Spiritual Power in Juneau

            It was while we were serving as missionary pastors on an Island in Southeast Alaska that I heard from a fellow pastor about an evangelist coming to Juneau. This pastor was a man whom I knew to be a level headed yet spiritual man of God. He had been in a service with this evangelist and told me of the powerful workings of God he had seen.  Hungry for more spiritual inspiration, I began making plans to attend some of the services that were scheduled to be held in Juneau.      

            Our small native fishing village was eight hours by ferry from Juneau. On one occasion, that same trip took my family two days on my small 23’ Glassply boat where we wove through the inlets, sounds, channels, and fiords of Southeast Alaska. Along the isolated beaches and inlets, we witnessed deer and bear and sea lions, with whales, porpoises and otter often racing alongside our boat. On that trip we traveled half the distance home before stopping to spend the night in Hoonah, a native village where a missionary pastor whom we knew was ministering.

            However, for my trip to Junea for the evangelism services, I did not have the liberty of that much time. Therefore, I scheduled passage on one of the float planes that came into our village several times a week, a flight of just over one hour to Juneau.  I was told that the evangelism services would begin Sunday, so I scheduled a flight that left our village late morning on that Sunday.  While I was still preaching to our small congregation that morning, I heard the float plane circling above us as it prepared to land on the inlet and taxi up to the docks. Closing out the service as quickly as I could, I grabbed my already packed bag and ran out of the church, and down the dirt path to the boardwalk.  Hurrying along the boardwalk, I would take the ramp down onto the docks below where the float plane waited. I was able to climb aboard the “Beaver” aircraft and take one of the five seats the plane offered for my ride in Junea.

            I was picked up in Juneau that day by the pastor friend and taken to a camp facility where I would be staying. (He ran a youth camp) Our car was stored in Junea, so late that afternoon I made my way to the local church that was hosting the evangelism services.  Juneau did not offer many large venues for meetings such as this, so this church used its oversized Gymnasium, with bleachers all along one side, to host the services.

            Although I was coming to these services hungry to experience the spiritual power my friend had spoken of, I also came a bit apprehensive.  The Bible says ‘prove all things” and this is precisely what I had come to do. I had been in services where many mistook zeal and excitement for works of God, and I was ready to by earnest observation discern if these services were the working of the Holy Spirit, or just the excitement and zealousness of religious activity. As I shared with Betsy the night before I left for Juneau, I was coming to “prove the spirit” of these evangelical meetings.

            Although I thought I had arrived at the service early that evening, I found the building already mostly full. With the bleachers stretching along the length of the basketball court, and the floor of the court packed to the ends with chairs, I estimated that there was seating for at least 500-600 people.  The floor seats were filled when I arrived, so I took up a seat about half way up the bleachers across from the free throw line.  As I sat looking around the crowded room, I realized I was both anxious and apprehensive.

It did not take long to get my first impressions. The worship, although done in a very unconventional way, was sincere and spiritual. The evangelist himself was actively involved in it, and it was obvious he was far more concerned with pleasing God than pleasing man. Although this service would later return to a time of worship, that opening worship session was brought to a close when the evangelist returned to the pulpit. (He had been all over the sanctuary during the worship). Once at the pulpit, he welcomed everyone to the service and warned them to be prepared for whatever the Lord had in store for that night.

His practice as he traveled not only across the country but also around the world, was to hold services Sunday morning and evening. Then he would hold services again Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights before leaving to go to his next destination. This seemed a very bold schedule since most communities and churches have a hard time attracting crowds on week day nights.

At one point during his welcome, he asked for those who had traveled in from outside of Juneau to stand up.  I stood with what I would guess was about 50 or 60 other people. The congregation applauded and we all sat down.  The next hour or more was filled with such excitement and what appeared to be the moving of the Holy Spirit that I was myself moved and even challenged.  When at the end of a time of both worship and preaching, the evangelist invited those who felt the Lord was calling them to come forward, I quickly made my way down the bleachers. I am not sure if I came because I sensed the Lord calling, but I know I came to see if all I had seen was really from God.

