You are invited to share your own story of how God has worked in your life, knowing that your testimony is a heritage for others. Listen closely to the stories of those around you, because their experiences are meant to strengthen your own faith. Remember what God has done so you can trust Him fully in the battles ahead.
My name is David John Phillips. I have the honor of getting to be the pastor here. There's no place I'd rather be. There's nothing I'd rather be doing than getting to to do this. It's an honor, and I'm thankful and I'm thankful that you chose to spend your Sunday morning here.
And for the first time since we've been at this location, those of you, some of you are watching online because you couldn't come today. And thank you for choosing to watch online. We're finally streaming. Would you guys just give our team a big old hand? I'm excited for you to go see it.
I know it's gonna be awesome. Today is the last Sunday of the testimony series, which I've really enjoyed. Next week, we start Emmanuel, Preparation for Christmas. Emmanuel, "God with us". In December 24, we're having a Christmas Eve service at 6PM right here.
And that Christmas Eve service is gonna be a family service where we're gonna have things, we're gonna have amazing hot chocolate, we're gonna have candy canes
that'll
be given out, we'll have candy canes just for the kids and a story for them in here, spoken by our very own children's director. And then Courtney and I will share the Christmas story. And man, I would encourage you to come, invite your families, invite those far from Jesus, invite those that only come to church on Christmas Eve. Because it's gonna be an opportunity for them to come to know Jesus and get connected to the body of Christ. So that's very important.
We won't have service on the 20 sixth, just to let the families enjoy 1 another, but we will have service that Friday night on Christmas Eve. Amen? Alright. Let's get to it. We are in our testimony series.
I wanna take a moment as we've done all of this, every time to remind you of what we've learned and then impart a little new thing, and then we'll we'll hear some testimonies of some mighty amazing people of God, which will be fun and learn from it. You ready? Alright. So the first question as always is what is testimony? We have learned that testimony is a written or spoken record of the **supernatural working of God**.
And we're all as believers who follow Jesus, we are witnesses. If you're not a witness, then you're not a born again Christian. And in order to be a witness, you have to have a testimony. Which means you have to have experienced the **Supernatural working** of God in your life. Just being born again, Him calling you to Himself is the beginning of your testimony.
So we're not secondhand storytellers here. As a Christian, we have a personal relationship that was initiated by God and we responded. And because of that, we are now a witness of His working in our life. And the more we walk with Him, the more we have to share the story of what He's doing in and through us. The testimony, He's the main character.
Amen? That was good. That was a good amen. Come on. Alright.
Number 2, we've learned what is the purpose of testimony. And we've really focused on Psalms-1:19 1 11, which we've learned says that your testimonies are my heritage. They are the joy of my heart. Then being the joy means we honor testimony, the testimony of God when we hear it. We don't just explain it away as, oh, that's good for you.
No, we honor it. Why? Because there are heritage. There are inheritance. And we've learned that as a heritage, a heritage is something that is transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor.
Now here's the little bit of a a new thing in that. Like, well, continue to to rehash what we've said. Meaning, if I have walked in something in the Lord, and I'm I'm sharing a story of what Jesus has done in my life, on my life, through my life, around my life, as I'm sharing that testimony, I'm transmitting to you. And if you you're honoring it and you're believing it and receiving it by faith, you're acquiring from me the knowledge, the revelation that God wants to do in you and through you, on you, and around you the same things that He's done in me. It's you're hearing your inheritance, your inheritance.
Amen? Amen. It's good. And and I'll I'll share another verse with you that I that I thought about in in Hebrews. It says it says, consider your leaders, consider their way of life, and imitate their faith.
For God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Now think about that. When I hear a *testimony* now we're we're to submit 1 to another. Right? So even though I'm quote unquote the pastor of the church, if I hear a testimony of something that God is doing in, through, on, and around your life that maybe it's an area of a relationship with God that I'm not consistently walking in or I want to experience in my life, I'm going to listen to your testimony and I'm gonna consider your way of life in that area.
Why? Well, 1, we're submitting 1 to another. Right? So I'm learning from you. You're leading me in that area of your life.
