Mathew 19:14
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
1 Cor 1:27
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
After reading the above verses you have the key in your hands to "unlock" all the deep mysteries of God.
This was my humble start with "being saved" and God has honored all his precious promises "and greater things" because of it.
According to my Dad I am the 7th generation bricklayer/stonemason in our family. I was born to 1st generation American Italian immigrants who's family legacy is well documented in Northern Italy.
I war raised Catholic and sent to Catholic Schools for 12 years. I didn't suppose that I paid much attention to all the training but did have a heart toward God early on and with all that I knew "I sought God's face". I can't say it was a completely misled effort but it was passionate for the age. As I grew older my heart turned away from "the teachings" for the more carnal endeavor's of the teenage years.
Even though I wasn't saved (I never heard of such a statement in the church) I loosely tried to culture a relationship with God relying on my own thoughts and ways. This was not without signification for God looks at the heart not the "religious training" one has. My heart was seeking but my wisdom was lacking truth.
My first significant manifestation of God came around June of 1981. I had left the trade to seek fortune working a dairy farm in Michigan with purchase options so that at the age of 45 I could retire and live happy ever after.
But God had other plans:
The stress of long hours and a partner that was a Christian (term used lightly) and was a big mistake soon took it's toll during the trial period subjecting me to a near nervous breakdown.
My Son's Birthday had arrived and I told the heard manager (my partner) that no matter what happened I would be home for my son's birthday at 6 pm no matter what knowing the only thing that could stop me was a dead cow in the stall which meant gutting it and getting it to the processor so the meat wouldn't go to waste. Sure enough during the evening milking as I was cleaning the stalls I found a dead cow. At first I thought it was sleeping so I poked it with a pitch fork to get it into the crowd gates for milking. I soon discovered that it was dead and my hopes of getting home for the birthday party was dead also. Being a very physical, large and powerful man I then tried to convince said cow to "get up and walk" with the pitch fork. To whit nothing happened. I soon experienced the saddest moment up till then in my life: the realization that I would let my son down. As I walked away broken in my heart I prayed, "If there is a God in heaven you can do something about this." I was weeping and broke. Helpless to change the incident. Right after I cried out to God (remember I was not born again at this time) I noticed a cow run by me to the crowd gate. I couldn't believe it was true but I went back and check the stall where the cow lay and it was gone. God had worked a miracle and raised that cow up to manifest His power and Love to me.
I can just here the murmuring going on by some of you about how God doesn't work miracles for those who don't believe when they pray. Well argue all you want but your wrong. He did here and He does whenever He is drawing you unto Himself.
Another miracle God worked was when I entered the Marine Corps boot camp (1970) and we were being "indoctrinated" before starting. I looked at the adversity of my decision and prayed "if there is a God in heaven hear this prayer: I don't want to finish this training with honors I just want to survive and get through it without getting hurt."
I passed boot camp as the "Company Series Honor Man" which is the highest honor you can earn in your company in Boot Camp. Another miracle worked for the "unsaved."
During boot camp our platoon came down with spinal meningitis. One man died, one man became a veggie, and another (in my upper bunk) jumped out of the bunk and crumpled up on the floor in a heap. We were in quarantine and again I prayed "If there is a God in heaven please let this stop and I will not fail to thank you every night from here on out." He did but I didn't after a while (several years).
Later that year I came to know Christ by the preaching of a co-worker while I was working at 10:15 pm. The experience was incredible as it was in so many ways my "Damascus Road" because I didn't really have any serviceable understanding of the Scriptures. My "religious training" was not without error as was my desire to understand it.
I started to read the Scriptures with hunger and thirst as though I was insatiable. The first thing the Holy Spirit shown me was I was to be as a child not doubting but receiving and believing all that the Scriptures said. I took this as a literal practice and absorbed the Word like a sponge not doubting.
In fact this incredible experience fell upon me on day at lunch time during this first reading of the New Testament. As I set outside by myself going to eat I cried out to God to understand the "Love of God that was shed abroad by the Holy Spirit".
I fell into a trance (like Peter waiting for lunch) and I saw a great gilded book coming down from heaven in the hand of an angel, he said read. I took the book and knew that when I was done reading it the angel would take it back. So I read all but the last few verses 3 times and on the forth I read it all. At that 4 th reading it was taken from me. I couldn't believe what I had read and how it so perfectly expressed the way I felt in my heart about God.
A little time later, as I was reading the Psalms I came across it and recognized it from the vision. It was Psalm 64. I wept. There is more but that will suffice for now.
If I remember correctly I read the whole Bible several times the first year adding the New Testament another 12 times. In the first 3 years of being a Christian I read 7 different complete translations and reread the NT 15+ times each year. This was real food and real drink for the hungry and thirsty soul.
During this "training" time I never went to a Bible Study but just stayed in the Word, in Christ and in the Spirit.
After this training time I experienced every promise and miracle that I had read (and believed) in Scripture except the "changing of water into wine" which would not of aided me in the development of my faith.
Why did I have these incredible experiences?
You can read an assortment of them in the earlier posts.
Because I believed what Scripture said regardless of whether they were manifest or not. My seeing a miracle or not does not make them any more real or any less available for today.
I believed as a "little child", without question or doubt. Ever!
I also made myself one of the "foolish things" so God could use me to confound the wise. Was that my "beginners" plan? Did I know what I was doing? No I was just given a humble heart/spirit and was thankful for God doing anything He wanted to do with this "sinner saved by grace." I followed the Scriptures in asking, seeking and knocking in Jesus name, according to Gods revealed will in His Word and when His will was in line with my asking, seeking and knocking He worked miracles.
To this day, whether I see a miracle that I am praying for manifest itself or not doesn't mean anything to me because I know that God is working His will for the time that the prayer was offered.
I am childish enough to "NOT" have to see God do anything to know that every Word in His Scriptures are true. I am not a Thomas. I am one of those who fit "blessed are those who see not and believe". God's Word is true and every man a liar. Period. Whether we see, experience or receive anything of God. But I add this " if you believe and do not doubt, only wanting for God to glorify Himself He will do all things to that end and you will be blessed to be there."
This is just a "scratch and sniff" rendition of how God has manifest Himself in my/our (family's) life, starting with before I was saved till now, having grown old in Christ.
I hope this has "stretched" your faith and encourage you. It was not written in the spirit of comparison but just what God will do for someone who believes and "doubts not."
Love in Christ
J&E
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