Testimony of Scott Durning
When I was 11 or 12 years old, I had terrible experiences from the wrong spiritual realm that are not edifying to repeat. Years later, I came to Los Angeles and started taking LSD, and lost contact with reality for a couple of years. It seemed like forever. I literally believed I was dead, and living between lifetimes from different LSD trips.
One day, in God’s mercy, I was watching TV in someone’s apartment. I got bored, so I turned it off. I looked out of the third story bay window and had a vision from God. I was looking at myself when I was about 11 years old, standing on the front lawn of a house in Cleveland, Ohio (where I’m from). I watched myself in real-fast motion, (about 10 seconds), grow older to my current age, and I was standing on the front lawn of the apartment building next door. Before I could think about what this meant, God talked to me. God said, “God created the sun; God created the moon; God created the earth; God created the stars; God created the grass; and God made the grass grow.” I was shocked. I said this out loud, “It’s the same sun; it’s the same earth; it’s the same me. I just grew older and went crazy.”
This sent me on a venture, walking the streets at night talking to God. In time, God terrified me twice beyond my imagination because I was still sinning. One day in desperation, I went to the Tony Alamo Christian Church in Hollywood, California. I had never gone to their services because it was not a “mainstream” church. It was around 11:30 P.M. Tony Alamo was there. Tony confronted me and said, “You should stay here.” So I did. The next night at services, Pastors Tony and Susan Alamo were there. Tony gave his complete testimony on how God had talked to him. I had never heard before of the blood of Jesus Christ for the only remission of sins. I felt the Holy Spirit very strong. Thirty people got saved that night including me. I went in the prayer room and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I knew I was home. It was May 11, 1970.
Just over 1½ years later, I wrote Pastor Tony Alamo a letter because I was having problems. Around 2 A.M. that night one of the brothers told me that Tony Alamo was on the back phone and wanted to talk to me. I was at our church in Saugus, California. I picked up the phone and said, “Hello, this is Scott.” No one said anything. I repeated myself. “Hello, this is Scott.” I then heard Tony Alamo’s voice—“God created the sun; God created the moon; God created the earth; God created the stars; God created the grass; and God made the grass grow.” I felt the Holy Spirit like a huge wall around me. Tony Alamo then exhorted me for about 45 minutes. I had never told anyone that God had talked to me, much less what God had said.
Through the years, the Holy Spirit is incorporated in all the Gospel literature that Pastor Alamo writes, and all the messages to the churches. Tony and Susan Alamo have literally built “cities” in different parts of the United States for living facilities for people in the Ministry. His Gospel tracts have been mailed out to 200 different countries, along with people’s needs. I thank God I am saved and have the privilege of being in this Ministry.