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God Lives Today:
A Testimony of God's Miracles

Dear Friend,

Thank you for taking time to read my testimony! My name is Christian and I live in South Florida. The testimony you are about to read is a true story about my life and it's a testament to how God is manifesting today and making miracles happen in the lives of millions of people around the world. My encouragement for you is to seek God and to ask Him to come into your life. I know your life will be blessed beyond measure if you do!

Much Love,

Christian

Intro: A Tiny Memoir

One of my earliest memories in life involves me being surrounded by family and friends, celebrating my 7th birthday party at Tropical Park in Miami, Florida. If I could relive that moment, feeling the love from my mom and grandmother, playing football with my siblings and friends, and having birthday cake frosting all over my face, I would do so one hundred times over.

My Background and Early Childhood

Both of my parents are from Ecuador, a beautiful country in South America. When my mom was 21 years old, two of my mom's siblings were living in New Jersey, and my parents were unstable in their relationship in Ecuador. My mom was given the chance to study at a private Catholic school in Quito to further her education, and my dad was a banker who was eight years older than my mom. Because of my dad's lack of commitment, my mom's siblings brought my mom over to the U.S. in order to prevent her from getting married to my dad. This did not work though, as a few months after my mom arrived to the U.S., my dad followed in her pursuit. It didn't take much time after that my parents finally decided to get married and start a family in Paterson, New Jersey. The plan to have four children wasn't on their mind, but like the Bible verse says:

9 A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.

- Proverbs 16:9, NKJV Bible

After staying in New Jersey for a few years, my parents decided to move to South Florida in 1985. Before my second birthday though, my parents divorced and my mom ended up raising me and my siblings. She's the strongest and most beautiful person I know (not only because of all the sacrifices she's made throughout her life, but because of her loving and wonderful character that God put in her). During my childhood, we lived and moved to different cities growing up in South Florida, and I had the chance to attend different elementary schools in several cities. Even with this instability growing up, I did well academically, however, I preferred playing sports and making friends with my neighborhood friends, rather than focusing on school.

Summer Vacations

During our summer vacations, my mom would take me and my siblings to Ecuador to go visit our extended family who lived over there. My mom had several siblings who lived in different parts of Ecuador, and I loved visiting each of those cities. In Ecuador, I would get to know my Spanish-speaking cousins, talk to them about what life was like in America, and gain first-hand experience of what life was like in a distant country (even though a part of it always felt like home to me). As a kid, one of my favorite things to do in Ecuador was go to my uncle's farm with my brother. My uncle would have us wake up early in the morning before the sun came out, and he would take us in his old truck to visit his farm. So many people knew my uncle that when we would ride through the main boulevard on our way to the farm, we would hear different people shout his name, to which my uncle would beep his horn and wave at them. At his farm, I loved riding horses, exploring the jungle, and seeing different animals.

Although my parents were divorced, my siblings and I would also go visit my dad's side of the family, who lived in another city in Ecuador. My favorite things to do with my dad's side of the family were watch soccer games with my cousins, play soccer and other games with them, eat amazing food, and enjoy time with my family as they had conversations and listened to Ecuadorian folk music on the classic record player. Every time we left, my cousins would ask for us to stay longer, and this made each departure hard for us to leave.

Spiritual Experiences as a Youth

During my childhood, I always had faith in God, and we would sometimes attend Catholic masses. I remember one day when I was about 8-9 years old, I saw a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ crucified, and even though I knew who He was, I believe I asked my mom who the Man on the postcard was, and she confirmed that it was Jesus. When I asked her what the abbreviations INRI were at the top of the cross, she told me it meant King of the Jews. I believe she tried explaining the story of Jesus' death to me, but many years would pass by before I read the part of the Bible where Jesus was crucified:

The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

- Matthew 27:27-31, NKJV Bible

Another impactful experience I had in my life was when I was around 10 years old. I was at my aunt's house in Ecuador, and I saw my grandmother, who was maybe in her late 70s at the time, kneel down to pray by her bedside. This really touched my heart and left an imprint there because I saw the faith she had in God and the effort she made to seek Him in prayer. Later in my life, God would show me just how important prayer is.

