From the Pit to the Pulpit: The Supernatural Transformation of John Roush

John Roush Testimony

Imagine sitting in a local Chinese restaurant, the steam from a hot plate of food rising to meet your face, but you can’t even taste it. You aren’t there for the food. You’re there because it has been raining for four solid days in Alabama—that heavy, relentless Southern rain that soaks through your clothes and settles into your very bones. Your feet are pulsing with the fire of "jungle rot," covered in blisters from miles of walking in sodden shoes. You have a fever of 103 degrees, and the only thing keeping you upright is a pitcher of beer and the desperate hope that someone will finally call the police on you.

This was the reality for John Roush. For years, the streets of Mobile and Tillmans Corner were his only home. He wasn't just a man who had fallen on hard times; he was a man consumed by the ravages of alcoholism, lost in a cycle of "wandering abroad" and public intoxication. He had reached a point where jail seemed like a luxury because it offered a dry bed and a hot meal. If you’ve ever felt like you were in a pit so deep that the light of heaven couldn't reach you, then you understand the pain point John was living every single day.

We often talk about the "homeless problem" as a statistic or a political talking point, but for the person in the tent, it is an agonizing spiritual and physical battle. It’s the agitation of losing your children, your dignity, and your very will to live. It is the feeling of being "pushed out" by the world, unwanted and unseen. But I’m here to tell you today that there is a solution that doesn't come from a government program or a temporary shelter.

In this post, we’re going to dive deep into John’s testimony—a story of how Jesus Christ can take a man from a tent in the woods and turn him into a radical, on-fire minister for the Gospel. We’re going to look at the supernatural way God delivers us from addiction and how your greatest tragedy can become your primary ministry. As I often say in my book, OPEN YOUR EYES: MY SUPERNATURAL JOURNEY, the spiritual realm is more real than the world we see, and John’s story is proof of that.

When I sat down to talk with John on Skype for the podcast, I was struck by the raw honesty of his journey. He didn't start out on the streets. He began as what many call a "functioning alcoholic." We’ve all seen it—the person who holds down a job but spends their evenings drowning their soul in a bottle. But eventually, the functioning stops and the consumption begins. The addiction grew until it followed him right into the heart of downtown Mobile.

John shared a scene with me that perfectly illustrates the desperation of the "pit." He was in that Chinese restaurant I mentioned earlier. He had ordered his beer, knowing full well he didn't have a cent to his name. When the bill came, he looked the waitress in the eye and simply said, "Ma'am, I'm not going to pay." He wanted the police to come. He was seeking the "mercy" of a jail cell.

When the three-strike sergeant arrived, a man with fifteen years of grit on the force, he was puzzled. He asked John why. Why do this? John told him the truth: "My feet hurt from being wet for three days. I have blisters all over. I just want a warm bed and a dry place." In a rare moment of providential mercy, the sergeant didn't arrest him. He saw the brokenness and dropped John back at his camp. But even that mercy didn't solve the root problem. The root wasn't a lack of a bed; it was a spiritual stronghold.

The "wandering abroad" laws in Mobile were used to push the homeless out of sight, especially during city functions. Business owners didn't want the "eyesore" of the broken. So John was pushed out to Tillmans Corner. His addiction shifted from beer to anything that was free. If a drug came through the camp, he did it. He was living in a state of total spiritual darkness. When we are in that state, we become susceptible to every demonic influence that seeks to keep us bound.

The ritual of his life became shoplifting at Walmart. He would load a basket with $600 worth of beer and supplies and just walk out. He had no fear of the consequences because he had nothing left to lose. But God was setting a trap of grace for him. Eventually, he was caught and given a choice: six months in jail or three months in a Christian rehab.

John chose the rehab, but he didn't know Jesus. He knew the name, but he didn't know the Person. In fact, he was so bound by his old nature that in his very last week of rehab, he got kicked out for stealing a dip of snuff. Imagine that—inches from the finish line, and the enemy trips him up over a tiny tin of tobacco. He was dropped off at a Walmart and went right back to the woods. He got drunker than ever because he knew the six-month jail sentence was coming.

It was during that six-month stint in the Mobile County Metro Jail that the "seed" began to sprout. He started doing things that weren't "him." He was writing letters to judges for other inmates and helping people get into better housing units within the jail. He didn't realize it then, but the Holy Spirit was already moving through him.

I will give you a new heart also, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26 KJV).

When he finally got out, the weight of his losses hit him. He had lost his children to DHR. His family told him he couldn't stay with them anymore. He was back in the woods behind Walmart with sixty dollars in his pocket and a week's worth of booze.

