An American artist who became part of one of the most popular shows in earlier years shared his testimony on how an encounter with Christ saved him, and how he is now using his talents to share the love of Jesus.
Keith Thibodeaux testified how the Lord delivered him from the clutches of the enemy after surrendering his life to Christ, CBN News reported.
Thibodeaux joined Hollywood at a tender age of four, playing as Ricky Ricardo for four years on "I Love Lucy" since 1956. Later, he was cast as Johnny Paul on the Andy Griffith show. His acting career made his family's life comfortable and they moved to Hollywood from Lafayette, Louisiana.
Noting the extraordinary changes in their lives through his casting as Little Ricky, he asked his father about the purpose of why God has chosen him to play the role when He could have picked any other boys for the part instead.
"My dad said, 'Well, God's got a purpose for you, Keith.' And that always stuck in my mind, that even way back then, I felt like God had His eyes on me," Thibodeaux recalled.
However, a trouble arose that changed the course of his life - his father became unfaithful to his mother that broke their family apart.
He got angry with his father and "everything." He also blamed the show business, thinking that his parents could have been still together if they just stayed in Louisiana.
Thibodeaux continued to rebel in his teenage years, joining his friends doing drugs just to look "cool." He was also enticed into engaging with demonic practices, such as participating in Ouija board ceremonies and learning about warlocks. These actions took his life in "a downward spiral."
Moreover, he started experiencing strange things in which he was tormented by "voices."
"These were demonic voices that were telling me to kill myself and 'nobody likes you', and 'you are just a nobody'," he shared.
He contemplated suicide many times but would remember his father's statement that God has a purpose for his life.
"Finally, I cried out to God and I said, 'If You're real, if You take me out of this mess that I made of my life, then I'll serve You," he further stated.
Not along after, his mother invited him to church where he saw a vision of Jesus.
"And I said, 'Jesus, I'm not worthy of You to appear to me in such a way.' And I said, 'What about this sin?' and 'What about that sin?' Jesus responded to me and He said, 'That's why I died'," Thibodeaux continued.
The vision changed his perspective about God and Christ, as well as his understanding about Jesus' death on the cross just to take away his sins.
That day, he decided to accept Jesus as his Savior. He also stopped using drugs and turned to God for "answers" instead. He revealed that the more he applied the Word of God in his life, the less he heard those demonic voices and the more he held on "to the truth of Jesus."
The actor later became a drummer of the secular band, David and the Giants, where he shared his faith to his bandmates. When David Huff turned his life to Christ, the other members of the band followed suit. Their conversion to Christianity shifted the band's format into Christian rock.
When he married, he and his wife, Kathy, founded Ballet Magnificat, a Christian ballet company.
The artist believes that the purpose of God is to use his talents to share the Gospel.
"God has used dance, he's used Ballet Magnificat, he's used David and the Giants, to change people's lives, and to encourage people, and to convict people, not through what we do, but through what the Holy Spirit does through us. It's all about Jesus. It's all about Him," Thibodeuax concluded.
