God has had me on a fast track for the past three years.  I was crying out to God and he literally ripped me out of the mess I was in. In the beginning it was not a fun ride. I was a drug dealer and an addict for seven years. I was severely addicted to men.  On December 8, 2008 I got arrested for selling drugs.  It turns out that those men in the uniforms were actually angels with badges.   I went to jail for a year and on my court date I was sentenced to Drug Rehabilitation program for a year.  I went to a faith based program at New Beginnings in Martin, Georgia. About three months into the program the love of God consumed my life and gave me a reason to change. I felt worthless.  I was always thinking about suicide and I didn’t care about anything or anyone.  When Jesus set me free he started to show me who I really am.  He gave me a life worth living and a reason to live.

So, I completed the one year program and then stayed on in student leader ship training for six months. My dad kept telling me about how awesome The River was and about the bible school. He said that the fire of God was burning so strong down here.

So the children of Israel, they accused God of deserting them and God plans his response carefully in verse 15.

The way the Lord has touched me the most since I have come to RBI. I have always wanted to speak in tongues. I have pressed into the Lord many times to try speak tongues but I was never able to. On the 30^th of August worship was coming to a close but I felt the desire to try to speak in tongues again. It was during the song “Let your fire fall.” I started to pray to God that I wanted to speak in tongues. So while praying I just started to focus all my attention on God.

I kept praying/singing “let your fire fall Lord, let your fire fall on me.” Then slowly I feeling of heat, of fire, came upon me. It started to feel like the inside of me was burning up. My hands began to shake, and the words that came out of my mouth were not English, at first it was a few short words then, came sentences, then it was like a stream of the heavenly language came pouring out of my mouth. I also believe that God was breaking me free from some things on that day. Since then I have been able to speak in tongues. Praise God…

Now being God, God could choose from a panorama of word pictures and examples to illustrate His love, to give the response to the children of Israel, to show them that their accusations were totally absurd and what did God do?

My testimony may be small compared to others but it is very encouraging to me when I reflect on my past. I will start at the beginning before I was saved, forgiven, and on my way to heaven. I was raised in a small town and there was very little to do. In the eighth grade I began stealing prescription drugs from my grandfather. I won’t go into detail but the drugs I was using were powerful enough to knock out a herd of elephants. I also started drinking, smoking, and engaging in sexual activity. Very many times I came close to death. For example I took a substantial amount of muscle relaxers and passed out and my friends had to beat me to get me conscious enough to go home.  This lifestyle of sin continued with very few dry spells and an ever increasing new variety of drugs and a higher tolerance level.

Last Christmas two weeks prior I took 4 dextromorphan and 3 vicodin. I headed off to school and that night me and my friends went somewhere about 30 miles away and ended up having an experience I could only compare to as a stroke. The after effects of this experience lasted roughly 2 to 3 months give or take. During that time however my life was changed because I finally became a true believer in Christ Jesus. During those months I had many assignments due including a 12 page paper. I couldn’t believe it but I got a “B” on that paper. Keep in mind I could barely speak in complete sentences. At the end of the year of going through hell, persecution, breaking a 10 month relationship off with an unbeliever, and ending many lifetime friendships, I graduated.

God chose a picture that all of the Israelites, that all of us can understand. God compared His love to a mother.

I prayed that I would get accepted to the school because I wanted that fire, that passion for the lost. Ever since the first day of school I went in expecting a touch from the lord. P.Maldonado came to visit our church the week of revival week and I got touched like I never have before I cried from the inside for the Lord to touch my heart to change me I wanna see people like I never seen them before I wanna walk by my brothers and sisters and not be able to walk away without telling them “YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU and HAS A WONDERFUL PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE”.Then, the day that the bible students filled the alter with their most prize possesions without holding anything back from the lord. It showed me that our treasures are in heaven we are followers of the Lord and we cant hold nothing back from him we have to trust him in everything. The next day I beleive P.Adonica preached. She prayed for everyone and all I remember is this peace coming upon me that I can’t even explain it …

