TESTIMONY 16: I SAW A RAY OF LIGHT AROUND MY HEAD

Last Tuesday I went to Caledon with my two best friends, (Keegan Basil and Jandro Saayman). If you have been there you will know that they have several pools, the higher you go the hotter it gets. It's actually really beautiful, you should make your way down there lol anyway! The point is while we were sitting in the bottom pool, I noticed a light around my head. This light came in the form of long lines. My first thought was 'wow that's so beautiful'. I assumed it was just the sun shining behind me, but as I moved the light followed me everywhere, and it only surrounded my head, not the rest of my body. Keegan then came swimming toward me, and I was trying to see if he had this light around his head too, but he didn't. "What are you looking at in the water, you're making me scared" he laughed. "Tell me I'm not crazy Keegs, do you see a light around my head?" "Where?" "Just look inside the water around my heads shadow, there are long lines of light coming from my head. Do you see it?" "Oh there! Yeah. So?" "Well how come no one else has this light?" he looked down at his reflection and looked a bit confused. He then moved away from me still looking at his reflection, but he didn't have this light. I then showed Jandro and he too just said casually "Oh, that's weird?" I then told Jandro: "Go grab my camera quickly I want to capture it so I can put it on my Blog!" Jandro took the picture (below) but the light cannot be seen? This is the picture we took below:

The actual picture

We then made our way to the higher pool and as I got in, still thinking about how strange this was, I looked down and the light was still there. As I climbed into the pool from the steps it followed the shadow of my head once again, and once again no one in the pool (there were two ladies) had this reflection of light around their heads. I just thank God for giving me two witnesses because I feel that no one would have believed me if I was the only one who saw it lol I also would love to know what explanation science could possibly come up with for this strange event, because if it were a reflection of the sun, why would only ONE person have it and not all the others in the pool, and why was it only shining from my head? Everything happens for a reason and I believe that it was shown to me for a reason - it definitely helped my faith. This was truly one of the most supernatural experiences I have ever had in my life, so far and I am grateful to have seen it. I hope that this also filled you with faith, reminding you that there is more to the physical, there is a Spirit, a heaven, and a God who loves you - believe!

TESTIMONY 11: I WAS BAPTIZED

On 21 September 2014, I was baptized again (I was baptized as a baby, but I obviously had no idea what was happening then lol). My heart had been longing to get baptized "again" for quite some time since I said the salvation prayer and I had been coming across a Bible verse saying you must be born again, a lot, I had also been hearing of people getting baptized, and then my church (both Hillsong and The Bay) announced that they would be doing baptisms services. I took it as a clear sign, that perhaps I should get baptized lol I am so happy I made this decision. There's just something beautiful about leaving your old life, old self and old ways in the past and becoming a new person, with new ways. On 21 September 2014 the old Sydney died, and I was born again! I now leave behind all of my sins, and choose (now that my eyes are opened) to try my best to live a godly life like Christ, and through Christ. You see, thousands of years ago when Adam and Eve sinned the first time the devil took authority over them and all who do the same, because when they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree they were not listening to God Who said "Do not eat it" they were listening to the devil who said "Eat it" And so if you sin you are not listening to God who says "You must not sin" you are listening to the devil who says "You must sin" and since God's Kingdom is a Kingdom for people who obey God, those who listen to the devil will not enter it. But the good news is that:

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only

begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

(John 3:16)

God had a plan to save people and He sent His angel Gabriel to a virgin woman named Mary, who was highly favoured by God for being so pure, to tell her that she would be having a child and that He will be named Jesus and he will save his people from their sins. When Jesus came into the world and died on the cross, His was made to be a sacrifice for all of our sins, so that we can come back to God. And Jesus Christ is our example, and he was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17) and so as he taught, we must also be baptized (John 3:1-21). And below is a picture taken by Hillsong Church Cape Town of my baptism:

I remember quite some time back I had tears in my eyes as I read the story of Noah in the Bible, how God chose to save him and his family only, because he was righteous. I had tears in my eyes, because I kept thinking negative thoughts like "Now because of all the things I did in my life, all those drunk nights, I will never be righteous, because of these actions I chose. If I had just avoided drinking and nightclubs I would never have walked that path. It's too late for me, because I already did it.  If the world were to end tonight, I would not be saved from the flood" I went to sleep feeling down that night and the next morning, still feeling low I started thinking about it again in the car on the way home. "Why did I do all those things. Now I will never be righteous. God can't I just take it all away so why am I even trying" Immediately I looked out the widow to my left and there stood a sign in the distance against a wall "You do not have to be great to start. You just have to start to be great." I felt immediate motivation that I had been lacking all along and felt it was a sign from God telling me "Yes Sydney, there is a way." I smiled. Later I was lead to finding out about Hillsong's baptisms and I'm happy I have this second chance and I learned that God can wipe our sins away.

"I will be merciful toward their iniquities, 

and I will remember their sins no more."

(Hebrews 8:12)

Thank God for His Mercy, that He forgives our sins and wipes them away - that is true forgiveness. As it is written, God's will is not for people to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) Praise be to God!