My name is Vernon House - I am the pastor of the First Pentecostal Church of Red Bud
Many times ministers are thought to be out of touch with the world around them. That we are just religious, self-righteous, judgmental, or even condescending.
I would like to change your opinion about that and share with you how God changed my life...
I was raised very poor Pentecostal Preacher's Kid in Granite City IL.
From birth to about age 16 we lived at 2145 Benton Street and it was horrible. The violence, the immorality, drugs and alcohol was all around us. In our apartment building they would get strung out on drugs and alcohol and ride their motorcycles up and down their steps, holler, cuss, fight, it was marring.
Because my family was Pentecostal we were persecuted, made fun of, and mocked at. One time my dad had, had enough, he took his Bible and went out into the middle of the street and started preaching to the whole neighborhood. One neighbor came out at him with a hammer and was gonna hit him if he didn’t shut up thence increasing the hatred against us.
My sister was persecuted because of her dresses, and long hair. The neighborhood bully had it out for me - I was often beat up, thrown in sticker bushes, forced to fight and to do drugs at very early age.
Through this persecution and suffering I was tormented, hating the tormentors and even angry at God for allowing it to happen.
The devil knows exactly how to play mental and emotional destructive mind games:
Eve (Knowledge,Good/Evil,Eye,Pride)
Cain (jealousy)
David (women)
Solomon (riches & women)
Gideon (poor, low self-esteem, beat down)
Jonah (hatred for the Ninevites)
And even Jesus in the wilderness of temptation
We are all in this world and have an enemy who wants to destroy us. We all have sinned, fallen people in a fallen world.
Like the old horror movie ”nightmare on elm street” with Freddie Kruger - over time the nightmares become a reality.
Over time I became very:
Bitter
Angry
Jealous
Tormented
I remember being so angry with God
I couldn't understand if there was a God why he would allow me and my family to go through so much pain.
I was very angry with the God I never knew.
Even though I was raised up a Pentecostal kid and seeing many miracles, and supernatural moves of God - I never knew HIM (kinda like Jacob the God of Abraham, Isaac.. (wrestling at Bethel, or Moses, what’s your name?, who are you?)
I became a problem drinker, dependent on alcohol, drugs and all the sinful things that go along with it.
The drugs and alcohol led me to a rock band of which I became their rody and followed the parties.
In junior high school it was frozen vodka and orange juice at the bus stop for breakfast. By the 9th grade I was carrying alcohol in my book bag to school.
I was a regular at smoking dope, opium, mushrooms, and cocaine. Eventually I became a drug dealer and a heavy problem drinker.
Strangely - God’s hand was watching over my life.
Many times - I would be so wasted and driving and the only last thing I would remember would be stopping at a stop sign and opening my door and puking my guts out headed to another tavern
And then I would wake up the next day having no idea how I made it home safe. Many times I experienced alcohol poisoning.
Everywhere I went I felt out of place like I didn't belong I was messes up and I didn't fit in.
A modern day Moses with a secret identity.
I was trapped in Pharaoh's house, influenced by all of Egypt's corruption and chaos - but inside I knew I was different - I was destined to be a Pentecostal Christian, not an Egyptian
Anybody ever felt that way?
Maybe you know exactly what i’m talking about!
You know life has something greater for you...
Me and some buddies went to an ACDC concert and I remember feeling totally weird and out of place - everybody else was having a great time - but I was miserable and tried to hide it with more alcohol and drugs.
I never knew God, but somehow I had a deep spiritual awareness
I would be at certain places and the people knew that there was something different about me - they would tell me that I didn’t belong there.
Even with my Dungeons and Dragon buddies - I never could be an evil character and they would tell me I was different..
Very interestingly though - through my sinful lifestyle I went far enough out into sin and darkness that I bumped into the devil
I found the devil - for real - the demonic underworld.
I was with some girls and they said they knew a witch and so I said I wanted to meet her so I did.
She looked at me curiously and then tried to use her tarot cards and the demons wouldn't allow her and she said they didn't welcome me and that I needed to leave.
Then another time I was at this party and a couple guys got curious and dabbled with entry level witchcraft and decided to draw a pentagram with their blood on their basement floor.
So lucky me I was there drinking and partying with about 20 young people and feeling very uneasy I told those guys not to be doing that but they wouldn’t listen.
It was a small basement with a couch and chairs and around the outer band joists were jars of nails and old glass jars bottles and junk
All of a sudden it was like all sound stopped, like putting headphones on and all noise was cancelled and a voice spoke loud and audible to me and said tell everyone to get out of here now…
A second time... tell everyone to get out of here now…
I began to yell, trying to get them to stop and leave and they just laughed - so out of urgency I ran for the stairs
Just as I headed toward the stairs - I heard loud screaming as demons came out of the bloody pentagram and they started throwing the jars, and nails, and bottles across the room hitting everyone, and they were screaming and panicking - if they had only listened.
I began to question in my mind over and over:
Who was that that spoke to me?
Who am I?
What is going on?
This invisible voice began to reveal itself more and more and I drank more and more - trying to ignore it.
I call him “Angel”.
