Found in a Ditch – Testimony by Bruce Bennett is a multi part Testimony will provide evidence through his experiences that the wages of sin is indeed death. Living a sinful lifestyle nearly drove him to that point, but (as far as I’m concerned as well as Bruce I’m sure) the Lord intervened on his behalf. Please give it a read, and when you’re done, you can look Bruce up on his G+ account +BB717PoW. And then check out the Google+ community that he founded entitled: What Must I do to be Saved?

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Testimony by Bruce Bennett

My name is Bruce Alan Bennett and was born March 17th, 1963 to the parents of a midwife from Scotland and a London Bobby that meet at Piccadilly Circus (I’m not going to care about spelling errors so much). Born in Sherwood park area of Edmonton and came to British Columbia at I believe 2 years old…

Brothers Michael and Paul are about two years old respectively at 5 ( so Paul 7 and Mike 9 years)… living in POCO; Port Coquitlam in the Mary Hill area… An area of low to barely middle class and only about one friend ended up having their parents stay together (type thing)…

Parents are “Christian” but never came to Kirk/Church, except to give us each a dime or sometimes a quarter and for us three little boys to hoof it down about just a mile to the Baptist church (I visited there about 5-7 years ago and the Guy that taught us was still there; and …anyway). Half the time (well more than half the time) we’d go practically the opposite direction to the candy store.Wow what a big bag of Candy one could get back then! Those that are anywhere close to 50 years of age as I am now will know what I mean…

But the other times, I’d go and take Sunday school. I’m really surprised looking back that we’d ever go; the little brats we were. Both parents working and flinging pea soup on the walls, and all being terribly cheeky and my London Bobby Dad trying His best and my Farm girl Mom from Dumfries, having lived with 8 brothers and sisters (though one died a 7 months). But she was and is a strong woman and kept the fort down pretty good.

But The one thing that Always stuck with me from those days (and I’ll move up in years quick soon, no worries), was that gracious Baptist Sunday school teacher would love to sing Jesus Loves Me. I’ve nay forgot it. “Jesus love me thou I’m bad and He Waits to make me glad, Waits to fold me in His Arms, keeps me safe from every hard.”

So I remember that any time my family life was haywire that I’d run away and hum that “Jesus Love me” song;  as it seemed that He would comfort me. I’d always have the Devil on one shoulder and Jesus/God on the other, and when I’d have to decide if I’d be bad or good, then I’d be bad for “goodness sake”, and sometimes good also, sure.

Dabbling with Tarot

I remember when I was about 14 years old, so then Michael (brother) was about 18 years old, He started in on Tarot cards. Anyway, he got a job on CPR (Railway) and an he could give you the deck of cards and say, “Okay, ask me whether u want to know something or say nothing at all.”

So this one guy cut and shuffled the deck and said nothing, Gave it back to him. Michael said, “Okay it is something to do with a guy such and such a height and build and color hair etc., and you did or will do such and such… Come up to your woman’s house and thought I’d peek in to see if she’s there (thru front window) and you saw her going at it with that guy!? You shouldered the door in and took a strip off her (or will). Since then you’ll have a better life as she spun you around her little finger.”

So this guy was just looking at Michael and his jaw was starting to hang open when he was telling him and any way he said, “Man that happened to me yesterday!”

Anyway, so one day Michael came home and said “Man, Bruce, my stomach has been turning up side down all day and I’ve got this strong craving to go to the Commercial hotel.” Knowing that my bro was a bit weird with all that; yeah he could tell u the colors of your orah and stuff. Anyway he went along and as he was walking thru the restaurant, he noticed about 10 guys sitting at a long table.

As he was walking past them, he thought it very strange that each and every one of them was looking at him and then he noticed a few of them as his ex-burn out friends that he’d really hadn’t spoke with in a while. Then a number of them said at the same time, “Hi Mike, we’ve been praying for you to come here, sit down.”