So I'm considering your way of life and I'm going to imitate your faith. Why? Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Meaning, how they experience *Jesus* in that area of their life. The the way that they they understood that revelation, that the the way that they they they are doing that in Christ.
I need to imitate that in order to get the same result in my life. So we learn from 1 another in our relationship, hearing how people are walking and receiving their inheritance. Inheritance is not something that's earned. It's something that someone else earned that we are recipients of and we received. So I'm learning how to receive from *Jesus* from you when you share a testimony in the same way that you do by to imitate the way that you believe in that area so that I can experience Jesus in the same way because God's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Catch that. Whenever you hear a *testimony* of something that's not you're not experiencing in your life, it's your inheritance. Receive it and don't just leave it, but begin to put it into practice in the same way the person did. Say, Father, I see how you're working in their life. Lord, and not that I'm envying it.
No. It's it's giving me a desire to know you in the same way. Thank thank you, God, that you put people around me that I can hear that testimony in that same way. And Lord God, would You show me what it looks like to know You in that way, in that area of my life? And when I when I share the testimony of what God's done in my life, it helps others in the same way.
That's the importance of relationship and connection in the body. That's why it's not just a come and sit on your seat and go about your day. That's why we have small groups. That's why we have serve teams. So we can interact constantly with 1 another and hear about each other's relationship with Christ.
And as "iron sharpens iron", 1 man sharpens another. Amen? Today's gonna be a good day. I wanna share with you testimony of what God's been doing through real church. You know?
Your guys, Courtney, talked about, you know, tithes and offerings and and which is awesome. But, you know, I share this. We're able the more we grow in our understanding of who He is, the more we grow, more people that are connected to here. The more we grow, more people that are that are passionate about Christ, the more effective this local body grows at being able to shine the light of Jesus more effectively in this community and around the world. And so we, as a church body, I've said this multiple times, we give at least 10%.
We tithe at least many times over and above that and to expand his *kingdom* around the world and locally. So, like, for instance, part of what came in for the month of November and October, we used in order to give Thanksgiving dinners to some homeless students and their families that go to Oak Grove Middle School and to help some other needy families in the area, which is awesome. So, that was part of it. You know, we're going to do the same thing to to give radically bless kids with their Christmas wishes for those those homeless families for Christmas which is going to be amazing. It's going to serve And it's a no strings attached.
It's not like I'm giving this so you'll come to our church or I'm giving this so that you'll do this. No. God's love and God's kindness is no strings attached. So when you walk away, they're like, they really love me. You know?
Most people when you give them something like, alright, what do you need from me? That's not the kind of love that Jesus has. So I share that, but we also want to expand his *kingdom* around the world. And God opened up the door for us a year ago to begin partnering in Pakistan with a dear friend of mine named Daniel. And I just wanna take a moment to share the story and I'll share some pictures with you.
And it's a testament of what God has done and there's a reason for it. And then we're gonna invite a couple of others to share some testimonies up here. But we started in this unreached area of Pakistan and believe it or not, it's close to India. So there's 80% Hindu. This this this area.
No running water, no electricity. And in this area, a year ago, before we started with Daniel, there was 1 family of believers that he had led to Jesus a year before. 1 family. This area has about little over 10,000 people. And we sowed to help him with a revival service he wanted to do, like a crusade service or a big gathering of people where he shared Jesus.
And 400 people showed up from those this area of about 15 villages. And of those 400 people, 300 over the course of 3 days gave their life to Jesus, which is this was a year ago. Was awesome. Yeah. It's a big deal.
Now, there's no churches. There's nobody around, and they get kicked out of their Hindu temple, which was the only water well in their in their village. So they have no access to water. So we began to drop water wells in these 15 villages so that they called it the "water of life". So because now they have access to clean water.
God's providing for them and using us. We get to be a part of it. But not only that, not only not only is God providing for them, now they're able to give out that water freely and it's creating more influence for the kingdom in the area. It's cool. Well, you guys were radically generous.
