In 1981   I   was  as   ignorant  about  the  Bible  or  religion  as  any person could possibly be.   Although  I  had always believed  in God,     I  had  not once  ever  prayed nor  had any conversation whatsoever  with  anyone regarding  God,  the  Bible or  religion.  Literally,  I  was clueless.     Until   I   was  27,   I    had  not   ever   heard   the  term   'Son of God'   or  the  story of   the  crucifixion of  Christ  in  my  life   until   my  mother   told  me   about  1   week  before   I   was  saved.    She   had   accepted   the  Lord  about  30  days  before  I   did  and    was  excited  to   tell  me  of   her  new  experience.    She said  she   'had been saved!'.     In  my  ignorance,  my  respectful  response to  her  was,  "Saved  from  what?".

After  I  listened to her  tell me in  her living room about  the  'Son of God'  I  was immediately  'all ears'  and  fascinated  that  I  had  not ever  heard  these  things.    More  importantly,  I   was  immediately stirred  spiritually  and wanted to  hear every  detail  about  this  new  person  "Jesus"  who  I  learned for the first time was written about in the Bible.   I  had never given one  thought as  to what the Bible was about until  my  mother told  me.

All  this occurred  about  7 days  prior  to  my  powerful experience.   My mother had  given me  just the  New Testament  and  told  me to focus  only  on  the  4  Gospels.     I   immediately  began  diligently studying  with  more  concentration  that  I  had  ever  had in  my  life  in  terms of  reading  a  book.    For the next  7 days,  even at  work,  all    I  could  think  about  was  reading  those  Gospels and  gaining  more  information about  the  life,  words and  self-claims  of   'Jesus'. After  work,   I   absorbed  myself  completely  in  my  search  of  the  truth about  Him  because of  my intense  burning desire  to  want  to 'believe'  in  what  I  was  reading.   My business mind also caused  me  to search with  a  healthy eye  for any discrepancies of  which  I found  none.


The  experience     -     April 17, 1981  @  10:30am

On  the  7th  consecutive  day of  my  readings  it  was Good Friday which  had  no  meaning  to  me  whatsoever.   I  had never  given  it     a  thought.

At  10:30AM,    I   mentioned  to  my  staff   that  I   would  be  in  my office if  anyone  needed  me.   After  sitting  down in  my swivel chair    I   leaned  back and started  to  open  the scriptures to  take  a  quick look  for  a  moment  during  my  break.    I  leaned  all  the way back, closed my  eyes and  slowly closed  the  Bible,  resting  it  in  front of my  chest.     I   perfectly  remember  what  my  immediate  and  sole thought   to  myself  was,   thinking:    'I   don't  have  to  read  even  1  more  word  of  this!     I   believe  completely  that  this  is  true about Jesus  being  the  Son of God'.    

Then,  my  very next  thought to myself  and  still  without saying any word  out  loud  I  thought  with all of  my heart and  everything  within me  these  exact  words:    'Jesus,  I  believe  you are the very Son of God  as you say,  and  that you are  alive right now,  resurrected from the dead like this Bible states;  And since I  believe this,  then  I  also believe  that  you  can  touch me  right  now  in  a  way  that  I  could never  be  able  to  deny it;  and  so  I  am  asking  You  to  touch me right now  and  let me  know  that  You  are  alive  and  that  You  are  the  Son  of  God.....'

Immediately,  and  without  ever  having spoken  one  word  out loud, God's presence of  LIGHT  blasted my entire being as a  person might whip a  sheet  outside to shake off  the dust.   Instantly,  any trace of sin  or  guilt  in my concience  was  gone.    The intensity  and  reality of  this  incredible  blast  of  God's  light  locked  me  into  place  as  I still  was  leaning  back in  my seat  and  with  my  eyes also  locked closed.   My  immediate  awareness of  Almighty  God  was  instantly  recognizable  to   me  as  was  His   unexplainable  nature  of   peace  and  comfort  which  overwhelmingly  saturated  me  in  an  instant.

