Spiritually influential people in your life?

[Michael The Disciple]

When I was not yet one year old in the Lord I met a young (then) Pentecostal Preacher. Altho I had received the Holy Ghost and was having manifestations thereof I was attending a Freewill Baptist Church. I had zero Pentecostal friends and the same knowledge of their doctrine.

He was about 28 I was about 21. We first met in a Baptist Church one night. He laid hands and prayed over me. I felt the great anointing of the Holy Ghost! He asked me to pray about "Fishnet". Not knowing what he meant or if I would even see him again I said sure.

We then happened to meet a few weeks later at a Wesleyan Church as we both were kind of following a certain singing group around. He asked if I prayed about Fishnet I said yes. He asked what did the Lord show you? I replied that he said he would make his disciples fishers of men.

He told me he was looking for someone to help him start a street ministry. Now it so happened I had been praying how I could more effectively share my faith. I told him I would help him. Immediately we became close friends. He had a dynamic testimony of being delivered from drugs and prison and had come to Dayton Ohio to attend Bible College.

Right away we met some other people who wanted to be a part and "Bob" launched "Operation Fishnet Reaching Out For Christ". He led us out to witness at the malls and airport. We passed out tracts on the streets of Dayton till sometimes 2am preaching Christ to hookers, pimps, drunks and whoever! We went to bowling alleys, high school sports events and Pizza Hut.

I can remember crowds of students gathering around as he preached the message of Christ! Then when we were finished on the street we would go back to his house and pray for those we had witnessed to and have fellowship. At times we baptized converts and prayed for others to receive the Holy Ghost. It was during this time I learned about fervent Pentecostal prayer.

Now Bob was a Pentecostal but he was more interested in getting souls delivered and to Christ than he was about preaching in Church in those days. I started attending Church with him at a Pentecostal Church Of God. They offered us little encouragement but the anointing was so great we didn't need it from them because the Lord was very close in leading us.

Bob was the first one to point out the error of pre trib rapture to me as we fellowshipped one night he shared how he had received the teaching that we would go through the tribulation. He convinced me mightily with the word that very night.

One night witnessing he had met a backslid Rabbi who had challenged Trinitarianism in favor of one God. I remember he shared with me what the man had said and it got me thinking about Oneness doctrine. Another time he pointed us to baptism in Jesus name altho it was still a while before either of us did it.

One thing that always stayed with me was how we all fellowshipped the things of Christ together. Altho this happened in 1975-77 I am still friends with a number of people from that group. Funny we all remember it as the best days of our lives.

Altho we fell out with each other a few times over the years I always looked to him as my Pastor. The Lord used him to set a fire in me both for street ministry and New Testament Fellowship. He died in 2005 I believe it was. He was a great friend and my mentor.