Gerald C.
April 29, 2012
My life has been a study of guilt, self imposed expectations, seeking the approval of other's, while attempting to correct the woes society had imposed upon other's. The realty is simply I am not God! Nor am I able to bear the burden of guilt society falsely places upon me, or even my own guilt which I imposed upon myself.
Forgiveness is not always easy especially in the context of one self, it takes courage to ask the Lord to forgive one's own actions, one's own self righteous attitude, one's own mistakes in judgment. Forgiveness must be sincere, heart-felt and must include acceptance, accountability, restitution and resolve. A forsaking of a behavioral pattern which caused the initial guilt to begin with.
As a Christian I am constantly aware of my short comings and my stewardship unto the Lord.
Many believe the passage of John 3:16: For God so loved the World he gave his one and only only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For me to believe upon Jesus Christ I must also believe Jesus Christ is the very Word of God; therefore I must believe the whole Inspired Word of God to believe. And to believe is to act, to adopt, to apply and to accept as the reality in my life.
My testimony is of little value, the testimony of Jesus Christ abiding within me is of great value. The Lord has allowed me the priviledge of participating and witnessing many marvelous things, he has allowed me the desire of my heart and he has directed my path.
I like many of you have stumbled, fallen even to the point of injury yet I stumbled when I rejected the Lord's guidance rather than when I obeyed his instruction. Now I have been given the opportunity to be a willing vessel unto the Lord, his instrument for his purpose and his pleasure.
My life has been a study of guilt, self imposed expectations, seeking the approval of other's, while attempting to correct the woes society had imposed upon other's. The realty is simply I am not God! Nor am I able to bear the burden of guilt society falsely places upon me, or even my own guilt which I imposed upon myself.
Forgiveness is not always easy especially in the context of one self, it takes courage to ask the Lord to forgive one's own actions, one's own self righteous attitude, one's own mistakes in judgment. Forgiveness must be sincere, heart-felt and must include acceptance, accountability, restitution and resolve. A forsaking of a behavioral pattern which caused the initial guilt to begin with.
As a Christian I am constantly aware of my short comings and my stewardship unto the Lord.
Many believe the passage of John 3:16: For God so loved the World he gave his one and only only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For me to believe upon Jesus Christ I must also believe Jesus Christ is the very Word of God; therefore I must believe the whole Inspired Word of God to believe. And to believe is to act, to adopt, to apply and to accept as the reality in my life.
My testimony is of little value, the testimony of Jesus Christ abiding within me is of great value. The Lord has allowed me the priviledge of participating and witnessing many marvelous things, he has allowed me the desire of my heart and he has directed my path.
I like many of you have stumbled, fallen even to the point of injury yet I stumbled when I rejected the Lord's guidance rather than when I obeyed his instruction. Now I have been given the opportunity to be a willing vessel unto the Lord, his instrument for his purpose and his pleasure.
Michael H.
April 11, 2012
My name is Michael Hamilton. I am 33 years old with a wife, and two children, that I love deeply and dearly. However it was not always like this for me. I was raised by an alcoholic/addict father who was almost never their for me and when he was he was teaching me the all the wrong things. I was molested twice when I kid. My father mentally, physically, and emotionally abused me. I grew up loaded on one mind altering chemical or another. From the time I was about 11 to 21 I was rarely sober, and the times I was sober I was forced to be, because I was locked up or in somesort of foster home or group home, but even in those places I found ways to get high. When I turned eighteen my father kicked me out of the house with no place to go, I touched down in Oceanside, California at a place called the Dolphin hotel. The Dolphin was a one stop shopping center for anything a sinner wanted; pills, weed, heroin, meth, prostitutes, gays, lesbians, she males, and whatever else you could think of. I was such a naive boy at the time and was not hip to the ways of the world. I got strung out on methamphetamine and injecting it as well as heroin but meth was my drug of choice. I lived every waking moment to get high; my life revolved around the drug; I sold it, stole for it, robbed people for it, even sold my body for it. I used to live and lived to use. I have hurt and injured people for my own selfish gain, I have had guns pointed at me, people trying to kill me, and I have even shared needles with people that have AIDS; but I am still here. Do not think for one second that I am bragging or boasting in any way of my own strength, or power because I am not; I have none, and if I had any choice whatsoever in the matter I would not be here now, because I wanted to die. However, it was not I who had a say in the matter but God.
