Testimony of JoAnne Christou

May 27, 2007

Good Morning! This is the day the Lord has made and I’m going to leave not like I came. And today, I just want to please the Lord with this testimony.

It’s all about living in fantasy as a shy child and the fantasy became a built-in self defense mechanism to make me feel safe and make me feel good toward myself because of heavy family rejection; with heavy trauma all of my life until I became a Christian.

Because of living in fantasies, I became a very good story builder as my life unfolded. The story building was revealed to me about five years ago by the Holy Spirit. It was difficult to recognize at first and then I got the hang of it and overcame Satan. Since then, the Lord has been revealing one myth after the other in my life and always cleansing, cleansing, cleansing.

To please the Lord, I’m going to confess to the congregation, and I’ve already repented of these myths, but they are devilish and demonic stories put into my mind by Satan. It was easy for him as I was already a fantasy story builder. I’ve said all this so far to please the Lord.

I’ve been a Christian for about 15 years now, so about 13½ years ago, in that big church over on Highway 50, when I was only 1½ years old in God’s kingdom, I didn’t know how to test spirits, didn’t know anything about testing spirits. The devil sent into the women’s intercession group a young woman who sang fake prophecies over four of us. She sang five prophecies over me, one of which was: “The Lord would name me ‘Mother of all Nations.’” I bought into that one big time. It fit the satanic spirits of self-importance and pride that were already there because of fantasy and story building.

I can remember playing under our old homestead house at the age of three and the imagination taking over in me. I loved babies even then, so the “Mother of all Nations” fit right in later on in life.

With this false prophesy, the devil was beginning to build his story to feed what was there from childhood, and about 2½  years later, I met Sotiris, not knowing we would marry in the future. He was in the food distribution business, and about this time, thinking it was Jesus, Satan told me I would be given a food product to feed babies and children worldwide.  He just worked everything out so beautifully by having me think it was God telling me this. This product was to be high in protein, have a long shelf life and be low cost. In my mind, this fit right in with the “Mother of all Nations” lie. The devil knows how much we both love babies and little children.

I was then shown who the importer for the product would be. I was given the name of a man by Ron Svenhard’s secretary, and some time later, we went to this man’s church. On that day, he announced that he had just become an importer, and I went wild. That was confirmation from God or so I thought! Satan used Christians and real circumstances in making his lie believable. This man later gave up importing to write books for Jesus. I questioned this and scripture was used by the enemy to tell me that God would not violate a man’s free will and another importer would be chosen later. Because scripture had been given, I again bought into the satanic lie which kept me contaminated and totally deceived!

The next sequence to this testimony was George and Katherine Mwangi coming into our church. They are from Kenya, Africa and came to the United States to escape being burned to death by the rubber necklaces. This is where Christians were murdered by putting a rubber tire around their bodies and throwing gasoline or kerosene on them and setting them on fire. Just after they came into our church, Satan showed me that the product to be given to me was locusts. Again, the wrong voice said, “Ask the African sister about locusts.” The following Sunday, I asked Katherine about locusts, and she said that as a child, they barbecued them and that they tasted like chicken. Third world countries and orphanages came to my mind, to feed the babies and children. She also said one large locust is enough for one meal. So the story was becoming more believable all the time.

Many years passed with Sotiris and I going through the rock tumbler which brought us much closer to the Lord. Only God knows why His particular timing is chosen to reveal the untruths in our hearts and His timing is so perfect for our lives. I just thank you Jesus for all of this.

The ways of Satan are subtle and beguiling. Approximately four years ago, a woman from Guatemala, who had an evangelistic and prophetic ministry, singled out Sotiris and I after a church meeting in another church and spoke exactly the same prophecy over me of being “Mother of all Nations.” I went bananas! That was God! That had to be God! BUT IT WAS NOT GOD! 

She spoke over my husband and me as being spiritual giants and said other words to feed our flesh with pride and self-importance. Before this happened, my husband was already fighting pride and self -importance from his life in Greece and I unknowingly had them already built into me.

This evangelist and prophetess from Guatemala will be told of this and will be taught testing of the spirits. I don’t think she tests spirits as in 1 John 4:1-3.  She is just learning English and always welcomes new biblical information. I know the Holy Spirit will show her the truth so she will never again speak while being deceived but recognize the enemy. I’m praying the Holy Spirit will give that to her strongly.

The fantasy lie continued on and in 2006 I was shown who the new importer was to be or so I thought. Katherine Mwangi had been an importer in Kenya before coming to America, and according to the enemy, she was to be the new importer. Here went old hornhead again, using factual information to cause me to buy into the lie even further.

The Mwangi’s were going to Kenya on June 5^th of this year where they have just finished building a new home. I was told by the enemy that if I went to Kenya with them, I would meet an older Christian gentleman in their church who would be the one to grow the locusts.

Meanwhile, not too long ago, the Lord had spoken a prophecy through Pastor John that our church has been set free from bondages holding us back. Unknowingly, I was one of those bondages. How many more of us are in bondage? Ask God to show you and help break you free just as Pastor John has been preaching. I just praise God that He’s broken me free. It is truly wonderful and changes are happening; little things are happening all the time as I’m casting the demons out!

