While I have been waiting daily in line outside Brownsville Assembly, witnessing and listening to people from all over the world - without asking, people have given me money in the times I have been broke. I was not working at the time. I have found groceries in my car. GOD is so good. Some couples from California, would bring meals and heat them up in their campers from Barnhill’s restaurant. A man from Chicago, some men from the Northwest U.S. and other states, would give me money (the amount I needed). A friend of mine from Mobile brought a Catholic man and introduced us only. Later he came to me and said the Holy Spirit told him to give me the money he was going to go to a bar with that night ($60.00).
When I first went to revival; God did such a work in my life on August 8th, 1995, that I asked to be rebaptised there as I was preparing to enter the water the Holy Spirit came over me in such a powerful way I could hardly stand up. As they lowered me back into the water, there was arms wrapped around me and I could feel HIS chest on mine, and as I went under HE breathed new life into me. When I came out of the water I was shouting glory over and over, they had to carry me out to the hall. When I came back to my seat in church; A lady that I knew from Mobile said she had a word from God for me, we went to Shoney’s restaurant to talk and eat. For several minutes people from church were corning to me and simply touching me. As this stopped, the lady I was with told me she had seen me in a vision as she came to Florida that night, and said that HE was going to use me in a mighty way, when I went back out driving my 18 wheeler, every evening for 14 months as I stopped somewhere to eat, the man on my right would say (I have been waiting on you) and then tell me what he was doing. Some were running from God, some came to HIM for the first time etc. It was such a wonderful thing to see and hear each day it would be a brand new surprise as I never got used to it
At Brownsville, people would come up to you and say, I seen you here back when and you changed my life (Meaning, Jesus did it). One time I was asked to have my picture taken with 60 Korean Pastors from Korea, they went home and sent another man to the revival, He hunted me up (I was talking to several people) and said to me, You are called cowboy, I said yes and who are you I asked him? He pointed back towards Korea and said, they told me in Korea when I found cowboy I would find Jesus! I was stunned to say the least. He also said-If Jesus wasn’t there when found me HE would be there in a minute, sure enough soon after that the Holy Spirit swept through the crowd where we were Wow! What a moment. I didn’t see the man again but often wonder what God has him doing in Korea.
One never knows who is watching you and are impacted by how you are living, (I should have said, how Jesus is seen through you). I was walking home from church one night this car passes me, stops, the man sticks his head out and says are you a preacher? Please pray for me. Strange things like that keep happening, but should not be seen as strange, for you give your life to HIM, what happens after that really shouldn’t be surprising, HUH?
There are many other things not written here that went on daily. There are times I am completely consumed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. I have been standing, sitting, sometimes in meditation, sometimes in praise, and then there are times when I am doing nothing that I am aware of. It usually takes my air away, leaving me gasping for air for a short while. During that time you are act1,1ally aware you are not in any danger. You feel this awesome presence of Holiness about and in you. Sometimes I am holding my hands, palm up as if receiving something, other times I am just sitting with hands a hold of my knees. In all these descriptions, those around you are aware of this going on in you. I have been sitting and become aware of a deep concern (not a worry) about something, not knowing what it is about, I would get up, go to the rear of the church and hold my hands out, palm up (I don’t know why), my eyes would be almost closed just enough to see others feet and would walk slowly across the rear, I would walk into a invisible wall, not being able to go forward, I would back up a couple steps and run into another invisible wall. There I would stand still with hands out, palms up, and be filled with an awesome presence of HIM. People have run up, or reached out to touch you, hoping to receive a portion of the anointing that is on you. I remember one young lady that wanted to touch me but was afraid (perhaps of offending me), her grandmother urged her on and she quickly reached out and touched me. Oh FATHER, reward those with a grand personal touch from you, I cried out for thirty plus years as a Baptist, Lord, there is more, I want it. HE rewarded me with more - much more In August of 95 at the revival, and has continued to do so since. Go after God, the anointing, and any blessing HE will give you, in order to serve HIM better. If there is any other motive - ask for forgiveness and continue to seek HIS face. The mountain will move if you stay pushing long enough. One time I was aware that I couldn’t move my feet, although trying hard to do so, I wanted to get to a certain prayer couple, finally, I started to fall over sideways and the prayer man stepped over just as I was about to crash into the floor.
