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MY
TESTIMONY
TO, AND
BEFORE,
I was born Embert-Lewis Thompson, on the island of Oahu, one of the Hawaiian Islands, in the South Pacific when they were still a territory of the United States. I was born to Frank and Marion Thompson, I understand that my dad was in the US Navy, and I don't know much about my mom, except that she was my mom and I was the oldest of 4 children. She was killed in car wreck when I was 5 years. And of course, all 4 children were adopted out. I had a very hard time in my life after that. Being 5 years old you understand more than you can tell, but you never forget. I was adopted out to a man named 'Newt' ,and sent to a avocado ranch, where I recall I was very much hurt over being separated from my mom, dad, my 2 brothers and sister. It was the first time I ever remember speaking to God, and I ask him why I was taken away from my sister and two brothers, and what had happened to my mom and dad? I remember, (now that I am able to express it) that is something that really hurt inside me. I was pretty young to feel rejection, fear, and being alone, and not knowing why. Something odd happened shortly after that, a couple who couldn't have children took all 4 of us because they wanted a little baby and Richard was 9 months, so they got their baby. About a year and a half later, (in the early 50's) my sister got polio, (we moved from Hawaii to California when we were little, that's how we got to San Diego). It's written in God's word, “that gifts and calling of God are without repentance”. (Of course I did not know anything about God), But when my sister got sick, they took her to the naval Hospital and put her in a iron lung, which did the breathing for her. I remember begging my new mom and dad, “please let me go to see Anne”. I knew if they let me go she would be OK. So my sister died of polio when she was six years old and I was 7. After that, I just couldn't stay out of trouble, it seemed like a plague had a hold of me. When I turned 11, I got in a real lot of trouble and got sent to Juvenile Hall, (and once again I cried out to God, “God why I am here?”). So I got sent away to a youth detention. (I was there for 2 years.) I was released for 1 week, and got sent back for 2 more years, only this time I was older. Well, I was out again time for about 2 weeks, and got in more trouble, and went back in for another 2 years. (This is really kicking me hard to tell you these things). Well again I got out, and by then I was an adult at 18 years old. You guessed it, I was free for about a few months and got caught. This time I went to state prison in California. And that was that!
Well, I escaped 3 times and was working on number 4, I had become a leader in a certain gang on the west coast and in the prison system. Here I was 26 years old and the only life I knew was being locked up, hardly ever free, and nothing mattered at all to me. BIRTHED BY THE CALLING AND ELECTION OF GOD Romans 10: 20 reads, “But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found ofthem that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.” Well, it was a Tuesday morning, August 14th, just before 10am, and I had got into this high security area, it was really odd, there was no guards around anywhere, so I went in and was thinking this was my chance to go to Europe, but instead of going left, I went right, and went down this hallway to a little room and walked in and here was this guy in a suite looking at me real strangely, (Well I was really bitter and angry with everyone I knew, but no one would say much to me except the men in the gang I was responsible to. I was one walking, crazy human, I really can't even call myself a man, because I had no rules in life to go by, it was bad. Here I was 26 years old) and I said to this guy in the suit, “Why don't you say something?”, and I sat down in this little chair, and looked over at him, and he said, “Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and to forgive you of your sin?” (I had never heard anything about Jesus Christ.) Well all in one movement, I swept the chair aside and fell to my knees, and cried out with all my strength and voice “Lord Jesus help me, I cannot control this life that I live, I was born this way with this sin in me, I have no control at all, please forgive me of this sin I was born with and come live in me and take me where you are and let me live in you.” Well here He was, right above me, And I was looking right at Him, This holy one, this overwhelming Presence, this one named Jesus Christ, who was radiating His presence and Love and mercy and power right to me, and He said very sternly, “Do you know your friends can hear you?” But I cried out even more strongly than before, “Lord Jesus, I don't care who hears me, please come into me and live in me.” Well my friend, brother or sister, man or woman, whoever you are, something very great happened, I jumped up to my feet with tears running down my cheeks, and this man asked me, “Have you ever done this before?” I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “No, I wish I would have, because I feel like I have a hundred pound coat of armor mail lifted off of me. I am free.” So you see my dear friend, brother or sister, as it is also written in Romans, “It is not him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” It has never stopped, and from that day to this, I have not been able to stop telling people about this lovely Lord Jesus Christ, THE WORD. WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH Acts 5: 32 reads, “And we are his witnesses of these thinqs; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” Soon after this mighty event had happened, I could not get enough of this word of God. I honestly could fill pages of words of events which supernaturally had happened. I was transferred to a super-maximum security prison because of my past gang activities, escapes and other things I was involved in, but now I was free. After I had arrived there, I began to tell other men about this Jesus I had meet as God would direct me. Soon there began to form about 15 to 18 men who wanted to hear about this Word of God that Jesus Christ was revealing through me, about His redemption, and His blood that He had given freely, for me and to anyone who would believe. God began to deal with my heart about being baptized