In 1979, God drew me to Himself. I won’t go into great detail, only to say, that God literally showed up in my room one night; and revealed Himself to me. I was not in a church service when this occurred, or recited a formalized prayer, because I didn’t know anything like this could happen. He did so in a way, where I realized that Jesus was the way, the truth and the Life, and I asked Him to be Lord of my life.
He showed me things that I have kept in my heart all these years. In that very moment of Him revealing Himself to me, all I could do was give Him thanks and praise. When I came to my senses so to speak, I found myself in my car, in the middle of the town I grew up in; and I was worshipping Jesus at a stop light. I had no remembrance of getting in the car, which honestly freaked me out. No one ever knew, that I had that encounter.
As I think back on my younger days, my family were farmers and I would sit in the fields and look up at the stars, and see all that was around me. I realized this was no accident, because it was all put together so perfectly.
I was raised in a Catholic home, and we were never taught to read the bible. We had a bible, but it just collected dust on our living room table. In fact, the Catholic’s taught, that you could not understand the bible, only a priest could understand and read it. I didn’t listen much to them as a kid, all I knew was, God was in heaven and I was on earth; and if I got out of line, He was there to punish or kill me. Plain and simple. So, if you grow up with this kind of doctrine, you are not going to be speaking much to God, because He was too scary.
Prior to my encounter, I was told different things in the Catholic Church: If you go to church every first Friday for a year you are guaranteed to go to heaven. Or better yet, I remember the nuns would say, “If Jesus does not get you in the front door of heaven, go around the back and Mary will let you in”. I guess they believed that Mary had some sort of side deal with God!
As a young kid I also remember having confession. This is where you go into a box, sit down and there is a screen between you and the priest. You are supposed to tell the priest how long it has been since your last confession and then confess your sins to him. He would then tell you some things to do, to get absolution, such as pray five Hail Mary’s and one Our Father; and your sins will be forgiven. I guess it meant that you needed
some assistance from Mary before you prayed the mother of all prayers. I always found this odd that they would always say pray more hail Mary’s then the our Father. It was because they actually taught that Mary ascended to heaven like Jesus and could offer help. Matthew 15:14 is all I will reference for you to read and gain understanding. For those that don’t know what the Our Father is, it is The Lord’s prayer, Matthew 6:9.
So the confession went something like this: Father forgive me, it has been five years since my last confession and these are my sins. Then you would laundry list the sins if you knew what they were. One day, I remember coming out of confession and went and sat back down with my mom. I then told her, “Mom, I’m never going back in there, the priest is drunk and smells like alcohol”! My mom never said anything and I never went back.
For three years the Spirit of God led me through the scriptures and they would leap off the pages, and into my heart. His word was alive to me and that was something I had never experienced. Jesus became so real and God ministered to me about his authority and power over all in those early days. He led me first, to be born again, then had me baptized in water by immersion, and finally with fire by the baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues.
I realized later in life that He orchestrated all of this in His proper order, even when I did not have a full understanding of these things, but God was leading me all the way with Jesus as my Lord. To look back, it was very cool and I am so grateful.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee, that unless you become born again of water and of the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, John 3:5. This does not mean you will not go to heaven if you allow Jesus to be Lord, just that you cannot enter or experience all the power of the kingdom of heaven now. You see, when Jesus walked the earth, He told those that were accusing Him of having a devil, He stated, “If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come unto you.” Matthew 12:28.
Jesus is our example, and He followed God perfectly and was baptized with water by immersion and with the Spirit, and did this as a man. God led me in the same path. You see, God is never confused.
From that time, I met a group of people that began to tell me I had to belong to a church. My first impression was, why? I am walking and talking with Jesus all day. Well, I didn’t know any better, and I started attending church, because I wanted to do what was right. If I am correct, I believe they would say, “You cannot forsake the assembling of the saints.” I did not want to be disobedient, so I went. Of course this was spoken to me by the letter and just added bondage. This was my first encounter with what they call, the Charismatics.
I would implore you to call on Jesus and he will come and save you, and show himself as you have never known him, and the love that God has for you. Don’t wait, believe that he died for your sins, went to hell and rose from the dead for you, and made the only way to God for you and I. It is not through any other way, just Jesus.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Servant and prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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