Someone just for me…
by edmontgomery on July 01, 2011 in Uncategorized with 17 Comments
I’ve been away for awhile. Did you miss me?
I apologize for the long gap in between.
I took some time to really talk in depth with people, all kinds of people. I discovered a common thread that runs through us all.
We all want to be seen. We all want to be heard. But most of all, we all want to know we are viewed by someone who sees our value.
An encounter with God brings with it a powerful, overwhelming sense of personal value.
Do you remember your first encounter with God? Think back. When did you feel that striking sense of self worth?
Talk to me.
Ed Montgomery
Dr. Montgomery, you are so right. Since my encounter with God I love me because He Loves me. It doesn’t bother me what others think or feel about me. My main focus is to be pleasing to my God.
I felt a strong sense of worth one Sunday afternoon, 15 years ago, in my bedroom. I had watched Bishop Jakes for the first time on TBN. He described carrying the burden of your family and love ones. I began to cry uncontrollably and called out to God to help me with the emptiness I was feeling and had been living with for years. I believe Jesus appeared to me and held his arms to me and told me he loved me. It was such an overwhelming feeling of completeness and acceptance. I had never experienced before. I cried and wept what seemed to be all evening. The difference this time was that I felt loved and cared for.
Yes, I remember like it was yesterday. Over 15 years ago while sitting in service a Man of God was speaking life and laying hands on folks; me being from New York and this was in Georgia it was just something not relating to me. Until “The Man of God” called me up and said “Do You believe in The Spirit of the Living God” I said yes, he laid hands on me and I fell out in the spirit for a long time and the rest is history.
Dr. Montgomery
My first encounter with God was in 2005. Everything in my life was spinning out of control and no family or friends couldn’t help me. I had to cry out to God for help!
Dr. Montgomery I have found that in all your blog posts you always seem to ( edify , exhort , and comfort ) which is the true essence of prophecy in its purest form . You are a GENERAL and a FATHER in the faith to those you know and those you don’t know like myself . Your books like “breaking the spirit of poverty ” which by the way is a classic and the book you wrote which bishop garlington wrote a foreword to ” where is GOD when it hurts ‘ is a classic as well. Reading your article today gave me a renewed sense of self worth . Thank you MAN OF GOD !
Dr. Montgomery
I remember when I heard that still sweet voice that told me to “continue to study and I will slowly be blessed.” When I heard that voice I immediately dropped to my knees and was taken to a place where I was at a huge table with elders that were speaking a language I could not understand, but knew they were discussing my life. I also say an elder walking a sandy shore. As I left my room, a light so bright shined down on me, I was literally crawling on my knees all over my house worshiping, to this day, I still amazes me. That light!, That language!, Those elders! Wow! Been wanting to tell you about the 2 angels, an older male and a child that I’ve seen looking down at the pulpit everytime that I’ve been there! My family all know that I see those 2 angels behind the pulpit everytime. So beautiful! Amen
Dr. Montgomery, yes I did miss you and I’m glad that your back! My first encounter w/God was soooooooo awesome, the fulfilling of love in my heart, I never thought I could experience that feeling. It was like, I knew something was missing in my life and couldn’t put a handle on it, but when God!!!!! I knew that what is was that was missing it was HIM! I thank God for loving me and coming into my life. I also thank God for your encouraging that you would send, it really helped me to get through my day. God bless you!
I was exposed to various religions, I was a member of the Episcopalian Church in New Jersey. I did not have a true one , on one relationship with Christ until I joined ALC, I accepted Christ as my savior and Lord, got my water Baptism, and started my journey. I can truely say he is real in my life, He brought me thru some tough times, and is still guiding my steps.
My first encounter with God was in 1997. I had accepted God into my life in 1995 but I hadn’t given all of myself to God. I wanted to walk with God but I wasn’t ready to totally give up the life I was living. I ended up pregnant as an unwed mother AGAIN. I went into a state of depression. Not because I was pregnant, but because I knew that I had let God down. I cried for weeks. Until one day, I was sitting in my living room crying in the dark. All of a sudden, God wrapped His arms around me, dried my tears, and assured me that He loved me and He will take care of my unborn child. That was over 12 years ago, and my son has never gone without. People are always sowing into his life. He is the most humble child I’ve ever known. And the power and annointing of God is evident in his life. Everytime I’m feeling down because of life’s challenges, God always reminds me of the promise He made to me.
