To Be known by God Part 5: A personal testimony

Beloved reader,

Welcome to part five of this series, "To be known by God." I am breaking this teaching up into parts so you can take more time to let them soak in you. This series is about how to truly know God as a person and for Him to manifest himself to you. It is about you making a "place for the Lord to come and dwell" in reality. Our prayer is for God to take us out of the shallow into the deeper understanding of God and His ways.

You are going to have to make some choices if you truly want to go on to know the Lord in fullness. You may have to find teachers who know the "ways of God," that can point you to Him as found in Song of Solomon chapter 1: "The Beloved Bridegroom said, If you do not know, O fairest among women, Follow in the footsteps of the flock, And feed your little goats Beside the shepherds’ tents."

These shepherds tents were outside the camp "outside the normal church understanding" with all it's activities. It is here our heavenly bridegroom lead us out, so he can lead us up to find Him as a Person. So let us continue this teaching now. This doesn't mean "outside the camp" can't be a local church because it can.

There very well be a local church that spends their times on their faces cultivating their lives in the presence of the Lord and in the power of the Holy Spirit doing only what He tells them to do. Unfortunately, their are not to many churches (to my knowledge) like that today here in the USA. So God has raised other men, women of God and ministries to help bring forth His intentions for the those hungry to be fed the meat of God's word in power, "outside the camp."

In part four of "To be known by God," I shared my suffering and trials with you. All through out this trial, God brought me deeper and deeper into His person. I had no choice but to find him. I was dying on the inside, lost and with a broken heart. In this time, I learned to sing new songs, write new music that came from His manifest presence being with me, helping me, and making His love real to me. I was truly beginning to come to know Him as a person, all the while I was being killed by the brethren.

Many of my leaders were saying to me, “Henry you take on to much for yourself.” You are not even a Pastor. You are in the wrong calling. You should be an evangelist. Everyday they persecuted me so that I would resign, give up or turn the church over to them, but God kept me. I don't blame any of them at all. They probably believed they were hearing correctly from God.  I was hardly perfect, but my heart was ever toward the Lord to know him.  He had given me His word, "But I'm still here!" In a very small way I could identify with Moses.

These precious saints, as misguided as they ended up being, were used as the perfect instruments in God's hand to cause me to go deeper to find the Lord I had always truly loved but didn't really know as the Person I know him as today. He is the one who is the lover of my soul.

As much as some of these precious saints tried to get me out of the place as a Pastor or take the people out of the church with them to start their own ministries, I had no choice but to find God. I hurt to badly not to. Every day I had to pray, Father don't let my heart become hardened. I could feel it try to happen. I didn't discuss this anyone but my wife once in a while. This issue was between me and my God.

Beloved I learned that I had to find Him. I was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. I flowed in the prophetic and ministered in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but that was not Him. It was His moving, but not His person. I became desperate for God Himself to see Him, feel Him, know Him and walk with Him. I kind of had an Enoch moment where I was determined to know Him. I didn't produce this in me.

Truthfully, if everything in the church kept being successful as it was I wouldn't have pursued Him like this. I was to happy the church was growing in numbers and in doing the work of God. I have to tell you at home I was living a life of worship and adoration of God because I would die if I didn't find Him and if He didn't manifest Himself to me. I could share with you personal encounters with the Lord, but I won't because they are personal, but He came and taught me of His person. He healed my heart and kept me going upward towards him.

When I went to church, I gave the microphone to one of the leaders and let them preach for 2 hours. I didn't even play the keyboard in church. I did nothing but let them who wanted to lead so badly do so, while I sat in the back of the church. My wife stopped going she couldn't stand being there and truthfully neither did I. Finally, God assured me I didn’t pick myself or put myself in that position, God did. God has placed me there in spite of what the enemy did to try to destroy me through the people around me.

Beloved, I didn't even finish the words out of my mouth, when a light filled my room in the dark hallway outside of my apartment where my office was, and He literally hugged me on my keyboard as I played. It was the biggest hug I ever felt in my life. He soaked me with His presence so much I was dripping of sweat and it was 40 degrees in the hallway.

This personal God, the one that wants us to truly know Him came and hugged me. The God of the universe who upholds all things in His hands came to me to let me know He loved me! The IAM that IAM came to my hallway in Meriden, CT and hugged me until my heart was mended and whole. He filled me with fire as I worshiped Him there when I couldn't even play anymore. He spoke to me like a lover, a best friend, a faithful Father and reassured me of His love and He indeed did call me.

In the days after this I could smell his perfume sometimes fill the room where my desk and keyboard were. Other times I could hear heaven open and songs being song over me by the Lord and His angels. I would join in with what I heard and sing the songs that were birthed in this time that he sang over me. I have sung those songs in nations now. He is real. He is real! He is God Almighty, a person to be known!  He can be known as a person. It is His greatest desire for us that, "we might know Him, the One True God and Jesus Christ whom he sent. John 15:1 Praise GOD! There were times of open visions where I could see and experience the Lord in very personal and unique ways.

