My life was spiraling out of control in my early twenties. I made horrible decisions. I didn't know who I was or what I was looking for except that I knew there had to be more.
I knew that I couldn't continue living in darkness anymore. I was so tired of the hurt, the pain, the depression, the loneliness, the despair. When I made the horrible decision to abort my own child out of lack of knowledge, lack of identity, lack of Christ, and extreme fear (I feared man's opinion of me more than God's), I hit what I thought was bottom. I realize that bottom has no floor. But...JESUS!
Jesus called me to the altar and radically changed my heart. He began softening my heart for him in ways I didn't even know needed softening. Honestly, He continues to perform surgery on my heart daily. Accepting that Jesus was my Lord and Savior was a pivotal point in my life. But there would come something just as pivotal later on.
In September of 2016, I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the promised seal from our Father. This elevated my walk with the Lord to an entirely different plane. The love and presence of Holy Spirit gave me a supernatural understanding of who God is and my identity in Him as His daughter.
Without the power, love, and presence of Holy Spirit my walk would still be better than it was when I was partnering with darkness; however, Holy Spirit has made my relationship with the Lord so much more robust, on fire, and tangible. I think differently, I see differently, I feel differently, and I LOVE differently.
Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for ALL who are far off, EVERYONE whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
The gift and promise of Holy Spirit is for YOU! It hasn't been shut down, stopped or put to an end. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for us, today. When we begin to live according to the Spirit we begin to live according to His power, anointing, and LOVE. We begin to see, hear, feel, think, and LOVE differently. When we walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh, it is impossible to not love the way the Father loves.
- Contributed by AL.
Learn more about Ann and get copies of her books at www.authorannlindholm.com. She started her third book in which she shares personal testimony of redemption after abortion.