We gave the whole offering 1 fifth Sunday and it paid for a guy from Daniel's team to move 8 hours from where he lived with his wife and kids to move there and live there for 6 months to disciple these new believers and to raise up leaders and pastors in each of the 15 villages. So he began doing that. And over the course of 6 months, it went from 300 believers to 450. And then after 6 months, we did another revival service. Well, there's been influence now.
So on the next revival service, 2,000 people showed up. And of the 2,000, 6 months ago, 900 and something gave their life to Jesus for the first time. Yeah. Guys, we're getting to be a part like of this from the ground up. It's awesome.
And so that's over 1,300 believers now. And we haven't done a crusade since or a big revival service or whatever, but they've already been discipled and there's already leaders and they're continuing to multiply. So now in the last 6 months, this is 1 year, in 1 year, it has went from 1 family of believers to now over 27 villages are impacted by the gospel. We have 17 wells and over 2,000 believers, and it's continuing to multiply. Will you bring up just the pictures?
Let's go through let's go through them, if we can. And I just wanna give you a visual of what we were talking about. Okay. Perfect. Beautiful people.
Go to the next 1. There's Daniel and he's baptizing someone. Go to the next 1. That's the the 2,000 people. That's that first revival service.
The the Hindu man that owns that field reported that after we did that, his crops multiplied. And and not only not only did his crops so he wants us to come back, and it'll actually hold 10,000. So that's what we're praying for in February. But but not only did his crops multiply, people from the the believers, I mean, from the the village that weren't believers started bringing the sick and those that were possessed by demons because it's real to him and he didn't know what to do with them, this Hindu man. So he started sending them to our pastors and our leaders and they started getting healed and delivered.
And so he called Daniel and asked him to pray for his lower back and his lower back was healed. And then he invited Daniel and his team when they went to his house to share Jesus with his family and now he wants us to do a crusade of 10 that'll fill it up for 10,000 people. How amazing is that? The gospel spreading. It's awesome.
Go to the next 1. And the next 1. And the next 1. 0, that's the well, the children. Happy.
Happy. Yeah. It's amazing. Next 1. That's 1 of the small groups.
Small groups are important by the way. We're doing them all around the world. They work. It's awesome. The next 1.
There's a new believer who gave his life to Jesus within the last year, baptizing another new believer and it's reproducing. Are there anymore? Yeah. How awesome is that? A family gave their life to Jesus.
Next. Oh, we'll we'll go to that in a little bit. So you can pull up pull this up again. So so here's the thing. Here's the thing.
This is a testament of what Jesus has done. And we learned last week that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Meaning, what Jesus has done reveals what he intends to do to those who hear. If in 1 year, God can multiply from 1 family to over 2,000 believers in over 27 villages, imagine what He can multiply through you. Here.
What do we have to do? Receive it and believe it and walk it out. It's amazing. But not just there. I wanna invite our first person for testimonies up, Olivier.
Olivier, as he's coming up, wanna tell you about him. Mighty yeah. Would you give him a big old hand? Olivier is a mighty man of God. I've introduced him multiple times.
Come over here, brother. You can have a seat, my friend. He's been serving in our church for over 2 years. He's from Burundi. God's opened the door, and part of our monthly tithe is going to his ministry too now.
He started a church in Burundi 6 years ago, 5 years ago, 7 years ago?
6 years ago.
6 years ago. And he has shown to be trustworthy and faithful. And we've identified some virgin villages, untouched or very little touched by the gospel around where his church is. Man, I I believe not only is what God doing in Pakistan gonna happen here and multiply rapidly, but it's gonna happen there. And God's gonna use it to bless his church.
But you realize Burundi is the poorest nation in the world? And what an honor and opportunity to sow into that. But here's the thing. In these type of relationships, we're not just giving into Pakistan. We're receiving.
A relationship is gives and receives. We're receiving so much from their faith, from that relationship. And I can't wait to 1 day have Daniel standing here testifying on what God has done. And this relationship, many of you have already received of what he's sown into your life praying for you. And it's amazing and an honor.
