GARRY FITZJOHN
“When the man I called Dad, died, my mother tried to tell me he wasn’t actually my Dad. She had been raped by a man who she termed the ‘milkman’. The milkman of that era was blamed for a lot of things other than delivering glass bottles of fresh milk to the doorstep of homes for a few pennies. I was 23 at the time and full or vigour. I believe the ‘milkman’ was a concocted story to prevent me from going after him as I was capable of murder.
“I was palmed off to anyone who would have me for the first 5 years of my life. Then I lived with Mum a practicing Catholic and the man I called Dad and my 3 siblings who she took to church. We lived in poverty, totally broke, with no food in the house yet the man I called dad was a hard worker. She taught me God was everywhere and saw everything we did. At the decision-making age of 8, I decided what she taught and believed in was a load of rubbish and I was going to do things my way and turned my back on God.
“I grew up under the curse of witchcraft that began after my next-door neighbour and I at an early age, began dabbling with his sister’s ouija board. Later, once married I was a terrible husband, unfaithful with a drinking problem, and not a good father to my own four sons.
Isaiah 54:8 ‘I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you.’
“It was 40 years to the day before I came to know Jesus as my personal saviour. Forty years in the wilderness in a harsh environment.
“My wife took our children to the Salvation Army play group and during this time she got saved. I will never underestimate the power of that group of 80-year-old women praying for the unsaved husbands.
“After my wife got saved, she did everything she could to bring me to that place. She would leave her bible open on the nightstand on my side of the bed. There would be some scripture or other and I would pick up the bible, snarl and growl like a wild dog and hurl it at the wall across the room. That year was tough for everybody. The Salvation Army put out a magazine called ‘War Cry’ and one day when my wife was out of the house, I picked up this booklet and on the back of it was the salvation prayer. I was still drinking heavily, in fact so heavily I was almost blind, but thought there might be something in this. I looked out the windows to make sure no one could see me cause I didn't want to look stupid, knelt down at the end of the bed, and said the salvation prayer. It was like an on the road to Damascus deliverance. I was immediately delivered of alcohol – on the spot and never touched another drop. I felt a lightness and all the colours looked so bright and the mountain so clear. The power of God moved through the prayers of those Salvation Army ladies, who never stopped praying for the unsaved husbands!”
“So one year after she was saved, I too got saved and then all our children also. For 15 years, my wife and I walked closely with the Lord. He changed my ways, and I was delivered of the curses of adultery, anger, bitterness and alcohol. A complete turnaround.
“Recently I attended church where evangelist Pastor Joseph Lee was speaking. A man of incredible discernment and healing through the power of Jesus. I was healed of the physical ailments in my body and then set free from the spiritual bondage.
“In the midst of about 300 people, Pastor Lee said there was someone who was struggling with breathing. I knew straight away he was talking about me, so I went forward. He didn’t even have to pray for me as the spirit of God was hovering over that deep darkness in my life. He put his hand out to shake my hand and wouldn’t let it go. He kept shaking and shaking and, in that process, I was delivered of the physical ailments of my internal bleeding from ulcers and hiatal hernia (stomach pushing up into esophagus).
“I was also suffering from low oxygen in my red blood cells. When your red blood cells drop below 80 you die. I was sitting at 88 and my doctor, responding to the result of a blood test, rang to advise me she was sending an ambulance to take me to hospital for a blood transfusion. I said no. I told her I had special DNA and tried to explain it came from the bloodline of Jesus. She questioned me, are your Jehovah Witness? No! I replied. Are you religious? No, I hate religion and so does Jesus. She told me I was on the border of dying and it felt like it as day after day I was unable to get out of my bed. She wouldn't let it go, but I was adamant.
“So, when I was called forward, not only was my stomach returned to the original fullness of its design, but I was also healed of the low oxygen in my blood. My physical healing was complete.
“About half an hour later in the same healing meeting, Pastor Joseph Lee asked if anyone had been hated all their life, ‘from their mother's womb they have been hated by everyone around them’. Again, I knew it was me! He was surprised to see me up the front again and laughingly said, he had already prayed for me. He proceeded to tell me my whole life story from when I was conceived, how I was cursed in my mother's womb, about every relationship I ever had, even with my own children and friends, I was never received by them. I was an outcast, the black sheep of the family. Once again, he put out his hand and held mine, and as he quietly prayed, the whole lot just broke off me, just left me.
“My knees failed me when I was in my mid 60’s and I had 2 stainless steel knees fitted, but that was only physical. Spiritually, I had been carrying a huge load of hatred, a heavy burden I’d borne for years. Finally, I was free of all bondage.
“The spirit of God hovered over the deep darkness in my life, and I am so grateful. Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. I am able to work again and can't wait to wake up and start work each day. My family is slowly reuniting, and I thank God for His favour”.