February 25, 2025 • 41 mins
What happens when the enemy marks you as a high-value target from the very start? Theresa Hamilton’s story is one of spiritual warfare, radical redemption, and God’s relentless pursuit.
At just 3 years old, she defied medical odds—seizing for nearly 12 hours with no brain damage! But she returned with memories of heaven. Though she always knew God had a plan, the enemy fought back, leading her into a double life of faith and rebellion. Eventually, she fell into the deceptive grip of witchcraft.
But God. 💜
Just when darkness seemed to have won, His overwhelming love broke through—shattering every chain! In this episode, Theresa unveils the unseen battle for her soul, the dangers of spiritual compromise, and how Jesus pulled her from the fire—setting her on a mission to rescue others.
If you’ve ever doubted God’s hand on your life, this episode will reignite your faith! Listen now, share with a friend who needs this, and follow for more stories of God’s goodness!
🙏 Want to help spread these powerful testimonies? Support the podcast and be part of the movement!
For all things Theresa AND her Bible study for the easily distracted: https://hihello.me/p/566c4ccb-de1f-45e9-8739-30b367bc09a1
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Listener discretion is advised on this episode.
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This episode contains sensitive content that may not be suitable for children or workplace
listening.
This testimony includes mature themes, real-life struggles, and discussions that may be intense
or emotional.
Please use discretion when listening and consider using headphones if in a public or shared
space.
Welcome to the God's Goodness podcast, where our mission is to encourage and highlight
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God's Goodness and modern-day miracles.
We are your hosts, Josh and Shelley Hankins.
Today we have a special guest, but before we get into that, thank you for being here
with us.
I know your time is valuable, but I feel God has something just for you in this episode,
so stay tuned for what encouragement He holds in store for you.
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And we have with us today a special guest, Teresa Hamilton.
She is actually the sister-in-law of Anthony Brown, a past guest, and you're just going
to be amazed at her story.
She just has so much to share on her journey of God working in her life, and so we're going
to see what unfolds in the episodes she's going to be on with us in, and we're going
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to have her open us up with an opening prayer, and then we'll get into it.
So thank you for being here.
Thank you for that opportunity.
For God, I just ask that you would quiet our hearts and guide my words to be in tune with
your Holy Spirit and let everyone that is listening hear from you what they need to
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hear.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
All right, so let's take it from the top.
Okay, so just a brief introduction.
I'm Teresa Hamilton, the author of Where Did I Leave My Bible?
30 Day Bible Guide for the Easily Distracted.
I am a wife and a mother to one son.
His name is Josiah, and he is currently six years old.
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So let's get started on my faith journey, like how it started.
There's two truths that I have learned in my life.
One, there is a God who loves me and has a plan and purpose for my life.
And two, because of that, I'm on the most wanted list of the enemy.
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Oh yeah, for sure.
High value target.
Yes.
And this truth started out with me when I was three years old.
I had what they call grand mal seizure, and what that usually means is after about five
minutes there's significant brain damage that happens.
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And I was seizing for up to, I think, 12 hours.
Wow.
Wow, wow indeed.
So I should not be sitting here.
It sounds like you should be a vegetable at least.
Like that's what should have happened, but obviously it didn't.
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God had other plans.
But during that seizure, I don't remember any of it.
And in fact, we found out that I probably had some short term memory loss because the
last thing I remember before that was eating cake at my uncle's birthday party, and that
was a month prior.
So there was probably some memory loss there.
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He got reset back to the last hard save.
So during that time, I had what I feel was a trip to heaven.
I remember explaining it again, I was three years old, so explaining it to somebody else
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when I was three.
There was this white, tiled floor, and I explained it like I was at Walmart because in a three
year old's mind, Walmart white tile floor is close.
So in the middle of the floor, there was this yellow sash and I picked it up.
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When I picked it up, I looked beyond me and way off in the distance, I saw a person standing
there and it was almost like my eyes were able to zoom in and see that it was Jesus.
And my thought process was I want to be with him and instantaneously.
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There was no walking.
It was just like I had the thought and then I was there.
That's good.
I had the thought of being there.
So there's my little theory on how travel is going to work in heaven.
Go on the days that he runs down the driveway to meet us, he'd just teleport there.
Right.
That's even faster than running.
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Right.
So I get there and then we were in this room and it's just bright whiteness.
There was just brilliant, there was like I've told people before that there was colors there
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that I can't even explain because they don't exist in our realm.
But it was this brilliant bright whiteness and there was this pedestal in the middle
room and a rocking chair in the middle of the room.
And we go sit in this rocking chair and he on this pedestal is this photo book and it's
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me and my family.
And like we sat there for a long time and he goes through and he's showing me different
pictures.
And then at some point in those pictures, it goes from people I know to people who are
coming in the future.
And just like shows me the whole book and then once we're done through the book, he
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closes it and he asks me, do you want to go home to your mom and dad or do you want to
stay with me?
And at three years old, I made the decision.
I said, I need to go home and I pointed to the book.
I said, because you aren't finished with me yet.
You know, now fast forward to when I read Heaven is For Real, which I've been read in
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like four hours like I because he was three, Colton was three in the story too, which really
resonated like three.
That's interesting that he did that at three and then I had that instance at three.
I have questions.
So like how much did you know Jesus like like, do you guys go to church when you were at
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age?
I was always, we were always in church.
So I knew of Jesus.
Okay, but like to have it be that big of a concept was just, you know, like I always
knew Jesus, but it was like to see him is totally different.
But they reading that book, I was like, first of all, one of the things he says in that
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book is that yellow sashes designated humans against like other beings, like angelic beings
had different color sashes and stuff and he said yellow was their sashes.
Like, you know, and that's why I handed it back to Jesus before I left because it was
like, because I had stopped mine to wear yet.
Like that was so cool.
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Like to see somebody, that's the word I'm looking for.
Carabirate.
Yeah.
Carabirate.
And he just like his story.
And then I realized that probably more than likely I was in my mansion because like I
didn't see heaven.
It wasn't the throne room.
Yeah, my husband laughed at me when I read that book in five hours.
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I was like, well, that's not fair.
And he goes, what?
My husband's like, what?
It's like, he got to pet Jesus's horse.
And he goes, are you really complaining that somebody else's heaven experience?
Was different than your heaven experience.
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And you're jealous of that?
Okay, I see your point.
But he did.
He got to pet Jesus's horse and all I got was a room.
I didn't even know that was an option.
Yeah, I would like that too.
You know, and he got to see the Holy Spirit working and praying over people with their
loved ones.
Like he got to see some really cool stuff and I didn't get that.
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And he goes, you got to go to heaven.
You got to go to heaven and bat.
And he's like checking me.
Like, he's like, come on, man.
Why are you complaining?
You were three when you went.
So it's kind of on you.
You didn't know enough to ask for this.
Right.
Yeah.
Now you know what I mean.
So obviously in the natural world, once I woke up, I did have some slight recovery to do.
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But the doctors were amazed that how quickly and like completely I recovered.
