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Delivered from the Hurt of Abuse and the Scars of Sin
My Testimony of God’s Amazing Grace
By: Shelia Holcomb
Before I begin my testimony I feel it is important to give you some information on my childhood, so you will be better able to understand some of the decisions I made in my life, however stupid they may have been. But every decision I have made during my lifetime good or bad is what has brought me to where I am now and I am very thankful for the mountains and the valleys.
When I was born my mother was only fifteen years old and now years later and after I went through the process of forgiving her and working through many things, I am now able to look at her life through her eyes to try to better understand how she must have felt. Someone gave me this advice when I was really struggling with all of this, I was told that maybe I could forgive easier if I try to see her life through her eyes and not the eyes of a hurt child, you know what, it worked, I can understand her more clearly now. She was not mature enough to take care of herself much less a baby. So she would send me here and there to whomever would willing to take me at that particular time, most of the time it was my grandmother, several times throughout my life she would decide that she wanted me back and she would come and uproot me again. I never really knew any stability in my life and I always felt as if no one really loved me or wanted me.
Then at the age of nine she came and got me and took me away from my grandmother which, really at this point of my life, was the only mother I had ever known and I was very attached to her. Anyway, my mother came and took me to Illinois where she lived, by this time she had remarried and she had two more children by her new husband. He hated me and the only reason I could figure out was simply that I was not his child. Now this was not my fault, although I did blame myself for many years. He started just physically abusing me, but at the age of nine that changed, he raped me and this abuse went on until I was thirteen and I finally told my mother, she didn’t believe me, actually no one believed me. Finally I just let it drop and I buried all of those feelings of anger and hate for years, that has now all been dealt with and forgiven and now it is all under the precious blood of Jesus, Praise God. I told my mother that I wanted to go back to Memphis to live with my grandmother and she consented just because she felt I was causing so much trouble and she did not want to be bothered.
Now my grandmother was now also remarried and I resented him for taking her away from me too. You must remember I was only a child and I felt like she was all I had and now I had lost her too. I was very hateful to him and caused so many problems, he was very kind and loving to me but I just could not accept what he was offering to me. My grandmother finally after a long struggle went to the courts and told the judge that I was out of control and they just could not handle me any longer, so they removed me and placed me in a foster home, the home I went to was wonderful, but at that time I could not see things clearly, all I could see was that the only person who should love me had now turned her back on me as well, I just wanted my grandmother so, I ran away. The courts then really called my bluff, so as a ward of the State of Tennessee I was placed in a Catholic all girls reform school for three and a half years. Now as I look back, I can honestly say it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. But at that time all I could see was that I was totally alone, unloved and unwanted in this great big world.
Now I will jump ahead some. In 1987 I lost my three children to their father and I totally lost it. I turned heavily to alcohol and eventually that turned into crack and cocaine. By this time I had lost everything including my dignity as I had turned to prostitution to support my drug habit. I was arrested several times on various charges, but I was never convicted and I never served any time, I know that God was taking care of me even back them in my sin, He saw what I would be one day in Him. I give GOD all the PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY for all that I am today and all that I will be.
The drugs and my roaming had taken me to many places but on December 20, 1990 I came across a man that told me about Jesus and how He could deliver me and make my life an example to others. I had not eaten in a couple of days and he asked me if I was hungry, so he took me to a restaurant and bought me something to eat. The entire time he shared about Jesus Christ with me. He told me Christ could and would set me free if I was willing, and how He (Jesus), would give me a new life without all the pain and turmoil I was living in. Of course being a Christian does not eliminate us from pain, trials and tribulation but with Christ in our hearts He will give us the strength to overcome and withstand even in the worst times. I began sharing my life story with this man and he still said Jesus is the answer, and boy was he right. Right there I gave my heart to the Lord and I decided to live for Him and serve Him for the rest of my life.
I had been singing for many years and I had destroyed my voice through drug abuse, I just abused the gifts that God had given me. So I prayed and told the Lord that if He would heal and restore my voice I would use this gift for His glory for the rest of my life. Now, God has done exceedingly and abundantly above all that I could ask or think. The songs that I sing and others that I have written they are all His I am only an instrument holding the pen. It does not matter where you are, Christ will come to you and meet you if, you are willing to let your life go and let Him be God of and in your life.