I can tell you that I did not want to be in that life any more so I prayed and asked God that if He was real to show me. I looked up in to the sky and as I asked this, a capital J formed in the clouds immediately, and I thought to myself wow J for Jehovah, which means "The Lord" in Hebrew.
There were three other times that I had asked Goid for help while I was still on the streets and within ywenty-four hours of praying ach time I was placed in jail. I was of the street and getting sober, which is what I asked God for.
I wish I could tell you that when I came to Christ it was one of those experiences where I felt God touch me and bam I was freed from all kinds of stuff and that it was instantaneous, but it was not. My salvation for me was a slow process; I was a messed up individual and God had much work to do with me.
Let me begin by telling you just the type of person I was; besides the drug addict, I was very selfish and living in the flesh as we all do before Christ changes us. I objectified woman, and saw them for nothing other than a vessel for my pleasure, I used them and even though I did not physically abuse them I did mentally and emotionally. I was a prostitute who allowed my body to be used for money and or drugs. I was a person who blamed every one else for my problems. I took no responsibility for my actions and I did not hold myself accountable for anything I did. I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief. I acquired every thing I had by dishonest gain. I did not work, but I hustled and ran the streets with false pride and arrogance. I weighed about a hundred and ten pounds sucked up, dehydrated from my drug use: I didn't eat and I didn't sleep. I was homeless for about three or four years, and I didn't care because I was always up getting high, selling drugs and hanging out with fellow drud users. The few times that I did sleep it was more like a crash because my body couldn't handle my abusive ways and it shut down on me. I would crash at friends houses for four or five days at a time and literally sleep for most of them. My body had been so trained on not eating that when I did crash, or come down from the drug use those few times, I would usually throw up the first time I ate because my body was rejecting the things needed to sustain itself. I went color blind for a day and by all rights I should be dead, but again not my plan.
Gods plan for me was not to die in the world but to be made alive through His Son, Jesus Christ. For the first part of my new life in Christ I was a self taught Christian; I was in jail for months at a time where all I could read was the Bible and pamphlets about God, and being saved, and things like how to pray. I did alot of praying in jail and it took three or four times in jail, along with a suspened five year prison sentance before I actually got sober and began trusting God with my life; This was in 2002.
Since 2002 I have gotten married had two children and have become and upstanding member of society. I have a home church with an excellant spiritual foundation and everyone that knows me, knows my story. My wife and I are considered the miracle case of the town by the police and judges and even the church, and we are but not by our hands. Jesus has grabbed a hold of us and completly changed the people we used to be. We have both been born again being made alive in the spirit. My wife is graduating from UNR with a bachelors degree in social work and I am working on my contractors license. I can not thank God enough for what He has done in our lives. My wife and I have come from broken homes, and God has given us the ability to break that cycle and give our children the loving home that every child needs. We are kind and loving parents and we are provided for by the Lord our God. The only thing left to say here is Praise God, The Most High who loves His children and gives them all that they need. Thank you Jesus for grabbing a hold of me and showing me a different way; Your way oh' Glorious Lord.
