MARK'S TESTIMONY

In the Beginning

Having lived in Paraparaumu most of my life and with very itchy feet to leave and move to Brisbane, where I had visited many times because of the numerous relatives that were living over there. I finally talked Rebecca to agree to leave a nice home we had built; we packed our bags and arrived in a suburb called Mansfield on the 15th April 2000, after renting a house off the web from N.Z. I was bought up in a home that went to a Catholic church every Sunday and I was always aware that God was there and acknowledged Him, but never really understood His ways or what His expectations were of me.

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There just so happened to be a very large Charismatic church down the road, which we knew about prior to moving over and I said to the family the next Sunday morning, lets go to church. I thought it would be an excellent way to meet new people and wanting to bring the kids up with a godly understanding, we turned up an hour too early on what was to us a very hot morning. So we discovered what the service times were and decided to go home and try again next Sunday. However, it was Easter coming up so we went to church on the Good Friday. Well, we were sitting in the service and I was looking around thinking to myself, there are even old people in here enjoying themselves and showing it. This certainly made an impression on me. The Pastor at the end of the service was inviting people to come up the front and pray as a public confession, asking Jesus into their heart and to make Him Lord of their life. I thought to myself, thats a nice thing to do, but I dont need to do that, I know all about the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Next thing I notice the Pastors eyes seem to be pinned to mine, Im thinking what is he looking at me for? the next thing he says is thankyou young man I look to my left and slightly behind me to my horror, my son Sean had put his hand up. I looked at Beck she looked at me; I said I suppose Ill have to take him up the front.
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Before I could even think about what I was doing I had my sons hand and was walking up the front of this huge church of which we didnt know a soul thinking, if hes going to say this prayer, Im going to say it too. We arrived at the front with the Pastor greeting me with just the young fella, is it? I said No, you may as well do me too. He placed his hands on us and we both said this prayer to God with him. After that we were invited to have a coffee and a chat with the pastoral team of which we were given a bible and they asked us about where we were from etc. They asked if I minded another pastor giving us a visit during the coming week, I said no I dont mind that at all.

Simon and Bruno turned up at my door latter that week from the church and we had a coffee and some small talk. But he said Mark have you got the Holy spirit in your life? Now I know about the Holy Spirit, but what did he mean by having Him in my life? I said to Simon, what do you mean have I got the Holy Spirit in my life. Simon replied, Ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit and He will send it to you. I thought to myself, OK, I can do that. He also said can we pray for you before we go. I replied, No thanks, Im fine. With some urging from Beck and them I said OK, I suppose it cant hurt. They prayed for me and then suggested we go to the New Christian Class at the church on a Tuesday night. I again said thanks, but no, we are fine. Latter that week Beck and I discussed going to this New Christian Class and thought it would be a good excuse to get a baby sitter and then go out for a cuppa chino latter on. A couple of weeks go by and mark is asking Jesus for the Holy Spirit every now and then when I think about it and we go to the N.C. Class a couple of times. After one class we came home, said good night to my sister who was baby-sitting and went to bed like any other normal night.

About two Oclock in the morning I am abruptly wide awake from a very tangible presence running through my head down into my chest, Im terrified, fighting it resisting it as it is sitting in my chest, the presence slowly fades and Im left lying in bed wondering wether I should move and at the very least, let alone dream of waking Beck up to tell her what had happened. I whispered her name, which I didnt expect her to hear, and she responded with what! I said I have just had this amazing experience and I dont know how to explain it. She said that sounds like the Holy Spirit I muttered something like youre joking. Im now dropping back off to sleep, going over the experience in my mind wondering what it was all about. Suddenly, Beck is shaking me saying Hon. Hon. What! What! I reply, startled from sleep, thinking some intruder has just walked into the bedroom. What happened to you has just happened to me, she said. Youre joking I replied again in astonishment. No; it came as a wave down through my head travelling down my body and down my legs to my feet and then it would continue again like waves. Im going over all this in my mind as we fall off to sleep again, Im almost asleep when Im in a light dream state and I can see this mans head and he is opening his mouth and when it becomes wide I am suddenly hit by another wave of this very tangible presence that came wave after glorious wave down my body down towards my feet. I just lay there stunned, my mind reeling and with such joy; saying thankyou Jesus; thankyou Jesus. Its one thing to believe God is there with out any proof or evidence, but its a whole new perspective when the God of the Bible suddenly touches you tangibly and you go from a blind faith to a real knowing.

