Hey guys! I wanted to give you beautiful people a chance to hear from someone else besides me! In honor of my little brother graduating Friday I chose to let him tell you his testimony! If any of you know Trace you know how much he loves our God! Here you go!
WARNING: THIS IS LONG, PLEASE MAKE TIME TO READ THIS
The Holy Spirit has been really pushing me to share my story of his works in my life. I have been doing this for many years now, but never uncensored. Many times I have shared my story and it has been ridiculed. I see people with stories similar to mine also getting talked down about. People (in the church) criticizing the way that God has revealed himself to others. I just want to ask that you have an open heart about everything I am about to say. You may not agree with it, but nothing I am saying is made up, it is 100% true. Sometimes God will do something in our lives that doesn't make sense, we may not understand, or we may not agree with. We as Christians must always believe that all things are possible. I know that God has such a mighty plan for each and everyone reading this!!
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church. (Before I say this I want to make it clear that I have such a strong love for this church and I mean nothing I say in a negative.) Growing up in this church gave me such a firm foundation on the Bible and the word of God. I got "saved" and baptized at the young age of 6. At this time, I really had no understanding on the true love of God; I believe that I had not yet fallen completely in love with him. As I grew, I attended church very time the doors were open and I was a good kid throughout middle school. I always said I had a relationship with God, but did I really? What are the true signs of a relationship with God? Looking back now, I see that I didn't have a true relationship with God. God was just a mere acquaintance that I couldn't care much about.
I started high school with most of the same mindset that I had always had. I was what you could call "religious." I was strict and disciplined on my Bible reading and prayer time, I would listen to nothing but Christian music, and I was at the church leading worship and serving every time I could. Many would say I was a "strong" Christian and on the right track. I spent about three years of my Christian walk in this routine. Don't get me wrong, all of the things I was doing were great things, and they continue to be great. The problem is that I had no true love or experience backing that.
As I am writing. the Holy Spirit is speaking to me so strongly. Just know that me writing this at this moment is so prophetic. The events I am about to talk about happened EXACTLY two years ago. It started off just a normal Sunday morning. I came into church, walked into Sunday school a few minutes early and began talking to my friends. Two of my friends had just recently had a strong experience with God's power with another church. They began telling me about the stuff that happened; they talked about miracles, healings, and signs and wonders. Things that I was a stranger to and honestly believed they were only contained to the Bible days. Before they told me these things they said I would probably think they were crazy, I said I wouldn't (mainly so that would tell me.) After they told me the events of that weekend I thought they were nuts. I never told them that, but honestly I did. Church that day went like the normal routine, I got home, ate lunch, then back to church a few hours earlier than usual. The door was unlocked (praise God) and the building was empty, so I walked upstairs to the youth room and just laid there for a couple of minutes. I had no intentions of having an encounter with God or even spending intimate time with him. As I laid there I felt something leading me to worship. I began to sing out a song, immediately something washed over me and I threw my hands into the air and began crying like and ugly little baby. As I proceeded worshipping I felt something physically clasp my hand together. I was then comforted and felt God instructing me to fall deeply in love with Him. It was at that moment that everything changed. The way I expressed myself in worship, the way I lead worship, and the way that I lived my life changed. Whenever you fall in love with God you can do nothing but move, dance, swing your arms, and weep when you enter into His presence.
What happened next was something that I can't explain (I even googled it.) I explained it as one of the signs and wonders. This is something that has been highly criticized and ridiculed by many traditional denominations and theologians. Many people will probably criticize me for saying this now. I feel that it must be said though. I looked down at my hands, clothes, and surroundings, everything seemed to glow and sparkle! I didn't think much about it until I got home. Once I got home I had another time of worship and prayer in my room; remembering what had happened earlier I looked around. My bed, clothes, sheets, hands, and feet were covered in the same thing. I took to google and found out that many people called "gold dust." People mainly experience this when they have had a radical encounter with God. While reading I found where many people criticized it and called it a "false manifestation constructed by Pentecostals to add to an emotional experience." I immediately rejected the statement as bull crap. That night, I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. The gifts and works of the Holy Spirit done in the bible are still happening today! The enemy is using false doctrine to blind our churches to the truth!
I wish could share more with you, but I don't want you to spend all day reading. I really just want to encourage you to not reject anything as false until you actually know where it is coming from. Just because it is something that you have always believed doesn't mean it is right. God is doing mighty works in the Earth today and is preparing for another wave of His Holy Spirit.
Trace Vining
This my friends is a powerful and true testimony!
"And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams." Acts 2:17
I encourage you to read Acts and learn what God does! It is so powerful! I also want to challenge you to take time in that inner room, your prayer closet (future blog), and ask God to show you His power and love! Thank you for reading this!
You can find Trace here : Facebook, Twitter, Weather Blog,
Photo Cred: Leslie Hubbard Photography
you are loved, you are blessed, you are powerful
His Daughter,
Starla Conroy
Being Traces mom I have always know that God had his hand on him. I think a lot of it was contributed to the time he spent with his Nannie that is now in heaven. This is the first time that I have heard the whole story but I definitely saw a change in Trace in his worship. God is amazing and can still do amazing things. As parents we are supposed to teach and train our children but when comes to worshiping God Trace has taught me. Thank you Starla and Trace for sharing I know that God will continue to use you both to further his kingdom! Love you both!
ReplyDelete