My name is Michael Hamilton. I am 33 years old with a wife, and two children, that I love deeply and dearly. However it was not always like this for me. I was raised by an alcoholic/addict father who was almost never their for me and when he was he was teaching me the all the wrong things. I was molested twice when I kid. My father mentally, physically, and emotionally abused me. I grew up loaded on one mind altering chemical or another. From the time I was about 11 to 21 I was rarely sober, and the times I was sober I was forced to be, because I was locked up or in somesort of foster home or group home, but even in those places I found ways to get high. When I turned eighteen my father kicked me out of the house with no place to go, I touched down in Oceanside, California at a place called the Dolphin hotel. The Dolphin was a one stop shopping center for anything a sinner wanted; pills, weed, heroin, meth, prostitutes, gays, lesbians, she males, and whatever else you could think of. I was such a naive boy at the time and was not hip to the ways of the world. I got strung out on methamphetamine and injecting it as well as heroin but meth was my drug of choice. I lived every waking moment to get high; my life revolved around the drug; I sold it, stole for it, robbed people for it, even sold my body for it. I used to live and lived to use. I have hurt and injured people for my own selfish gain, I have had guns pointed at me, people trying to kill me, and I have even shared needles with people that have AIDS; but I am still here. Do not think for one second that I am bragging or boasting in any way of my own strength, or power because I am not; I have none, and if I had any choice whatsoever in the matter I would not be here now, because I wanted to die. However, it was not I who had a say in the matter but God.
I can tell you that I did not want to be in that life any more so I prayed and asked God that if He was real to show me. I looked up in to the sky and as I asked this, a capital J formed in the clouds immediately, and I thought to myself wow J for Jehovah, which means "The Lord" in Hebrew.
There were three other times that I had asked Goid for help while I was still on the streets and within ywenty-four hours of praying ach time I was placed in jail. I was of the street and getting sober, which is what I asked God for.
I wish I could tell you that when I came to Christ it was one of those experiences where I felt God touch me and bam I was freed from all kinds of stuff and that it was instantaneous, but it was not. My salvation for me was a slow process; I was a messed up individual and God had much work to do with me.
Let me begin by telling you just the type of person I was; besides the drug addict, I was very selfish and living in the flesh as we all do before Christ changes us. I objectified woman, and saw them for nothing other than a vessel for my pleasure, I used them and even though I did not physically abuse them I did mentally and emotionally. I was a prostitute who allowed my body to be used for money and or drugs. I was a person who blamed every one else for my problems. I took no responsibility for my actions and I did not hold myself accountable for anything I did. I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief. I acquired every thing I had by dishonest gain. I did not work, but I hustled and ran the streets with false pride and arrogance. I weighed about a hundred and ten pounds sucked up, dehydrated from my drug use: I didn't eat and I didn't sleep. I was homeless for about three or four years, and I didn't care because I was always up getting high, selling drugs and hanging out with fellow drud users. The few times that I did sleep it was more like a crash because my body couldn't handle my abusive ways and it shut down on me. I would crash at friends houses for four or five days at a time and literally sleep for most of them. My body had been so trained on not eating that when I did crash, or come down from the drug use those few times, I would usually throw up the first time I ate because my body was rejecting the things needed to sustain itself. I went color blind for a day and by all rights I should be dead, but again not my plan.
Gods plan for me was not to die in the world but to be made alive through His Son, Jesus Christ. For the first part of my new life in Christ I was a self taught Christian; I was in jail for months at a time where all I could read was the Bible and pamphlets about God, and being saved, and things like how to pray. I did alot of praying in jail and it took three or four times in jail, along with a suspened five year prison sentance before I actually got sober and began trusting God with my life; This was in 2002.
Since 2002 I have gotten married had two children and have become and upstanding member of society. I have a home church with an excellant spiritual foundation and everyone that knows me, knows my story. My wife and I are considered the miracle case of the town by the police and judges and even the church, and we are but not by our hands. Jesus has grabbed a hold of us and completly changed the people we used to be. We have both been born again being made alive in the spirit. My wife is graduating from UNR with a bachelors degree in social work and I am working on my contractors license. I can not thank God enough for what He has done in our lives. My wife and I have come from broken homes, and God has given us the ability to break that cycle and give our children the loving home that every child needs. We are kind and loving parents and we are provided for by the Lord our God. The only thing left to say here is Praise God, The Most High who loves His children and gives them all that they need. Thank you Jesus for grabbing a hold of me and showing me a different way; Your way oh' Glorious Lord.
Jason O.