The podium area ran along the length of the basketball court. Once there, I stepped into line with over a hundred others who had like myself responded to the evangelist’s invitation.  As the congregation continued in worship, the evangelist began at one end of the long line praying over people. He was not close enough to touch them, purposefully standing back at least 5’ from the line.  As me moved along, I was able to witness people falling to the floor as he passed. I also saw several people sort of lift up into the air and float backwards, some even landing on seats in the front row.  He was not touching anyone, only praying as he walked along. When he came to the place in front of me, I felt a wooziness that testified to me of the Spirit’s presence.  However, I did not fall to the floor or float backwards. When he passed, I remained unsteady, but standing.  A quick look told me I was the only person so far not falling to the floor as the evangelist passed.

As he continued praying, the evangelist walked along with his eyes shut.  When he had gone several people past me, he stopped.  As I looked at him, he turned and looked backwards over his left shoulder right at me. With a smile, he nodded knowingly, then continued his prayer walk. When he had gone across the front of the building, then along the end under the basket where many others had come to stand, I noticed that only myself and one other man remained standing.

After the service that night I called Betsy.  I was excited over what I had seen and heard, but also troubled. Why had I not had the same experience as others when he walked by?  Was there something wrong with me, or with this ministry? I told her I would stay for the Monday night service. If I did not receive some confirmation from the Lord by then, I would be on the float plane home on Tuesday. I was looking for clear answers!

I made sure to be at the service earlier the next night so I could give this ministry every opportunity to prove itself. I was able to find a seat along one of the three large sections that filled the floor. I was about 15 rows back from the front and sitting on an aisle seat.  The service again began with a time of powerful worship. At times we were all standing, at other times many had taken to their seats in reverential worship, some kneeling, some sitting.  It was at one of these times that most of the worshippers were seated that the evangelist, still leading the worship, walked up the aisle I was seated on. He was not looking at me, but looking about the congregation.  Continuing up the aisle, he stopped next to my seat, still leading the congregation in worship. After a short time, he placed his hand on my head.  It was only moments before it felt like someone had popped the lid on my head and poured in hot oil. It was intoxicating.

As the song came to a close, the evangelist turned to look at me. With microphone in hand, he smiled and asked me to stand up.  I was not able to. I was so overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit that I was like a drunk man.  The evangelist then turned to two men sitting in the row next to me and asked them to help me stand up. Grabbing me by my arms, they lifted me to a standing position.  Although the experience I had so far encountered in this service was enough to show me the Lord was here, the Lord was still not done bringing confirmation to my heart.  Now the only man I knew in Juneau was the pastor I was staying with, and he was not at these meetings. Nevertheless, the evangelist looked into my eyes and said “you are the pastor from Pelican, and you have come here to see if this is of God”. 

On both accounts he was right, and I knew he had no natural way of knowing these things.  I was virtually unknown in Juneau. He then said “the Lord says since you have come to seek His Spirit, He is giving you tonight a double portion”.  Upon the conclusion of these words, I fell to the floor, completely overwhelmed by the Spirit. I did not wake up until after 9 PM that night when the service was just winding down. I was thoroughly blessed and built up in my faith in a way that no natural activity or service could have accomplished.

I stayed for two more nights that week, with several other sensational spiritual experiences occurring in those services. I finally flew home to share the exciting experience with Betsy and the other believers in our small church. I can in honesty say that the services we held over the next few months were powerfully inspired and blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. This was something the evangelist had emphasized. If our experiences in his services were real, then those experiences would follow us home.

I close this testimony by quoting a verse that I often refer to. It says “the eyes of the Lord go to and fro about the whole earth searching to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are turned towards Him” (2 Chr.16:9).  For those who are hungry to know and experience true spiritual life, the Lord is always ready to prove Himself by the many powerful and convincing workings of His Holy Spirit.