My Call pt.1

Some of you have asked me to share my testimony and how I received my call into the ministry. To begin, let me take you back a year or so before I was born. My folks were unable to have kids and so my older brother was adopted. Now not long after they adopted him they became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. They learned about the promises of God and what the Word has to say about children. So in 1979, just 3 years after getting saved, they attended Kenneth Hagin Ministries yearly campmeeting that was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In one of the afternoon sessions, John Osteen (Joel Osteen's dad) was ministering on "Having An Unshakable Confidence In God." As he was ministering, he had a Word of Knowledge about women who were unable to have kids; mom being one of them. Anyway, to make a long story short, she received that Word for herself and believed for a child. I was born November 12, 1980 the following year.

I was raised on the Word. I heard it night and day because my parents have a hunger for the things of God. I heard preachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Fred Price, Kenneth Copeland and many others preaching about faith and how to act on the Word. This didn't register with me, but I heard it. I can remember my parents receiving "The Word of Faith " magazine from Kenneth Hagin ministries and inside it would talk about Rhema Bible Training Center. I would often tell my parents, "Someday I will go there." I was little at the time and ended up forgetting about that. I ended up with one foot in the Church and the other foot in the world. This wasn't a good thing, but it's what drew me closer to the Lord.

Skipping ahead, it's now May of 1997, I am 16 years old and my life is slowly turning around. I had been saved as a kid and so I rededicated my life and eventually got filled with the Holy Spirit in 1996. During May of '97, I was at a youth retreat with my church's youth group and the last night of the service, the minister had a call for those that felt called to ministry. I wasn't one of them, at least I didn't think so. Many kids went up and I was happy for them. My plans were to go to college and get a degree in history and become a teacher. Notice I said, "MY PLANS".

As the speaker was laying hands on the kids, I heard and audible voice say, "Go to the platform and have him lay hands on you." I thought I was hearing things and so I ignored it. Maybe it was my friend trying to be funny. A minute or so later, I heard the voice again, "Go and have hands laid on you." I looked at my friend and said, "That isn't funny, I'm not called to ministry and I don't want to go." He looked at me like I was nuts and said, "I didn't say a word." Maybe I was nuts. I heard the voice a third time, this time it was more direct and forceful, "Get your butt to the platform." I knew that couldn't be my friend and so I went. (1) because I was scared and (2) What did I have to lose? As I was walking I was questioning myself, "Why am I going, I'm not called?" I reached the platform and heard these words, "I called you and I've anointed you to be a voice in the last days." I wasn't stupid and so I figured it had to be God.

Why me Lord? Why not? was the answer I got. From that day my life began to change for the better. I got hungrier for God and His Word and things began to fall in place. I graduated from high school near the bottom of my class and so, I didn't go to college. I went straight to work making a little above minimum wage doing manual labor; Yes, I was a ditch digger...lol

Before I forget, let me add that during my junior year in high school and even in my Senior year, Rhema Bible Training Center kept rising up from my heart. Was I to go there? So during my Sr. year, dad and I traveled to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma for Rhema's "Get Aquainted Weekend." I sat in on 3 classes and got to meet the instructors. During this visit, I knew this was it. I was to go there. Like I said earlier I worked a year to save money. During this year, I worked in a factory making 8.60/hr which isn't much, but counting the favor I had with the company plus working overtime a lot, I managed to save enough to pay the whole tuition my first year. Not only that, but money came rolling in from many different avenues.

God had a plan for me and He knew what it would take for me to get there. The training aspect of the plan, that is.

Ok, it's getting late, I'll continue this soon......