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The Rev
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"The Rev"
Male
56 years old
Melbourne,
FL
United States of America
Last Login:
July 10 2008
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The Rev's Details
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Here for:
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Networking, Friends,
Discover New Music,
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Body Type:
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Average
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Ethnicity:
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White/Caucasian
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Occupation:
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Trucking for Jesus USA
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Height:
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5'8"
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The Rev is in your extended network.
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The Rev's Blurbs
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About me:
SCROLL DOWN TO READ MY TESTIMONY
Myspace Falling Objects
LEATHER JACKETS AND GRAY SUITS - The testimony of Lee Ballard as told to Audra Lord
In the summer of '87 I was in "scum-town." That's what we called the town where I lived. The real name was Kewaskum - a small city not far from Milwaukee in Wisconsin. Kewaskum ain't really a "scum-town." There are wide, open areas of rolling, grassy hills with plenty of trees like oaks and cedars.
This time of year is real nice with its cool nights and warm, dry days. Perfect weather for ridin' my Harley '74 Sportster. My bike was black and chrome, low to the ground, high handles, "KING/QUEEN" seat and angle-cut or "dreg" pipes. I had the gas tank set up to look like a dual tank or "Fat Bob." When I bought the tank it had an airbrushed picture on it and at the time, it was cool. Now, I wouldn't think so.
It was a picture of a girl dressed in white, tied to a tree (a sort of virgin sacrifice.) In front of her was a man in a cloak holding over her a machete' and in the background was a faint silhouette of the devil. Not a pretty picture.
If you passed me on the street, you'd know that I was a biker. My hair was long. It came down to the middle of my back and my beard to the middle of my chest. I had tattoos on my back right shoulder and right, upper arm. Most of the time I wore jeans and sleeveless shirts (which usually advertised for Harlely Davidson), brown leather boots, fingerless leather gloves and a black, fringe leather jacket with fringes across the shoulders and down the arms. I had a lot of pride and arrogance in who and what I was to myself and others, and it was all in my biker clothes and attitude. All this made my outward appearance somewhat antagonizing. But outward appearances don't always reflect what's inside the heart.
I hung out most of the time with other bikers. We were a tight group of ten or twelve guys and girls. We did a lot of "partying" together which included drugs. I did a lot of drug-dealing. People always came around looking for somethin' and I was usually able to give it to 'em.
In July of '87 my lifestyle began to catch up to me. The drug dealin' was gettin' heavy and my cocaine needle habit was gettin' bad. I knew that if I didn't do somethin' about 'em, one or both of 'em was gonna bring me down. The only way I could get rid of 'em both was to leave my friends, because we did those things together. I decided that the only way I could leave 'em was to leave town. This was hard to do because I would have to leave my parents, and my son and step-daughter too, but I knew this was the only way.
On July 22nd I left Kewaskum on my bike headed for Kissimmee, Florida. In 1986 I helped some friends move there and I was welcome anytime. A few days after I arrived I decided to shave, get a haircut and go job hunting. As soon as I got a job, though, I quit shaving.
While I was there, the girl I was living with needed to go to Massachusetts for an operation. I sold my bike for $600.00 to pay our way, and I took her there. She never did get the operation though, because she got deep into cocaine and left me because of it. She went to whoever would supply her "coke" habit. I had a small place to stay and I hung out with some friends who lived on the streets. We hung out and got drunk together.
Around September I decided to hitchhike back to Florida because winter was coming soon and it gets COLD in Massachusetts. After four days of rides with mostly truckers I arrived in Kissimmee, Florida and stayed with my friends for about a week then I hit the road again. This time I was headed for Cocoa Beach. After a day of walking and hitching rides, I arrived in Cocoa Beach, but I had no place to stay, so, I slept by the "WELCOME TO COCOA BEACH" sign off the SR 520 causeway for three days. I stashed my duffle bag in the bushes while I was out looking for a job.
Looking back now I can see the hand of the Lord working to lead me to Him. After five frustrating days of no jobs I was ready to leave. Then, a "handi-man" stopped to give me a ride and while I was talking with him he decided to offer me a job of helping him fix the roof of an apartment building for the next two days and I did. I then decided to stick around for a little while longer. Maybe Cocoa Beach ain't so bad, I thought. I worked for the "Labor Force' daily and one Friday night while me and a friend were hangin' out at the Kentucky Fried Chicken trying to get their food left-overs, two men and a woman came up to us and offered to give us some food. (They were Don Pitstick, Glenn Pelham and Jan Scabarozi>). They shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with us for about a half an hour and then they prayed with us.