So, to make a long story short:

They were Pentecostal vehement believers and they said, “Mike, What u are into is not Godly at all” (he kind of thought it was), and so they preached him the gospel, which was basically ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be Saved.’ He believed as he knew that GOD could only do such a thing for him.

Beliefs Against the Grain

So he was a little over the top with his new found belief, as he couldn’t even be around any of his family as he took “my brethren are those that hear my word and walk in it” as extended to us fully I guess. He thought that we were absolutely sinful and was a wee bit too righteous. We can all get this way as Christians can’t we? GOD doesn’t want us to be swinging around our swords and die by them; chopping ears off and losing or shielding the very new life He’s given us.

So he ran through the house almost a year later, and he threw down some pictures of this white Anglo Saxon guy (you know Him; though would be Anglo Saxon, but is Jewish) and crosses and such and started to run out. Well my mother (though as turned since), said to Paul the middle brother, (I’m the baby) to “Rip those up, He is Crazy.” Paul did. Michael gave me a kind look and nodded over to mom looked up to the sky and ran out.

I ran after him, so at about 15-16 years old, I lived with him and a bunch of loving, high singing beauties and bible thumping believers for a number of months. Man o man, pardon the reference (and I truly mean it), but I had always enjoyed Black Gospel singers, and that dome shaped Pentecostal Kirk was fun! But I was going to say, I’d always wanted to be born in a black family where there wasn’t a big, brawling, son beating, London bobby for a dad (though he too prays and worships now so no pride there)… But Man! He’d sure tear a stripe off my brothers! Anyway, there was dancing and singing down the aisles. As I say it was fun!

Backsliding

I eventually fell back into my sinful womanizing way. Being now about 17, I’d lost that eyes spinning, fleshy joyfulness of those Pentecostal days. I can hear you now. I’m NOT saying that God doesn’t love each and every one of us and that there is not hundreds of thousands saved in every denomination, but as I say IT IS ALL ABOUT CHRIST AND YOU (PERIOD).

I won’t get into it much but womanizing, partying, back talking, disrespecting authority, blasting off bombs, my neighborhood was a bunch of hooligans. Ye Haw! Then my Dad left for another woman 20 years younger and tore my Doubly hard working mothers heart out; took until I was well saved to really forgive him and forgave him, I have.

I started that Journey of not talking to him for about 3 years at 12- 15 years old. Eventually, I quit college/university at about 20 years old; after not being able to get too far with sciences and a business, and eventually went to live with my father in Squamish /Whistler area. Still humming “Jesus Loves Me” occasionally when the storms of life were shaking me.

Driving up to live at Klahanie campground Hwy 99 in a trailer(what my drivers license said – he he), and I began to help him with his Insurance Career (he was not a cop anymore). I challenged the test and laid him off as an insurance agent in an office he ran, and in a month and a half I became his replacement. I learned how to memorize in the 1.5 years of university, and got my Nominees in all classes of insurance.

he left in two weeks! When he’d said he’d teach me how to do the job for three months, but bailed on me. I managed, and challenged myself to do it for a year. I took over ownership of his 40 x 68′ trailer.

Native Indians – Squamish

The only people I could relate to was the Native Indians in Squamish (Squeamish). Once I got past their lies, they were pretty honest peeps. They took me hunting, enjoying nature and DRINKING OUR FACES OFF! Man, when they each got $5K every 3-6 months for each man woman and child (richest band that one), though still they’d get the chainsaw out on there new ‘reserve’ house and cut a huge hole in the roof Right in the middle of the living room when there was Fireplace right against the wall.

No worries, just not used to the “civil Western life” of… Well u know…

Lovely people that yes did make me look to the One true God and my loins for Truth; were awaking. Yeah I’d drive up to Whistler and seeing I’d just finished 3 or 4 years of boxing at this point. I only entered 6 official fights, but loved dropping them! It was from being able to take a lot of punches to the face all the time by my brawling brothers; dropping greenies on me; u know the drill.

so driving up through those majestic mountains to Whistler… You see Psalm 19 (have a read) it shows that three testimonies of God:  Creation, Conscience and The Word. Creation was speaking to me at that time. Those roads that man cuts through those Awesome mountains; I thought one day as I saw some slides happen (or the aftermath of them), if those mountains want to melt the roads like butter, then they will.