March 19, 2012
When I got back from Iraq in '05, my life was completely out of control. I had almost destroyed my marriage with my selfishness and crazy ways. I was on a collision course with destruction and didn't see any way out. I may have looked like I had it all together on the outside, but I was screaming on the inside.
God knew the pain I was going through and set things in motion ahead of time to reach me. Whether or not you believe me is not the issue, but I can't deny the facts of what happened to me prior to accepting Christ.
FIRST INTERVENTION - While I was deployed to Iraq I witnessed a personal friend of mine come to Christ. This man was by far one of the craziest guy's I had ever met in my military career. This was a man who used to enjoy being a thief, womanizer, liar, and a cheat. He didn't care who he hurt as long as it benefited him in some way. This was a man I actually used to admire! While he was deployed with me he went home on R&R and came back "changed". He started to talk different, and had a sense of joy about him I couldn't explain or put my finger on. It made me angry because I didn't even recognize him anymore and all I wanted was to get my friend back. I would tell him that it was just a phase he was going through and that he would give up all this Jesus talk eventually (misery truly does love company). I used to tell him when he'd try to witness to me that I was at peace with my demons. He would reply to me that "You can never make peace with demons". That always spooked me for some reason. I never let on about it to him, but his statement effected me and I never forgot that. He never pushed me or gave up on me though despite what I'd tell him.
SECOND INTERVENTION - Right before I left Kuwait to come home I was roommates with an NCO that was just starting his tour. While we were roommates I would make small talk with him and learned that he was a Christian. He used to play uplifting Christian rock music all the time. I was shocked because I actually liked some of the bands and couldn't believe it was Christian music. I never gave much thought to Christian music before and considered it nothing but hymnals until that point. Well it really grew on me and I ended up making a copy of one of his CDs, but other than that I was still plain old me. After coming home though I began listening to Christian music more and more. I couldn't even explain why at the time, but I began to become knowledgeable with current Christian groups.
THIRD INTERVENTION - Coming back home I found out my wife had started to go to church on a regular basis. She was taking the kids every Sunday and they were really getting into it. I think I went with her once and decided not to go after that. There wasn't anything wrong with the church she was attending or the message that was being preached....it was just me. I hated being around all these joy filled people! I didn't know how to react to it all and it was driving me crazy. For several weeks my wife would ask me if I was going to church with her and I would tell her no. Since I refused to go with her she stopped going on a regular basis until eventually she stopped going all together. The saddest part to this whole testimony is that I didn't even notice. I was too into myself back then and more concerned about what she was doing to me by going to church. It still hurts me inside looking back on it now. Here she was trying to do the right thing and I didn't want to have any part of it. I caused her to lose hope.
FORTH INTERVENTION - Shortly after coming back I was a complete burnout at work. I was never around and couldn't be counted on for much of anything. I didn't have much of a job anyway so I disappeared constantly from work and would sometimes go and get drunk instead. I would come home from "work" drunk and pick fights with my wife. The unit I was in at the time was shutting down so there was little activity going on and the building I worked in was practically empty. I remember rummaging through the offices one day for things I could essentially steal. I came across a old NIV (New International Version) Bible and decided to take it with me. What caught my eye about this Bible was that someone (trying to be funny) placed a "Top Secret" label on it. I thought it was humorous so I grabbed it and it ended up staying in my truck.
FIFTH INTERVENTION - I guess the joke was on me because I started to actually read this Bible during my endless time of doing nothing while sitting in my truck while at "work". I started to read about the life of Jesus and what He actually said. I became amazed at the things Jesus spoke of and how it differed from what I thought I knew about Him. I quickly became aware that although I was raised in a Christian home....that didn't make me a Christian. Although I knew of Jesus Christ, I didn't actually KNOW Jesus Christ. I thought knowing about Him and being raised in a Christian home was enough. I was wrong.