in water, and one day I went over to the protestant chapel and meet a guy there named John Lane, who was conducting weekly services from the outside, he was an Assembly of God minister. I ask him if he would baptize me in water. He said he would. A couple of days had passed, and I had spoken to all the men in our group about the baptism to come so everyone could be there. We filled a laundry cart full of water and put it in the room that was between the protestant chapel and the Roman Catholic chapel. There were 25 men there, a guard outside the door, and this brother Lane who was going to do the baptism. We gathered and prayed, and then I was baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Well something really strange happened. This really strong power came from somewhere, and knocked everyone back and staggered them like they were drunk or something, and this little brother John Lane from the A. o. G. group, got knocked back and started speaking in some other languages, and was crying, and some of the men were crying and screaming. Me, I was standing there with my hands raised up and strange words coming out of my mouth. Then I had noticed what was going on. So afterwards, I got dried and dressed, and we all headed back to our cell blocks, and when I was going to mine, the guard stopped me and ask me how this preacher guy baptized me. I said “What do you mean?” He said, “What did that guy call over you when he baptized you – “Father, Son, Holy Ghost”, or “the Name of Jesus Christ?” Well I looked at him and was thinking real fast at about what he had asked. So I looked at him and said, “I'll go back to my ‘house’ (we didn't like to call our cells ‘cells’), and I will look about what you have asked, and I will see you tomorrow.” Well, when I got back to my house, I put my Bible on my little desk we had and went through the entire New Testament in my mind, and every place I could recall, those apostles always baptized in the “Name of Jesus Christ”, or “Lord Jesus”, every place, every time. And the Apostle Paul asked the question to the Corinthians believers “Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” So right then, I knew that I had to be rebaptized correctly. The next day when I was doing my job I had in the prison, I seen this guard brother, and went over where he was guarding the GYM, and asked him what was going on? He said he was guarding the gym. Well, I asked him if they had water there in the gym, he said "yes", and I asked him if they had any towels there in the gym, he said "yes", and I asked him if they had any laundry carts there in the gym, he said "yes". And after that last question, he looked at me and said, “What doeth hinder us from you being baptized correctly?” I looked at the set of keys on his side and said, “Those keys!” And he immediately took his keys opened the gate and we enter the gym, and brother Mike Calderwood rebaptised me in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. CALLING TO MINISTRY & WORD SPOKEN Ephesians 4:11,12 reads, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelist; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, or the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” Two or three weeks later, while in my room, I was setting on the edge of my bed, and something happened that is hard for me to tell, all of a sudden I was somewhere, and these 2 guys were escorting me into a big room. There was this ‘big shot’ guy sitting behind this big desk, with his feet upon this desk. And as this was happening, I realized that these guys were really satanic angels, and one was on one side, and the other was on the other side. As we came up to this big desk, I realized the person behind the desk was Lucifer. It is very difficult to describe what his face was like, but I am as positive as truth that this person was none other than Lucifer himself. He looked at me with disgust, and said, “We know who you are. You're one sent from the most high God.” A few more weeks past, and a brother and myself were fellowshipping and walking and talking about God's message and His Word, and I asked my brother, “Man, Bradrock, I sure would like for God to tell me what He would like me to do. I mean that I know that He wants me to proclaim His Word, but there seems to be something missing, I'd sure like to know.” Well, I went back to my apartment and walked into the room and sat down and put my Bible up on the desk, and no sooner than I had done that a man came into my room, through the door, I mean the door was shut tight. He walked right through the door and walked over to me and stood by my right side, sort of a little behind me. Of course I was very still and did not move at all. He said, “In my name you shall cast out devils, and you shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” Well, I was very reluctant to move or say anything or even to think much. Then He again spoke, this time more strongly and with a saying that “you better believe this”. “In my name you will cast out devils, and you shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” Well, he just turned around and walked away and back through the door and was gone. (I remember the day very well, December the 24th, about 4:45 pm, right around that time). I want to say this: because of having a background of witchcraft and knowing first hand that Satan is a sly one, I figured that if it was not in the Scripture, I was not going for it at all. Well, something very strange happened at that time. I reached up and picked up my Bible and sort of opened it without trying much, and it came open to Gen.41 :32, which reads, “And for that the dream was doubled unto pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. “ Well, it certainly was not a dream that had happened at all. Well, after my eyes rested on that I thought to myself, “Now that is really odd indeed.” So I went to pick up my Bible again, and said to myself, “Well, if this is God, then it is written; I know that if it is established in the mouth of two or three witnesses, then it would be established before. I wasn't really worried about what was happening at all; actually I was pretty calm because I am not one to joke much when it comes to the things of God's word. Anyway, I checked up my Bible and sort-of like, maybe, started to open it up, and it fell open to Mark 16:17 and 18. Of course, what stood out to