The following is my personal testimony concerning the work

of the Holy Spirit in my life.  Without question it is the most

wonderful thing that has ever happened to me!  To those

who would say it was for the early church but not for today

I say,  "Look around!  Do we need the Holy Spirit less today

than they did then?  I don't think so!" 

Additionally, I would like to recommend an excellent book on

the subject.  The title is, "Joy Unspeakable"  by Martyn

Lloyd-Jones.  It is rich with biblical truth and historical

accounts of many who also testify to experiencing the 

wonderful things I am about to share with you!

I was saved in the summer of 1984.  At the time of my encounter

with the Holy Spirit I had been saved about 2 1/2 months.  I knew

without a doubt that I was saved.  I had a very firm faith in the Lord.

I was extremely eager to grow spiritually and understand all that I

could about my new relationship with Him.   I can remember having

an unquenchable thirst for everything that had to do with Jesus.

I definitely had the desire to commit my entire life to Him!

During this time a well known Evangelist came to Milwaukee.

I had planned to go and hear him speak on a Friday evening.

As events turned out, however, I ended up having to attend on

Sunday.  This was the day,  I was later to learn,  that they gave

the invitation to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

I went with a longtime friend that I knew before I got saved.

He came more as a doubter and mocker than anything else.

We sat through the music and message,  during which I was

constantly distracted by his offhanded comments.  I was pretty

disappointed because I had come with a serious heart to know

the Lord and I couldn't even concentrate on what was being

taught!   But then suddenly everything changed.  

As the minister came to the conclusion of his message he

began to speak of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.   I was

hanging on every word he spoke.   My heart was pounding

inside of me as I knew that I needed to respond to his invitation

to come forward for prayer.   A young woman seated next to us

began crying profusely.  I watched her get up and head down

the aisle to the front where people were now gathering.  I

remember thinking she was a bit unstable and over emotional!

Still,  everything in me was wanting to go to the altar area

which was quickly filling up.  (This took place in a large coliseum).

Finally,  I told my friend I was going.  Hundreds of people by

that time had gathered.  So where did I end up?  Right next to

that crying woman!  I thought to myself, "Oh please! Give me

a BREAK!"

They gave a short exhortation from the scriptures explaining

what we were about to do.  After that they began to pray that

Jesus would baptize us in the Holy Spirit.  There seemed to

be at that time an almost tangible power present.  These things

are hard to put in to words,  but it was as if the air was thick

with the power of God.  I had never experienced anything like

that before.  It was an extraordinary sense of God's presence.

There was a prolonged period of prayer and worship.  It

appeared that many people on all sides of me where deeply

affected.  I however seemed more on the outside.  I felt

more like an observer than a participant.  This went on for

quite some time.  I was afraid the prayer would end soon. 

One thing you need to know is that I was not about to fake an

experience.  I was very firm in that.  I told God just how I felt

about it.  "I'm not going to fake it.  I don't feel a thing.  I'm not

going to cry, or fall down,  or speak in tongues or whatever."

I felt that if it was real He could give it to me,  and I told God

that.

I was more than willing to walk away if that was how it was

going to be,  but I would not fake it.  I continued in that attitude

for a long time and had pretty much given up on the idea that

anything was going to happen.  Then suddenly, without warning,

God's Spirit fell upon me!

I became so enveloped that my surroundings seemed to be

gone.  It was like nothing I'd ever felt before.  The sense of

God's love!  And His peace!!  It was both profound and personal.

As near as my heart, and as vast as the universe all at once!

I began crying.  Sobbing.  Deeper than I ever had.   I felt the 

weight of my sins in stark contrast to God's holiness...and yet,

there was no question that He loved me!  

The thought of that was more than I could take in.  I don't think

I have ever cried as hard.   In that moment it was clear that

nothing was hidden before God.  He knew me.  I became very

aware of my filthiness and I remembered past things I'd done...

and yet,  He loved me!  

And He spoke to me.  Whether it was audible or not,  I don't know.

But there were distinct words that I heard-

"I have seen the vilest things you have ever done,  and I love you."

He saw it all,  even the things no one knew about,  and He loved me!

You want to talk about crying?  What a flood of tears!   It wasn't

that I was so lovable,  I knew this for sure.  It was that Jesus had

taken my sin.  I was accepted without question because of what

He'd done.  I was loved COMPLETELY!

Nothing was ever the same after that.  I was forgiven,  I was clean,

I was loved, and I was certain of it!  All of this was true of course

from the day I first gave my life to Jesus.  The Spirit of God however,

is able to make all of it much more real.  He is the One that shows

us Jesus!

After that time the reality of God was immediate,  personal and

pronounced.  It seemed that Jesus had come from being a mile

away to right in front of my face!  His love had been poured out

into my heart,  along with His peace and joy.  Jesus was all I could

think about!

Along with those things, came a greatly heightened awareness that

God is holy.  Many things that I had previously done without any

thought of being wrong,  now were seen as definitely sinful.  

And the Word of God!  It seemed like a different book.  Alive!

Speaking to me!  I had an overwhelming love for His Word after

that.  I read the entire bible through TWICE in the following three

months!

Finally,  I became a witness.  I couldn't stop talking about Jesus.

Before I was pretty quite about things,  now I was telling just about

everyone I met,  "Man!  You gotta know Jesus!"  It was by far the

most radical thing that has ever happened to me.

Will God do the exact same thing in your life?  I would not for a

minute expect that.  He will do just as He pleases with each of us.

What you experience will vary because God tailors things in an

individual way to relate to you.  However,  His Spirit is a gift that

God desires to pour out upon each of His children.  And you can

be sure that it is a gift that will make a big change in your life!

As with anything,  the place to start is prayer.  Open your heart

and desire Him... in your own way,  ask Him to pour out His Holy

Spirit on you.  Spiritual hunger and thirst is good.  Instead of letting

your dryness discourage you,  let it drive you to seek Him.  Keep

praying!  I have seen it over and over again how God poured out

His Spirit on people after a season of prayer.  The timing is for

God to decide.  I've seen people grow restless and wonder why

nothing appears to change.  I've also seen those same people,

because of their hunger for God, just continue to pray, and in His

time and way,  experience the blessing!

"If you then,  though you are evil,  know how to give good gifts to

your children,  how much more will your Father in heaven give the

Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"   -Luke 11:13