The Hub, our students and 20s community, recently took a weekend away, for teaching, worship, prayer and friendship. God was powerfully moving those present. Here's one story, from Josh:
"On Saturday morning, I got a picture of heaven opening up, and although the clouds were moving away, water started to fall from heaven - holy water... I thought it was cool and shared it, but my goodness, I did not realise what that truly meant
Then in the evening, there was a very challenging talk. I went to get some prayer... and man, I was touched by the spirit like I’ve never been touched by it (or anything before!) First I was filled with this supreme peace after someone prophesied it before hand. Then later I felt a tongue of fire on my head (like what?! This was so surreal!).
As the night progressed and as the Holy Spirit took more and more control of my body (as I gradually released my grip on control), I started to shake, really violently (Although I wanted to believe this type of stuff, i always doubted peoples experiences like this).
Then my arms started to buzz with energy and sensation, and I felt called to pray for people - so I did! In fact the whole room was alive with the Holy Spirit, people were filling with joy and laughing uncontrollably, others had image after image, word after word! It was insane... anyway while I was praying for someone, I got a word ‘at the name of Jesus all death will come to life’ - a sentence which still gives me the tingles - and although I chose to say it, when I did, the Holy Spirit spoke through me - and it was said soooo boldly, so much so, on the second time, the person I was praying for went weak and fell back a little!
Like I’ve never seen these things before, let alone been apart from them, Jesus was just going wild!!! Then I prayed for more people, and as I was filled with this crazy joy (and laughed uncontrollably) the person I prayed for was also filled with that same joy.
I have never worshipped God with so much meaning in my whole life- I believed before, but now, I have no excuse to doubt! And if all this happened, then everything else that is said about God in the bible must be true, and more true than I could ever even dream of!
Then yesterday, on the way back home to a funeral, I met a homeless man called George and we chatted about life for a while... I learnt a lot about him - he spoke 5 languages, he used to be an expert at kickboxing and he came from Bulgaria - a country which was beautiful with waterfalls and trees (but not enough pay in his job to keep going- so he had to move). Anyway, he used to work as a builder, but he fell off 3 flights of scaffolding and broke his shoulder and leg.
His leg mended fine, but because of some reason or other, he couldn’t go to hospital and his shoulder had mended badly. Such that when he moved it, it ground, thudded and crunched.
I asked if I could pray for it at one point, and he agreed willingly. Nothing happened - but he told me a specialist had told him that his shoulder would never be able to be the same again. (Oh also, his damaged shoulder meant he couldn't lift even the lightest of things without severe pain - losing him a job, losing him his house.
But I told him the power of God, a power that I had just realised recently is only too real. Prayed again - felt the Holy Spirit work in me... he moved his shoulder (no sound)... moved it again (no sound)... moved it frantically (still with no sound!) - it had been healed! He was shocked, I was shocked. We prayed for thanks, and I told him this was the power of God, and that God loved him. Then told him to find a church! How cool!
I think God’s baptised me in the Holy Spirit!"