Don began to tell us of the Agape' Room coffee house where we could listen to a rock band play and there were free snacks and coffee. I agreed to go to "humor" him, (and because the girl was good-looking.) I know now that the Lord orders all things and that going there was right where He wanted me to be that night. When we prayed at Kentucky Fried Chicken, it was just empty words and the Lord wanted me to listen to Him speak through the special guest they had at the coffee house.
The Agape' Room that night was packed full of people. Mostly young kids were there to see the band AWOL, (At the Will Of the Lord.) We arrived about 9:30 PM and about a half an hour later the band took a break and Jim King from England went up to speak. I don't really remember what he said but the Holy Spirit sure was sayin' a lot!
When Jim was through speaking, he offered to all present an opportunity to pray the "sinners prayer" with him. I prayed silently to myself and the Lord came in like a flood, filling me to overflowing so much that I thought that everyone probably noticed. I immediately had to check around!
I stayed the rest of the night talking with people. Don continued to share with me. Later he gave me and my friend a ride back to the beach. He left us each a Bible and some food. During the next seven months I "straightened out" my life and I was "involved" in almost every meeting there was that I could attend. I went to the Wednesday night Bible study at the Agape' Room and the Sunday services at Cornerstone. But, all the knowledge I gained about the Lord was entering my head and not my heart. I understood who the Lord was and what He did for me but I was not allowing His word to produce works of my faith in Him in my life. In James chapter 2, verse 17 it says, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (NKJ)
The Lord allowed me to go my own way. I got a job at a scallop house at the port. I started to miss all the fellowship meetings and Bible studies because of the long hours this job required. This, along with my lack of complete commitment to the Lord, caused me to begin to slowly drift away and I returned to my old ways. Before long I was drinking with my friends from work and "partying" at the bars. In July of 1989 I was in my apartment alone, (which I shared with two other guys), lying on my couch thinking, "Why am I doing this?" I remembered all the things the Lord had done for me and the Holy Spirit convicted me in what I was doing with my life. I knew that all I was doing was wrong.
During the next month my two roommates moved out. (Arranged by the Lord, no doubt.) One Friday night I was drinking with my boss and fighting with the idea of going back to the Agape' Room. I went down to the liquor store in Cape Canaveral to get a beer and on my way out Alan Burger spotted me outside the store. I wanted to avoid talking to him, but it was impossible and we talked a few minutes. I mentioned to him about how I was thinking about going to the Agape' Room and how I had been backsliding. He encouraged me that I should go out there that night and I did. On the way there all I could think about was that they're all going to "get on my case" about backsliding and heap all kinds of condemnation on me. NOBODY did that! They all received me with open arms, (as the father did with the prodigal son), and were genuinely glad to see me back! It was a relief to know that they didn't get on my back about it and just received me in love. It was like a great burden was lifted off my shoulders - knowing that their love was real. I knew that the love that they were showing was just the light and love of Jesus drawing me to Him. I was then able to seek the Lord with all my heart. I recommitted my life to the Lord that night and again the next morning because I was drunk before and I believed I should do it again.
I began to seek the Lord about all the things in my life that He would want to take and change. Over the next month the Lord changed many things. I wanted to serve the Lord because of my love for Him. This is what was lacking early in my walk.
A short time later I was praying at the Agape' Room's Monday night Bible study and I asked the Lord if it was His will for me to run sound for the bands that play there. Later that night the leader of the band that regularly practices there came in and asked me, "Are you ready to learn how to run sound for us?" This, I believed was confirmation from the Lord and I have been running sound for the Apape' Room ever since.
The Lord also showed me that I had too much pride in my biker clothes and I knew I needed to give them up. The pride was like a wall between me and the Lord. I thank the Lord that He enabled me to see it. He gave me the strength to carry out His will in that area. I don't want anything to come before Him. I continually pray and seek His will in my life. Everyday I ask myself to allow the Lord to change me more into His image and to help me to remember the lessons of yesterday. When I gave up my biker clothes, it hurt, but not because I loved 'em. What hurt was the division they caused between me and the Lord. I was glad to get rid of 'em. My closet ain't empty though; it's filled with Chrisian T-shirts and three-piece suits! The Lord has done and is still doing a great work in my life. (The clothes only affect me from the neck down - I still have long hair and a beard.)
I thank the Lord for the Agape' Room and His arms of love that reached out to me through it. BLESS THE LORD!