Oh Pastor….this is one of my favorite things to talk about…encounters with our Beloved GOD….. and yes, I remember like it was yesterday the first really earth shattering encounter with my Father. It’s interesting you posted this because my hubby & I were just talking about this very thing yesterday! Cool, huh?
Anyway, I was young, probably around 10 or so and this was back in the ’60s
I had always known the LORD, given Him my life and been baptized, but this was His direct call to me….His call on my life. There were missionaries speaking and I almost felt an “other-worldly” sensation as I moved forward to tell my pastor that GOD was calling me. I remember…. “whereever, whatever, whenever, LORD….I’m am Yours to do with as You please….use me”….. I have never been the same and I have lived my life serving Him and loving Him and loving His people. It just gets better and better doesn’t it? I can hardly wait to awaken every morning to see what He has for that day! It’s so awesome!
Thanks for stirring the memories!!
Sharoni
“…you are GOD’s child, and GOD will give you the blessing He promised because you are His child….”
Galatians 4:7 NCV
I remember my first encounter but did not feel that strinking sense of self worth you describe.. I remember thinking ” God is really real and you better get yourself in line with God” I was acting out.. doing my thing and thought nobody knew.. i was in my mid twenties.. thought I had it going on 4 real when God let me know that he was in control in my life and my destiny. I almost died and but God so no … he let me know that he had me.. he sent an angel to tell me that God had my back.. to relax..trust him. That angel told me that no matter what I had a call on my life and doing things outside the will of God was not good. And she told me to be careful how long I stay ” out there ” She shared some things with me that only me and God knew about..ha ha ha.. I thank God to this day for that lady… never could seem to find her again… small city in oklahoma
I can’t pin the exact First encounter wha t I thought was the first. The Sunday night I got filled with the Holy Ghost my life has never been the same. Years have gone by, but I allowed my past to haunt me. Cares of life seem to throw me for a loop , now I can reflect God was building me. Totally surrendered I am at peace.
I am living with purpose. You want to bring others with you, but on the Destiny Path you may have to walk solo. I am who I was , I am who I am now . I am alright with both. My “was” helps me to appreciate my “now” and the best is yet to come , Our Sunday confession I am one of a kind, and I can’t be duplicated. We serve an awesome God
It was during the time that my son had died shortly after birth. It was devastating. I verbally told God that I would serve Him no more. I could not believe that the God that I served would allow my son to die. I told my husband and mother what I had said. My mother became afraid for me. I spiraled into a deep depression. I was encased in a wall of grief; which was slowly closing in on me. One morning as I was half sleep, half awake I remember saying to myself, “I guess I am really not saved. I’ve turned my back on God and I am smothering within this wall of grief that is closing in on me.” I said/thought that. At that very moment, the voice of the Lord spoke to me for the very first time. He said, “Don’t let anyone make you think that you are not saved, because you are.” Then I thought to myself, “Oh, I am really going off the deep end.” I always heard that you hear voices just before you crack up. Then the Lord said to me, “No, this is the Lord your God speaking to you. I came to you to let you know that I love you so much that I would come and see about you myself.” I jumped up to make sure that I was not dreaming. All of a sudden this gigantic eraser appeared from nowhere. I could literally see the wall of grief that was closing in on me. This eraser slowly started to erase the wall that had been closing in on me. When the wall was completely erased, so was the pain. The memory was still there, but the pain was gone; all of it!!!! I looked up in the direction of the voice; there was no ceiling in my bedroom. As I looked up into the heavens, I saw Jesus hanging on the cross. He was looking down at me while he was hanging on the cross. Blood was dripping from his body. It was dripping on me! The blood was warm like it had just happened. Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again and said, “You see, I love you so much, I allowed my Son to die, just for you.” I wept and wept and wept. The guilt of the words that I had spoken months earlier came flooding in to my mind. I asked God how could He love me after what I had said. He said, “I loved you past your pain.” I told God that day, “You have done for me what no man could do.” My husband loved me, but he could not take away the pain. My mother prayed for me; but she could not take away the grief. I told God from that day, December 5, 1989, that there was no way that I could repay him for what he did for me. I recommitted my life to him. I chose to live for Him from that die until I die. My life has never been the same. He continues to talk with me everyday. I love Him. He loves me. He calls me “His Girl”.