I have had so many miracles in my Christian life as I am a walking miracle myself. One of these miracles really stands out to me and I would like to share this with you as well. About four or five years ago I was diagnosed with an incurable bowel condition, the doctors were not real sure what it was exactly, but they had come to the conclusion that with ulcers all through my body and many in my bowel system, they said they wanted to do surgery and remove some of the bowel. My reply was that I wanted to get prayer for this and that I believed that God was going to heal me and I will not need the surgery at all. They went ahead and scheduled me for another scope the following week, just a few days after Christmas. Then on Christmas Eve I placed a long distance call to a minister friend of mine and asked him to pray for me, he said no problem but he would need to call me back in a few minutes. While waiting for him to call back I got about ten bibles and placed them opened on the floor in a circle and one opened in the middle of the circle. When he called me back I knelt on the bible in the middle and said, “pray�? When he prayed for me the fire of God hit me and went through me, I had such a peace come over me. I went over to my bed and fell asleep (now Adam was put into a deep sleep in Genesis when God removed the rib to create woman) God did the same for me as I lay there sleeping He performed surgery on me to heal my body. I slept for seventeen hours and when I woke the bleeding had stopped and so had the pain, I knew without a doubt that I was healed by the precious hand of the Master. I was on about $400.00 worth of medicine a month and I went into the kitchen and threw it all in the trash. I did go back for the scope when I was scheduled and the doctors were amazed there were no ulcers anywhere and I just praised God for His healing power.
I am now an ordained minister and I am married to a wonderful man who is also a minister. We know God has put us together for a ministry and we are enjoying serving the Lord together. I am now a southern gospel singer\songwriter. The Lord has blessed me and I will continue on this road He has placed me on for my desire is only to serve Him. I will travel anywhere I am invited to give my testimony or to sing or both. God is wonderful and it is to His glory that I am writing this, if one soul is reached in any way then this is worth everything.
Again I cannot stress enough that this is for the glory of God that I am here and that my life is what it is today, for without Christ we are nothing, but through Him we are joint heirs with Him. He is our Deliverer, Savior, Helper, and Healer and any problem we may have is never to great for Him to help us, we just have to take it to Him and leave it at His feet and in His care. I thank God for His power is still healing, still saving and still delivering. He is good all the time. I have made my mistakes but His grace is sufficient. God loves us and if we truly repent and confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we can help anyone out there, please contact us at the information provided below and we will do our best to help in any way we can. If you have questions about loved ones who may be on drugs or other addictions we will try to answer your questions, if we do not know we will do our best to find the answer for you. If you have loved ones that you need prayer for we will gladly join you in agreeing for that person for the Kingdom. Please always remember we are human and we will make mistakes but just confess to God those mistakes and get them under the blood of Jesus as soon as possible, God still loves us and He will help us in all of our situations.
GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL. I GIVE FULL PERMISSION TO ANYONE WHO CAN USE THIS TESTIMONY TO COPY IT AND GIVE IT OUT OR TO SHARE IT PUBLICALLY, BUT PLEASE GIVE ALL THE GLORY AND PRAISE TO GOD. THANK-YOU. WE ARE YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER IN CHRIST JESUS.
Jerry & Shelia Holcomb
Feel free to email us at:
[email protected]
www.rainbowoftexas.org
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Hello joie, thanks so much for the encouragment. I am happy to share my
story that is what I have been called to do as well as other things. I
thank God that He can use it to increase His Kingdom.To many people say
God doesn't love me or couldn't and my story will not make a difference.
God gives us all testimonies to proclaim His goodness to the lost. I
pray more people will stand up and tell others what the Lord has done
for them. We are all important to God, that is why Jesus died on the
cross out of His love for us and His Father. May God bless you love ya
shelia
joie wrote:
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>New Message on Build on the True Foundation
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>From: joie
>Message 2 in Discussion
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>Dear Sister Shelia, I appreciate this testimony with all my heart. I cannot thank you enough for being willing to share this for the glory of our wonderful Savior. It is always so blessed to hear someone who testifies to the glorious healing power of Jesus in our day. There are so many 'enemies' of Jesus who claim that these things do not exist today. I always ask, Why? did God not love us? Does he not desire for us to really know Him? Is he unmindful of our generation? I know those who believe this way are deceived. May God richly bless you and your family and continue to use you for His honour and glory. I will pray for you and ask you to pray for me. I would really love to hear you in person. Maybe God will work that out someday. With His love to you, JO
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Hello and thanks so much for the encouragment. Would you like to write
up your testimony and email it to me we have a testimony page on our
ministry website and would love to add your testimony to it. Let me
know and thanks again. In His Service shelia
www.rainbowoftexas.org
you can also listen to some of our music here. for the music use id
rain and password bow
God bless you and this group
Build on the True Foundation wrote:
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>New Message on Build on the True Foundation
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>From: Isaiah
>Message 3 in Discussion
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>Dear Sis in Christ, what a great testimony this is for the glory or our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Thank you very much for sharing this great testimony with this board. God sure reach way down in the miry clay and really pull you out. As he did also for me, you see I was about in the same condition that you were in. I was a drunkard, but the Lord also reached down in the miry clay and pulled me out. He will anyone that allows him to. You see God is no respecter of person. His hand is not short that he can not reach down and lift us out of this miry clay and set out feet on solid ground. Once again thank you for this wonderful testimony and may the Lord Bless yall in your ministry.