Super soul winning saturday was that very next day.. I was so excited to go out .. 18 people recieved the lord as their savior ,but ,when I go to knock on another door a lady opens the door ,, sweet lady ,, she listened to what I had to say but when I was going to pray with her she stopped me and said I have my sin in my hand right now (she was holding Crack , Cocaine ) I Told that lady how God loves her . I told her ,”grab my hand lets pray” I prayed for her and while she had her eyes closed and grabbing on to my hand as tight as she could, she repeated after me the Soul Winning Script. We all have freedom in us and by the way she held my hand and repeated the prayer after me to accept Christ in her heart , I beleive that she felt that freedom in her ! We are all free because Jesus payed the price on Calvary we dont have to be bound by sin , destruction , hate , sadness nor depression because he paid the price so we can be free . The lord was pouring into me so I can pour out to my brothers and sisters. Its only been 3 weeks and so much has happened already I cant wait to see what the lord has next for me………Edisandra C.

God compared his love to a mother. Verse 15 reads, and this is God talking, responding, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?”

It’s unbelievable, I love it!! I can’t help but anticipate more of His goodness and all He has for me this year at RBI. I am privileged and blessed. I wasn’t thrown up on the shelf and put there to do nothing. No!! He never lets me go, so where He goes, I go. I was made to GO!!! He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15) So, my pursuit is to be led and used by Him. I don’t want just a day more, or a week more, NO! More is my eternal life; more is my existence here on earth. More is my heart.

The kingdom of Heaven is near. I don’t want to think that God does great, I want to know, I want to taste, I want to see. I want to live it out. It’s Him burning in my heart, and giving me a desperation I can’t shake, or run from for it is a love I can’t imagine my life without. This has brought me to a place of seeking after His word and the secret place, such deep intimacy with my Creator and my King, My Abba, Daddy. I want to hear and know His voice, without question. And can’t wait to be taught, and built up into the mighty women of God He has called me to be……Kait T.

God’s saying it defies the basic nature of a mom. A mom is loyal. A mom wouldn’t think about deserting her baby and when we hear about this occurring, it makes the local, and many times, the national news – about a woman who leaves her child in the parking lot of a shopping mall or in an alleyway, and it shocks us into reality.

Before these RBI/RSW Revival meetings, it was as though I could see and hear everything around me as one in a coma; however, I was unable, restricted, barred in my ability to engage — even as an Ordained Minister of the Gospel.  Lassoed by religion and tradition, and gagged by knowledge, I knew I was dying…

I awoke from the coma I was in during the RBI/RSW Revival week’s first Tuesday morning meeting on August 22, after GOD ordered a delicate life-saving surgery where the knife of man could not even touch but only executed through the Holy Ghost and the Word of GOD, delivered through all of the Ministers during these meetings.

Throughout each subsequent RBI/RSW Revival meeting, I understood something new was taking place in and upon me – it was FRESH FIRE and NEW WINE!  Sitting in these Revival meetings, to the saturation point, my old wineskin burst forth because of all the new wine pouring in through 34 continuous services I attended during the Revival for students.  Each Minister had something unique and pertinent to my deepest need to not only undergo the heart surgery, but recover, attend specialized rehab, then get back in the race.  The Lord spoke to my heart asking me if I perceived He was doing a new thing in me, and as I responded to His love and to His drawing me close, I felt compelled to register for the River School of Worship.

Pursuing the deep sweet fellowship with the Lord through worship, like I once enjoyed, and actually stepping forward into fulfilling one of the deepest desires of my heart, just to focus on Him, is making me happy beyond my ability to imagine it.  I am being changed from glory to glory as I remain seated with Christ in Heavenly Places, living in that secret place of deep intimacy – total dependence upon Jesus Christ – who is, who was, who forever and always is my BREAKTHROUGH…..Jody A.

But God says “What are the odds of a sinful, earthly mom deserting her child? Of not feeding her child? Almost zero, God says.