Earth Shaking, Doors Opening, & Breaking Free! Acts16:26

You are reading the testimony of Amanda Layton. I am currently 42yo living in Bundarra NSW. This is where Jesus opened my understanding of who HE is.

In 2002, I was most miserable. Marriage was finished, deeply depressed, a drunk, smoked cigarettes and pot, and was not doing well at being a mum. I just wasn’t coping. Noone in my town seemed to know or care, to the world all was well. There were times when I could pretty much out drink, out spit, out cuss most men I knew. I was the biggest tomboy, and if anyone needed anything done, pretty much I was called. From all types of farm work, using the chainsaw, baby sitting, sewing, cooking, confidant, taxi, committee member or function organizer. I was like salt and pepper… In everything.

I had stopped going to the Anglican church, how could I be so miserable, and so horribly down and a drunk and be all good and going to heaven. It just didn’t add up. I discovered internet, and went to the yahoo chat rooms. I got mad at someone on there and messaged them to tell them so. He asked teach me a bible study on water baptism. I was dubious. And don’t remember much except that as he began to talk I was drawn like nothing I had ever felt. He shared Jesus, and while I don’t remember my responses, what I do remember every chance I got I would be at my computer to listen to him sharing more. He talked about the Holy Ghost and told stories and I was hungry. I found myself broken hearted, but hopeful, repentant and both scared and happy to be feeling something besides fear and pain.

I worked part time with a boy with ADD in a school 40 minutes from home. My heart was breaking for him and I began to pray as I was going to work. ‘God I don’t know how to pray for him, please give me your words and wisdom’. As I began to pray with earnestness for this boy, something strange happened. I did not understand what I was saying and it scared me. As I put the car back on the road, I closed my mouth and was never going to pray again. When I got home from work, I got on the computer, and was talking with my teacher. After telling him what had happened, he asked if I wanted to pray. I was not sure I would. As he began to pray, I again began praying in other tongues as the spirit gave the utterance. I spoke in tongues for over 40 minutes. That was 5th April 2002. THANK YOU JESUS!!! I didn’t realize at the time, but even after work I did not want a drink. The instant I spoke in tongues the desire for alcohol, cigarettes and drugs left me. MIGHTY GOD. I praise God for Brother Doug Barberi from Atlanta West UPC, and his consistency in going on the internet to share Jesus and reach the lost.

Sister Juanita, emailed all the missionaries in Australia trying to find someone to baptize me as I was desperate. God said it, I saw it, that was good enough for me. Pastor Chester Terry was contacted and we made arrangements to meet. He drove 7 hours from Sydney to Coffs Harbour. The following day he and Bro Fred deBear drove 4 hours to meet me outside a closed KFC store two hours from my home. They shared the word of God and asked what I wanted. I said I NEEDED and had to be baptized in the name of JESUS. I was, and God provided warm water in the form of a man made cave and a heated spa. Thank you JESUS, it was cold in Glen Innes that day. The 16th of April 2002 I was baptized in the name of JESUS, and God removed from me a lifetime of asthma, a brain tumor and washed away my sins past.

Due to distance we did not get fellowship very often. Brother and Sister Terry brought the love of God to myself and my children at our home after a few months. This happened a couple of times, with them travelling 7 hours to do it. I then began to travel as I could the three and a half hours to sit under bro deBear. January 2003 saw us at general conference and my eldest son baptized in the name of JESUS and filled with the Holy Ghost. Three weeks later he felt it was a ‘moment’ experience and laid it down. I continued to share the Lord online, praying with whosoever I could and sharing studies on Jesus. I praise God for every pastor that had the forethought to put their preaching online. I would listen to at least one a day, if not two or three. Pastor Johns, I thank you for feeding me so much in the first two years.

Things happened and by the end of 2003 God closed the door on me fellowshipping at the church where I was going. I spent three months going online to every trinity pastor I could find and asking them to tell me why the ‘Apostolic/Pentecostal oneness people’ were wrong. They would start to share, and I would call them on it, correcting them with scripture. I thank God for this time, it made concrete in my heart and mind how true is the Gospel of JESUS. I had been blessed with mentors and friends online, and a friend in Australia to fellowship with. At every chance I would continue to teach bible studies, three to four days a week. I would call people around the world and encourage them and pray with them. I was blessed.

I would cry out, desperate for fellowship some day, but most the time I was blessed in the Lord, with His presence and was learning growing and changing. I hit a wall and couldn’t break through in 2004. God sent a Sister here from Florida. We prayed, had services in my home, did mail box drops. Put up posters offering prayer, praise and worship or studies. Just as I had the year before, no-one came. Finally a few did come for fellowship, however God closed that door also. Praise God. I did have service and watch the Holy Ghost all over my dad, nephew, children and a visitor. They would not move. I know one day they will.

About once a year, give or take a bit, God allows me to go somewhere for fellowship. In these times there has been healing, blessings and times of great growing. 2005 saw me in Melbourne, met up with Brother Mayuran and attended a women’s retreat. 2005 I also was blessed to make contact with the man of God that is now my pastor. He helped me understand the things I knew about the two different laws, the eternal one inside the ark of the covenant, and the temporal one on the outside. 2006 saw me drive to the Gold Coast where I was blessed to baptize Brother Mayuran Siva in the name of Jesus. And saw me in America where God did a mighty work in me. I was blessed in fellowship, friendships and as God ministered greatly to me. A time of deep healing and intense growth. 2007 I returned to Melbourne for fellowship and more blessings from God. 2008 God blessed me to go to the Philippines and I came home humbled, blessed, healed, emboldened and renewed in the Holy Ghost. I learned much.

2009 has been a year of profound things for me. From the time in America until now God has continued the healing in me to where my yesterdays no more have me tied and wounded. I have grown in the Lord in ways I had not thought I would. I have been healed and made whole with God challenging, changing and loving on me in ways I thought would not be mine. I have grown as a woman, woman of God and I will never have sufficient words to say ‘Thank YOU Jesus’ enough. Often times there are only tears and my life His to do with as HE will. God has begun to manifest the work He has for me to do, the call He has placed on my life and His path set before me to follow. He has spoken things to me directly, through prophecy and visions and dreams.

In the past 7.5 years I have been blessed to see miracles signs and wonders. How He took who I was and created who I am today, is possibly the greatest of all. I have seen all manner of sickness and disease gone, the dead raised, manifested answered prayers for many around the world, people encouraged uplifted and blessed by Jesus in different nations and that HE has kept me, faithful, hungry, desiring and loved by HIM. I have lost almost everything and everyone I cared for have turned from me. I just kept loving on Jesus, I praise God that HIM I have not doubted nor laid down. I have known a loss and an isolation so intense that at times I could no more than lay before God and weep and trust HIM. Jesus changed not, neither has His word. I have grown in wisdom, knowledge, revelation and understanding and pray daily that I continue to do so. I am thankful to know to obey the Gospel and to keep the 10 commandments in order to walk in covenant with JESUS. I thank God for every revelation, understanding, wisdom and knowledge I have and pray it ever increase.

These past months I have been humbled and blessed that God would trust me, and ask me to pray for people around the world, Pastors , their wives, those they minister to and with and even those I call with a wrong number. I scarce can take in what HE is doing, yet am deeply blessed to be a witness. HE has given me a love for people, a heart for Him, a passion and determination to continue and His Spirit to guide me as I reach out. I pray to be a blessing to whoever Jesus puts in my path. I pray to encourage and edify, to teach what I have been granted to understand and to share my GOD with all who have eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart and mind to receive.