Testimony of a Real Experience https://bbiblenotes.runboard.com/t270 Runboard| Testimony of a Real Experience en-us Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:46:27 +0000 Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:46:27 +0000 https://www.runboard.com/ rssfeeds_managingeditor@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds managing editor) rssfeeds_webmaster@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds webmaster) akBBS 60 Testimony of a Real Experiencehttps://bbiblenotes.runboard.com/p397,from=rss#post397https://bbiblenotes.runboard.com/p397,from=rss#post397I can testify to the reality of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, wherein He cleanses the heart from the nature of sin and fills it with the love of God! Testimony of a Real Experience There are so many different experiences people have had in their times of seeking God. Some are more or less about emotion. Others may involve confusion or even delusion. Yet, there are certainly biblical experiences of salvation, entire sanctification, miraculous healing, special times of God making Himself real to the seeker, special seasons of prayer and answers to prayer, and etc... When the individual experiences a real encounter with God, it is a noteworthy event in his life. I thank God that He has met with me and done things for my own heart and life that I can never get over — nor do I want to! One such time I had in 1988 when seeking God for entire sanctification (the same as receiving the promised Holy Spirit in His fullness). Yes, I can testify to having received this wonderful experience on several occasions in my life, because I had failed to keep in tune with the Lord afterwards (and lost the assurance). This time I wish to tell about, because it illustrates how important it is to take God at His Word and rely upon His promise and faithfulness. SEEKING GOD I had become shamefully backslidden, but repented and returned by God’s grace and mercy to the assurance that I was in a proper relationship with God. He is so loving and forgiving! Yet, I knew I must once again have my heart completely cleansed from the nature of sin — I needed to be sanctified wholly (I Thessalonians 5:23). I was seeking God with all my heart. In desperation, I traveled to Milan, Illinois, to attend a revival meeting there on Sunday night. I was staying in the little Bible Missionary Church in Muscatine, Iowa, at the time. God moved wonderfully in the service that night. While praying at the altar I felt God’s presence to be so very real. The saints were blessed and several seekers claimed to have gained victory. They even had a victory march around the church. I stood there as many people passed by greeting one another and praising God for victory. A dear pastor from another church nearby asked me whether I had gotten the victory. I said “I believe so”, but I really meant it as “I feel like I have”. After the service was over, I knew I must get alone with God, because I did not yet have the witness of the Spirit. I knew it was NOT safe to trust in good feelings. FAITH IN HIS PROMISES I was low on gasoline and would not purchase any more until after midnight. Instead of driving back home, therefore, I went to the south side of the Moline airport, where I could park my car and pray along a mostly quiet service road. It was there that I made sure I had fully surrendered everything to the Lord and on the bare say-so of His Word, I believed without any feeling that Jesus kept His promise to send me the blessed Comforter, the Holy Spirit in His fullness. WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE I still had no feeling and no clear witness of the Spirit. I then proceeded to testify to a rock, the road, a telephone pole, and even the airport itself. I told them that I believed that Jesus sanctified me wholly, because His promise is true. With still some time left before Sunday was over, I drove to a grocery store parking lot and took a nap. Sometime very early in the morning I went and purchased gasoline and then made my way back to Muscatine, Iowa. That Monday I went to work as usual while still trusting God for the victory. I was filling vending machines at the IBP pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa. While getting more product from the office I felt like God was about to pour out a blessing upon my soul, but I continued to trust Him and go about my duties. Previously I had told my coworkers about how God can completely cleanse our hearts, taking out the nature of sin and making us holy by His grace. God pressed upon my mind that I should testify to them. I reminded them of what I had told them before and said “That’s what God did for me last night”. One of them teased me, saying that now I must be too holy to sit with them at lunch time. I responded by moving my tray to their table and finishing my lunch with them! THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT As I often did, when I got back to the little church where I was staying, I sat at the piano and tried to play and sing from a song book. The song was “I Know My Redeemer Liveth”. While I started to sing “Jesus I hang upon thy word. I steadfastly believe...”, it was right then and there that the blessed Holy Spirit proclaimed within my heart “You are sanctified!”. I knew it as well as I knew my own name. I was so filled with joy and peace in believing and trusting Christ that I could not contain the emotion. I had a wonderful season of shouting and praising God. I then went to a place where I liked to pray next to the Mississippi River, where God continued to pour out wave after wave of blessing upon my soul. On other occasions wherein God had sanctified me wholly, I had varying degrees of emotions, but in each instance there was the need, seeking God with all my heart, and simply trusting Him to keep His Word. “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” (I Thessalonians 5:24)nondisclosed_email@example.com (OldWarrior)Thu, 21 Jun 2018 20:32:03 +0000