It is one thing to be anointed of God. It is another

thing to be in a position to release that anointing to

others, seeing their lives touched with the reality of that

heavenly materiality.

 

After the encounter I had with the Lord in July of

1979, I made plans to go into the full-time ministry. In

January of 1980, at the age of eighteen, I joined a group

that traveled our nation, ministering in Word and music

in many of the nominal mainline denominations across

our country.

 

The group that I joined was interdenominational,

but non-charismatic in their beliefs. They frowned upon

the Pentecostal experience, but I felt led of the Lord to

work with the vehicle they were providing me to spread

the gospel. I knew that at anytime I could have been

given the left foot of fellowship because I held fast to my

Pentecostal experience.

 

The Day My Ministry Changed

 

I can remember the day it first happened – the

day my life and ministry was to change. It was a day like

every other. The interesting thing was that I was not

doing anything that you might think I should have been

doing to bring this on. I believe it was all in the plan of

God.

 

We were preaching in a Methodist church. I was

back in the vestibule – which is a holy name for a plain,

old office – preparing for the service. One of the young

ladies came into the office and asked me to pray for her

because she was in terrible pain. I stood up from the chair

where I was sitting and lifted my right hand as I normally

would do to lay hands upon her and pray. Then the most

amazing thing happened.

 

Hey, This One’s Loaded!

 

I got my hand halfway to her head, almost like a

gunslinger would draw a gun out of a holster and point it

at his opponent. Suddenly, unexpectedly, it felt like my

finger tips came off. I felt a full volume of the anointing

flow out of my hand. The only way I can explain it is to

liken it to a fireman holding a fire hose with a full volume

of water flowing out of it. The anointing went right into

her. It looked like someone had hit her in the head with

an invisible baseball bat and she fell to the floor.

 

I was left standing there totally dumbstruck by

what had happened, looking at my hand and at the young

lady. I was still conscious of the presence of God flowing

out of me, but I was amazed at what had just transpired.

About that time, the rest of the team walked in the door. I

prayed for them and they all fell out under the power of

God.

 

After a while, I managed to sober them up. I was

afraid the priest would walk in the door and I would have

some explaining to do. We then moved into the sanctuary

and the service began. I was so overwhelmed by the

experience and what I had witnessed that I couldn’t get it

out of my mind.

 

Call All Those Who Want a Blessing

 

I began to talk to the Lord all the while I was

speaking in the service. I was asking Him what we

(notice I said we) were going to do about what had

happened. After all, I was not allowed to talk about the

Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, or falling under the

power. But they didn’t realize when you talk about Jesus,

the Holy Spirit comes along to find out who you are

speaking about.

 

Here I am, having a conversation with the Lord,

asking Him what are we going to do. Suddenly He says to

me, “Call all those who want a blessing.”

Now, I was in a Methodist church, and if you

asked a question like that, the whole church would

respond. And respond they did. Let us keep in mind that I

had said nothing about the Holy Spirit, speaking in

tongues, or falling under the power.

 

They came and stood in one line across the front

of the church. The Lord then said to me, “Don’t lay both

of your hands upon them.” We have a problem with folks

who are under the impression that ministers are pushing

people over. The Lord said to me, “Just lay one finger of

your right hand on the forehead of each individual and

say, “In the name of Jesus.”

 

I walked over to the first person and said, “In the

name of Je…” I did not even have time to say, “sus,”

when the power of God threw that person to the floor. I

went down the line and everyone went out under the

power. They hit the floor just like someone had slammed

them in the head with a Louisville Slugger.