In  that first one moment,    I  felt  divinely transparent with the  tan- gible  presence of  His  light.    No  light like this  could  ever  be  any- thing   other   than  God  which  I   knew   instantly.    Christ's  virtues  of  life  and  truth  and  purity  were also  keenly evident  to me  and within  my  physical  body,  all  present  within  His  awesome  light that  had  instantaneously  purified  and  filled  me.

I   also  knew  perfectly  right  then  that  God  was  a   personal  God and  that  Jesus  is  His  divine Son.   Just  based on  this  very  first moment  of  this  divine  encounter with  the  risen  Christ   I  immed- iately   knew   that  everything  I  personally  could  possibly  need  to know  or   to  experience  to  become  convinced  about  the reality of God  or   Jesus  was  virtually  just  accomplished   in  me.    He  was  alive  and  He  is  the   'Lord'   and  I  knew  it,  exactly  like my heart  had  directly  asked  Him  to  show  me  just  moments  before.

I  remember  thinking to myself,  'I'm clean!'  although  I  never opened my mouth  or  eyes  once  for  the  next  45  minutes  being  frozen in awe.   Amazingly,  no one  knocked  on  my  office door  nor  did  my phone  ring  during  these   life-changing   45  minutes.    I  know  this cause  I  asked  around  the  office  later still  amazed at  what  I  had just  experienced.  


1st  Wind

Next, after what seemed like about 30 seconds from the divine instant cleansing,  I  suddenly heard  a  wind  coming  from my  right side at  a  distance.   Still,  with  eyes locked  shut and  immobile in  my seat,   I  remember  specifically  thinking,  'That  coming wind  sounds  like being  in  the  forest and  then  hearing the wind  swirling  through  the trees about 30 seconds before it actually arrives.'    At that time I  had never  heard about  Pentecost  and  the  scriptural  nature of  wind  on that  mighty  day.    Later  in  my  studies  I   would  be  blessed  and humbled  again  learning  of  the  parallel  of  Pentecost  and  my own experience.  

From  the  moment  I  first  heard  the  wind coming,   it  seemed  to take  15  seconds  to  get  to  me  as  it   came   horizontally  through  me  from  right  to  left.    As it  passed  through me,   it  took  about a full  10  seconds  to  pass through  every  fiber of  my  being  as  I  sat in  awe.   Being accustomed to  breezes and  wind speeds  I  can say  that  it  seemed  like  about  a  15  mile  an  hour  wind.     It  was  not violent  but  was  a  strengthening  &  mighty purifying wind,   per- fectly   tempered  and  divinely  soothing  in  nature.   

I  distinctly remember  thinking in astonishment,  'That was even  more purifying  than the  1st blast   of  divine light  & cleansing  that  hit  me just  1  minute  before!'    I  knew  at  this point by experience that only God could  create unmatched  spiritual waves like this within a  human being,  and  then  be  able to  top  it  again.


2nd  and  3rd  Winds

Then,  about  30  seconds after  this  1st  wind  passed  through  me  I suddenly heard  a   2nd  wind   coming.   Once again, it  was coming from  the   right  side  and  in  the  exact  same  manner and  pace  as the  1st  wind.      I   remember  thinking  to  myself,    'I   don't  know  how   this   next   coming  wind   could   possibly  be   more  purifying   than   the  1st  wind!'        But,  I   knew  it  would  be.

As this  coming  2nd wind  took  about  15  seconds  to  touch  me  I  remember  contemplating  for a  moment  the awesome  fact  that God was  carrying  out  a  powerful  awesome  life-changing  transformation upon  me.    I   specifically  thought  to  myself  that   'If  I  receive just one  more  degree of  intensity from all  of  this,  then it  seems  like  I  could  disintegrate!' .  

Still,  as the  2nd wind  rushed  through me and was noticeably more  purifying  than  the  1st,    I  sat  completely  paralyzed  in  my  execu- tive  chair  having  not  opened  my  eyes  nor  spoken  a   word. 

Within  moments,  I  heard  what  I  knew  was the  3rd wind  coming. Then,  the  3rd wind  came  and  purified  me  again.    This was now  the  4th  purifying  wave:  the initial  blast of  intensified  light  plus  the 3  ensuing  winds  of  increasingly  purifying  intensities.

