As a young man, it was difficult for me to think there was truth. Too many concepts were called truth that weren’t even close to being similar. It was confusing. I did somehow believe there might be a God.
At work, I had just hired a person to help me run the business who was younger than I was. He had long hair and wore jeans—the hippie look of the day. He was a good worker, and he was the one who ended up telling me about his God. He encouraged me to just read the Bible and not read into it. I didn’t own a Bible; he got my attention though, so I bought one.
It took months of sharing with me his quality of life and his understanding of the Bible before I went with him to fellowship. Then, while in the Foundational Class that the ministry offered, my eyes were opened to begin seeing that there really is truth and there truly is a God. That was a major comfort to my soul. I figured there were others who thought like I had previously thought—confused and questioning. Well, I wanted to find them and help them with what I was learning.
Telling people about how truth can actually set them free has been an excitement of mine to share ever since hearing the truth of the Word. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). That’s what God’s Word says and that’s what God means! It turned my life around and truth became my standard, whereas before, there was no standard that made any sense.
Having something to follow that promises to always work, now that’s life changing! I started to see direction in my life. That’s what I lacked before. But no more! I thought I was on my way to hell and there was no way to change that. It was a hopeless way to live. What is so eye-opening is that everything I thought life was about was not even close to what God says in His Word. But that was what was missing—I never opened His book to see what was there until I came to this ministry.
The pages of God’s Word are full of life. That’s what I was beginning to absorb. My life was changing. I saw how God didn’t leave anyone out of His love. He tells in His Word of the one Body, referring to the entire Body of Christ. I had never heard that before. What a revelation! Each of us means just as much to God as the other. We are all favored and blessed. This was a big deal for me to get ahold of. What a loving God He really is.
Another thing I was starting to put together was the idea of speaking in tongues. I had never been around it, so it was a huge change for me to consider. Once I started to see the significance of it and how it is fundamental to operating the other eight manifestations, which I had not heard of before either, it was another jump to my heart and soul. When deliverance is so clear and beautiful and life changing, there’s no way to keep that kind of explosiveness inside.
My excitement was through the roof! I started to have a meaningful life! I learned that God forgave me of ALL of my previous ways, my sins, my craziness, my earlier life. What’s the price of that for a person? As I learned more, the price became evident. It was God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He gave his life so I could live mine according to the standard of the Word. You talk about being humbled! Going through my first few classes and still today, I continue to learn and still go through the gamut emotionally. We never forget where we came from, but we always keep moving forward to be the person God has called us to be. That has great appeal for me, and now I love telling people about my God.
If I hadn’t gone to a home fellowship and hadn’t seen the genuineness of God, I would not be here today to write these things. My life is God’s. I know without Him, I am nothing. With Him, I can keep growing to be who He called me to be, which is His masterpiece.