This event has changed my life completely. I started reading the Bible and I have not put it down since. (Nearly 8yrs). We have seen many amazing events in our lives. There is a whole chapter on how we built a 6 bedroom home (500m^2) on a word from the Lord build and acting in faith with a $1000.00 deposit we now enjoy a home that has at the very least, replaced that which we had in N.Z.

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He told me in a dream and a vision that we were to have another child and that we were to call him Joseph. Joseph is now 3 1/2 yrs old. I have received many what is called prophetic dreams and visions of future events long term and short term, things that have already happened and that which is years away. He has spoken to me about a T.V. ministry, that I will be hosting my own T.V. show. When or how, is only something He can bring about. Its not something I desire at this point of my life, not even something I have thought about doing, but it is His will for my life. I have kept a detailed journal of all the things He has said to me and drawn many of them out as I have seen them in an A2 art book. Another experience I had after being woken by the Spirit in the wee hours of the morning. Very seriously, I said to Jesus, if you want me to live entirely for you; I want to see you. I was deadly serious. Within two hours latter after going back to bed, I was awoken to a vision of a man, head and shoulders. It had a very dramatic effect on me having asked to see the Lord and that He took me up on my offer. A very humbling experience, showing me that He truly does want to become known be each of us personally. Here are some examples.

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When I phoned Simon up to tell him what had happened to me the next day, he laughed and said he would come around for a coffee. Now at the time I was scheming and making plans to pursue my own dreams and he threw a spanner in the works by saying; Mark, why don't you go to Bible College. No Way! I exclaimed, I hated school at the best of times and now he was asking me to give up all my wonderful ideas and go back to school, you're joking surely. I couldn't believe what I was doing, because within two weeks, I realised that is exactly what Jesus wanted me to do. So I signed up for Bible College for the mid semester 2000 and stayed for 9 months until we hit financial hardship and I withdrew full time and continued studying by distance. I had the best time of my life back studying full time, immersed in an atmosphere of the Holy Spirit, touching not only me but all the other students. And being able to share and relate to one another the testimony that God had provided inside of us and discovering how the people in the book of Acts and those early dedicated fathers were also touched in the same way when I read and studied the rich history of the church.

I have now completed my degree and graduated in August; a Bachelor Degree in Ministry. This is a miracle in itself; only with the Holy Spirits help and encouragement could I have done this. I flunked my architectural draughting studies, because I got bored and lost interest. I have written the equivalent of 72 essays over the last eight years, along with family commitments, running my own building company and everything else that goes on in ones life. This is truly a miracle; Im not the academic type!! More hands on.

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You know, before I was lost; but now I am found.
Before I strived to succeed and to impress others; but now I rest.

Before I worried if I was meeting up to Gods expectations, knowing fully that I didn't, because I knew I was doing things that God was opposed to, but the problem was I was loving it. There is immense pleasure in sin, in its many forms. It can be a way to escape the pain of reality, it can give comfort but be terribly addictive. Its short term enticements are a trap that leads to long term dissatisfaction and emptiness. Addiction and other forms of lies like lust argue that the more you have the more satisfied you will be, but the trap is that you need more the next time to equal the hit of last time. To keep up with this insatiable monster I had to start rationalising God and making Him into an image that appeased my conscience. God is OK with this, because its just normal human behaviour, it is what comes natural and thats the way He made me; isn't it?

BUT NOW I HAVE PEACE WITH GOD!! Oh, what a rich blessing!! The Lord gave me a new birth and the ability with His empowerment to overcome sin and now I hate to sin. So when I do sin, (Im talking small issues, which I wouldn't have even considered to be sin in the old days), I hate what I have done, I no longer enjoy it and I quickly ask the Lord to cleanse me again and help me to not go back there.

Before I was self absorbed with my own passions, desires and lusts;
But now I have intimacy with the Lord, my wife and kids.
Before it was all about me and what I wanted.
Now its all about, Lord what do you want with my life, I surrender it all to you Make something of me.
I seek your face to enable me to hear your voice to be able to follow your lead.

Before I was perpetually empty inside, filling it with pleasurable activities and pursuits, leaping from one activity, hobby or gadget onto the next.

Now; I am completely whole, found, loved ,desired and worth something; I matter and I have a future, eternal future, nothing on earth can beat that! If there is anyone who can testify to the new change in my life, you only need to sit down with my wife, Rebecca for ten minutes. Finally; I could give you Bible Scripture after Bible Scripture showing you how my new outlook, this new way, lines up with what the Bible has been teaching for centuries about being reconnected back into Gods presence and back into a close relationship with Him.

But this is my testimony, and who will be able to take it away from me?
Please feel free to ask me any questions.