Tommy Kennedy
This month we have a testimony from one of pool’s bubbliest and most beloved players. Just read his story and you’ll begin to understand the source of his joy.
Hello pool fans and Christian brothers and sisters in Christ. Here is my brief testimony of how I got saved by The Lord Jesus Christ when I was unknowingly on my way to Hell.
It all began several years ago when I was in Orlando. A friend of mine was heavy into promoting and business. He came across someone (who most people in the business world would know) named Zig Ziglar.
My friend told me about Zig and I was curious to hear him speak. My friend mentioned that Zig spoke much about positive thinking and how you can be a success and how you can make lots of money. That was right down my alley because all I wanted to do was be the best pool player in the world and have all of the money in the world. I didn’t care about how I made the money or how I would win playing pool because being successful meant everything, even if I had to lie, cheat, and steal to accomplish those goals. Also, I didn’t know that Zig was a professed Christian and he had a little different perspective on life. But the Christian part I really didn’t pay attention to when Zig spoke.
So I got a series of Cassette Tapes from my friend and started listening to Zig speak. The one thing that stood out to me then, and even to this day, is when Zig said, “You gotta have goals.” My friend always expressed this point to me and I really believed it.
So I decided to be all into having goals and trying to make my life better. So I took it from there and sought out to live a better, more fulfilling life.
Everything from then on seemed to be going great. I was so happy to have listened to Zig and to have taken my friend’s advice. I finally had a reason to live!!! (Sarcasm) But yes, I really felt I was living high on the hog so to speak with my new found faith (Lol). I was definitely deceived, to put it mildly.
But I have to admit, Zig played a part in my search for the real truth. Zig, I feel, pushed me into a different mindset. I felt the need for a change from this evil lifestyle: the gambling, the sleeping around, the pornography, the lying and dumping matches, and just flat out stealing from people.
Yes, this was my evil lifestyle that I came to believe had to be forsaken and thrown away in the trash for The Lord Jesus Christ!!! So I started to search out churches. (I believe the Lord was already working on my heart to change.) I remembered when I was younger that I was Catholic, so I sought out a Catholic church in Orlando. I was really convinced I was going to change my life on my OWN!
During that time my girlfriend who I had been having sex with (this was while I was attending the Catholic Church, what a joke) ordered exercise equipment through the mail. Well guess what happened??? I received Bible Cassette Tapes instead! Amazing!!! Talk about divine providence and really changing your life the right way. These were tapes on Ephesians 6 The Believer’s Armor by John MacArthur.
John is definitely the greatest Bible teacher of our day and age. He is the one the I.F.C.A. (Independent Fundamental Churches of America) go to, to ask advice and settle spiritual differences. He is like Esther was when God made her for such a time as this. I could have gotten tapes from a cult or some false religion, but God made sure I had the truth and not error. The Lord Jesus Christ safeguarded my life then and for His ministry in the future.
I started to listen to John’s messages and they weren’t easy to understand at first. But for the first time in my life I had the truth, the real truth.
It took 3 years from that point for me to give my life to Christ and be Born Again. I knew I needed Christ as my Lord and savior. I knew I was a wretched sinner on my way to Hell. I knew eternal life was only and solely through the Person and Work of The Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross and in His resurrection on the third day. I knew that without HIM, and without true repentance, I would suffer the punishment I deserve in Hell forever, and rightly so. Look at all of the evil things I have done. I deserve God’s wrath and His punishment! But Christ has delivered me from His own wrath! He has set me free. Jesus said, “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed!”
Only through Christ and what He did for you on the cross will you ever be truly free. Only The Lord Jesus Christ can make you a new creation and create in you a clean heart and a new mind. Only by His shed blood and His resurrection from the dead will you ever know true peace and true joy and true love.
So in closing I am begging you, whoever is reading this letter, to cry out to Christ and beg Him to save you. Admit your sin and hopelessness. Admit your need for Christ and His sacrifice on your behalf. Come to Christ with a 100 percent commitment and approach Him with honesty and truthfulness about your wretched condition. Please plead with Him to save you from the grasp of Satan and from the pit of Hell!! Just commit everything to Him as your living Lord and forsake all self-reliance and all self- righteousness. Put no confidence in your flesh. You are not good enough to get to Heaven by your good deeds.
If you are sincere, He will truly save you. Quit playing games and be genuine. God knows your heart and He searches your heart and mind. He knows your thoughts and the intentions of your heart. God reads you loud and clear. No one escapes His judgment.
Thank you everyone for reading. By the grace of God, I am what I am.
Amen,
Tommy
