Twins Face a Spiritual Challenge Sisters tell of the different ways they reacted when the devil assailed their childhood conversions. By Rosie Lambert and Roxie Rael

Rosie testifies:

God has done so much for me. My parents were Christians, so I knew at a very young age how to get saved. When I was just four years old, I prayed and the Lord saved me.

A few years later, I was old enough to understand when I heard people talking about the experience of sanctification, and I asked my mom and dad about it. They said if I prayed and asked God for that experience, He would give it to me. I did just that, and the Lord sanctified me.

Then at a youth camp shortly after that, He filled me with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I am so glad that I sought the Lord for those deeper experiences while I was young. Becoming a Christian is the best decision I have ever made in my life, and it has impacted all of my other decisions.

As I got older, the devil tried to tell me, “You didn’t really get those experiences. You were so little.” At that time I told the Lord, “I am not going to give up what You gave me, but I would like to seek You for a reanointing.” I sought for a few years and, finally, in my late teens the Lord did give me that as an assurance. I am glad that I never cast away my confidence, and that I have always wanted to serve the Lord.

As an adult, the Lord began to show me some consecrations that I needed to make along the way, things that were not necessarily part of my life when I was little. In 1999, God cornered me up about a consecration that He had been dealing with me about for years. I finally told him, “Lord, with your help I will do it.” What blessing that obedience brought into my life!

My life was good and pretty much without major crisis until July 31, 2003, when my husband and I had our second child. In the weeks after Holly’s birth, I was diagnosed with cancer and she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy—a condition that usually takes a child’s life before the age of two or three. It was a hard time, but prayer changes things! I underwent surgery but never had to have the prescribed chemotherapy, and Holly’s condition went away—to the amazement of the neurologist. She is just fine today and so am I.

The Lord does answer prayer. I am thankful that I know Jesus and that He has guided me and helped me my whole life. I love Him and want to lift Him up in everything that I do.

Rosie Lambert lives with her husband and two daughters in Woodlake, California where they attend the Apostolic Faith Church.

Roxie testifies:

My testimony is a lot like my twin sister’s story. I gave my heart to the Lord when I was very young, and I always wanted to serve Him. I was sanctified before I started kindergarten, and I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at youth camp when I was ten years old.

However, unlike my sister, when the devil came around and told me that I had not received those experiences, I began to cast away my confidence. Instead of confronting that and going to the Lord, I decided I did not want to think about it. Then I began to neglect to read the Bible and pray every day, and eventually, I let some things of the world slip into my life.

For many years I struggled, trying to live a Christian life on my own—to serve the Lord in my own strength and not let anyone know what had happened—but I can tell you that is impossible, and it is such a hard life.

God changed that all around in January of 1999. I liked to watch television at night, but one night the TV was off, and I was sitting in my living room thinking. The Lord was drawing my heart. All of a sudden, I got up from my chair and knelt down by the couch and said, “Lord, please help me!” The Lord answered that prayer and saved me. Ever since that time He has been helping me.

It was difficult for me to let anyone know what had happened, but a year later, the Lord showed me that I needed to humble myself and that I would not receive my deeper experiences unless I was honest with my church family. I told Him that if He would help me, I would tell people. Of course, all along He wanted to help! God is so faithful; He will never ask us to do anything that He will not help us to do.

I was at my sister’s house at the time, and she was the first one to hear my true testimony. On the way home that night, the Lord sanctified me—right there in my car! That experience changed my life again, and I am so thankful for it.

In the next church meeting, I testified and asked the saints to help me pray for my baptism. For nine months, I earnestly sought the Lord, and He drew me close. That was a precious time, and He gave me promise after promise. Then, on October 15, 2000, He wonderfully baptized me with the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful for that experience.

When I face storms now, I am not alone! I feel like I have a mighty army with me; I have a Captain that never lost a battle. He is with me every day; He has never let me down.

When I was seeking for my baptism, I told the Lord that if He would give that experience to me again, I would do whatever He wanted me to do. I still feel that way today. I want to serve Him with all of my heart. I am so thankful for what He has done for me, and I am glad that I am walking with Him.

Roxie Rael lives with her husband and two daughters in Los Angeles, California where they attend the Apostolic Faith Church.