Cato Bush

I thank God for the privilege of being on these holy grounds (camp meeting 1958). I praise Him as I think back and see what He lifted me from.

As a young boy I was raised out in the country in a good, strict home, shut away from the sin other boys were in. When I was sixteen years of age we moved to a large city, and I got involved in many things I had never been in before. I fell into the hands of “city slickers.” They taught me to drink and how to gamble, and I followed that life for many years. I loved to gamble, play cards, smoke, shoot pool, steal, curse, and get drunk.

Sometimes I would see the law coming, and I couldn’t stand in my tracks for I thought: They are coming hunting me. Many times my heart grew heavy because I knew what I did was wrong, and I wanted a way out, but I had no one to tell me the way out.

Many times my heart grew heavy because I knew what I did was wrong, and I wanted a way out, but I had no one to tell me the way out.

Finally, I left the South and went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I found the same gang that I had run with before, and I would go out at night and spend my money around the gambling dens, get drunk, and then go home to my family. God led me in a roundabout way. One night I decided I would get away from the whole thing. I thought that if I would change my environment things would be better for me. I joined the church and listened to the minister preach, shook his hand, gave the secretary my name, and was baptized, hoping that would make a change in my life. But no change came; I was still bound by the things of the world. It wasn’t long till I had cursed the express man and I had condemnation in my heart. I went from church to church seeking satisfaction and finding none.

Later God led me back to the southern part of Alabama where I met a little band of Apostolic Faith people who told me how God could save me and keep me saved. I had never heard a story like that before. I didn’t like it at first, but there it was in the Scripture, and it convinced me. I didn’t get it right away because my wife opposed it. I went away, and while I was gone God showed my wife it was right, and He saved her. When I came home she was saved, sanctified, and baptized with the Holy Ghost, and she began to tell me what God had done for her. When I got a chance I ran away to the woods, and prayed to God to save me.

I never shall forget that Sunday morning in Sunday school when it seemed my heart would burst. They sang a song and the very power of God raining down lifted me out of my seat. It broke up that Sunday school. They gathered around me down at the altar and prayed me through to victory, and Heaven flooded my soul. When I arose I knew that I was saved because I had a new heart; the old burden was rolled away. When God saved me, all lying, stealing, gambling, card playing, pool, and cursing was ended. Those sins didn’t drop off one by one; He took them all out in a moment of time.

When God saved me, all lying, stealing, gambling, card playing, pool, and cursing was ended.

The people told me there was still more for me. I sought sanctification and God really sanctified my soul, and later on He baptized me with the Holy Ghost and fi re. They taught me about restitution; I didn’t know what restitution meant. They told me it meant to go back over my life, straighten things out and pay back debts. I had many restitutions to make. Some of the people wouldn’t receive money but forgave me and told me to use the money in the Gospel work. There were many who didn’t think I would have stolen, but when God saved me, I went back over my life and straightened it up.

Three years after God saved me and gave me my experiences, He called me to the ministry, and I started out to preach the Gospel. One time we were having a great revival on the East Coast, and I became very ill and had a high fever. I was too weak to stand up. My wife asked me what I was going to do and I said, “I don’t know. I may have to have Brother Barney preach for me.” Then God whispered in my heart, “Resist the devil.” I resisted the devil and got up immediately. I dressed and went out that day as though I had never been sick, and delivered the message. Another time He allowed a disease to seize this body of mine. I pined away to where I wanted to die, and I prayed that God would take me Home. But a voice spoke to me, “Why would you want to do that when I could be glorified in your life?” I knelt on my knees, raised my face to God and said, “God, if you heal me I will give you my life over again.” God healed me overnight. This body is not patched up. I thank God He is real to me.

I thank God for salvation, for something that gets into your heart and blasts sin out! For over 50 years I have proved the Gospel. I thank God for the old-time religion and can say it is good for the whosoever will.