My testimony continued and how accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior changed me

Here comes episode 3, and our story begins in the Gospel of John. In the beginning was the Word, and cue intro guy. The Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Spending time in the Word of God is the best way to spend time with God. Welcome to No Doubt, No Fear, Only Believe podcast. Where we will encourage, inspire, and empower you to live your best life in Christ. Here's Greg. Welcome to episode 3 of No Doubt, No Fear, Only Believe podcast. All right, I'm on day 3, and I just want to thank you if you've listened to the first 2 days. If this is your first time, I appreciate you stopping by, and I'm going to continue my, my backstory, I want to remind you of the 3 things that I want you to know every time I speak on a podcast. One, that you are God's favorite. If God had a refrigerator in heaven, your picture would be all over it. And number 2 is God is not mad. He's not even a little bit upset. He put all of his anger and all of the consequences of our sin, your sin, everyone, the whole world's sin on Jesus, and Jesus paid. He, he was— he bled and died so that you and I could live. And the third thing that I want you to know is that regardless of when you're listening to this, Jesus is one day closer to his return. So start living like he's coming, because he— the word of God says that he is on his way. We don't know the date or the time, So we are supposed to live like it's today. So with those 3 things in mind, again, my favorite scripture— I'm not going to repeat it, but it's Revelation 12:11, and I love that scripture. And it's based mainly because, uh, I'm, I'm doing this podcast and it's based on your testimony. And that's really what I'm giving today. I'm gonna— I'm following up on the testimony that I started, um, my last episode, and it was based on the first 29 years of my life. And I'm giving this testimony not to tell you how horrible I was or how good I am or anything like that. It's just because that's actually my testimony. This is, it's my life. You and I have one life to live. You're living yours, and I lived mine, and I'm in the process of finishing this thing out. I'm 57 years into this. Probably more than halfway through. The first 29 years, I did it without God. Now, you know, and again, I've mentioned it on the last episode, there was a lot of things, you know, I thought, and I guess I'm gonna go back and say, you know, if someone asked me if I was for God, I would have said yes. I wasn't against God, but I, you know, I had a mental image, you know, and my thought process was, that if I say I'm for God and there's a God, then I'm on the right side. If I say I'm for God and there is no God, then what difference does it make? But if I said I'm against God and there is a God, I'm in big trouble. So to let you know where I was mentally, I was for God, but I had no idea that it was a heart issue. I mean, I told you that I lived across the street from a Baptist church we never went to. So I really didn't know, you know, everything that I knew about God is I, you know, I picked up from just other people. And that's not— I mean, that is not— faith doesn't come from looking at other people. Now, you, you do kind of get an idea of how people live, and you can kind of— I wouldn't do that, or I'll, you know, maybe I start incorporating some of that into my life, but Faith comes by hearing the word of God. And, and I hadn't heard— I mean, I'd picked up my Bible, my Bible, I picked up a Bible a few times and started reading it because I was pretty much, I was always a reader. But I, I would start at Genesis, and by the time I got to like Deuteronomy or Leviticus, I was done. I was like, what is this? So I really, I, I tried to read the Bible as a book, and I never really, I never really got it. But there was one day back in January 10th, 1993, where God came on the scene. I mean, he was always drawing out, you know, I look back and I see, and I'm going to this whole podcast, I'm going to give you, you know, things that happened in my life and how, you know, how it changed my life and how it— excuse me, you know the saying that some, some plant and some water but the increase is of the Lord. There were many people that poured into my life and got me to the point where I needed to be on January 10th, 1993. But I listened and the Word, and I can't describe it any other way than it just kind of came alive. There was something inside of me. I was standing at the front of this auditorium. It really was a business meeting and I'm standing, there was probably a few thousand people there. And I didn't even care. I mean, it was kind of like they, they had an altar call, I guess, for lack of a better word. They, they said, you know, if anybody wants to give their life, you know, to God, come to the front. Well, I was standing up there. God had— I was stirring up inside. And so I gave my life to God in '93, and they gave me, you know, some steps. They said, you know, get a Bible. And they, you know, they didn't tell me you have to have a, you know, a King James Bible or a New King James Bible or the Living— they said get whatever translation you want to get because some Bible is better than no Bible. And so I got a Living Translation because someone told me that it was easier to read, so I— that's what I bought. And they said don't start at the beginning like you would a normal book, start at the You know, started the chapter, Gospel of John. It's in the New Testament, closer to the end. You know, I mean, they kind of told me, hey, you're— we know that you probably don't know anything, and they were right. And so I started at John, and then they said, you know, God wrote the book, so ask God to open up his word to you before you read it. And he— and they kind of prefaced that and said, look, now this is prayer. When you're asking God to do something or you're talking to God, you talk to God just like you would your best friend. And I knew how to talk to my best friend, and so I would just, I would ask the Holy Spirit. I didn't know anything. I was dumb. I'm telling you, I was dumb, and I had no idea about anything in the Bible. And I think that because I was so ignorant to the, you know, to church and the Bible stuff, that, I mean, I've just, I mean, I've just did what they told me to do. 