It was a warm Orlando afternoon in 1989. After driving three hours from Tarpon Springs, my mother, brother, other family and friends, and I turned left from Forest City Road into the parking lot of the Orlando Christian Center. Immediately, I felt something on my body and deep within me. It was a deep hunger and anticipation that flooded my being. I knew God was on this property, and I had to meet Him. I was withered down and weakened after six months of mononucleosis that had become Epstein-Barr disease. I was unable to attend school and do the things that a typical twelve-year-old boy did with his time. But this moment was different. I knew God had something for me. I knew He was calling me. Everything I had ever wanted seemed to live in the atmosphere I was feeling on this church property.
To my surprise, there were hundreds of people already waiting to get into the service we were attending. Doors opened at 6:00 p.m. and many had been waiting since 2:00 p.m. This was not a promoted stadium event or conference. It was just a Sunday night healing service in a church. So, we all squeezed into the line. The people were so happy and expectant. They were singing worship songs that I had never heard, but they were beautiful. This scene was a shock to my system. I had grown up in a very faithful Greek Orthodox home. My cousin was a priest. Two other cousins were archbishops. My father was on the board of the local Greek Orthodox church we attended. I was faithful in Sunday school and was an altar boy. I was in church more than most of my friends and family members. But this was a different and miraculous scene. Never had I seen hundreds of people lining up to get into church! In fact, as a boy, I couldn’t wait for church to end. These people were eagerly awaiting the moment the usher would open the doors so that they could be with Jesus…the Jesus I had heard about growing up. They seemed to yearn for His reality, and I was feeling the same.
The powerful and electric Presence continued to touch and surround us. One thing was for certain: the moment those doors opened, I knew I had to run—and run fast—to get us a seat. After waiting for what seemed like forever, the ushers opened the doors, and I sprinted down the center aisle of this strange-looking church. I bumped into many people, but I did not care. I knew God was present. I could feel Him all over me. The moment I crossed the doorway of the church, I knew I had stepped into a different world. The air was different. It was crisp and full of light. There was no fear or weariness. I could breathe easily and smiled from ear to ear. The people, young and old, were like little children. There was absolutely no other place in the world I would rather have been. It was as if I had stepped into Heaven. In a way, I had.
Finally, we found a seat close to the front on the left side of the platform. Talk about a rush! Once we were seated, the expectancy level was rising all over this church that had no icons, chandeliers, or incense. This was strange to me. What it did have, however, was what I had always been searching for…the Holy Spirit. After waiting for over another hour, one of the assistant pastors took the stage and opened the service in prayer. I’ll never forget the huge smile on his face. This man was full of joy. The waves of power that were going through me only increased as he lead us in prayer. I was completely full of peace, expectancy, and love. My mind was at ease, but I felt my spirit longing for what was about to happen that night.
Following the opening prayer, a choir of eighty people were in position in the choir loft, which was overshadowed by the baptismal tank that hung above it. Immediately, Bruce Hughes began to play a solo on the piano, and I had never heard anything like it in my life. This was not mere music; it seemed to come from Heaven and find its way into my young heart. People began to shout and lift their hands without anyone directing them to do so. Then, the choir began to sing, and I instantly jumped to my feet and lifted my hands and joined them. It felt completely right and natural to praise God this way even though I had never been around worship like this. As we started to sing the old hymns, the power I had been feeling grew stronger and stronger. I was completely immersed in the experience. I had closed my eyes and was singing directly to Jesus. In that moment, nothing else mattered to me. In fact, nothing else existed. It was as if I had a direct and personal audience with Jesus Himself. It was glorious and beyond description.
After about fifteen minutes of worship, my eyes were still closed but the room changed instantaneously. As if the atmosphere could become more heavenly, it actually did. My twelve-year-old heart interpreted the moment this way: “The Holy Spirit just walked into this room, and He came in with someone who knew Him well.” I mean, that’s the only way to walk closely with a person, right? You have to know him, and he has to know you. I opened my eyes, and as I expected, someone had entered the room. I saw a man wearing an off-white suit, hair combed sharply to the side, who spoke with a very distinct accent. As he joined us in worship, it became immediately apparent that he knew God and God knew him. The ecstatic joy that filled my being was completely supernatural. I felt like I would explode with the beauty of God’s presence. My cousin told me this pastor had grown up like I had, in the Greek Orthodox Church. I had heard that his father was Greek, like my family. I felt comfortable even though the scene was completely different than anything I had ever been around. One thing was undeniable—he knew Jesus, and I wanted to know Him too.
As the pastor, Benny Hinn, continued to lead us in worship, I noticed a lady behind me who had a red rash on her arms. Minutes later, I looked back at her, and the rash had completely disappeared. This was a full-blown miracle that I saw with my own eyes. I heard another sound that scared the daylights out of me. It was the eeriest shrieking sound I had ever heard. I asked my family, “What is that horrible noise?” One of them answered, “It’s the sound of a demon leaving someone.” Talk about pandemonium! Miracles, deliverances, glorious waves going through me…all within minutes of each other.