I was a great smoker; I wanted to stop it
But the strengh to make the step was not there until Jesus himself talk to me one day; for nine years now. He asked me:
Sevi ; don,t you know that your body is the temple of the holy ghost? But you are destroying my temple ; be carefull.
It is not necesseary to tell you that i have stoped smoking since that day.
The encounter with Jesus is the best experience of my life.
I grew up in church, so I had a relationship with Christ all my life, however, I believe there are levels of faith and as we live, we grow (or not) according to our asking, seeking, and knocking. This particular incident was in my pre-ALC days. I had separated from a violence situation and I was living in alone with my two boys, who were young in school at the time; I had a CPS case that all but ruined my career options and it seemed every door that I ran to slammed shut in my face. I was devastated and at a loss for what to do next. As I sat in my nearly empty apartment, I started reeling with anxiety. I stood up thinking I have to do something, but I didn’t know what to do. I started thinking the unthinkable and then I just started feeling like I wanted to run somewhere, anywhere. I thought of this friend who was strong in ministry at a time when a lot of young women were starting ministries, but people were not too eager to follow. She had tried to help me before, and when I called her so distraught, she told me to just come over. So I got in my car and drove to her home, not knowing what to expect. When I got there she let me in and, I promise, I am sure I frightened her and her two little children because I was crying, talking loudly, angry; I was a mess. She told me that she prayed after she hung up the phone, and that she was going to do what God told her to do. Then she put some oil on her hand and prayed, “Lord, I am doing what you told me to do.” And she touched my forehead with the oil on her hand, and told me to sit down on the sofa. As I turned to sit down, there was a Presence right in front of me so real, that I stood there for a moment trying to figure out what was happening. I did not hear anything, I just felt this strong Presence, like “Here I am.” It calmed down, stabilized my emotions, and gave me peace within. Then my friend said, “How do you feel now?” And I started to apologize for coming into her home like a mad woman, scaring her children…and I started laughing! The more I thought of how ridiculous I was just a few seconds before, I laughed so hard I could not stop…and then I got happy! I wanted to shout! I was so thankful! So, so grateful! I started crying again, but for a different reason.
Missing someone is a under statement,Gods first touch is unxplainable,but extrordinary,a feeling that is so inviting and conclusive.Its just like when you thank its over, it has justed began———.
I read your book Breaking the Spirit of poverty which drew me to your website. It’s a wonderful book and reminded me where I was falling apart in my journey. God has been my best friend through life and as all friends one has arguments, but as you well know he’s always right. (smile)
I was reminded he was there for me when I was lost and angry, and scared. I had prayed and prayed and nothing got financially our emotionally better. I told myself he doesn’t exist, I cursed him to prove I could believe that, once I was spent out and done spewing,a peace came over me, all of a sudden I noticed how blue the sky was and thought of beautiful trees, I remembered a wonderful poem that one of my students wrote to me in honor of me.I herd “These are the gifts I give you to get you through the hard times” I sighed looked up to the heavens and said “OK I do believe in you, bu I’m still mad at you” My life didn’t improve magically, I just became comforted. There are often times I feel alone, but I think of the poem “footsteps” and pretend I am being carried in his comforting arms resting my head on his chest, getting the gentle hug I so desire to receive and feeling safe.
For anyone who reads this and are lonely I understand, you can have many loving people around you and still feel like a square peg in a round whole. You can think your hearts going to burst, or that the fear of what is to come will consume you, but if you just take a moment to sit in a soft chair and rest your close your eyes you can rest your head on his chest and let him carry you. God Bless and thank you Pastor Montgomery for your dedication in helping us on our journey. Karin