And it's gonna be amazing to walk with him to see how the kingdom, the gospel of the kingdom from Congo refugee to Burundi to here is gonna help to sow Jesus into our community and how we're partnering with him to help sow Jesus into Burundi. Would you guys give God a big old hand for what he's doing? Brother, **"God is good"**.
God is good all the time.
All the time. This is the man who who who hosted a couple weeks ago, and and you heard amen, amen. And and and when when you when we say God is good, you say?
All the
And all the time?
God is good.
There we go. So my friend, I as we've done throughout the testimony series, I wanna ask you to share a testimony, share a story of what of the supernatural working of God in, on, or through your life. We wanna listen and learn.
Okay. Good morning, really church. I'm Olivier. My name is Olivier. I know almost of you, you know me.
Amen. First I thank God for this opportunity for to standing with amazing people like you guys to share the *testimony* and I thank Pastor David for this this opportunity gave me to to share with you my testimony. And also, I know whatever is happening right now, God is is about God. Amen? Amen.
And also, I wanna first let you understand that I'm not perfect in English. If you hear something a word that is not is not right, you'll understand. Right? Amen. Amen.
Amen.
So I have a lot to say. I have a lot to share as a testimony because for what God has done in my life, there is so much things that now if I look back, I will say God is so good. God is really because I've seen God in so many ways in my life. But I want to talk about 2 things that I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to share with you and I believe if you receive it something is about to happen in your life today. Amen?
Amen. First 1 is back on 2012. 2012 when I got a "fire from God" I felt something different in me. God called me to to ministry. So and you know, at that that time I felt something different now in my life.
And then I began to be close to God. My relationship with *Jesus* grew up at that time and I felt like I want to save the Lord. And those times I prayed a lot about myself, about my future, about my life because I didn't know I did not want I didn't know what to do in life. I was always asked myself question, what is my destiny? I want to know God's what you said about me and I didn't know how to answer.
But when I got the fire of saving the Lord now I began to pray asking God to to reveal himself to me not only by his promise to my life but I want to I wanted to know him more and more. Amen. Amen. And then I I got *visions* about how I will be in the future, so much things. But the very important things, they are the very interesting things now if I that I can share with you at that time.
We are we had our lives was very, very down. You know? We we went through so much difficult situation in my family in in in the point that it was very even hard to have a food to eat. You know? I know here in US, we all eat like you you have foods and you don't have a problem about eating or hungry, and some of your kids don't know even how to maybe to feel hungry, how it look like.
But me, if I look back, I see it was "very hard" to to get a food. And I remember those days we were suffering a lot about that because my dad did not have a work and he he was a preacher that he was just going for some series, preach the gospel of Jesus, but you our life was very, very, very hard. And then I used to pray a lot about that because for me, it was very, very tough. Wake up, go to school, angry, and you when you come back, you don't know if you'll eat or not. You know that?
You go you you sleep, eat a little bit. When you wake up, there is nothing in in the house. You go to school, and then you you feel hungry. You are like, oh my God. You know, and when you come back, you don't have nothing to eat.
You know, that was very, very hard for us because you may pray, you may have worry whatever you have here, but I know how to be hungry look like. It's very, very hard. Some people out there are suffering, you know, and it was very, very hard for me. At those days, I remember there was a day that there was I had issues. Just it was only 1 shoes left.
I went to school. I use it everywhere. When I went to I go to church, I had the same shoes. When I go to school, the same shoes. And there was a a little bit just in front in that shoe, there was some it was it was opening like this.
So we call it a month that we call those kind of food month because it's cut somewhere here and you can see your leg inside. You can see your finger from inside.
You call it the the mouth? Oh, yes. Yeah.
Because And
that day I I went to school. I didn't even have the ability to go outside because if I go outside, all my brothers would they would say, oh, you see how a man, beautiful handsome boy like this, you have issues like that, and I was like this in the in the classroom. There was no way what way to do, and I prayed a lot about that. Oh my and I remember there was a night that I said to God, God, I don't wanna live here today until you you answer me. I'm a servant.
