It is very difficult to explain heavenly encounters in earthly terms. Human words fail us. All I can say is that the revelation of God’s Word burned in my heart. It was not just knowledge or information—it was revelation—and God’s revealed word has God’s life in it. The living words of the living God leaped off the pages of the Bible and came alive in me with His life manifesting Himself in me, through me and out of me. In other words, I had a spiritual transfusion of the blood of Jesus.
That burning of the Spirit was not just in my soul. It was also in my body. Before this experience, I knew absolutely nothing about the supernatural and was even told by religious leaders that God no longer did miracles. However, I discovered that when you encounter the Almighty, you can expect to have unusual supernatural manifestations. If you think about it, when the all-powerful God manifests Himself to a human being, you will have “out-of-this-world” experiences. Heaven comes down, and glory fills your soul. I am not talking about religion or even “getting saved” but an encounter with the Creator of the universe.
The power of God’s revealed word burst forth out of my spirit into my soul and was being manifested through my body with fire sensations. There were times when my hands were so hot I literally thought I was on fire. I tried to cool my hands by washing them in cold water. This did nothing because the fire was coming from within. I knew that if anyone came near me, the holy fire of God’s Spirit would touch them in a very tangible way. While this is not a normal experience, it is certainly biblical. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matt. 3:11).
When I had my encounter with God, the weight of His glory was so heavy there were a few times when I could neither walk nor stand. I crawled on the floor in my house trying to get to the couch. All I could do was slowly pull myself along on my elbows and knees just to go a few feet. When I finally got to the couch, it took all of my strength to roll myself up onto it. All I could do was lay there motionless until the weight of His glory lifted. I could not move. These are moments you never forget.
You see, the infinite Creator can only reveal a little of Himself to finite humans. If He manifests too much of Himself, we will die. I thought I would die and literally hid under my desk and begged God not to show me anything further. I thought I would explode. Really, this is the way it happened. The power of His living Word in me was more than my fragile human flesh could handle.
If you want to hear more of Dr. Booker’s testimony, join him as he and his wife share their story on this episode of Sounds of the Shofar on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}
Dr. Richard Booker is the author of The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread and 40 life-changing books. He has developed 18 college level Bible courses from a Judeo-Christian perspective. He has made more than 550 television programs and serves as a spiritual father to many. He and his wife, Peggy, have led tours to Israel for 30 years, where for 18 years, Richard was a speaker at the International Christian Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. This event is attended by 5,000 Christians from 100 nations. To learn more, see their website at rbooker.com.