GOD was working with me, and through Bob Dylan too, hehe. I started listening to some of his stuff (maybe that came later), but that type of thing:”Gonna Change my way of thinking”…”Gotta Serve somebody”. Anyway…pardon me…Okay I’ll just go to it..

Found in a Roadside Stupor

I was out drinking New years with my Native Indian buds on 1986 New years, and I didn’t learn until later that she was told by my bud that she must find Bruce as they had all gone back to the Reserve.  She found me passed right out cold in a DITCH! I, to this day don’t know how she got me home. It was over a mile away and was quite the hike from the reserve for her too. But it was January in Squamish, I’m amazed she would have found me under the snow.

So I awake, two and a half days later. I open my eyes and woo did I feel half dead already. (I later knew that I’d been dead for 23 years man!) There was a jar of honey on the table and some water. She was ready with the spoon and made sure I took the water all down, didn’t say anything and left.

I sure wondered, but it hadn’t phased me that perhaps she was, well you know. So that added to my guilty Hung to the gills conscience. I’d decided Okay, Bruce You are a raving Alcoholic; you drink, smoke pot almost every day, you swear every other word and punch out the Indians (occasionally)for fun (but that gained me respect from them!).

Cleaning Up

I decide that I have until the 6th to reopen that one man insurance office across from the Post office right in center of ‘Squeamish’; MacDougall’s Insurance (closed now, but the owner owns half the town now). I thought that if I didn’t eat and held a fast (for my health) that I’d not want to drink, as I was afraid of my evil self.

If you’d ask me if I was a sinner, I’d say Yeah and let’s party! I’d known of Christ but was never really saved. Perhaps life had started at some point there, born from above but I’d not sealed it… Nah, I was a heathen through and through. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of GOD, there is not one righteous NO NOT ONE.

So I’m fasting. After 2 days in I went thru the toxic run off and was drinking water like a camel! I broke through, feeling clear headed. Just V8’s and water. Passed out cold in a ditch in the snow and left for dead; Jan 3rd woke up; January 5th, 1986 clear headed again and amazed that I got through it. Praise God!

And soo, my friends, I thought okay, let’s turn this into a spiritual fast. I need to ‘HAVE IT OUT WITH GOD’; the boxer in me thinking. I was tough, or so I thought. I opened up my Authorized King James Holy Bible, The WORD OF GOD, as I was just a wee bit thankful already, but the Thee and Thous! Come ON! People, what did IT SAY!??

So from my Pentecostal days…

In the name of JESUS, please let the Devil be gone from here so that I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR BIBLE, GOD! Please Dear GOD ABOVE (in the heavens above some where). Please let me understand your Word.

I would read and nothing; Nada! I could read that stuff as much as a baby could. Second time, same prayer. And then I felt a guilt (as I guess I’d been for a bit), was getting that cold cold feeling that men get with womanizing and such.You know what I’m talking about. STILL NOTHING; NADA!

Spiritual Breakthrough

Okay, maybe God is not getting me? I felt my heart melt like that Road, as if a Mountain had just washed my old paths away. I Prayed this time with utmost Sincerity! I looked down, and the line I read was the answer to the question I had in my head! The same with the next, and the next. I could Read that PERSONAL letter to me; as I KNEW RIGHT THEN AND THERE THAT THERE WAS A GOD (PERIOD)!

It was the LIVING WORD; speaking with me. I could read that bible , in fact I read about three pages in a minute, I’m sure.

So THEN!! Oh Boy!