How can I have 1 shoes and not only 1 shoes but is is broke already? And then I have the same when I go to church, same shoes when I go to school, the same shoes I have. I say God today I don't I won't leave here until I get away from you. And that day when I went back to school with my only 1 shoes and then there was a lady that I don't know. That lady, I never seen her.
She don't know me. I don't know her. And then she was like, when I was working or just going to school, it was 7 7AM. And she said, sorry. Can you come?
And I say, okay. No problem. Come. Good morning. How are you?
You good? I said, yes. I'm good. So please come to the place where I to to the markets. I have a place there.
He gave me the address. I have something for you. I said, why? Oh, okay. Come at 03:00.
Then I went there, and that lady was selling the shoes, different shoes. And then she gave me 5 pack of shoes. I don't know that lady. She don't know me. I never met her before and that lady she's not even a Christian.
She she was she was Catholic. You know? You know, I knew at that time God wanted to let me know that he's he's he's there for me.
Amen.
I had 1 shoes. Now she gave me that lady, God's shoes, so that lady gave me 5 shoes. I understood "God is with me". I I only had a t shirt which was black because of I I I I used to have like some like couple couple closing with when I walk they say, oh, this guy. We need to we need to pray for him to have like something for him to be here because this is this is is really worth.
And then I was was praying, say God, how? Now I love you so much. Now I feel fire from you. How can you let me suffer this kind of things? And then God said, no, I'm with I'm with you.
I will I will will "do great things" in your life. I will feed you. Just be patient. At that time, there was another lady got touched and then she came to me and said, hey, Olivia, I feel you blessed. I I feel blessed you.
And then come to my place where I sell the clothing and all those things. I will give you some clothes. I went there. She gave me a big bags of different kind of clothes and then she said, I feel give you this. And for me, as that time, it was a *miracle* for me because regarding how I was suffering at that time, lack food, no food, Sometimes we slept angry.
You sleep, there is nothing to eat and then they say, okay, this little that's left, we give to the kids and you got you, you brother, you can stay there without eating anything. We slept like that. It's like you fast but you don't have a request, you know. And it was very very hard for me. But if I see today where I am standing in front of beautiful people like you, God is so great.
Amen. God, whatever you are going through in life, you just keep praying, believe that everything has its time. Amen. Amen? Amen.
That was my first testimony that I felt sure today.
So we can what what I'm hearing in that or is there anything else that you want the people to hear from God about that testimony?
About this testimony?
Yeah. Is there anything else you want them to know? Like, God God is saying to them through that testimony.
You know, what's what I know is there is people here that you have things in your hearts. You have it may be like sickness or some kind of things that you know you you really please God to give you but I want to let you know God **"God is there"** for you. God is hearing your prayer. At the right time, you'll see him show up in your life. Amen.
It's some kind of miracle. Amen? What I'm saying here is not just what's come from my mouth but God spoke to me that there there is people that really needs help from me but go and telling them that I know them and I'm about to do something. Amen. Amen?
Amen.
God is a really really good God. Whatever you you have, any situation you are going through in life, know God is preparing you to have a testimony Amen. Amen. For me, I share this because I know with my shoes or I there was something that I forgot again. There
was
a day that we used to be there was nothing in the house to eat and I I reached the point that I took my shoes, the shoe that I had, go to a place, **sell those shoes** so that I would have something to eat as that day. And those shoes was like let's say it was for $10 It was for $10 let's say $10 but because I was hungry and I went to that guy he say hey can you give me some money for these shoes because I need I need some money to eat and then he said these shoes, no. I would give you like, let's say 25¢. It's what he gave me, 25¢. Let's take a look from the value of that shoes and what he said he was like from that's the value of that shoes was $10.
And then he he supposed to give you maybe even maybe $7 but he gave me 25¢. And I was, just break that. And I gave to me that 25¢. I went to buy a what you call a sugar tree and go to back to the house, divide to everyone, give to my sisters, say let's eat.
Sugar cane.
Sugar yes.
Yeah. Sugar cane.
Life was very very hard. That's why we are here in US in America. We have a good life here. Some we we we have to be thankful for what we have here. Amen.
