Testimony of Beverley Smith

I first went to Aspley Pentecostal Church approximately March 2007. For a very long time I had been intending to visit the church, as I had felt drawn to it. I eventually attended Aspley Pentecostal Church after l read in the Nottingham Evening Post that a ‘Healing Crusade’ was taking place that weekend.

My reason for attending the healing crusade was because I was feeling depressed and desperate as I felt robbed and cheated of the active life I once lived. I was suffering with a condition called Fibromyalgia, which caused widespread pain all over my body, this particularly affected my feet, legs and knees, the pain in these areas would be excruciatingly painful. Also on a few occasions my legs had completely collapsed from under me, other symptoms of this condition I experienced were chronic fatigue and brain fog (which sometimes meant that I struggled to remember the simplest of things, e.g. what an object is called, such as a spoon) sounds funny I know however, at times it was humiliating and frustrating when asking someone to pass you "that" and your having to point like a very small child, because you are unable to recall the name of the object. I developed fibromyalgia after contracting a bad virus, when the condition was first diagnosed I was informed that it was not the full blown condition I had developed and therefore I should recover from it in a within a few months. Unfortunately this was not the case and nearly two years later I was still struggling tremendously with the effects this condition was continuing to have on me. Although I had made some progress from when I first developed fibromyalgia, (after having alternative therapy) I was still suffering greatly. I could only walk or drive a very, very short distance and still had great difficulty walking up and down stairs, even at home. Every morning and night I had to soak my body for a long time in the bath to ease the pain and soften the muscles. I was still living with constant pain, ‘brain fog’ and I was experiencing chronic fatigue more frequently. The quality of life I was able to live was extremely limited. Doing food shopping was a nightmare, literally as I found this such a painful experience, despite my teenage children doing most of the ‘leg work’, I was unable to stand for long so when cooking I had to sit down to do this.

At Aspley Pentecostal Church, healing prayers where said for me, I experienced something entirely new and (at the time unexplainable) I felt a surge of heat from the hand above me and I very, very slowly began to topple backwards (the church stewards who were stood near me) ensuring I did not fall, but gentle guided me to the ground. Although I had been a Christian for years I had never experienced anything like this before, previously I had seen things like this before on the TV and was very sceptical until that day. I later learnt that what happened to me is referred to as ‘slayed by the Holy Spirit’ i.e. when you are overcome by the spirit of God. That day was life changing for me. When I was helped up I did feel different, I can’t remember feeling any pain anywhere in my body and remembered above all that I could bend my knees far more easily and without pain. The healing I received that morning was incredible, however, I feared it would not last and if I felt a little pain felt convinced it had returned, despite me continually telling myself "I am a healed of God", I did not stand firm in my belief that I was healed (initially). I now say accept the healing and never doubt it. I now also realise that sometimes we require further healing for the same thing. All I know is that from that day, I could do things I had not been able to do in nearly two years, not long after my healing I was able to walk up several flights of stairs and walk round a supermarket. My body has had little reminders of the condition, e.g. especially after an illness such as the flu, however, I stand firm and remind my body it is "Healed by God". I now go walking - recently I walked four miles, I have recently decorated my kitchen, and now am able to use a shower again instead of only being able to have a bath. I am so thankful to God, when I take my shower in the mornings I always remember, how impossible and dangerous having a shower once would have been for me.

I truly feel that Pastor Colin is used by God as a divine vessel to bring about miraculous healing. Over the past year I have received healing at Aspley Pentecostal church for several things, earlier this year, I was truly scared for my life, when my asthma (which had always been extremely mild) became out of control and medications the doctors were prescribing were not being able to stop the bad attacks, at the same time I was having a lot of chest pains and developed a heart murmur, (which I don’t normally have) and I was told that my lungs were not functioning fully, I was sent for x-rays and was concerned what it might show. After receiving healing prayers from Pastor Colin and the congregation, I felt an instant improvement in my health, following the healing I received, my asthma attacks stopped as did my heart murmur and my lungs began functioning properly again, the x-ray also came back clear.

I have experienced so many miracle healings at Aspley Pentecostal Church, not only for myself but for my loved ones, when my close friend’s young son was very seriously ill in hospital with a poor diagnoses, which was life threatening and life limiting, Pastor Colin and the rest of the church family said healing prayers for him, approx 2 days after the healing prays the diagnoses was changed for my friend’s son and he was released from hospital. PRAISE THE LORD; IT HONESTLY AND TRUELY WAS A MIRACLE.

I love to share my wonderful healing experiences and I believe you have nothing to lose by coming for faith healing, but a lot to gain.

I now worship at Aspley Pentecostal Church and am a member of their church family, which has been another blessing as I had been looking for a church to attend; however, I feel I have found more than a church. I am now also walking with God with new found faith. I am so thankful for all these blessings.

May God bless all who read this testimony and may all who are in need of healing receive the power of God’s Grace and the miracle of his healing.