My father took me to the Pentecostal church for the very first time when I was still seven years old. I never knew what going to church meant. I almost spent all of my childhood years there. There I learned who God is and learned how to worship Him.
My eldest sister brought me to a new church one Sunday. It was the church in which my sister’s boyfriend was a member. When they got married, my sister and I became members of that church. But I never felt that I belonged there. I had no friends.
At that time I was a loner. I started to do things with my own two feet. I had some sort of an identity crisis. I hated going to church with my sisters. I hated everything that I do with any member of my family. In short, I hated my family.
I would be very happy if I was left alone at home. I always thought about myself and myself alone. I never cared about any person around me. I always imprison myself in my room.
Nobody realized that I was so sad. But I know to myself, I am. No friends, no acquaintances, only the classmates that I see in school. And there, I never had a true friend at all. Everybody in school thought that I was a happy person because they always see me laughing and smiling. They did not know that when I reach home, when I am in my room alone, I take off my mask and face the real sad life that I was living.
It was until two tiring years in high school when I had finally found my best friend. My Buddy and I were classmates in our third year. We were really close (we still are) but still I felt that there was something missing.
One Sunday morning, our Sunday school teacher taught about salvation. That was the very first time that I felt guilty. I was guilty because I knew God called me several times but I refused to listen to His voice not realizing how lucky I was to be chosen by Him. That day, I finally accepted Him as my Lord and Savior wholeheartedly. I told myself that I will surrender myself to Him and that I will do everything in order to please Him.
Two months later, I was baptized with water and another tow months passed, I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. It was one of my most beautiful experiences. I could still vividly remember what happened that day.
Brother Philip Stanley and his wife visited our church. After the service, the pastor’s wife announced that there would be a fellowship for the women at two o’clock in the afternoon. I attended.
Before she gave the sermon, Mrs. Stanley (I could no longer remember her name), asked us if we were already filled with the Holy Spirit. I was the only one who was not. And then she told me, “Before you leave today you will be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I was really excited. The night before that day I asked God to pour upon me His Holy Spirit. I was really amazed with how He works.
After her sermon, she asked me if I was willing to receive the Holy Spirit. I said, “Yes!” Then, all the women started to speak in tongues and they all prayed for me. At first, I had a hard time feeling the Holy Spirit. Then she told me, “Do not praise God in English nor in Cebuano. Just open your mouth and praise Him because He cannot put the gift of tongues in your tongue if you are speaking any language. I did just what she said. After a while, I started to shout, cry and speak in tongues. When I was already calm, she told me, “I am really blessed with what God had done to you today.”
That was the start of my new life in Christ. I felt happy and contented from then on. My best friend said that I had changed drastically. I was no longer selfish, insensitive and proud. She said that she could see how happy I was and I even made her and the rest of our “barkada” happy, too.
But of course it did not end at that. There were still times that I was stubborn. There were times when I did not listen to Him. There were times when I did wrong things even if I knew that they were wrong. I almost forgot Him completely.
The Catholics were celebrating the Lenten season and we were having our annual convention in church. It was Saturday evening. Brother Bobby Martz preached about sin. I was deeply convicted. The whole night I felt my heart pumping so fast and I was very nervous without even knowing the reason. After his sermon, he asked all of those who have committed the sins mentioned to come forward and be prayed over.
There were many of us who came forward. The Praise and Worship Team began to sing songs and Brother Bobby prayed for us as a group. I felt the Holy Spirit descending upon me and I began to cry. I was crying and asking for forgiveness. I emitted one loud and long shout then I fell down on the floor even before Brother Bobby laid his hands over me. I felt the Holy Spirit in my whole body. I was drunk by Him. I was crying, shouting and speaking in tongues. Whenever I stop, I ask Him to give me more of Him and I start all over again. I cried and cried until I realized that I was the only one left on the floor. So I stood up. But I was still dizzy so I sat on a chair. I opened my eyes and I saw the people very busy drinking mango shake. My friend Paula asked, “Hubog pa ka En?” I nodded. I closed my eyes once again and after a minute or two, I started to laugh. I laughed loud and wild that all the things in my pocket – my pens, tickler, money and cell phone – fell. I opened my eyes and saw all the people, laughing too because I could not stop laughing. Then I saw Brother Bobby and our pastor talking and I heard Brother Bobby say, “She is experiencing God.” I was really happy and continued to laugh until I finally stopped after more than two hours. That was the longest cry and laugh I ever had!
God has really blessed me. He gave me almost everything I asked of Him. He made me graduate from high school and made me pass the UPCAT. He solved my financial problems and made me study in a very prestigious university. I can no longer count the blessings that He has given me and I am really thankful because He blessed me despite my unworthiness. I am so grateful that He loves me with such an unconditional love as this. It is really great to know that I am a child of God.
