On January 2, 2008, Bro. Troy Birmingham and I were coming back from Ponchatoula, Louisiana after preaching at Bro. Hinson’s church and heading to Bro. Buddy Swindol’s church in Elk Mont, Alabama. We stopped at a Microtel hotel about 2 am to get some sleep. Since we had a long drive ahead of us, we decided leave about 4 am. Some time after starting our journey, Bro. Troy asked me to drive because he was getting sleepy. When we were about 35 miles outside of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, I had been driving for about an hour and a half. This is when God gave us four miracles. As I sit and record these miracles for you, I am in a lot of pain and sore in my leg, knee, back, arms and neck.
About 1130 as I was driving, I was singing, “How Great Thou Art.” This is when the first miracle took place. I fell asleep at the wheel for just a few seconds. When I opened my eyes, I saw that we had drifted over to the oncoming lanes of the interstate and driving head-on to an 18 wheeler. At that moment I screamed, “Jesus, help me!” Something happened when I said “Jesus” because there is something about that name. When I called on Jesus, the truck veered I was driving veered and hit the bridge twice and the 18 wheeler flew right on by us. After the 18 wheeler went by, we hit the bridge a third time. When we hit the bridge the first time, the car was traveling about 60 miles an hour. The impact was so severe that it busted the motor of the truck.
The second miracle is that during the time that all of this was going on, we did not hit any other vehicles. We were driving head-on into traffic and I had not control of the truck. Yet, thank you Lord, we hit no other vehicles. God also kept us from going off the side of the bridge. I knew that if we did, we’d be dead.
The third miracle is that despite the severity of the impact, not one of my bones was broken. My knee, legs, arms and neck were injured due to the impact of the airbag, but nothing was broken. The Lord blessed us in such a marvelous way. When the paramedics arrived, one of them looked at my busted and swollen hand. He felt for sure that my arm was broken because of the way my hand looked. Thank the Lord, that was not the case! The paramedic could not believe it! He told me, “This is unbelievable. I only believe it because I am seeing it.” This is what is wrong with so many people today. They only believe if they see, but God is so real.
The fourth miracle is that the Lord saved us from being burned alive in the truck. When the truck came to a stop after the last impact, I saw fire coming from the front. I prayed, “Lord, please don’t let us burn. Stop the fire so I can help my friend.” The Lord heard my cry. In that moment, I saw a white cloud come down to where the fire was. The cloud stop at the fire and the fire went out.
After the fire went out, I kicked my door open so I could go help Bro. Troy. When I got around to his side of the truck, I saw that he was bleeding from his mouth. It scared me so much, as I thought he was dying. I prayed and asked God not to let him die right there. As I was about to pull him out of the truck, a paramedic arrived and told me not to touch him since the fire was out.
As we were sitting there on the side of the road, we were able to witness to about 55 people who had stopped to help us. God spoke these words to me, “I let you go through this valley of death because when you are up on the mountain and see the flowers on the mountain, then you look down into the valley, you will remember that I was with you there in the valley of death when I saved your life. I walked with you. I am as real today as I was when I walked with you in the valley of death.”
Even now as I am leaving you my testimony, God has spoken to me
Psalms 23:4. Even when you walk in the valley of the shadow of death, He is always with us. I wanted to thank the Lord for being so kind. I want to let you know that I am not discouraged. I am not sad or upset. I am not holding my head in worry, but I am completely thrilled because I feel that God is going to use this testimony to encourage preachers and ministers all over the country. This is not the time to get upset, not the time to feel down, nor to get discouraged. It is the time to rejoice during your trial, during the storm that you are going through. God is letting you go through this so you can remember that even in the valley of death, God can walk with you and place a flower there so that you can remember when you are on the top of the mountain or in the valley that God is still God. He is still the same yesterday, today and forever.
As I am leaving this testimony, I am sitting in the home of Bro. Pope in Cartersville, Georgia. I am in debt to he and Sis. Pope for their love and kindness. Bro. Pope picked me up at the hospital in Tuscaloosa and brought me to his home. They are taking care of my clothes, feeding me and he has even given me his chair.
My wife is to coming in from Brazil to help drive me so I can finish my schedule. I told the Lord I wanted to continue my trip here because there is still so much that God wants to do in some of the churches here in America. God has spoken to me that there is to be a missionary work here in the United States.
I wanted to tell you, my friends, don’t doubt the Lord, because He is always there. He will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter what kind of problem you are going through, what kind of giant or mountain you are facing, remember that God is bigger than any mountain or giant. He is always with us.
My friends, don’t be discouraged. Be encouraged in the Lord. Remember in
Revelation 12:12, the Bible said the devil is mad because he knows his time is short. That is the reason he is mad at many ministers and families that are doing any kind of work for the Lord. Encourage yourself and keep on working for God because God wants to do a tremendous work. He wants to bring in unity and love in all of the ministry so we can work as a family and love and respect each other and work for God, because we are living in the last days. Jesus is coming back for a church that is united. United in mind, in one accord, in the same doctrine and the same vision. Amen! Let us work together and have one vision. Let’s take this Apostolic message to the lost souls that are dying and going to hell every day. May God richly bless you. Thank you my dear brothers and sisters, in Jesus’ name. Thanks so much to all of you who have held us up in before God in prayer. Thanks to all who have helped my wife and son come from Brazil to my side in this time.
“I shall live and not die” is God’s promise.
Bishop Raul Alvear Sr.
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