It all began near the end of the year 2004.
The previous year, the year 2003, I wasn't really living for Jesus, I still loved him and went to Church; however, I was still a lukewarm Christian.
I barely knew the word of God at that time and didn't know, you can actually have relationship with our creator God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our comforter and teacher, the Holy Spirit.
But in the beginning of 2004 when I started to slowly get back to serving the Lord more effectively, I start attending church more regularly and bible studies to get more of the word in my spirit.
So at this point I started going to church and bible study about 4 to 5 times a week including my regular Sunday services.
So in about the middle of the year 2004, I have grown so much spiritually, that people around me could barely recognize me.
Some of my old friends that I used to hang around with at the bars were even shocked and thought that I was in a cult.
But I would always explain to him or anyone else that asks me about my faith, as not being a religion or a cult but being a relationship with God the father, God the son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.
And I would explain to them, they're all in unity as one God, because there's only one God in this universe.
So I started to share some of my testimonies about what God has done in my life so far, and this was prior to hitting the streets to start sharing my faith with the team of other experience street Evangelists.
So as I meat new friends in the Church and bible studies to hang around with and share the goodness of God and to fellowship with, my faith grew considerable.
Knowing that one of the best ways to grow your faith is to hear other people's testimonies.
One of my friends even wanted me to get baptized in water.
However, I explained to him that my parents, have already baptized me, when I was a baby.
So he furthermore explained to me that, that wasn't real water baptism, that it was just a small sprinkling of water on the head.
You need to be baptized in water, full immersion just like Jesus in the Jordan river.
So I continued to argue with him saying, "I feel uncomfortable being baptized in front of 2,000 people!", "And besides my mother already said that she baptized me when I was a baby in Africa!" So he continued to explain to me that, that wasn't real water baptism, it's only a sprinkling of water on your forehead.
So he finally convince me to go get baptize in water and some of my other friends also wanted to get baptized with me, so that encouraged me a lot.
However little did I know that this simple act of water baptism, was going to totally change my life, and prepare me for Street Ministry and Street Evangelism.
However even before I got baptized in water, we did a little bible study on baptism in the Holy Ghost, and I actually got baptize in the Holy Ghost.
That same night, after the teaching, I went into my room and started to pray, then all of a sudden I felt a strong presence of the Holy Ghost, then I started praying a few words in tongues, then tears started pouring out of my eyes.
I didn't know what to do or think, so I continued to pray in tongues and I felt very edified.
Therefore I did receive the Holy Spirit Baptism even before water baptism, so that was very special.
And by the way, not to freak anyone out, who doesn't understand the concept of the Holy Spirit Baptism, it does line up with scripture in the bible in Act chapter 2:4 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I believe there was a time before I got baptized in water when I went out street ministry with a group of people from the church...
It was a Sunday night when we went out for the first time in my neighborhood of Osborne Village.
I was very nervous, because I've never gone to share my faith on the streets before.
And to make matters worst, when one of the people heard that we were going for street evangelism, he told us not to, and advised against it.
Well I guess he probably had a terrible experience in the past when someone threatened his life.
So I did become somewhat terrified.
However one of the people in our group had at least 10 years of experience doing street evangelism, so I felt secure to learn from him and just watched him to see how he and all the other people who had experience do it.
So we went out that same night, it was about 8 of us, enough to make the devil and heathens panic and tremble.
So I started seeing how they did it, and how easy it was to just talk to people.
So I started to talk to people, and started to feel more comfortable.
I had a lot of people say, "no, no, no!" I didn't get anybody saved that day, but the good news was that, while we were out there witnessing, the area became very, very peaceful, as though the drug dealers and all the others who were in darkness sense the light of Jesus and couldn't stand it, and all took off from the vicinity.
It was so amazing that I even started to enjoy what God was doing the streets so far.
Another time when we went out street witnessing was on a Saturday, and it was in the downtown area of out city.
I got an opportunity to witness to one of my friends I used to hang out with at the bars.
But the bad news was I was still very lukewarm at the time and still went out to the bars to drink, once in a while.
And that same night at the bar I meat the same friend that I witnessed to 10 hours before.
Now he made me look very stupid and called me a hypocrite, "preaching that I should stop sinning and follow Jesus, but hear you are sinning with me!" So I felt really bad that night and decided to maybe stop going to the bars once in for all, but I didn't know how, it was too addictive, I mean the drinks, the women, the music, it was too addictive to stop.
Then the day finally arrived when I got baptized in water.
It was about early August 2004.
I'll never forget that day, because that day totally changed my life...
I started to take my Christian walk more seriously.
