"There was a strong sense of God's love and grace present in the room. I was already able to discern this presence, something so beautiful, and so powerful and so full of love, peace and joy. They were praying, swaying together, many praying in tongues. I suppose you would already be familiar with the gift of tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Jesus People Army, as we called ourselves, were strongly influenced by and affiliated with the Pentecostal Church. And it was our belief then, back in the day, as it is still my belief to this very day, that God wants to make himself intimately and clearly present to us in our lives and experience, even completely filling us with his Spirit and empowering us with gifts to serve him more powerfully and to live our lives more effectively and full of grace. This has been my own daily experience as a Christian, from that auspicious night, until this very day. It was a young blond guy who received the Spirit and he was weeping with joy and speaking in tongues and people were hugging and holding him, and yes, we were very demonstrably affectionate, all of us, and we were always hugging one another, holding hands, cuddling, comforting one another, all like darling and affectionate little children.
"Then my turn came up. I didn't feel ready, but one girl, a sweet teenager just two years my senior named Laurie, told me, you really need this, please let us pray for you. So I consented, They all put there hands on me and prayed, and I could feel something trying to burst open in me. It felt like a huge struggle. Now I realise it was a kind of spiritual and emotional birth I was undergoing. And then, it just burst open in me. Never in my life had I felt so flooded and overwhelmed by such joy and love unspeakable and full of glory. I will never forget that night, and then my tongue was moving as I was already acquiring the prayer language that God was giving me. Oh, the power and the glory that filled and infused me, and that fills and infuses me still, every day as I walk with Jesus!"
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