At around the age of 17, I had another spiritual experience. One night, God showed me in a dream that I would be guiding people to Him in the future. I don't remember much of the details, but I do remember the message that God was showing me. When I went to ask a friend who had been well-versed in Scriptures and the Bible, I believe he told me that God spoke to people in the Bible in dreams a long time ago, but that the Lord does not manifest to humans today. I personally knew that the dream had to have come from the Lord, and even though I questioned his statement, I kept the experience in my heart.

“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions."

Joel 2:28, NKJV Bible

Another experience that had an impact in my life was when I visited my family in Ecuador in my early 20s. I believe me and my family were walking around one of the downtown centers in Quito, and in the middle of a crowd there was a man who appeared to be reading the Bible out loud. I don't think anyone was listening to the man, but I was drawn in by what he was saying, and I thought something along the lines of, "I would love to preach God's Word one day, but I do a lot of bad things. I don't think I would be able to."

My Youth and Addictions

As a family, we had gone from attending Catholic masses to converting to Mormonism to attending Christian services at different Christian churches in South Florida. Even though I sought God from time to time at these churches, I started to drift away from my Christian values as I entered college.

When I got to college, I would drink alcohol excessively, and even though I enjoyed going to my classes, I was lost in a world filled with drinking and making reckless decisions. This then carried on after college as well as I would go out to bars and night clubs on the weekends, and do things that left me feeling empty and depressed. Not only was I mainly interested in seeking my next relationship, but I was also addicted to pornography for many years as well, and this took up much of my time. After looking at pornography, I would feel ashamed, defeated, and hopeless. Inside my spirit, I wanted to stop, but my flesh would always take over and I would lose those battles. When I would give in to temptation, God would guide me to repentance because in my spirit, I felt ashamed. After I prayed though, God would make me feel better. Even though this addiction lasted for years, and I would set up goals for myself to not give into temptation, one way or another, I always gave in and felt like there was no way out. I was addicted to pornography for many years, until Jesus broke this chain in my life when I was around 30 years old.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

- John 5:2-8, NKJV

First Jobs out of College

After graduating college, I had gone to Italy to work as an au pair for a few months, and when I returned back to the U.S., I had a college degree, but was jobless. I then decided to go live with my older brother in West Palm Beach and see if any job opportunities would open up for me, to which one did. I'm not sure how many weeks or months it took for me to find an ideal job, but I was sending my resume to different places until I finally saw one job that caught my attention.

The opening was for a position at an outpatient rehabilitation program that helped troubled youth who were caught up in minor criminal offenses. As part of their court requirements, they were ordered to complete an outpatient drug rehab program successfully. At that time, the company was looking for an aftercare specialist, or a person who would support clients after completing the outpatient (main) part of the program. Even though I was battling my own warfare with demons, I was given this position to talk to many adolescents who came from diverse cultural backgrounds and to help steer them in the right direction. Although my salary was low, I loved this job because it gave me the opportunity to use the gifts God gave me to do something helpful in my community.

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night..."

- Psalm 92:1-2, NKJV Bible

During this point in my life, the good work I had done in the day was overtaken by my sinful desires of the night life scene - partying, drinking, and lewd tendencies.

I remember that when I would party at bars and clubs, I had gotten into several fights and arguments while being under the influence of alcohol and I felt that I was invincible, but I was far from it. There were many bad decisions I made while being drunk and nights of reckless behavior that I would later regret in life.

Amazingly though, my prayer life was still active, and I would pray to God in the morning before going to work. Little did I know that the Lord was planting seeds in my heart from my Christian friends at work who would give good testimony to how God was working in their own personal lives. I would notice how my coworkers always had a sparkle in them, how they would be so joyful in their spirit, and how they had such a sense of peace and happiness that I longed for. I knew God was involved in their lives and a part of me was drawn into the peace that God was giving them because I wanted that in my life also.

God Speaks to Me

Have you ever though to yourself, "I would love to hear God's voice", or "I wish God would just speak to me and tell me what to do"?

Well, that's exactly what happened to me one day at around the age of 27 years old.

God's voice was calm, direct, and clear, as He spoke the following words to my heart before I walked out to work one ordinary morning: "Open up the Bible and read it."