'cause I didn't know any different. So I did, I picked up my Bible, opened up John, I said, "Holy Spirit, let me know what it is you want me to, since you wrote this, let me know what it is you want me to learn." So I started reading and the instructions were, you don't have to get to the end of it. As you're reading it, if something kind of jumps out at you, just stay with that for a minute, you know, kind of ponder or think about. I mean, it was really good instructions for a, for a baby Christian. I— so I started, I started reading, and I would stop and I would reread it. And, you know, I read through the John, and he said, once you get through the book of John, he said, you know, you got— you really don't have to move to another. He said, start over at John again. And I mean, I thought that was a little weird, but I did it. I— and And so I started at John again, and I asked Holy Spirit. And it was funny, I, you know, I can't remember back because it was over 28 years ago, but I remember reading it and it was like, wow, I didn't— I don't remember that. And so anyway, I read— I've read through John a few times. And they also said to find a church that taught the Bible. He said you'd be surprised, there are churches that don't teach the Bible. And I mean, I'd never heard of that. I have some stories about some that I went to, and they said, find your place, you know, you'll know when you walk in if it's for you. And I did some church shopping, and then it said, you know, find your place in the church once you find the Bible-believing church. And so all of that, that's kind of my— I got saved, and this is kind of how I got grounded. In the church. It was a really unique experience. I had really no experience in any kind of church whatsoever. So I, I mean, I was, I was just walking. Everything was new to me. And I remember, and just starting out looking for different churches, I went— and, and I'm, I'm not going to call out different denominations and, and all that stuff because everybody is different. But there were— I went to probably 5 or 6 different churches before I found the church that I ended up landing in. And it was, it was a, it was incredible. I mean, it fit where I was, you know, they had, they had bands. This was in '93. So they had drums, they had a lead guitar and a bass guitar. And I think they had saxophones. And I thought that was the coolest thing. Because they had this music, this praise and worship was incredible. And so I, I sat in here and, and just started listening. Now it was a, what, what people would call a full gospel, uh, it was the Assembly of God. And I didn't know that from anything, but it was, it had really, the reason I picked it, it had really cool worship because it was more like You know, it was more like the bands and the music that I was listening to in the bars and stuff. So it fit where I was, and the people were really nice. And so, I mean, I kind of sat down and stayed. And over those 28 years, God has taken me from not knowing anything about His Word or about His— the way He does things. And he brought me to where I am today. And that is what really, with the, the No Doubt, No Fear, Only Believe, what I want to just tell you is that it— God will, if you, if you get into his word, God will change you. And the scripture, again, I'm gonna, I'm gonna repeat the scripture that I talked about in the previous episode. It was on, and what makes me qualified is 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. And Paul said, for you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things that are mighty. And the base things of this world and the things which are despised, God has chosen, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. And, and that, that scripture— and there are many scriptures that, that I've gotten written down that we're going to talk about, not today, but that I'm going to talk about— that that just bring to light how great a God that we serve. And if you aren't grabbing— and if I can tell you one thing, if you get one thing out of this podcast, it is to get into your Bible. I'm telling you, God is not a respecter of persons. He is— he loves you. And when I say you are his favorite, I mean it. I mean, God knows exactly where you are.. And one of the scriptures that— and I'm going to repeat this many times, but it is— I think it's Luke, and I'm going to have to get to my Bible because I've got it memorized, but I haven't just fully got it into my heart. But it's where Jesus tells his disciples— I think it's Luke 18:8, if you're not driving and you want to kind of dig around in your Bible. I just grabbed my Bible, and so as I'm fumbling through while I'm talking to you, it is— I think it's Luke 18:8. And if not, I'm gonna have to— I'm gonna have to do some editing here. But yeah, it's Luke 18:8. I tell you, I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, I am going to have to edit it. This is not the one I'm talking about. It's in John. It is in John 16:7. 