On March 23, 1968, I had a supernatural encounter with the Lord that revolutionized my entire life. For the next four and a half months, God’s love completely overwhelmed me both day and night! Tasting God’s presence in such a profound way ruined me for ordinary life. My expectations of my relationship with the Lord and my hopes of what He’d do through me literally shot through the roof. As far as I was concerned, Jesus could do anything!
However, once the emotion of it finally subsided, I felt worse than ever before. My inner expectations and my everyday experience remained worlds apart! The spiritual realities I knew in my heart just weren’t manifesting themselves in the physical realm any longer. I longed to experience God again in that same way.
During this period of time, I was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Over there, temptations abounded! Many times I was the only Christian I knew. Everyone else gave themselves to the drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes that were so readily available. Even the bunker where I lived was papered with pornographic images—walls, ceiling, everywhere! Although this constant pressure to sin seemed unbearable at times, I refused to give in.
Out of sheer desperation, I started seeking the Lord by praying and studying the Bible as much as sixteen hours a day! This gnawing inner frustration motivated my quest to discover “how I could get from here to where I knew in my heart I could be.” I knew Vietnam would change me, so I figured it might as well be for the good!
God began renewing my mind through His Word. Then I started experiencing that same divine reality as before—only this time it wasn’t just in a physical, emotional way. The Lord revealed truths that changed my thinking and released His power in me. Joy and excitement came back again, but now they were based on understanding from the Word. I could recall Scripture and rejoice in it any time I wanted. In this way, God’s Word began to produce an abiding stability in my life!
This understanding of spirit, soul, and body was one of the first revelations I received through studying the Bible. It not only alleviated the frustration and confusion I had but has served as a foundation for almost everything the Lord has shown me since. These important truths freed me from the bondage of much wrong thinking and enabled me to consistently experience God’s supernatural power. Personally, I cannot comprehend how anyone can truly prosper in their relationship with God apart from understanding this basic revelation!
Today, I’m just as excited about this understanding of spirit, soul, and body as when God first showed it to me over thirty-five years ago. In fact, I’ve seen the Lord set more people free through this one teaching than almost anything else I’ve ever ministered! What you now hold in your hands has the potential to revolutionize your entire Christian life!