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| | | From: joie | Sent: 11/15/2002 4:27 AM |
Hello Shelia, If you know how to make your url an active link, you need to do this for us. We cannot use the one you have posted. If you do not know how, please let us know. Someone can show you. Thanks. Yes we have some great testimonies here in our lives. I agree all Christians should stand up and TESTIFY of the greatness of God in our lives in OUR DAY. Jo |
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hello joie, i am not sure how but would this be what you mean
http://www.rainbowoftexas.org
let me know thanks love shelia
joie wrote:
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>New Message on Build on the True Foundation
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>From: joie
>Message 6 in Discussion
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>Hello Shelia, If you know how to make your url an active link, you need to do this for us. We cannot use the one you have posted. If you do not know how, please let us know. Someone can show you. Thanks. Yes we have some great testimonies here in our lives. I agree all Christians should stand up and TESTIFY of the greatness of God in our lives in OUR DAY. Jo
>
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| | | From: joie | Sent: 11/16/2002 9:33 PM |
No Shelia, the url is still not usable. Go to your web page ---- at the top where you see the url, high light this - then right click it --- then copy it --- now you can paste it into a message and it will be active == usable. Thanks -- hope this helps you get it. Jo |
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Hello I just added it to links page can you check to make sure i did it
correctly. love Shelia
joie wrote:
>-----------------------------------------------------------
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>New Message on Build on the True Foundation
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>From: joie
>Message 8 in Discussion
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>No Shelia, the url is still not usable. Go to your web page ---- at the top where you see the url, high light this - then right click it --- then copy it --- now you can paste it into a message and it will be active == usable. Thanks -- hope this helps you get it. Jo
>
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| | | From: joie | Sent: 2/5/2003 10:08 AM |
| Hello MOSESANDELAIJAH 
| | | I would like to welcome you to this Build on the True Foundation group. I am interested in hearing more of your testimony and how it is that you are experiencing the Book of Revelation. I study this Book quite a lot and have for many years. Only others parts of the Word can truly and rightly interpret this or any other Scripture. I am glad you have found and joined us. I hope you will receive many blessings here and be a blessing. We have several good subjects going on right now. Please feel free to jump in and join any or all of them. Also there are many wonderful messages back through our many pages you can read and bring back for discussion if you wish. I am glad you brought Shelia's testimony back; for I had forgotten all of this. God bless you. Jo, manager | | |
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| Who of the two prophets on this community board is a right prophet of God. Joie of you. Or the other option that both of you are listening to many of the wrong spirits deceiving this world. Jack. |
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In Reply to: Decieving in this world The whole world is already deceived including the peoples in it and I see this and know who is behind all-this. Refer to Dragon. I could tell you about the Dragon in Revelation12 and also reveal 'The Deep Secret of Satan' that Lord Jesus said to Church of Thytira and my testamony is true. I know it is true because I recieving them and heard of them from my Father whom everybody claim to know as their God and serve? Everything I know of God is because He has revealed it to me* I am not here to decieve no one and I am not claiming to be Prophet or anything either, other then that I Love God whom I call as 'MyFather' and He has a name. And he gave me a commandment to keep that is to be faithful to His Son Jesus who is the Lord: The Lord of hosts is His Name! I want to be faithful to myLord Jesus for what he has done for me..I think the Perfect Love*has to do with , If Jesus Christ has died for me? Then I should die for him* |
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| | From:  Isaiah· | Sent: 2/5/2003 8:52 PM |
MOSESANDELAIJAH- First of all let me also say hello and also welcome you to this community. It is good to see that you are already posting. I would like to recommend to you that you read the post that was done by joie on the Two Witnessess.There are two posts so make sure that you read the one by joie. Maybe it will help you to see the truth about the Two WITNESSESS. As for the above picture I don't agree with these things. May you receive some of the wonderful truth that is taught here and that we also receive from you. May God Bless |
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