They were scratching their heads.
Are they calling you the miracle girl?
Yeah.
And some of them were, of course, there was some skepticism and stuff.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
But like, how else could you explain it if they were supposed to die after five minutes
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or, you know, have brain surgery or brain damage rather?
Yeah.
That's crazy.
But you know, some people might argue that there was some brain damage.
But you know, you're still out over here.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I will, you know.
So I did have some seizures after that and, you know, they diagnosed me with epilepsy
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and so I struggled with that for a couple of years.
And then when I was six years old, I remember we went to this big tent revival.
And.
Good song.
I was, yeah, I was sitting there, you know, at six years old, you're pretty much bored
at this kind of thing.
Along for the ride.
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Like I'm sitting there coloring.
You know, my grandmother is trying hard to keep me quiet and still.
And I'm sure that wasn't an easy task, but she didn't think I was like paying attention
to what like was going on.
I thought she was like, but during the altar call, I was like, Nana, she goes, what was
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it?
You need to take me up there because that big man's going to touch me and Jesus will
heal me.
You know, my Nana experiencing what happened with three did not question that in one second
she picked me up and took me up there and I was totally healed of epilepsy at that point.
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And so you were on seizure medications and such like that from three to six.
Yeah.
Well, technically I was on until 12 because it took until about 12 for them to believe
that you were finally the path for the doctors to like be in agreeance with that I was completely
healed and they bring me off of that.
That's amazing.
Yeah.
Wow.
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Okay.
So that's two miracles so far.
Yeah.
Let's keep track.
Two.
Just two.
Super.
So obviously one of the things that's been hard for me even like recently is the fact
that I've gone to a Bible study about purpose driven life and it's really hard because I've
been through the book four times and I said, I figured out why it's so hard for me to do
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that book because for me, I've never questioned whether or not God had a purpose.
I've never had a plan and purpose for my life.
Like he made abundantly clear in three and then again at six and then again and again
and again, he's reaffirming I have a plan.
I have a purpose trust me.
You know, so that's not ever really been a question in my mind.
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So that's why I struggled with those kind of studies because I'm just like, you know,
like I know that part and what to do with it's a whole other story.
But you know, so obviously after the revival, I started really as much as a little kid can
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you know, really getting closer to God, you know, in about seven years old after my great
grandmother died God revealed to me and kind of a vision or dream, I would say that he
was calling me into ministry.
And I don't really remember the full details, but I do remember like it was like a dream
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and vision and like a picture frame of my grandmother falling and breaking and kind
of him saying, this is like the process, like this is the process of grief.
And then calling like, and that's a big concept for a seven year old.
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So like it wasn't fully still not fully processed.
But it was clear to me that God was going to call me into some type of industry at that
point.
I said missions back then because that was like my mind frame.
Like, that's what people do to go help people go far away.
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I get seven, that was my thought, you know, was that so kind of began my journey and then
I got baptized sometime shortly, like around seven or eight.
I call it my peer driven baptism because it was kind of my friends were doing it.
So I felt like I should do it kind of thing.
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But then also still, I don't say it's not real because like, as my understanding of
faith was at eight years old, you know, that's what I believe that I should do.
My next step was to be baptized.
So I got baptized, but it was around 10 or 11, maybe 12.
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The time frame is fuzzy on me.
But I know it was before like 12, before really just at the edge of puberty.
Like I was not even fully in puberty yet.
I was at my mom's friend's house and her daughter who was like four to six years older than
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me, you know, we went down to the basement to play and stuff.
And somehow the topic of masturbation came up and then she showed me like what masturbation
was and like dared me to try it.
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And so that really kind of sowed a seed there that really shouldn't have been sown at that
young of an age about sexuality.
And also because my first sexual experience was with a girl, it kind of sowed that seed
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as well.
It gave the enemy a foothold in your life.
And I want to make sure that like in case maybe she listens to this, that I don't hold
anything against her because she was a kid too.
She didn't realize what she was saying or doing was going to be in effect to me, you
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know, or that it was wrong, like wrong or anything.
So I'm real careful when I say that was talk about this because it's like I really harbor
no, no hurt or anything against her.
That's awfully Jesus of you.
Yeah, like, because it wasn't her fault.
Like she didn't know like either.
So she was clueless too.
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Like it was not.
And what trauma did she experience to make her think that that was okay for her?
Exactly.
So I don't know.
And absolutely.
She didn't pray for just as much as you did.
Right.
And I, you know, that's neither here, nor there.
A lot of hurting hearts I'm hearing.
Right.
So around 12 to 13, my parents got divorced, which led me into really my first experience
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with depression and anxiety and all of that.
Like, but still was faithful in church.
You know, my mom, we went, my mom was part of the work youth group and stuff.
So we, when I was 13, we went to this conference.
You know, I'm not sure you guys have heard of it before, but acquire the fire youth conference
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was something.
I was an old man when I started to come to Jesus.
It was a big thing in like the late nineties, early 2000s.
It was like this big conference.
We were not building relationships with Jesus in the nineties, but they, some of us knew
him, but we weren't there yet.
Yeah.
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So it was this big youth conference thing.
And one of the, you know, I was also, when I had my first like real crush was around
that age and, you know, I got to sit next to him and I was all excited about worshiping
next to him and stuff.
And so then when he went to the altar call, of course I ran too, but I did like have a
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real personal reason, but also it was like really cool that I was like with my crush
doing that, but God will use anything to get you ready to be right.
And so I kind of said, yeah, I believe in you, which is really weird to me to say that
I got like saved there because like I just told you, I got baptized and I've always had
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the knowledge, but it was like, I feel God's had to take baby steps with me.
Big little increments of faith.
It wasn't some kind of big, I got saved at this one point and then never like, like
again had like a come to Jesus moment, you know, that's something that is that way.
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It's a process.
Yeah.
I feel like that's why I call it come to Jesus moments, not necessarily like the salvation
day, like, because there was just different.
I followed him for almost 10 years before I had to come to Jesus moment that made me
forget to get rebaptized.
Right.
Like this.
Wow.
Did I even really know him?
Right.
You know, and so yeah, 100% agreed.
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It's a process.
That's why I say just one little prayer isn't, that's not the whole thing.
Like it's the start.
It's a start, but it's not everything.
So from the age of about 14 to 18, I was actively involved in my church.
Like on the youth group worship team, on the church worship team, you know, taking up leadership
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and the youth ministry and everything.
Oh, well, secretly, privately dealing with my sexuality and struggling with my sexuality
and getting into a sexual addiction and porn and experimenting with homosexuality and being
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promiscuous and stuff.
But it just so crazy that like Monday through Friday, I was kind of living an alter net
lifestyle than what I was perceiving on Wednesday nights and on Sunday mornings and the double
life.
Yeah.
I was very double-lifed at that moment.
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But then around 17, I moved out of my mom's house because she kind of found out about
some of the stuff and it was just like, if you want to keep doing that, then you can't
be here kind of a thing.
And it wasn't, she didn't like, angrily kick me out.
