Daily Bible Verse - Proverbs 3: 5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight.

                          - Proverbs 3: 5-6 

This verse hits home every time adversity presents itself in one's life. So many people (including myself to a point) claim to believe in God, however the part that gets glossed over and holds back true belief and understanding is the "in all your ways submit to Him." God's love is genuine and powerful, so why would it be fair to half-heartedly trust and love Him? Without truly loving Him and submitting one can not be saved.

Trusting in the Lord is relatively simple; know that he is always looking over you and guiding you through life. The next part is where much of the inner struggle occurs; "with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" First of all, we should not expect to fully understand God's intentions and/or actions. They are his own and do not require explanation. 

While we may not understand mentally the how or why, in our hearts, trust and faith serve to fill the void left by things that our simple minds can not grasp. As bad as things may get and no matter how many times society tells us one thing will happen, He has another plan; this is what it boils down to. Truly trusting in God and his plan even when evil (in this example society) presents itself and makes it seem as if there is no hope and your path is hopeless.

True love was touched upon in another post, and it again, fits here. Truly open your heart and soul to Him and allow Him to guide you without resistance "and he will make your paths straight."

Daily Bible Verse - 1 John 4:12

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

                                                            -1 John 4:12

This verse hits home and is a big part of why sometimes people (including myself) struggle with their belief. In this world we are taught from an early age to trust those we know and err on the side of caution when things we don't understand come around. After all, without being able to see or feel something, how can we trust that whatever it is is, in fact, real? This directly relates to spirituality and belief in God.

I ran across another quote today and strangely enough it fits perfectly into this topic of discussion:

Why do we close our eyes when we pray, cry, kiss or dream? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen, but felt by the heart.

Is God not the most beautiful thing one can feel but not see? Since "no man hath seen God at any time" then faith is indeed blind and belief in Him is something that stems from feelings. Often times I asked God to make himself known and to speak to me, this of course has yet to happen and most likely will not happen until our day of judgement. It is through faith in His word that we grow closer to Him and become true believers.

The second part states that "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us." Outpouring of love to others is a sign of His work in us, however it is not enough to simply "be nice" to people and thus be truly saved and "of God." In the same breath it is not simply enough to believe in God and expect salvation.  One must truly obey God if they truly wish to be righteous and saved.

Both obedience (following) and love (God's tangible influence through one's actions) go hand in hand. If there is love and no obedience, then there is no true love, which in this case is referring to the perfection of God's love through belief in Christ.

To truly experience perfect love, one must maintain obedience to God's word and this is accomplished by steadfast trust that what we can not see is real.

Personal Testimony

First off, I grew up in a loving, supportive and healthy family however God was not a part of it. My mother attended church as a child, but we never did growing up and while we knew and believed there was a God, that was all. As I entered college I already had two years of drinking and drugs under my belt and it only got worse when I went to college. I had a bright future playing baseball and threw it away one bottle and one line at a time. Three run ins with the law, an arrest, and 12 weeks in rehab later I ended up meeting my now wife of nearly 5 years and 6 months into our relationship we were given the news that we were pregnant. I now have two beautiful girls (5 and 2) and couldn't be happier. She was my initial savior...

I began going to church last April, after turning 28 and being persuaded by my wife, and had an experience not too long ago that really opened my eyes and made me believe. Up until this moment, my belief was very slowly building and the understanding that someone would die for "dumb ol me" still escaped me.

A little back story, growing up I suffered from reoccurring dreams/nightmares quite often. The one dream/nightmare that lasted the longest and was the most frequent was hard to explain to anyone I would tell. There was pitch black all around and a tiny figure in the distance with a light of some sort behind it. The image would very slowly get closer and closer and as best I could tell it was a face of someone/something. By the time the face got close enough to tell what it was I would wake up almost in a panic. 

The image wasn't disturbing, I was more so curious as to what it was. What was very strange was the feeling I would have, physically, every time I had this dream. It's as if my body was light as a feather. I couldn't feel anything and something was off. It was like waves of energy (I guess) flowing through me and I always believed it was just adrenaline rushing through me because of the strange dream.