The Lord's intentions was for me to become secure in the true knowledge and love of who He is. The devil tried to destroy me, my family and calling, but God had other ideas. He was using this awful situation it to draw me. Beloved, I learned to run after Him and that He could bring me into His chambers to be with Him.  He will do this for you if you allow Him to come and manifest Himself to you in your trials as well. You can either run, complain or hide in the fire that comes your way, or you can truly find the person of God with you in the fire!

God really began to allow me to know Him experientially, and put a deep desire in me to find those saints of old that truly knew Him in a deeper way so I could learn of His ways through their lives. I needed instruction now from these ministers who were "outside the camp." In one of those intimate times with Him in my sorrows, The Lord said to me, "I don't want you to read the modern preachers, I want you to learn from the men of old."

I didn't have a clue of who the Lord was suggesting I read. I decided to go the Christian Bookstore and look around to see if the Holy Spirit would quicken any books to me. He did! He led to a book by  by A.W. Tozer called, The Pursuit of God. I bought it and read the whole thing in 2 hours. I burned  and cried like a baby when I read it. I reread it 8 times in the next few days. Then I ordered every book he had because this was the relationship with God that I desired. Then I found a Man of God Watchman Nee, a man that truly knew God and his ways.  I read His book called, The Overcoming Life and it burned in me.

I found another Catholic Monk named Brother Lawrence who had a deep abiding relationship with the Lord and wrote a book called, Practicing the presence of God. God has men and woman of substance no matter what their denomination no matter where they are.  This book also revolutionized my life. I also read, Knowing God written by J.L Pacer that help me understand the heart of God. I read Madam Guyonne's a former Sister in the catholic faith called "The autobiorgraphy of Madam Guyonne." This book was written about personal intimacy with God. I couldn't get enough of all these writers.

I discovered "Hines feet in High places, by Hannah Hannard. This beautifully written book is a handbook of knowing the dealings of God.  In this allegorical style of writing, I found how He leads you through the unexplainable things that happen in your life and how they can lead you to truly knowing Him. I read this book several times and still do.  In this book, I found the personality of God in His person and His desires towards us.

It helped me go deeper to pursue Him and know His ways. In one chapter alone it took me a week to finish it. Why? It was my life's personal story at that time and so very real to me. So real that God manifested Himself to me in very special times in this chapter to heal my broken heart and wounded spirit and that continued through out the whole book.

Then I found a beloved writer named Andrew Murray.  He was a true prophetic teacher like the Apostle Paul, and I read almost every one of the books starting with, "The Holiest of All."  This book on the teaching of the Book of Hebrews was one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It opened up to me the understanding of the God that dwells behind the veil, and the Glory of God He wants us to behold! I read this book I believe at least 5 times it's 500 pages or so.

When God brought me to Pinecrest Bible Training Center, I read every book Rev. Wade Taylor wrote and bought at least 25 teaching tapes to glean from. I read the Secret of the Stairs, Waterspouts of Glory, and Unlocking the Mysteries of the Kingdom that Brother Taylor wrote. The secret of the stairs, I read 12 times or more.

Through this book the heart of the Bride was developed in me for my heavenly bridegroom. This book help explain what God was doing in my life when things made no sense. It showed me how my life was so different from "church life." Remember no one around me even knew of the things of how God was revealing Himself to me.

When I even tried to share these things ministers would tell me, "you are becoming so spiritually minded you are no earthly good." I didn't know what to think until God led me to these men of old and to Brother Taylor. The sad part that I discovered in the "church as usual" of today is that we have become so "earthly minded" we are no "spiritually good."

Do you see what God did for me, Beloved of the Lord? He led me to men and woman who had "spiritual substance." They not only had "revelations from God's word," their lives were a reflection of the Glory of God's word in them. I had no teachers at that time, and no one to go and ask for help until I met Rev. Wade Taylor much later near the end of that trial in my life. Yet God was leading me to Himself, His person and more, to know His personality. He was teaching me His ways!

My Personal Lord and King Jesus was real to me as the fingers on my hand. He was leading me by His own eye. He was ordering my steps to truly know Him as a Person. He moved all hell out of my way. All the circumstances became nothing in the light of Him, because I wanted Him and realized He wanted to be with me more than I did with Him.

The Lord didn't leave me out there to long by myself. As I mentioned earlier I was introduced to a place called Pinecrest Bible Training School in Salisbury Center NY.  It is a Bible school kind of in the middle of no where, no offense intended. It was secluded and hid away from the hustle and bustle of life.

I was invited there by one of the people persecuting me, but I went anyway. I stepped on these grounds and the manifest presence of God was there. How did I know? I had become acquainted with Him and His presence in my sufferings. I attended a conference there and it was everything I imagined should be in a church gathering.

As I was walking in the halls of the school, a man in a pretty ordinary suit, and older gentlemen came up to me and asked how I was doing and if I needed any blankets or anything more. He was very concerned about my well being. I thanked him for his concern and then asked some students who was this man? I never met anyone with such a shine or glow on them and love seeming to soak out of him. They said, "that is Rev. Wade Taylor the President of the Bible School." I said, "what, you are not serious."

