I did want to do Jesus’ will and be a more effective witness in Evangelism for Him and I did want to know if this teaching was from Him. I wanted to know if this anointing was valid and separate from Salvation.

Like many people I was confused about the tongues issue. What did it have to do with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? And if it was a part of the experience called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, was it met for everybody? I asked the Lord, "Jesus, how do I know speaking in tongues is not from the devil?" He brought to my mind a passage in Matthew,

"Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?" (Matt 7:9-10).

Jesus showed me that if I came to Him in sincerity of heart, He would not deceive me. He would give me what I asked. That meant that if I asked Him to Baptize me in the Holy Spirit and I spoke in another language as a result, I could know that it was from Him, for He would not give me a snake when I asked for a fish.

I was taught that when a person is saved, at that moment he receives his spiritual gifts; one to three at the most. I knew I was saved, but I did not speak in another language; so how could I receive another gift of the Spirit if that is what it was?

What most people do not realize, and I did not realize this at the time I was seeking Jesus about this anointing, is that there is a difference between the personal prayer language with interpretations which is meant for every believer for self-edification and ministry outreach,¹⁵ and the ministry gift of tongues with interpretation which is meant for body-edification equal to the gift of prophecy.¹⁶

The next day I was reading in the book of Romans and I read this, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). Jesus also showed me a passage in Psalms, ". . . No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Ps 84:11). Jesus showed me from these passages that He would not withhold any gift of the Spirit from me if it would benefit me in my walk with Him; and that whether I understood the value of a spiritual gift or not, if it was from God it would only bring good and lead to good in my life because God is good.

Since that time back in 1972, I have learned through intellectual pursuit coupled with field experience that there is a difference between callings and manifestations of the Spirit for the common good. Callings are permanent according to Paul. He states, "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Rom 11:29). Manifestations of the Spirit are temporary and are only given for the moment according to the need. Paul states in 1 Corinthians, "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good;" and after mentioning the nine manifestations of the Spirit, "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills." (1 Cor 12:7, 11). This will be dealt with in greater detail later in this Section. To sum up, if I asked Jesus to Baptize me in His Holy Spirit and if receiving a prayer language was a part of it, whether I understood its value at the time or not, if He gave it to me, it was good; I did not need to be afraid of it.

On July 29, 1972, my room mate Frank Polacek and I had some friends over for dinner, Chuck and Elain Davidson. Chuck, Elain, Frank, and myself were involved with the same evangelical organization at the time and so had become good friends as a result. That night at dinner, Chuck and Elain shared with me how they had just recently been Baptized in the Holy Spirit. They shared their experience with me because they thought I already had been Baptized in the Holy Spirit because Jesus had used me to bring many people to Christ. I think it is important that we note that not having the Baptism of the Holy Spirit does not mean God cannot use us. However, without the Baptism of the Holy Spirit God cannot minister through us as effectively as He would like to.

I explained to them that I had never yet received that anointing but was not completely closed to it and had been seeking Jesus’ mind on it. At the same time, though, even though I did not fully understand all its importance and especially the aspect of speaking in tongues, I did not really have anymore excuses for not asking Jesus for it. If I were to ask Jesus for it and He were to give it to me, I would not have to fear it because He had already shown me He would not give me something unless it was good (Ps 84:11) and that He would not allow me to be deceived (Matt 7:9-11). Of course, there was also the fear of what some of my friends would think who were strongly opposed to this experience if they knew I had received it. My burden for souls was greater than my concern of what my friends might think, so I was willing to risk my reputation in the eyes of the Church if receiving this Baptism would make me a better soul winner. God speaking through Jeremiah stated,

"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from Yehovah. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in Yehovah and whose trust is Yehovah. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." (Jer 17:5-8).

Either it was of Jesus or it was not. The Only thing I had left to do was ask Him for it. When I shared this with my friends, they asked me if I would like to pray right then in our living room and ask Jesus to Baptize me in His Holy Spirit. So, on July 29, 1972, at 9:00 P.M. at night I got down on my knees and prayed the following:

Lord Jesus, if the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is valid and will make me a more effective witness for you with evidence of speaking in tongues then I want it; but if you do not mean it for all your children, then to avoid division and confusion I do not want it; but if you do mean it for all Your children with evidence of speaking in tongues, then I ask you to Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit right now in Jesus name, amen.

After I prayed this prayer I did not feel any different than I had felt before I had prayed. In saying this I am not saying people do not feel something and will not feel something when they receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person, and just as some form of emotion is expressed when we come into contact with any person, whether it be joy, happiness, or indifference, so when one comes into contact with the Holy Spirit some kind of emotion will probably result depending on one’s personality. I am simply expressing that in my case outside of speaking in tongues, at that moment I did not experience anything emotionally. This is not unusual for my personality being that I am somewhat reserved in my thinking and require unquestionable evidence over something before I allow my emotions to be apart. Since that experience of July 1972, in my worship many times emotion has been experienced, but even then I do not allow those feelings to take control of my actions, being that feelings can deceive.

Even though I did not feel any different after I prayed than before I prayed to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, yet when I opened my mouth in faith out came a beautiful prayer language in an unknown tongue. It was not a forced thing or as though something was suddenly taking me over and putting me into a trance, but as I by faith opened my mouth and began to speak the words came out. I had control over it, I could speak in tongues when I wanted to and stop when I wanted to.¹⁷