This book, Go Now, is filled with bold faith and miracle stories from the head hunters in the northern Philippines to Communist China where Wendell and his wife Daisy, made over 1000 border crossings with suitcases filled with Bibles. Wendell gives you an intimate inside look at how God worked deep in his heart rescuing a discontented young man and crafted him into an effective tool for His service. Now, onto post #7 of 9.
The following evening was hot and sultry when I set off with a friend named Terry on our bicycles for what we anticipated would be a one-hour ride to the church. When we finally found the church, we knew from the music pulsating through the open windows that we were late. The meeting was in full swing and packed with people jumping, stomping, clapping, and singing their hearts out. An usher met us at the back of the church and raising his voice so he could be heard above the roar of praise, he told me there were still some seats in the front row so we found them before the music finally came ended.
An offering was taken, announcements were made, the special music presented, and finally, the message was preached. I don’t remember a word of it, except when Pastor Derstine gave a closing invitation for those who desired “to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” He referenced Psalm 42: 1 in his invitation, “As the deer longs for streams of water so I long for you, O God.” Those simple words pierced straight into my heart with an unexpected force.
This simple scripture seemed to describe me perfectly and gave a clear answer to my confused spiritual condition. Religion had clouded the simplicity of the answer that had been at my fingertips all along. I simply wanted to find my way back to God! Why was that so hard to understand? I wanted – no, I needed – to connect with God, like a son needs to bond with his father. That was the simplicity and the heart of the matter. This was not about any sort of religious experience. It was about a real encounter with a real God, perhaps like I had experienced years ago when God met me and healed me of those warts.
Yes, that is what I was longing for. I had an intimate experience with God as a 10-year-old boy when God revealed His love for me in a special way. For a long time, I had been longing for a recurrence of that experience as an affirmation of God’s continued love for me. Now I understood God had something even better for me. He was offering Himself in the form of His Spirit to enable a bond in between Father and son. It suddenly dawned on me that God was probably longing for this bonding as much, or even more than I was.
I didn’t understand all the theology about the Holy Spirit, but I did understand that I was a dissatisfied Christian who simply wanted more of God’s presence. Enough of the endless discussions, analyzing and posturing! I was a child who needed his Father, and I would do whatever was necessary to make that happen.
After the invitation was given for those who desired the infilling of the Holy Spirit, I eagerly stood in response. I squeezed my eyes closed in a failed effort to keep the tears from sneaking past my eyelids; I didn’t know why I felt like crying. While I knew others were standing around me, I felt isolated and safe as if I were in a kind of invisible bubble. I knew there was music playing and people singing again but I could hardly hear it. I saw people praying for those who had gone forward, but it seemed that God Himself was in the bubble with me and I was oblivious to most of what was happening around me. He was here, waiting for me.
After a few minutes in this strange ethereal state of being, I felt someone put his hand on my head and began praying that I would receive the gift. From the voice, I realized it was Pastor Derstine.
To be continued tomorrow.