Some People Change
Some People Change
Some People Change
Testimony Of Luke Chapter 7 Verse 47
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Pictured Above: Jim Tull, former President of the East Coast chapter of the Aryan Brotherhood, Now a Born-Again Christian. To God Be All The Glory!
In case you didn’t know, the Aryan Nation is a white supremecist group more violent and organized than the KKK. They are modern Nazi’s (Neo-Nazi’s) and the largest prison gang in America. The film “American History X’ starring Edward Norton gives a good look at them, also “True Believer” starring Ryan Gossling.
Nicky Cruz, a New York Gang Boss converted by David Wilkerson, is another notable convert. His story is detailed in the book and movie “The Cross and the Switchblade”.
Among other famous new Converts, we find Stephen Baldwin, Anne Rice, Bob Dylan (was Messianic but went back to regular Judaism), and Alice Cooper, Stephen Spielburg is a Messianic Jew, as well as the former guitarist for (“Korn” Brian “Head” Welch) who wrote a bestselling book about his conversion. Oh and I almost forgot about football great Reggie White. He not only became a Christian, also became Torah Observant. ESPN did a news segment about his conversion to Christianity.
John Newton, who wrote “Amazing Grace” was a former slave ship captain. He not only wrote “Amazing Grace” after he went blind and as a minister later mentored a member of Parliament William Wilberforce who ended slavery in England.
I know one man with a similar background as Jim Tull who found God in prison and his life turned completely, %100 percent around. He feeds the hungry and fathers the fatherless on a near weekly basis, and many of his good friends are Jewish or African American. He also gives out Bibles (though He doesn’t believe Jesus was divine), he still says that it helps people change their lives. But when this man was in his 20’s he was sitting in prison for assault and several other serious charges.
Another man I knew in the military was a former Atheist whose became Wiccan. He was such a bad drug addict as a teenager that he became a male prostitute to support his addiction and his wife was a former prostitute as well. Last time I talked to him in 2004, he was part of the ministry team at the Salvation Army in his town and in the Praise and Worship band there, and serving in the Army National Guard.
Additionally, I have known countless former alcoholics who have changed their life completely and have also met Former homosexuals who left that lifestyle.
Myself, I wasn’t a Christian until I was 24. I spent most of my years being a Gnostic of the true variety (one that believes that the Gnostic Gospels tell the true story of the accepted Gospels) or a Deist (someone like Benjamin Franklin who believes that God made the world then got sick of people messing it up and walked away, washing his hands of humanity). I was also severely depressed, had debilitating anxiety and social anxiety and so bitter at God I would nearly spit and turn red if anyone said He loved me.
I know countless people who have completely and utterly changed from the inside out (or rather, been changed). These are the ones who seem to know God instead of just knowing about Him. The ones who actually serve God and fight spiritual battles, instead of just wearing the uniform of one who serves God and carry a plastic toy spiritual machine gun to Church, yelling at the demons. That is the spiritual equivalent of spraying a terrorist that has high jacked a plane with a water pistol unless you have a relationship with God shown in Love and compassion.
Now if you do have that kind of relationship, that adopted, bought at a heavy price, freed from slavery, kind of relationship, then rebuking demons is like reminding them that your Dad is Rambo, and they had better stop tormenting you RIGHT NOW because He is just outside with a red bandanna and a survival knife reading to kick the door in and start asking question about how his children got those bruises.
Messiah said to Peter “He who will love me more, He who has been forgiven little or He who has been forgiven much?” Naturally, the one who has been forgiven much.
The person they were disgusts them so much that their worse nightmare is becoming that person again. The severity of sins was so much that they cannot ignore the price that was paid to free them from debt slavery. Spiritually, only someone who has been a prisoner can truly appreciate freedom-and maybe love it enough to live by the Laws of the one who freed them. Having worked for over a year at a Half-Way House for men recently released from prison, I have shared meals with such men on a regular basis. Also when I worked at a Drug Rehabilitation Center.
Everything you have gone through can be used to make it obvious that God changed you, and can change anyone. The things you have done, allow you to reach others who have done the things you have done. Shared Guilt can be the strongest bond, and the opener of many doors-with shared guilt, there are no barricades because there is no judgment seeking to take everyone in the city away in chains to another prison. This is why a former drug addicts make the best drug counselors, why prisoners make the best prison ministers.
Why did it take a man that had been tempted with every sin, to be the truest “Friend of Sinners”?
How can the Judge also be the advocate.
How can the friend also be the servant and the Master?
It takes one who experienced every temptation to reach those who gave in to every temptation, and it takes the one who created us to Change Us.
“Some People Change” by Montgomery Gentry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iSf8wxEttk
SOME PEOPLE CHANGE by Montgomery Gentry
His old man was a rebel yeller:
Bad boy to the bone.
He’d say: “Can’t trust that other fella,”
He’d judge ’em by the tone of their skin.
He was raised to think like his Dad:
Narrow mind full of hate.
On the road to no-where fast,
Till the Grace of God got in the way.
Then he saw the Light an’ hit his knees an’ cried an’ said a prayer:
Rose up a brand new man; left the old one right there.
Chorus:
Here’s to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don’t give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
She was born with her mother’s habit:
You could say: “It’s in her blood.”
She hates that she’s gotta have it:
As she fills her glass up.
An she’d love to kill that bottle,
But all she can think about,
Is a, a better life, a second chance,
An’ everyone she’s letting down.
She throws that bottle down.
Chorus:
Here’s to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don’t give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
Thank God for those who make it:
Let them be the Light!
(Let them be the light)
(Some people change.)
Here’s to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don’t give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
Some people change.
Visit http://www.shalomtoyourheart.com for the
Spiritual Resources Library of Psalm 16 Ministry.
Visit https://www.letstalkshalom.com for more of our Media and Equipping Ministry
If either has blessed you, please consider supporting the cause:
paypal.me/letstalkshalom
Or by mailing Psalm 16’s Founder Brian Newman at
PO BOX 671 Ooltewah, TN 37363
Comments
Post a Comment