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Acts of
the Holy Spirit
by Major Malcom
Herring
A Testimony of God’s Goodness and Grace
I’m the middle son of three boys (all of whom are Salvation
Army Officers/ pastors) born in Te Aroha New Zealand to
wonderful godly parents who brought us up in the ways of God.
At the age of 10, I asked Jesus into my life at a Sunday
School meeting led by my father, Alf Herring, a powerful
experience that I still remember as if it were
yesterday. I have never doubted that very real experience of
Jesus becoming my Saviour and friend.
I was called by God to be a Salvation Army officer when I was
18. This was another personal and dramatic event in my life
but when I considered telling my father I thought, ‘Are you
mad? Why would God call you?’
It seemed ridiculous that God would call me to be a minister
of the Gospel. ‘God wouldn’t call you,’ I reasoned. I was
nothing special. So I didn’t tell my dad. In fact, I didn’t
tell anyone for another
10 years.
I had an insatiable desire to know the God of the Bible better
and to have a vibrant and truly alive, daily experience of a
relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. I wanted to know
how I could be baptised in the Holy Spirit—to be filled to
overflowing with the Spirit of God. It seemed to me that the
Holy Spirit wasn’t talked about much in those days, something
the charismatic revival coming to New Zealand changed
substantially.
Busy, Busy, Busy
I left the Taranaki aged 20 and moved to Wellington. I was
still hungering after God and started attending The Salvation
Army in Petone because that was where my relatives attended.
Like so many others I was heavily involved in the church and
enjoyed activities such as leading the youth group, being a
member of the band, singing in the songsters (choir), being a
youth pastor (YPSM), scout leader, small group leader, and so
on. Busy, busy, busy.
In addition, I attended night school and successfully
completed one year of a business degree. On Saturdays, after
playing rugby in the morning, I learned to fly small aircraft
at the Wellington Aero Club.
Happily I got married during those hectic years. A marriage
that has been enjoyed now (2005), for over 37 years.
Let me fast forward six years. I was a fine, but frustrated
follower of Jesus. I was frustrated because although I had so
many reasons to be very happy, (happily married, three healthy
children, our own home, a small but successful business, debt
free, wonderful Christian friends, heavily involved at
church), I was unhappy that my relationship with God was not
what I believed it could be.
Some well-meaning people told me to relax and be grateful for
all the blessings we were privileged to enjoy. But I could not
rest.
The Half Hour of Power
Colonel Lyall Radar (a retired American Salvation Army
officer, then 72 years old) was speaking in Wellington at the
old Salvation Army Officer Training College. I went to the
fifth (and last) meeting of the day. The Colonel was an
amazingly dynamic revivalist preacher. I was impressed and
immediately recognised he had what I lacked—a dynamic
relationship with God. He had a power and authority that came
not from his status or rank—or from himself—it seemed to me it
came directly from God. I just knew he had the experience of
the Holy Spirit I so longed for.
He gave an altar call inviting people to come forward and sign
a pledge called ‘The Half Hour of Power’ which said:
Seeing that my Lord has commanded me to abide in him and has
warned me that without him I ‘can do nothing’, I would be
obedient, so that I may ‘bring forth much fruit’ (John
15:3-11). I, therefore covenant with him to devote at least 30
minutes daily (even at the cost of food or sleep) to prayer
and to the Word of His power.
I had been searching to be powerful, to be happy, to be
fulfilled in the Lord, but despite all that, I did not read my
Bible regularly—and when I did it was such a chore and a
ritual. My personal prayer life was so weak it scarcely
existed. All this despite the fact that I was hungry for God
and so involved in the church.
Unwilling to sign a pledge I knew I could not keep, I stayed
in my seat. However, when most people had left the auditorium
and curiosity had got the better of me, I took one of these
pledges home - just to look at!
Ironically I went home with this unsigned pledge, wishing I
could be like the revivalist preacher I had heard. That was
towards the end of 1976.
