On September 11 of 2001, terrorism came to the land of the
free. What had only been a news segment up to this point in America was now
real life. What had only happened in other countries was now happening in ours.
With the deliberate crash of planes into the World Trade
Center and Pentagon—American symbols of finance and military might—terrorism
entered the American mainstream culture, and from all appearances, it doesn’t
look like it’s going anywhere.
Kenny McClinton didn’t learn about terrorism on 9/11. Long
before that infamous day, he had already lived and survived a life as a terrorist fighting other terrorists
and terrifying innocent civilians.
Many authors have written about the man prison guards called
“The Maniac,” but none have told the full story. This first installment of
Ken’s story presents the ex-terrorist’s life from his own memories and
perspective, from his childhood to his conversion all alone in
prison—traversing adventures that are almost two wild to believe.
Born into abject poverty in lower-working class Belfast, Ireland, Kenny
McClinton became as hardcore as the life he was forced to live. From
a violent, drunken father to abusive boy’s homes, from the navy to a sadistic
prison, from terrorism to salvation—this is Ken’s remarkable and gut-wrenching
story of how the Lord rescued him from a life not worth living.
Kenny had made contact with me through my daily Bible
devotional ministry, and our friendship took flight on the wings of scriptural
conversation. When he started sending me some of his own Bible teachings, I
sensed something intriguing under the surface. Somewhere along the way, I made
a request of my new friend: “Tell me about your life…”
After hearing his story and experiencing the response of my
own readers to his testimony (I had included it in one of my messages), it
became abundantly clear to me that I wanted to tell the world about how God can
change a terrorist—yes, a real-life terrorist—into an evangelist who spreads
life instead of death.
Kenny’s story vividly testifies that God can use any
person—no matter who or where they came from. Abuse, trauma,
broken homes, violence, war, politics, and hate—it’s a story of God’s
unbelievable mercy and providence, a story of hope for the hopeless, a story of
love where love did not exist.
No matter what you face today, no matter what you’ve done,
no matter how lost you are, there is hope for you. Kenny is living proof of
that.
Here is the story of Kenny McClinton, former terrorist, now
an evangelist. Once spreading death, now spreading life. Once born to lose, now
born again…