Many of you
are aware of Andrew Caldwell’s fervent testimony of how God has delivered him from
homosexuality. I, too, share a similar
story of deliverance – as I shared in my open letter to Dr. Earl Carter. (See http://pimppreacher.com/post/104403507515/an-open-letter-to-dr-earl-carter-from-a-woman)
The ensuing
controversy that has surrounded Caldwell’s testimony – whether you realize it
or not – is nothing new to church-dom.
As you all
know, many have taunted Caldwell, doubted that his testimony is true. Many have resorted to name-calling, mocking
him, threatening him in public and via cyberspace. Sad to say, most of the ‘hate’ has come from
so-called ‘christians’ who are supposedly ‘holding up the blood-stained
banner.’
Many look at
Caldwell and conclude because he still displays certain behaviors, and some dig
up his past to see if they can discredit him…and even others try at every hand
to discredit him by the very things he post on social media, the places he
chooses to go, the clothes he chooses to wear, etc.
All outward
criteria…judging after the FLESH to determine if something SPIRITUAL has indeed
taken place in Caldwell’s life.
(I thought
the Word says to judge RIGHTEOUS judgment?
To not look at the outward appearance of man?)
Anyway…
Ever since
biblical times, controversy, unbelief, lack of faith, mockery, persecution and
mayhem has always surrounded those who dare to believe GOD HIMSELF for
deliverance & salvation.
This is the
story of the blind man being healed by Jesus Christ on the Sabbath. Go read the account of the healing and what
happened immediately after.
In a
nutshell, this man is born blind. Jesus
was passing by him and noticed his condition.
The disciples asked ‘WHO sinned that would cause this man to be born
blind?’ Jesus told him ‘no one has
sinned…but that this man was born blind to ‘show the works of God.’
Sometimes,
God will allow things in our lives that we don’t understand. Those things may seem unfair. Horrendous.
Especially to others on the outside looking in…so much so that (if
they’re RELIGIOUS) they will begin to question, ‘What did they DO to deserve
that? They MUST HAVE been sinners…’
But that is
NOT the case, according to Jesus!
Then Jesus
goes on to deliver this man in a most unusual way – you all know the
story: He spits on the ground, made some
mud and put MUD on the man’s eyes!
Religious
people think that God has only one way to deliver folks. They’ve got this down to a formula almost! ‘If
God doesn’t do it JUST LIKE THIS, IN THIS SETTING, thru the hands of THIS
person, in THIS denomination, on THIS day, then it MUST NOT be God!’
But if you
read this story, you will see Jesus was NEVER married to religious dogmas and
formulas. He did things HIS way…out the
norm. Things that normally would NOT
take place, He allowed them- enabled them even- to
take place.
The first
folks that had something to say were the people. People started shoosh-shooshing, gossiping,
questioning and interrogating the man.
Then they brought him before the Pharisees, which represents modern-day
leaders in the church. Once they
couldn’t find anything on him or present viable arguments, they were hoping the
priests would.
Then, of
course, the priests – being well-versed in religious protocol and by-laws- had
to point out that the blind man who can now SEE was healed on the Sabbath,
which is a BIG no-no in the religious circles.
Then they tried to find something wrong with the one who administered
said deliverance: they went ahead and
called Jesus Christ a ‘sinner!’
Can you
imagine that?
He who was
SINLESS? Perfect? The Savior of the world…and the church
leaders, the Pharisees¸ had not properly DISCERNED who He was…(nor do they NOW
properly discern who He IS, for that matter!)
ANYTHING
they could find, they found it. They
accused the Healer AS WELL AS the healed.
The blind man who now could see called Him a PROPHET…but they called him
Beelzebub!
They just
couldn’t believe that God had done ANYTHING.
So they went digging in the man’s past.
They went to HIS FAMILY, trying to get some background on ol’ dude. What did THEY do? They punked out..and instead of attesting to
the FACT that their son was, in fact, HEALED, they said ‘Hey, he’s grown. YES, he was BORN blind. But what’s going on with him NOW? We don’t know…ask him…’
Relatives
threw ol’ boy under the bus!
Then they
went back to the man to try and get him to confess that Jesus did NOT heal
him. Instead they played the ‘God’
card: they told him to ‘give glory to
God and NOT man.’ And CERTAINLY not THIS
sinner!
Not
realizing that God was healing the man THROUGH Jesus Christ. And that there is salvation, there is deliverance,
there is healing in NO OTHER NAME other than the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF
NAZARETH!
So to try
and bypass Jesus is almost like refuting and renouncing the healing…which he
refused to do. He KNEW from whence came
HIS help! And he wasn’t afraid to TELL
IT!
So after he
wouldn’t renounce his testimony OR Jesus, they went ahead and called him a
sinner, too, and then proceeded to kick him OUT of the synagogue. I mean, after all, who was HE to tell them
ANYTHING, right? What ministry school he
went to? WHO was his covering? WHO released him?
But it was
not until they CAST HIM OUT that Jesus revealed Himself to ol’ boy!
It was when
he was CAST OUT that he RETAINED his testimony…and sup with Jesus. Fellowship with Him. Jesus knew him and He knew Jesus….
Many may
wonder how all this time I’ve still been able to hold on to my testimony. How after all these years, I STILL no longer
desire women?
That’s
because when they CAST ME OUT, put my name out there for evil, THAT’S when I
got to know JESUS CHRIST in a REAL way!
And THAT’S when HE sealed the SUSTAINED deliverance for me! It wasn’t at the altar that that happened! A seed was
planted…..true.
It was ‘as I went,’ walking away from all
religion, Phariseeism, religious dogma and persecution. It was when I burned my ministerial papers,
renounced my membership and participation in the Potter’s House School of
Ministry and all other churches…it was when I let go of religion and embraced
JESUS BY myself….
THAT’S what
caused me to grow in faith and in the KNOWLEDGE OF HIM!!!!!
And then NO
RELIGIOUS DEVIL could take my testimony!
I encourage
you if you are seeking deliverance, GO TO JESUS CHRIST. Not your church, or your pastor. Don’t seek affirmation from your apostle or
some pimp preacher…or run here or there trying to get their stamp of approval
for what Jesus did FOR YOU…it will NEVER COME!
Simply
receive it IN FAITH…knowing THIS:
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