SIXTH INTERVENTION - Since I spent a lot of time in my truck (doing nothing but avoiding work!) I began listening to a church radio broadcast stationed out of California called Real Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. This pastor was made for me! He spoke in a way I could understand the Bible like no one I had ever heard before. Maybe it was the fact that I was finally allowing myself a chance to hear what God was trying to tell me, but I understood it clearly through Jack Hibbs. I still listen to him to this day and pass along his sermons to others that are receptive to the gospel. He spoke to me on my level and he wasn't trying to be one of those "holier-than-thou" types.
COMING TO CHRIST - Finally one night in late 2005 (I can't recall exactly when) I had had enough. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and I didn't know what to do. The whole family had already went to bed for the night and I was alone sitting in the dark by myself. I got on my knees and cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ to save me from the mess I had placed myself in. I asked for His forgiveness for every vial thing I'd ever done in my life. I asked Him to please save my marriage and told Him I was willing to finally change my ways and follow Him. I knew I needed Jesus in my life and accepted Him into my heart that night. I would love to tell you that I saw a bright light and heard the sweet sound of angels singing to me in the background...but I didn't. I would also love to tell you that all my problems and issues disappeared and were never to be seen again....but they weren't. What I can tell you is that something changed in me that night. I remember noticing it almost immediately. I began to have new thoughts and desires, and began thinking in ways I never had before. I still went on with my life as I had been but it was different now. Things that used to never bother me before began to eat away at me. I used to never give it a second thought to sin, but it bothered me now for some reason. Every time I sinned I felt compelled to repent from it and turn away from that old life.
Is some aspects my life became even more complicated for a while. I had pushed my wife away for so long that had it not been for God, my marriage wouldn't have lasted. She thought I was just going through a phase when I told her I had become a Christian. She didn't believe me! I couldn't blame her though, I wouldn't have believed me either. I was a fool to think that just because I had finally found God that she would miraculously forget about the endless amount of times I had pushed her away. I had driven her away from me and even her hope in God. Little did she know that God had answered her prayers all along. No, this was going to be a long road ahead and I had to endure it like she had to from me so many years before. I can tell you that this road I had to travel wasn't just long, but it was bumpy too. We spent the next few years doing everything possible to hold our marriage together. I am here to tell you that God never forsake me. He always gave me the strength to carry on even if it was just to hold on one more day. Today our marriage is stronger than it ever was, and I owe it all to the power of God. We are now where we should have been six years ago and I owe it all to the power of Jesus Christ.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Becoming a Christian was not an overnight occurrence for me but has been more of a ongoing process. Every year I become more of a Christ follower than I was the year before. Christianity is not about religion. It is about establishing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Religion is man's attempt to reach God. If we go by this mindset we are bound to fail. Most people consider themselves to be a good person, but the problem is that we judge this from our own standards. When you take that same "good" person and hold it up against a sinless and Holy God, you can quickly see that we aren't as "good" as we thought. There is nothing we can do that God would deem "Good Enough" to earn entrance into Heaven by our own standards.
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)
So if we were to go by the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20), which is God's standard of law we can see that no one is worthy in God's sight. Therefore going by God's standard we would be found guilty and deserving of Hell because of the laws we've broken.
But here's the good news....
God sent His Son Jesus Christ to take our punishment for us. All we have to do is believe in Him (that He lived, died for you personally, and rose three days later) and ask Him to forgive you of your past sins and turn from your old life. Accept Jesus into your heart and trust in Him. That's it! Trust me when I tell you that it was the best decision I made in my life! We like to think that when we become a Christian we end up giving up a lot of stuff to "follow Him". In some aspects this is true but not in the way you may think. Yes we "give up" to follow Christ. But Jesus has a much better life planned for those who trust and believe in Him. More than you could ever possibly dream of!
In 2008 God led me to start the SOCOM ministry. I knew next to nothing in the ways of web design or running a ministry for that matter. But this was something God had planned for my life and I never would have known this had I not trusted in Him. I've learned so much since answering this call to ministry. It was designed to be viewed in your own time and helps explain what Christianity truly is. Everything is explained from a military point of view. When I first became a Christian I had so many questions! One of the reasons SOCOM was created was for people like me! The site was built so that most of your questions could be answered right there!
