A Powerful Testimony by Caroline Shirlow:

 

 

Hello my name is Caroline my childhood was poor, and I grew up in a home void of any love. Throughout my youth I experienced mental, physical, and sexual abuse. My dad was a alcoholic and my mum was just mental I could never do a thing right and often got beat with a horses whip wooden spoons u name it I got hit with it. I hated being born I would often cry to God why me? Please just take me to heaven I don’t want to live here anymore. I often tried to run away but I never got very far. Even at a young age I can see now that God had his hands on me I loved reading the Bible and going to little meetings in different churches.

When I hit my late teens I started to rebel against my mum and dad I started to go out drinking and taking drugs. By the time I was 18 I was in my first violent relationship were I was beaten and pinned down having tiny stones getting put down my throat and sexually assaulted. I hated life and I tried to commit suicide by taking nearly 100 pills. I took the pills and I went upstairs and fell asleep on my bed I was so gutted to waken up the next morning bright and breezy. I finally broke the relationship of and found who I thought at that time would be my true love.

I settled down and stopped drinking and taking drugs I was happy. 2 yrs into this relationship I found out I was pregnant I was over the moon things were finally changing for me. I had a little boy Curtis who was born with heart trouble and died just 11 weeks old it broke my heart but soon after his death I was pregnant with my wee girl Casey she was born 1 year to the same date that Curtis died. Instead of loving this little girl I went downhill I started drinking and taking drugs again all I wanted was my little boy back and again I took another overdose of pills and that still didn’t work. I used to pray to God that he would give me a deadly disease so that I could die.

After another 4 years I came home to find my partner had gone packed up and moved out. I hated life and all I wanted to do was get high and wasted but after a while this wasn’t enough I started self harming myself cutting my arms just so I would feel pain that still didn’t satisfy me I craved something more. The alcohol started taking its toll and I became a real alcoholic and one night decided to do the Ouija Board

I thought that it was only way I could talk to my son. This became a habit every night for me, a bottle of buck fast an Ouija board and knife to self-harm. Until one night I fell on my knees and I started to cry out to God please help me I want to change I want to make everything better and be a better person.

The next day I signed up for rehab. When I was in rehab I started praying to God thanking him for making me strong and keeping me of drink and drugs for another day. When I came out a friend of mine brought me to the Elim Christian Centre Belfast and I thought what this is not a church they are all hyper and bonkers in here but the peace that fell on me that night was amazing. I said a prayer and gave my life to God. I already felt new. Just knowing everyday that I wake up that no matter what the day brings that God making me stronger he has showed me how to accept the things in life that I have instead of the things I haven’t, Jesus has gave me hope again Glory!

 

 

 

A Powerful Testimony by Vanessa Rea:

 

I was brought up in a church-going family and taught to believe in God.  I prayed every night and went to church on Sundays.  I got confirmed at the age of 14.  However, I didn't understand the need for salvation.

One day in my teens, I felt that God was speaking to me - it was when I opened the bible at a page where Jesus was on the cross and I felt that he was telling me that he died for me.  So I told my mum what had happened but she said - "no dear, I don't think so!" I went to Christian Union at school and then at university and I used to get such a feeling of peace when I was there.  A friend brought me to her church where they spoke about Jesus like they really loved him and as though he was real and could help you in your life.  I went away on a holiday with that church and at the end of the week, I knew God was speaking to me.  What struck me was when I heard the testimonies from people there, I wondered why I didn't really have a story to tell about how God had changed me.  Then the speaker on the holiday challenged me by asking how sure we were of our salvation.  I prayed to God to make sure that I really was a Christian and I felt that I needed to give him my life.  Once I had done this, I felt a tremendous forgiveness - God changed me and I now had a real relationship with him.  I had always believed in God and in his son Jesus, but I didn't realise I needed to do anything about it by making a personal commitment.  It was like a new start and I wanted and to live for him now.   The love and God's presence that I felt was amazing.  Then I felt that God wanted me to get baptised to show what I had done.  