I got up and started across the front a man came at me quickly and said - give me some of that, touched me and got out of the way, ha-ha. I have seen the glory cloud, to the left and sometimes to the right of the choir loft. It would move out towards the audience, then back. I would be over taken with a presence of the HOLY SPIRIT and could not stand at times. Children have seen a reverend water fall flowing down from the cross area on to the floor and said they were standing it about six inches deep. Others have seen the ceiling filled with Angels hovering over the crowds, there is a river that continues to flow through the left and right side doors, across the front to meet in the center aisle and go outwards through the main doors. That is why, at times you can feel an awesome presence of the SPIRIT as you enter the sanctuary. I picked up a hitch hiker and took him by the church. I told him we would be there for awhile then I would take him on to town. As he entered in front of me, he stopped suddenly and put his hands out and said (excitedly) what is that, I told him it was GODS presence. Later as we were going down town, I handed him my Bible and asked him to read the salvation plan I had typed into the back, he read it, I said, are you ready to receive JESUS now, He said, with tears, yes - glory to GOD. I have at times been almost incapable of driving to Shoney’s restaurant, where many go after church each night. It’s a grand place to go to be with others as you eat (If you Can, HA). I have seen people over come in the parking lot, the entrance door, the aisles, in there seats, some as myself would be trying to put stuff on your plate at the buffet counter and others would help you. As I was leaving one night, still under the anointing, I bumped into a non-believe, as I reached out to apologize, he screamed out - don’t touch me and ran out without the lady he was with, HA. If the world only knew, there is nothing to fear from GOD except refusing to except HIM.
After meeting the Saviour on November 6, 1996 at about 11 :30 a.m., I stayed in the Baptist faith, doing the things one is expected to do as a Christian. Talking to the Saviour and how one can meet Him, I knew in my heart there was much more. 1 was still hungry for more of Him, He said in His word that I and you can do all that Jesus and the Disciples did on earth and more, I stayed in His face till he took me out of my area and to Florida, to a revival, where I was to move forward in faith more in one evening that I had in the thirty two years I had known Him. I stayed near that revival for about three years, learning, growing, in my walk with Him, and then It came without my fore knowledge, except the daily (Awesome) feeling going clean into my bones, that He was fixing to do something Awesome in my life.
The Lord allowed me to be involved in two miracles in Pensacola, one in the lines and another one in an office building downtown. The first miracle occurred in the lines at Brownsville Assembly. A 16-year-old girl and 1 were discussing the condition of her left eye, which was focused on the nose. I asked her if she had seen doctors about fixing her eye and she indicated that there was nothing that could be done for her. 1 told her not to believe that and told her about my two cancer healings. I also witnessed to her about the time when my neck was broken in two places as a result 6f being crushed in a tractor trailer wreck. The tractor was burning and I was trapped until two men showed to pull me out. I went through two years of therapy and regained the use of my right arm . As I finished my testimony and turned to go, she screamed. I turned to look at her and saw her left eye looking straightforward! Hallelujah! I told her she needed to tell someone and she gave her testimony from the pulpit the next night at church.