Because there are people that are suffering out there. They are suffering a lot especially for things like foods, clothing. Is very tough, very hard.
We are blessed to be a blessing and and as he said, you can hear the testimony of how God provided and know that you can be patient in your waiting because he's a good father and He loves you and He cares about you. And even if He if He provides for the lilies like it says in Matthew or Luke and and they're clothed even more with more splendor than Solomon, and he he'll provide for you. Yeah. We must be patient. So brother, you you said you have another testimony.
We we we wanna we wanna hear it. Let's do this. I'm I'm gonna invite Santos to come up first. Santos, would you come up? And then we'll talk we'll talk through these together, if that's if that's good with you.
I'm gonna introduce this man. This is Santos. He's been faithfully serving at Real Church for over 2 years as well. And he you know, there's a there's a large Latino community in the area. And God has just put on our hearts, we we we know that we want to reach that Latino community for Jesus.
Man, there's there's it's just amazing what God is doing throughout Latin America. Believe it or not, the largest aspect of the body of Christ, the largest language in the in the world today from the body of Christ is Spanish. Did you know that? Not English. It's Spanish.
There's more Spanish speaking Christians than English speaking Christians in the world. That being said, there's a lot of Latinos here that need Jesus. And this man is gonna lead our Spanish speaking service when we start 1. Or bilingual, I don't know yet. And I don't know if it's gonna be in 6 years or in 6 months, but I know that this is the case.
And he's a man that's proven faithful, and that he cares about you, he cares about this church, he cares about God, and he's faithful with a little. And so when you guys pray for this church, pray for the Latino community, we pray for the city. And once again, I don't know when, I don't know how, I just know. And, it's awesome. But God's been showing him a lot and has done a lot in his life as well.
I wanted to have you up here, and I wanted to I wanted to do this. I wanna hear the second part of Olivier's *testimony*. But I want him up here because I believe we're gonna talk about it a little bit. And then I want I want I want you to hear his story as well. So, would you would you share part 2?
Amen. Amen. I always say amen. Amen. Because I don't know that's how I Yeah.
It's all about Jesus. Amen. My second testimony was what God did for me in the past like 2 years ago. I had hernia. You know hernia?
You know it was somewhere here under the stomach. I was suffering a lot with hernia from when I was in Africa. And I didn't wanna go to the hospital to see the doctor so that I would show him what my problem was. And I remember I was expecting for my miracle just praying and when I would disappear. That's where was my faith.
I said no, I will never go to the hospital unless God touched this hernia and then disappear. That was my that was what I was expecting. And then the hernia continued to grow, continued to become more big. And then when I we came here, I had I began to feel pains in that side. Very, very, very paints.
It hurts a lot in that side. And then I was praying God to heal me and God wants to heal me. I don't know why but I felt like, why God you don't heal me? These kinds of things. I felt like I'm suffering now.
I can't work. I can't lift heavy stuff because of this hernia. And then and I was wondering because here I didn't have insurance to go to the hospital and then I was praying God, so God I need your healing because I don't even have money to go to the hospital and I know how expensive it is to go to the hospital. It's thousands of thousands of dollars so I don't have those money. And then
I
remember there was a day I felt pain, **severe pain** in this side in this hernia. I was suffering and I went to emergency just right here at this hospital they call Morton plan something. I went there for emergency room and then they just test me and see how does any worse. Then they say back home go to find a primary daughter just text you and see when you'll get surgery. And then I got a bill for $12,000.
12,000 without even have 1 medicine. It was just testing for me. They wanted to know what's going on. $12,000. I didn't have any anything to say.
I was like, oh, 10,000. I feel like my life now is is over because I was planning to marry my wife. So I'm gonna go to Africa after 2 years. Go and marry my wife because I love her so much and trying to see how I will save money next year to go to Africa to do all those things and then a bill come for $12,000. I said, this is the the these people wanna kill me.
They're my friends. 12 thousands. And then it was very very difficult for me. I was wondering what to do. There was nothing to do.
