Testimonies

Kevin's Testimony

 Bill's Testimony







 Kevin's Testimony

I asked Jesus into my heart when I was 4 years old. I stayed a faithful Christian till I was about 16, then I wondered off on the wrong path, I was hanging around the wrong crowds of people, drinking, drugs and bar hopping, I was a drug dealer, and all that crazy stuff. I had so many problems and bad things happen to me in those times, I also could have been killed many times, but the grace of God is what saved me. I have had accidents where I should be dead, and I never even got hurt, like falling from a 4 story barn through a floor, getting hit by cars when I was riding my bike down the road and those cars were going very fast, and a lot of other things that I cannot believe what happened. All I know is that I am alive and was never hurt or bruised from any of it, Thanks to GOD. Then there was this one-day where I lost my car, my license. My car broke down, I was stranded in the country, I couldn't get a hold of a tow truck, all the friends I phoned were too busy partying to help me, everything at that moment was going through my head, especially suicide at that point. But what was stopping me, was the truth from the Word of God. I knew if I killed myself I would go to hell, so I couldn't do it, instead I just pushed my car home, about 25 miles. That whole time while I was pushing I was talking to God and asking him why all these things had to happen like this. That night I cried out to the Lord to forgive me and to help me change my ways. The very next night I was in my room praying with all my heart, asking Jesus to show me what I am supposed to do, help me change for his purpose. I needed something to strengthen myself. That same night, I heard a great mighty thundering noise, and at that moment I felt like I was out of my body, I heard voices rejoicing, and I heard Jesus voice, He said, " I cam coming now, go tell everyone". And after that I don't remember anything, all I know I must have fell asleep for the rest of the night. After that night I have been a new man. I have felt stronger than I ever have in my life. Now my focus in life is to preach the gospel and to show people how close Jesus' return really is. I need to warn the people, if they are not living Holy lives, they better start now. We are commanded in the bible to purify ourselves. Who wants to be ashamed of themselves when Jesus returns. I know I sure don't.

  Bill Scudder's Testimony

                    My Testimony of Working with Charismatic Catholics


                    Bill Scudder Dayton, Ohio, USA

                    * * *

                    I would like to say first of all that I am not a Cecessionist. I do not believe the Gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased with the New Testament Apostles. They are available to the Church of God today.

                    For those who do not believe the above, you are still my brother or sister in the Lord if you believe that we are saved by grace alone through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. What I am about to tell you is not 'politically correct' and I will be labelled as 'intolerant' or maybe even a 'basher' by some people. I love Catholics, as I do anyone else, but it is the doctrine from Rome which is the problem.

                    President of the FGBMF-Peoria, Ilinois

                    I started when I was voted in as President of a local chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International. We had a dinner meeting once a month and a breakfast meeting once a month. At the dinner meeting we would usually invite a Christian businessman to give his testimony. We began to hold a Bible study and prayer meeting in my home.

                    The word got out, and some Catholics began to come to my home prayer and Bible study meeting, including a priest. The first thing this priest did was kneel in front of me, as if I could impart something to him. Later I knew that he wanted me to pray that he would receive tongues. I became a friend with this Priest and we began to attend other meetings together. More Catholics started coming to all of our meetings and I invited a Catholic professor from Ball State University to come and speak to our fellowship.

                    It wasn't long until many of these Catholics were seeking and receiving tongues. At the time I just took it for granted that they were already saved and were receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Priests, nuns and others were beginning to receive tongues. I was guilty of believing that tongues was an indication that we shared the same Holy Spirit experience, and the same Jesus. This was due to my ignorance of the 'Gospel according to Rome', for which I have no excuse.

                    I was invited to teach a course one night a week for six weeks in a Roman Catholic Parish, St. Monica In East Peoria, Illinois. Priests, nuns and others were present. I taught on the gift of Salvation. At the time I was not prepared for what I was confronting and because all present at the meetings deemed themselves already saved because of the Roman Catholic religion I don't believe I addressed the subject in the right way. I believe it was because of a spirit of bondage given to them by Rome, and their dependence on their infant baptism and other doctrines of Rome which nullify the Gospel.

                    I was invited to attend Catholic Charismatic prayer meetings at Bradley University as the only non-Catholic present.


                    One of the Catholic prayer groups were speaking in tongues and receiving unbiblical interpretations of a sinful nature, supposedly coming direct from Mary, 'the mother of Jesus'. Which was further proof that the unsaved were receiving 'tongues' from a spirit other than God. Charismatic Catholics often become more devoted to Mary after receiving a tongue.

                    Mary becomes the focus

                    Many Catholic Charismatics have migrated to Mary, whom they see as the Holy piit's 'more interesting spouse'. The Catholic Charismatic fellowship at Dayton University reported to the news media that since their 'experience' they have been giving more devotion to Mary.

                    Universalism

                    A Catholic Priest who was a sought after speaker in the Catholic Charismatic movement and spoke at many FGBMFI chapters, was speaking one night to a large group during one of our FGBMFI conventions. After his talk he gave an altar call to come and be 'born again'. I had an uneasy feeling, and after the service was over, I approached to ask him some questions. I asked him if Jesus was the only way to be saved, and he said very plainly, 'NO'. I asked, 'Do you have to be born again and believe in Jesus Christ to be saved and he said 'NO'. What did he mean by 'born again'?