My experience with my Brother’s dabbling in spiritual wickedness; I guess GOD knew that He’ll save me so that my hard stony heart would be BLASTED BY HIS ALMIGHTY POWER! As “We Wrestle not against Flesh and Blood, but spiritual wickedness in heavenly places (where the Devil got kicked too)”. “He roameth about this world like a ROARING LION seeking to whom He would or will devour!”

Give him respect for His position peeps. We can do nothing outside of CHRIST THAT WORKETH IN US (PERIOD).

So I was enjoying the Peace and Love and Grace flowing out of the bible, but THEN….

I was sitting at my wee kitchen with a table, my chair and my HOLY BIBLE. The windows were SHUT, it had been deathly quiet that whole time I was getting life from GOD’s WORD. Then the Xmas tree starts jingling to beat the BAND! I felt my old RUSHING PENTECOSTAL FLESHY NICE RELIGIOUSNESS COME WELLING UP, my eyes start spinning again.

I closed the BIBLE and went into the living room. I’m standing there, watching the tree shaking like it was the ever ready bunny rabbit! I’m RUSHING OUT AS I SAID. I THOUGHT FOR SURE, THAT JESUS WAS GOING TO SHOW UP ANY MINUTE. I WAS WAITING RUSHING, WONDERING (LIKE HELL; PARDON) THAT WHAT THE !??

No windows open and felt like the ROOF was going to blow and CHRIST FLOAT DOWN AND SAY HI! Then suddenly it was like (now that I know) GOD said ENOUGH! EVERYTHING STOPPED.

I fell onto the couch, AND BAD THOUGHTS RUSHED IN “You are going to go insane and be one of those Nutty Christians! You are going to Essendale/Riverview (mental hospital in my Hometown) and you’ll have to wear a Hockey Helmet (for fear of hurting myself)!”

Then, this quiet voice deep in my conscience, in fact my voice, but me not controlling it if you hear me. It said. “Go and read your bible.”

“What was wrong with the bible?” YEAH MAN, WHOLLY WHAT AM I DOING IN HERE (my living room standing before a shaking tree!?) WOOO! THAT BIBLE WAS TALKING TO ME; THAT HOLY BIBLE! AND I WAS READY TO GIVE ME LIFE TO GOD…to Jesus…

SO NO KIDDING, I WENT INTO THE KITCHEN, OPENED UP THE BIBLE AND IT LIKE SPLIT WIDE OPEN TO A DISTINCT SPOT! I COULD FEEL THE POWER OF IT! I was not insane, and was cool thinking… Coolest ever. And I read: WHY GO INTO THE FOREST? TO SEE A MAN IN SOFT CLOTHING PERHAPS?

OH….sorry GOD…..I felt about an inch high and not tough ANYMORE…

I said in my mind…what do I do then GOD? He led me by verse by verse… I am NOT KIDDING. I opened up to: Right away, not myself either. My hands doing it. GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM, SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVER LASTING LIFE.

THEN OK, JUST HOW DO I BELIEVE GOD? THEN I SWUNG MY RIGHT HAND LIKE A SEASON SOUTHERN GOSPEL PREACHER AND VOILA, NOT KIDDING, GOD WAS GIVING ME THE GOSPEL BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WOULD (SHAME ON US)

THEN THE I LOOKED DOWN, BUT WHAT SAITH IT? THE WORD IS NIGH THEE (BRUCE…BOB…WHOMSOEVER), EVEN IN THY MOUTH, AND IN THY HEART: THAT IS THE WORD OF FAITH, WHICH WE PREACH; (ALL SCRIPTURE,U HEARING ME PEEPS?) THAT IF THOU SHALT Confess with thy mouth THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that GOD hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be Saved. For with the heart, man/woman believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation.
For the scripture (this scripture) saith, Whosoever believeth on Him Shall not be ashamed! MAN OH MAN….it went down so deep that I wanted it then and even now! I bowed my head low and raised my hands, and man that Devil/or his emissaries where running up and down my hall and making noises. I was getting afraid and then I gave in.