Crash Landing on my Knees
Finally, in despair, I desperately sought to speak with God. I
had been seeking the experience of the baptism of the Holy
Spirit for so long, but to no avail. By now however I knew
that I had been seeking this blessing for ulterior motives.
I wanted to be happy, fulfilled and powerful. I was like Simon
in the Bible who sought to buy the Holy Spirit from Peter and
John (Acts 8).
By now I was ready to die to all that and just be close to
God. I simply wanted to be pleasing to God. No deals, no
bargains. I was ready to die to myself. Whatever God wanted, I
was willing to obey and so in January 1977 I crash landed on
my knees in our bedroom.
When I prayed, asking God what was wrong with me that I could
not progress in my Christian life, he spoke dramatically to me
again—in what seemed to be an audible voice. God called me by
name and said, ‘Malcolm, you want all there is of me, but you
are not prepared to give me half an hour a day!’
At first stunned, and then utterly convicted I went over to my
desk where I had put the Revivalist pledge and then got back
down on my knees. With reverential fear and feeling utterly
weak to carry out this promise I asked the Lord to help me,
telling him that I would do my best. I carefully signed and
dated the card—19 January 1977. It remains in my Bible to this
day.
Then, as I understand it now, the Holy Spirit prompted me to
humbly ask God to fill me with Himself. Somewhat hesitantly, I
did just that.
And there, in that room, all Heaven was poured into my soul. I
describe it as a baptism of pure love. I have never been the
same since that day. After that, my Bible became my constant
companion. What was once a dry and dusty book became for me
the bread of life; the power of God unto salvation; the voice
of God; my manual for life.
I fell so in love with God that what I could not imagine doing
previously—reading my Bible for 30 minutes—I now had to force
myself to stop reading in order to attend to daily things like
family and work responsibilities! I can remember times with
God in his Word when three hours would speed by in a flash. I
could not get enough of God and Jesus! I lived on that
experience for many, many years, leading many to Christ and
into discipleship. God restored to me the years the locusts
had eaten (see Joel 2:25).
I have still not got over that experience and I seek more and
more to experience this blessing again and again in my life.
Within days of receiving this full experience of the Holy
Spirit, God reminded me again of his call requiring me to be a
Salvation Army officer.
I, like Paul the Apostle, say ‘I don't mean to say I am
perfect. I haven't learned all I should even yet, but I keep
working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ
saved me for and wants me to be. (Philippians 3:12 (Living)
What I do have is a full and wonderful joy and peace that only
God can give, along with such a wonderful assurance of God's
love, grace, mercy and power – and a love for souls!
Baptised with the Holy Spirit
When Jesus was physically present with the disciples, they
followed him externally. It was not with their heart they
followed, but with their head. They had not received what John
the Baptist had spoken of (in Luke 3:16), when he said: ‘I
baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will
come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Just before the resurrected Jesus ascended into Heaven, he
said to his followers (in Acts 1:4-5), ‘Do not leave
Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you
have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but
in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
In Acts 1:8 we also read Jesus’ words: ‘But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.’
It is not too hard to experience being born again; ‘For
salvation that comes from trusting Christ--which is what we
preach--is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact,
it is as near as our own hearts and mouths’ Romans 10:8
(Living). To know that if your life ended today you would
surely spend eternity with God. Look up John 3:16; John 3:17;
Romans 3:20-31; Romans 6:23; and Romans 10:9-10. Review those
verses and consider the question, ‘Am I truly born again’? If
not, then let nothing hold you back. Make that choice with
your mind and then follow it with your whole heart!
But what of those who know they are saved and yet feel
something is still missing in your Christian experience? Have
you been baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire? Is there
evidence of this in your life? Are you wondering why your
Christian life is not productive? Is there a lack of joy in
your Christian journey? Is the Bible a closed book to you? Are
you leading others to Christ? Are you inviting people to
church? Don’t delay. Ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit
today.
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