Since God inhabits the praises of His people, there's a certain risk taken in praise and worship for to worship is to acknowledge and engage with the manifest presence of God and in that place, offer Him a tangible expression of love and honor. His response to your offering is the favor of His manifest presence which he promised He would give. If God shows up and you don't die, you've got His favor. Worship has been thick with the favor of God as the culture of revival builds. This pic was taken from my phone in a worship service a couple of weeks ago. I don't know why I try to capture movement with a camera phone but the movement is there, hence the blur. It's been a good while since I've written on the blog and it's because I have too much to write. I have been writing though. Just not for public consumption. I've got something here I would love to post though and it's from a student in the Austin Kingdom Academy who also attends Austin Presbyterian Seminary. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and true to the form of a logical, analytical, and detail oriented personality, he chronicles the experience with journalistic excellence. It's a fascinating read and if you've ever wondered about the nuts and bolts of the term 'baptism in the Holy Spirit' this is well worth your time. Grace and Peace.
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This journal is to record God’s work and deeds in my life. Today is September 7, 2008, eleven and a-half years since Jesus Christ has come into my life. His works this point in my life are too numerous to count, from uncontrolled laughter by the Holy Spirit to prophetic words both given and received.
My desire in compiling these experiencies is that the triune God, awful and beautiful, would be glorified, remembered and praised.
-Jason Paul De Graaf.
7 September 2008: Austin, Texas, Hope Chapel, during the Austin Kingdom Academy. Bill Johnson's first video lesson. He spoke of many wondrous signs including diverse healings, prophetic words, seeing angels, the appearance of dove feathers, seeing golden oil upon people's hands, and many other manifestations.
My hands began tingling after Bill Johnson told us to hold them out. He prayed over us. At first, I did not feel anything. Next to me, however, Will Bibee stated hands were burning and continued to burn for the next hour-and-a-half. I placed my hands upon his for no longer than minute with a desire to receive what he was experiencing. My hands were tingling sharply for the next half-hour in different position and motions. The feeling would not leave me.
Prophetic words were spoken to me by a woman named Kay, describing my faith as simple and believing. An accurate word, to say the least.
Prophetic words were spoken to me by a woman named Misty. She received a vision of a cathedral, yet prophesied extensively that I would be taking the Gospel to the streets, going to those outside of the church. It was my first time meeting her; she did not know that this semester is my first time preaching in a chapel, and that I have been doing para-church ministry for the last eleven years of my life, all of which (save for one short Bible study at UUMC in St. Louis) has been outside of the church.
Misty found a small feather, gray and white, in her Bible. Our class time was all inside, and she did not recall ever seeing it before.
Many people were speaking in tongues.
Last night four people prayed over me for the baptism of the Holy Spirit: Kay, Misty, Brad and Will. Nothing came at the time. Note that the previous Friday Mark Proeger and I also prayed for the baptism of the Holy Spirit from the one who baptizes with “the Holy Spirit and fire.”
8 September 2008, Austin, Texas, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary campus, the next day following our first Austin Kingdom Academy class.
I ran into Andy, an older Chinese immigrant pastor who cannot hear out of his left ear. He is a student here at APTS. He has recently begun surgery to restore his hearing, although it is not complete yet. My hands immediately began to burn with the same cool tingles as last night once I heard of his partial deafness. I prayed for healing and restoration of his hearing, although nothing immediately happened.
My hands continued burning (and are burning slightly as I type this) as I went outside to look and pray for others while whatever holy fire was upon me. I came across Shane Webb and Brandon Miles, two students here at APTS and prayed for them with a curious earnest.
I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Praise God! After returning from Anderson High School, my hands began to burn cooly once again. At first, I thought I needed to go and pray for someone, so I went outside and made my way to the seminary library. My hands continued to burn but saw no one. After some time in the library I placed my hands to my mouth, my lips, my face and my tongue. Whatever burning was on my hands moved there as well. I immediately made my way back to my room and began to pray, asking God to loose my tongue…
What followed was the purest form of worship I have ever experienced. For forty-five minutes warm, deep sounds came out of my mouth as my body rocked back and forth in my chair, not unlike Orthodox Jews at the Wailing Wall. An energy was on my tongue and my mouth that I had never experienced before. Sounds came out at their own accord, moving from syllable to syllable over and over again. Although I do not know what I specifically said, I knew the genre of what I was praying. The first and longest time was spent in praising God. Again, I did not know what I was saying, yet I was keenly aware that praise was being offered to God. Next was a time of intercession for my brother and my sister, who do not yet know Jesus. Sounds were low and similar to one crying or weeping and I remained folded over as I spoke. After that was a time of supplication. I was asking God for good gifts, although I do not know for what I specifically asked. Next came a time of thanksgiving, which lasted a long time as well. My time closed by saying the names of God and offering names of high school students at Anderson who do not know Jesus. The entire time I felt wonderfully out of control of my mouth, tongue, lips and face. It was like spiritual water flowing forth of its own accord, a pure energy spilling through me, a "spring of eternal life."
I continued speaking in tongues softly throughout the rest of the day, while walking around my room. It seemed as if I was simply praising and glorifying God, as it should be an everyday, normal occurance.
Later, I ran into an older man named Mike with whom I’ve practiced for years. He spoke to me of two injuries that he has, his shoulder and his knee. Immediately my hands warmed and I asked if I could pray for him. He declined and assured me it would heal in time. The moment he declined my hands cooled.
After speaking with Statton about my day he encouraged me to pray and praise God for the gift I had been given. I sat down and began praying once again in tongues. The session was shorter than the first, but followed a similar pattern: I did not know specifically what I was speaking but knew generally what was being said. The first portion of my prayer was once again praise of God. The next was a time of thanksgiving for this glorious gift. The third section was a time of confession, specifically my pride and my lust. The forth section was a time of supplication, as I asked for my pride and lust to be done away with. The session ended with speaking names of God, specifically as creator, over and over again with creator-names for God.
What a day! Praise Jesus!
