Christian Male, age 50, happily married 26 years to the same woman with 3 kids, 1 Grandchild, 1 Grandchild on the way, lives in Central California but Proud of Texas Birth and Upbringing. A Shooting Indurtry Salesman By trade, hobbies are Camping, Astronomy, The Internet, and Harley Davidsons! Loves good movies, especially Science Fiction. Favorite movie of all is Day the Earth Stood Still! Favorite thing to do is be at home or in the mountains camping with my Family. My favorite place is Frasier Mill Camp ground in Mountain Home State Forrest. My favorite food is Chili Verde and favorite book is the Holy Bible (KJV & amplified)

What I am about to tell you will be hard to believe by most and even considered ridiculous by some but if it causes just one person to pray and to seek what I was given then it will be worth it for Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find!"

This is the TESTIMONY OF MY SALVATION!

On the night of September 13, 1986, while camping with a friend and my two children, at a place called Sunset Point in Mountain Home State Forest California and while drunk and under the influence of amphetamines, I repeated a prayer with my friend asking Jesus to save me not really expecting anything. I only said the prayer with the promise of my friend that he would leave me alone if I complied. In the moments following the prayer I had what I first thought was a hallucination. Over the campfire just above the flames I saw two swirling shadowy figures struggling with each other as if wrestling. Suddenly they disappeared and immediately I was filled with fear. I didn't know why or by what but I was never more afraid in my life. I started trembling uncontrollably and I told myself I must have been having a chill. So I drew closer to the fire but the trembling only seemed to grow worse. Finally I got into my sleeping bag and tried to calm myself. Then as though someone had turned off a switch, the fear and trembling left me. I felt so empty inside and I realized that my stupor of drunkenness and drugs was gone. My mind was crystal clear! Clear for the first time in years. Then slowly and steadily a feeling of JOY began growing deep in my chest. The only way I can explain it is that it felt like warm oil being poured through the top of my head and I was an empty glass being filled with liquid happiness and it wouldn't stop. The oil kept pouring and the JOY kept growing till it filled me up and spilled over like a fountain overflowing. Just when I felt as though I could not bare anymore more the "filling" started to subside and I looked toward the dark night sky and the fires flames flickering on the giant redwoods as they disappeared upwards into the darkness and yelled, "Oh Please, Don't Stop!" And the moment I said that, I saw a vision. It wasn't drugs, it wasn't alcohol, IT WAS A VISION. I saw myself in different body standing in front of Jesus. He was a giant and my body's height reached only to his knee. We were both dressed in white robes with gold trim. His garment was long reaching to his ankles while mine was a bit shorter reaching only to my knees. My body was very different, but I some how knew that it was me. My hair was golden and curly like sheep's wool and my skin was dark and tan, almost golden. My hands were on my hips fist doubled and I felt that I had power because I knew that I belonged to Jesus! Then the Lord opened his mouth and black printed letters tumbled out and fell like a waterfall on to the ground in front of me forming words as they touched the ground. I looked down and saw the words and knew some how that they had power in them. The words were these; LOVE, JOY, MERCY, TRUTH, HONOR, HOLINESS, FAITH, LONGSUFFERING, HUMILITY, PRAYER, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING and PATIENCE. I found out later that the words I saw were in the Bible. I didn't know at the time because before that night I had never read a Bible or even been inside of a church. I was 33 years old and from that night on I knew that Jesus would be with me and that the Bible is true. Then Jesus looked down at me and showed me a second vision. He showed me the devil, so that I would know satan and his works. I will not describe him or anything about the second vision at this time. But I will say that satan assumes many forms and that his true self is the most ugly and foul thing that I have EVER seen. Then the "Power" that I felt inside my newer body was given to me there next to the campfire so that I could defeat satan in the future. I laid there in my sleeping bag and realized for the first time in my life that God was not only real but that he had taken the time to save me and show me these wonderful visions. After all this I thanked God and I asked my friend, who had prayed for me and witnessed these things, why God would do this for me? I asked because I knew that I was worthless and had broken almost every commandment. My friend replied simply, "BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU! I will "never forget" those words or the night of my conversion. I pray that the JOY of the Lord be revealed unto all that read this. Besides, all it takes is one little prayer!

Amen!

Eric Joseph Hankins

I have been reluctant to post or speak about my second vision because it concerns our enemy the devil and I don't like to even mention him. But it was part of my conversion experience and I pray that in telling it that God will use it for his Glory.

MERCY & TRUTH " (My Second Vision)

Now at this time I am compelled to describe the second vision that I experienced on the night of September 13, 1986 at the time of my conversion. For the sake of those who are lost and to bring remembrance to those who have forgotten, and with the help of God, I do this. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you". I believe that in order for me to resist the devil, God gave me a vision of the true form of satan. I will never forget as long as live the sight of him. After the first vision of our Lord, which lasted only seconds another vision, was given that lasted for I estimate between ten to twelve minutes. I kept looking at the spot above me where I had beheld the wonderful sight of the Lord, longing to gaze upon him again. Out of the darkness it seemed as though I could see swirling wind forming an image. As I watched, the earlier fear returned to me. Then I fully saw what was in front of me. It was the devil himself, bound and seemingly frozen in profile. Only his eye could move. His body was that of a twelve to thirteen-year-old boy. He had the head of a smiling dog, wolf-like, not unlike a jackal. His eyes were yellow and laughing. His ears were long and shaped perfectly like horns but were definitely ears being covered with the same coarse brownish-grey hair that covered his entire head. His head over-all was out of proportion to his body, the head being much larger. Besides the evil smile on his face, the thing that disturbed me the most was his out stretched arms. Not unusual except, there were three of them. Somehow I knew this third arm was what he used to deceive mankind. As I looked at it the fear in me was replaced with anger and then hate and I began to laugh at him and to mock him and I asked God if someday I could lead him on a leash before the Saints once he is subdued. Suddenly I knew how much he had controlled my life up until that point, and how much he controlled the lives of others around me. I could see how much he is in the world and I felt Great Compassion for my fellowman, who is unknowingly deceived, as I was. I know now there is but One Liar, One Murderer, and One Reason for all the sorrow in the world. I hate him for what he did to me, and tries to do to me still. I thank Jesus every day of my life for delivering me out of the hand of satan.

I told my friend at the time what I was seeing and feeling concerning these visions and he told me that I had been given a gift and that the oil being poured into me was my "vessel" being filled with the Holy Ghost and my cup did runneth over! Also for many weeks following I had people that my face was glowing as though a light were shinning on it. I could see it too in the mirror. Over the years I have also seen it in other newly converted Christians. The glow slowly went away but before it did I read about Moses and how his face glowed when he came down from the mountain and I realized that I too had come down from a mountain and upon realizing this I cried like a baby with thankfulness to God! Now understand! I am no Moses and I don't know why God showed me these things and I have never seen anything like the visions in the spirit realm since. I am not a preacher or pastor and I have suffered many trials that have tested my faith to the brink. And but for his mercy I still consider myself unworthy to be called by his name! I have bore little fruit, been double minded, entangled in the world and cast into the sea! Yet here I am buoyed up by his love for me, praying that I endure unto the end so that I might hear those beautiful words,

"Enter in!"

A believer in Jesus Christ,

Eric Joseph Hankins

Some of MY FAVORITE SCRIPTURES:

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet shall I trust in him!

I Corinthians 15:55-57 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the VICTORY through our Lord JESUS CHRIST!

1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love for wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.