Thank you HODAH

[Dave]

Hi.  This is my testimony.  I'm not sure how to write this, so I'm just going to write down everything that changed.

Things that happened after the first time I went to Hodah:

- I saw a girl, Sister J, forgive her mom over the phone.  God brought me to Hodah on that very day so that I could witness it, because I was able to so easily forgive my mom the next day the same way.  I've hated my mom for most of my life, and I always knew that I had to forgive her sometime.  This would always be my biggest spiritual issue that I had, because it was so difficult for me to forgive her.  However, the day after Hodah it became so easy somehow.  I believe that this was the catalyst for all the other changes.

- As I was talking DK, I felt the Holy Spirit descend upon me.  I had never before felt a presence like this before. It just felt like there was pressure being put on me from above. As if the air about me was super thick and was falling on top of me. It was kind of hard to pay attention to what DK was saying for 3 minutes because of the weight. I didn't know it was the Holy Spirit but when I asked DK about it, both him and another woman both said that's what it was. It was cool to know that God was reassuring me that I was in the right place.

- The next biggest thing that happened had to do with sexual immorality issues.  About a year ago, God showed me an online video that brought to light a lot of sexual sins I was doing at the time.  Since then I had began trying to stop any and all lust-related sins, but it was a HUGE struggle for me.  Every time I failed I would have spirits of guilt and shame take over.  At the time I didn't know how preval‎ent evil spirits were, and I would be really hard on myself.  However, after that first day, the spirits of lust must have completely left because barely anything lustful has even crossed my mind.  It hasn't been a struggle at all; I never knew that it could be this easy.  Even if I am attacked in this way it is so much easier to brush it off and completely forget what I was thinking about.  I really thanked God so much for this afterwards- it completely changed my life.

- Seeing how everyone was so loving to each other at Hodah made me realize that this was how a Christian community should be like.  I went home and hugged my brother.  I hugged my friends when I got back to their place.  I realized that I should be showing love to everyone like this, equally, everywhere I go.  

- A lot of my anger/irritation/frustration/impatience subsided.  This subsided similarly to the way sexual immorality went away.  Combined with a new outlook on competition, it takes a lot more for me to get upset.

- I would always have this urge to get very drunk, or to smoke.  I wouldn't act on it but now the urge is gone.  It's nice not to have to deal with that anymore.

- When I got home that night from Hodah, I praised God the whole drive back home, and going to sleep I felt so comfortable in my bed, it felt like Jesus was hugging me.  I could feel His love so much.

- Talking to DK I got a lot of information about evil spirits.  After that talk and after reading The Bondage Breaker, I realized that all this information was increasing my faith, because it is the Truth that sets you free.  So the more truth I learned the more I felt free.

- There was a girl that I was involved with.  She is Christian too, with a good heart, but we had dated on-and-off, and there was a lot of hurt and immorality in that relationship.  However, anytime I thought I should end the relationship I would feel really sad because it was difficult for me to imagine going through life without at least having her as a friend.  However, after Hodah (and after the deliverance) the bond between us was broken (healed?), and I can now simply see her as a daughter in Christ and not as anything more.  I don't feel like I need to take care of her, or spend time with her as much as I felt I was obligated to before.  I'm free from that too.

- I also tried to get rid of many of my evil spirits in myself and around where I lived before deliverance.  I think this had a part in making deliverance go smoother.

- I used to always feel like I wasn't doing enough for God, that I wasn't a "good Christian".  Although I'm definitely not perfect, afterwards I was able to enjoy the love that God had for me more than worrying about if I was good enough all the time.

After deliverance:

- One of the spirits I didn't try to repent for before deliverance was the spirit of shame / embarrassment.  I didn't realize that this was an evil spirit.  But once the ministers told that spirit to leave, I instantly felt lighter.  That spirit changed how I felt the most during deliverance.

- Pride was definitely my biggest evil spirit, and getting it to leave made it much easier for me to be humble.  I no longer have an urge to try to show people how I may be good and can focus more on how to give God glory.

- I also learned more about God giving us visions and showing us things or making us think of things that He wanted us to see.  I had been told before that we could hear God's voice, or that He would show us images, so this was more confirmation.

- Before deliverance, as I was being initiated(?) into Hodah, the very last person who hugged me said, "Jesus says, 'Thank you for trusting me'".  I was so confused at the time- I thought I had been doubting Him so much.  I didn't know what I was trusting him for.  Was I trusting Him by coming to Hodah and believing that I would be changed?  Was I trusting Him by believing in His career calling for me?  Maybe that person was wrong, since I wasn't trusting God enough.  It wasn't until the Monday after my deliverance did I find out what that meant.  The passage being discussed was Jesus calming the storm for all the disciples on the boat.  DK mentioned that they had "little faith", meaning that they believed Jesus would save them if they came to Him, but they panicked and were worried the entire time.  On the other hand, if they disciples had "great faith", they would have thought something along the lines of, "It's okay that there's a dangerous storm, Jesus knew this would happen and He will take care of it in His own way."  Although I've heard this story many times before, this time I was struck by it because (and I don't mean to brag here!) that was my mindset before when chasing after the calling I received from God.  I knew that, no matter what setbacks I had, if God wanted me to get there, I would get there.  And even if I didn't, it just meant that He had something even better in store than anything I could imagine for myself.  I thanked God so much for this afterwards and it gave me more peace of mind.

- Receiving tongue was fun.  It was really freeing to say complete gibberish as loud as I could, but more importantly it was just more confirmation of how real God was.  That we could learn a language that was completely foreign to us that would allow us to talk to God in another meaningful way.

[Dasom]

Tears of joy and love are flowing down as I read this again David! His heart is bursting of love because of you! You're carried in everlasting arms and He'll never let you go. I still remember the first night you came and how touched we were seeing your pure heart. I love you more than words can say!

[온전한 은혜]

Thanks, brother David for your touching testimony! It is great that you are being so detail on many categories. Same as Dasom, I vividly remember you when you first walk to HODAH, when you first walk to Jesus!! So overwhelming in hearing
your testimony and see you everytime after that with changes in your face, in your body, in your spirit!!! Yes, Jesus did it,
Jesus is the answer! You are in my everyday's prayer, will miss you today... have a refreshing vacation and see you back
next monday!! I love you, Love you in Jesus Christ!!

[온전한 은혜]

That very passage you mentioned, Matthew 8:23-27 - when furious storm swept over the boat with desciples and Jesus -
gave me a big touch too! I am so happy that same passage touch you and me almost in the same way. I've been all
along thinking Jesus would calm the storms on my life - I've been believing He SHOULD calm everything down, but that
day, learned to belive "All He Provides is the Best for Me"....Thank you for sharing this, Yes, He Provides the Best at
all times!!

[timothykim]

Wow !! Hallelujah!! What an awesome testimony is !! and How detailed and honest descriptions are !!
Congratulations again David!! You felt completely free, didn't you?
I can imagine that you must be surprised at your change in your life so quickly.
I am so proud of your obedience and willingness for the ministry and testimony.
I believe that it is the beginning of the spiritual warfare now.
Please keep on praying, staying with Jesus and resisting the evil spirit to try to attack you again.
But do not worry at all. We will be with you and pray for you as well.
Love and Bless ya so much!!

[여호수아]

A translation in Korean is in KM New Acts #6149. Be blessed. I put a link below.
https://cafe.daum.net/_c21_/bbs_read?grpid=1EpL4&fldid=Os5M&contentval=001bBzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&datanum=6149&page=3&prev_page=1&firstbbsdepth=001dTzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&lastbbsdepth=001cdzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz&listnum=50