It was just like, you need to change your life.
And if you're not going to, then you need to not, you know, boundaries.
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Sure, it's like, it's like when Paul was saying, look, if you've got this going on
a church, you got to stop it and kick them out and let them sort themselves out and then
they can come back, right?
Jesus is still for them, but he's not for them here because he might poison the well.
Right.
And that's very much what she was concerned with because I had a younger sister that was
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living with us too.
So it was a lot.
My parents threatened me.
But she was trying to manage and stuff.
My parents made no threats.
He just made actions.
You know, you know how 17 year olds are, we know everything at that age, right?
Oh yeah, for sure.
So I knew everything and I didn't need wisdom.
I didn't know a change.
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I forgot it all, but it happened.
Right.
Yeah.
I think when I had my child, I realized, oh yeah, she was right.
But I think mine was early twenties when I'm making stuff in the kitchen, I'm like, oh
my gosh.
Or, you know, you're setting up your life, your apartment, whatever.
And you're like, oh, mom was right about that.
Oh, she was right about that.
Oh, let me call her for advice on this now that she's right about all this other stuff.
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And then you can call in her every day.
Yeah.
It's like what is going on?
It reminds me of the meme I saw that said, this woman calls her mama, says, mom.
When do these kids just stop being so meaty?
And then she's like, well, you're 40 and you're on the phone with me.
So like.
You can tell me.
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Never.
It's not that bad.
It's less and less the older they get.
Yeah.
Like when I get in the bathroom on their own, that's nice.
Yeah.
True.
So I did start going back to church around 18-ish.
I came back to church.
Now, what made you come back?
Because there's always something that's pulling you back.
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Did you miss something?
There was a breakup with my boyfriend, the one that kind of pulled me out of church in
the first place.
So the distraction was gone.
So the distraction was gone.
And so I kind of came back.
But I was still really struggling with like my sexual identity at that point.
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Like I wasn't sure if what I was wanting to do was going to be something that would be
welcomed in the church and stuff.
So I was really kind of hesitant.
Hesitant and it's funny because as I'm hesitant, as I'm still struggling, God still mentioned,
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hey, I've called you in ministry.
Like he reiterated that calling still there.
So I really wrestled with it, wrestled with everything for a while.
And then I just flat out decided I'm going to run in the opposite direction.
Like I do not want-
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Be like Jonah.
Jonah.
I am not going in the nibba.
I am not doing these things.
Forget everything in that book.
Forget everything.
Yes.
Like everything.
Like I just like I want to be on my own.
I want to do my own thing.
And so around 19 is when I came out of the closet as bisexual and kind of came out 1920s.
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And then my girlfriend at the time introduced me to witchcraft.
And before I really get into the type of witchcraft and stuff that I practice, I wanted to take
a moment and explain what witchcraft really is because I feel like the tendency when somebody
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hears that somebody else practice witchcraft is to think, oh, well I never touched crystals
or I never did tarot cards or I never practiced divination or I never, you know, I never come
up and without a real understanding of what you're crafted, that's what a lot of people
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do.
So I get some of this from Derek Prince.
So if you're ever interested in anything spiritual warfare or definitely like look up his stuff
because he's got some good stuff, good thoughts on there.
But he says that the nature of witchcraft, the root of witchcraft is rebellion.
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Wherever you find rebellion, you can anticipate witchcraft.
And in my experience, I was rebelling against God and it led me to witchcraft.
And I feel like that it's a natural progression and Derek Prince calls them twins, rebellion
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and witchcraft are twins because you can't have one without the other.
Like they work coincide together.
But witchcraft in its essence is the attempt to control or make someone do what you want
by the use of any spirit, which is not the Holy Spirit, it seeks to do so through manipulation,
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intimidation and domination.
And if you understand that definition of witchcraft as rebellious, manipulative, intimidating
and dominating in doing so with those kind of intense and actions, we can look at, we
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can really see that witchcraft is running rampant in the church, in pulpits, in pews,
like people practice witchcraft without realizing.
I was just taking my kids and they try to manipulate one parent against the other.
Exactly.
And then you go back to the fact that it's the root of its rebellion.
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Like rebellion and witchcraft are the same, one in the same.
You know, so anytime you see rebellion, you're going to see witchcraft working.
And it's opened my eyes to realize that while I practiced occult, you know, that occult
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and witchcraft are two different things.
Occult is the physical practice of it, but you can be, if you are manipulating, intimidating
or dominating, that's what you're doing.
And I would say if your pastor is constantly sounding manipulative, intimidating or dominating,
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then maybe we should find different churches.
You know, but there's a lot of, we could go on about that, but that's not the story, that's
not what we're here for.
But I just had to put that out there because I just felt like that's important to understand
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before getting into what I was involved in.
So in general, when I tell people I'm in witchcraft or I was into witchcraft, I tell them that
I practice Wicca because that's the easiest, softest way to tell them that.
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Right, like mom of the school pickup line, soft version.
Soft version, because I don't want to scare people away.
You know, and also I don't really want to over glorify what I was doing in that time
frame, you know, because it was incredibly foolish and stupid of me.
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It was also rebellious.
So what I was actually practicing is called psychic vampirism, which is basically this
intentional energy transferring and manipulation.
So like, I would, like, just being in proximity with people, I would like feed off of their
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natural energy or, and if there wasn't enough energy, I would maybe stir up some trouble,
like cause the fight to happen or something, or hype people up.
So that way I get like that.
Did you have to do anything to prepare for this?
Like, was there a spell book?
There was different rituals and like...
There was different rituals and like...
Like all demonic help.
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Like, how did that work?
It was a lot of rituals, a lot of meditation stuff.
Not so much spell work as much.
It was more like...
I would liken it to what they call manifesting now, where you just like will things to happen.
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It wasn't necessarily like casting a spell or, you know, I mean, I did have like sage
and candles and stuff like that.
And I had like an altar room that I practiced in and like meditated in and stuff, but it
wasn't your stereotypical like altar room setup.
And there was no like pentagram on the floor or anything like that.
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No cauldrons bubbling over with strange view.
Because you've got to understand while I was practicing this, I was still kind of like
relying on family for like transportation stuff because I didn't drive.
So like, I didn't have access to like go to a Wicca shop.
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So like I made do with like random household items or I purchased things like that something
you can get at like Walmart and you made it use that way.
So like my resources were limited, which is I think why I went the way I went because
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it was something I didn't need a lot of resources for and I tapped into really a lot of very,
very dark energy.
Sure.
Taking somebody else's energy.
That's a pretty dark add.
And I was definitely realized that I was in touch with some deep, dark energy.
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But what's funny is, is like while I'm doing this, like I never touched tarot cards or
luciboards because I was like, those are bad.
Hmm.
Like, because I knew the truth.
And so like I was like, I won't touch those things, but yet I'll feed energy off of somebody.
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Like there was this real, let me ask you this.
So like there's Bible verses that say to stay again, stay away from witchcraft and sorcery.
Like did you hear those verses before this or after?
I knew it.