One night after partying heavy in GC me and my best friend Kenny Porter walked to Madison where my parents lived so we could pass out - it was late at night, very dark and very still.
We always took the railroad tracks - and we made it to a certain place and all of a sudden very clearly and distinctly - we heard another set of feet walking like within a few feet of ours - and we stopped scared to death to turned to see who it was, supposing it to be a gang or some crazy person, but we saw no one
Shaking our heads - we started walking again - and again the footsteps came again
I sensed the eerie familiar feeling, I knew it was Angel but we still took off running as fast as we could all the way home
At age 17, I worked at a very well known St Louis area nightclub “Stages” and one night I was busing tables and this Band who imitated Jim Morrison and the Doors was there.
They were well into the night playing and I had a weird feeling - it was like the atmosphere changed
As time went by there was a commotion I looked out at the dance floor and there was someone was slithering around on the floor and the bouncers were wrestling with them I knew what it was
I somehow could discern the familiar bible scene of a person with demons
People were freaking out. I had a real sense and awareness of spirits. My heart was aching inside I knew I was different - I knew I was out of place.
I started dating this catholic girl and began noticing little subtle things about her and her personality, after time I discerned she was demon possessed.
The demon had possessed her early in her childhood so I decided to take her to my dads to get her help.
As soon as I told her what I was doing she turned evil and resisted.
When I arrived at my parents home I had to drag her physically into their house and set her in a kitchen chair in our living room - my parents were wondering what I was doing and I told them she had a devil and needed deliverance
So my dad who had many experiences with casting out devils came to her as she gripped the chair with all her might - and asked do you want help - she had to force herself to say yes
My parents began to pray and when the unction came my father laid hands on her and the demon screamed and her neck swelled up and broke her necklace off
I looked over and noticed the demon went into my dog who was under the piano bench so they had to pray the devil out of my dog
Then the spirit went into my bedroom closet where I had some curious books on Indians and spirit worship
They opened the front door and anointed each room and chased the devil out
Another night way in the hours of the night not far from home I was walking strung out on prescription drugs and “Angel” came to me and said audibly this is not your life, I have something better for you
I looked around and saw no one but I could hear his voice clearly and I wept much knowing it was God calling to me
I had a call on my life
Another time I was at the tavern and sat down at the bar it was a typical night ordered a drink and started drinking and suddenly all sound ceased - I could hear nothing even though the jukebox was playing and the place was packed - the same familiar voice said, you don’t belong here I looked around thought it was someone talking to me from the bar, the voice again, you don’t belong here so I got up and left crying inside
The final draw came when I found myself suicidal and ready to give up on life.
I felt I was too sinful to live for God and the girl I loved was running around on me - my best friend found me trying to commit suicide and called my parents
It was then I cried out, I was broken and surrendered
I told God I was sick of my life and the person I was
Please God Help ME!!!
I was the modern day Prodigal Son in the pig’s pen who finally broke and came to himself ready to go home
I left everything behind - I went home and began pursuing the God that I was running from. One service the conviction was too much I went to the altar and fully repented, then I called the preacher up at 10:00 o’clock at night and said I wanted to get baptized and it had to be just like the Bible said - In the name of Jesus Christ.
Next I began giving myself totally to the word of God - I took an old Bible and separated it and covered my bedroom walls with each book and began dissecting it - I told God I wanted to know who He was for myself - not just as the God of my father and mother.
I began seeking for the gift of the Holy Ghost. A few months went by and on a 3 day revival I was fasting and praying and the last service was our Sunday fellowship meeting and Elder Sis Easton got up to testify and in the middle of her testimony suddenly just like the Bible says in Acts Chapter 2 there came a rushing sound from heaven and the Holy Ghost got a hold of me and shook me all over like a rag doll.
It was burning fire and a new language the whole church busted out in a shout down I couldn’t stop speaking in another language.
Finally I was Born Again, I received the promise, the New Testament Covenant
I went home a new creature in Christ Jesus.
Not too long after that an old friend called and said hey let’s go party and get high and I said Tom I Got Saved I don’t party anymore, he began laughing, and making fun so I told him I finally found the Eternal Buzz.
I knew I had a call on my life so I began my adventure - that was 25 years ago
If God can take a messed up person as me and turn my life around - He can do the same for you and turn your life around
You can be the answer to reach your family, your friends, countless souls.
This same mysterious Angel who followed me when I was lost without God - wants to break the chains that bind you.
That mysterious Angel that was with me, and spoke to me was the risen, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
I John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Peter preached his first sermon after he was converted at Jerusalem with these words fulfilling all the commands of Jesus:
Acts 2:36-39 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Conclusion
Maybe you have had similar experiences with God?
Maybe you are trying to ignore His voice too, with alcohol, drugs or even suicide.
It is my prayer that you also quit running, and find peace and love by giving your life to Jesus Today!
If you want to connect with God, visit us at the First Pentecostal Church of Red Bud. We are a loving church family whose lives have been changed
We are located at
1701 E Market - Red Bud IL
Online @ fpcredbud.com
If this testimony has touched your life please send me an email and let me know.