This leads us to the second concrete scene that changed everything. It was a humid Alabama evening. John came out of his tent, the smell of damp earth and pine needles filling the air, and he simply hit the dirt. He fell to his knees in those woods and made a deal with the Creator of the Universe. He admitted he was an alcoholic. He cried out, "Lord, if you will make me whole again, if you will take this alcoholism from me, I will be your disciple forever. I just want my girls back."

When he stood up, he wasn't the same man. The desire for alcohol was gone. Not suppressed, not managed—gone. He called a friend who ran a rehab in Lucedale, Mississippi, and said, "I'm done. I'm trying Christ." Two days later, he walked out of those woods and has never looked back.

Personal Reflections

Looking at John’s life, I’m reminded of how often we try to "clean ourselves up" before we come to God. John tried rehab and failed. He tried to "function" and failed. It wasn't until he was on his knees in the dirt, admitting total defeat, that the supernatural power of God could take over.

In my own walk, I’ve seen how Jesus often lets us reach the end of our own strength so that His strength can be made perfect in our weakness. We see this pattern throughout the Bible and throughout the testimonies on ConradRocks.net. Whether it’s deliverance from night terrors or deliverance from a bottle, the key is always total surrender.

John’s story also challenges me regarding how we view the "marginalized." It’s easy to look at a homeless camp and see a "problem" to be solved by the police. But when John looks at those camps, he sees his former neighbors. He sees people who need socks, flashlights, and—most importantly—the Hope that only Jesus provides. He went from being a "vessel of wrath" to a "vessel of mercy."

I’ve had many conversations about the prophetic nature of our lives, and John is living out a prophetic turnaround. He is now the one going into the woods, under the bridges, and into the flea markets to preach. He didn't just get saved; he got commissioned.

Biblical References

The Word of God is clear about the pit and the deliverance that follows. John’s testimony is a modern-day echo of the Psalms.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (Psalm 40:2 KJV).

John was literally in the miry clay of Alabama, and God set his feet on the Rock of Ages. We also see the principle of how we treat the "least of these" in John’s new ministry. He is now working with others to create a central resource center in Tillmans Corner—a place for showers, meals, and veterans' services, but centered on the Gospel.

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. (Matthew 25:35-36 KJV).

John’s life is a reminder that we aren't just called to pray for people; we are called to minister to their physical needs as an entry point for their spiritual needs. Alcoholism is a cruel taskmaster, much like the wine mentioned in Proverbs:

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. (Proverbs 23:32 KJV).

But the sting of the serpent is no match for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. John was delivered because he stopped fighting and started submitting.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 KJV).

Key Takeaways

• Total Surrender is the Key: Transformation didn't happen until John admitted he couldn't do it on his own.
• Your Pit is Your Platform: The very community where John was once a "nuisance" is now his mission field.
• God is a Restorer: Not only was John delivered from alcohol, but God began the process of restoring his relationship with his children.
• Physical and Spiritual Needs are Linked: Effective ministry involves meeting people where they are, whether that’s under a bridge or in a jail cell.
• The Power of the Seed: The time John spent in jail and the failed rehab weren't wasted; they were the "planting" phase for the eventual harvest.

Conclusion and Call to Action

John Roush’s testimony is a powerful reminder that no one is too far gone for the reach of Jesus Christ. From the streets of Mobile to the woods of Tillmans Corner, God was pursuing a man who had lost everything. Today, John stands as a witness to the supernatural, delivering power of the Holy Spirit.

If you are struggling with addiction, or if you feel like you are in a pit that you can’t climb out of, I want to encourage you to follow John’s example. Stop running. Fall on your knees and cry out to the Lord. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

If you enjoyed this testimony, please check out more stories of God's power on my blog at ConradRocks.net. You can also find more about the spiritual battles we face in my books, OPEN YOUR EYES and Overcoming Night Terror.

Please share this post with someone who needs hope today. Whether they are in a high-rise office or a tent in the woods, the message remains the same: Jesus saves, Jesus delivers, and Jesus restores.

God bless you as you dig deeper and go higher!

Action Items

• Identify Your "Pit": Honestly assess what is holding you back or keeping you "bound" today.
• Practice Total Surrender: Spend time in prayer today, not just asking for things, but submitting your entire will to God.
• Look for the "Neighbors": Find one way this week to help someone in your community who is overlooked or marginalized.
• Support Local Outreach: Look into ministries like John’s "God’s Messenger Ministry" or local soup kitchens and see how you can contribute.
• Scripture Memory: Memorize Psalm 40:2 and remind yourself that God is the one who establishes your goings.

Find John on Facebook here:  http://bit.ly/JohnRoush