Never the Same Again

I have been reading a book by Bill Johnson .
Face to Face with God.

I feel the Hunger arising in my heart for a new fresh touch , an Encounter with the Face of my Beloved.

Reading the experiences of a couple of well known names from the past , I can feel the Lord inviting us into more....there is always more.

Charles Finney....was a lawyer who became a revivalist and his encounter with God changed everything about his life, enabling him to bring about great transformation to the nation.

(a small excerpt....after he has accompanied his visitor to the door.)

" As I closed the door and turned around my heart seemed to be liquid within me. All my feelings seemed to rise and flow out; and the utterance of my heart was, " I want to pour out my whole soul to God. " The rising of my soul was so great that I rushed into the room back of the front office to pray.

There was no fire, and no light in the room; nevertheless it appeared to me as if it were perfectly light.
As I went in and shut the door after me, it seemed as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face to face. It did not occur to me that it was wholly a mental state. On the contrary it seemed to me that I saw Him as I would see any other man.

He said nothing but looked at me in such a manner as to break me right down at His feet. I have always since regarded this as a most remarkable state of mind; for it seemed that he stood before me, and I fell down at his feet and poured out my soul to Him.

I wept aloud like a child, and made such confessions as I could with my choked utterance.

I received such a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost. Without any expectation of it , without ever having the thought in my mind that there was any such thing for me, without any recollection that I had heard the thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression like a wave of electricity going through and through me.

Indeed it seemed to come in waves of liquid love; for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God. I can recollect distinctly that it seemed to fan me, like immense wings.

No words can express that wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart.
These waves came over me and over me and over me one after another until I recollect I cried out ' I shall die if these waves continue to pass over me'. I said, 'Lord, I cannot bear any more,' yet I had no fear of death.

This bit of his story has stirred the desire within to once again surrender in welcoming You Holy Spirit of Jesus to possession of my soul . Waves of love.....waves of liquid love....how wonderfully amazing to have known such an encounter.