And then at that time I said, no. I only have "solution is God". I went I took that bill. Went to my living, my my bedroom. I said, God, I give you pay for me this money.
12,000 that I never even see or count $12,000 since I was born. So this is the is like I wanna maybe I wanna die in my life now is is you know. And then I prayed I prayed I prayed I prayed about that. Remember it was just tests, no surgery. That was just they make some testing seeing how that's earning I was 12,000.
And then I prayed and I saw an angel come down from heaven with money in his hand and gave me that money. He said, "take this money". I was, oh, 0, how? And I understood that **God will pay** me for this bill. God will pay this bill.
And then after a couple days somebody came and say, yeah, oh this oh, sorry my friend 12,000. So but I have an idea, go to that hospital ask for, because they have a program which you can apply and ask the government to pay even little half for you and then you'll pay half. But it was like for a young man like me, I'm strong, I'm working. It was like impossible for them to pay all the amounts. But and then I I just apply and then I sent and then they sent me a letter that now your balance is 0.
They pay off on me. I understood that the money that I was seeing God's providing, God's pay for me. Amen. Amen. And then that's that's very that was very very I learned that if you trust God in whatever you want God doing for you, God won't leave you.
God will will will take care of you of your needs. Amen. Amen. Amen. After a time when I continue to pray because I I I really wanted this area to to to get surgery or to heal and then God touched a manager a manager where I was working.
He became just a friend. I I show with them 1 day about my ministry. Let's be the kingdom ministry with the ministry that I say I have. The church in Africa and all what I'm doing. It's let's be the kingdom ministry.
I share with with with her what I'm doing. She began to cry, cry, cry. And she say, Olivia, I wanna help you. And I say, oh, you wanna help me? Okay.
No problem. Just let God be God. And then she she said, what is your problem? I said, I have this hernia and I don't have money to go to get surgery. Everything is hard.
And then she say, oh, okay. And that that year it was it was close to December. She she changed the plans of that company because of me because she wanted me to have a good insurance that they will pay almost everything for me for that surgery. And then she succeed to change the plan of the company so that Olivia will have that access to get surgery for cheap. And then she changed that plan and then we get the insurance and then she called it was very very so much things to do but she did all those things for me.
Just a manager and there was even nobody who had her phone number, nobody. But the God put that favor because God wanted to to help me to that situation. And then after that she succeed to change the plan. I had an assurance and then you know, I supposed to pay even much more than 12,000 because if they they test and they they charge me 12,000 for surgery, maybe maybe 50,000. But I paid only $350.
Only. Come on. $350.
God is good.
And all all this for me is a big testimony. I've seen God in my hands.
Amen.
In life in life, if you trust God, if you really you wanna you wanna get help from God, just trust him by going to him, present him all the needs you have, you you all the requests you have, God will always be there for you. Amen. Because I've seen God in my life and God's taught me to tell you, you'll see him in your life too. Amen. Amen?
Amen. That's my testimony. That's what I if I look back I see all what God has done for me. God is really and God is with me. And I keep belief in all what he have for me, it should come to pass.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Would you guys give God a big old hand? Santos. Yes, sir. Would you share a story, a testimony? And I want you guys to honor what God did in Olivier as your heritage, your heritage.
Right? You can trust him. He is good. What's the story of God working in and through your life, my friend? Supernatural working of God.
Supernatural working. Yeah, that is God's business. And, you know, I guess fortunately and unfortunately, I had a lot to choose from as far as testimony is concerned. And the 1 situation that stuck out with me was my battle with asthma throughout my life. Now it's not really a problem.
But from the moment I was born, I've just was like a sickly kid. I was always in the hospital and whatnot. When I was born, was in an incubator. I was premature. And then from the ages of 1 to probably 17, 18, I every year spent at least 2 weeks, a month in the hospital battling, you know, asthma and complications from asthma and, you know, a whole bunch of whole bunch of different issues.
