Samuel Bishop was on his way to end his life until a vision stopped him in his tracks. His life was never the same again. This is his testimony of how God delivered him from darkness.
Tough childhood
Samuel was one of the many children that went through a very tough childhood. His father was a violent alcoholic while his mother was a drug addict. He and his siblings were raised in a rundown trailer full of constant chaos. At four years old, Samuel had to go into the foster care system for two years, jumping from one home to another and being separated from his family.
Because of his situation, he yearned for love and acceptance which he couldn’t find back then. When he turned 15, Samuel lived with his dad who pretty much influenced him to use drugs and drink alcohol. He also began to struggle with depression which made him feel like life wasn’t worth living. As his mental health continued to decline, he would increase his drug use, because he couldn’t stand being sober.
A hopeless case
Samuel tried to find his way in life by enlisting in the army after high school. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out for him either. He was discharged after only two months because of his mental health condition and his substance abuse problems. Without anywhere to go, he moved in with his dad and started working as a janitor in a high school. By this time, he had added meth and heroin to his daily cocktail of drugs. His relationships with women were also toxic and often involved drugs and violence.
At 19, Samuel believed he was a hopeless case and that God wouldn’t accept him at all because of what he had been doing. He didn’t bother trying because to him, it felt like God’s expectations were too high.
A big mistake
Soon he met a woman who was involved in occult and new age practices. She introduced the dark realm to him, and before he knew it he was practicing Satanism. There he found the control and self-worth that he had always wanted.
He performed spells, rituals, fortune-telling and eventually a blood covenant dedicating his life to Satan. But as soon as he did, he realized the mistake he made. There was complete emptiness in him and a hole that made him feel like there was nothing inside of him.
God’s deliverance
Samuel was really frightened so the next morning he decided he would take his life at the end of the day. But on his way to work, an unexpected thing happened, he suddenly had a vision of Jesus. This made him feel like perhaps Jesus would forgive him.
With a newfound hope in him, he searched on the Internet for bible verses on spiritual warfare to help renounce Satan. He also went outside his house to throw away his occult tools. Then he fell to his knees on the ground and begged God for forgiveness and asked for help to change his life.
He instantly felt different upon returning inside his home. God had delivered him from his addictions and healed him of his mental illness as well. For the first time ever, he felt love, joy, and acceptance.
Today, Samuel is married to Samantha and is an ordained youth pastor. He manages the men’s sober living home run by his church, aside from being involved in evangelical outreach and counseling.
