Oh wow, there is so much to say as to what led up to my receiving the holy Ghost. God was looking out for me my whole life; I just didn't understand that. But, I am glad He granted me the chance now to find out about Him despite my ignorance and rebellion as a child. I grew up around holiness and I knew there was something very good about it. I knew it was real, but I just wasn't ready to commit myself to living holy. I didn't hang around long enough to really find out what the holy Ghost would mean in my life, especially as a young teenager. Instead, when I was old enough, I left home and moved on my own, away from holiness and the life I had known.

One of the things that most impressed me as a child in those holiness meetings was seeing the people rejoice and give their testimonies with such joy. And hearing stories of healing and deliverance and seeing the lively saints praising Jesus and dance across the floor. That was exciting to me and the memory of those events was embedded in my mind. If you have ever seen someone move under the power of the holy Ghost, it is something that you never forget.

During my time away from home, the Lord gave me a dream that He was coming back. In the dream, I was sitting in my living room coloring while my Mom and Dad were playing their guitars. It was just a normal evening around the house. Then, I heard a commotion outside and I knew immediately that the Lord was coming back. My Mom and Dad (who have the holy Ghost baptism) stood up and began to walk toward the door. They turned around and waved to me and said, "BYE". I was crying and screaming..."NO! NO! You can't leave me. I am not ready yet." I knew I did not have the holy Ghost and wasn't prepared to meet Jesus and they were going to leave without me. I knew at that moment, I wasn't prepared, but it was too late. They turned around and walked out the door; and never looked back. Whew....That was some kind of dream. It was very real to me and put a fear in my heart that if I didn't get right with God, seek after and receive the holy Ghost, I wouldn't make it with Jesus. That is when God started working on my heart and changing my life. The first thing I did after this dream was call my Mom and Dad and tell them about it. It was 3 o'clock in the morning, but I had to tell them, it was too important. On their end, they knew, after hearing the dream, that God was dealing with my heart.

Some time passed between the dream and when I started getting really serious with God, but when I did, I went ahead whole-hearted. I got in touch with the people I knew had what I needed. I went back home to the saints that I had known and loved so long ago. The love I felt from the saints there was overwhelming and beyond any feelings I had felt anywhere in this world; very peaceful feelings. Their love for God was a strong pull on my heart. And, God's love, unbenownst to me, was pulling on me as well.

The Lord was continually putting things on my heart to take care of and get right or change. I was eager to take on that task because of the conviction I was feeling from the Lord in my heart. After a time, I felt like I had done everything I could think of that I needed to do, and I prayed to the Lord, what do I need to do next? My dad passed on some very good words of wisdom that he, himself, had received at this critical time in his life, they were: "be still and just wait."

One weekend in May 1996, the saints were gathering together from different places to visit and have a good time in the Lord. I really wanted the holy Ghost and I knew it was a good time to get it. That Friday night, I went up for prayer, and when I did, I felt a weight just lift off my shoulders. I didn't even realize the weight I was carrying around from a life of sin. It was just like Jesus just took all the burdens, troubles, whatever I had accumulated my whole life, put them in his hand, and just blew them away in the wind. Poof! They were gone. It was amazing!

That night my father was standing over me praying and he said to me...."This is what you were born for!" I heard those words very clearly and they went straight into my heart and tucked themselves away into a little corner to always be remembered. I believed them and held on to them, and to this day, have never forgotten them.

The next day, I felt very different. My spirit was lighter and I felt joyous in my heart. I knew God was going to touch me this day. We were going to meet again as a group and I had made up my mind that no matter what was going on around me, I just wanted the holy Ghost. The only thing at this point that mattered to me was what did God want from me. I wanted to please Him. I wanted to be His child and to know in my heart that God loved me. I wanted the holy Ghost. In the gathering that day, someone very dear to me came over and gave me a hug. From that point on I was in God's hands completely. We gently went to the floor and prayed together and that is where I stayed until God showed up.

Several of the saints were praying with me there on the floor. I could hear them praying for me and the words they were speaking to me, but somehow all of that just faded in the background. The last words I remember praying were "Jesus, whatever you want, I'll do." At that moment, I felt a warm sensation come over my body. It started at the top of my head and went all the way down to my toes and back up and out of my mouth. When it came out of my mouth, I came up speaking in tongues! It was the sweetest, most happy, joyful feeling!!!! I was consumed completely with Jesus. Joy and peace flowed through my veins like I had never felt before! I can't even describe how wonderful it was! How clean it was! The love I felt. I was happy and free! And, I found out that God really did love me and had for quite some time. He lit this fire inside of me where once it was cold and empty, and now this flame inside of me continually burns for Him. He really did change my life and put something there that will never leave me.