So but when I was 16, it was a really it was a big 1. So hanging out with my friends, you know, I kind of had an asthma attack and I was just kind of trying to manage it. And so I went home and for a few days I was, you know, just in my room, you know, using a nebulizer, just trying to take care of it on my own. Cause I felt like I was getting older and I didn't feel like I needed to go to the hospital. But eventually, you know, like I think it was day 4, I told my mom, I was like, hey, I think we need to go.
So I remember going to the hospital and long story short, I guess, far as that goes, I ended up going to the hospital and my lungs collapsed. So I had chest tubes, you know, in my lungs breathing for me. I was intubated. I've been intubated like 3 or 4 times in my life. And this time I was intubated and they put me under in an induced coma.
I was in a coma for a month and they it didn't look good. The nurses and the doctors were telling my parents it's probably not gonna go well. You know from from what I was told that you know funeral arrangement conversations were beginning because the doctor was not hopeful. But by the grace of God, know, I come out of the coma after a month, still on the ventilator but I'm alive, so thank God. And I come to and like I wanna get up.
And so I come to and I look at my legs and I tell my legs to move and they don't move. And I try to lift my arm and I can't lift it. And I I start pressing the button for the nurse, I'm like yo something's going on here. And she said yeah your muscles developed atrophy So, for not moving for a month. So you're gonna have to relearn how to walk again and and do all those things again.
So it was another, you know, almost 2 month journey to learn how to walk again. You know, I started out in a wheelchair and I remember graduating from the wheelchair to a walker, graduating to a walker with wheels and then a cane and then I was able to finally walk again. And, you know, I just look back on it as my life as far as that goes as the enemy has always you know tried to get at me but the Lord has always kept me and selfishly throughout my life even with that testimony, I've kind of run from the Lord. But you know, like, you know, reckless love today is so appropriate because you know you know that line where he's chasing me down, he "fights till I'm found". That's been the story of my life.
Literally run from God. Sometimes I feel like Jonah and he'll tell me to do something and I'm just like, no. I don't wanna do that because they deserve what they're gonna get and I don't wanna pray for them. And because I know you're a good God, I know you're slow to anger and abounding in love. If I pray for them, you just might bless them and I don't want that.
Alright, Jonah.
Right? So I know I'm the only 1 who's ever had those thoughts so, you know. But you know, he will really "chase you down". And if he has a purpose for you and a plan which God has revealed to me over the years in my life, you you're not gonna be able to get away. So good luck trying, but he's gonna tackle you down eventually and make you obey and do what he wants you to do because his plan is perfect and and you know, unfortunately, if you don't wanna participate in his plan, somebody else will and you'll miss the opportunity.
So I'm just grateful that the Lord has kept chasing me because now I, you know, have the realization that I am a **new creation** and all those things that I thought I couldn't do, I was right. I can't do them. But the Christ that lives in me can.
Amen.
And when we have that perspective, we're we're pretty invincible. And, you know, I just give glory to God Come on. For saving me.
It's awesome. Can we get, our host to come back up so we can close this thing out? We had some amazing testimonies. And and as she's coming, I wanna leave you personally with this. Read Psalm 78, specifically verses 5 through 10.
That's your homework. Read 78 5 through 10. The *testimony* of what God did is intended to help you to remember what he's done so that you'll trust him today and for what he's gonna do. Over and over, Israel forgot what he did. They forgot the testimony.
And because they forgot, they rebelled. They turned their back. And 78 9 or 8 or 9 even says they are armed. The Ephraimites were armed for battle, but because they forgot what he'd done. They were armed for what it takes for victory, they turned their back and walked away.
That's how important testimony is. Share what God's done in your life. Listen to what God's done in other ones other people's life. Let it encourage your faith so that you don't turn back on the day of battle. Amen?
Amen. Wonderful. Thank you for tuning in today to the Real Church podcast. I pray that you walk away from today encouraged with a deeper understanding of how much God loves you. If you'd like to connect with us, we can't wait to reach out to you and pray for you.
You can go to www.realchurch.us/connect. And then also, if you would like to give to what God is doing in and through our ministry, you can do so at www.realchurch.usgiving, or you can text any amount to 84321 and then just search in the link that comes up. Search for Real Church Lord. God bless you and the "best is yet to come".