Baptism

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After being given my notice by my landlady, the Lord led me to a nice house that I shared with a Christian man called Andrew.  He had mental health problems and living with him was a challenge but the Lord used him to teach me lots of proper Christian values like charity, compassion, patience & kindness.  As well as this Lord was gradually moving on me over the ministry of William Branham that Derek had shared with me.  I prayed about the books that I was reading of his, and also the ministry that I was receiving at church.  As I read the Bible and Branham's books I came more and more to see that there was no difference between them.  I saw the different scriptures concerning the messenger that was to come before the return of Jesus.  I came to believe that Brother Branham was a Prophet sent by the Lord for this purpose.  I finally realized that I had stopped going to my old church, and so I decided to become a regular at Derek's church.  I really enjoyed the ministry that I got there- I still go to this church.  The Lord also spoke to me about true Christian baptism, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I had been baptized when I was first a Christian, but felt that I hadn't understood it fully, so I was re-baptized.

During this time also the Lord was ministering to me a great deal. I still was smoking & desperately trying to kick the habit. I was constantly praying to be delivered of my last addiction and found that I was throwing away more cigarettes than I was smoking.  I must have said countless times "OK, This is my last cig", only to pick up the habit again.  But on New Years Eve 1998 I was alone at home seeing in the new year.  At 11:40pm I said to God " OK God this is my last ever cigarette!" and smoked my last Marlboro.  I prayed out the old year, prayed in the new year and went to bed. The next day, January 1st,  I awoke and found that I didn't need a morning cigarette. I didn't smoke all day and this continued day after day.  It suddenly struck me that I didn't even have the desire to smoke. Without any withdrawals symptoms, or nicotine cravings, I had actually forgotten I had ever smoked in the first place. It certainly felt like that I never had!  The Lord had completely delivered me from smoking, to the point that I actually struggled accept my deliverance because of that feeling of never having smoked.  I am so thankful to God for delivering me from that awful addiction as I know myself could of never have stopped.

I also around this time was becoming aware of something that nearly made walk away from the Lord. The day I had given my life to the Lord & accepted Jesus as my savior, someone prayed for me that I would speak in something called tongues. Within minutes of giving my life I was praying or speaking in this very strange tongue. I was told that this was to show that I was filled with the Holy Spirit and truly saved. However, I was to learn this was not so by the message of the hour. God had showed me I was not filled but justified & being sanctified. I was devastated. I felt as if I had spent about 3 years for nothing and was ready to call it a day. But something deep within me kept me from walking away. Instead of quitting I gained a hunger and urgency to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost that consumed my very being. I started to pray & fast most earnestly for the baptism. I was at the time reading through the Old Testament and was in the book of Psalms. I prayed to God that He would fill me by the time I got to the Gospel of St. Matthew. I told some people in my church this and was told by a few "you can't put conditions like that in prayer". But I didn't listen to this and continued to petition the Lord with my requests.  This went on for months.

At this time I was working nights in a depot for a courier service with another brother, Bro Andy, who had given his life to the Lord shortly after I had done. One night as I was working in my area when Andy came over and said to me "I just had a strange experience and believe I might of have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost".  I doubted this, but as I did I heard a voice within me say "just believe".  So I just believed and as I did I felt most strange and became overcome with an experience. Both Andy and I were acting like drunk men. We tried to continue with our work the best we could and after our shift had finished we found a quiet office to pray in.  We asked the Lord to confirm if we had received the Holy Spirit or not.  The following day I sat at my pastors table and shared the experience I had at work. I suddenly became like a drunk again, giggling & slurring my words.  The same evening I told Derek about what had happened.  Again I was overcome with the drunk feeling. I actually couldn't stand up and fell down like a drunk, while Derek just looked at me smiling.  At this time I had just finished reading the book Malachi.  My life began to change after this and I was finally settled in my faith. I began to receive more revelations & seemed to grow more in faith .

Moving on to more recent times I had some real problems with the flesh and got myself into some very awful situations.  I started to doubt if I was filled or not, as I believed that the Holy Ghost would have stopped me doing these terrible things. The devil wasted no time in making my life a misery.  I went into deep depression and was filled with guilt with had I had done. I was it seemed back to square one. So, again I was moved to earnestly seek the Lord to let me know if I was filled or not.

On Monday the 16th April 2001 I was talking to a sister on the internet I knew was a prayer warrior.  I asked her to pray about my situation and she said she would pray for me but also send me a email of some encouraging Bro. Branham quotes.  The following Tuesday I was on the internet looking up encouraging scriptures when I received her email. I opened it and skimmed the quotes briefly.  However, I felt led to re-read them and take in what the prophet was saying.  As I did I was overcome with emotion and started to weep.  Once I had read them, I continued reading my scriptures.  I cannot recall what scripture I was reading when I suddenly felt the Holy Spirit fall on me but I was instantly filled.  I was suddenly changed and felt completely refreshed, rejuvenated and full of joy.  I then knew without a doubt that I was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Whatever had happened in the past was in the past. I knew I was filled now and it was all that matters.  I knew from that moment in time that my future had changed. The Lord had led me to read Romans chapter 8 and As I read each verse slowly I got a full revelation on that chapter which spoke right into my life.

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