16:7, not Luke 18:8. It is John 16:7, and it says, nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. And that scripture is, is just incredible to me because Jesus is telling his people, his 12 disciples, hey, this is to your advantage if I leave. And I want you to let that sink in for a minute and, and just think about if you were one of the 12 disciples and you're sitting there with him and he's teaching you, he's about to go to the cross, and he tells you, "Hey guys, I got something to tell you. It's to your advantage if I leave. I'm going to be going away, but be of good cheer because it's going to be a lot better when I'm gone." I mean, I would have been going, "Are you crazy? What? It's better if you leave?" And, and I want— and, and that's the point that I want you to think about. And the whole point of this, of this episode, it, it's kind of morphed into something different with me going to this scripture. But you're, you're sitting around listening to Jesus, and he said, it's better if I leave. And now I've got another question that I want you to ponder. If Jesus was here. And it's January, it's kind of the middle of January in 2021. So I don't know when you're going to be listening to this, if you're listening to it in 2021, or if it's online and you just picked this up, but we're kind of in the middle of this, um, Corona— or Corona, it's COVID. I think it used to be the coronavirus, but now it's COVID-19. But anyway, we're in the middle of this pandemic, and if Jesus was here— I heard someone say, "Man, if Jesus was here, he would have all this solved." I think part of the whole reason, one of the things that fires me up is when I hear things like that, it kind of makes me want to go, "Really? So the Holy Spirit is nothing?" I mean, yeah, he's here, I know he's here, but boy, if Jesus was here. Now let's go to Jesus' words in John 16:7: Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you, but if I depart, he will come to you. Now Jesus did go away, and he did depart. And he did send his Spirit, and his Spirit is here, and he is everywhere all the time, and he is no less powerful than Jesus was when he was walking. But the problem is, and it's kind of where Luke— it was kind of where Luke 8:18-8, and it's kind of why I got my, my two scriptures messed up, is because when Jesus, he asked the question to his disciples in 18:8. Luke 18:8: I tell you the truth that he will avenge them speedily. Nonetheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth? That's a, that's a tough question. Is God, when he comes back, is he going to find faith? And if you don't have the faith to believe that the Holy Spirit is just as powerful as Jesus. I mean, you just kind of got— this is something that you kind of got to get into your spirit man, into your heart, is that we have inside of us have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead living on the inside of us, and we have the Holy Spirit with us. He said he'd never leave us nor forsake us. So why is coronavirus still hanging around? Why is there so much fear? Why is there so much doubt? Why are we not believing? And so that is, that is why I started this podcast, is because I'm— I just got fired up. I got tired of hearing people whining about, oh my gosh, this is so bad. This— no, we have God walking around with us everywhere we go. And it says where two or more gathered. So I'm talking about it, and if you're thinking about it, the Holy Spirit, he's right there in the midst of us. So I just want to encourage you, this is, this is not where I thought this was going to be, and it's a little bit longer than I thought I was going to talk. But I will pick, I will pick up the, the next episode. I will pick up where I left off here, and I will, I will carry into how I went from being a baby Christian that didn't really know anything to how God kind of started picking some things clean. I, you know, I— that my first pastor that I was under said, you know, I was telling him, look, I, you know, I, I think it was beer. I still— I said, man, I— Pastor, I, I tell you, I, I love the taste of beer. And he You know, and he— and I'll tell you the story, what— because he— that I was caught. I mean, I was out, I was out at a restaurant. And anyway, I'll wait till the next episode to tell you about that. But he said something that was profound to me and what I needed to hear. He said, he said, Greg, he said, God never cleans his fish before he catches them. And that is really what I needed to hear because I had so many scales, and I was so— because I'm, again, 29 years of living without God. I had picked up a lot of really not wonderful skills, and I'm not sure that skills— I mean, I— a way of ways of doing things in a way of thinking of things. And I'm going to give you another scripture that I use to kind of anchor some of the things that helped me get over all of the, the bad thinking and all of that stuff. So anyway, I appreciate if you've made it this far. I appreciate you listening to the end. Remember to hit the subscribe button if you haven't already, and I appreciate any kind of review that you put up. I, I'm told that it, it makes a difference. I don't know, I'm just starting out. Thanks again for listening, and I look forward to talking to you soon. Thanks for listening to the No Doubt, No Fear, Only Believe podcast at www.nodoubtonlybelieve.com.