And I did it because I was running and I decided I'm going to do everything possible so that
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way you won't let me.
Like I'm going to damage my testimony.
So so bad that you can't redeem it.
Like so bad that I can't be used of you anymore so that way I can get out of this.
Like, even though we know he uses people that have killed people.
Yeah.
Like, and I had that full knowledge.
She did.
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She just ran full force.
I love how hard you fought him and how he knew because he knows your life as soon as
you're born.
He knows the end of your life and that he had cemented his anchor in your life when you
were three.
Right.
And then he tested that anchor at six to show you how strong it was.
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And then you just let all the slack in your life and all those problems and he was still
anchored.
Yeah.
You couldn't run away from that.
No.
And it's like, so when I got, I was really, really deep into this stuff.
And at that point, my girlfriend had broken up with me two weeks before we were, which
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is really God's grace right there is the fact that she broke up with me two weeks prior
to when she was going to move in and we were going to do a bonding ceremony, which would
have involved bloodletting and like some very, very dark, dark practice.
And so she broke up with me then and then about two weeks later when that was supposed
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to happen, I was, came home from work and sat down on my couch and this wave of depression
hit me.
Like I've never experienced something so like physically heavy.
Like it was like, like a physical manifestation of, of depression that just slapped into me.
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Did it feel like an attack, like something was pressing you?
And then so I remember that and then I woke up screaming in my shower, fully clothed and
I went in and I looked at the clock cause I knew when I walked in like from work.
So I had like somewhat of a timeframe and it was one a.m. in the morning.
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I had lost like three hours.
Like I had blacked out for three hours.
Now my logical brain was saying, did I just have a seizure?
You know, or like, you know, as I called my mom at one a.m., like freaking out, telling
her what's happened.
And she's like, we'll get dressed, you know, and so I go, the way my house was set up, you
(33:58):
had to go through this, the boiler room into my utility room to where my laundry was.
So I walked through the, and right past, right next to the utility room was my altar room
that I had set up.
It was a pantry that I had re-erbised for practices.
(34:20):
So I went in to get clothes and I was like, calm down.
Maybe you can just calm down and be okay until morning cause she's like, it's like one o'clock
in the morning.
She's already taking her meds.
Like she's thinking, I cannot come get you.
So we're trying to get you calm down so you can go back to sleep or whatever.
And when I went to get my clothes, I look in the corner of my eye and the light in my
(34:45):
altar room is on, which is not supposed to be on when it's not in use.
And then it flickers three times.
I'm like, okay.
Oh right, instantly, no, we're not dealing with some physical problem, but a spiritual
one.
(35:07):
And so it's funny.
I lived out in a holler of West Virginia at that time.
And those get pretty creepy at night.
And there's no street lights.
It's dark.
You know, I felt safer standing outside than being in my house.
(35:27):
At that point.
That's saying something.
And I had my dog, I took my dog with me, but I left the cat, which I'm like, hi.
You've got nine lives since five.
Well, the cat was also, well, the cat was also, I think it's a good thing I left the
cat cause the cat was also bought for the purpose of being my familiar.
(35:47):
And so I sitting out there, my mom called a cat because she couldn't drive me.
She's like, I called a cat, she called a cat to come get me and take me to my mom's house.
And so I spent the night there.
Then I went to work the next day.
Kind of just tried to shake everything off, you know, figure, well, just some kind of
oopsie, not really seeing what it was.
(36:10):
But then my grandmother picked me up from work.
And as she usually is, was listening to Caleb.
And about halfway to my house there, the song, how he loves us, come on.
And I heard that words.
He is jealous for me.
Love like a hurricane and I am the tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
(36:34):
And when I heard those words, I felt this burning, like this heat within me, like it
was, and I realized that it was looking back later, I realized that that was the jealousy
of God.
And I just really, like he let it go, like he let me feel how jealous he was of this.
(36:58):
And I started bawling my eyes out.
And at this point, other than knowing that I had a girlfriend, my grandmother had no
clue as to what was going on in my personal life.
And like I just broke down and I just word vomited everything, you know, out to her,
(37:18):
like what happened.
And she, we are at that point, we had almost gotten to my driveway.
And she did the fastest U.E. and got me into the church over to the parsonage of our pastor
that I ever experienced.
And he prayed for me over me for several hours.
(37:39):
Still to this day won't tell me exactly how many we dealt with that day.
But then instructed me the next morning, because by this point it was like at 10 o'clock
at night or something.
So we went, my grandmother had me stay at her house that night.
And then later that next morning we went and got everything that was used in those practices,
(38:06):
except the cat.
We got everything.
I was also thinking about that.
Except the cat, we got everything together and we burned it.
Something interesting is that there was like stuff that was metal in those things.
And you know, we know that metal has a really high melting point and a bonfire usually isn't
(38:26):
hot enough to melt fire, melt metal.
It completely disintegrated to where there was no, no, no redness of anything left.
And so while I was standing there watching all of this burn and I said a phrase and I
(38:47):
said, I just escaped the flames of hell.
And I was like, now I want to stand at that gates of hell and redirect traffic.
Perfect.
Wow.
For those of you who don't know, I thought it would be really cool to have somebody who
(39:08):
used to get into witchcraft and then God provided me Teresa.
And she has so much to share that this is part one of a two-part series.
And so we invite you to come back next week.
Lord's going to have the Holy Spirit lead that episode as well.
And I just want to thank you for sharing all of that with us.
(39:28):
I appreciate your openness, your transparency.
It can't be easy, especially strangers.
And I know you were nervous coming in.
And I know that you're probably still a little nervous, but I hope that you have realized
this is just an easy experience for easy to get along with.
Sure, in God's goodness.
And that God is at the center.
(39:49):
He's been the center of your life.
He was that anchor and yet you let go, right?
And that little rope that you were hanging on, he pulled up.
And so he kept you safe.
Like he keeps everyone safe and everyone's journey is different.
And that's the way you need to learn it.
And there may be someone that needs to learn it the same way because there's a lot of
similarities between his children.
(40:10):
Like I know for one, he has to teach me the hard way because that's the only way I learn
the hard way.
I'm stubborn as they come.
So.
I don't know if I'm just stubborn or if I'm just oblivious to the obvious.
Like it has to be periphery and then I'll catch it.
But if God tells me directly, I'm like, I don't know who you're talking to right now.
It's just going over my head.
(40:31):
Yep.
Thanks for tuning in to today's episode.
Listen, let's stay connected.
Come follow us on all the socials at God's goodness podcast where you can find the latest
and say, Hey, it's a really great way to stay in touch.
Many of you have asked how you can support the show.
You can make donations through any of the links in the about section.
(40:52):
And of course, by praying for us, as well as sharing, rating and reviewing on social media
and iTunes as well.
Your heartfelt feedback always reminds us why we do this.
Until next time, remember, God is always working.
Miracles are real and your breakthrough could be just around the corner.
Keep believing, keep expecting, and don't forget to share this with someone who needs
(41:15):
hope today.
We'll talk to you next week.
