Testimonies
Testimonies of:
Salvation
I did not receive the Holy Spirit in a typical manner. I had been a member of the Greek Orthodox Church where I was a very active member. The church was very ritualistic, and personal relationship with Jesus was not nurtured. The formality of church service was a priority. Bible reading was not encouraged unless it came from the Gospel at a designated time each Sunday. In some ways I always felt like I was an outsider. I did have a personal relationship with the Lord. I had been praying and having fellowship with him since I was about 4 years old. He was my confidant and best friend, truly the thing that I could count on for comfort.
I grew up in a loving home with wonderful parents. While I was married, most people thought that I had a happy marriage. We went to church together ran a successful, profitable business. What they didn't know was that I had been verbally and emotionally abused for nearly 15 years. I was going through a very bitter divorce and there was no hope for saving my marriage. I was at the end of my rope and very close to a nervous breakdown. I was still faithful to God, but I felt powerless. My life was spinning out of control. One particular night, August 6, 2005, I fell apart. I poured out my heart and soul to God. I begged him to help me and deliver me from the situation that I was in. Suddenly I heard myself speaking a garbled language I didn't understand. I questioned my sanity at that point. I listened to myself to see if perhaps I was speaking Greek. I even thought I was in a dream. I was fairly shaken up from the experience, but there was a pressing in my heart to pursue what had happened. Up until that point, my only experience with "tongue talking" was associated with cults. While I was cautious and somewhat fearful, the peace that the Lord was giving me encouraged me to find the answer that I was looking for. The Truth. I dusted off my bible and discovered the Book of Acts. Acts 2:1-4 confirmed what had happened to me. I had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Lord then starting putting other Christians in my life and I soon started attending a different church where I truly felt born again. I was subsequently water baptized.
My experience is different than most. I have found that most people are water baptized then receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Well, I guess I'm not most people. He did it in His timing, not mine. God made each of us unique, made in His image, not cookie cutter images. God saw me in my time of need and encouraged me in such a way that I will never be the same woman again. I am so grateful for the most precious gift I have ever received. I was armed with renewed strength and supernatural power. God's strength and power within me.