AND I TRUST GOD TO TAKE MY LIFE AS I DID NOT WANT IT ANYMORE. I KNEW THERE AND THEN THAT I WAS GOING FAST TO HELL, DESERVED HELL, THAT CHRIST HAD DIED FOR ME, TORTURED FOR ALL THOSE WICKED SINS I SO EASILY COMMITTED…

HE WENT BOLDLY TO THE CROSS FOR ME, SO I RAISED MY HANDS AND THEN…

Peace love flowed every so gently down onto my shoulders and all went quiet…

I LOOKED AT THAT HOLY BIBLE AND WAS LED AGAIN TO OPEN ONE MORE TIME. THAT NIGHT, NO KIDDING, IT OPENED TO: COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN AND I WILL GIVE YE/YOU Rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light…

WELL, I JUMPED UP AND NO A SWEAR WORD; NO MORE! PEOPLE… I WAS LEAPING AND JUMPING AND FROM THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART, COMES FORTH OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, PRAISING GOD! FOR THAT NIGHT, I WAS OVER THE MOON, I WAS SOO HAPPY! UNTOLD HAPPINESS! AND I WAS CLEAN EVERY WHIT, And thoroughly Knew It! THE NEXT DAY I, I THINK DANCED TO WORK. PRAISE THE LORD, THANK YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST, THANK YOU ABBA (DADDY) FATHER, THANK YOU FOR DYING FOR ME…ME, HOW COULD YOU? EVEN NOW, LORD JESUS SAYS, “THOU ART FAIR MY LOVE, THERE IS NO SPOT IN THEE.”

EVEN THE LOST I BELIEVE, HE LOVES THEM BECAUSE HE SEES WHAT THEY CAN BE IN HIM, HE KNOWS THAT HE MADE THEM AND HE FORMED US IN THE WOMB. HE WAS THERE. BEFORE THE WORLD AND THE LIGHT EVERYTHING …HIS DELIGHTS WAS WITH THE SONS OF MEN. I GOT IT AND STILL 27 YEARS LATER, I GET IT.

SURE CHRISTIANS CAN FAIL, BUT HE IS STILL SAYING IT….THERE IS NO SPOT IN THEE.

PLEASE HEAR IT…ALL OF YOU THAT HEAR THIS NOW AND LORD WILLING, WHEN I SIT IN FRONT OF A VIDEO CAMERA AND TELL IT AGAIN ON YOUTUBE! I AM THE EVIDENCE, I WAS A VEHEMENT SINNER THAT WAS SAVED BY GRACE ALONE….I WALK IN THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD, IT FLOWS LIKE RIVERS…

WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER ATTENDETH MY SOUL! WHEN SORROWS LIKE SEA BELLOWS ROLL, WHATEVER MY LOT, YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME TO SAY, IT IS WELL IT IS WELL WITH MY SOOOOOOUL!!!

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Please give a visit to Bruce’s G+ Community called: What Must I do to be Saved?  A community to share the Revelation of Jesus Christ;  The Gospel; The Glad Tidings; The Good News of How Jesus; God the Son, came to die for Your sins and By Grace are Saved thru Faith.

The answer to the title of Community is: “Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ and Thou Shalt be Saved”, “God So Loved The World That He Gave His Only Begotten Son that Whosoever Believeth in Him Shall Not Perish, But Hath Everlasting Life.”

Bruce Bennett;  +BB717PoW (means: Broken Bread, 7 sayings on The Cross, 17th is day of the month the Ark hit land, PoW; Poured out Wine.  Also alternate meanings; BB; Bruce Bennett, 717; fav #; 7’s and 17′; birthdate: March 17 and John 17:17 “Sanctify them with Thy Truth for Thy Word is Truth”. PoW; prisoner of His Love.

I’ve got more in the pipe concerning more Testimony from Bruce, concerning his life and what the Lord has done for and with him since his Salvation! Thank you for reading, as I’m sure Found in a Ditch – Testimony by Bruce Bennett was a blessing for you!

 

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