My Testimony By Ryan Hicks

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Category: Testimonies

Published on Friday, 03 April 2009 04:02

Written by Ryan Hicks

MY TESTIMONY

By Ryan Hicks

On May 18, 1978, 5:30 p.m. I was born. I was a 9 pound, 8 1/2 ounce baby boy that was very sickly and nigh unto death. My parents named me Ryan. I spent the first 6 days of my life in intensive care and was not supposed to live past a couple of days. My lungs were not working correctly, and in this case I was destined for death as so many newborn children are each year. Yet, the Lord saw fit to show forth His marvelous love and compassion and save my life from certain destruction.

When I began school at the age of five my first best friend from school was a black boy named Jerome. We were good friends and contrary to what modern sinners think about children, neither of us ever considered the other's skin color or even mentioned it. It was a non-issue, because we were friends. Sadly, when some people get older they start to become less intelligent than little children are and start making a big deal about their skin color while ignoring the true issues in life.

At the age of 9 I went to the First Baptist Vacation Bible School that occurred every summer. During this Vacation Bible School I gave my life to the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and was later baptized by minister Lester Vincent. This salvation was VERY short lived though, seeing as my parents did not go to church and I had no one to lead me in the ways of the Lord or to give me the word of God. For whatever reason First Baptist never sent anyone by to teach me or pick me up for Sunday school.

During Christmas time someone from First Baptist gave me and my brother "bibles." These "bibles" were really NIV translations and we did not enjoy them and received no real benefit from them. My mother gave me a copy of the Living Bible after I was baptized, but I did not like it and never believed that what I was reading was the word of the living God. Neither the NIV or the Living Bible had the power and authority that I later found in the word of God, the King James Bible.

I did fairly well in school and in the fifth grade I was allowed into the "Gifted and Talented" program at school. This program was for students that excelled and were known to be more intelligent than the average students. I did not last long in this program due to my terrible behavior. Many years later I was accepted into the Mensa organization.

It was at about this time that my attitude and outlook on life changed to a love for sin. No big event happened that caused this rebellion, rather it was just the natural result of the devil's consistently sowing seeds of sin and wickedness in my heart.

At the age of twelve I decided that I wanted to "be a good person." I tried to study the Living Bible and never could seem to understand what I was reading. Contrary to modern theories, at that age the King James Bible WAS easier for me to understand. The Living Bible did not present the things of God clearly and many times distorted them to the point of there being no way of seeing them.

Needless to say, after about two weeks of trying to comprehend the Living Bible and find the freedom from sin that I so desperately desired, I just gave up. I determined that it was too difficult to be saved and that God must have a nicer place in hell for those that at least tried. While unsaved, I did not like using the Lord's name in vain and did the best that I could as a human being for a while, but without Christ it was all useless. I had no freedom from the sins that plagued me and my being "good" was not really very good at all (except in my own eyes).

At about the age of 15 I got involved with gangs and the thug mentality. I started carrying a gun on occasion and would get in fights often. At about 16 years of age I spent the entire summer staying with a friend in my area. He came down every summer and his Uncle Hoyt would let us stay with him, drive his car, drink his beer, and do drugs there (among other things).

Most of that time was spent drinking myself to sleep, watching movies, fighting, stealing, smoking pot, fornicating, and committing all manner of sin. While my friends and I would drink we would discuss hell and what we thought it would be like. Even while drunk we had more sense than a lot of pretend preachers today that deny that hell is a place. We would blubber about how we thought hell would be just like earth is now, except with no good people. We had no concept of the fact that hell is a place of torment and punishment (not a reward or lesser heaven), but we did understand that it was a real place.

Many times devils would possess us and we would carve "tattoos" in our bodies. We used regular ink from a pen (really stupid) and razor blades to carve drawings and words in our bodies. During one of these times I was "coked up" and carved "EVIL GB" in my arm, which stood for "Evil Gangster Blood" (A "Blood" being a person belonging to a gang that mainly flags the color red, while Crips are flagging the color blue). This was really foolish on my part, seeing that I was not in the main gang of Bloods based in my area. It caused problems with a few people claiming to be Crips, but overall God spared me.

Another time when the devils came on us I carved "PIMP" on my ankle which partly had to do with the way I treated my girlfriend and partly to do with PIRU (Pimps In Red Uniforms, another name used by the Bloods). Other times the devils would give us the idea to burn "smiley faces" () in our arms with cigarette lighters (If you do not know how this is done, then you should be happy).

Devils seem to enjoy having their servants carve and cut themselves. Even in Bible times we see of such occurrences and of God rebuking such a wicked practice:

Leviticus 19:28
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

1 Kings 18:28
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

In 1994 myself and some of my other friends were at my girlfriend's parents house. We preceded to steal some things. I mainly got about $3,000 worth of jewelry and my other friends got some coins and a television. Thankfully we were found out about later and threatened with multiple felonies and giving alcohol to minors (while we were minors [16 years old] ourselves).

