I grew up on a small farm in rural north central North Carolina. From my earliest memories my Grandmother and Mother took me to the local Methodist Church. When I was married the first time, and after a divorce, I continued to go to a Baptist Church. My second wife was Lutheran and we attended services at the Lutheran Church just down the road from our home.
In the early 1990’s while attending the Lutheran Church the Lord started dealing with me about paying a tenth of what I made for tithes. I guess God was testing my heart, because the end of year report showed I had given more than double almost everyone else in the congregation. Nevertheless I remained faithful to what God had put on my heart. Around 1994 the Lord started working on me during the Lutheran services about what was the real truth of God. While sitting in the services on Sunday the Lord would ask me questions. One Sunday the question would be, if there is one church which one is right? This started my mind wondering. I grew up in a Methodist Church, I went to a Baptist, and now attended a Lutheran Church and I didn’t see a lot of difference in them. The biggest difference I saw was two sprinkled and the other dunked you in water for baptism. So what was God trying to show me? Could it be that Roman Catholic place I knew nothing about? Later God had a big surprise for me. Another Sunday God would ask where did the church buildings come from? In the New Testament I only remembered reading about the believers being gathered together in houses to worship God. Another Sunday it would be where did wearing and parading the cross come from? Thinking on this I didn’t remember reading in the Bible anywhere it told of the disciples wearing or carrying crosses around after Jesus’ death. In the Lutheran services the pastor wore different color robes on special occasions. On another Sunday the question was where did these robes come from? I remembered thinking I had only read about Jesus wearing a white robe in the scriptures. I had all questions and no answers. God was putting a desire in my heart to know the truth. Back then my time spent with God was in my little red truck riding back and forth to work. I can remember praying over and over and over asking God what was his truth.
During this time I had a satellite with 336 transponders or channels. I would wear that satellite out going from one preacher to another trying to hear something that would make a connection with what I was feeling from God. One day I stopped and listened to Fred Price teaching on the Lord’s Prayer (or at least what I had always been taught was the Lord’s Prayer). He said things that felt right. Fred asked who has ever received a blessing from repeating that prayer. I remember thinking we repeat it almost every Sunday, but I have never received a blessing from it. Then he went on to read scriptures showing where the kingdom of God had already come and that those with the Holy Ghost already had power over evil. I remember him saying if you pray this prayer you are asking God to do something he has already done.
Around this time I was given a new job at work taking perpetual inventory. Taking inventory allowed me to move about from one end to the other of the Distribution Center. While taking inventory I ran into Wendell Satterwhite that I had worked with maybe 10 years before. Right away I noticed something had changed about him. He was different. One day while we were talking, he started speaking in tongues. I had never heard anyone speak in tongues before and knew absolutely nothing about it. So I went home and looked up tongues in the Bible. The first scripture the Lord gave me was 1Corinthians 14:21-22. The scripture told that God would speak to his people “with men of other tongues” and it was a sign “to them that believe not”. Well I thought I believed, but I couldn’t speak in tongues. Wendell had something from God I didn’t.
The Lord had been pressing me to read the Bible so I could have a better understanding about him. Every time I tried to read it, I would end up giving up. I just couldn’t understand what I was reading. One day Wendell asked me if I would like to come to an Old Testament class. On the inside I was saying Yes! Yes! Yes! Later he said he didn’t expect me to come because I was working all day and going to the community college two nights a week. It turned out I was the only one of about five people he had invited to show up. Boy did the Lord bless me for showing up. I read and I understood like never before. I saw the truth about things I had been taught wrong all my life and I couldn’t get enough of what I was learning.
The Old Testament class started in September of 1995 and I am not sure when it ended. It was during this time the Lord spoke to me one day on the golf course. I had wanted to play golf for several days and things would not work out. When I did get a chance to play I was by myself and decided to walk. As I started I was thanking God for allowing me to play during the first few holes. As I reached holes four and five I was into the game and was no longer thanking God. The tee box on the next hole, number six, was the most secluded place on the golf course. You had to hit the ball across a pond that was surrounded by trees except for the tee box that you hit from, a cart path to get to the other side and the fairway opening on the other side. After I hit the ball, I was walking through the woods on the cart path just before I reached the fairway on the other side of the pond and I thought I saw a golf ball lying on the ground in the edge of the trees. I love to pickup golf balls but for some reason I didn’t stop and continued on walking. As I continued the Lord spoke to me. He said “When your God shows you something stop and take time to look at it.” I was startled and looked behind me and ahead to see who was there. But I knew on the inside it was the Lord speaking to me and that I was suppose to go back and look to see if it really was a golf ball. When I went back and looked closer sure enough there was a golf ball in the edge of the woods. As I started towards it, the Lord spoke to me a second time. He said, “When your God shows you something it is real”. I picked the ball up and looking around in a small area, I found enough golf balls to fill both front pockets of the shorts I was wearing. As I was starting back to the golf cart path the Lord spoke to me a third time and said “Your cup runneth over.” Needless to say I quit playing golf and came home that day.
