Category: Testimony

I don’t share this very much, however I was told and strongly led today by God to share this portion of my own testimony.  I pray it blesses you!

During 1984, The LORD led me to a week day Bible Study at the base Military Chapel, led by one of the ministers wives.  There was a lady in ministry holding a three day conference on prayer.  The woman name was Evelyn Christenson.

A group of the women from the Bible Study decided to go.  I knew it was a non denominational gathering, and some of the people at the conference during praise, would lift their arms and hands in worship.  As I watched, some of those in our group were scoffing at those who expressed their emotion to the LORD, as they held up their arms to Him.  Those who scoffed, were out of line, in my thinking.  Who were they to judge someone else’s expression of worship?

During that conference, I learned about prayer.  I swallowed it all.  After that conference, I began to incorporate prayer into my daily routine.  I began to get up at 5:00 a.m. to pray and use the things I learned from the conference.  I began to sense the LORD and I became ravenous for the study of the Word.  Not long after this I met Rhonda.

Rhonda quickly became my friend and we would talk for hours about the LORD.  She would tell me stories about her mom and dad.  Rhonda’s parents were involved with the Assembly of God Church and called to be deliverance ministers.

Rhonda would tell me things that went on in their home as a child.  The conversations were fascinating, because I really didn’t think people dealt with demons in this day, nor did I know God was moving like she said.  You know, I still believed that old doctrine that I learned as a Baptist.

Rhonda and her family attended Military Chapel services with us, and on Sunday nights, they would go to a little Christian Servicemen’s Center downtown.  It was a mission set up by the Church of God out of Cleveland, Tennessee.  Rhonda would play the piano for the services and she was helping to get the ministry off the ground.

She would always talk to me about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.  One Sunday she invited us to the Christian Servicemen’s Centers service.  As we went in, I noticed the shouting and hand clapping.  I thought cool, these folks are alive.

As the service progressed and the minister offered altar call, a woman came up to the front for prayer.  The minister laid his hand on her head, and she fell down on the hard concrete floor.  I had never been exposed to this before.

As I watched this, I wondered why she fell and why no one was trying to help her up!  She just laid there and then people started speaking in words I could not understand.  The way it sounded, made me feel like I was in India, with a southern accent.

Needless to say, I freaked!  We left and I was stunned at what I witnessed.  Rhonda called me to check on me, but I was still freaked out.

Rhonda shared with me, “Sherry, I can’t make you believe what happened and what you witnessed, but ask God if it is real.  Also, ask God if it is His will for you to be baptized in the Holy Spirit to show you the truth.  I also asked Him to manifest Himself to do whatever HE wants for me.”  Rhonda also suggested to fast a meal to seek the truth in Gods Word and to see what He says.

I thought about what she said a long time, and I got very serious about seeking Him, because I found scriptures that backed up everything she told me.  I determined to devote all of my free time to seeking God.

I had never fasted before for Spiritual reasons, but decided to do so since I found scriptural backing for that too.  I fasted two meals a day and devoted my time for seeking the truth about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.  I read everything I could get my hands about the Baptism of Holy Ghost both in the Bible and some books I had received.

I started a three day fast.  On the first day I kept learning.  My prayer was, “LORD if this is for me, then manifest yourself to me because I want this if it’s your will.”

The second day came and I was feeling the hunger pains, but determined to get an answer, I kept pressing in.

The third day I was able to get the children down early for the night, and by this time, I was learning a lot about the Spirit and couldn’t get enough.  I was hungry for more.  Then the third night came.

I was in our living room laying on the couch, reading the Word and a book about the Baptism of the Spirit.  It was late at night, but I couldn’t sleep.  As I laid there on the couch, I felt a presence enter that room and I had never felt it before, and the only way I can describe it, was that it felt like a major storm was in my house.  I felt that inside my locked door house!

That presence entered every place in that house.  I got up turned on every light in the house and decided I would go to bed and read.  I knew something was in that room but with my limited experience and understanding, I didn’t comprehend yet!  I was hoping that what I felt was just my imagination.

I must say this here;  there was no storm outside that evening or any bad weather, only it was hot.

As I laid there, that presence came into my bedroom like rolling thunder.  I could feel it in the atmosphere!  However, I didn’t realize It was the awesome presence of GOD!

I kept my nose in the book about how to be baptized in the Holy Ghost.  Next thing I know, I hear with my ears a thunderous voice speak to me saying, “IT”S TIME!”

I sat straight up in bed and said “Time for What!”  I looked up and there was a white puffy cloud in my room!  It was visible to my eyes!  I did not know what the cloud was, or what it meant, so I freaked out.

I wondered what was happening to me and I called Rhonda and begged her to come over.  I told her over the phone what was happening and she was excited and said God wants to Baptize you in His Holy Ghost Fire and she said she would come.

The only way I can describe this presence, was that it felt like a massive thunder storm had come into my house!  You know, the awesome feel you get when a storm approaches?  That was in my house!

As I waited, freaked out, I prayed and my heart was pounding!  I kept my eyes closed and prayed then when the knock on the door came the visible cloud disappeared, but the presence did not leave.