Testimony added by Lee's wife, Yolanda Ballard: I met Lee at a small Spirit filled prophetic church on a Friday night where they got before the Lord and allowed Him to fill them to overflowing. There were all kinds of manifestations of the Holy spirit. He moved upon them with what they needed. I had been going to this church for about a week and my husband came up to me telling me that he had been fasting and praying for my son all week! Before I knew it my son and Lee was sitting together every meeting and the anointing of the Holy spirit was rubbing off on Levi. When he never showed emotion, he was laughing and crying!
Before I knew it, we were being attracted to each other spirit to spirit by the Lord, and I could feel what was happening. Not long later we were married, but before we were ever at that point, the Lord gave me a very nice man's ring to give to Lee as a seed planted towards his prosperity. Lee never mentioned in his testimony that he had been homeless living on the beach for a good while not long before I met him! It actually felt like I was just a vessel of the gift given to him by God! From that point I could see the Lord begin to bless his finances and he was moving from one place to one better. Lee has been a gift from God for both me and my son! I had raised my son alone until he was twenty-one when Lee adopted him.
We've had our hard times with Lee being gone long over the road driving the truck, and working through things together having a disabled adult son, but the grace of God has been there all the way, and it has been a blessing, and I know the Lord isn't through blessing Lee. True prosperity is surely on its way!!!! And that is only the small gifting that is coming. I know there is a mighty calling of the Lord upon our lives as a family! And the enemy knows the threat we are to his kingdom and that's why he's fought us so hard. But we bounce back stronger than ever! All glory goes to Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords!!!!
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Who I'd like to meet:
Myspace Glitter Graphics
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The Rev's Friends Comments |
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Displaying 10 of 22comments (View/Edit All Comments) Add Comment
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Brown Eagle
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01-05-2008 8:20:43
In memory of Pastor Tom 12/23/07 ....HHS URL for those wanting to leave a whisper for His family http://www.hisholyspace.com/5720
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Brown Eagle
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12-15-2007 5:33:14
Gal 5:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. John 12:46 Isa. 64:8 2Cor.4:6 Eph. 5:8
Are you one: just not fitting in, real hard on yourself, did you fall back a couple of steps, still have a few rough edges to deal with, your job or place in the Body of Christ you think isn't that important or needed, having to start over many times... only to somehow find strength to pick up and try again, are you spending many nights on your knees in prayer....my friend you are not alone!
The Broken Clay Pot: Brown Eagle
The angels one day decided to go shopping. (stay with me here) A clay pot for Christ would be a nice gift to give. In a store were many shelves of beautiful clay pots. Most were painted in rich colors and had special shapes from such earthly position and fortune. Smooth, bright shades, perfect shapes, no visible flaws. So filled their lives had been. Then, there pushed back on a distant shelf, was myself...a clay pot worn and broken in places. Life had not been easy...cracks in places from many trials, several chips from enduring hardships, colors which faded through seasons of storms, yet there was also surfaces showing through of love and laughter. The angels were viewing each pot and kept moving closer towards me...I was ashamed to be seen...and b4 you knew it...there they were in front of me. I thought they would just take a glance and move on. They all started whispering and smiling...my heart just dropped to the ground in shame. If that wasn't enough...one of the angels picked me up and held me up in the air. I couldn't figure it out...all the cracks, chips, and worn out places...they were all visible there on the shelf. As the angel did this...there was a loud gasp that filled the air....I looked around at the other angels who were staring at me with wide eyes....
Light flooded through the many broken places in my pot. The angel holding me told me that every time I gave my life over to Christ, it became His life, His hardships, and His strulggles. The angel continued explaining to me that each beam of light through this pot was where I had stepped aside and let Christ shine through, until there was more of Him then there was of me. The angels were pleased and knew that Christ would be also with this gift.
Whisper: The Lord wants all of us... He is made strong in our weaknesses, pain, and struggles. (2 Cor. 12:10) His Glory shines through... broken clay pots. Others will see His light, not our brokeness. It is the Lords love that holds and binds the broken pieces together. Your sister in Christ, Brown Eagle
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Joni
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12-03-2007 11:59:53
Have a good week. Blessings to you.
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RoarNworship
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11-26-2007 8:40:02
I pray the Lord fill you to overflowing with His glory of grace that you may spread His justice wherever you go. I just learned an awesome meaning for "justice" and it is having God's righteousness and His love spread abroad. Sounds good! Yes, His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Yes, Your will not my will, Lord! Do your perfecting work in us. Purge us with the fire of Your love and make us
ready for Your awesome move of Your spirit!! In Jesus name!
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