A Background Rooted in Church
I grew up in the church. I was saved and baptized at the tender age of four, thanks to the guidance of my strong Christian mother. Even at that early age, I knew that I wanted to have a personal relationship with Jesus and accept Him into my heart. My mom instilled in me the importance of staying plugged in to God's Word and attending church regularly. Growing up, church was a regular part of my life, and I actively participated in various church activities, from VBS, to kid's clubs, to summer camps, to missions trips. I did it all.
A Different Testimony
While many people have stories of encountering God later in life, my journey was a bit different. Despite growing up in the church, I struggled to truly know the Lord, understand who He is, what He wants for me, and to experience the fullness of blessings mentioned in the Bible. The church I attended taught that we don't know why God does what He does and that we don't know what He wants for us. I was taught that we don't question God's plans and that we simply have to trust Him, even if we don't understand His ways. The Bible was seen as just some basic instructions for life before we leave this earth.
Unlocking the Power of God's Word
Even though I was actively involved in church activities, I was spiritually empty. I was lukewarm. It seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn't break free from the struggles and challenges that came my way. I questioned why my life was so difficult when I was a Christian who loved the Lord. I just always felt like something was missing, but didn't know what it was. It wasn't until 2019, during my deployment overseas, that the Lord really began to get ahold of my heart in a significant way. He revealed to me that His love was not just a distant concept but a tangible, transformative force that could change my life.
Discovering the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Throughout my years in the church, I had been taught that the Holy Spirit was received at the moment of salvation. However, there was little emphasis on the power and activation of the Holy Spirit in our lives--it was just something we had. Fastforward to mid-2019. After I returned from my deployment, the Lord led me to a small Pentecostal church that taught on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Specifically that the Holy Spirit isn't just hanging out, but He is a Helper that can be tuned into and activated--that the Spirit we see working throughout the Book of Acts is still present and active today. For the first time, I realized that there was a level of empowerment and victory over sin that I had been missing. I had struggled with various challenges, like pornography, from a young age(I was exposed to it at just 4yrs old), but without the power of the Holy Spirit, I found it impossible to break free. The baptism of the Holy Spirit gave me access to a new level of power and victory that I had never experienced before. For the first time I received true power--no longer was I trying to be good & righteous in my flesh, but rather the Holy Spirit burned that temptation & struggle right out of me. In the church my whole life, yet completely powerless until I was in my early 30s--that is the difference of the Holy Spirit!
A Life Transformed
Since that moment, my life has never been the same. The chains that once bound me were broken, and I experienced a newfound freedom and power in my walk with God. I began to understand the truth of God's word and how it applied to every aspect of my life. My journey of faith took on a new intensity as I dove deeper into the teachings of the Bible and allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me. In late August of 2022, nearly three years to the day of starting at that Pentecostal church, the Lord led me to a new church-- Revival Today Church in Pittsburgh, PA. In October of that year, Pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth laid hands on everyone, baptizing them in the Holy Spirit. That ignited a true fire within me and I have never been the same since. What had been smoldering was fanned into flames. The Lord was just getting started with preparing me to carry the fire to my generation.
Threads that Testify: Sharing God's Love
In 2021, the Lord instructed me to start a Christian clothing brand called Threads that Testify that would offer bold clothing that proclaimed the goodness and glory of God. He gave me the idea, the name, even the logo. The brand exists to share the message of Jesus Christ and the transformation that comes from believing in Him and also support the preaching of the gospel in this last hour of time. The foundational verse for the brand is Romans 10:9, which states how a person can receive salvation--'declare and believe'. In addition to the clothing brand, God has called me to use video & social media to teach & preach His Word to all who will hear it. I want to be the pastor/teacher that I did not have for 30+ years--a messenger who tells others how they can have victory and receive the power of the Holy Spirit. It has been an incredible journey so far and I am excited to see how God continues to use this platform to touch lives and bring salvation and hope to those who need it most.
Embracing a New Beginning
That fullness of God's love, the redemption from sin, and the power of the Holy Spirit--it was made available to anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus. But you have to accept Him as Lord of your life. The Word of God tells us:
Romans 10:8-13 - NKJV
8. But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9. that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If that is you today and you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, or if you once did but have since drifted away from Him, now is the time to set your heart right with God. He loves you so much! He doesn't wish for anyone to perish. Hell was never created for people, that is why He sent His Son to this earth to die on the cross and pay the price of our sin. Jesus washes away any and all wrong that we have done--through Him we are purified and made perfectly righteous in God's sight. The Bible says that through Jesus, we are sons and daughters of the Most High God--we can call Him 'Father'. It s not about labeling yourself as a Christian or joining a religion, but about accepting Jesus and starting a personal relationship with Him.
If you are ready to welcome the Lord into you life, pray to the Lord--just talk with Him as you would a good close friend: Say, "Dear heavenly Father, I repent of my sins and ask for your forgiveness. I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I thank you for your free gift of salvation. In Jesus' name, amen." Amen! Your life will never be the same! God is real and He will reveal Himself to you as you seek Him! I am proud of you! If you just prayed that prayer, I have a free gift for you! Visit threadsthattestify.com (ignore the clothing for now), at the top of the page there is a red button that says "I JUST GOT SAVED". Fill out the form, and I will personally reach out to you and provide you with resources to help you get started in your new walk with the Lord. Remember, God loves you, and you are going to make it!
Your friend always,
Mike Lee *This post is an approximated summary of the following video. Checkout @T3mikelee on all socials for more Christian content.
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