Now I am not out to offend any one's walk with the Lord, but except at the church I went to Bible School at in Southington, Ct, I had never seen anyone walk in the love of God like this! But this was even deeper because this man glowed with the Glory of God on him. I am not lifting up a man in any way. He is just a man like you and me, but He had something "deeper" in God than I had ever experienced.

I knew I had to meet this man, but said to the Lord, "who am I Lord to meet this man." He probably is so busy, and he won't have time to meet with me personally. I prayed a very "babyish" but sincere prayer to the Lord, "Lord, if you want me to meet him could you please have him walk down the hall?"

Remember Beloved reader, this is about my journey on knowing the Person of God.  God had already started to make himself real to me. He said, "Henry, I am still here." Beloved reader, before I finished that prayer, here comes Brother Taylor. I was afraid to ask him but figured since God answered my prayer I said, "Brother Taylor, My name is HenryFalcone, I am a Pastor in Connecticut, and I felt by the Lord to ask you if I could please have a time to meet with you?" He kindly replied, "Why don't you come to 6 am prayer and then I will meet with you after that."

Wow! I couldn't even sleep that night because I was so excited to meet him and go to prayer. I went to prayer there and for the first time I learned what Isaiah 40 meant to wait upon the Lord. This prayer meeting wasn't like the one's I held or attended. They came and sat still and waited. I wondered why no one was praying, but all of a sudden I could feel the Lord was there. He was in our midst as the person who I met in my hallway office. When he came, they began to worship Him so reverently thanking Him for being there.

The Lord was in this place. It wasn't the goose bump kind when I was in church. This was like a thick blanket of His presence surrounding all of us. People prayed in tongues and it was like the Lord Himself was directing the prayer meeting. He was guiding each person on what to pray. He began to speak to my heart to pray for a certain thing. I can't remember now it was 20 years ago, but a different kind of prayer came out of me. It wasn't me praying but the Holy Spirit praying through me His will and mind. I didn't want to leave.

The time was over and I went into Brother Taylor's office. I wanted him to tell me if I was called or not. Whether I should resign or not. If I was off as my co leaders told me I was, and if I was bad as they said I was. I needed a witness to what I heard God tell me that He called me and put me in the place I was.

I began to share a few words when God's presence came in that room and Brother Taylor spoke these words to me, "God has chosen you to truly know Him as He is, The presence of the Lord is your portion and that presence and that presence alone will be your badge of authority. God is going to truly reveal His presence to you, be patient with the Lord in establishing you. He loves you with an unending love."

Beloved, I lost it in tears. Right there in that office God took the dagger the enemy tried to kill me with out of my heart. I knew he truly loved me and He called me into the ministry not men. I later spoke to Brother Taylor and told him my story. He spoke to me about what a spiritual Father was and he never desired to be one, but God had him to be one because many minister's didn't have a place to go and a covering. I said, "that is me!" I said, can I come here and be part of this ministry. This is what I have been longing for." He said yes, right away.

About a few months earlier, God told me that He was going to give me a true spiritual Father that really knew who God was? Most of the people I read had already passed on to be with the Lord. He said, "Henry, you will know this spiritual father because my love would radiate from Him and He will love you like I do." As I was walking out of Brother Taylor's office, God reminded me of those words and said to me, "this is the Father I promised you."  He is my spiritual Father today along with Pastor Jay Francis of International Accelerated Missions. These are two men who truly know the Person of God!

I have stayed connected with him and Pastor Jay for over 23 years and have read Brother Taylors books, blogs, articles and listened to many teachings because I was hungry to know the person of God. Now in my older years in my 50's people are seeking me to be a spiritual Father to them. I don't compare myself with Brother Taylor or any of the men and women of God that I studied, not even close.

I don't feel ready or have the ability to do, but like Brother Taylor before me, I will become a Spiritual Father by the grace of God for those ministers looking to truly find God for himself. Also to help unite ministers together for His end time work yet to come.

What will knowing God's manifest presence and person do in your life? It will prepares you for eternity to rule and reign with Him. There is so much more to explain, but in the next few teachings I will try with God's grace to explain it.

Out of one of the worst experiences of my life, there was Jesus as a Person to be known. There was our God the Father and the Holy Spirit ready to manifest themselves to me in my hour of need and say, "Henry I am still here." Like the Lord told Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you all the days of your life, fear not."

Joshua knew the person of God as Moses did and was able to lead God's people to possess the promised land. The bible gives an account of Joshua lingering in God's manifest presence after Moses left the Tent of Meeting. This man wanted God. God gave him the "spiritual substance" to go in and take the Land. If God has touched you so far with this teaching, and there is a hunger in you to truly know the Lord as a person and His manifest presence, let us pray together.

Heavenly Father, you have brought those truly hungry to know you to this teaching and our website. They have read this far because they have a desire for you to manifest yourself to them as a Person who is real and who they can fall in love with and know like a husband knows his wife. Lord, I pray that you would come and manifest yourself in your presence right now where they are, or when they sleep or wake up in the morning. Lord soak them with your love and may they now how real you are, in Jesus name. Amen!