Good news

Today, I have to thank God for the people he has called and chosen and allowed to be an impacting part of my life. Before the Gospel of Christ came to my ears, I heard of God and of sin, and of death, and of hell and of obedience and of disobedience. But never did i hear of life, and the way out of the things I knew where wrong.

When I was a little girl about 11 years old, I was sitting in the park on 156th street after running around in the sprinklers for sometime. I decided to relax and dry off before i went home to grandmas. At that time, an older woman came over to me and asked me if I wanted to receive Jesus into my life and, well I said what do i have to do, and she responded: all you have to do is say that you receive him. So i said, Ok i receive him. Who "him" was, i had no idea, what "him" did, i knew not and why "him" was to be received-lets just say i was completely ignorant to.

I grew up with general revelation of God but no spiritual revelation. I did not know i needed a savior, and i definitely did not know that Jesus was that savior.

I walked into a church on castle hill by invitation. Ironically the person who invited had no relationship with me. She happened to ignore me when i was around her in gatherings. One day she was different and began to speak to me and wanted to know how I was doing. I longed to have friends (because i was a loner-one who was always alone and isolated). I began to ask her questions of what was new in her life. She told me about Church and how she loved it and it has changed her life. Hey if it changed her life in the fact that she spoke to me, I wanted church :0)
I asked her what kind of church this was and she told me: "Born again Christian"-I thought and asked: "is this some kind of cult?" and her response was No, no! Its like a modern pentecostal. Once she said that I accepted the invitation being that i knew that my grandparents (who raised me) were pentecostal.

When I walked in I was amazed that so many people wanted to bombard me with smiles that were welcoming. I thought they were really weird. I did not know any of them but they acted as if they knew me, which disarmed me.

I then sat in the second seat of the forth row next to my new friend, when we were engaged to sing songs-something they called worship (which I had no knowledge of). I never heard music like the music that was played that day. Something in me was broken as i listened to the words. At that point I did not know where to start but with tears. Then the speaker came up. This man who is now know as Pastor Jeff Cortez spoke about the things I wanted to hear, the things that my soul needed. I knew i needed this because when I heard the message, the words that were delivered were like water to my soul. He spoke about life, love and it being attained through this man named Jesus Christ (some thing between those lines). All i know is that when i walked out of that place i said: I want to meet this guy-Jesus.

P.JEff made it known that he was alive and that he was for me. I could not believe this, I mean i did, but I was awe struck and so, I called my aunt to tell her that I wanted to get to know this man who would give me life. I told her that she should come because i have never heard something as profound and she needed to hear this. Funny, God had been drawing her too.

I was fed week after week, this milk that was goooooood, but at some point my spiritual stomach was longing for more. Some meat that i needed to get as i discovered more and more who this Man was and why he came. I began to go to him directly asking for more-which He gave and is still giving.

Today I am forever thankful to God first for his grace. Then for my leaders (those whom he has called) for bringing this good news to me-his mouth pieces :)
If there is one thing that I would want to leave as a legacy when my time is up, here on earth, it's that: Jesus is alive and that he came for my sins, that He LOVES unconditionally, and that he is my ticket home-back to Abba.

For this I will rejoice...

(Whistle, whistle, whistle :o)