Charles Barringer

For years, I was a magician—one of those ‘smart boys’ who knew the ‘Black Sack’ mystery. I was someone who could get out of handcuffs when the sheriff had the key. I was someone who had people fishing where there were no fish and had people fighting bees where there were no bees. Some would suffer as though they had actually been stung by the bees.

One day, God spoke to me and said, “You are lying to people and causing them to suffer, and all liars go to Hell.” I answered, “I am through.” That was the last time I practiced hypnotism, but I still had the evil spirit within.

I suffered and wanted to get free from that spirit. Thank God for an Apostolic Faith paper that I received back in the Lone Star State. I read the wonderful testimonies and I came 2200 miles to Portland to hear more. I listened; I heeded every one of them, for I knew they had me beat.

I asked God’s people to pray for me. I went forward to an altar of prayer, and they gathered around me and prayed. They didn’t quit me because I had been a magician and hypnotist. They were not afraid of a man like that. When I got honest and told God I was through with that life, He delivered me in a moment of time and set me free from the power of the devil. He changed my nature; He took out the sin that had me bound; He gave me the power to go and sin no more; and He gave me peace.

I thank God for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have not hypnotized another man since God set me free. For twenty-six years I have been thanking God for keeping me from sin.