Listener discretion is advised on this episode.
(00:11):
This episode contains sensitive content that may not be suitable for children or workplace
listening.
This testimony includes mature themes, real-life struggles, and discussions that may be intense
or emotional.
Please use discretion when listening and consider using headphones if in a public or shared
space.
Welcome to the God's Goodness podcast, where our mission is to encourage and highlight
(00:34):
God's Goodness and modern-day miracles.
We are your hosts, Josh and Shelley Hankins.
Today we have a special guest, but before we get into that, thank you for being here
with us.
I know your time is valuable, but I feel God has something just for you in this episode,
so stay tuned for what encouragement He holds in store for you.
(00:54):
And we have with us today a special guest, Teresa Hamilton.
She is actually the sister-in-law of Anthony Brown, a past guest, and you're just going
to be amazed at her story.
She just has so much to share on her journey of God working in her life, and so we're going
to see what unfolds in the episodes she's going to be on with us in, and we're going
(01:20):
to have her open us up with an opening prayer, and then we'll get into it.
So thank you for being here.
Thank you for that opportunity.
For God, I just ask that you would quiet our hearts and guide my words to be in tune with
your Holy Spirit and let everyone that is listening hear from you what they need to
(01:44):
hear.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
All right, so let's take it from the top.
Okay, so just a brief introduction.
I'm Teresa Hamilton, the author of Where Did I Leave My Bible?
30 Day Bible Guide for the Easily Distracted.
I am a wife and a mother to one son.
His name is Josiah, and he is currently six years old.
(02:09):
So let's get started on my faith journey, like how it started.
There's two truths that I have learned in my life.
One, there is a God who loves me and has a plan and purpose for my life.
And two, because of that, I'm on the most wanted list of the enemy.
(02:32):
Oh yeah, for sure.
High value target.
Yes.
And this truth started out with me when I was three years old.
I had what they call grand mal seizure, and what that usually means is after about five
minutes there's significant brain damage that happens.
(02:56):
And I was seizing for up to, I think, 12 hours.
Wow.
Wow, wow indeed.
So I should not be sitting here.
It sounds like you should be a vegetable at least.
Like that's what should have happened, but obviously it didn't.
(03:16):
God had other plans.
But during that seizure, I don't remember any of it.
And in fact, we found out that I probably had some short term memory loss because the
last thing I remember before that was eating cake at my uncle's birthday party, and that
was a month prior.
So there was probably some memory loss there.
(03:38):
He got reset back to the last hard save.
So during that time, I had what I feel was a trip to heaven.
I remember explaining it again, I was three years old, so explaining it to somebody else
(04:00):
when I was three.
There was this white, tiled floor, and I explained it like I was at Walmart because in a three
year old's mind, Walmart white tile floor is close.
So in the middle of the floor, there was this yellow sash and I picked it up.
(04:25):
When I picked it up, I looked beyond me and way off in the distance, I saw a person standing
there and it was almost like my eyes were able to zoom in and see that it was Jesus.
And my thought process was I want to be with him and instantaneously.
(04:48):
There was no walking.
It was just like I had the thought and then I was there.
That's good.
I had the thought of being there.
So there's my little theory on how travel is going to work in heaven.
Go on the days that he runs down the driveway to meet us, he'd just teleport there.
Right.
That's even faster than running.
(05:09):
Right.
So I get there and then we were in this room and it's just bright whiteness.
There was just brilliant, there was like I've told people before that there was colors there
(05:29):
that I can't even explain because they don't exist in our realm.
But it was this brilliant bright whiteness and there was this pedestal in the middle
room and a rocking chair in the middle of the room.
And we go sit in this rocking chair and he on this pedestal is this photo book and it's
(05:55):
me and my family.
And like we sat there for a long time and he goes through and he's showing me different
pictures.
And then at some point in those pictures, it goes from people I know to people who are
coming in the future.
And just like shows me the whole book and then once we're done through the book, he
(06:16):
closes it and he asks me, do you want to go home to your mom and dad or do you want to
stay with me?
And at three years old, I made the decision.
I said, I need to go home and I pointed to the book.
I said, because you aren't finished with me yet.
You know, now fast forward to when I read Heaven is For Real, which I've been read in
(06:39):
like four hours like I because he was three, Colton was three in the story too, which really
resonated like three.
That's interesting that he did that at three and then I had that instance at three.
I have questions.
So like how much did you know Jesus like like, do you guys go to church when you were at
(07:02):
age?
I was always, we were always in church.
So I knew of Jesus.
Okay, but like to have it be that big of a concept was just, you know, like I always
knew Jesus, but it was like to see him is totally different.
But they reading that book, I was like, first of all, one of the things he says in that
(07:26):
book is that yellow sashes designated humans against like other beings, like angelic beings
had different color sashes and stuff and he said yellow was their sashes.
Like, you know, and that's why I handed it back to Jesus before I left because it was
like, because I had stopped mine to wear yet.
Like that was so cool.
(07:47):
Like to see somebody, that's the word I'm looking for.
Carabirate.
Yeah.
Carabirate.
And he just like his story.
And then I realized that probably more than likely I was in my mansion because like I
didn't see heaven.
It wasn't the throne room.
Yeah, my husband laughed at me when I read that book in five hours.
(08:11):
I was like, well, that's not fair.
And he goes, what?
My husband's like, what?
It's like, he got to pet Jesus's horse.
And he goes, are you really complaining that somebody else's heaven experience?
Was different than your heaven experience.
(08:31):
And you're jealous of that?
Okay, I see your point.
But he did.
He got to pet Jesus's horse and all I got was a room.
I didn't even know that was an option.
Yeah, I would like that too.
You know, and he got to see the Holy Spirit working and praying over people with their
loved ones.
Like he got to see some really cool stuff and I didn't get that.
(08:52):
And he goes, you got to go to heaven.
You got to go to heaven and bat.
And he's like checking me.
Like, he's like, come on, man.
Why are you complaining?
You were three when you went.
So it's kind of on you.
You didn't know enough to ask for this.
Right.
Yeah.
Now you know what I mean.
So obviously in the natural world, once I woke up, I did have some slight recovery to do.
(09:12):
But the doctors were amazed that how quickly and like completely I recovered.
They were scratching their heads.
Are they calling you the miracle girl?
Yeah.
And some of them were, of course, there was some skepticism and stuff.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
But like, how else could you explain it if they were supposed to die after five minutes
(09:33):
or, you know, have brain surgery or brain damage rather?
Yeah.
That's crazy.
But you know, some people might argue that there was some brain damage.
But you know, you're still out over here.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I will, you know.
So I did have some seizures after that and, you know, they diagnosed me with epilepsy
(09:54):
and so I struggled with that for a couple of years.
And then when I was six years old, I remember we went to this big tent revival.
And.
Good song.
I was, yeah, I was sitting there, you know, at six years old, you're pretty much bored
at this kind of thing.
Along for the ride.
(10:15):
Like I'm sitting there coloring.
You know, my grandmother is trying hard to keep me quiet and still.