We worked out a deal where I would admit to exactly what I had done and we would return everything we stole. I tried to be clever by only returning what they knew was missing, but later they found out about the $2,000 necklace that I had retained and that set me up for a soon felony charge if they were to pursue the matter. I returned it and no complaints were filed.

This incident really got me to searching my heart. I had a hard time with myself knowing that I would steal, cheat, and lie to get what I wanted. It really hit me hard. This was the Lord working on me and drawing me to salvation.

Later that year (in December) I was getting really tired of the life of sin. Sin did not have the same appeal that it had for so many years. The Lord was daily waking me up with thoughts of past sins and vile things I had done to people. The fear of the Lord was mightily resting upon me.

On new years eve after doing my share of drugs and alcohol I was at home and decided to watch some television. The television happened to be on the "Christian" station and had a man telling about Jesus' coming and His wrath on the wicked. This man who was preaching was Jack Van Impe (who is now backslidden and worshipping the Pope) and his message coupled with the fear of the Lord that I had already had from the Lord's conviction terrified me.

For the first time in my life I recognized myself for what I was, a Godless, Christ-denying, servant of Satan. I wanted with everything in my being to get right with God and cried out to God for His salvation from my sins and for Him to help me come out of under His wrath. I confessed and forsook my sins and testified of my belief in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now I can see how true the verses in Titus 2 are which say, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11-14).

My salvation was on December 31, 1994, just a few seconds away from the new year. This was the greatest day I have ever known in my lifetime! I was restored to a fellowship with my Creator!

The first six months of my Christian walk were glorious times of deep study of the word of God, prayer, and fasting. I had no church home, and the Lord helped me in spite of my ignorance of my need for a home fellowship of believers to fellowship with.

After salvation I had the Lord tell me, "All your friends will forsake you." I remember calling my mom and telling her, "Mom, I am hearing things. Someone told me that all my friends would forsake me." She told me, "That is the Lord, Ryan."

Sure enough, as I started to testify of my new found faith in the Lord Jesus Christ all my friends started forsaking me. They wanted little to nothing to do with me and despised me. This was a tremendous blessing because I had no one to try to draw me back into a life of sin. (On a side note, many of my other friends had similar experiences after they were saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.)

I decided that I could not remain in public school, and that I needed to go to a Christian School. Unlike modern parents that send their children to public school under the guise of them "being witnesses" I knew that I needed to be trained up in a Godly school that would focus on the word of the living God. The school I decided on was a small church run school called North Texas Christian Academy that was run by James Singleton of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Denton, Texas (neither the church or school exist today).

Pastor Singleton or "Preacher" as all the students affectionately called him, ran the school with his wife and a helper named Mrs. Akins. Pastor Singleton stressed the word of God in his school, and had students memorize the word of God. This helped me to develop a love for memorizing the Scriptures.

After I had gotten saved one of the first books of the Bible I read was the book of Revelation. I did not fully understand everything, not having a knowledge of the Old Testament that would make the book of Revelation clearer, but it was not hard to understand. I read through that Bible and came to many miracles and giftings in the book of Acts. I asked Brother Singleton at the school I attended about speaking in tongues and spiritual gifts. His response was not satisfactory. He gave me no Scripture proving what he was saying about all these gifts having ceased with the last Apostle. Thus, I asked him, "Do you mean that the Holy Spirit passed away with the last apostle or the completion of the Bible?" He, of course, answered, "No!" Yet, he still could not give any Scriptures proving his theory. He used Robert Tilton as an example of why he would not speak in tongues (once again no Scripture). I realized I would not find a satisfactory answer here.

Around this same time I started attending church at Life Tabernacle of Denton, Texas. This church was a former Oneness (UPC) church and was still heavily in bondage to the Oneness view when I began attending. Pastor (Joseph) Paul Haygood was the pastor there and he was the only pastor I had talked to in the Denton county area that had made any sense about the Scriptures. I called his residence one day while seeking a church home and talked with his wife Sharon. She said that I had "such a sweet spirit," and that was a real testimony to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, because before salvation I was anything but "sweet."

When I talked with Brother Haygood I asked him some questions about the baptism in the Holy Ghost and salvation from sin. He answered my questions plainly and gave me an invitation to attend his church, which I accepted. Out of about 30 supposedly "Spirit-filled" and non-Spirit-filled churches this was the only one that had a Pastor that actually knew the word and answered my questions plainly with the Scriptures! The local Assemblies of God Church, (which has a new pastor now) had a pastor there that could not even tell me what he believed. He stuttered and rambled, but never gave me the word.

Life Tabernacle had glorious praise and worship centered around the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ! Songs of exaltation of man and with little substance, as are found in most Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches, were not ever sung or allowed to be sung here. After really enjoying being here I got scared off from this Church because of the problems with the members. I came in at a time when they were just getting out of the oneness heresy, but some of the members still hung on to it. It was quite a testimony to see a church leave that heresy and the legalism of women not cutting their hair, wearing only certain things, and many other rules of man that had plagued the church prior to my getting there. It was a rough place to be for a new believer when the traditions of men were getting removed and people were angry about it! My belief in the Godhead and disbelief in the oneness heresy that some of the members were having a hard time getting rid of made times there rough for me.