I will never forget Benny’s message about coming to Jesus. He spoke of Jesus like he actually knew Him, not like the historical figure that I had grown up hearing about. With piercing eyes, He looked at the crowd and said, “Jesus is real. If you want Him, get down here.” I jumped over everything in my way and ran down to the altar as though my world depended on it. All of the sudden, he said, “Young boy, get up here.” My next memory is standing before him on the platform. As amazing as this was, I knew it was supposed to happen. The thick electric Presence was even stronger on the stage than it was in the crowd. As Pastor Benny took a step toward me, I felt a wave of heat and thickness go through me. My next memory is being on the floor, unable to move. Wave after wave of power flowed through my body. I couldn’t get up for all the money in the world. I could hear everything around me, yet at the same time, I felt like I was in Heaven. I didn’t want this to end. It was absolutely the most wonderful feeling I have ever had. The person of the Holy Spirit had actually come to meet me. A young, bashful Greek kid was being touched personally by the God of the universe. It meant the world to me.
Benny then prayed for my brother and my mom. I heard his distinct Middle Eastern accent in a faded, echoic tone, even though he was only a few feet away from me. He said, “This young boy is mightily anointed. God will use him to touch the world. He has a great calling. Pick him up again.” Instantly, two huge guys in suits picked me up and set me on my feet. Again, Pastor Benny moved toward me, and a mighty wind-like heat overwhelmed my body and I hit the floor. I began to tremble and shake. Pastor Benny repeatedly said, “God is anointing this young boy.” I had no clue what his prophetic word meant. I had never been exposed to phrases like those. But I was certain that my life was changing and my destiny was being set in motion. While other kids were playing with their friends and pursuing what a typical child enjoys, this atmosphere became home and my all in all. I knew that this presence— the presence of the Holy Spirit—would become my life’s ambition.
Finally, the same large men picked me up off the floor. People were beginning to leave. I wondered to myself, “What was that? What just happened to me? It has to continue. I never want to lose this feeling.” Amazingly, my weakness and every symptom of the Epstein-Barr virus was gone! So gone that I never had to think about it again. To this day, I have never had a single symptom. What blew me away was that I knew Jesus was living in my heart. I could feel Him there. Everything changed that night in Orlando. My friend, everything can change for you as you read this book. My prayer is that within these pages, you will discover the same Person who saved, healed, and touched me—the Holy Spirit. Now, I want to share Him with you.
As I look back on my life and see all that God has done, the thousands or possibly millions who have been saved, healed, and touched by the Holy Spirit through our ministry, I hear the words of Benny that were spoken over me. They made no sense at the time. They actually seemed impossible in so many ways. I was well aware of all my weaknesses in the natural as a kid. Yes, I was a great athlete and good student. Those giftings were going to help me in the healing ministry very much. I was so shy in those days. My greatest fear was public speaking. I didn’t enjoy speaking to people I didn’t know. I didn’t like being looked at. Speaking in front of my class at school was a nightmare to me. I’m telling you, I hated the thought of being the center of attention and having to address people. My two greatest passions growing up were golf and fishing. Neither of these required people! On paper, according to natural ability, I am the least qualified to preach the Gospel. My friend, I have learned something: Jesus doesn’t care about our qualifications. As a great person once said, “He does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” What is the qualification from Heaven’s point of view? You got it. It’s plain and simple: Have you been filled and clothed with the Holy Spirit? I believe that had I “earned” the ministry with natural ability, I would be tempted to point to myself in times of success. I am well aware of the fact that the boy who shook under the power of God for hours on the Orlando Christian Center floor was completely unlikely to succeed in the ministry according to the world’s standards. What the world does not understand is that the Holy Spirit loves taking the unlikely and giving them His power instead of our own. This way, He is forever glorified. Today, as I stand on platforms and see the crowds, I know one thing for certain: it’s all Him. He has done great things. I often say, “Jesus, thanks for the privilege. You are everything.” Now more than ever, I believe the following verse: “‘It is not by might. It is not by power. It is by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (see Zech. 4:6).
So today, I stand on the shoulders of those who have paid a price. I simply yield into those prophetic words spoken over me. I am praying for God’s grace to carry on the power of the Spirit to a generation who often chooses natural gifting over a surrendered life. The world needs you to yield your life to God. Jesus is waiting to take your weaknesses and use them as trophies for His glory. When the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will become a different man or woman, just like King Saul did. That which frightened you, you will attack. Your limitation will dissolve into springboards that catapult you into your destiny. Mountains of fear will flatten before the Holy Spirit’s touch on your life. At the end of the day, know this my friend: when you get Him, you get everything. You need nothing but God because every other need is found in Him. This is your moment. This is your time.
I believe He will touch you as you read this book. Maybe He will come into your car or visit you while you work. Maybe your encounter will come while you are praying. I cannot tell you when the Holy Spirit will touch you, but I can tell you that He will answer your invitation if you truly want to meet Him. He will become your dearest friend, teacher, and comforter.