And I'm sure that wasn't an easy task, but she didn't think I was like paying attention
to what like was going on.
I thought she was like, but during the altar call, I was like, Nana, she goes, what was
(10:37):
it?
You need to take me up there because that big man's going to touch me and Jesus will
heal me.
You know, my Nana experiencing what happened with three did not question that in one second
she picked me up and took me up there and I was totally healed of epilepsy at that point.
(10:58):
And so you were on seizure medications and such like that from three to six.
Yeah.
Well, technically I was on until 12 because it took until about 12 for them to believe
that you were finally the path for the doctors to like be in agreeance with that I was completely
healed and they bring me off of that.
That's amazing.
Yeah.
Wow.
(11:19):
Okay.
So that's two miracles so far.
Yeah.
Let's keep track.
Two.
Just two.
Super.
So obviously one of the things that's been hard for me even like recently is the fact
that I've gone to a Bible study about purpose driven life and it's really hard because I've
been through the book four times and I said, I figured out why it's so hard for me to do
(11:45):
that book because for me, I've never questioned whether or not God had a purpose.
I've never had a plan and purpose for my life.
Like he made abundantly clear in three and then again at six and then again and again
and again, he's reaffirming I have a plan.
I have a purpose trust me.
You know, so that's not ever really been a question in my mind.
(12:08):
So that's why I struggled with those kind of studies because I'm just like, you know,
like I know that part and what to do with it's a whole other story.
But you know, so obviously after the revival, I started really as much as a little kid can
(12:32):
you know, really getting closer to God, you know, in about seven years old after my great
grandmother died God revealed to me and kind of a vision or dream, I would say that he
was calling me into ministry.
And I don't really remember the full details, but I do remember like it was like a dream
(12:53):
and vision and like a picture frame of my grandmother falling and breaking and kind
of him saying, this is like the process, like this is the process of grief.
And then calling like, and that's a big concept for a seven year old.
(13:13):
So like it wasn't fully still not fully processed.
But it was clear to me that God was going to call me into some type of industry at that
point.
I said missions back then because that was like my mind frame.
Like, that's what people do to go help people go far away.
(13:35):
I get seven, that was my thought, you know, was that so kind of began my journey and then
I got baptized sometime shortly, like around seven or eight.
I call it my peer driven baptism because it was kind of my friends were doing it.
So I felt like I should do it kind of thing.
(13:55):
But then also still, I don't say it's not real because like, as my understanding of
faith was at eight years old, you know, that's what I believe that I should do.
My next step was to be baptized.
So I got baptized, but it was around 10 or 11, maybe 12.
(14:18):
The time frame is fuzzy on me.
But I know it was before like 12, before really just at the edge of puberty.
Like I was not even fully in puberty yet.
I was at my mom's friend's house and her daughter who was like four to six years older than
(14:43):
me, you know, we went down to the basement to play and stuff.
And somehow the topic of masturbation came up and then she showed me like what masturbation
was and like dared me to try it.
(15:04):
And so that really kind of sowed a seed there that really shouldn't have been sown at that
young of an age about sexuality.
And also because my first sexual experience was with a girl, it kind of sowed that seed
(15:29):
as well.
It gave the enemy a foothold in your life.
And I want to make sure that like in case maybe she listens to this, that I don't hold
anything against her because she was a kid too.
She didn't realize what she was saying or doing was going to be in effect to me, you
(15:51):
know, or that it was wrong, like wrong or anything.
So I'm real careful when I say that was talk about this because it's like I really harbor
no, no hurt or anything against her.
That's awfully Jesus of you.
Yeah, like, because it wasn't her fault.
Like she didn't know like either.
So she was clueless too.
(16:12):
Like it was not.
And what trauma did she experience to make her think that that was okay for her?
Exactly.
So I don't know.
And absolutely.
She didn't pray for just as much as you did.
Right.
And I, you know, that's neither here, nor there.
A lot of hurting hearts I'm hearing.
Right.
So around 12 to 13, my parents got divorced, which led me into really my first experience
(16:37):
with depression and anxiety and all of that.
Like, but still was faithful in church.
You know, my mom, we went, my mom was part of the work youth group and stuff.
So we, when I was 13, we went to this conference.
You know, I'm not sure you guys have heard of it before, but acquire the fire youth conference
(17:03):
was something.
I was an old man when I started to come to Jesus.
It was a big thing in like the late nineties, early 2000s.
It was like this big conference.
We were not building relationships with Jesus in the nineties, but they, some of us knew
him, but we weren't there yet.
Yeah.
(17:24):
So it was this big youth conference thing.
And one of the, you know, I was also, when I had my first like real crush was around
that age and, you know, I got to sit next to him and I was all excited about worshiping
next to him and stuff.
And so then when he went to the altar call, of course I ran too, but I did like have a
(17:46):
real personal reason, but also it was like really cool that I was like with my crush
doing that, but God will use anything to get you ready to be right.
And so I kind of said, yeah, I believe in you, which is really weird to me to say that
I got like saved there because like I just told you, I got baptized and I've always had
(18:10):
the knowledge, but it was like, I feel God's had to take baby steps with me.
Big little increments of faith.
It wasn't some kind of big, I got saved at this one point and then never like, like
again had like a come to Jesus moment, you know, that's something that is that way.
(18:33):
It's a process.
Yeah.
I feel like that's why I call it come to Jesus moments, not necessarily like the salvation
day, like, because there was just different.
I followed him for almost 10 years before I had to come to Jesus moment that made me
forget to get rebaptized.
Right.
Like this.
Wow.
Did I even really know him?
Right.
You know, and so yeah, 100% agreed.
(18:54):
It's a process.
That's why I say just one little prayer isn't, that's not the whole thing.
Like it's the start.
It's a start, but it's not everything.
So from the age of about 14 to 18, I was actively involved in my church.
Like on the youth group worship team, on the church worship team, you know, taking up leadership
(19:18):
and the youth ministry and everything.
Oh, well, secretly, privately dealing with my sexuality and struggling with my sexuality
and getting into a sexual addiction and porn and experimenting with homosexuality and being
(19:43):
promiscuous and stuff.
But it just so crazy that like Monday through Friday, I was kind of living an alter net
lifestyle than what I was perceiving on Wednesday nights and on Sunday mornings and the double
life.
Yeah.
I was very double-lifed at that moment.
(20:05):
But then around 17, I moved out of my mom's house because she kind of found out about
some of the stuff and it was just like, if you want to keep doing that, then you can't
be here kind of a thing.
And it wasn't, she didn't like, angrily kick me out.
It was just like, you need to change your life.
And if you're not going to, then you need to not, you know, boundaries.
(20:30):
Sure, it's like, it's like when Paul was saying, look, if you've got this going on
a church, you got to stop it and kick them out and let them sort themselves out and then
they can come back, right?
Jesus is still for them, but he's not for them here because he might poison the well.
Right.
And that's very much what she was concerned with because I had a younger sister that was
(20:50):
living with us too.
So it was a lot.
My parents threatened me.
