The Culture of Caring

Greetings to everyone!  I pray that April has been a very blessed month for you!
It was a month for celebrating the ultimate sacrifice given so we might be saved. The Crucifixion, Burial and the RESURRECTION!  I am so thankful with all my heart that God sent his only son to die for us-to wash our sins away.  I am so unworthy and sure don’t deserve his love and forgiveness.  I strive to show my love, appreciation and to be a witness and a soul winner.  I fall short on so many aspects.  Thank the Lord he is still working on me and is patient.

There are so many people that I know that have testimonies of where they were brought from, addictions they were delivered from and their testimonies are phenomenal in showing how Jesus reached his mighty hand down and picked them up.  Some at the end of their rope, contemplating taking their lives and in an instance, someone or something,  spoke to them and it changed them completely.
I am 4th generation Apostolic born and raised in the truth.  I don’t have stories of being so low I was ready to die, or in so much trouble with the law- God made a way to save me from time, or being addicted to drugs and alcohol with no possible way out. But, I do know that I needed to repent, be baptized in Jesus name and to receive the gift of the holy ghost to make it to heaven just the same as the “worst” sinner or I would be lost just the same.  Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for my heritage setting the example and setting the path for me.  At the same time tho, sometimes while being raised in the truth, with the majority of my family and most of my friends, serving the lord, I was “sheltered” from really being in contact with brokenness, addictions, loneliness and people so desperate for something, anything to change their lives.  I wasn’t around many to experience true desperation I guess you could say.

Please don’t think I’m not thankful- it’s really hard to explain.  Being in the church and surrounded by church family and friends, I didn’t see much until in my adult life.
I always sang on the platform and I can’t even count of  hundreds of times I would see someone get buried in the name, come up praising and we would bust in to singing, “ I’ve already been to the water, I’ve already been baptized” and me…………singing as I had done so many times before and NEVER really feeling or grasping just what this meant to someone.  It was a new start for them, being given a new life, a BRAND new start!  I  was in the routine of seeing this and just didn’t get it in my heart.
I had been backslidden for a couple of years when I met and began dating Donald.  He had never been around “crazy church people”. Haha. Even tho I wasn’t in church— I still was the spittin image of a costal as he says. I would talk to him about church, and he would laugh at me.  He would go with me to hear my son sing or play the drums or my daughter playing.  My two kids were still being raised apostolic and I still taught them the church life even tho I didn’t attend regularly.  He would tell me I was brainwashed, I was raising my kids like soldiers and brainwashing them.
He wasn’t a bad guy at all-  he dipped, ( which absolutely drove me insane) since he was 12 years old. He cussed horribly and I would explain to him how every time he cussed, it felt like pins pricking my skin.  He liked the rough country music which would make my skin crawl. haha. One Sunday, we went to church to hear Devin sing and before I knew it he was down at the alter!  He repented and the next week got baptized.
I said all that to say this-  Y’all——- for the first time ever— when he went down in that water and came up with the biggest smile on his face and tears of joy flow…. I saw a new man!  It clicked in my heart and mind and my heart literally exploded from years of seeing lost souls be born again. I FINALLY FELT IT! I KNEW!!
Ever since that day-when someone gets baptized, I feel their feelings, their heart.

It was along road trying to explain to him about the joy of serving the lord, but I benefited in the long run. And oh how God moved on us both and in our family!  I will never forget after he was baptized and he was seeking the holy ghost, he went to work and on his break he called and was crying.  He said, “  I get it, When these guys started cussing, it felt like needles poking me.”
He sought the holy ghost for about 4 years thinking he was doing something wrong because he wasn’t receiving it after seeking so hard.  An evangelist preaching at a revival preached one night about not begging the lord for the holy ghost but to worship and praise him with everything in you and to pray for so one else to receive it.   Donald was in his way to work on his motorcycle one day and he was later than normal calling to tell me he made it.  He called and was crying so hard , I thought he had been an accident.  He started telling me he was praying for our youngest daughter who was seeking the holy ghost also, and he began speaking in tongues on his bike.  He said when his mind cleared and he came to hisself- he was way passed his exit for work and had to backtrack. Haha. while he was telling me he began to speak in youngest!  Talk about a praise break over the phone!  That night at revival our daughter received the holy ghost!

You see the man he is today and I am truly blessed. He has told me more times than once how he truly understands now what I was saying.  He came up out of that water a new creature!  God has been so good to me and my family  he has brought unity in our lives and continues to bless us daily!
I am beyond thankful for the AZUSA STREETRIDERS!  I have heard testimonies from members that I will never forget and I look forward to every opportunity we have to be a light and witness.  We never know when we will come in contact with that one person that is at the end of their rope and we could be that lifeline to them.

Please join in prayer and fasting for the following:

MISSIONS

Rev. Mike and Julie McGhghy, Aimers to Costa Rica

 

RESTORATION

Prodigals

HEALING

• Bro. Fred Beall healing in his body
• Bro. Jeremiah Hayes mother, Tina-complete healing
• Bro. Theodores sister & brother-in-law, loss of their daughter
• Bro. Perley Epps,  tri-cities chapter, passed away. Prayer for family
• Bro. Ron Condin healing in body
• Bro. Womack’s cousin Gale complete healing in body
• Bro. Warps brother, Wyatt and his family

Chaplain Carman Hamby