When I got back from Iraq in '05, my life was completely out of control. I had almost destroyed my marriage with my selfishness and crazy ways. I was on a collision course with destruction and didn't see any way out. I may have looked like I had it all together on the outside, but I was screaming on the inside.
God knew the pain I was going through and set things in motion ahead of time to reach me. Whether or not you believe me is not the issue, but I can't deny the facts of what happened to me prior to accepting Christ.
FIRST INTERVENTION - While I was deployed to Iraq I witnessed a personal friend of mine come to Christ. This man was by far one of the craziest guy's I had ever met in my military career. This was a man who used to enjoy being a thief, womanizer, liar, and a cheat. He didn't care who he hurt as long as it benefited him in some way. This was a man I actually used to admire! While he was deployed with me he went home on R&R and came back "changed". He started to talk different, and had a sense of joy about him I couldn't explain or put my finger on. It made me angry because I didn't even recognize him anymore and all I wanted was to get my friend back. I would tell him that it was just a phase he was going through and that he would give up all this Jesus talk eventually (misery truly does love company). I used to tell him when he'd try to witness to me that I was at peace with my demons. He would reply to me that "You can never make peace with demons". That always spooked me for some reason. I never let on about it to him, but his statement effected me and I never forgot that. He never pushed me or gave up on me though despite what I'd tell him.
SECOND INTERVENTION - Right before I left Kuwait to come home I was roommates with an NCO that was just starting his tour. While we were roommates I would make small talk with him and learned that he was a Christian. He used to play uplifting Christian rock music all the time. I was shocked because I actually liked some of the bands and couldn't believe it was Christian music. I never gave much thought to Christian music before and considered it nothing but hymnals until that point. Well it really grew on me and I ended up making a copy of one of his CDs, but other than that I was still plain old me. After coming home though I began listening to Christian music more and more. I couldn't even explain why at the time, but I began to become knowledgeable with current Christian groups.
THIRD INTERVENTION - Coming back home I found out my wife had started to go to church on a regular basis. She was taking the kids every Sunday and they were really getting into it. I think I went with her once and decided not to go after that. There wasn't anything wrong with the church she was attending or the message that was being preached....it was just me. I hated being around all these joy filled people! I didn't know how to react to it all and it was driving me crazy. For several weeks my wife would ask me if I was going to church with her and I would tell her no. Since I refused to go with her she stopped going on a regular basis until eventually she stopped going all together. The saddest part to this whole testimony is that I didn't even notice. I was too into myself back then and more concerned about what she was doing to me by going to church. It still hurts me inside looking back on it now. Here she was trying to do the right thing and I didn't want to have any part of it. I caused her to lose hope.
FORTH INTERVENTION - Shortly after coming back I was a complete burnout at work. I was never around and couldn't be counted on for much of anything. I didn't have much of a job anyway so I disappeared constantly from work and would sometimes go and get drunk instead. I would come home from "work" drunk and pick fights with my wife. The unit I was in at the time was shutting down so there was little activity going on and the building I worked in was practically empty. I remember rummaging through the offices one day for things I could essentially steal. I came across a old NIV (New International Version) Bible and decided to take it with me. What caught my eye about this Bible was that someone (trying to be funny) placed a "Top Secret" label on it. I thought it was humorous so I grabbed it and it ended up staying in my truck.
FIFTH INTERVENTION - I guess the joke was on me because I started to actually read this Bible during my endless time of doing nothing while sitting in my truck while at "work". I started to read about the life of Jesus and what He actually said. I became amazed at the things Jesus spoke of and how it differed from what I thought I knew about Him. I quickly became aware that although I was raised in a Christian home....that didn't make me a Christian. Although I knew of Jesus Christ, I didn't actually KNOW Jesus Christ. I thought knowing about Him and being raised in a Christian home was enough. I was wrong.