I remembered that same night, I arrived at home, I felt very different, I felt more like a born again child.
I was even more excited to read the children bible comic stories and stared at the pictures like a little child.
Wow, was I changed for the better.
And for some reason, I no longer had the desire to go back to the bars to get drunk and make a fool out of myself and be called a hypocrite.
Then Later on that year, I believe it was September 2004, I got an opportunity to go out and minister the Gospel out in the streets in my nationhood once again.
I was still very nervous and just couldn't lead anybody to say the sinner's prayer.
But then one of my friends assisted me into leading the sinner's prayer for someone else who got saved to give me more experience.
However, I was still hungry to do it on my own.
Then I believe it was near the end of November, 2004 which was definitely the highlight of my entire year, when my Youth Pastor at my church planned a weekend retreat at the nearest Holiday Inn Hotel.
During the retreat, there was a special speaker that came in that weekend and spoke about dreams.
And most of it was geared to hopes and dreams that God put's on people's hearts.
I know I'm going a little bit off topic, but I need to share this with you, I'm so excited about it, and because it really encouraged me that weekend.
So he talked about dreams, and used Walt Disney as an example, and at that point my ears were really wide open, because I did get inspired by Walt Disney's work, and I remembered having a similar dream like his.
So that encouraged me, but things even get better because, that was the same weekend when I felt a strong presence of the Holy Spirit for the first time ever in my life.
The Special speaker prayed over me, I went down on the floor and felt the Holy Spirit like a cool breeze that was so overwhelming that I was literally almost shivering on the floor.
However, at the same time, I felt so much peace around me.
Then I believe it was later on that night, I went to sleep in my hotel room, and I had, I believe it was a prophetic dream that the Holy Spirit gave to me that night.
And in the dream, I actually went out to do street evangelism and lead 2 people to the Lord.
I was so excited even in the dream, and couldn't wait to share it with my bible study group.
Unfortunately, I awakened from the dream, and found out that it was only a dream, so I was a little bit disappointed.
However I didn't know that it was a prophetic dream, because after I started hitting the streets in the early part of the year 2005, I've been leading an average of 2 people to the Lord, some days 3 and other days even 5.
I was so shocked, I won't go into detail about it now, but definitely in my next street evangelism article, because it get's better and better.
Copyright © by Koffi Amouzouvi of Lumanas Media Ministries
The previous year, the year 2003, I wasn't really living for Jesus, I still loved him and went to Church; however, I was still a lukewarm Christian.
I barely knew the word of God at that time and didn't know, you can actually have relationship with our creator God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our comforter and teacher, the Holy Spirit.
But in the beginning of 2004 when I started to slowly get back to serving the Lord more effectively, I start attending church more regularly and bible studies to get more of the word in my spirit.
So at this point I started going to church and bible study about 4 to 5 times a week including my regular Sunday services.
So in about the middle of the year 2004, I have grown so much spiritually, that people around me could barely recognize me.
Some of my old friends that I used to hang around with at the bars were even shocked and thought that I was in a cult.
But I would always explain to him or anyone else that asks me about my faith, as not being a religion or a cult but being a relationship with God the father, God the son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.
And I would explain to them, they're all in unity as one God, because there's only one God in this universe.
So I started to share some of my testimonies about what God has done in my life so far, and this was prior to hitting the streets to start sharing my faith with the team of other experience street Evangelists.
So as I meat new friends in the Church and bible studies to hang around with and share the goodness of God and to fellowship with, my faith grew considerable.
Knowing that one of the best ways to grow your faith is to hear other people's testimonies.
One of my friends even wanted me to get baptized in water.
However, I explained to him that my parents, have already baptized me, when I was a baby.
So he furthermore explained to me that, that wasn't real water baptism, that it was just a small sprinkling of water on the head.
You need to be baptized in water, full immersion just like Jesus in the Jordan river.
So I continued to argue with him saying, "I feel uncomfortable being baptized in front of 2,000 people!", "And besides my mother already said that she baptized me when I was a baby in Africa!" So he continued to explain to me that, that wasn't real water baptism, it's only a sprinkling of water on your forehead.
So he finally convince me to go get baptize in water and some of my other friends also wanted to get baptized with me, so that encouraged me a lot.
However little did I know that this simple act of water baptism, was going to totally change my life, and prepare me for Street Ministry and Street Evangelism.
However even before I got baptized in water, we did a little bible study on baptism in the Holy Ghost, and I actually got baptize in the Holy Ghost.
That same night, after the teaching, I went into my room and started to pray, then all of a sudden I felt a strong presence of the Holy Ghost, then I started praying a few words in tongues, then tears started pouring out of my eyes.
