A Man Behind Lady Gaga's 'Get Out of Hell Free Card'
When Lady Gaga received a “Get Out of Hell Free Card” outside of her concert last month little did she – or anyone else for that matter – know that providence was at hand.
Two years ago, a man by the name of Tom Hudson was prompted by God to pray for the pop sensation after seeing her picture on the news.
“When I saw [Gaga’s] picture, the Lord just said ‘Pray for her... pray that she gets to know Me,” Hudson told The Christian Post. “So I said, ‘Yes Lord’ and started praying for her. When you pray for people to get saved, God honors that.”
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Though he had no idea who she was at the time and knew nothing about her, the Lord had put her on his heart and he stated that he’s been praying ever since for her salvation.
Just last week, Hudson’s wife Sandy discovered news that Gaga had received a “Get Out of Hell Free Card,” which just so happened to be his own God-inspired creation.
“The Lord gave me the idea one day,” Hudson shared with CP. “We did not want to do anything that would interfere with trademark such as the Monopoly game. So [God] designed a card for me and on the reverse of it, is just plain Scripture.”
Though many only regard the front of the card and laugh, the back reveals one of the most quoted verses in the Bible –John 3:16 – and a sincere prayer of confession which states “Lord Jesus please forgive my sin. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Please come into my life right now. Be my Lord and Savior. Amen.”
“You are now in God’s Family!” the message concludes. “We have a free book for you.” The free book is provided for by his non-profit organization, Toll Free Ministries, and is based on the first chapter of Ephesians, describing what it means to be in the family of God.
“When we hand [the cards] out, everybody just looks at it and cracks up,” he described. “When they look at the back of the card, their eyebrows go together. It’s profound. It’s very simple really.”
One hundred of these “handy” cards are mailed to anyone who asks (donations welcome) and thousands have been shipped out to date, reaching as far as South Africa, Brazil, and other areas as well, near and far.
Six months ago, Hudson told CP, a group in Anaheim had asked for a big shipment of these cards, which eventually somehow reached the fundamentalist protester outside of Gaga’s Monster Ball concert in April.
“What is the percentage of this performer getting that card?” he imagined. “When I saw that, I went, ‘Thank You Lord.’”
“Tell me that our Lord [doesn’t] answer our prayers. I have no doubt that our Lord is calling Lady Gaga to Him. [And He’s] not going to let her go until she comes to know Him. Perhaps one day, when all the fame and money are gone, Lady Gaga will say ‘Yes, Lord Jesus.’”
Asking the 65-year-old what he thought about the controversy surrounding the encounter between Gaga and the protester, with many angered by the man’s cold and abrupt manner towards the singer, Hudson replied, “When I read about Christians being argumentative and judgmental, that’s their flawed response, their bigotry, their prejudice coming out.”
“Jesus loved everyone didn’t he? He healed everyone who came to Him. He loved them all. He died for everyone didn’t he? So if you reflect Christ, that’s the way you’re going to be.”
He had four words of advice for those handing out his “Get Out of Hell Free Cards”: What would Jesus do?
“Basically, we’re here to reflect the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing more or nothing less,” he expressed. “I think we’re not going to be here very long. Take a look around.”
Hudson’s Toll Free Ministries is a non-denominational, non-political, independent, evangelistic and prophetic ministry made up of three pastors, his wife, and two other staff members.
All the funding for the cards and other resources comes from donations and their own bank account. Hudson jokingly calls his organization a “mega-ministry,” with a grand total of $184 in their bank account.
Dedicating his life to letting people know about the person of Jesus Christ before the rapture dawns, which he believes is quickly approaching, Hudson continues to faithfully witness and maintains what he calls a “very quiet” life.
(While serving in the Navy SEALs during his youth, he was “blown up,” causing his loss of hearing. He maintains only 20 percent hearing in his right ear and spoke to CP through an amplified phone.)
“It is our firm belief that we are in the final moments of the Last Days before the Rapture of the Church. Time is running out and the ‘Harvest is Ripe,’” the ministry penned. “The ‘Workers’ must be equipped to promote the Gospel and to fully understand how the Holy Spirit will enable them to do this.”
“The Kingdom of Christ is out of this world and . . . your inheritance is out of this world. [Everything] in this world will no longer matter.”
Where is your citizenship today? Hudson asks.
“The choice is yours to make, but you better get going, because there’s not much time left.”