SIXTH INTERVENTION - Since I spent a lot of time in my truck (doing nothing but avoiding work!) I began listening to a church radio broadcast stationed out of California called Real Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. This pastor was made for me! He spoke in a way I could understand the Bible like no one I had ever heard before. Maybe it was the fact that I was finally allowing myself a chance to hear what God was trying to tell me, but I understood it clearly through Jack Hibbs. I still listen to him to this day and pass along his sermons to others that are receptive to the gospel. He spoke to me on my level and he wasn't trying to be one of those "holier-than-thou" types.
COMING TO CHRIST - Finally one night in late 2005 (I can't recall exactly when) I had had enough. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and I didn't know what to do. The whole family had already went to bed for the night and I was alone sitting in the dark by myself. I got on my knees and cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ to save me from the mess I had placed myself in. I asked for His forgiveness for every vial thing I'd ever done in my life. I asked Him to please save my marriage and told Him I was willing to finally change my ways and follow Him. I knew I needed Jesus in my life and accepted Him into my heart that night. I would love to tell you that I saw a bright light and heard the sweet sound of angels singing to me in the background...but I didn't. I would also love to tell you that all my problems and issues disappeared and were never to be seen again....but they weren't. What I can tell you is that something changed in me that night. I remember noticing it almost immediately. I began to have new thoughts and desires, and began thinking in ways I never had before. I still went on with my life as I had been but it was different now. Things that used to never bother me before began to eat away at me. I used to never give it a second thought to sin, but it bothered me now for some reason. Every time I sinned I felt compelled to repent from it and turn away from that old life.
Is some aspects my life became even more complicated for a while. I had pushed my wife away for so long that had it not been for God, my marriage wouldn't have lasted. She thought I was just going through a phase when I told her I had become a Christian. She didn't believe me! I couldn't blame her though, I wouldn't have believed me either. I was a fool to think that just because I had finally found God that she would miraculously forget about the endless amount of times I had pushed her away. I had driven her away from me and even her hope in God. Little did she know that God had answered her prayers all along. No, this was going to be a long road ahead and I had to endure it like she had to from me so many years before. I can tell you that this road I had to travel wasn't just long, but it was bumpy too. We spent the next few years doing everything possible to hold our marriage together. I am here to tell you that God never forsake me. He always gave me the strength to carry on even if it was just to hold on one more day. Today our marriage is stronger than it ever was, and I owe it all to the power of God. We are now where we should have been six years ago and I owe it all to the power of Jesus Christ.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Becoming a Christian was not an overnight occurrence for me but has been more of a ongoing process. Every year I become more of a Christ follower than I was the year before. Christianity is not about religion. It is about establishing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Religion is man's attempt to reach God. If we go by this mindset we are bound to fail. Most people consider themselves to be a good person, but the problem is that we judge this from our own standards. When you take that same "good" person and hold it up against a sinless and Holy God, you can quickly see that we aren't as "good" as we thought. There is nothing we can do that God would deem "Good Enough" to earn entrance into Heaven by our own standards.
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)
So if we were to go by the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20), which is God's standard of law we can see that no one is worthy in God's sight. Therefore going by God's standard we would be found guilty and deserving of Hell because of the laws we've broken.
But here's the good news....
God sent His Son Jesus Christ to take our punishment for us. All we have to do is believe in Him (that He lived, died for you personally, and rose three days later) and ask Him to forgive you of your past sins and turn from your old life. Accept Jesus into your heart and trust in Him. That's it! Trust me when I tell you that it was the best decision I made in my life! We like to think that when we become a Christian we end up giving up a lot of stuff to "follow Him". In some aspects this is true but not in the way you may think. Yes we "give up" to follow Christ. But Jesus has a much better life planned for those who trust and believe in Him. More than you could ever possibly dream of!
In 2008 God led me to start the SOCOM ministry. I knew next to nothing in the ways of web design or running a ministry for that matter. But this was something God had planned for my life and I never would have known this had I not trusted in Him. I've learned so much since answering this call to ministry. It was designed to be viewed in your own time and helps explain what Christianity truly is. Everything is explained from a military point of view. When I first became a Christian I had so many questions! One of the reasons SOCOM was created was for people like me! The site was built so that most of your questions could be answered right there!