It  was about  the  time of  the  3rd  wind  when  I  thought  to  myself  that  this  entire  divine  experience  I  was  having  was  a  demonstra- tion  of   God's  greatest  intent  for  my  life,   my  soul   and  my  very being.     Namely,  to give me eternal  life,   according  to  what  He had  planned  for  me  all  along.    For  me  personally,  I  could  never forget  that  God  really  does  know  a   person's  heart.    This  is  my own  testimony  because of  the fact  that  at  the  one-and-only   time  I  had  ever  thought  within  myself  to  'believe'   in  Jesus  was  the exact   instant  when  God   responded  and   hit  me   like   a   ton  of  bricks,  saturating  me  with  His   divine  presence  and  changing  my life  forever.


The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Once again,  it seemed  like  30  seconds had  gone by  after the 3rd purifying wind  had  passed as  I  still  sat  completely  silent,   total- ly   stuck  in  my  position,   relaxed  and  overwhelmed   in  my  chair.

Then,  at  the  very  top  of  my   head  it  felt  as  if   an  invisible  hand made  one  twist,  like  twisting  the  top  off  of  a  syrup  bottle.   This is   the   way   I've  always  described  it   when  giving  my   testimony because  of   what  actually  occurred  next.

Then,   I  suddenly  felt   a   warm  syrup  liquid-like  substance  slowly being  poured  into   the  very   top  of   my   head  as   it   very  slowly filtered  down  through  my   being  and   saturating  me  from  head  to toe.    Although  I  had  never  heard  the  concept  of  being  filled  with the  Spirit,  I   immediately  knew  by  God's  presence  within me  that I   was  being  filled with the Holy Spirit.     This  actual  experience is  as  clear  and  real  to  me as  if  it  happened  just  2  minutes ago. I   can  say   from  experience  that  heaven  must  be  something  like this  indescribably  overwhelming  presence  of   holinesspeace   and purity   and   life    which   is  divinely  and   continually  more   'filling'  moment  after  moment.    It   is   truly  called  the  'gift'  of   the  Holy Spirit   which   I   received   directly   from   the   Lord   Jesus  Himself.

As  I   was  being  filled  with  the  precious  divine  Spirit of  God  it seemed  to   take  about  5   full  minutes  as  I   now  bathed  in  what seemed   like  the   totality  of   God's  presence  being  poured  into  a  human  vessel.     My  senses  were   so   illuminated   that  when  the very  last   pore  in  the  bottom of  my  foot  was   'filled'  with  warm oil  of  the  Spirit    I   actually  thought  to  myself,    'I've   just  been  filled  with   the  Spirit!' .      I  actually  had   a   moment's   thought  at this  point   as  to   how   there  could   possibly   be  anything  left  for  God   to   give  me  since   God's  Spirit  Himself   had  now   filled  me  to  overflowing,  literally  with a  spiritual  river  of  life. 


Baptized in the fire of the Holy Spirit

Then,  it  seemed  as  though about  30  seconds had  passed  after  I  had  been  filled  when  I   felt   a  sudden flame of  fire  ignite   with- in  the  deepest   depths  of   the  spiritual   core  of   my   very   being. This  fire   I  had  never  experienced  or even  heard  about  although    I   knew  as  sure  as   I   was  sitting  there  that  it   was  the  fire of  God.     At  first,  it  was  a small  fire  about  the  size  of  a  baseball. However,  the  unmatched  mighty  power  of   it  was  instantly  recog- nizable  to  me  as  divine.

Immediately  the  fire   began  growing  steadily  larger  within  me  so that  over  the  next  60  seconds or  so,   it  had  completely  engulfed my  inner  being  and   was  now  also  literally  resting  on  me  in  an  all-consuming  fierce  flame of  fire.    It  was as  real  as  if  I  was  literally  catching  on  fire  although  this  fire's  prime  nature  was one  of  divine  power.    I   knew   this  because  I  could  feel   its  immeas- urable  explosiveness  and   incomprehensible  capabilites  within  me.

