Hi, Pastor John (and Darren).
After Darren sang the above-referenced song in today’s meeting, I shared with him that the song holds a special place in my heart as it truly convicted me early in my walk with Christ. I realized this morning that it played an integral part in my baptism with the Holy Ghost!
I knew Darren wouldn’t remember the email I sent to him in early 2018. Even I didn’t remember the specifics. So I went to my old email and pulled it up. The email is copied below.
When I looked at the date of the email it was Feb 15, 2018 – only four days before I was baptized with the Holy Ghost with the sound of the spirit!! Praise God!!! I love my life in Him and am so grateful to be part of the body of Christ!!!
Hi, Darren.
Brad Crooker introduced me to your music and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to your CDs repeatedly as I commute to and from work.
Saturday’s meeting at Pastor John’s (Brad and I were streaming the meeting) was the first time I saw you minister in song and it brought immense joy to my heart as soon as I heard your beautiful guitar playing and deep voice. I am quite the fan :)!
Then the lyrics of your first song took me to a place I needed to go in order to be closer to Jesus! Your lyric “What you’re living for is what you’re giving into. This will be your end” touched my heart. I wasn’t sure why at first but I knew I had to sit with those words and let Jesus speak to my heart as to what they meant to me.
It was on Sunday that the message became clear… I have been living for my worldly identity and I continually give into it and giving into it doesn’t give me anything but pain and heartache. What I want to be living for and giving into is Jesus – His words, His thoughts, His joy! What I need to surrender to him is this worldly identity I have been so wrapped up in for the last 55 years!
“The world has nothing that you want. The world has nothing that you need. I will give you everything if everything you give to me.” Clearly what I was feeling and clearly my challenge is to heed your words and truly give Him my everything – the only thing I have known, the only way I have lived in this world my worldly identity – to Him.
So… I then went to your lyric “I don’t ask that much of you. You don’t ask enough of me” and I got down on my knees and prayed to God to take away all the meaning I have derived from who I identify as in this world and let me be who I am… a child of Christ! I will continue to pray this prayer and listen to this song!
Thank you a million times over for your songs and the one you sang on Saturday in particular. I am truly changed because of your ministry!
Much love and respect,
Allison