Fast forward to last August, now just 4 months into my journey I sat with my wife and after taking communion I prayed that God would talk to me and make his presence felt, give me a sign. As our pastor wound up his message and we all bowed our heads in prayer, he stopped in the middle of his prayer and said he felt that there was someone in the room that needed to turn his/her life over to our Lord and he asked that whoever was ready to surrender and give everything to Him, by raising their hand. 

Still very timid and self conscious, yet almost as if it was a reflex, my hand went up and I opened my palm. The second I opened my hand and reached up high the feeling that I got as a child during my dreams was intensified 10x and I began to sob in my chair. 

I never knew what the feeling was, but now I truly believe it was God looking down on me and blessing me. The road I took (my own choice) was littered with sin, lies and deceit. When I felt His presence rush over my body it was as if I was home in His arms. 

Since then I've been baptized, attended men's bible study, began a blog to spread His word and have found this forum to learn more. It's an addiction that I am able to look at myself in the mirror and be proud of. God is good and I am so blessed to have what I believe was an encounter with the Mighty One.

Thanks for listening.

Cardboard Testimony

I found one of these Cardboard Testimonies on my church's website and was nearly brought to tears, not only for the joy my heart felt for these people now freed to love our Lord, but for the realization (yet again) that I'm not the only one fighting the good fight. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Daily Bible Verse - Matthew 6:20

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through or steal.

                                                                 - Matthew 6:20

I love the hope and comfort in this passage. In layman's terms it is saying that your works through God, while in the flesh, will be rewarded in heaven. Simple enough, but there is a lot more to it. I take the term "for yourselves" and believe it is hinting that YOU as a man of God must put forth the work and effort if you hope to reap the rewards that lay ahead in heaven. God will not simply set aside "treasures" without reciprocated love and effort. 

Through work and worship, while God has a hand in it all, we are responsible for what awaits us on judgement day. 

The second part speaks to God's purity and total reign of his kingdom, which I interpret as comfort. The works done on earth, when sent on high, will forever be kept safe and untarnished. The moth is a simple metaphor and while a small creature, can cause a lot of damage (to clothes) if let in (your home). God is the great protector and no one and nothing that He doesn't allow shall pass through his gates to his kingdom and threaten your treasures.

The passage paints the picture a little better with terms "rust doth corrupt" and "thieves." Most people can relate to the destructive nature of rust and thieves much more than a moth and I think this is why these terms were added, for a sense of God's true power. Yes our Lord can save us from moths, but even rust and thieves stand no chance against His Holiness. 

The protection from our God and the assurance that he will hold sacred any works we perform while on earth and in the flesh is an assurance that will not be found anywhere else. The comfort gained from knowing this is like making a very lucrative investment that will only gain value over time. 

Daily Bible Verse - Exodus 15:6

Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power.

Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.

                     -- Exodus 15:6 

This passage is pretty straight forward on the surface but is also powerful in it's simplicity. God's overwhelming power need not be understated and the use of the word "shattered" paints a picture of great force coming down on His enemies. Terms like crush or destroy fall short in relation to something being shattered beyond recognition and repair. When called upon, our Lord moves on our sins and troubles, and with a simple swipe of his hand, vanquishes our enemies. 

Clearly this is an easy enough translation, however digging deeper there is always more meaning to uncover. Our Lord, powerful as he is, does not shy away or neglect even his smallest enemy. My mind automatically goes to Satan when the term "enemy" is brought up, however any problem one may have can be considered an enemy and more often than not is the work of Satan. 

How mighty is our God to not overlook even the smallest problems we bring to him? How loving is our God to spend time to reach out with His (as the verse says) majestic and powerful right hand and touch our lives daily? In His power, there is comfort and in His work, there is freedom.  

If a problem should ever arise in your life and you think it is too petty or small for God, you're wrong. We are God's children and he cares for each and every one of us equally and anyone who turns to him will get a response, no matter the severity of the problem. Our God is good and our God is mighty. 

