Our Testimonies

Ken Hennessey's Testimony

I was born February 14, 1951. Yes, I’m a Valentine’s Day baby! I was raised in

Mankato, Minnesota, a small college town. Growing up, I never questioned my relationship

with God. I “grew up” in church. I was baptized as an infant, went to church with my parents

from infancy to sixth grade, and later joined a different church by being re-baptized and

making a new “profession of faith” at 12 years-old.

After high school, I went to Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC where I studied

Bible-preaching and ancient languages of the Bible. I did well in school, preached many

sermons, led a choir, played many special music arrangements, taught school, drove church

buses, and was offered my own church to pastor!

It wasn’t until several years after college, serving for years in a third church, that a

preacher asked me what assured me of my entrance into heaven. I grasped the saving

knowledge he talked about but my heart made no moral response to it, and I could not frame

a good reason. I had said some ritualistic prayer that was supposed to grant me access into

eternal bliss but I still felt uncertain that after death I was headed for the “good place.”

I was informed that eternal salvation cannot be gained by our good deeds because we

cannot be good enough to erase our sins. Thankfully, because of God’s wonderful grace,

sinners can be forgiven of their sins and saved from eternal death. I learned that every aspect

of salvation is God’s gift of grace, not of works and is accessed by faith in Christ as Savior so

that no one can boast. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it

is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)

Only Christ can take credit for our salvation. No one can justify themselves. Every

aspect of salvation is a gracious gift from God and can only be received when we trust Him.

On Judgement Day, God would not consider my many years of church attendance, my

successfulness in school, or the various avenues of service I pursued within churches. He will

ask if I have received Christ as my Savior.

My pastor said, “In the Bible, there are over 100 verses that teach we can do nothing to

pay for our sins.” Isaiah 64:6 reads “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our

righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the

wind, have taken us away.”

What if you only commit one sin? James 2:10 says “For whosoever shall keep the

whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

“Man is born selfish. As he matures he learns to disguise that selfishness to get what

he desires from others. This is because of the sin nature we all inherited from Adam. The only

way to be freed from this bondage, is to know Jesus as Savior. He sets us free from the

bondage of sin. He transforms our hearts to be enabled to give rather than receive. It is the

love of the Father that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (“hope maketh

not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which

is given unto us.”-Romans 5:5). Life becomes about God and His glory and loving those made

in His image.” (Daily Devotion and Weekly Sermon from GetResponse)

John 3 introduces us to Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee—one of the religious leaders

of the day. One evening, he decided to talk to Jesus, and Jesus told him, “You must be born

again” to enter heaven. This concept of being “born again” confused Nicodemus. Jesus was

not talking about another physical birth, however, but a spiritual birth. Then Jesus said the

most frequently quoted words in the entire Bible “For God so loved the world, that he gave his

only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting

life.” (John 3:16) The gospel is summed up in that one verse!

Jesus also said “...the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

(Mark 1:15, emphasis mine) Paul said in 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh

repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” I

couldn't just be sorry. I had to repent.

Upon the Holy Spirit’s conviction of my need to repent of my sin and trust in His Power

to give me eternal life, I claimed his promise in Romans 10:9 and 10 (“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 believeth unto righteousness;

and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”) and was saved the Bible way! Have

you been? Please consider before its too late!