TOM PANICH
Tom sings and plays percussion along with his original pre-recorded tracks.
In 1995, I was dating a girl I met in Portland, OR that attended a local Lutheran Church. We'd been out drinking beer and, walking home from the bar, she threw me up against the wall and said, "What are you going to do about this Jesus thing?" Being intoxicated, I probably responded, "I don't know. (This is the same church I would later get married in.)
At that time, I had built an altar to Jesus in my apartment and, some time later, kneeling at that altar and looking at the picture of Jesus on it, I said, "You died for me?" I began to weep and tell God I believed in Him and I asked Jesus to forgive me of all that I had done against Him. I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior but I still relapsed and backslid even after I got baptized in the Holy Spirit. It took a while to stop drinking, smoking and doing drugs. (I've got the burn marks in my Bible to prove it!) In 1999, I attended a conference with Bible College teacher, Dr. Norvel Hayes. After the conference, I was standing next to Norvel's daughter, Zona, who was signing people up for their Correspondence Bible College. I asked God, "Should I do this?" Just then the Holy Spirit said, "If you don't do it, it's sin." The Bible mentions, "To him who knows to do good and doesn't do it, to him it is sin." I signed up real quick! The year 2001 was a pivotal year for me. I married my wife, Candace Sjerven, and attended a local School of the Prophets. The first five years of our ministry involved Candace being the webmaster for two prophetic websites and much travel with me drumming for many prophets during worship in their prophetic meetings/conferences. In one such meeting in Stockton, CA, I led harp and bowl style worship, singing verses from the Bible. The meeting was turned over to me and I ended up laying hands on, and praying for, everyone in the meeting. I started selling my "Third Heaven Vision" anointing oil on a well-known prophetic website for which my wife was the original webmaster. The oil actually fulfilled a prophetic word that was given to me by a local pastor. "Show Tom his life's work - something he can put his name on. Only the work of the Lord! Only the work of the Lord! Only the work of the Lord!" she cried. The production of my four worship CDs also fulfilled this word as the songs on them were written, sang, performed, arranged and produced by me as well. |
In 2007, Candace and I were ordained by Bob and Esther Thornton of Global Evangelism International. In 2004 and 2007, we went on mission trips to Turkey, Bulgaria and Israel twice, ministering to the Gypsies with Georgian and Winnie Banov of Global Celebration. I drummed for Georgian at numerous meetings across the USA for 10 years and still do per his request.
In October 2011 and 2012, I spoke, taught and prophesied at "The World Holy Spirit Ministry International" conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. I was aided by a Korean interpreter. There's a lost and dying world out there and they're burning with the wrong fire. God gave us His eternal fire and His Great Commission to GO and keep the people who don't know Jesus out of the wrong fires that some of us have experienced. We're called to pull people out of the fiery trials that they may be in. I ask you, "What are YOU doing with the testimony that God has given to you after God pulled you out of the fires of affliction?
The Bible mentions we overcome, by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb. Our trials are a part of our testimony, but Jesus is the living, active Word of our testimony; and it's Jesus' blood that has purified our every sin. We must choose to believe it. God has done so many awesome things in my life. I still fall short of His Glory, whether it's in thought, word or deed. I encourage you today, that if you've sinned and fallen short of God's Glory, Jesus' arms are not too short to rescue you out of the pit of hell. |