I decided to start going to a little church in Shady Shores, Texas, about 3 miles from my home at that time. It was called New Life Pentecostal Church of God. The Pastor was Pastor Robert Starr. He really had a kind pastor's heart and sincerely wanted to see people grow in the Lord Jesus Christ. A friend from work that I had led to the Lord and I were baptized "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19) by Pastor Starr.

I grew in many ways here, but really desired to be back at Life Tabernacle. Then after a few months I learned that Life Tabernacle was doing baptisms "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." They were no longer teaching the Oneness view of God and had teachers of the Godhead there such as Harald Bredesen.

On November 13, 1995, after seeking the baptism in the Holy Ghost for months I finally received the power from on high and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance (Acts 2:4). I knew that I had received the fulness of the Holy Ghost because the Scriptures say, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13), and, "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44-46). Just being their in my room praying and worshiping God was amazing. He filled me to overflowing with the Holy Ghost, and then used me to lead many into the baptism in the Spirit!

I decided to go back to Life Tabernacle and my first night back was a night in which Herald Bradesen was there. A Catholic woman came in the back of the Church crying and holding a framed picture of "Jesus." Her arm was very noticeably broken and she wanted someone to call an ambulance. I went with Pastor Haygood to the back of the church and with him leading the prayer of faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and laying hands on her, her arm was healed instantly before my eyes (and those that had gathered around)!

Sadly, Life Tabernacle went from glory to shame when it let ecumenical people infiltrate it and take it over when Brother and Sister Haygood went into full time evangelism. The church now passes hands regularly, even having a woman "pastor" at one time, and has never retained the glory of the Lord that it had under Brother Haygood's ministry. I left there and have been a member of local holiness churches ever since.

I was ordained in the Missionary Methodist Church at the age of 18. The Bishop of the church, Bishop Covington, was one of the few people that would encourage a youth in the Lord at age 17 and help me by sending me numerous study materials and other helpful info. He did not show respect of persons because of my age and did not despise my youth. I owe the years of radio ministry I had overseas reaching 40 nations to this brother and his consistent exhortation and encouragement when no one else seemed to want to see me succeed. (This dear brother has since went on to be with the Lord in glory!)

Let me glory in the Lord real quickly! The Lord wrought many signs through me after I was saved. I laid hands on a Lutheran lady that wanted to receive the fullness of the power of God in her life. I laid hands on her and she tried to speak in tongues, but was getting caught up in the glory of God. I told her to just speak out the syllables she hears, and when she did a fluid tongue (language) flowed! I laid hands on a friend's dying uncle and prayed the prayer of faith, medical science gave up on him, but the Lord raised Him up according to the Scriptures, "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18). The power from on high and the gifts of the Spirit were operating in my life as I had desired and sought the Lord for in faith. The Lord led me in assisting numerous people to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from sin, and numerous saints into the baptism in the Holy Ghost by simply speaking the word. The point in saying these things is to show that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27), and that "all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23). If God can use a weak vessel such as myself, then He can use you as well if you will but simply allow Him to do so! Praise God! I mention these few things to show you that no matter what your background or how much sin you have committed, God can clean you up and use you for His glory!

None of these things (and the thousands like them) were done by my "power or holiness" (Acts 3:12), for all I could do by myself was self-destruct The Lord had to save me and endue me with His power before I could do any mighty works for Him. It is solely due to the grace of God that I am even alive another day, much less able to do something to benefit His holy kingdom! I am blessed to be a vessel to do anything for God, and am unconcerned as to whether what I do is great or small. I just want to obey the Lord in what He has called me to and serve Him faithfully all the days of my life!

Since my salvation I have been faithfully serving the Lord. I have prayed with numerous people for healing, baptism in the Holy Ghost, salvation, and the Lord has saw fit to use me mightily for His purpose. I never cease to be amazed that God took a 16 year-old kid that had nothing going for him and saved him from sin, cleansed him from all unrighteousness, and endued him with the power of the Holy Ghost, and now uses him to teach His holy word. This is the surest testimony of the grace and boundless mercy of God that I have ever seen!

God can do anything with someone who will but simply put their faith in Him and Him alone! The Lord can make it where once you were destroying lives (as I was) that now you are being used of Him to heal them. If you have not made the Lord Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Saviour by repenting of all sin and calling on Him in full faith, then please do so today. Then it will be able to be said of you, "... they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11). Thank God for the blood of Jesus Christ which we have redemption through "even the forgiveness of sins" (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14)!

If my testimony does nothing else for you let it make you realize that sin is not worth what it costs you, and that serving the Lord is better than sin any day. "... [B]ehold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

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