Pastor Michael's Testimony

My  Name is Michael Hedley. Up until January 2006, my life was a mess, I was desperately unhappy and just generally hurting and not a very nice person to be around.On the 26^th of January 2006, I became a born again Christian, and my life has changed so dramatically! I now have so much contentment in my
life.

I had an excellent job with all the trappings of success (and the debt to go with it of course!)   Yet I did not have any contentment and if I was honest I wasn’t even that happy.

I was brought up in a Christian home where going to church and living a Christian life was the norm. By the time I reached 14 years of age I rejected this life because I wanted to taste what the world had to offer, and proceeded to taste everything that came my way. I got involved in drinking from a very young age, tried drugs and did all the ungodly things associated with this type of lifestyle.

I got married in 1980 and whilst I was reasonably happy I wasn’t totally content with my life. I carried on drinking heavily, and as I thought leading a ‘normal life’ and enjoying myself. But looking back I am not sure what I actually  enjoyed about it! By now I had rejected everything my mum had brought me up to believe. My mum however never gave up on me and was praying constantly.

In 1993 I joined Freemasonry. At that time I was totally unaware that the rituals associated with Freemasonry go against Christianity! By now my mother was exasperated and desperate for me to return to Christianity. But my rebellious nature was furious at her interference and I was enjoying the upset I was causing her. Apart from it being a false form of religion the very nature of Freemasonry drives a wedge between families as you are encouraged to attend as many lodges (meetings) as possible. It was like going to a party every night, so I was never at home. It just sucks you in without you realising it. It is like a form of brainwashing.

And without you realising it your relationships have disintegrated and for many (including me), beyond the point of return.

My son was born on Boxing Day 1996 and I felt that I now had everything to make me happy! However, I had drifted so far away from God I had now lost sight of the things that should have been really important to me.

As I rose in the ranks of Freemasonry my drinking got worse and my misery
increased. My marriage broke down completely and I went on to have a string of relationships.

I suffered a series of health problems which resulted in me losing a couple of
good jobs. My life was in a downward spiral. However, due to my constant
involvement in Freemasonry I had started to become abusive, arrogant, very
selfish. I always wanted to push people away from me because I knew that I would hurt them, but I must have had a conscience because I did feel bad about hurting people, I was just so mixed up! I now know that my mum had embedded Christian values within me, but still at that time I was rejecting them.

In August of 2005 my mum, who had still been praying for me all of this time, gave me a Testimony of a local ex gangster on a CD. This man was a violent criminal but is now wonderfully saved. After I listened to his testimony, I was in floods of tears, and I didn’t realise just then that God was starting to work in my life. I knew how dark my life had become, but yet I could feel this love reaching out to me. Because I had conditioned myself to reject love I had a problem accepting it.

I was the Master of the Lodge which in Freemasonry, is the top position in the  lodge which you hold for one year. When you attain this position, you are expected to visit other lodges in order to encourage members from another lodge to visit your lodge, this also meant that I had to be out nearly every night of the week.   My drinking got so bad that year that I still can’t believe I managed to hold down my job. Darkness in my life had now reached such a point where something had to give and again my health was to suffer.

I was still progressing in Freemasonry and was forging ahead joining other degrees (different ceremonies), which are higher level than the basic degrees I had joined, some of the things that happened in those meetings were just plain  bizarre and it wasn’t until after I was a born again Christian, that I realised just how much the whole of Freemasonry and its rituals, were completely against God’s word.

In November of 2005 I was diagnosed with having pneumonia and ended up in  hospital. I was suffering with the most intense chest pains and my breathlessness was severe. When I arrived at the hospital I honestly thought I was going to die. A few days later I was rushed back to the hospital this time in an ambulance, and again the chest pains I was experiencing were just incredible. In my mind I knew that if this was a time for repentance then this was it! I now know that this was God graciously bringing me closer to him and giving me a second chance.

My mum had watched me self destruct over many years and she must have been wrecked with pain and heartache seeing what I was doing with my life, but she never gave up hope, she prayed and kept on forgiving me for all of the hurt I caused her. She was about to have all her prayers answered in the next couple of months, because God knew precisely the right time, that I would give my life to Him!

