I was brought up totally opposite of what I believe in today

I have been Christian ever since I was 5½. That’s what I was brought up to believe. However my sisters aren’t Christians, well they don’t act like it. I was brought up totally opposite of what I believe in today.

I remember that when I was 10 or so, we went down to the coast and I saw: “Jesus, tent of miracles” I was like “Mum, they do healing in there.” I’ll never forget what she said to me, “Melissa, don’t you EVER go in there it is from the devil.” So then that was what I believed. When I was 14, Bethany invited me to her youth, which was the first night in 2003, well she rang me up and said “Hey what are you doing this Saturday night?” and I said nothing. Then she invited me, than I asked my parents then they said, “what denomination is it?” so I asked Bethany and she replied “Assembly of God” I told my parents, they sighed than said, “alright” so Bethany picked me up on Saturday. I felt the Holy Spirit. But I had no idea what that feeling was. Anyway I went home, and I asked mum, “can I go there all the time?” she replied “No, they are charismatic they speak like this; jedijafudanijodasukijevonisokodaqurivijob, they think they’re speaking to God but they’re not they’re speaking to the devil” I said back to her “Well MUM they didn’t” but she insisted that they will.

So I hadn’t been for another 3 months or so. I slept over Bethany’s house, and I went to youth that Saturday, and it was awesome, I saw people falling, crying and everything. I’m just like wow. Then I went home. When I got home mum was watching TV and I joined her, than we saw an add about jeans which kind of reminded me of that night. So I asked “what is it when people have that happened to them?” then she said, “Absolutely nothing, they say it’s God but really it isn’t. It is hypnotism; don’t ever let them touch you.” I didn’t really believe her, but I just said ok so she doesn’t start going mental.

I went the next week and than they said something about youth camp 03. I thought I couldn’t go because it’s near my mum’s birthday, during mine, and I’m going to Movieworld. But I had my money paid for. Anyway I went to camp, and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I was crying and crying. When I arrived home Bethany came with me because we were going to Movieworld the next day with our friend Christine.

We slept downstairs and Bethany and I were going to describe what camp was like, I shut the door cause dad was on the computer. I hadn’t been to youth for a whole month, than at the Winter Carnival Bethany invited me to youth again. Mum said I could go, then Bethany’s mum rang “Bethany has just been invited to a party and she won’t be going tonight” then I wasn’t going to go, but than I remembered asking Jessica and Stacy if they were going tonight, and they were. So I hung for a bit of the night, but I mostly hung around Amber. That night when I got home I asked my parents “can I go there all the time now?” and they thought about it. “We’ll think about it.” So I am hoping that they would say ‘yes’ I prayed that they would say yes. On the way to church, my mum said to me that I could go all the time. So I was happy. But it wasn’t until early the next year that I would become a Pentecostal Christian.

I remember one night it was so clear to me, I thought of all of the times that God has given me the opportunity of being Pentecostal. The night I was thinking that was the night when I was sleeping over my best friends house Christine, who is now a born-again Christian.

I didn’t get much sleep that night because I was praying to God “what now?” I just kept asking and asking. I didn’t hear Him say it nut I felt Him say it: “Melissa, you are in Tsunami for a reason. The denomination A.O.G which Assembly of Me” with that I was satisfied. And I prayed saying thank-you Jesus. I wasn’t at all tired that morning, even though I was up till 2am or so. When I got home I read the most encouraging bible chapter, it was 1 Corinthians 12 & 14. Chapter 12 is about Spiritual Gifts and 14 about Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues. I told Bethany at school that I am a Pentecostal Christian. But that it is (and still is) a secret from my parents, but she was excited. Brethrens and Pentecostals are so very different, Brethren at one end, and Pentecostal at the other end. Two totally different denominations, how can I possibly tell my parents? I am scared, they’ll kick out of youth for sure. Than at Youth camp 04, it was the most amazing anointing ever. I received visions. One was a really big crowd everyone with good looks and there was me small, and unknown I was at the very back. Jesus was on stage and He was going to select somebody, He selected me. Than I just heard Him say “Melissa I have put you through the tough times for a reason. I was there holding your hand. You are selected to do My Will. And it is…” I couldn’t hear what it was. I wish I knew what it is that he wants me to do. The second vision was on the second night it was a teenager cutting their wrists, just to feel physical pain rather than their emotional pain.

Teenagers my age committing suicide thinking that they are worthless pieces of crap, nobody wants them. God said to me “this breaks my heart, now it breaks yours” I also that night spoke in tongues, it was such a different feeling, there a feeling like butterflies in my stomach, and there was something on my tongue, I just opened my mouth and I was speaking in tongues. Then I just was shaking and shaking. I got up, and went up to the front, and Peter just touched people and said “FIRE!” and they would just fall to the ground, it was like a dominoes affect. I didn’t see it because I was one of the first people. Bethany said that she had her eyes closed and than somebody fell one her foot so she opened her eyes and the whole front row was on the ground crying. The next day I received a passion for the lost. I am not sure who else did. I cried for all the people’s pain, I felt their pain, it was like I was carrying it, God gave me their burden, of pain. And I cried. When I went home I cried that night because I still felt that pain. The next day we could say what camp was like, I said I spoke in tongues and than about the passion for the lost, I was still feeling that pain and I nearly burst out crying in front of people I just felt that pain again.
But Alisha’s mum said something to me which made me confident, and I wasn’t embarrassed.

Melissa
mcleay-mel@g2.groves.qld.edu.au