Without  any doubt  at  that  moment  I  knew  I  received  the  power of  God.    For  me,   the  intensity  level  of  the  experience  of  being  baptized  in  the  fire of  the  Holy Spirit   and   literally  feeling   it always  'resting'   on  me  is  a  reality  that  I   have  been  aware  of   moment  by  moment   and   every  day  of  my   life  since  my  inital  impacting   experience  in  1981.       Spiritually,   I'm  on   fire.

After all  of  this took place,  it was exactly 11:15AM  when  I  opened my  eyes.   Although  when  adding  up  the  total  time of  the  actual waves  of  glory  themselves  would  seem  to  be  maybe  10 minutes, somehow   45  minutes  had   passed.      After  just  sitting  perfectly calmly   in   my   chair  in   silence  and   in   total   awe  for  about  5 more  minutes  or  so,    I   finally stood   up  and    walked  back  into my  department,   aglow  and   a   brand   new  man  in  Christ  Jesus.


Good Friday,  April 17, 1981

Later  that  night  when  I  visited  my mother  to   tell  her my unbeliev- able  experience,  she  wept  because  of  my  being  born  again  and  filled  with  the  Spirit  on   'Good Friday'   and   at  the  very  time  of  day  which  Jesus  Himself   had   also  hung  on   the  cross.     After  asking   her   to  explain  the  meaning   of   Good Friday,   I   myself  wept  with  great  humility and  gratitude  to  my  Savior  and  Lord  for  dying  for  me  and,  in  fact,   for  the  whole  world.

For  me,  I   had   very   much   a   'road  to  Damascus'   experience with  God.    My  mother  had   given  me  the  instruction   [clearly  by the  Spirit of  God  upon her]   to  go  study  the  Gospels  and  that   I  was  to   'believe'   in  order   to  be  saved.     Although  I   knew  no- thing   more  than  to  only  'believe'   in  Jesus as  Savior  and   Lord on   April  17, 1981,   God   somehow  chose  to   whitewash  me  with forgiveness,   purify  me,  save me,   fill  me  with  His Holy Spirit   and then  seal   me   with  a   consuming  fire   which  never  dims,   but  in fact,  is  alive  within  me and  upon  me  every moment  of  every  day, ever   since.    Also,  being  water  baptized  a   few  weeks  later  add-  ed    its   own  special  experience   to   all   of   this  as  God's  Word  portrays  for  the  believer.

This  is my  own  testimony  which  is  true  to   the  detail  as   I  have written  it   here  and  is  as  fresh  to  my  memory  as  when  it   hap- pened.    I've  also  learned  through  the  years  that  each  believer  in Christ   has  a   unique  and  mighty  testimony  of   their   own.    This is  because  when  a  person  meets  the  risen  Christ  as  Savior and  Lord   and   becomes   filled  with  His  Holy Spirit,   then   that  person becomes  a   new  creation  in  Him.    That  person's  sins  along  with old  and  past  things  have  passed  away.   And  then, only in Christ Jesus,   new  things  and  a  new  life  have  come  while  being  made brand  new  as  a  person.   

In  life,   this  is  God's  greatest  desire.    That  is,  to  reach out  and come  to  each  person  with  the  fulness of  His  divine  presence and His   life   so   each  of   us  can   be  a   living   witness  of   God  and His  most  beloved  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus Christ,   Son of the Living God.



Rob Conrad,   brother in Christ
April  1981 ___
testimony 1st written-published 5/28/'08
founder:   HeIsNear.com  /  Patmos Ministries
"No one can be closer to God,  than being filled with His Holy Spirit."
  ~Rob Conrad,  founder - Heisnear.com  >>

"Being  FILLED  with  His  Holy Spirit  is  like  being  saturated  with  the   most  overwhelming  &  beautiful   FRAGRANCE  &  ALWAYS  AWARE   OF   IT,    EVERY  MOMENT."     ~Rob Conrad
BORN AGAIN on FEAST of PASSOVER 1981