But she was trying to manage and stuff.
My parents made no threats.
He just made actions.
You know, you know how 17 year olds are, we know everything at that age, right?
Oh yeah, for sure.
So I knew everything and I didn't need wisdom.
I didn't know a change.
(21:11):
I forgot it all, but it happened.
Right.
Yeah.
I think when I had my child, I realized, oh yeah, she was right.
But I think mine was early twenties when I'm making stuff in the kitchen, I'm like, oh
my gosh.
Or, you know, you're setting up your life, your apartment, whatever.
And you're like, oh, mom was right about that.
Oh, she was right about that.
Oh, let me call her for advice on this now that she's right about all this other stuff.
(21:34):
And then you can call in her every day.
Yeah.
It's like what is going on?
It reminds me of the meme I saw that said, this woman calls her mama, says, mom.
When do these kids just stop being so meaty?
And then she's like, well, you're 40 and you're on the phone with me.
So like.
You can tell me.
(21:55):
Never.
It's not that bad.
It's less and less the older they get.
Yeah.
Like when I get in the bathroom on their own, that's nice.
Yeah.
True.
So I did start going back to church around 18-ish.
I came back to church.
Now, what made you come back?
Because there's always something that's pulling you back.
(22:16):
Did you miss something?
There was a breakup with my boyfriend, the one that kind of pulled me out of church in
the first place.
So the distraction was gone.
So the distraction was gone.
And so I kind of came back.
But I was still really struggling with like my sexual identity at that point.
(22:36):
Like I wasn't sure if what I was wanting to do was going to be something that would be
welcomed in the church and stuff.
So I was really kind of hesitant.
Hesitant and it's funny because as I'm hesitant, as I'm still struggling, God still mentioned,
(22:58):
hey, I've called you in ministry.
Like he reiterated that calling still there.
So I really wrestled with it, wrestled with everything for a while.
And then I just flat out decided I'm going to run in the opposite direction.
Like I do not want-
(23:18):
Be like Jonah.
Jonah.
I am not going in the nibba.
I am not doing these things.
Forget everything in that book.
Forget everything.
Yes.
Like everything.
Like I just like I want to be on my own.
I want to do my own thing.
And so around 19 is when I came out of the closet as bisexual and kind of came out 1920s.
(23:43):
And then my girlfriend at the time introduced me to witchcraft.
And before I really get into the type of witchcraft and stuff that I practice, I wanted to take
a moment and explain what witchcraft really is because I feel like the tendency when somebody
(24:08):
hears that somebody else practice witchcraft is to think, oh, well I never touched crystals
or I never did tarot cards or I never practiced divination or I never, you know, I never come
up and without a real understanding of what you're crafted, that's what a lot of people
(24:29):
do.
So I get some of this from Derek Prince.
So if you're ever interested in anything spiritual warfare or definitely like look up his stuff
because he's got some good stuff, good thoughts on there.
But he says that the nature of witchcraft, the root of witchcraft is rebellion.
(24:51):
Wherever you find rebellion, you can anticipate witchcraft.
And in my experience, I was rebelling against God and it led me to witchcraft.
And I feel like that it's a natural progression and Derek Prince calls them twins, rebellion
(25:12):
and witchcraft are twins because you can't have one without the other.
Like they work coincide together.
But witchcraft in its essence is the attempt to control or make someone do what you want
by the use of any spirit, which is not the Holy Spirit, it seeks to do so through manipulation,
(25:36):
intimidation and domination.
And if you understand that definition of witchcraft as rebellious, manipulative, intimidating
and dominating in doing so with those kind of intense and actions, we can look at, we
(25:56):
can really see that witchcraft is running rampant in the church, in pulpits, in pews,
like people practice witchcraft without realizing.
I was just taking my kids and they try to manipulate one parent against the other.
Exactly.
And then you go back to the fact that it's the root of its rebellion.
(26:20):
Like rebellion and witchcraft are the same, one in the same.
You know, so anytime you see rebellion, you're going to see witchcraft working.
And it's opened my eyes to realize that while I practiced occult, you know, that occult
(26:40):
and witchcraft are two different things.
Occult is the physical practice of it, but you can be, if you are manipulating, intimidating
or dominating, that's what you're doing.
And I would say if your pastor is constantly sounding manipulative, intimidating or dominating,
(27:04):
then maybe we should find different churches.
You know, but there's a lot of, we could go on about that, but that's not the story, that's
not what we're here for.
But I just had to put that out there because I just felt like that's important to understand
(27:25):
before getting into what I was involved in.
So in general, when I tell people I'm in witchcraft or I was into witchcraft, I tell them that
I practice Wicca because that's the easiest, softest way to tell them that.
(27:49):
Right, like mom of the school pickup line, soft version.
Soft version, because I don't want to scare people away.
You know, and also I don't really want to over glorify what I was doing in that time
frame, you know, because it was incredibly foolish and stupid of me.
(28:12):
It was also rebellious.
So what I was actually practicing is called psychic vampirism, which is basically this
intentional energy transferring and manipulation.
So like, I would, like, just being in proximity with people, I would like feed off of their
(28:32):
natural energy or, and if there wasn't enough energy, I would maybe stir up some trouble,
like cause the fight to happen or something, or hype people up.
So that way I get like that.
Did you have to do anything to prepare for this?
Like, was there a spell book?
There was different rituals and like...
There was different rituals and like...
Like all demonic help.
(28:53):
Like, how did that work?
It was a lot of rituals, a lot of meditation stuff.
Not so much spell work as much.
It was more like...
I would liken it to what they call manifesting now, where you just like will things to happen.
(29:13):
It wasn't necessarily like casting a spell or, you know, I mean, I did have like sage
and candles and stuff like that.
And I had like an altar room that I practiced in and like meditated in and stuff, but it
wasn't your stereotypical like altar room setup.
And there was no like pentagram on the floor or anything like that.
(29:37):
No cauldrons bubbling over with strange view.
Because you've got to understand while I was practicing this, I was still kind of like
relying on family for like transportation stuff because I didn't drive.
So like, I didn't have access to like go to a Wicca shop.
(29:58):
So like I made do with like random household items or I purchased things like that something
you can get at like Walmart and you made it use that way.
So like my resources were limited, which is I think why I went the way I went because
(30:19):
it was something I didn't need a lot of resources for and I tapped into really a lot of very,
very dark energy.
Sure.
Taking somebody else's energy.
That's a pretty dark add.
And I was definitely realized that I was in touch with some deep, dark energy.
(30:40):
But what's funny is, is like while I'm doing this, like I never touched tarot cards or
luciboards because I was like, those are bad.
Hmm.
Like, because I knew the truth.
And so like I was like, I won't touch those things, but yet I'll feed energy off of somebody.
(31:02):
Like there was this real, let me ask you this.
So like there's Bible verses that say to stay again, stay away from witchcraft and sorcery.
Like did you hear those verses before this or after?
I knew it.
And I did it because I was running and I decided I'm going to do everything possible so that
(31:24):
way you won't let me.
