When Joan was young and lived at home with her parents she attended a stiff traditional church where there wasn’t a lot of joy. Joan went to church as the ‘family representative’. Morning prayer, communion, youth Bible study, a lot about the Old Testament but not much talk about Jesus. Joan felt like something was missing and went looking around the different churches for something more alive and spiritual.
Being touched by the Holy Spirit is a very personal thing. A friend said to me “one day it’s going to happen to you.” But I said, “there was no way I’m going to go out with the Holy Spirit” (laying on the floor, slain by the Holy Spirit).
Then one day at church Pastor Sirus was asking the following questions, do you know the Holy Spirit? Have you ever been touched by the Holy Spirit? If you come up the front you can be filled with the Holy Spirit. “I was glad for other people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but I was not so sure about it for myself.” Joan hesitantly decided to go forward and Pastor Sirus asked for her hands, “Can you feel anything Joan?” Next thing Joan remembers is waking up on the floor of the church two and a half hours later, Pastor Sirus was quoting scriptures, and most people had left church. “I felt so good, I had had the best sleep ever, and I didn’t need my walking stick any more. I was on a real high.”
Being touched by the Holy Spirit is a very personal thing. A friend said to me “one day it’s going to happen to you.” But I said, “there was no way I’m going to go out with the Holy Spirit” (laying on the floor, slain by the Holy Spirit).
Then one day at church Pastor Sirus was asking the following questions, do you know the Holy Spirit? Have you ever been touched by the Holy Spirit? If you come up the front you can be filled with the Holy Spirit. “I was glad for other people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but I was not so sure about it for myself.” Joan hesitantly decided to go forward and Pastor Sirus asked for her hands, “Can you feel anything Joan?” Next thing Joan remembers is waking up on the floor of the church two and a half hours later, Pastor Sirus was quoting scriptures, and most people had left church. “I felt so good, I had had the best sleep ever, and I didn’t need my walking stick any more. I was on a real high.”
“My philosophy is, it’s not what we are on the outside – it’s what we are on the inside that counts. I battle with depression and back when my children were at school, I wasn’t handling things too well and the doctor prescribed me with valium and it felt wonderful to begin with. But after a couple of months I started to feel like I was walking on balls of cotton wool. It didn’t feel right, I started to feel like a zombie, and decided to flush the tablets away. At one point I thought about having an overdose. But an audible voice said don’t do it, you can fight it. Back at the doctors he wanted to prescribe me with more valium, he said I wouldn’t cope without them. But I said no.”
“To this day I still get depressed from time to time, but I talk to God and ask Him to help me cope. I can’t do this in my own strength but God gives me strength. It doesn’t go away but He helps me cope. I use scriptures all the time - they help a lot.”
You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep there purpose firm and put their trust in You. Trust in the Lord forever and He will always protect You.
Isaiah 26:3
God is always with us, deep within is He,
You can always talk to Him, He’s there for you and me,
Waiting to be recognised as the almighty power,
Available for one and all, No matter what the hour.
Author unknown
In 2012, Joan had a heart turn and was taken by ambulance to Hawera Hospital for assessment and then rushed up to Base hospital in New Plymouth. Having a special nurse in the ambulance to keep her awake as she went in and out of consciousness. Her heart could not be stabilised and she was placed in ICU and connected to a machine.
Joan went unconscious and found herself having an out of body experience.
“I could look down at my own body on the bed. Then I saw a big round dark tunnel and I was frightened. A voice said, “don’t be afraid, I will be with you all the way.” I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel - it was so bright. But there were hands trying to grab me on either side in the darkness, I couldn’t see faces just hands. I wasn’t frightened anymore and the voice said to stay in the middle and follow the light and I continued to float toward it.
When I reached the bright light, I could see Jesus and specific family members behind him such as Grandma, Grandad, my Mother and Uncle. Jesus wore a white robe with shoulder length fair hair and piercing blue eyes that could see right into my soul.”
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:13
“I felt an awe, and Jesus said, “I’m sorry Joan you have to go back, your time is not up yet. There are things that I want you to do.” But I said, “I don’t want to go back, I want to stay.” Jesus said, “I’ll light your way, all the way back through the tunnel.”
Then Joan woke up in ICU and the doctors said that Joan’s heart had stopped momentarily.
Jesus said to Joan there are still things I want you to do while you are alive on earth, and Jesus has called all of us:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
“To this day I still get depressed from time to time, but I talk to God and ask Him to help me cope. I can’t do this in my own strength but God gives me strength. It doesn’t go away but He helps me cope. I use scriptures all the time - they help a lot.”
You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep there purpose firm and put their trust in You. Trust in the Lord forever and He will always protect You.
Isaiah 26:3
God is always with us, deep within is He,
You can always talk to Him, He’s there for you and me,
Waiting to be recognised as the almighty power,
Available for one and all, No matter what the hour.
Author unknown
In 2012, Joan had a heart turn and was taken by ambulance to Hawera Hospital for assessment and then rushed up to Base hospital in New Plymouth. Having a special nurse in the ambulance to keep her awake as she went in and out of consciousness. Her heart could not be stabilised and she was placed in ICU and connected to a machine.
Joan went unconscious and found herself having an out of body experience.
“I could look down at my own body on the bed. Then I saw a big round dark tunnel and I was frightened. A voice said, “don’t be afraid, I will be with you all the way.” I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel - it was so bright. But there were hands trying to grab me on either side in the darkness, I couldn’t see faces just hands. I wasn’t frightened anymore and the voice said to stay in the middle and follow the light and I continued to float toward it.
When I reached the bright light, I could see Jesus and specific family members behind him such as Grandma, Grandad, my Mother and Uncle. Jesus wore a white robe with shoulder length fair hair and piercing blue eyes that could see right into my soul.”
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:13
“I felt an awe, and Jesus said, “I’m sorry Joan you have to go back, your time is not up yet. There are things that I want you to do.” But I said, “I don’t want to go back, I want to stay.” Jesus said, “I’ll light your way, all the way back through the tunnel.”
Then Joan woke up in ICU and the doctors said that Joan’s heart had stopped momentarily.
Jesus said to Joan there are still things I want you to do while you are alive on earth, and Jesus has called all of us:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
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