The second miracle occurred in an office waiting in downtown Pensacola. I was standing about ten feet in front of a lady who had a five year old girl sitting on her lap. I found myself kneeling in front of them and asked the woman what was wrong with her daughter. She explained to me that her daughter had ingested a lot of lead paint when she was only one year old. The doctors told the woman that her child was going to die soon, but I told her not to believe that. I asked if I could pray for her daughter and she said yes. I laid my right hand on her knee raised my left hand and prayed, “Receive your healing in the name of Jesus”. I stood and asked her to go to church with me the next day. She agreed and gave me her address so I could pick her up. As I approached the home. There were several people on the lawn and I heard them say, “The white man is here”. As I approached the crowd, they were all removed from my mind’s eye and I don’t even remember seeing them when 1 left. Apparently they parted a path for me and I saw the lady sitting on the steps. I inquired about her daughter and she told me she was in the apartment with the nurses. I asked her if anything was wrong and she said with a big smile, “No sir, they are trying to figure why she’s not sick anymore!’ Father, you are so awesome, thank you for these healings. What next Father!
A few days later the Lord told me to go to several churches across America, however I delayed until the following summer. Please don” do this if God asks you to do something. You will miss a portion of the intended blessing. 1 quit my job and went out with no visible support because the Lord told me He was not sending me out in the name of~ church, but in the name of Jesus. I spent almost a month riding buses and, at times, hitching rides before returning to Mobile on September 13, 1998. It was an awesome time of seeing God move on the bus, in the bus stations, in homes, in church, and in automobiles.
God moved in every step that I took. I want to share with you some examples of how God met needs that I did not share with anyone. When I was in Beeville. Texas. I needed $114.00 to get to El Paso. I received a check from the pastor for the exact amount! I was able to get a ticket to Phoenix. Arizona for only four more dollars. I had intended to hitch a ride from Phoenix to Vista California, but I obeyed God and went to the counter where I was able to purchase a ticket for $40.00. In Phoenix all I had was $40.00 and He knew it. During my five-hour layover in San Diego a man brought me a burger basket. At this time I had $2.00 left. I left for Vista at 5:00 a.m. and upon arrival walked six blocks to a fruit stand where I called my friend Doug. Although I was only 10 minutes from them, it took them 2 hours to find me. I needed the time to talk to three people about Jesus. Doug’s wife was concerned that something harmful may have happened to me since I was in a very bad location. I assured her that I was fine and that their delay allowed me to share Jesus with three people . .
I stayed at Doug’s house and went to church with them. On Monday I awoke to go to the bus station (I still had only S2.00 to my name). Doug asked me to pry for his shoulder and I did. After praying for him. I told him to go home and start praying for his wife by lying hands on her and verbally thanking God for everything she was to him whether he felt good about it or not. He started to leave and said. “By the way, the pastor sent you a blessing”. His blessing was the money, which took me to Modesto, California, Dallas, Texas and on to El Dorado, Arkansas where my luggage was a day behind. I asked the bus station to let me use the phone, but the man said no and told me to go down the street (ha). I went next door and called the Salvation Army, but they were too far to walk to. As 1 hung up the phone the man at the rental car place told me he would take me - I guess he wanted to get in on the blessing (Ha). I arrived there and was in the waiting room when a young black man came and began talking to me. Before I left the next day, he turned his life over to Jesus. I was waiting to eat with a group of people that were using a lot of vulgar language. One lady saw my Bible and apologized for their language. She was terribly embarrassed. After the bad language ceased, I asked the woman in charge to take me to the truck stop. She did and as we pulled up, she began t cry. To my surprise, she thanked me for being there and said I turned the place around, (Thank you Jesus).
I had enough money to get from Memphis to Farrugat, Tennessee, but had to hitch a ride to Memphis. A man in an old gutted out bread truck picked me up. He was cussing the truck motor for the first 40 miles. As I was sitting on the tarp I placed my hands between my legs, put my hand toward the motor and silently said, “Heal it Jesus” (Ha) all the way to Little Rock, Arkansas. The truck picked up and ran well I as long as I held my hand there and prayed. A young couple picked me up because God told them to and took me to Memphis. They are preacher’s kids who are no longer running from Jesus, but to Him. Each place I went, whether on the bus or waiting, I was met by someone needing Jesus.