Getting baptised was great - though my family were against it because I had been christened and confirmed - they thought I had got involved with some extremists!  It is normal to get opposition to real faith in Jesus - this is because some people find it a threat.   I find it strange that it took so long to accept Jesus as my saviour but I believe that it may have been the spirit of religion stopping me from getting to know Jesus personally.  This is man's attempts to keep God in their control and when people are more worried about what other people think of them than God.  Some churches go through the motions of doing church...church should not be boring it should be relevant and helpful to us in every area of our lives.  God wants us to have fun and live life to the full! (I have come so that you may have life and have it in abundance - John 10v10)

I have had some difficult times since I was saved; I have had depression when I didn't want to live anymore, and have had a lot of illness and very bad pain for years.  God healed me from the pain 4 years ago - When Jesus died on the cross, he set us free from illness as well as from our sins, it says in the bible that He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.  (Matt 8v17).  Not everyone realises this; God wants us well.  But whether we see healing immediately in our life or not, God is our comforter and he wants us to trust Him.  I know God is faithful, and he is the one I rely on.  It is God's nature to be faithful, and he never changes.  He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.  Now I know I am not on my own and I have someone I can call upon whenever I need him - that is amazing!  God also promises in his Word that if you draw near to him he will draw near to you.  (James 4v8) Sometimes he sends you people to help you.  If we learn to listen to God he speaks to us.  Whenever you are going through painful times God is the only one who really knows how you feel and if you explain it all to him, you get a sense of his peace if you decide to trust him with your problems.  He doesn't actually even want us deal with our problems on our own: he says" come to me all who are weary and burdened... and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11v28) Good and bad things happen in our lives; it is a spiritual battle, but God has given us his power to have the victory and overcome and the bible tells us how.  ("thanks be to God. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor 15v57). God is able to help us, and he promises that he has good things for us in our future.  

It is truely great news for us because Jesus has completed God's plan for the world.  "The Son of God appeared to destroy [ALL] the works of the Devil (1 John 3v18).

 

 

A Powerful Testimony by Zoe Little:

 

 

I originally came from a large family of five with two sisters and two brothers. As a toddler my mother and father were Christians and we all lived a pretty normal happy life. At the age of three with my youngest brother just only a couple of months, my mother and fathers marriage broke down to which led to them backsliding from the Lord. Soon after my mother started seeing another man called Stephen. After a while Stephen had moved in with us.

Stephen however turned out not to be a very nice man with a lot of issues. He started drinking a lot to which then led to him becoming very aggressive and abusive. By the age of four I had started being sexually abused. As a young child I didn’t know that what was happening was wrong and for the next five years it became part of everyday normal life along with seeing the physical and emotional abuse my mother suffered. My mother hadn’t an inch of what was going on with me but because of the physical abuse she tried to leave many of times. Stephen however was a very scary man and had threatened to kill her should she leave so we always seemed to go back therefore leaving him with total control over her and our lives. Visits to my father stopped as Stephen got very jealous or now when I think back was scared maybe of one of us coming clean about what was going on.

It wasn’t until I was around the age of 7/8 I started to realise what was happening to me was wrong. When I was 9 through a film I had watched I got revelation of what was happening to me was totally wrong and my intuition was confirmed. My mother and Stephen were out at the time so I grabbed my coat and ran approx 4/5 miles to nearest police station were I told a female officer all that had been going on.

Life then totally took a turn I don’t know for the better or worse. Social services had placed me into temporary foster care until Stephen was arrested and charged. Thank God he admitted all and it turned out that he also had been molesting another sibling.

After about a week I finally had got home to which I found my Father waiting at the door for me. This in itself was a prayer I had prayed for years answered. So as you can guess it was a very emotional time. That same day we all moved to Belfast, things were looking great and my Mother and Father were having another go at their marriage.

However things had got worse. My Mothers mental health started to suffer badly because of everything that happened. She couldn’t understand how she never seen anything that was going on and blamed herself to which led her in and out of Knock bracken for the next few years. Along with her manic depression my Mother also developed a disorder called Agoraphobia. My Fathers role then became two roles as Father and Mother. He then had to do all the cooking, cleaning, shopping and the rearing of the five children to which led him also to starting drinking heavily along with Mother.

I now a teenager became very rebellious as expected. I stopped going to school and started partying and meddling with drugs to which led me becoming very much out of control. Due to all the on goings in my life social workers were always involved which I thank the Lord for. My social worker along with my parents came to the agreement that I would better off in foster care. I honestly believe with all my heart that Gods hand was upon my life then. I started to go back to school and was able to perceive how an ordinary family functioned. It was great a total new different life. At this time I met my boyfriend Mark who is now my husband. Once again I was totally blessed my husband is a great man. I settled down and went into full time education and got my secretarial qualifications. I then was able to have a good job earning plenty of money it was great. The love of money however took over to which led to me becoming very materialistic I always wanted the best of everything and became very vain.