My eldest sister brought me to a new church one Sunday. It was the church in which my sister’s boyfriend was a member. When they got married, my sister and I became members of that church. But I never felt that I belonged there. I had no friends.
At that time I was a loner. I started to do things with my own two feet. I had some sort of an identity crisis. I hated going to church with my sisters. I hated everything that I do with any member of my family. In short, I hated my family.
I would be very happy if I was left alone at home. I always thought about myself and myself alone. I never cared about any person around me. I always imprison myself in my room.
Nobody realized that I was so sad. But I know to myself, I am. No friends, no acquaintances, only the classmates that I see in school. And there, I never had a true friend at all. Everybody in school thought that I was a happy person because they always see me laughing and smiling. They did not know that when I reach home, when I am in my room alone, I take off my mask and face the real sad life that I was living.
It was until two tiring years in high school when I had finally found my best friend. My Buddy and I were classmates in our third year. We were really close (we still are) but still I felt that there was something missing.
One Sunday morning, our Sunday school teacher taught about salvation. That was the very first time that I felt guilty. I was guilty because I knew God called me several times but I refused to listen to His voice not realizing how lucky I was to be chosen by Him. That day, I finally accepted Him as my Lord and Savior wholeheartedly. I told myself that I will surrender myself to Him and that I will do everything in order to please Him.
Two months later, I was baptized with water and another tow months passed, I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. It was one of my most beautiful experiences. I could still vividly remember what happened that day.
Brother Philip Stanley and his wife visited our church. After the service, the pastor’s wife announced that there would be a fellowship for the women at two o’clock in the afternoon. I attended.
Before she gave the sermon, Mrs. Stanley (I could no longer remember her name), asked us if we were already filled with the Holy Spirit. I was the only one who was not. And then she told me, “Before you leave today you will be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I was really excited. The night before that day I asked God to pour upon me His Holy Spirit. I was really amazed with how He works.
After her sermon, she asked me if I was willing to receive the Holy Spirit. I said, “Yes!” Then, all the women started to speak in tongues and they all prayed for me. At first, I had a hard time feeling the Holy Spirit. Then she told me, “Do not praise God in English nor in Cebuano. Just open your mouth and praise Him because He cannot put the gift of tongues in your tongue if you are speaking any language. I did just what she said. After a while, I started to shout, cry and speak in tongues. When I was already calm, she told me, “I am really blessed with what God had done to you today.”
That was the start of my new life in Christ. I felt happy and contented from then on. My best friend said that I had changed drastically. I was no longer selfish, insensitive and proud. She said that she could see how happy I was and I even made her and the rest of our “barkada” happy, too.
But of course it did not end at that. There were still times that I was stubborn. There were times when I did not listen to Him. There were times when I did wrong things even if I knew that they were wrong. I almost forgot Him completely.
The Catholics were celebrating the Lenten season and we were having our annual convention in church. It was Saturday evening. Brother Bobby Martz preached about sin. I was deeply convicted. The whole night I felt my heart pumping so fast and I was very nervous without even knowing the reason. After his sermon, he asked all of those who have committed the sins mentioned to come forward and be prayed over.
There were many of us who came forward. The Praise and Worship Team began to sing songs and Brother Bobby prayed for us as a group. I felt the Holy Spirit descending upon me and I began to cry. I was crying and asking for forgiveness. I emitted one loud and long shout then I fell down on the floor even before Brother Bobby laid his hands over me. I felt the Holy Spirit in my whole body. I was drunk by Him. I was crying, shouting and speaking in tongues. Whenever I stop, I ask Him to give me more of Him and I start all over again. I cried and cried until I realized that I was the only one left on the floor. So I stood up. But I was still dizzy so I sat on a chair. I opened my eyes and I saw the people very busy drinking mango shake. My friend Paula asked, “Hubog pa ka En?” I nodded. I closed my eyes once again and after a minute or two, I started to laugh. I laughed loud and wild that all the things in my pocket – my pens, tickler, money and cell phone – fell. I opened my eyes and saw all the people, laughing too because I could not stop laughing. Then I saw Brother Bobby and our pastor talking and I heard Brother Bobby say, “She is experiencing God.” I was really happy and continued to laugh until I finally stopped after more than two hours. That was the longest cry and laugh I ever had!
God has really blessed me. He gave me almost everything I asked of Him. He made me graduate from high school and made me pass the UPCAT. He solved my financial problems and made me study in a very prestigious university. I can no longer count the blessings that He has given me and I am really thankful because He blessed me despite my unworthiness. I am so grateful that He loves me with such an unconditional love as this. It is really great to know that I am a child of God.
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