Like I'm going to damage my testimony.
So so bad that you can't redeem it.
Like so bad that I can't be used of you anymore so that way I can get out of this.
Like, even though we know he uses people that have killed people.
Yeah.
Like, and I had that full knowledge.
She did.
(31:45):
She just ran full force.
I love how hard you fought him and how he knew because he knows your life as soon as
you're born.
He knows the end of your life and that he had cemented his anchor in your life when you
were three.
Right.
And then he tested that anchor at six to show you how strong it was.
(32:05):
And then you just let all the slack in your life and all those problems and he was still
anchored.
Yeah.
You couldn't run away from that.
No.
And it's like, so when I got, I was really, really deep into this stuff.
And at that point, my girlfriend had broken up with me two weeks before we were, which
(32:26):
is really God's grace right there is the fact that she broke up with me two weeks prior
to when she was going to move in and we were going to do a bonding ceremony, which would
have involved bloodletting and like some very, very dark, dark practice.
And so she broke up with me then and then about two weeks later when that was supposed
(32:49):
to happen, I was, came home from work and sat down on my couch and this wave of depression
hit me.
Like I've never experienced something so like physically heavy.
Like it was like, like a physical manifestation of, of depression that just slapped into me.
(33:12):
Did it feel like an attack, like something was pressing you?
And then so I remember that and then I woke up screaming in my shower, fully clothed and
I went in and I looked at the clock cause I knew when I walked in like from work.
So I had like somewhat of a timeframe and it was one a.m. in the morning.
(33:36):
I had lost like three hours.
Like I had blacked out for three hours.
Now my logical brain was saying, did I just have a seizure?
You know, or like, you know, as I called my mom at one a.m., like freaking out, telling
her what's happened.
And she's like, we'll get dressed, you know, and so I go, the way my house was set up, you
(33:58):
had to go through this, the boiler room into my utility room to where my laundry was.
So I walked through the, and right past, right next to the utility room was my altar room
that I had set up.
It was a pantry that I had re-erbised for practices.
(34:20):
So I went in to get clothes and I was like, calm down.
Maybe you can just calm down and be okay until morning cause she's like, it's like one o'clock
in the morning.
She's already taking her meds.
Like she's thinking, I cannot come get you.
So we're trying to get you calm down so you can go back to sleep or whatever.
And when I went to get my clothes, I look in the corner of my eye and the light in my
(34:45):
altar room is on, which is not supposed to be on when it's not in use.
And then it flickers three times.
I'm like, okay.
Oh right, instantly, no, we're not dealing with some physical problem, but a spiritual
one.
(35:07):
And so it's funny.
I lived out in a holler of West Virginia at that time.
And those get pretty creepy at night.
And there's no street lights.
It's dark.
You know, I felt safer standing outside than being in my house.
(35:27):
At that point.
That's saying something.
And I had my dog, I took my dog with me, but I left the cat, which I'm like, hi.
You've got nine lives since five.
Well, the cat was also, well, the cat was also, I think it's a good thing I left the
cat cause the cat was also bought for the purpose of being my familiar.
(35:47):
And so I sitting out there, my mom called a cat because she couldn't drive me.
She's like, I called a cat, she called a cat to come get me and take me to my mom's house.
And so I spent the night there.
Then I went to work the next day.
Kind of just tried to shake everything off, you know, figure, well, just some kind of
oopsie, not really seeing what it was.
(36:10):
But then my grandmother picked me up from work.
And as she usually is, was listening to Caleb.
And about halfway to my house there, the song, how he loves us, come on.
And I heard that words.
He is jealous for me.
Love like a hurricane and I am the tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
(36:34):
And when I heard those words, I felt this burning, like this heat within me, like it
was, and I realized that it was looking back later, I realized that that was the jealousy
of God.
And I just really, like he let it go, like he let me feel how jealous he was of this.
(36:58):
And I started bawling my eyes out.
And at this point, other than knowing that I had a girlfriend, my grandmother had no
clue as to what was going on in my personal life.
And like I just broke down and I just word vomited everything, you know, out to her,
(37:18):
like what happened.
And she, we are at that point, we had almost gotten to my driveway.
And she did the fastest U.E. and got me into the church over to the parsonage of our pastor
that I ever experienced.
And he prayed for me over me for several hours.
(37:39):
Still to this day won't tell me exactly how many we dealt with that day.
But then instructed me the next morning, because by this point it was like at 10 o'clock
at night or something.
So we went, my grandmother had me stay at her house that night.
And then later that next morning we went and got everything that was used in those practices,
(38:06):
except the cat.
We got everything.
I was also thinking about that.
Except the cat, we got everything together and we burned it.
Something interesting is that there was like stuff that was metal in those things.
And you know, we know that metal has a really high melting point and a bonfire usually isn't
(38:26):
hot enough to melt fire, melt metal.
It completely disintegrated to where there was no, no, no redness of anything left.
And so while I was standing there watching all of this burn and I said a phrase and I
(38:47):
said, I just escaped the flames of hell.
And I was like, now I want to stand at that gates of hell and redirect traffic.
Perfect.
Wow.
For those of you who don't know, I thought it would be really cool to have somebody who
(39:08):
used to get into witchcraft and then God provided me Teresa.
And she has so much to share that this is part one of a two-part series.
And so we invite you to come back next week.
Lord's going to have the Holy Spirit lead that episode as well.
And I just want to thank you for sharing all of that with us.
(39:28):
I appreciate your openness, your transparency.
It can't be easy, especially strangers.
And I know you were nervous coming in.
And I know that you're probably still a little nervous, but I hope that you have realized
this is just an easy experience for easy to get along with.
Sure, in God's goodness.
And that God is at the center.
(39:49):
He's been the center of your life.
He was that anchor and yet you let go, right?
And that little rope that you were hanging on, he pulled up.
And so he kept you safe.
Like he keeps everyone safe and everyone's journey is different.
And that's the way you need to learn it.
And there may be someone that needs to learn it the same way because there's a lot of
similarities between his children.
(40:10):
Like I know for one, he has to teach me the hard way because that's the only way I learn
the hard way.
I'm stubborn as they come.
So.
I don't know if I'm just stubborn or if I'm just oblivious to the obvious.
Like it has to be periphery and then I'll catch it.
But if God tells me directly, I'm like, I don't know who you're talking to right now.
It's just going over my head.
(40:31):
Yep.
Thanks for tuning in to today's episode.
Listen, let's stay connected.
Come follow us on all the socials at God's goodness podcast where you can find the latest
and say, Hey, it's a really great way to stay in touch.
Many of you have asked how you can support the show.
You can make donations through any of the links in the about section.
(40:52):
And of course, by praying for us, as well as sharing, rating and reviewing on social media
and iTunes as well.
Your heartfelt feedback always reminds us why we do this.
Until next time, remember, God is always working.
Miracles are real and your breakthrough could be just around the corner.
Keep believing, keep expecting, and don't forget to share this with someone who needs
(41:15):
hope today.
We'll talk to you next week.
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