Glory to God

by Duane Hoffman
(Unionville, TN)

Well it is a long story, but I will tell you some of what happened. I was living in Hudson, I lived with my dad, who I had lived with since I was 12, after being taken away from my mother and family because of drugs, and abuse. He was really strict, and didin't know Jesus. Didn't believe in God at all. But neither did I. I was full of pride, and was a captain of the football team, an all league running back, and captain of the wrestling team. I took 4th in the state in wrestling. I was so full of pride, and my dad was so strict.

But people liked me because Hudson liked sports and I was good at them. But I got to where I was going to all kinds of partys every day almost, getting high all the time, and my dad ended up kicking me out, after throwing me around and beating me down a couple of times, but I was a disrespectful dude at that time, so I had it coming.

So I ended up living with some friends, and partied 24/7, and became a drug dealer. Did so many stupid things, fighting, and all kind of stuff, ended up getting some tickets for underaged drinking. And tried to commit suicide, overdosed on pills, and ended up in the upstairs of the hospital, the looney bin.

They told me I had all these mental problems, and put me on pills. Well I almost died there on that overdose.

An elderly woman, who I call, "grandma Gibson" used to watch me when I was younger while my dad worked. And now She came and took me in off the Street. She is a Christian woman. She took me to see her friend Carol. Who is so crazy about God, and i thought she was wack. So while I was living there. I continued to do the partying, and drinking. And finally I felt so low. I was sitting there, and watching tv, she left it on TBN, christian television. And I was thinking about suicide again. So low. But what caught my attention was this.

A preacher on tv was praying and he said, " There is a young man out there right now, that just tried to commit suicide, just got through a night of hard drugs, and you are feeling so down, you are thinking about committing suicide again..." He said, " Young man, all you have to do right now, is give it all to Jesus, He knows where you need to go in life..." So I got on my knees and prayed to Jesus, and asked Him for help.

Then after I prayed He said, "now get ready because God is going to do some powerful things in your life." And then I felt so good that night... I started to beleive in God. And I started reading the Bible. I started seeking God. And the next weekend, I went to get baptized on Sunday at my grandmas church... And afterward went out to eat to celebrate.

And there was a man there that knew me and said, "hey if you need a job, go check out my house, there is a man working on it that may higher you..." So I went and checked it out.

And He said, "Nope we are full up right now"

So I went home to grandma, and said I cant get a job right now if my life depends on it. I complained to her. And she said, "lets pray about it." And pulled me to my knees and prayed... The moment we said amen, the phone started ringing.

And she told me to answer it, so I answered it. And the same guy said, "Can you show up at 7?." I knew God did that. So I said yes, and was so overwhelmed by what God just did. Then I thought about it, and realized I didnt have any gas in my car. A few minutes later, a guy who never comes over and is also a drug dealer, pulled up and said, " Hey drive your car to the gas station, and I will give you a birthday present." So I did, but it wasnt my birthday at all. (But I was a born again Christian, a baby in Christ) He filled it all the way up. And I came back home, and that is all he wanted to do... lol... no drugs or nothing, then I was going to pack some lunch, but all my grandma had was diet food, and I couldnt find nothing.

A few minutes later, the same guy came back with a van full of groceries, and said, " I have to empty out my kitchen, I just got this huge check for groceries, here you go..." Then he just left again.

All this happened on the same day I got baptized. The guy I started working for turned out to be a Christian, and took me to a church that I needed to go to. This is just the beginning of what God has done in my life. I have many more testimonies. God started to show me so many things in His word, and through dreams and visions all interpreted by His Word. I went to jail for something I did right before I got saved, but now I was saved while I was in Jail, and God was with me.

And I was reading James 3, where he talks about being a teacher, and leading the body with the mouth, and how a horse body is turned by the bit in its mouth. Well I knew God wanted me to preach in jail, but I was affraid to, then the same woman Carol came to visit me, and she said, "I dont know why, but God wants me to tell you to jump on that 4 legged horse and ride." And this was right after I was reading about the bit in a horses mouth. Well God wanted me to preach to the fourty some people in my block. And I did, and 2 or 3 got saved, and many more came to my bunk asking for prayer. And I got let out of jail 15 days early. I know it was God that got me out of there. They prolly didnt want me in jail getting everybody saved. lol! But it is all the Power of God. He is Mighty to save. I will tell you more if you want, because this is just a scratch off the surface. Glory to God.

I had a dream shortly after I was saved. I dreamed that I climbed up this really tall building, and stood on top of it, and could overlook this huge city, it was endless, the sight of it just faded away at the end. But I looked around and seen the people that were walking around and they were pushing, shoving, laughing, joking, and God spoke to me in my heart, that these people do not know Him.

Then this dark cloud rolled in over the city, and I heard a really loud horn go off in my ear, or a siren of some sort. Whatever it was, it was really loud. And I looked up and out of the huge dark cloud came a gigantic cross on a chain being lowered. It was as if God was holding the other end of the chain in the cloud. Then the cross started smashing into tall buildings and people were screaming and yelling.

I instantly woke up, and the Bible was sitting on the table right by me, so I opened it up. These are the first words that I randomly looked at, "' Thus saith the Lord God, "I am going to till my field and plant my seeds." He filled me and possessed me with His amazing love from on High, and instantly, after I had been saved I was preaching the gospel everywhere I went to all kinds of people, all my friends, and most of them thought I was crazy, but I know the truth, and God is with me. It doesnt matter what people think.

But, God began to show me more about this dream, through scripture as I walked with Him, and still is to this day... I am seeing it come to pass, God is about to pour out His Spirit among all flesh. He already is. And Christ will reign. Our Job as Christians is to be His tools, or instruments, and submit to Him and be lights unto the dark world for His glory. Not cloud His glory with the darkness of the world. We have eternal life within us the moment we get saved.

Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well that if she drinks from Him, she will never thirst again... He says that a spring of eternal life will well up inside of us.

Why do you think He said something that powerful? It was to show us that He will overflow through us to others, with His awesome power. His Holy Spirit.People will become saved if we spread His Love, in faith, and conform to His Will... We must focus on Him, because nothing else matters. Faith is all we need. His Holy Spirit. Believe, God does mighty things through those who submit to Him. His Holy Spirit. Listen to His Voice. Not money, Not things, Not people, Not anything else but faith in Jesus Christ. The Voice of Truth. The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift someone could recieve on this earth. And God is the One who gives this Gift. This Gift is God, because God is our Portion.

I also had a dream of an eagle right after I was saved, and reading and praying the Bible.
I was walking through this open field during the day, and it was very bright out, and I seen this eagle flying up iin the sky, and it was circling, it flew by and went around behid me and came over me. It was the biggest eagle I had ever seen. When it flew over me the left wing was over me and the shadow of its wing was the size of a football field. And I looked up right above me, and I seen its feathers right above me. And it flew by me, like it was watching over me. And I woke up.

And again I randomly opened the Bible and the first verse I looked at was psalm 91.

God watches over His Children, and He will not allow the enemy to take us away. If we are resting in Him, we are safe, unto eternity.

And I have had many other people tell me things that God has done in thier life. People God has put in my path... I have had dreams that random strangers finished telling me before I was finished, and opened my eyes to the meaning.

God is working, Just let the scales fall off your eyes, and Trust in Christ. You will see. He is Might to save. Glory to God.