I didn't know what to do or think, so I continued to pray in tongues and I felt very edified.
Therefore I did receive the Holy Spirit Baptism even before water baptism, so that was very special.
And by the way, not to freak anyone out, who doesn't understand the concept of the Holy Spirit Baptism, it does line up with scripture in the bible in Act chapter 2:4 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I believe there was a time before I got baptized in water when I went out street ministry with a group of people from the church...
It was a Sunday night when we went out for the first time in my neighborhood of Osborne Village.
I was very nervous, because I've never gone to share my faith on the streets before.
And to make matters worst, when one of the people heard that we were going for street evangelism, he told us not to, and advised against it.
Well I guess he probably had a terrible experience in the past when someone threatened his life.
So I did become somewhat terrified.
However one of the people in our group had at least 10 years of experience doing street evangelism, so I felt secure to learn from him and just watched him to see how he and all the other people who had experience do it.
So we went out that same night, it was about 8 of us, enough to make the devil and heathens panic and tremble.
So I started seeing how they did it, and how easy it was to just talk to people.
So I started to talk to people, and started to feel more comfortable.
I had a lot of people say, "no, no, no!" I didn't get anybody saved that day, but the good news was that, while we were out there witnessing, the area became very, very peaceful, as though the drug dealers and all the others who were in darkness sense the light of Jesus and couldn't stand it, and all took off from the vicinity.
It was so amazing that I even started to enjoy what God was doing the streets so far.
Another time when we went out street witnessing was on a Saturday, and it was in the downtown area of out city.
I got an opportunity to witness to one of my friends I used to hang out with at the bars.
But the bad news was I was still very lukewarm at the time and still went out to the bars to drink, once in a while.
And that same night at the bar I meat the same friend that I witnessed to 10 hours before.
Now he made me look very stupid and called me a hypocrite, "preaching that I should stop sinning and follow Jesus, but hear you are sinning with me!" So I felt really bad that night and decided to maybe stop going to the bars once in for all, but I didn't know how, it was too addictive, I mean the drinks, the women, the music, it was too addictive to stop.
Then the day finally arrived when I got baptized in water.
It was about early August 2004.
I'll never forget that day, because that day totally changed my life...
I started to take my Christian walk more seriously.
I remembered that same night, I arrived at home, I felt very different, I felt more like a born again child.
I was even more excited to read the children bible comic stories and stared at the pictures like a little child.
Wow, was I changed for the better.
And for some reason, I no longer had the desire to go back to the bars to get drunk and make a fool out of myself and be called a hypocrite.
Then Later on that year, I believe it was September 2004, I got an opportunity to go out and minister the Gospel out in the streets in my nationhood once again.
I was still very nervous and just couldn't lead anybody to say the sinner's prayer.
But then one of my friends assisted me into leading the sinner's prayer for someone else who got saved to give me more experience.
However, I was still hungry to do it on my own.
Then I believe it was near the end of November, 2004 which was definitely the highlight of my entire year, when my Youth Pastor at my church planned a weekend retreat at the nearest Holiday Inn Hotel.
During the retreat, there was a special speaker that came in that weekend and spoke about dreams.
And most of it was geared to hopes and dreams that God put's on people's hearts.
I know I'm going a little bit off topic, but I need to share this with you, I'm so excited about it, and because it really encouraged me that weekend.
So he talked about dreams, and used Walt Disney as an example, and at that point my ears were really wide open, because I did get inspired by Walt Disney's work, and I remembered having a similar dream like his.
So that encouraged me, but things even get better because, that was the same weekend when I felt a strong presence of the Holy Spirit for the first time ever in my life.
The Special speaker prayed over me, I went down on the floor and felt the Holy Spirit like a cool breeze that was so overwhelming that I was literally almost shivering on the floor.
However, at the same time, I felt so much peace around me.
Then I believe it was later on that night, I went to sleep in my hotel room, and I had, I believe it was a prophetic dream that the Holy Spirit gave to me that night.
And in the dream, I actually went out to do street evangelism and lead 2 people to the Lord.
I was so excited even in the dream, and couldn't wait to share it with my bible study group.
Unfortunately, I awakened from the dream, and found out that it was only a dream, so I was a little bit disappointed.
However I didn't know that it was a prophetic dream, because after I started hitting the streets in the early part of the year 2005, I've been leading an average of 2 people to the Lord, some days 3 and other days even 5.
I was so shocked, I won't go into detail about it now, but definitely in my next street evangelism article, because it get's better and better.
Copyright © by Koffi Amouzouvi of Lumanas Media Ministries
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