me was what my eyes fell upon – “In my name shall they cast out devils”. Now, it reads “they”, but I was thinking He said “you” to me, and of course “they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover”. But He said, once again, “you” to me. Well, needless to say, I sat there for a few minutes and thought about what had happened, and let the rest of the day pass. I believe it was about two days later, brother Drock and I were fellowshipping again, (of course, I was keeping to myself what had happened because I wasn't quite sure what to make of what had happened). You know what I mean? So this brother named Bill Kingston who I had meet a few months earlier came walking up me and started crying and said that he had got mixed up in some things and he needed some help because he had picked up some bad habits and wanted us to pray for him and get some deliverance from those habits, of smoking and some other stuff. So I said “Okay.” I said to brother Drock, “Let's go over by the side of the street and sit down like nothing is going on and pray for this brother.” We did, and as we laid our hands on this brother Bill, something very strange started happening, which we didn't really understand at the time, but later figured it out, that Our Lord Jesus was very pleased at what we were doing. Anyway, as I started to speak and pray, I found myself uttering a few strange syllables, and in English saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ, come out of my brother you devil” very quietly and nonchalantly. As we opened our eyes and begin to look around, there was this very large cloud of like living fire all around us, and I asked brother Drock if he seen what I was seeing, and he said “Yea, brother Bert.” I asked brother Bill the same and he said, “Yea, brother Bert, I see that, what is it?” So, for a minute or so we just looked around and looked everywhere as to see if maybe it was a reflection or something; it sure wasn't. But it was like a cloud of living fire. Yet to this day, I don't quite know how to describe it other than a cloud of living fire about sixty feet in diameter, round. Strange, what do you think! Well, back to the witness part, I would say that was a pretty good witness of what that man, (or maybe I should say, that person) told me in my room. About a year later I was put out of the prison. COMING THROUGH & TODAY Philippians 3:13,14,15 reads: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I PRESS toward the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” A few years had passed, and I had come across the Message of God, through God's messenger, William Marrion Branham. God had spoken to me about him when I was in prison, and when I had gotten out, I immediately ran in to a group of message believer's who didn't believe in praying or fasting. It was easy to tell, and they really got mad at me when I confronted them about it. Anyway, I had started preaching publicly, and I was invited to a church in Claremore, Oklahoma. There was a lady that came up one night for prayer about a condition she had, and after prayer God healed her, and a couple of other things God did for the people there. So after the third night the pastor asks me would I mind writing to this brother in Jamaica. So, I wrote this young brother, and after 3 letters, I prayed, “God, if you are wanting me to go down there, and I am really “one sent” then have the pastor of this brother write me and tell me that “he has a place for me to stay, food to eat, and places to go and preach this end time message of the Lord Jesus Christ”. Well, a few days passed, and I came in one day from work and went to the mail box, and there was this letter from a “Pastor Frasier”. I opened it, it started out, “Dear brother, I am Brother Linden, and I have read your letters, and I am wanting you to come to here in Jamaica and preach this End time message that I have heard of, I have a place for you to stay while you are here, and I will be able to make sure you have food to eat, and there are many churches that will receive you and what you are preaching.” Well, I guess that pretty well answered my request before God. So now I can say, without doubting and after looking up what “one sent” means, and God revealing to my heart and showing many healing and wonders to his people and starting a few groups of people who are doing their best to follow God this day, I also can say with full assurance before God, “I don't know why You chose me.” But I am very thankful to be used by our Lord Jesus Christ in proclaiming and teaching to His people this truth that He has revealed through His mighty prophet-messenger, and allowing me grace and this calling in my life, to this ministry of His word, to His Holy people, His Bride. So, why am I giving this testimony? In great Hope that God will take these words and place them in the hearts of His people. There is still healing, both body and soul, available to His children, and His love gifts are still working just as strong as they ever were. You see, many people are so hung up on just Brother Branham. That is wrong, wrong, wrong. WE, God's people NEED to be with Jesus, and our Lord Jesus said, “I AM THE RESSURECTION AND THE LIFE”, and if that is not on display, then I would run from whatever you are involved in as fast as I could. This day, at present, I am doing the work of a pastor here in a town called Colorado Springs, Colorado. I am waiting upon the Lord, and teaching as God speaks "the faith that was once delivered to the saints", and proclaiming that "faith of our Fathers", because without that, the people are blind, sick, and are only wondering around in darkness of organization and denominationalism. God have mercy on them but blessings and love, grace, compassion, to His lovely waiting Bride. I certainly thank our most gracious Brother Gan for giving me this privilege, in allowing me to post this testimony to my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, and if you are reading this and you are not sure of what's going on, then email me and I will be happy to share with you this lovely Word of God, and pray for you, and if sickness has taken hold of you, or some spirit is holding you back, we will pray and take the authority over that thing in the Name of Jesus Christ, and believe God for your deliverance in the Name of Jesus Christ. Fare you well.
His
servant and yours, |