Wow, it’s been a long time since my family and I walked through the doors of Change of Life Pentecostal Tabernacle 12 years ago. Life was very different back then. I had a stale walk with God, non existent truth be told. I had given up on finding the truth. We had just moved to Greater Houston and we went around looking for a church to call home. We tried so many, 9 in all. It was always something that didn’t feel right. The music was great, but the message had no meat. The Pastor wasn’t living what he preached. My daughter, then 2 years old, hated it and cried the whole time. At the time, my life was wrecked. Decent job, but everything else was in shambles. My marriage was on the cusp of divorce. I was smoking, drinking, and strung out on drugs. No one could help me, and Jesus wasn’t listening to my cry for help, or so I thought. One Sunday morning, my wife woke me up extra early. She told me to get ready for church. She had seen this church one Sunday morning coming from work and it had a flame on the sign. This, she said, was a sign of the presence of the Holy Ghost. I told her that I wasn’t interested. 9 tries was enough. I was done with Jesus and he was clearly done with me. She remained persistent. If I went she said, and I didn’t like it, she would never bother me again about church. I agreed. When we walked in, we were nervous. We were greeted with a message, and I mean a REAL message. It was nothing we wanted to hear, but everything we needed to hear. Nothing came from Pastor Hoffman that was “Well we believe,” or “Well I feel,” or “I think.” Only “The Bible says,” over and over and over again. I didn’t agree with alot of what was coming over the pulpit, but it was right in black and white, in the Bible in front of me. How did I miss this? Why did the pastors I had in the past not see this? It was uncomfortable, but I knew it was right, not because of how I felt, but because of what God said in his Word. Pastor Hoffmananswered our questions, and always told us not to take his word for it, but to follow what the Word said. Plus the church family was so welcoming. Our daughter, who cried at every other church, went straight to Sister Hoffman(Pastor’s wife) and smiled. Children know. We spent months staying late after service, having all of our questions answered. What did God expect from us? What did we need to do? How could we draw closer to him? What did the Word of God say about this issue or that? We were promptly baptized in the name of Jesus (as commanded in Acts 2:38). First the drugs and alcohol went. Then the cigarettes too. Each of them was a battle, but God and my church helped me each step of the way. My marriage began to heal. My daughter began to blossom into this very special young girl, who loves Jesus and has the biggest heart for people I have ever seen. My job changed. No longer did I want to miss church because of work. God replaced it with another one. My attitude changed, my speech, my demeanor. I began to smile. We moved to our new house to be closer to the church. We witnessed so many miracles, to us and to others. I dont mean happenstance. I was healed of a herniated disc in my back. We witnessed those with a death sentence from cancer or cardiomyopathy be fully restored and healed. Now everything in our lives is about God. I would never turn back. Now 12 years later, I cannot even remember what my old life was like. I am not the old man, nor does God see me as him. Edward is dead. Brother Edward is very much alive. Our excellent Pastor still teaches me the Word of God, and is still there to answer my questions, although with less frequency now since the Word is written on my heart (mind). I am proud to call him my Pastor, a true man of God, and my friend. My marriage is doing great. Now I can help lead others out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. If he can do it for me, he can do it for anyone. I encourage anyone who is seeking the truth and hungering after what is right to come for a visit. Come experience the presence of God and have an experience that will change your life forever. I promise it will be the best thing you ever do. It was for me.