That time was the 26^th Of January 2006. I was still suffering from incredible chest pains, and I was getting more and more worried, that this was going to kill me.   My mum asked me if I would go and meet her pastor. So, I thought “why not I have nothing left to lose!” After talking with him for over three hours, challenging him on many things I thought were false about Christianity, he asked me where I was with my faith.   I really didn’t know how to answer him, but something inside was saying I want to believe that Jesus can change me!

He prayed for me and my chest pain disappeared immediately. I had never really believed in this kind of healing even though I had witnessed it many times in my youth. But sure enough the pain had gone.

Later that night, at home, I got on my knees and gave my life to the Lord. The peace that came over me was like nothing I had ever experienced, I felt different, I felt that something major had happened. It had!! God had changed my life in an instant. My mum must have been dancing when I told her, she would have been so happy, 34 years of prayer and she had never given up hope.

Over the next few days my life began to change, I stopped swearing, started reading a bible and the words in the bible started slowly to have meaning for me. My drinking reduced till eventually I stopped altogether, I didn’t want to hurt people anymore and God started healing me of my own hurts. I started to attend church and began learning how to pray. Because I am a singer I was invited to join the worship team singing and playing guitar.

I want to let as many people know about Jesus and how He can change your life from misery to happiness, how he can heal people from their long term
addictions and how he can set you free from doing awful things. I want to let people know that they are loved and that God has a plan for their lives to change them, give them peace, joy happiness and hope. Most importantly
Jesus said no man can enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again, and that no man can come to God unless through Him (Jesus). You can’t get into heaven by just being good, by worshiping false Gods, or giving to charity!  There is only one God and only one way to God!

A few months after I became a Christian God gave me the gift of writing Christian songs, and more recently I have recorded these songs onto a CD, called Living Waters. The songs on that CD represent my journey so far since I became a Christian, and the words express my joy that Jesus’ amazing grace has saved a wretch like me. And He can do the same for you! I have since appeared on Revelation TV and many people have contacted me through this for help with Freemasonry issues

In October 2010 I married my darling wife Lindsey. God brought us together amazingly and we both are so happy because we each have got what God wanted for us.His best! Lindsey had asked God in prayer for a Christian man, who played a musical instrument, loved God and loved worshipping Him. I asked for someone to just love me for who I am warts and all. We both have answered prayer. God told us that He had a work for us to do together and now we both work in ministry to His glory!  Lindsey and I have written over 25 songs and have produced 2 CD's together!

I am now a serving Pastor of this church that I believe God called me to plant.  God showed me a vision a few years ago of one dozen uncapped wells of Salvation.  He told me to start a new church work in Ashington and preach and teach.  We have had many obstacles to overcome in the first couple of years, but God is really working in us and through us, both Lindsey and I to help people to come to know the truth of the Gospel, the good news of Salvation.

When I met Lindsey I knew instantly that I had to propose to her and did so on our first date.  I felt that God had been preparing each of us to come together to work for His Glory.  We were married 6 weeks later and are blissfully happy and thank God each day for each other and our families.

I have now completed my Theology training through the Wesleyan Reform Union and I have passed successfully the final oral examination and will be ordained as Reverend Michael Hedley in November 2017.  During this training I have discovered so much more of my love for Jesus and my love of  studying the word of God and love worshipping Him.  While life can be hard sometimes it is so much better now I have Jesus controlling my life.

Jesus died on the cross 2000 years ago for my sins and the sins of all mankind, He is alive today and he can take away sadness, he can heal your broken heart, he can set you free from violence and misery and give you peace, he can change your future from an eternity in Hell to an eternity in Heaven. He has a plan for your life, to change your life and all you have to do to accept him is to say this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I know I am a Sinner, I have done many bad things in my life. I want to invite you into my life as my Saviour and my Friend. Forgive me for all of my sins, I repent of my sins and I am really sorry for all the bad things I have done in my life. Help me to turn away from those things and help me to live my life as a Christian. I believe that you are the Son of God and that you laid down your life for me on the Cross. Heal me, forgive me and lead me to an eternity with you Lord Jesus. Amen.

If you have said this prayer and really mean it, you are born again (saved). Find a church to go to, get a bible and the Lord will let you know how to live your life through the words in the Bible.

Jesus said “ Unless you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God”(John 3:5). “For God So Loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but will have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Accept Him into your life and let him change you forever.

God Bless you