When Rhonda came, she brought the associate pastors wife.  As soon as they walked into the property and house, they both said that the LORD was in this place.  I told them what happened and we all began to praise the LORD.

I had never lifted my arms to God before but as we praised God,  I lifted my arms for the very first time in praise and worship.  It felt like an electrical jolt touch my fingers.  It didn’t hurt, but it was like everything electrical could ever be and jolted me and it began to inch down my arms, and I started jerking like I was holding a live wire!

I was a bit scared even with the ladies there, and I asked God to please let me be totally filled like that Sunday night in that Christian Serviceman’s church where I had been invited to by Rhonda.  All of this was brand new to me.  I didn’t know God could be so real.  As I requested, the electrical surges began to subside and I was stunned.

The ladies stayed till early morning.  I didn’t want them to leave when they did.  I could sense the presence and it didn’t leave my house!  I could not sleep, eat or drink anything for three days after that.  I determined to receive whatever it was that God wanted me to have.  I did not know at that time what the cloud meant.

Later I found out it was the Shekinah Glory of God!  Watch how you pray!  I prayed for Him to manifest Himself to me……… and He did!

“And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD,”  1 Kings 8:10-11.

I knew that when I went to that Mission Church that Sunday night, I was going to receive the whole Baptism.  When I walked in the church, I went to the second row.  When the music started, I raised my hands like before at home and told God I wanted everything He had for me.

As I was praising God, that same presence was over my head and I felt my head and body leaning backwards, it was very hard for me to stand.  The effort was unbearable I finally leaned back in my chair.

The electrical current I felt before, slowly increased its way into my arms, this time, all the way to my toes.  I stood there shaking and jerking under the power of God.

I was so overwhelmed and overcome by the revelation of His power, that I was in shock.  The Pastor’s wife said she saw an aura of light around me that came out quite a distance from my body.  Whatever happened to me that day, ignited a fire that refused to be put out.  I believe I was Baptized by fire.

“John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire,”   Luke 3:16.

Everything changed after that!  My husband thought I was nuts.  The Bible Study I went to in the morning was just handed over to me to conduct.  The Pastor’s wife urged me to lead it.  I don’t think she knew what she was asking for.  The Military Chapel services are very subdued, and here I come, a live wire.  Needless to say, the Bible study got fired up.  Women got saved, healed and filled.  I thought wow, this Holy Ghost thing is powerful.

Next, then the Pastor comes to me and tells me I can’t talk about controversial things.  At the time I didn’t know what controversial things were.  I pointed out to him that everything I did or said was in the Bible, but that didn’t seem to matter to him.

I went through a hard lesson with him and didn’t come through very godly.  My zeal was without knowledge and I got hurt.  Being new to this Holy Ghost stuff, I had a lot to learn.  So I was fired from that Bible study.  The women protested and wanted me back, but he said no.  So I went to the other church on Sunday nights at the Christian Servicemen’s Mission.

I cried a lot, because I couldn’t understand why, when people are changing, why would they want to hinder them from receiving and why would they want to stop the flow?

During this time, I had angelic visitations.  I saw one at the foot of my bed, standing over looking at me with a concerned look.  There was so much peace and love radiating from the angel, that my sadness was overcome.  I knew that God had sent angels to comfort me.

During this time, I asked the LORD why this happened and what was His purpose that He had for me.  One day in prayer, the LORD spoke “Prophet” to me.

I didn’t know what that was, nor what it meant.  I really didn’t think much about it for awhile.  But the LORD kept showing me scriptures about it.  I kept arguing, “I can’t do that!  I’m a woman!”  In the Baptist church, they don’t believe in women in ministry except for missionaries in other countries.

I continued praying and learning more in the Bible but it wasn’t until I began to see events before they happened that I got some clue what God meant.

One day Rhonda called me and shared a vision she received which pertained to me.  In the vision she saw a huge iceberg.  The LORD revealed the size of it above and beneath the water.  Rhonda said, “The LORD said you haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg in the ministry He is calling you to.”

I continued to pray, seeking God early and incorporated fasting into my spiritual life.

Those times were so awesome.  I often think of them and how God manifested himself to me when I had NO idea what Holy Ghost power was nor did I know about the Shekinah Glory Cloud.

It was a major life event and changer and since then that presence has manifested in my life at various times.  However, I do sense He will be manifesting much more and in a greater degree in these end times.

With the lie of new age and cults, people are seeking supernatural power, and oh, the Church of Living God!

LISTEN!  He HAS the true power if we just seek Him with our whole hearts!

There are souls for His Kingdom in our reach and those who want and need to be discipled, and to be shepherded, equipped and released.

We need true REVIVAL!  Many of our fires have grown dim, and so many lost souls and those who need that TRUE POWER OF GOD!

God wants us to live in His presence and help others to know His presence so others can know the true move of God. God always backs up his WORD and that WORD is our final authority!

As I close this portion of my testimony about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, there may be those who read this and it sparks the desire for more of God.  As you are reading this there are those who want everything God has for you.  Yes, seek Him with all your heart and ask Him for everything He has for you.  However, don’t be surprised when He shows up in a powerful way!
 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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