The Pulse Nightclub Survivors You Need to Know About


By Elizabeth Johnston

Two years ago this June, 49 men headed to a thriving gay nightclub in Orlando, unaware it was the last thing they would ever do. The next morning, our nation would be united in grief and horror at the 49 lives that would be taken that night in a carefully calculated plot by a follower of a demonic religion.

That shooter, who carried out what at the time was the worst shooting in US history, thought that the death and carnage he created would bring glory to his false god. What he never counted on was the way God would work in the lives of two men and turn a horrific tragedy into an incredibly powerful testimony of His grace and mercy.

Even in the darkest hour, God is always working. Today, two of the men who made it out alive from the Pulse shooting are more than just survivors–they are saved. Covered in the blood of Jesus Christ, they live today to share the incredible power of His Word and His sacrifice, and they’ve dedicated their lives to spreading this Good News to anyone and everyone they can.

“In the Early Morning of June 12, 2016 as I was laying on the ground inside of Pulse Nightclub, shot multiple Times and a shattered femur, I made a pact with God,” writes Angel Colon.

The Pulse Nightclub“I Promised him I would worship and serve him for the Rest of my Life. I’m so grateful to be Here today, working for the Kingdom and winning souls for My King. Thank You Father for always taking care of me and giving me strength every single day. I LOVE YOU.”

“I should have been number 50!” says another survivor, Luis Ruiz who shared his powerful testimony just before the Freedom March in Washington DC last month, which he and Colon attended:

Going through old pictures of the night of Pulse, I remember my struggles of perversion, heavy drinking to drown out everything and having promiscuous sex that led to HIV. My struggles were real! The enemy had its grip, and now God has taken me from that moment and has given me Christ Jesus. I’ve grown to know His love in a deeper level. 2 out of the 49 were my close friends and are no longer with us. They lost their life that night. I should have been number 50 but now I have the chance to live in relationship and not religion – not just loving Christ but being in love with Christ and sharing His love. I know who I am and I am not defined with who the enemy says I use to be – but who Christ Jesus says I am.

Colon and Angel both survived the Pulse shooting, and both went on not only to find redemption in Christ, but to tell the world that there IS such a thing as an ex-gay, and they are, quite literally, living proof.

“The world wants you to think that the desires of your flesh are an irreversible part of who you are, but these amazing young soldiers in Christ are here, alive, today to tell you that Christ can work in anyone, no matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you are going through.”

Have you been ignoring that still small voice calling from within? The bible says, …behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.2 Cor 6:2 Please don’t wait until tragedy strikes to make peace with God.

The bible teaches us, “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Mat 11:28 Only believe and you will be saved. God tell us, 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. Romans 10:9 A simple prayer like this can be the beginning of a new life:

 

Jesus, please forgive me. I know I haven’t done everything that I should in my life and I regret it. I know that you died for me and that you have a plan for my life. Please teach me your ways and help me to walk away from my sin. I want to live my life for you, free from the fears and problems of this world and the next. I want to be ready for eternity with you. Amen

Congratulations, if you have prayed this prayer, the Bible says, “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Cr 5:17)

If you’ve prayed this prayer for the first time or are renewing your commitment to the Lord, please let us know so that we can pray for you as you start your new life with Jesus.




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