Is there More?

     While serving as a youth pastor in east county San Diego, an evangelist came to our church for a series of services. Although this woman of God was physically small in stature (only about 5'2"), she operated as a giant in the spiritual realm.  As a young woman in Australia, Shirley was healed of a disease which had left her bed ridden. This happened when Oral Roberts walked by her stretcher in a healing tent.  Years later, as she traveled about the world ministering the healing power of Jesus Christ, she carried a notebook with numerous newspaper articles that testified to that healing back in the nineteen-forties. Along with her ministry of God’s power was her ability to convey the Lord’s great loving care for each and every soul.  As she preached, the love of God would just ooze out of her.  The two dozen or so of my teens were so drawn by that love that none of them would miss a single service. While preaching, she would look out directly into the eyes of my teens and say “how are you love?”.  Each one of them felt a direct contact with Shirley, and through Shirley they sensed God’s love for them.

     After her time of ministering God’s word each night, Shirley would open the altar for prayer.  Many would rush to the altar for both salvation and healing. However, if any of the adults wanted to get near Shirley and have personal contact with her, they all discovered that they would have to be quick to answer her invitation. The teens were always the first ones to reach the altar.

    One particular service Betsy and I sat in the second row of the church with about twenty of our teens on either side of us, along with filling the front pew.  That night we had brought a young man named Jeff who had not previously attended our church or our youth program. I had been directed towards this young man because of the trouble he was getting into in our community. In his spare time, Jeff was riding his bike around town and shooting out windows in homes and businesses with his bb gun.  Jeff really needed Jesus.

   I was sitting next to Jeff that night when Shirley concluded her message and invited the congregation to the altar.  Quickly both the first and second rows were empty with the exception of Jeff and I. Every one of my teens, along with most of the congregation, had rushed to the altar to be prayed for by Shirley. Taking advantage of the opportunity with Jeff, I turned to him and asked if he understood the love of God that Shirley had been preaching about.  Although he responded fairly affirmatively, I still filled in some of the spaces concerning the way to salvation in Jesus Christ.  Jeff was more than eager to accept Jesus that night. Standing up in the pew, I lead Jeff in the sinner’s prayer and the way of salvation. He responded to my guidance so enthusiastically that it took little discernment on my part to see that Jeff had sincerely given his life to the Lord. 

     As I stood there facing Jeff, the joy that covered his face was a testimony to a changed life. Jeff was so excited he was almost giddy.  As I praised the Lord with Jeff over his salvation, the words that next came out of his mouth caught me by surprise. He excitedly said “is there more?”   He had experienced the presence of the Lord in such a powerful way that it not only filled the empty holes in his life, it left him longing for more of God,

      I responded to Jeff’s question by saying “do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit?”  His response was “what is that?” I told him it was simply more of God in his life. He eagerly responded ‘YES”!  As we stood there in middle of the second row of the church, I faced Jeff to lay hands on him to receive the Holy Spirit. I then began to pray. I had not yet laid my hands on Jeff, but had simply raised them towards him preparing to do so. As I did this, Jeff fell backwards to the floor.  Not sure if Jess was mimicking something he had seen before, I followed him down, grabbing him by the shirt and shoulders, and stood him back up. Once again, I raised my hands to lay them on Jeff, and once again he fell backwards to the floor.

     Standing him up a second time, I quickly laid hand on his head before he could fall, praying for the Spirit of God to do the falling on him.  As I prayed over Jeff this third time, he again fell backwards to the floor.  Finally learning my lesson, I let him fall and prayed “Lord, he is all yours”. Jeff hit the floor between the pews with tongues of praise coming out of his mouth amidst a smile that went from ear to ear. Jeff was praising the Lord from so deep in his spirit that his natural vocabulary had no words to convey his joy.  This was what Paul called “groans that words cannot express”.

       I learned later that Jeff had never even heard of speaking in tongues before that night. The Lord found in Jeff that night a willing and hungry vessel in which He could display His love and power.  After that night, Jeff continued as a member of our youth program and a sincere believer in Jesus Christ. His bb gun days were over. Over the following months, several people in the community commented on the obvious transformation of this young man. Sometimes, we just have to step out of the way and allow the Spirit of the Lord to work.