                    It was obvious he meant that if you received tongues or any kind of subjective feeling, that was a proof of being born again, having nothing to do with being born from above by the Spirit of God or believing in Christ alone for salvation.

                    At that point I rebuked him for what he said and he got very angry and began to shake. I reported him to FGBMFI but nothing came of it. The strange thing is that there seems to be two kinds of Roman Catholics, Those who believe God is the Father of all and no-one is lost (see update below), and there are those who are faithful to Rome, which is the majority.

                    I believe the FGBMFI has been and is being used of God, and many have been saved through it's efforts, but I and others, have been guilty of an ecumenical spirit, and unity at any cost. We have given a false hope of security to those who needed the truth of salvation.


                    UPDATE


                    The Roman Catholic religion in its quest for ecumenism is now playing both sides as is seen in Vatican II. ""....

                    An article published by the Dallas Morning News on Saturday March 20th, 1999 of an ecumenical meeting held in Dallas, Thanksgiving World Assembly, shows the other side.

                    What is important about this meeting is that it was attended by a Nigerian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic religion named Francis Arinze.

                    Many people think that Arinze, the Pope's Deputy for Outreach, is heir apparent to John Paul II. But even if he is not, his comments are chilling and revealing.

                    An illustration of Roman Catholic ecumenism, which ices out the Gospel and makes mockery of the ministry of Jesus Christ, is found in Arinze's answer to the question, "Can you still get to heaven without accepting Jesus?"
                    His answer, not surprising, but chilling and ominous, is: "Expressly, yes!"

                    When Arinze was asked if he believed one could be right with God while not believing in Jesus Christ, Arinze appealed to Vatican II

                    ".....God's grant of salvation includes not only Christians but Jews, Muslims, Hindus and people of good will."


                    Catholics no longer a mission field?


                    Some Evangelicals are now saying that Roman Catholics are no longer considered to be a mission field since they are 'Christians'. What a sad commentary to our brothers and sisters in Latin countries, and others who have laid down their lives for the Gospel, and have seen millions of Roman Catholics believe the Gospel. The future of evangelism hangs in the balance.

                    In my eight years of working with Charismatic Catholics, I have come to the following conclusions..:

                    I had been naive and had neglected to really look into the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church to see what they really believed about the doctrine of Salvation by Grace through faith in Christ alone. I took it for granted that they believed the Gospel of the Bible. Historically, and conversely, the Roman Catholic Church teaches as dogma, that justification is conferred through her sacraments, and that it consists of inner righteousness whereby a man, it is stated, becomes 'just within himself'. The Church of Rome condemns the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone.

                    Any non-Catholic Church that held the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church would be considered a 'Cult' by many of the same people who are seeking unity with the Catholics.

                    I have discovered that most Protestants do not know what the Gospel is 'according to Rome'! And are easy prey for Roman Catholic apologists because they do not know how to defend sola scriptura. Do we once again need a reformation in the 'Protestant' Churches?

                    It was the standard practice of the FGBMFI to tell Roman Catholics to stay in the Catholic Church so that they could witness to others. I believe this was a very dangerous attitude in that I found those who stayed eventually were lost to the Roman Church once again because they had not been truly born again. I believe most of the ones who had trusted in Christ alone for salvation came out of the Roman Catholic Church.

                    You cannot stay in a Church, without consequences, that denies we are saved by what Christ did outside of us, and not what we can do to become worthy inside.


                    "Solo Christo"

                    "Solo Christo" was one of the cries of the Protestant Reformation. Translated from the latin, it means "Christ Alone".

                    In these times, the growing tendency to emphasise feelings and experiences at the expense of sound doctrine is presenting the world with a 'feel-good' religious community, the boundaries of which grow more ephemeral with every new ecumenical pronouncement. This is especially true among Roman Catholics and some Evangelical and Charismatic Christians. I want to emphasize that not all Evangelicals and Pentecostals are being deceived but some are.

                    And the lines become more blurred, so that now in some ecumenical meetings, New Agers, Universalists, Roman Catholic as well as true born again Christians such as Evangelicals and Pentecostals are coming together to celebrate their oneness in a quote, 'Common Experience'. This is the great deception.

                    Although speaking in tongues can be valid experience from God it is not always of the Holy Spirit. It can be counterfeited. Satan has counterfeits of the Gifts of God. You can receive an experience without being saved, and when this happens it leads to many problems. The major problem is a false sense of security that you are saved, and leads you further away from the true Gospel and many times into the occult.

                    I believe most of the Catholics were seeking a sign of tongues, and they received a false tongue. If we accept everybody as brothers and sisters because they speak in tongues, then we are heading down a slippery slope, Catholic or other wise. (Spiritual experience ALONE can never be the basis for unity. Unity must be based on sound DOCTRINE.

                    "If anyone comes with another doctrine, do not receive him....for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds." Holy Bible
2 John 10-11 KJV.

                    Even though the above scripture taken in context applies to other heresies, such as the denial that Christ came in the Flesh, I believe it can just as well be applied to the Gospel of salvation, since they are related and can not be separated.

                    "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1. KJV

                    Bill Scudder Azusa@aol.com
                    Dayton, Ohio, USA


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                    Permission is given by the author to copy this testimony to be used in any way provided it is reproduced in its entirety without change.


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