I caught the bus in Memphis to Farrugat. Tennessee where I went to the next church on my list. (I forgot to mention earlier, God gave me a list, which included several places where I had previously met people at the Brownsville revival in Pensacola). Two weeks before I arrived in Farrugat, God brought a man from Sicily back to America. I spoke at a church in town and went to a home where I met the brother of the man from Sicily. As we were eating, I started sharing my testimony. I continued as we moved from the table to the living room. The man from Sicily followed us to the living room. sat on the couch and intently listened to my testimony. The man of the house took me back to church that night and told me that his brother had never listened to anyone before (God is so good!)
I left on the bus the next day. We were only a few miles out of town when I got up to use the rest-room. I stopped at the door and a woman informed me that the rest-room was occupied. I turned to her and asked her if she knew Jesus. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, “Sir, I am a married woman and I am living with another man.” I said, “It is time to come home, isn’t it?” She said yes and I spent some time sharing with her. As we got off at Nashville, the Holy Spirit gave me a word for her. I told her that the word I received for her was, “You turn to me now or I will turn from you!”
I went on to Louisville, Kentucky where I met a Pentecostal preacher. After I prayed with him, I took a city bus out to my Uncle’s house. While on the bus, I shared Christ with a black man and spoke of the revival in Florida. The bus driver said he knew the pastor because he had just spoken in Louisville two weeks ago - small world . To my surprise (I never asked anyone but Jesus for help), my Aunt gave me $50.00, which took me to Madison, Wisconsin. At this point, I told the Lord that I was out of money and that I would hitch a ride to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It took me 8 rides to get there and each one said in their own way, “I have been waiting for you”. The last ride was a 7111 Day Adventist couple at Minneapolis. MN. I was blessed with a ticket to Providence. Rhode Island for only $140.00. I stopped at another church in Dover, Ohio. Upon my arrival. Pastor Overton picked me up and we went to his office to talk. After we had spoken for a while the phone rang. Pastor Overton told the person on the phone that he was sitting in front of a cowboy evangelist. The person on the phone asked why I was there and the pastor said neither he not I knew (Ha). The man on the phone asked if I would speak at his church and Pastor Overton told him that I would. We went back to the pastor” home where he has a pond. He recommended that I go down by the pond because it is a good place to meditate. I took his advice and received my message. It was to be the same message the pastor of this church was to speak on Sunday (this was Wednesday).
I went on to Rhode Island and met a man early Saturday morning at the church that thought I was a con-artist. Ironically, this man was a member of the praise team. He was just plain rude. Later, while I was sitting outside waiting for the Saturday night service, he and his wife came out to leave. He said the Lord told him to give me ten dollars, but I told him to keep it because he had been so rude earlier. He said it was for food. I replied that I was not hungry and repeated that he was rude and arrogant. His wife finally convinced me to take the money and I assumed God wanted me to be somewhere so I went to eat. God wanted me to have the money so I would be at the restaurant to meet four people that were unsaved and needed a place to go to church, also at the doughnut shop 3 more came to church.
I left there on Monday rode a bus to Virginia and got to Pensacola by three rides. All three of my rides needed Christ. One was a former youth pastor who is now on his way back to Mississippi to go back into the ministry. As I arrived at Brownsville Assembly, I wondered if I would be welcomed back or if I had even been missed. I barely got inside when a lady said, “Welcome home, Tom”. In the next few minutes the same words were said over and over - just what the prodigal son heard. God is so good. I had a place to stay the first night. The second night, Saturday September 11. I went to Shoney’s after church. It was 12:30 a.m. when someone asked where I was going to stay. A few minutes later they took me to a place where there was one empty bed- it was for me. Hallelujah! I needed to go to a Mobile on Sunday the l31 h and was blessed with a ride from a group returning to Texas they were former Church of Christ but found the Saviour and put Him first.
Thank you each for your love support, prayers and special blessings. God met every need right on time. I love you in Jesus· name.
Jesus is Lord!