Our Stories...
Coleen Milton
Place of Salvation: Bath City ChurchDate of Salvation: 00/07/1996
My Story
If my testimony hadn't happened to me, I doubt I would believe it. In fact, I still pinch myself now!!!
I was brought up as a Catholic, but at 14, had had enough and at 16 was definitely a rebel (with or without a cause!!)
Over the next few years, I sought the 'meaning of life' through almost every conceivable method. Spiritualism, Buddhism, you name it, I tried it. I was always searching for the truth - just not in the right place. In June/July 1996, one of my dearest friends who is a Christian, visited me and played me a Christian tape. I can't remember who the singer was, but I just ended up weeping and weeping. I was led to go to Bath City Church, which was strange because my local church was only 600 yards away and yet I knew I had to go to that church some 18 miles away. Very early on, I had a prophecy that I would have a Christian husband and that we would be married at Bath CC. At the time, they weren't licensed to marry anyone and I wasn't even looking for a husband!!! In 1999, I met someone who wasn't a Christian, but who I was convinced I would lead to the Lord. To cut a long story short, that didn't happen and, over time, God's promise seemed a very distant memory, especially as I became a 110% backslider.
We were due to get married in August 2004, but during the latter part of 2003, I felt more and more that it wasn't right and by December 2003 the wedding was off, although we kept it quiet until after Christmas. After that, I just got on with life and the thought of getting involved with another man was definitely not on my agenda.
In July 2004, I took a coffee break from doing some DIY, put the TV on (something I don't do during the day), channel hopped and ended up on the God Channel. Jesse Duplantis was on and as I had seen him in Bath some 8 years earlier, I sat and watched. For the next two weeks, I was tuning in every chance I got. I would even be woken up in the early hours of the morning and felt compelled to put the TV on. My children wondered what the heck was going on and so did I !!! But I just kept on doing it. On Saturday 18th July, I was up a step ladder, had a power drill in my hand, and a mouth full of screws (I was constructing my built-in wardrobe) and this 'voice' said VERY CLEARLY, "Bath City Church" How I never fell off the ladder is a miracle. I 'knew' I had to go, but the rest of that day and the next morning, my mind tried very hard to convince me I had imagined it all. Still, I knew I had to go. Before leaving the house I said "I really don’t understand this, but I am going. Only why Bath CC?" I 'heard', 'Because there is someone I want you to meet.' I assumed it was someone I knew at the church so trotted along with some trepidation because I hadn’t been to church since 2000. To cut a longer story even shorter, on 18th September 2005, that 'someone' became my husband at Bath City Church!!!!! Despite all of my rebellion, and thinking I knew what was best for me, God knew better.
Bath CC was my home church and I would occasionally visit Carmel, but I began to feel convicted to start attending regularly. The Saturday services enabled me to do this, although I didn’t understand why God would want me to attend two churches!!!! But, as crazy as it sounds, I knew in my spirit this was right. The answer came in February 2006. Despite many invitations to Bath CC, I could not get my daughter to come along. However, God knew what he was doing. She was going through a terrible time (her testimony is also on Found Heaven) and after telling her she needed God, not a college counsellor, she said she ‘might’ come along. At the ladies conference that very day, Fatima prayed with me and she said “It is done” and it was. Laura did come that night, and was saved!!!!! My son is next on the list (only he doesn’t know it yet). Praise God.