Michelle's Testimony

Hi, my name is Michelle Hildreth, and I have been a Christian, believing in Jesus since I was a young child. My parents were members of a church in our home area, called Community Reformed. It wasn’t until I was 18 at a Darrell Mansfield concert at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, is when I truly understood what becoming born again really meant, and I accepted
Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior that evening at the concert.

Throughout my years of walking with the Lord and sharing the good news, I had only met a couple Seventh Day Adventist Christians, which were Margaret, a Nurse at Kaiser I worked with, and Fiel, another Nurse, but at Loma Linda I worked with. These two women had something unique about them, they were both very nice and compassionate, but it was
the way they lived their lives and they were examples of Christ’s love, is what I believe that I noticed in them. Over the course of years that I’ve been blessed to know them, the only difference I thought was they celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday, instead of other Christians on Sunday. So, when my son, Zacharia decided to look for a new church and
searched for churches from the Inland Empire to Orange County, but none felt right to him. I at that time, since I had worked at Loma Linda previously, I suggested he try Loma Linda, but they observed Sabbath on Saturday, not Sunday.

Zach researched the Loma Linda Seventh Day Adventist Churches and found Advent Hope and he went, and he liked it,and felt the Lord calling him there. Zach was learning and would share with me, since at that time we were caring for my elderly mom, Zach’s grandma, so one of us always had to be home with her. Zach was sharing things he was learning and God even put in his path, Michael from Advent Hope, to share and study the Seventh Day Adventist Christian beliefs with him, and how they differ from other Christian beliefs.

Unfortunately, my mom passed away at the beginning of this year, I got rear ended by a drunk driver in February, and my dog of 9 years, which was my last anniversary gift from my husband, I had to put down in April. I had lost my husband in 2015 when I was in nursing school. So, for the first time in many years, I did not have anyone to take care of. I felt led to
also attend a Seventh Day Adventist Church. At that time, God put other Seventh Day Adventists in my path, Jermaine, a Nurse, who I work with now.

Also, a very important family to my son and I, the Neuman’s, Carlos, Jenny, Jacqueline, Charles, John and Josie, and another important and dear friend, Alicia. Through all of them, I came to meet a wonderful lady named Linda, who attends Advent Hope and here at Mentone Seventh Day Adventist Church. Linda invited me to Mentone SDA church, and I came, and really felt the Lord calling me here, even though it’s a little far. Pastor Dana’s messages are always so full of truth of the Bible and ways to continue to grow in our walks with Christ and how to be the lights of this dark world, and he is always so humble for his impactful messages, which have been such a blessing. I was also praying at the time for a Revelation study and a Bible study I could be part of, and Pastor Rodney was having the Revelation Prophecy study at the Healthy Living Center at that time, so I was able to come on Tuesdays, and I met others, like Brandy and Robert, Andrew, and so many others who attend the Tuesday night Bible study. I also met Yarka through Linda and she told me about the Monday woman’s study, and I then became part of Intissar’s Monday night Zoom Bible
study, which so many wonderful, godly women are part of and I am so blessed to be able to attend and learn from. I have really enjoyed Pastor Borda’s Revelation of Hope Sabbath school and have been learning so much from him and Joel, who often has additional handouts for us to learn from. During the Sabbath school, I met Sara and God put us
together along with Tina for them to study with me and continue to learn the differences about Christian beliefs and Seventh Day Adventist Christian beliefs. I soon found out, it was not just the difference of when you honor the Sabbath day, but how very important it is to keep God’s Sabbath day, to keep it Holy, and set apart from all other days.

We also studied about death, hell, and there is no rapture, The Lord showed me that is why many Christians are so confused whether the rapture is pre trib, mid trib, or post trib, because it is not truth, therefore from the enemy and that brings confusion. We studied the true mark of the beast, not being a 666 number on your hand or forehead, like many
Christians believe, but who you will serve and worship on the Sabbath, and the day you will rest and not work on.I also learned, by reading the Amazing Facts 27 pamphlets that Pastor Rodney gave us, the truth on the 1000 years. And with our talks with Pastor Rodney, the true understanding of Baptism.

I have been baptized two other times before as a Christian, but not as a Seventh Day Adventist Christian, and not with the understanding of when I am baptized by immersion, I am affirming my beliefs in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, (like closing my eyes, holding my breath, and being submerged in the water, then coming up, and opening my eyes and breathing again).

For once in my life, I truly understand the Bible and the events that have taken place and that will take place. I for once don’t have any unanswered questions or any uncertainties.
If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, please do so today, by acknowledging Jesus Christ as the only Savior, and that you have sinned and want Jesus to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and Savior and to be forgiven from your sins, washed by the blood of Jesus, and to be born again and have your name written in the book of life, and God to see you as righteous now, because of what Jesus did for all of mankind, and it is up to each individual person to either choose Jesus and walk in a life with him and for him, or continue to choose your own way, which will eventually lead to your choice of following Satan, death, and eventually at the end of the 1000 years, to be
turned into ashes and exist no more.

Thank you all in sharing this very special moment of Baptism for my son and I and letting me share my testimony.

God Bless you.