Wolfioso
Member
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2021
- Messages
- 2
Hello all,
I just want to introduce myself. I should probably warn, I haven’t done much (any to be honest) digging into the forums yet so I really don’t know what I’m getting into here, but I’m hoping it proves to be the beginning of a fruitful relationship. I will put a “too long didn’t read” under my testimony so that anyone that wants the short version can still know
My Reader’s Digest testimony is this:
I grew up in a less than ideal household. My parents were never married, and weren’t together by the time I was born. I spent most of my childhood (until 8th grade) in my father’s home where it was him and myself, and a mix of whatever girlfriend and kids were living with us at the time, until my little brother was born (shortly before my moving in with my mom in 8th grade). My dad was a pretty charitable man, albeit extremely misled and fought 30 year battle with addiction to Methamphetamine, most of which was during the time I was living with him. He was the type of addict that ebbed and flowed in and out of active addiction and during the months that he would get clean, he would attend the Mormon church. Since he couldn’t read or write, the LDS missionaries would do weekly ”Bible” Studies with him and he was (and is to this day) influenced by their Theology and unfortunately he still doesn’t know the real Christ.
In 8th grade I moved in with my mother, who claimed to believe in Christ but never attended church, or showed any evidence of being saved. I went through high school being a latchkey child and despite my mother’s best efforts (she also was dealing with addiction at the time) I eventually fell into the wrong crowd and began experimenting with substances myself. By the time I was 18 years old I was using OxyContin and Heroin daily and was on the fast lane to prison and Hell. For a few years I went in and out of county jail for months at a time and had no ambition aside from selling marijuana and fulfilling my fleshly desires. Eventually my actions and lifestyle caught up to me and I was sentenced to 5 years in state prison for robbing a rival drug dealer. Prior to going to prison, I had always had a general “interest” in theology and apologetics but I was always under the impression that my sins were to grave for the Creator of this universe to ever want to redeem me. Ironically, I somehow reconciled the thought in my head that I was both: a good person, yet too bad of a person for God to accept me.
While in prison I had the time to do a lot of reading. For a while I used this time to read things that satisfied my flesh, non-fiction books about Mexican drug kingpins, biographies of secular rap artists, conspiracy theory books, basically everything I shouldn’t have been reading. Luckily, I started coming across books like Chuck Missler’s Learn The Bible in 24 Hours, and Lee Strobel’s Case for Easter/Christ/Creator. Looking back, as much as I would love to say that I made an effort to put down the things of this world and begin to follow God, I didn’t. I began reading edifying content and slowly put down the worldly content. I began slowly starting to spend more time with the Christian crowd in prison and slowly slipped out of the crowd of non-repentance. At this point, I began reading the Bible daily and doing a daily, or every other day, Bible study with the Christians there. The tipping point was one day reading the Bible and coming across Matthew 4:20-22(ESV) “Immediately they left their nets and followed Him”. The study Bible I was reading (or maybe a commentary, I can’t quite remember) explained that their nets were their livelihood, their means of tomorrow’s food! They dropped EVERYTHING they were doing and followed Jesus. I wish my story was similar to Simon and Andrew, or that of modern Christian testimonies, in that I read a verse and the Holy Spirit changed me that moment and I “dropped my net”. My story is nothing like that. I began the road to sanctification. I was not immediately a “better person”, I didn’t throw away all my sin right then and there, I didn’t get rid of everything worldly and fleshly in my heart and mind, but I did begin to desire God.
Since then I’ve put away many of my childish ways. I’ve put behind me my life of drugs, fornication, theft, pornography, selfishness, greed, and everything else that Satan told me was “okay because everyone else did it”. I still struggle with lust, desire substances, fits of anxiety and anger, and countless other things I need to repent for daily. Now, however, I do repent of those things. I do constantly choose and strive for those things of the Spirit over the things of the flesh.
I now have a beautiful wife that loves the Lord and two amazing, smart, loving boys that we have dedicated to the Lord entirely. Jesus has changed the very essence of who I am. Although I am nothing, just a completely depraved sinner in need of (but not deserving of) a savior, in Christ I am something. I have one thing I can boast of and that is my Savior. The only one who could cause a wretch like me and help me to repent of his sickening despicable ways and begin to desire that which is holy. For that I owe my life.
Too Long Didn’t Read:
My dad was an addict, that went back and forth between using drugs and being a member of the Mormon church. I moved in with my professing but not practicing ”Christian” mother when I was in 8th grade. I started experimenting with drugs which eventually became daily use of heroin. I went to prison for five years shortly after turning 19. In prison I began reading the Bible and slowly the Holy Spirit began doing work through me. I started to put away my “childish ways” and living according to the Spirit and despising my flesh. I met my awesome wife who loves Jesus, and somehow convinced her to marry me. We had two children (boys). We all love Jesus and serve the Lord in any way we can.
