HE LEADTH ME...

I was born into a Catholic home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended St. Lawrence grade school through the eighth grade. I am not sure if all of the boys in my class were asked to be altar boys but I was. We were to memorize the various responses to the priest’s ritual prayers and these in Latin. In those days the mass was all in Latin except for the reading of the Epistles and the Gospels which were in the vernacular of the particular parish’s people group. The only phrase I was able to memorize was “Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam” (In English-“To God, the joy of my youth”). Due to the fact that I did not memorize more of the phrases I was dropped from the altar boys rotation.

Our family attended weekly Sunday masses and other obligatory rituals but there was little if any real meaning or substance to our being there. I did receive my first communion and confirmation  at that church as was the custom.  I attended a public high school and other than the ritual mass attendance I did not have any desire for the things of God.

Through the years I attended the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and also Marquette University seeking an Engineering degree. It was at Marquette during a “religion” class taught by one of the staff priests that I first questioned my faith. I do not remember exactly what was said but it was then that faith issues started to rise up in my mind.

I met my wife Theresa on a blind date through a friend and after three years of dating we were married.  We were blessed with six children through the years and continued in our way of run-of-the-mill religiosity in the Catholic Church. We did attend all of the required rituals and insisted that our children follow in line.

My dad had been pressured by a door to door salesman into buying a large red family Bible and he gave it to me. Back then the Catholic Church did not encourage Bible reading on your own stating that only the priests could properly interpret the Bible.  It was around Christmas and I was ill with pneumonia, and having time to read I took the Bible and started to read without much understanding, just as 1Corinthians 2:14 describes, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

As the children grew we became more involved in the church. This included communion distribution, reading the Word of God to the mass attendees, teaching Sunday school and so on. In the Catholic faith it is believed that the bread and wine are changed into the literal Body and Blood of Jesus (called transubstantiation). After the communion service there was always wine (the blood of Jesus) left over in the chalice and it was dumped into a sink drain!
Since I was taught from early on to have great reverence for the sacred body and blood (the bread and wine) of Jesus, this was now a sacrilege!  Another faith issue! –among many others.
 
Along the way we felt the need to involve ourselves in some creative, mind-enrichment classes.  One time I took a night school course in Art welding and Theresa took sewing class. Then we both came together and took a class called Parapsychology, knowing “para” could mean “along side of” and “psychology” is the study of the mind. Shockingly, we found we were being inculcated into the dark side of spirituality!
 
Our church had formed small group home Bible studies and we again were reading the Bible more and more. Some of these group studies involved priests and nuns who made statements such as “Matthew put on the lips of Jesus” and from the nuns, “We believe that Jesus was born through an earthly father.” These and other statements of some members of the various groups really challenged me into looking deeper in the Word of God.

(Jer 29:13)  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

We had heard of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and attended their meetings and again found ourselves looking into the Bible. It was about this time that I became ill and was hospitalized for about six weeks at both Waukesha Hospital and later at University Hospital in Madison. The doctors were in a dilemma as to what was wrong with me and how to treat me. After about two weeks in Madison, they allowed me to go home over the Thanksgiving holiday, with the intention of returning on Monday for exploratory surgery. All symptoms left! I never had to go back! Thanks be to Jehovah Rapha – the God who heals.

We became more perplexed with the Catholic Church and felt the need to leave the church that had become so much a part of our lives. This indeed was a difficult decision.
Many things that we have read and learned did not match up with what the Catholic Church teaches or holds to be true. It was difficult finding a church and we attended several Bible or Evangelical Churches in the Milwaukee area. I was also involved in Evangelism Explosion and attended a number of Promise Keeper events.

Since I had never personally been presented the gospel, I gleaned bits and pieces from these churches and other means.

(Rom 3:23 )  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(Isa 59:2 )  But your iniquities have separated you from your God;

(Isa 64:6 )  But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

As I think through this period it was similar to having a number of puzzles mixed together. In the process of putting the puzzle together, I found that there were pieces that did not fit properly and needed to be removed for the true one to be inserted. This included the various traditional means by which many Protestants say a person gets saved, or becomes born again such as asking Jesus into my heart or reciting the sinners prayer among others. However, the Bible makes it clear that a person is saved or born again only through faith in Jesus Christ and His work for us.

(John 3:3) Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

(John 3:16) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

(Rom 5:8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(Rom 3:28) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

(Eph 2:4-5) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

(Eph 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Lastly, the Lord led Theresa and I to Word of Grace Bible Church where we have attended since 2006. We now know with certainty that it is by simply believing that one is born again.

(John 5:24)  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

(Rom 8:28)  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I now confess that: I once was dead (separated from God) in my trespasses and sins due to my rebellion against a Holy and Righteous God. But now I am born again only by God’s grace and am now a child of God and can call Him “Father God,” yes even “Abba Father.” And this only by believing in and trusting in what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross of Calvary where He paid the full penalty of my sin-debt. And my Father God has placed me in His Son Jesus Christ and will keep me saved and preserved until He comes again in glory!

His faithful Follower I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.