teaching limits the incoming finance, but a prosperity gospel, which is not the gospel, will keep the doors open. I am not interested in feeding you the milk of the word, but am interested in teaching the Words that will bring maturity and health to the church. Can I encourage you to seek the Lord for every spiritual gift He has for you? Seek a deeper 1-800-HEAVEN COMMUNICATION LINE TO THE ONE WHO KNOWS YOU BEST. BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.