At the age of 20 I gave birth to a miracle little boy called Kai. All 7.7 pounds of him I fell madly in love with. I thought this is it my life is complete I have got everything I ever wanted! A great man, son, home and good job. I was wrong. I started suffering panic attacks and was so miserable inside. I had everything but felt so empty, why? I couldn’t understand. I started taking diazepam to get through the day I couldn’t get excited about anything.

One night a friend of mine called at the house. All excited and jumpy I questioned what was going on. “I got saved, I got saved” she said. I said that’s great I’m all chuffed for you. She then went to ask if I would come to church with her, she was so excited I got curious. As a friend I said yes I would not knowing it was all part of Gods plan for me. When I got there I was absolutely gob smacked everyone was so free and happy and the presence there was something indescribable. Their was a healing revival going on, people were getting healed of all sorts of illness and doctors reports were flying about. I remember thinking my goodness Lord you are actually real. Instantly I wanted to get saved but allsorts was going through my head like, you couldn’t be a Christian you drink, you smoke, you love them too much how could you ever give them up a Christian life is hard you know. I choose however not to believe the lies of the enemy and asked Christ to come into my life and be My Saviour.

My life now has never been the same again; I started to know the Lord, read his word, prayer with him to which then he started to reveal himself to me. When I call on him I actually feel the wind of his Spirit beat of my face. I cannot believe the turnaround in my life I sometimes want to pinch myself to see if it’s real. God has totally delivered me from all the hurt that I have went through and has put something inside me I cannot explain. I am madly in love with him and get butterflies every time I step outside and see his creation. Everyday he does something that amazes me I just go that got to be God! I am saved now a year and half and in this time the Lord has healed my son of a speech impediment, my Nan’s cancer tumour has stopped growing despite the medical profession claiming she wouldn’t see the next six months erm two and a half years ago. God has totally turned by life for the greater good. I am now studying a social work degree to which in itself how it came about is all supernatural. I can now work in a job and help others cope and go through things that I myself can relate to. However despite all, the revelation of who Christ is and the love of God that sent him to die the way he did for us so we might be free is the best!

 

 

 

A Powerful Testimony by Jim Simms:

At the age of 13, I attended a large Christian event at the king’s hall Belfast. I went with my sister Debs and her boyfriend Alan. When the appeal for salvation went out my arm and hand started to rise by its own power. I sat on my hand and said to myself behave Jim your only 13 years old why would you want to become a Christian and commit your life.

When the event was over we went home being Bible bashed along the way, and for a few hours more when we arrived home. After the bashing I went to bed, my room had no windows and one single skylight.

In the middle off the night I heard a loud voice calling my name when I awoke there was a large torch like beam of light detruding from my skylight and beyond. I jumped out of bed flung my neatly stacked clothes and boots across the room and got on my knees. I prayed God heavenly father please save me I will never curse drink smoke or steel again, I was trembling and got back into bed. I tossed and turned under the quilt and eventually got to sleep. When I awoke in the morning I was confused I knew what had taken place. However I also questioned that it could have been a dream.

When I looked on the floor and saw that my boots and clothes had been threw across the room I knew that my actions where real. However unfortunately I refused to accept what had happened and turned my back on the lord.

Shortly after this I got involved in using solvents. This progressed to petrol and Glue. I then got trapped in using cannabis. I was suspended and expelled from three different schools, And later got threw out off Jenny Mount Youth Training Programme. By this stage my life was gripped by cannabis and drink.

With no income and no money to feed my addiction’s we and a friend decided to go to palace barracks and join the army, We were not fit enough for the Royal marines however we were accepted into the royal Irish rangers.

We went to the army where I was disciplined through my late teenage years. I was finally getting my life on track. At my passing out parade I won the platoon prize off being champion at drill. When we went to our battalion I was accepted into one off the specialist weapon platoons off the regiment. I was enjoying army life. I still used cannabis secretly and tried not to let too many people know I was a user. One night a corporal had decided to call the SIB who raided our rooms with sniffer dogs.

And I was caught in the possession of cannabis. I was sentenced to 130 days in HMP Colchester / known as the glass house or MCTC military corrective training centre. The commanding officer also applied for my discharge from the British army.

