And They Overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their Testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Jesus came down to earth as a babe born of a virgin, lead a sinless life, died a horrible undeserved death by crucifiction upon the cross with my sins and all the sins of humanity laid upon him. This made Him my perfect sacrifice and offering for all my transgressions against the Lord. Then three days later, as prophesied, he rose from the dead, showed himself resurrected to thousands, and ascended up to heaven and is seated on the throne of God at His right hand.
This is my living savior who requires me to be a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1 KJV), and says “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14) Because of these commandments and many others like them, I have chosen to be obedient to the “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:16)
I was first introduced to Christianity when I was about 10 years old through a Southern Baptist Church in South Carolina, and I honestly don’t remember much other than feeling awkward because “everyone” seemed to know the songs, and other “you were taught when you were little” type references, and I did not. I was at this church for a few years and was “saved” and “baptized.” This had little to no affect on my life and was ultimately fruitless.
Then I stopped going to church, throughout this time I fell into visualizing what I wanted, having out-of-body experiences, and terrifying sleep paralysis. All this time I knew there was more than what little I remembered of “church.”
At age 17, I met Brittany (my now wife) and started going to her Pentacostal church. In this church, I do not remember much, but was given a “Message” version of the bible which is not even really a bible. It is a terrible paraphrase that uses the occult “as above, so below” instead of “Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.”
Brittany and I attended this “church” while we dated, through our engagement and were even married by their “pastor.” Over-all I learned a bit more about Jesus, however I was still just barely a luke-warm Christian. I did not pray, I did not read God’s Word, I was a “Sunday” Christian. In addition to this Sunday christianity, I got involved in new age astral projections, realms of consciousness, ect. Why did I seek those things, because something was missing from churchianity.
Then came graduation from college in 2012 and the big move to New Mexico for a job with a top semiconductor company. And began my life living the “American Dream” and “Sunday” Christianity. In New Mexico, we found a “church” to call home that was a part of the Assemblies of God. This seemed to be a modernized pentacostal church, with flashy lights, women preachers, and loud modern style music. I was entertained each week, sent into an emotional high, but no life change came of it. I took notes, but never looked over them, and I tithed diligently. I was at this location for a few years and dedicated my first two children there.
During this time, Brittany and I began to fall apart. We were verbally fighting frequently, very stressed all the time, and just could not get along. Brittany suggested we go to “christian couples counselling” and that is how we met my future “pastor couple”. We went through their program and really did not get any better, why because it was all self-help. We were not driven toward the Word, toward Jesus, toward our relationship with Him. It was mostly psychology masked in churchy words, which makes sense as one if not both were registered psychologists.
Hey they helped us right? No we thought they had, but our relationship was only superficially better and that began to crumble after counselling had “completed.” But when they said they were starting a new church we thought “Lets go support it” (Because they had supported us, even though we paid them). And so began our conversion to non-denomination Christians.
In this new church, we were promised an Acts based church, that slowly but surely grew to be nothing more than a Word of Faith heretical self-help “church”. One major blessing that came out of this (And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28) was as I was stirred to reject the teachings that were being presented by both “pastors”, I began to read my bible. The more I read, the more I noticed differences between the teaching and what was written. I began to withdraw from the church, and at this point Brittany and I hit an all time low. I wanted to hang on to her, I knew divorce wasn’t an option because the Bible said so. However I still allowed influence of my “pastors” in my relationship.
Once again under the “leadership” of these so-called pastors I was once again looking for something more. I was being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Ephesians 4:14 KJV) This lead me to a bunch of strange teachings and eventually to Hebrew Roots. I was truly being lead about like clouds being blown by the wind, into heresy after heresy.
My pastors said we should physically separate for a set time period because it would help us cool down from our anger at each other. Needless to say neither of us was acting Christ-like throughout this time. Each of us was only focused on ourselves rather than the other. One of our big issues was our separation on “theology,” Brittany was taken in with the “church” and I knew it was heretical and was trying to leave it. Eventually I brought up the heresy with the “pastors” and they said they would not even pray about it and that if they were to change things based on every suggestion then there would be no church. Ironically, the “suggestion” was entirely scriptural and thus a commandment.
With consistent and earnest prayer and with Brittany reading the Bible, she began to see the issues with the church and finally decided that she must leave with our children and follow me after God’s order. And since this time, we have become earnest followers of Christ. We have shucked off the false doctrines of name it and claim it, word of faith, christian self-help, chaotic tongues, once saved always saved, and a pre-tribulation rapture.
Remember, all we need is the Bible and the Holy Spirit. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26 “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” 1 John 2:27-28.
This long and arduous journey helped to lead me to true repentance from all of my old ways and from false man-centered religion. I am not sure exactly when it happened, but I began to have a change of heart towards the Word and towards my fellow man. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27 KJV)
I chose to read His Word, understand the true gospel, and do what it says. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 KJV) I did this at the expense of the doctrines of man: “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9 KJV) I learned to read and understand the Word in simplicity, having faith as a child and began living what I read. This is where I am today in the year 2021.
It is my prayer to all who read this, that you realize that you need no man to teach you doctrines, we have the Word and the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises that if we seek Him in spirit and in truth, He will answer. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-11 KJV)