I knew I was seeing the truth as never before. So in March of 1996 I started going to the home prayer meetings where Wendell attended and never went back to the Lutheran Church. Here I met Pastor John Clark for the first time and heard teachings that connected with what God had been putting on my heart years before. Since this time God has continued to open my eyes and ears to see and hear more and more of his truth. It was in the meetings I learned what real repentance is. I understood if I ever wanted Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in an unknown tongue I had to really repent. What I had always been taught before, to ask God for forgiveness, live like I wanted to and God would forgive me every time I asked wasn’t going to work. I found out real repentance and the only repentance Jesus will accept, is when you react to what God puts on your heart. For me there were things God required me to do and things God required me to stop doing and I couldn’t do them anymore. It was during this time that the Lord put it on my heart to have my name removed from the Methodist inactive membership list and the Lutheran membership list. I had stopped going to these places and with having my name removed from their list, I no longer had an affiliation with the religion of Christianity. When I finished with everything God had put on my heart to repent of, Jesus accepted my repentance. Around 9:30 at night on November 10, 1998 while riding home on northbound Interstate 85 between the 220 and 221 mile markers I received Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in an unknown tongue. By the Holy Spirit I was baptized into the body of Christ. This is the only body and the only baptism that counts with God today.
Years before the Lord asked me “if there was one church which one was right?” He used the word “church” because I wouldn’t have understood his question if it would have been “if there is one body which one is right”. Since then, God gave Pastor John a revelation that has let us see that the word church is translated over 100 times incorrectly on purpose from instructions of King James to his translators in the King James Bible. Jesus never used the word church. The word Jesus used means “called out ones”.
I was outside the religion of Christianity when I received Jesus’ Holy Ghost baptism on November 10, 1998. I wasn’t attending its denominations and my name had been removed from their membership rolls when this happened. If Christianity was of God I would have to be in that religion to receive Jesus’ baptism. If you have left Christianity and have Jesus’ baptism, you have arrived.
This is a few of the scriptures that back up my testimony from God. From my experiences, I believe speaking in tongues is the evidence of who is born again or baptized by Jesus with the holy Ghost into his body. My hope is God will use these scriptures to open your eyes to let you see what he has shown me.
Jesus came to give us rest in our souls. My question to you is what is this rest Jesus came to give us and how does he give it?
• Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
• Mt 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Most people know John had a baptism, but what about Jesus?
• Lu 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Jesus told Nicodemus we had to be born again. A person has to be born the first time just to read this. From what Jesus said there has to be a second birth.
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Jo 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
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Jo 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
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Jo 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Before we continue, what is the kingdom of God?
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Ro 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
If you are not born again, you will not see or enter into the righteousness, and peace, and joy of the holy Ghost. We are born once of the water of our mother’s womb and the second time we are born of the Spirit.
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Jo 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
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Jo 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
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Jo 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
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Jo 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Jesus said in the next verse you would hear the sound of everyone born of the Spirit:
• Jo 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Jesus told the apostles that John baptized with water but they were going to receive the promise of the Father and be baptized with the holy Ghost:
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Ac 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
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Ac 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
The kingdom of God came on the day of Pentecost and the holy Ghost gave them utterance to speak in tongues. This is the sound Jesus said you would hear:
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Ac 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
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Ac 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
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Ac 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
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Ac 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Before the day of Pentecost Jesus and the disciples preached to the people to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand.
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Mk 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel:
After the day of Pentecost they preached to the people to repent, be baptized and receive the holy Ghost because the kingdom of God had come.
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Ac 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Another way they said it was to repent, be converted (born again) when you receive the refreshing which comes from the presence of the Lord. What is the refreshing? Notice that when you are converted and receive the refreshing is when your sins are blotted out or forgiven.
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Ac 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Isaiah said God speaking to his people in tongues is the rest and refreshing:
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Is 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
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Is 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Paul quoted Isaiah and said tongues is a sign from God to them that believed not:
• 1Co 14:21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
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1Co 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.
When we receive the holy Spirit we are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ:
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1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Peter said baptism now saves us. Not water baptism which washes away the filth of the flesh, but the baptism of the holy Ghost from the resurrection of Jesus which gives us a good conscience towards God.
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1Pe 3:21 …whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
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1Pe 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Paul said there was one baptism that counts with God. Is it John’s baptism of water or Jesus’ baptism of the holy Ghost?
• Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
• Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
• Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
• Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
• Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
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Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ:
Paul also said in Ephesians there was one faith. The Baptist have their faith, beliefs or doctrines that are suppose to get you to heaven, so do the Methodist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic and the rest of the denominations. So which one is right? The truth is they are all wrong, only God’s way is right:
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Mt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
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Mt 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
I pray that my testimony and these bible verses will be a blessing to you.
Randall Williams