So my prayers in becoming a member here are:
I just want to introduce myself. I should probably warn, I haven’t done much (any to be honest) digging into the forums yet so I really don’t know what I’m getting into here, but I’m hoping it proves to be the beginning of a fruitful relationship. I will put a “too long didn’t read” under my testimony so that anyone that wants the short version can still know
My Reader’s Digest testimony is this:
I grew up in a less than ideal household. My parents were never married, and weren’t together by the time I was born. I spent most of my childhood (until 8th grade) in my father’s home where it was him and myself, and a mix of whatever girlfriend and kids were living with us at the time, until my little brother was born (shortly before my moving in with my mom in 8th grade). My dad was a pretty charitable man, albeit extremely misled and fought 30 year battle with addiction to Methamphetamine, most of which was during the time I was living with him. He was the type of addict that ebbed and flowed in and out of active addiction and during the months that he would get clean, he would attend the Mormon church. Since he couldn’t read or write, the LDS missionaries would do weekly ”Bible” Studies with him and he was (and is to this day) influenced by their Theology and unfortunately he still doesn’t know the real Christ.
In 8th grade I moved in with my mother, who claimed to believe in Christ but never attended church, or showed any evidence of being saved. I went through high school being a latchkey child and despite my mother’s best efforts (she also was dealing with addiction at the time) I eventually fell into the wrong crowd and began experimenting with substances myself. By the time I was 18 years old I was using OxyContin and Heroin daily and was on the fast lane to prison and Hell. For a few years I went in and out of county jail for months at a time and had no ambition aside from selling marijuana and fulfilling my fleshly desires. Eventually my actions and lifestyle caught up to me and I was sentenced to 5 years in state prison for robbing a rival drug dealer. Prior to going to prison, I had always had a general “interest” in theology and apologetics but I was always under the impression that my sins were to grave for the Creator of this universe to ever want to redeem me. Ironically, I somehow reconciled the thought in my head that I was both: a good person, yet too bad of a person for God to accept me.
While in prison I had the time to do a lot of reading. For a while I used this time to read things that satisfied my flesh, non-fiction books about Mexican drug kingpins, biographies of secular rap artists, conspiracy theory books, basically everything I shouldn’t have been reading. Luckily, I started coming across books like Chuck Missler’s Learn The Bible in 24 Hours, and Lee Strobel’s Case for Easter/Christ/Creator. Looking back, as much as I would love to say that I made an effort to put down the things of this world and begin to follow God, I didn’t. I began reading edifying content and slowly put down the worldly content. I began slowly starting to spend more time with the Christian crowd in prison and slowly slipped out of the crowd of non-repentance. At this point, I began reading the Bible daily and doing a daily, or every other day, Bible study with the Christians there. The tipping point was one day reading the Bible and coming across Matthew 4:20-22(ESV) “Immediately they left their nets and followed Him”. The study Bible I was reading (or maybe a commentary, I can’t quite remember) explained that their nets were their livelihood, their means of tomorrow’s food! They dropped EVERYTHING they were doing and followed Jesus. I wish my story was similar to Simon and Andrew, or that of modern Christian testimonies, in that I read a verse and the Holy Spirit changed me that moment and I “dropped my net”. My story is nothing like that. I began the road to sanctification. I was not immediately a “better person”, I didn’t throw away all my sin right then and there, I didn’t get rid of everything worldly and fleshly in my heart and mind, but I did begin to desire God.
Since then I’ve put away many of my childish ways. I’ve put behind me my life of drugs, fornication, theft, pornography, selfishness, greed, and everything else that Satan told me was “okay because everyone else did it”. I still struggle with lust, desire substances, fits of anxiety and anger, and countless other things I need to repent for daily. Now, however, I do repent of those things. I do constantly choose and strive for those things of the Spirit over the things of the flesh.
I now have a beautiful wife that loves the Lord and two amazing, smart, loving boys that we have dedicated to the Lord entirely. Jesus has changed the very essence of who I am. Although I am nothing, just a completely depraved sinner in need of (but not deserving of) a savior, in Christ I am something. I have one thing I can boast of and that is my Savior. The only one who could cause a wretch like me and help me to repent of his sickening despicable ways and begin to desire that which is holy. For that I owe my life.
Too Long Didn’t Read:
My dad was an addict, that went back and forth between using drugs and being a member of the Mormon church. I moved in with my professing but not practicing ”Christian” mother when I was in 8th grade. I started experimenting with drugs which eventually became daily use of heroin. I went to prison for five years shortly after turning 19. In prison I began reading the Bible and slowly the Holy Spirit began doing work through me. I started to put away my “childish ways” and living according to the Spirit and despising my flesh. I met my awesome wife who loves Jesus, and somehow convinced her to marry me. We had two children (boys). We all love Jesus and serve the Lord in any way we can.
So my prayers in becoming a member here are:
- I pray that I can contribute to this community and sharpen some iron while allowing others to sharpen my iron.
- Hear other opinions and biblical interpretations pertaining to theology that I am currently studying
- Learn about some new authors, teachers, preachers, theologians, etc.
- Hear/share practical advice about living in this world while not being of this world (Marriage, parenting, hobbies, etc)
- Help in anyway that I can with whatever time I can spare.
- While I agree with many doctrines/tenants of the reformed church/theology, I don’t necessarily consider myself a Calvinist (or Arminian), and truthfully don’t know where I stand on some of the five points. I would really love for that to change in the near future.
- I am non-denominational, but very fundamentalist, I am not a progressive Christian by any means.
- I enjoy apologetics, if for nothing else pure entertainment value. But really because I would like to be able to bring as many people as possible a true conversion.
- I severely lack in my evangelism, and I pray that the Lord can help me with that… maybe with the help of some members here?
- I have “the heart of a teacher” as some put it, but I do not feel that at this time I have humbled myself enough to begin or help with a ministry to that extent. Another thing I pray the Lord will help me with.