The sermons were really on fire to me after the prophecy was given to the congregation by Pastor John. He preached about C.T. Studd and how his family told him that he could no longer go to other countries to minister for the Lord. Studd knew God was calling him to go out again, so he left his family and went out and preached another 20 years. Like the word says, when husband and wife separate, don’t divorce, come back together again. I believe Pastor John said his family went to him after five years.

At the altar call, I ran down to the front and was anointed. I said, “Yes, Lord, I’m going to Kenya.” My thoughts were, “My Pastor just preached, ‘you can break loose and when God tells you to do something for Him, DO IT!’” So, after the altar call, I ran to Pastor John and sister Aina at the door and very excitedly said, “Was that message for men and women?” As he shook my hand and looked me right in the eye, he said, “Yes, JoAnne.” That was it! I was on my way to Africa, regardless of what my husband thought… and that was not Jesus! My saving grace was that the Holy Spirit moved on me to ask intercessors to pray for confirmation concerning going to Kenya in June. Now it was finally time for concrete action from God. And it wasn’t God. Praise God, I was obedient in this.

In my heart, after 73 years of this story building or perhaps I should say, 13½ years, I was willing to hear an “aye’ or a “nay” from the Father. Anyway, the first three intercessors I asked to pray didn’t hear a word, not one word from the Lord, not an “aye” or “nay.” The fourth one fasted and prayed and was given Acts 13:1-4. I was then told by the Holy Spirit to ask Pastor John and Sister Aina to fast and pray with me over this issue. They did and both reported to me later that this whole thing was not of God, because if God is building up our business, He wouldn’t send us out until it is built up enough. And secondly, when we were sent to Greece, Pastor John felt a peace about sending us out, as in Acts 13:1-4. He knew it was the Holy Spirit.  It was beautiful when we went to Greece, and it was of God. He didn’t feel peace about us being sent to Africa and gave me 1 Kings 22:5, where Ahab, the king of Israel heard what he wanted to hear from the prophets, just as I had in the fantasy and story building.

I was devastated for about five minutes. Then the enemy put sadness, shame, embarrassment, defeat, guilt and a number of other satanic spirits on me emotionally, and all of a sudden with the Holy Spirit moving quickly upon me, I came up out of that slime pit by doing heavy duty warfare against the emotional turmoil. The other intercessors joined in and I was delivered of all those years of lies and fantasies, self-defense and deception.

Sister Aina and another intercessor received from the Lord one word, “Temptation,” meaning the devil was tempting me. Going to Kenya was the enemy’s plan to devastate my life in Jesus, and push doubt, unbelief, and wavering into my heart after spending all of that time and money, only to find out there was no gentleman and no locusts.

After leaving intercession that night, I began to question the Lord about the two prophesies that had been spoken over me from the past and He showed me that they were false. I asked Him to show me other things from my past and He has. Praise God! I’m thankful. My God raised up His standard against the enemy and saved me from the devastation, the lies, the story building, and the defeat of 13½ years; about 73 years, all told. Anyway, God has allowed me to use many gifts named in His Word. He’s blessed me many times. He blessed me with Sotiris. He’s melted and molded me, but I did not have His fullness, and now I can have His Fullness in all things. I’m thankful. No more contamination and no more deceit. The satanic spell has been broken! It’s gone now and I’m free in Jesus! I’m now a new woman in Christ. He’s renewing me all of the time.

I was prepared to receive an “aye” or “nay” from the Lord when they prayed, and when it was “nay,” I gave it up in five minutes after confessing and repenting to Jesus Christ. I’ve been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I thank the Lord for all of the scripture He has given me. Pastor John just preached on this recently.

I’ve been restored just like King David. I feel so free and my husband sees the changes happening.  He loves coming home from a day’s work now more than he did before. In the past, he could feel something was not quite right, but couldn’t put his finger on it. I was guilty! I’m moving on. Thank God I’m forgiven in Jesus’ name!

This testimony is not given so anyone can gossip, criticize or judge these circumstances but so that my corner of the church of Jesus Christ will be cleansed from Satanic evil. I don’t call it sin but evil. I know this testimony pleases my Father in Heaven. He gave me these scriptures:

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalms 103:10-12)

Thank you Lord! 

 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

 “…and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.” (Proverbs 19:25b)

Thank you for that Lord.

“A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.” (Proverbs 17:10)

“My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)

I love that!

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:11)

I am getting exercised! I love it! I’m thankful. I’m thankful because I never knew, and it wasted so much time thinking: “Why isn’t this happening? When are you going to do this God? When are you going to do that?” Well, it wasn’t God.

Pastor John preached about King David making a decision not to live in the past but accepting God’s will and moving on to the here and now.

“Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Psalms 51:8-12)

The Lord has already renewed a right spirit within me and given me a true joy. My husband sees this and hasn’t spoken a derogatory statement. He likes me better now. He liked me back then but now he likes me better and I do too. I just praise the Lord for His perfect timing in my life and thank Him for His love and the truth that has been shown to me. I thank you Lord! I love you Lord! I just can’t stop thanking you and praising you for doing this!

I thought I would be embarrassed to death but I’m not. I’m glad. Thank you Jesus. Hallelujah! You are an awesome God!

Volume 10, 2008