But For Me

He suddenly rises up off the ground, a cloud appears overshadowing Him, they lose sight of Him and then 2 men, in white clothing suddenly appear, talking to them

I mean – that had to be a scary moment

Then in the next chapter:

This had never happened before

Wind comes crashing into the room, shaking everything, making a roaring noise and suddenly little flames of fire appear all over the place, on the people, in the building

And if that wasn’t enough – suddenly they are speaking in this strange language

For many Christians there are many different ways they like to express/live their Christian walk

Some – very traditional old style – singing old hymns, using “Thees and Thous”

Some – very radical – once preached in a church and the pastor was a Thrash Metaller

- He played the drums and during the Praise and Worship would smash the drums as loud as he could, double bass kick drums, singing out songs like a smash metaller used to do

Some – just lovely nice guitar lead, sweet and gentle music and just being ‘cool’

But for me – I have always lived my Christianity like the New Testament: Supernatural Power with Supernatural events

Þ couple of years ago – in a friends church and while preaching about having an open heaven/spiritual atmosphere where God can move freely and powerful

- Suddenly a jet engine noise come into the church…….

- Just like I read, a supernatural noise as God openly up the spiritual atmosphere

Þ many other supernatural events that occurred over the next few days

Read the Book of Acts and what do you find?:

1. Sound of rushing wind (2:2).

2. Tongues of fire (2:3).

3. Miraculous speech (2:4).

4. Lame man healed (3:1-10).

5. Building shaken (4:31).

6. Sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11).

7. Imprisoned apostles freed by angel (5:17-21).

8. Philip transported from desert to Azotus (8:40).

9. Light and voice at Saul’s conversion (9:1-9).

10.Saul blinded and healed (9:8-19).

11.Aeneas healed of paralysis (9:32-35).

12.Dorcas restored to life (9:36-41).

13.Herod’s violent death (12:20-23).

14.Elymas the sorcerer blinded (13:6-11).

15.Cripple at Lystra healed (14:8-10).

16.Demons cast out of a slave girl (16:16-18).

17.Paul freed from prison by earthquake (16:25-27).

18.Eutychus raised from death (20:7-12).

19.Paul unaffected by viper’s bite (28:3-5).

20.Father of Publius healed (28:8)

Nearly every chapter – there was some miraculous event

Time and again, it says there were “many signs and wonders (2:43, 5:12)

Once one day – Apostle Peter’s shadow would come on people and they were healed (5:15-16) Þ me and Invercargill

Even handkerchiefs were given to people to take to their sick friends and when the handkerchief touched them, they were healed (19:11-12) Þ me take out my handkerchief, blow into it and give to someone needing healing

But you see: all this is so familiar to me because of my own experience Þ my Baptism of the Spirit testimony

And here’s the thing: 45 years later I am still having amazing Encounters with God and being with people who are also having amazing Encounters

- Amazing encounters that are normal for me and for them

- And God wants them to be normal for you

God is raising up young people – all over the world – who are experiencing supernatural things in the Holy Spirit

Who are having experiences just like I had 45 years ago

God wants you to similarly not only know Him, Jesus as your personal friend and Saviour but also to know His power

- To be familiar with His power, move in His power, be used by God to bring healing to people

Shortly one of the first things I am going to do is give those who don’t know Jesus to come to know Jesus – I tell you it will be the greatest thing you will ever do in your life

Þ but let me tell you a few supernatural events I have seen, witnessed even recently

· Jacob Biswell’s experience into Vietnam:

- Invited him to the Revival Conference 2016 in Houston

- Saturday morning 2 am transported to the Vietnam – to where the Cham People had lived in central and southern Vietnam with their own political system – where in 1471 the Vietnamese conducted a genocide campaign against the Cham, slaughtering 60,000 when taking their capital

- Prophet Jacob, saw the river as blood, reconciliation and the river cleansing

- This was what Pastor Khanh had on his heart to bring reconciliation for many years

Reconciliation meeting – Monday of the conference, seen on the internet in Vietnam, occurred in Vietnam and lead to openings for Pastor Khanh

· His experience – going into India

· Me praying for Jacob with the oil and then the angelic encounter that Jacob had

You have to be careful when hearing these stories – because you may never heard of such things happening, don’t reject them

Just because these things aren’t happening near you doesn’t mean they are not real

· But for me: they are just as real as you sitting here tonight

· What is so real for me can also be real for you

= why I promoted the conference next week – so you can both tonight and in a weeks’ time be in an environment of other young people having powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit

· And your Christianity will become so radically different

· God will become so close and real to you

· You will encounter supernatural power with other young people

So in a few minutes will begin praying for you but here are some pointers as to how to receive and experience the power of God:

1. Desire & Attitude

The attitude: Expectancy

Not about if God wants to touch me then He can

No because: Desperation brings visitation

2. Openness

Whatever – I’m open and ready

- Not trying to work it all out

There will be things you maybe have not seen before, experienced before

- But just be open to received

3. Surrender

- Go with what happens – not about personal preferences

Peter: leaning to the left, surrendered and encountered

When the Holy Spirit touches us it will be different for each person:

Physically: heat, tingling, shaking, falling over

Emotionally: feel deep love, peace, crying (and you don’t know why), laughing

- 1993 – Toronto Blessing

Sometimes: seem to not feel anything but afterwards you realise something has changed in your life

4. Alignment

Be there – altar call whether deliverance, power, etc

- There at whatever is happening

- Get there and say there

Understand – anointing and power of God builds in a meeting

- Might not initially get touched but there are waves of the Spirit

- Then you may get caught up in a wave a bit further into the meeting

But also for some people there is a resistance to the Holy Spirit – and they don’t even know it

- Like: old battle – walls of a city – hurl huge rocks at it

- Initially nothing seems to change

- But rock after rock – loosens the wall and eventually break through

So with us

5. Keep faith

God will come through – eventually because the Holy Spirit always comes to the hungry