My life began the day God filled me with His Spirit! I am amazed at how much better it keeps getting as the days go by. I was 26 when I received the holy Ghost. I am always learning new things and learning how to live a clean and holy life and putting it into practice on a daily basis. I am constantly learning how to love people with the love of God and to be a servant to Jesus in every way. I am so very thankful for what God has done for me! I am no longer in bondage because His Spirit has set me free from the spirits of this world for I have found the way of escape. This is truly what I was born for.

I hope that all of God's children everywhere can learn more about who He really is and love the truth He wants them to have, and to be satisfied with just Him and His simplicity! Receiving the holy Ghost has made me one of the happiest people on earth! I know that if you are hungering and thirsting for this experience, you can receive the holy Ghost right there in your home or wherever you are! Nothing is impossible for God! How wonderful your life will be if you let Jesus take over! My, the difference it will make in your life. There is nothing like it on this earth! Nothing! And, I thank Him for it with every breath in my body!

http://pittmana.multiply.com/music/item/5

Back in January, 1999, I was typing at my computer one day, working on notes for my pastor for a book he is writing entitled "The Iron Kingdom". The book is about Constantine. I came to several places where over and over again the cross was mentioned. Either as a sign or some history where Constantine’s mother claimed to have a vision and found a piece of wood with the actual nails from the cross of Jesus, where the cross was made a standard part of worship, and many other discussions about the cross.

As I was sitting there, I heard a voice say "The cross. The cross. They hide behind the cross." I then leaned back in my chair and I saw a vision of a house. There was a front door with an old-timey keyhole on it. I saw the door unlock and open. When the door opened, I walked in and there were seven doors all closed. On each one of the doors there was a title written on them. The titles were from Ephesians chapter 4, and were titled like this; One Body, One Spirit, One Hope, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, and One God.

The Spirit began to talk to me and show me about this house. It began with the "new birth" as the key to opening the front door. Once I passed through the front door, I entered the hallway with the doors on either side of me. As I opened each one of those doors, the titles on each one did away with wrong ideas about God. For example, these are the things that the doors represented:

The first door that was titled "One Body"made it impossible for all the congregations from different churches to be the body of Christ, because behind that door there was only one body of Christ.

The second door titled "One Spirit", along with the third door titled "One Lord", and the fourth door titled "One God", made void the doctrine of the trinity, because there is only one of each, separately behind their own door.

The fifth door titled "One Hope", made void the saved doctrine, because if we are saved already, there is nothing to hope for. "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it" (Rom. 8:24-25).

The sixth door titled "One Faith", made it impossible for all the different denominational doctrines to be the "One Faith", because there are so many and they are so divided with their teachings, behind this door was simply only one faith.

And, finally, the seventh door titled "One Baptism", made the doctrine of being baptized with water and adding a spiritual baptism of none effect, because there is only one baptism that God is requiring. And the question being now, which one is it?  Jesus' baptism of the holy Ghost or John's baptism with water? 

This was an incredible experience for me because what I saw shows what lies "beyond the cross". The frustration or weariness I felt in my spirit with the words, "The cross. The cross. They hide behind the cross." was evident from the vision. Jesus’ sadness for his people because they fall short of the blessings he has waiting for them on the other side of the cross, not realizing that if they press on and go beyond the cross, there is a mountain of knowledge, and rest, and peace awaiting them, that they cannot find without making this step.

The most important lesson here is the New Birth and what that means for us. The holy Ghost, the "New Birth", with the evidence of speaking in tongues, is the key to entering into the house that God has built for His people; the body of Christ that He has created for us. Knowing this and experiencing it for yourself will take you places that you have never been before if you are willing to go "beyond the cross". This is the Spirit that was sent down for us from the Father, the Spirit that makes us one with Jesus and the Father. That makes us one body, and give us the one baptism that "doth also now save us", the one hope of being together in unity, and through the power of God, being kept through one faith, unto the one hope of salvation "ready to be revealed".

I am so thankful for this testimony that was given to me by my Father. It has helped me to learn more about the kind, loving God that I serve and the love He has for His own people. I pray that we all can continue to be willing to learn more about our Lord and not succumb to pressures around us to be too afraid to obey His voice when we feel the tug to "Go beyond the cross".

Please listen to this song written by Darren Prater - Beyond the Cross http://pittmana.multiply.com/music/item/21