 

I had to tell my mum and dad that I was leaving the army however did not want to tell them why. It would have destroyed them to find out their son who had finally got his life on track was being booted out off the British army for smoking dope. After much thinking I knew letters where censored out off MCTC and stamped. So I came up with the idea that I was doing my motor bike test at the MCTC motor cycle training centre. And that after I had finished I had had enough and fancied leaving the army for a civilian life.

When I arrived back in Northern Ireland I had no job, I rebelled against the army in a big way, I got involved in the rave / dance music scene and abused speed ecstasy and other class a/b drugs.

I spent the week sleeping looking forward to the weekend high off clubbing. I was that caught up in drugs that I had worked out my own mad theory of Evolution. I used to love coming across Christians handing out tracks. I used to argue my theory of evolution against their Creation theory.

Little did I know who was at work in my life? I had met a wonderful girl and we had three beautiful kids. During their early years I was still involved in the previous mentioned things and I thank God for the change in my life and in the life off my Family.

I was lying in bed one night after a weekend off drug abuse, I started to question that there had to be more to life than what I was living and experiencing, I text my sister Debs who was a born again Christian and asked her what time her church services were held. I then stated to attend APA Elim Christian centre. I have four older sisters and three of them are born again Christians, Their prayers through the years have been at work in the supernatural world. I committed my life to the lord In October 2005 at ECC. I give the lord Jesus Christ the praise for my salvation. And trust that he will hold me for the rest of my life.

A Powerful Testimony by David:

Hello my name is David, And I have been saved 5 years and I am currently studying at Elim Bible Academy with the intention of becoming an Elim Pastor in order to answer the call that I know God has on my life!

5 years ago I was a member of the Ulster Freedom fighters South Belfast and my life consisted of crime drug taking you name it I was doing it. I had a real hatred of all things to do with God and the reason was because I had lost my wife and 2 baby girls Billie Jean and Stacey as my wife had ran of with one of my so called mates.

This left me angry filled with hatred towards God and man, everything I did was full of anger so I guess it was no surprise that I ended up in a paramilitary organization and loved inflicting pain on people because of the pain I had inside.

Because of this anger I made a bit of a name for my self, which at that time was good because I received pleasure from being feared.

I was made a Provis Marshal, which is more or less disciplining the men and doing punishment beatings. As the years went on I got more and more twisted and wicked.

I got more involved with drugs women and also got into witchcraft as a male witch known as a warlock.

Then from that into Black magic and Satanism, My heart was dark wicked evil a bad bad man it shames me when I think about it. I even slept with a gun under my pillow had drop bars front and back of my house and steel doors, my sitting room windows was bullet proof.

I thought I had it all, money, cars, women and drugs. One night I dreamt about a man with a Jesus ring I didn’t know what this was about but I now know it was the start of God’s plan. And believe it or not 5 years later I meet the man in my dreams.

I did not know that I would meet this man 5 years later and that he would become my Pastor and best friend who guides me, by God’s word.

Going back as the years went on I married again for the second time and due to life style I was living my second marriage lasted 1 year.

When we split I went to stay in a hostel in the Belfast city centre this was the 2nd part of Gods plan I met a man in this hostel who was a Christian and he tortured me talking about Jesus I mocked him and said come to the dark side, I am your father, this went on for about 3 months.

But God had a plan, this guy had been praying for me he asked me if God could give you anything what would it be and I replied my Family back my mum and my Dad and my kids. 3 days later my Father rang me he ask me would you like to come home for Christmas, my family had at this time virtually disowned me due to my lifestyle.

One day not longer after my Father called; about 2 hours before he rang me I had eaten a handful of ecstasy tabs and was out of my head.

When my father asked me to come home, when I herd those words the Holy Spirit hit me bam! I was reminded of the prodigal son in the Bible I broke into tears I ran to find this Christian man that tortured me. I told him what happened and told him it was God and that I needed to get saved and that night I did.

I was then invited to the Elim Christian Centre to get prayed for, seeking deliverance from satanic attacks. There I met a Pastor Brian Madden and when he put his hand out to pray for me, I couldn’t believe what I saw next. There it was the Jesus ring along with a gold wedding ring I looked at his face it was the man from the dream, wow he prayed for me I hit the ground and the demons left my body and from that day I went from strength to strength in the lord Praise God, isn’t God good how can He love and take a man who prayed to Satan and turn him around and call him and use him for his honor and His Glory and now under the pillow lies a Bible instead of a gun. Amen, thank you Jesus!