Verse of the Day - Hebrews 10:24,25

I thought that in order to truly grow my relationship with God, his word must be learned. I'll be posting a "Verse of the Day" and hoping to expand on it and learn more about the message of the gospel through discussion and reflection. Of course all your comments are welcome.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  

                                                                                        - Hebrews 10:24,25

This Hebrews passage, to me is saying that we are to walk in the footsteps of God together. Many people tend to hold back and in turn become introverts with their beliefs because they feel that 1) What they think or how they interpret things is wrong and 2) No one wants to hear what they have to say.  These two things couldn't be further from the truth in my eyes.

My limited knowledge of scripture has forced me into "spiritual seclusion" at times, often thinking that I'm dumb because I don't truly understand what the Lord is saying through his word. The truth of the matter is that there are many ways to interpret God's word, that's the beauty of it. The exploration of His word and the discussions that stem from it are healthy and often bring moments of clarity for those like me who have yet to take off our spiritual training wheels.

Going back to the passage it says "...but let us encourage one another..." As individuals we can serve God and worship alone and there is no harm or shame in that, however it is when we spread our arms and encourage others to join us that we as a spiritual community become strong. I am of the belief that the saying "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" holds true in this case and is easily applied. Simply put, together we are stronger.

I have been blessed to be a part of a strong congregation that is so wonderful and so positive, so much so that I find myself waiting for Sundays with tremendous anticipation. My goals are to "walk the walk" so to speak and spread the word of God as I see it to as many people as I can. This is the start of it.

Finding My Way - Come Along

All anyone really wants is their voice to be heard and to be loved, both of which have fortunately happened for me. Now a man with life experience but with a somewhat sheltered (and at times naive) perspective on life, there are some things I've come to realize about myself. None of which are good or bad, per-se, but as a whole, paint a picture of struggle, addiction, love, pain, and infidelity; all of which led me to my journey to be the best man, father and husband I can be in the eyes of God.

Hopefully this will be the beginning of something wonderful and my simple words may inspire others to follow my path and to truly understand and BELIEVE that redemption and spiritual awakening is possible for anyone who so desires it. 

To start out, I was raised well. My family didn't have a ton of money, but I had plenty of things (even if some were hand-me-downs from friends) I was fed plenty, clothed and most importantly, loved. Growing up in a small-ish suburban town on the west coast there was ocean to the west, mountains to the east and beauty all around. Most of which I was blind to as a young boy but now I've come to appreciate it all.

As I grew up and entered High School, everything began to fall into place. Sports were the center of my life and I was good at it. Classroom work was easy and while I may not have been the most diligent student, I did just fine. Fast forward to my junior/senior year and the scenario drastically changed, while sports were still a big part of my life, drugs/alcohol gave me a release from problems at home and social awkwardness. This trend would continue…

High School ended, I graduated and went on to pursue a collegiate athletic career. With all the talent in the world, but not a shred of common sense and ability to problem solve and be responsible, the athletic career never happened. Unfortunate, yes, but my own fault and believe me when I say I make no excuses for my transgressions. 

After dropping out of school, falling in trouble with the law a few times (nothing super severe) and a long stint in rehab, the world was again mine for the taking. A job fell into my lap, and money was constant, honestly more than I really knew what to do with at the age of 21, so like any kid with no will power and a history of self medicating, I fell back into the same routine.

It was a life full of paranoia and fear. Fear of letting down my family and having to face my friends, fear of jail time and most importantly and sadly, fear of letting myself reaching my true potential. 

It wasn't until I received the news of my first born child’s conception, that I began to understand that things needed to change. While I believe that the birth of my oldest child was the greatest blessing from God, my work was not done and I would continue to take steps backwards and to this day still do so.

In the days and months to come I hope to engage in laughter, meaningful conversation and hope to create a release for those who have struggled as I have. So buckle up and join me in my search for both the best version of myself, as well as a lifetime relationship with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.