A fellow student whom i knew was a christian walked into the studio carrying his bible in his hand, already opend at a page. He looked at me with a stern look in his eyes & firmly said these following words...." I believe you are looking for God?"
Well, right then my heart nearly dropped to the floor as did my mouth half open with a look of unbelief and amazment confused into one. Having recoverd from my shock, he then proceded to read from the open part of his bible. Once again he spoke firmly as he began to read the following scripture to me.
" Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call "
I tried to hide my conviction and joy in my heart, but i suspect he recognised that the truth of God's word spoke profoundly into my heart because of my bewilderd look on my face. I could not believe that only moments earlier in the day, i was cussing God with 4 letter words & accusing him of not revealing himself to me!
So ok, it wasn't the grand appearance i was expecting from God, but somehow i knew what this christian man Thomas just spoke, was as if it was God himself speaking! He(Thomas) even had the nerve to say that i dont even have to come to his church! Which without him knowing, i had prayed many times to the then unknowen God that i dont trust churches and i dont want to be invited to go along and be just another number in there books!
2 weeks later i found myself attending this 40 - 50 strong pentecostal church in a local school hall hired out for sunday evenings. Leanne and i walked in sheepishly as we both witnessed the Joy and real sence of Love in the room. It was as if we walked into another time zone. Everyone was genuily nice with the biggest smiles i had ever seen. By the end of the sermon, which again seemed like it was God himself preaching at the front through a not so tall, solid build, suit wearing preacher.
He asked if anybody would like to be Born Again & before i even reaised what i was doing, my hand lifted up in acknowledgment to the request. Leanne was trying to persuade me not to, but i said to her i have to know this God they all know. I knew these people knew God and i wanted in....
That night i was Baptised with water in a strangers bath tub by full immersion as the Ps led me through the sinners prayer of confession. He then told me that he would lay his hands upon my head so that i to could recieve the promise of the Holy Spirit just as was read to me 2 weeks earlier by Thomas. Immediately i was baptised with the Holy Spirit & my mouth began to speak these funny words coming from within me, so i let them keep coming out like a gushing stream of water. This was my first experience of Speaking in tongues just as i heard everyone else doing in that same room as well as the diciples in the Upper room did when they were Baptised with the Holy Spirit.
I had the Biggest smile on my face and felt so light and clean! You could not wipe the smile of my face even if you tried. I was touched by God and suddenly i became aware of his presence and love! Leanne freaked out and refused for weeks to get Born again, but i just kept encouraging her as she watched how my whole behaviour and even way of speaking changed. Finaly one night she let me pray for her, and as i had one eye open i asked God to give her what he gave me and then " Bam!" she too was baptized in the Holy Spirit and begun to speak in tongues just as i did in the Bath Tub.
We were both crying tears of Joy and praising God loudly in this new language together. Not long after, i found out that Jesus died for our sicknesses as well as Sins..so that night i sat down with Leanne and i told her i want to see if Jesus would Heal her of Hept C, which still thiws day is incureable. She reluctantly said yes! so i put my hand on her head and asked Jesus to heal Leanne from her sickness. Nothing fancy, no scriptures, but just simple Faith.
We went to the doctors to have blood tests taken and sent away. A week later they returned with a negative result in her blood for Hep C. Could this be really happining and true? so we had more tests done incase they mixed up the blood or got the wrong reprts confused? Again they returned negative. Leanne was now completely set free from all her sins and sicknesses that the devil tried to keep on her.
As you can imagine, this was a powerful introduction to God's faithfulness to me and his desire to want to know me more. I continued on serving the Lord faithfuly, testifying and witnessing the accounts of my testimony which nobody could deny or call me a liar. I parayed for anything and everything that i could get my hands on, as God confimed with signs and wonders following!
All Glory unto God and Jesus Christ 4 ever and ever,
Amen!
