I wanted to share the testimony of a young man who was recently born again. About a month and a half ago I received a call from my mother in Texas. She was sharing with me how her neighbors son, named Blake who is 19, was trying to get out of his life of drugs and had expressed an interest in Jesus Christ. As we talked about him we decided it would be good if he came out to spend a little time with my family and our fellowship. So a day or two later Blake hopped on a
Greyhound bus and came to stay with our family. I was looking forward to ministering to him, believing that God was drawing him and working in his heart. As I began to spend time with Blake it was apparent that he had a serious anger problem. Actually, to call it an anger problem would be an understatement. Blake had a spirit of murder. In fact, it had been a long time since I had seen someone with that much hate in their heart. We (myself, my wife, men from our fellowship), would share the word with him and he would accept a little of it, and then out of nowhere just start resisting everything we said and would start manifesting a spirit of anger. We talked to him about his anger problem and he said he didn't want to let it go, he didn't want to give it up. We all became convinced that Blake had a demon, or multiple demons, inside him. On Thursday night, the guys in our fellowship usually gather for prayer. Blake joined us and it started all over again. He began resisting the word and getting really angry. The things he would say didn't even make any sense! After praying with him, one of the brother finally asked if he was wanted to be delivered, if there was anything that he was holding on to that he was ready to give up. He finally said he was ready to be rid of his anger. As soon as he said that we began commanding the demon to come out of Blake. He fell to the floor and began screaming and dry heaving. Before too long the demon left him. As soon as the demon left Him, he began weeping and crying out to Jesus. Nobody told him what to say, he just began calling on the name of Jesus. Amazingly, the name of Jesus was a name he could barely say before the demon came out. Once the demon came out, he was able to freely call on the name of Jesus to be saved. And that's exactly what happened. Blake was gloriously born again that day by the power and grace of God. It's been wonderful to see the Lord's work in Him as he's been growing these last few weeks. He has a desire to read the scriptures, to fellowship with believers, and now gets convicted over sin. Of course he's has his ups and downs, but by the grace of God he continues to follow the Lord and takes joy in what God has done in His life.
A few weeks after his conversion we had the joy of baptizing Blake in the name of Jesus Christ. We were able to use a hot tub at a local camping facility in town. Here's a couple photo's from his baptism:
Greyhound bus and came to stay with our family. I was looking forward to ministering to him, believing that God was drawing him and working in his heart. As I began to spend time with Blake it was apparent that he had a serious anger problem. Actually, to call it an anger problem would be an understatement. Blake had a spirit of murder. In fact, it had been a long time since I had seen someone with that much hate in their heart. We (myself, my wife, men from our fellowship), would share the word with him and he would accept a little of it, and then out of nowhere just start resisting everything we said and would start manifesting a spirit of anger. We talked to him about his anger problem and he said he didn't want to let it go, he didn't want to give it up. We all became convinced that Blake had a demon, or multiple demons, inside him. On Thursday night, the guys in our fellowship usually gather for prayer. Blake joined us and it started all over again. He began resisting the word and getting really angry. The things he would say didn't even make any sense! After praying with him, one of the brother finally asked if he was wanted to be delivered, if there was anything that he was holding on to that he was ready to give up. He finally said he was ready to be rid of his anger. As soon as he said that we began commanding the demon to come out of Blake. He fell to the floor and began screaming and dry heaving. Before too long the demon left him. As soon as the demon left Him, he began weeping and crying out to Jesus. Nobody told him what to say, he just began calling on the name of Jesus. Amazingly, the name of Jesus was a name he could barely say before the demon came out. Once the demon came out, he was able to freely call on the name of Jesus to be saved. And that's exactly what happened. Blake was gloriously born again that day by the power and grace of God. It's been wonderful to see the Lord's work in Him as he's been growing these last few weeks. He has a desire to read the scriptures, to fellowship with believers, and now gets convicted over sin. Of course he's has his ups and downs, but by the grace of God he continues to follow the Lord and takes joy in what God has done in His life.
A few weeks after his conversion we had the joy of baptizing Blake in the name of Jesus Christ. We were able to use a hot tub at a local camping facility in town. Here's a couple photo's from his baptism:
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Before Blake was converted, he had committed a felony in Colorado. After his conversion, the weight of this outstanding issue began to weigh on his conscience. He knew that instead of running from this problem, like he had been, that the right thing to do was to now get this taken care of. After praying about it, Blake decided that he would take a bus to CO and turn himself in, face the consequences, and get the issue taken care of. So I had the privilege of taking Blake to the bus stop and seeing him off to CO to take care of his warrant. Here's a photo of Blake leaving:
Since this photo, Blake has bonded out of jail and is currently back at our place awaiting his court date. It appears that everything is going to work out ok, and he most likely won't have to serve and jail time. It's been wonderful to see the Lord's work in Blake. I hope that you'll join with me and continue to pray for this new believer in Jesus Christ.
What about Lordship Salvation?
I want to take this opportunity to briefly speak again about the subject of Lordship Salvation. If you are familiar with my blog, your aware that I wrote a post a while back dealing with this very subject. It was a blog that some outright rejected and one that even caused a brother I have done ministry with to break fellowship with me because of what I wrote. However what I wrote was simply the plain teaching of the word of God regarding that nature of salvation. Let me use Blake's salvation as an example. A Lordship Salvation advocate would say that for someone to be born again, they must fully surrender to the Lordship of Christ, forsake all their sins, be willing to die for Jesus, and commit to carry their cross daily, commit to daily deny themselves, AND believe that Jesus died for theirs sins and rose from the dead, in order to be saved. That of course is a false teaching that is clearly refuted by looking at the scriptures. The Lordship Salvation advocates error by requiring the fruits of salvation AS a pre-requisite for salvation.
In our dealing with Blake, we explained to him what Christ had done for him in order for him to be saved and reconciled to God. Yet Blake was unable to do this, to truly call on the name of Jesus, until he was delivered from the spirit of murder that was inside him. Once the evil spirit came out of him, by the grace of God, he was able to freely call on the name of Jesus to be saved. Blake did not understand all the implications of Lordship, but he is coming to understand what it means as he stays in God's word and by the work of the Spirit of Christ that now resides in him. And what is the fruit of his salvation? The commands that Christ gave, and the lifestyle and heart attitude that Christ calls us to is the very thing that Blake wants. By reading the word of God, Blake is coming to know his Savior, and is submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. No, he doesn't do it perfectly, as none of us have....but He is growing the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and in His daily submission to Christ Lordship.
The damaging thing about Lordship salvation is that is teaches that someone like Blake, must understand all kinds of truths, and make all kinds of commitments, before he could actually be saved....something he, nor any man, is able to do apart from indwelling Spirit of God. Thankfully God's word does not require what Lordship Salvation advocates say it does. If it did, we'd all be without hope, still in our sins, and unable to receive the salvation that Christ gives to us as a free gift.
If you haven't read the article I'm talking about, you can read it here:
http://preachingjesus.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/why-lordship-salvation-is-not-biblical/
May the Lord Bless you....
IN Christ,
Sean Scott
preachingjesus.wordpress.com
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