Back in the mid 1990s I had often prayed to receive the Holy Spirit, having believed Jesus is the Christ and I wanted to know with certainty that I had received the Holy Spirit when on one ocassion while praying, suddenly: "Build the Temple". I believe it was the Holy Spirit, with a vision of a building site bucket tipped out. I asked God for a confirming sign and the confirming sign was the repetition of it three times by three separate prophecies in church that weekend, "Build the temple". I realised I had to preach but I knew nothing with certainty to preach and realised I could only preach knowing what I was preaching about so I prayed that God would be known to me - Father and Son of God and Holy Spirit. Then in a vivid dream I knew was reality and no normal dream came a vision of God majestically standing before me dressed in a robe to His feet : "I am God. This will be put before you. Look at it." He said and then I was shown that a sheet of names would be put before me at work and the sign was that it happened (a very unusual sort of thing to happen in my work at that time) and by my obeying by looking it saved a few people from a fairly minor tragedy.
A little later while I walked in a terrific downpour of rain during floods having been considering the scripture saying that God presided over such floods: "Put down your umbrella!" was the words so plainly coming to me and when I did so not a drop fell on me because the rain stopped so quickly - I knew it must be Jesus but asked for confirmation in a sign I specified which happened by His power as Lord over me that very night.
Then I started wanted certainty of what it is to be in church and hear speaking in tongues by the Holy Spirit manifested and I mentioned this to church friends so someone took me to a church where they said I would get just that and there I heard real 'speaking in tongues' but translated words came into my mind in English as I heard the angelic words spoken in tongues by a church leader - "See the trees put out buds. They do this by the authority of the Lord Jesus" (and some more words I quickly lost from memory). Again, a vision came into my mind of the tree buds along woth the interpretation. The sign was confirmed when the leader then said these same words in English after I heard them interpreted in my mind.
So to me it meant I must prophesy to build up believers. But it didn't work out too well. I was barred from the church where all were allowed to speak by what seemed to me a jealous leader zealous to guard against preachers on his turf. I found another church after years where they let people speak. As a newcomer there my girlfriend warned me not to speak until I had been attending a while. When there was something I just felt had to be said one day I asked God before the service to make others say it so I would not upset by being a newcomer telling what to do. Three prophesied just that very thing. Some time later after going elsewhere a bit but being made to leave yet after major experiences of God I went to this church again and this time was determined to speak. Yet as I meditated waiting for God to give me words it was like a spring of spirit welling up within me as words again came into my mind out of the blue "Israel has sinned!" Then a vision of a bird like an eagle black with a white large eye flying ovehead came with a welling up message to me that this would be the sign this was God speaking. It seems God was speaking like He did in 'Old Testament' scripture to show me He was The LORD who spoke to those prophets giving me these words. The TV news showed the sign that morning before church - first a black spy plane being sent on missions then the first of a new helicopter in police service with a white searchlight and camera at the front ( this was the mid nineties when this was very new). I told one person at church what happened and I heard him saying to others "... just like Old Testament prophecies ..." so the message was being heard. All this happened around 1995.
Years after I still yearned to hear the Holy Spirit actually speak to me and one day years later after many things had been making me think angels might be looking out for me by what had been happening if ever I was opposed or threatened and I thought of a verse in a Psalm about the angel of God encamping around those who feared Him to protect them but I had no idea which Psalm it was; suddenly a voice clear as a bell within my mind said: "Daniel three". Realising it must be a Bible reference I went to a Bible I had open and looked it up. There in the margin of that chapter was a cross reference to a verse in Psalms. I had a hunch what might happen and yes, when I looked it up it was that verse about the angel of God encamping around those that feared Him to protect them.
