Testimony Tuesday with Missy Singelton

[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”][guestpost]Missy Singleton is a pastor’s wife, a partner in ministry, and a friend. I know that her testimony will encourage you to grow closer to Jesus. [/guestpost]My name is Missy, and I’m 38 years old. I’ve been a Christian for 32 years. I’m no one great in this world, but I serve the greatest to ever live.

Jesus is the closest and dearest relationship I’ve ever had. HE gave HIS all for me, and I want to give HIM my all. I’ve sat for days thinking about how to put in writing my personal testimony on how JESUS saved me from my sins. I guess I need to start from the beginning.

One Sunday in 1985, my Pastor preached on how we are all sinners. I was very young, the baby, the only girl, and very spoiled. Even though I had been taught Godly ways from birth, I knew that the Pastor was probably talking to me. You see the Holy Spirit was already tugging at my heart that morning. My mom and dad were always bringing home church family after Sunday morning services, and on this particular Sunday a teenage girl and her brother, (who was my brother’s friend), came home with us. My brother and his friend went quickly to play after Sunday lunch, and my mom sat talking with our other guest.

I had almost any toy or luxury a child my age could have. I was quite proud to show off all my toys and new clothes. I even had a very beautiful ivory French phone in my own room, and it worked. I wanted to show off my new phone, but they were busy in conversation. I excused myself to my room. That is when this story gets interesting. There my phone sat on my dresser. I picked it up and dialed 0. Back then, that called the operator. She answered, and I guess a whole load of sin I didn’t even realize I had in me come rolling out of my mouth. Immediately, I could hear the words of my pastor as conviction struck my heart, and I hung up the phone feeling horrible about the words I had spoken. I wanted to call back the 0 and apologize.

About that moment, the house phone rang. I heard my mom answer. She came back to my room, and I knew just by her look who had called. I was repentive before the phone had even rang, but now I was sorrowful and terrified of what the consequences of my actions would be. I did get punished, and I also got the chance to call and personally apologize to the operator.

Later, that night, the sermon was on serving GOD wholeheartedly. I remember this day so well, because that Sunday night I truly felt JESUS forgive me from all my sin, and enter my heart. That night is the night my life was forever changed. It wasn’t too many months after that, I was baptized as a symbol to show everyone JESUS lived in my heart, and I was HIS.

Shortly after, my world as I knew it, was turned upside down. It wasn’t peaceful in our home, and things were changing rapidly. My dad left, my parents got a divorce, we lost our home, and we no longer went to church as a family. The days were hard on everyone. I watched my mom cry all the time, and work so hard to make ends meet. (Later, in life I had heard my dad talk about the struggles he had turning his back on God and drinking.) My grandparents always made sure that my brother and I faithfully went to their church.

I was no longer that spoiled baby girl, but a very scared low self-esteem child. But, I had JESUS. I knew somehow everything was going to be ok. Even though it wasn’t the will of GOD for these things to happen, HE worked them for my good. (Romans 8:23)

A few years later, my mom remarried, and we moved. I had a wonderful home. I had to make new friends, and I prayed daily for God to help me with that. He did. I think we (my new friends) helped influence each other through middle school on through high school.

In 1990, I felt God’s call on my life to preach. I was sitting on my step-Gran’s deck, and we were talking about future goals. I told her how GOD was calling me. She smiled a huge smile and told me how wonderful that was. However, her denomination didn’t believe in women preachers, and she wanted to assure me that God was probably preparing me to be a preacher’s wife one day. Turns out, she was right, but if HE says preach I’ll say yes!

In those crazy teen years; there were times of peer pressure to do things I felt in my heart I shouldn’t do, and there were times I cried nightly for forgiveness because I knew I’d fallen into sin or actions that I knew was a sin against GOD. I was the girl that had carried my BIBLE to school from middle school and all through high school. I tried so hard to take a stand and to admit when I messed up. Myself got in the way of a life that would be wholly pleasing to GOD, many times. I was nowhere near perfect, still am not, and won’t be until heaven.

But GOD had HIS hand over my life, and I wanted HIM to guide it. So, even in the “crossroads of life” (as my MawMaw Stoker called it), through Christ help; I was able to leave the desires of this world behind, to let go of my own ambitions, and run toward HIS calling.

Looking back over my life, HE has protected me and kept me from so much. I’m so thankful to HIM. Except for HIS grace and mercy; I know I’d be telling a whole different testimony right now, or not have one at all. I’m so in love with my JESUS!

In May 1996, I felt I had made it to the crossroads that I wrote about in the above paragraph. My Pastor made an altar call one Sunday evening. HE said for everyone to stand around the altars. As I was standing there, I felt the SPIRIT speak to my heart, “Will you obey and do as I say no matter what.?” In my heart, I replied, “YES!” Then the SPIRIT says kneel. So, I knelt. Before my right knee hit the ground, I was filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

Let me tell you, getting saved is wonderful beyond great, getting baptized in water is an amazing example to show the world you’re a child of GOD, but getting filled in the HOLY GHOST is the added power this girl needed! I would recommend for every Child of GOD to seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit in your life! You’ll be glad you did.

[shareable]Getting filled in the HOLY GHOST is the added power this girl needed! ~ Missy Singleton[/shareable]

More about my testimony, I’ve been married to the soulmate GOD created for me for 20 years, and we’ve been in the full-time ministry for 20 years. We’ve been blessed with 7 beautiful children. We have lived many places in the states that the LORD has called us to, we’ve experienced many trials, many heartaches, many more blessings. And we count it all JOY for serving the one who died to give us life eternal with HIM. We have seen people delivered from all sorts of bondages of sin. We have seen people sadly turn from God and watched their life crumble in misery. We pray earnestly that they turn back to Jesus, and run safely back into HIS loving arms of peace.

I would like to encourage you; no matter what choices you’ve made in this life you’ve live. No matter how good of a life you’ve lived, or how far you think you’ve fallen into the ways of this world, know JESUS is the answer!

HE LOVES YOU! Here are some scriptures to encourage you to accept Christ as your LORD and SAVIOR TODAY! HE LONGS TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU! HE WILL BRING JOY AND HOPE to misery and sadness.

(Proverbs 6: 16- 19, Galatians 5, Acts 4:12, 2 Timothy 1:9, Psalms 62:1, Acts 2:21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 3:23, Titus 2:11-12, 2 Peter 3:9, Romans 10:10, Luke 18:27, Mark 8:36, John 3:16, 1 John 2:17, 1 Corinthians 1:28-29, 1 John 5:4, Mark 16:5).

Find a good BIBLE believing church, make good Godly friends, and have good Godly accountability. Study GOD’s word, and pray and talk to HIM about everything. I’ve found in this life with Jesus that if it concerns you it concerns HIM!

~May GOD, bless you all, and may we all be ready for HIS return. ~