If you’ve walked through the mall area in the past two weeks you have more than likely been subject to hearing preachers speak about sin and condemnation. Some people find their presence to be a chance to engage in spiritual discussions, while others are disgusted at their words.
I didn’t have much to say until I stopped in for a few minutes, and found that their words made me uncommonly angry. The preacher was telling students that they were “no good sinners” and condemned them to hellfire. Although I agreed with many of their principles, I was completely against the manner in which they presented it.
A lot of people are turned off to the idea of Christianity when people try to force it upon them, and this inspired me to give you my testimony.
I grew up in a Word of Faith church where I had no real spiritual walk. The stories of the Bible were entertaining, and Jesus sounded like a good man. But, when my family and I became the victims of church corruption, I experienced the murder of my character and faith. I became an atheist soon after believing that there was no way that the God of the Bible existed.
The events that had taken place lead me to believe that I was wrong for being eccentric.
I tried to believe in nothing, but when things got worse I began to seek something I could depend on other than myself. I spent a year and a half playing guitar for churches in search of something that was purely divine.
I found that purity three years ago when I was invited to play at the Houston Temple of Judah in Humble, Texas, under the leadership of Apostle W. David Gilliam. He preached holiness and repentance, but was transparent enough to admit that even he is subject to the Word of God.
The catalyst for my return to faith was when a six-year-old girl laid hands on me at the alter, and I laid dormant under the power of God. I had very little knowledge of spiritual works, but I knew that what had taken place had no pretense. It was pure. It was sincere. It was God.
I have experienced things like divine healing, deliverance from substance abuse and the prophetic word spoken into my life. I have matured mentally and spiritually from accepting the word of God. And I tell you that there is a God and he is more than able to handle any circumstance our carnal minds can concoct.
Like these campus preachers I believe there is a hell, and that we all know people that are going there. I believe that a lot of the things we deem socially acceptable in college are not holy, and that we are living in the last days. However, I don’t think these campus preachers know how to reach students, let alone inspire them to walk with God. My beliefs are not predicated on the hearsay of extremist or popularity amongst my peers, but on what I live, love and know. I wrote this to tell you that there is hope.