During this time in my life, I lived in a small cottage and I kept my Bible on my living room window sill close by the front door. (Even though I had drifted far from God, I would usually keep a Bible around me, because I felt that it kept me safe.) Years prior, I believe I took the same Bible to Italy, yet I don't remember reading it. Instead of obeying God's voice though, I spoke back to Him in my heart and said, "No, I'm not going to read your Word, because if I do, You are going to clean up my life - and I don't want that." (I would later regret this.)

Well, weeks went by and I didn't hear God's voice again. I also ignored God and didn't read the Bible. Instead, I would live out the most dreadful year of my life as I started to receive a series of sicknesses - insomnia, anxiety, depression, and more. One sickness entered my life after another and I had felt as if God was telling me, "I've given you many signs that I exist. I've even told you to read the Bible so I could help you, but you ignored Me."

The depression didn't go away. The anxiety didn't pass. The insomnia stayed. Other sicknesses lingered to me also.

I thought all my hope in my life was shattered. Until...

Knock at My Door

One day, I was resting in my cottage, when I heard a knock at my door. From the time my parents had divorced until my adulthood, my dad seldomly came by to visit me, but to my surprise, he came by the cottage to talk to me one day when I needed it the most. After greeting him and catching up with him, he had invited me to Church, and I knew this visit had to have been from God. Not only was I depressed and lost, but I was losing faith that my health would ever be restored to what it was like before.

I knew that God was correcting me for the way I was living and carrying out my life, in addition to ignoring Him when He spoke to me and telling me to read the Bible. I also knew that the Lord had been working on my dad's heart for quite some time now because I would notice how my dad started to change in positive ways. I told my dad that I would go to Church with him, and I did not know it at the time, but I would come to hear God speak to me and guide me again.

The Church Where God Manifests and does Miracles

I started attending my dad's Church on Sundays, and the pastor would give Sermons or Teachings in Spanish, my parents' native language. One day after Church, the pastor invited anyone who wanted to listen to prophecy (God's message) to sit close by the altar.

Even though I didn't understand what prophecy was, I was curious to hear what God would say to me. I believe I was very nervous though because I thought God would accuse me of all the bad things I had done in my life, but in reality, God comforted and consoled me.

After I sat down to listen to what the Holy Spirit would say to me, a sister from the Church revealed a message from God to me where the Holy Spirit spoke through her lips. From what I recall, in the very first prophecy I received, the Lord was comforting me from all the pain I was going through and the hardships I was facing in my life, but He told me that He would be the One taking away those sicknesses and addictions from my life. The Lord's words also touched my heart in a profound way and I started to cry when I heard the beautiful words He spoke over me. I believe the Lord also declared that He would be the One changing and transforming me as well.

God's Promises Fulfilled

For more than ten years, God has been working in my heart and transforming me to the person I am today. I wish I could say that once I started attending Church, that my addictions were taken away all at once and that I started to live on the straight and narrow path from the beginning, but that wouldn't be telling the truth. On this path, I've made many mistakes and have had many setbacks, but the Lord has always been there to help me on my spiritual journey. The Lord has taught me that through repentance, and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the One who is able to change us, transform us, and help us get rid of sin in our lives.

And as for God's first promises in my life, He has performed those as well:

With my health, he took away my insomnia, depression, anxieties, and other sicknesses I used to suffer from.

With past addictions, he took away my alcoholism, addiction to pornography, and the desires to do things that used to damage my body and spirit.

With work, He's blessed me with a great job as a teacher in my community and I get to help many children in positive ways.

God Loves You

I know that if you've made it to this point, the Lord has something special in store for you too, so don't give up. God has many beautiful blessings for your life, so don't ever believe that there is something impossible that God can't do, because with God, all things are possible.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

-Matthew 19:26, NKJV Bible

Wonderful Things God Has Taught Me:

1. Pray. Our main tool to reach the Lord is through prayer. When we pray to the Lord, we can open up to Him about anything and everything. God wants to hear our voice and how we are doing. He wants us to ask Him for His help and guidance. He wants to hear more of you. What may seem difficult for you is not difficult for Him. God also wants us to repent from our sins in prayer so He can help us with our difficulties.

2. Read the Bible. The Bible is composed of many stories dating back from the existence of mankind and also includes what will happen in the future in the book of Revelations. In the Bible, God teaches us what pleases Him and what displeases Him. God helps us in many areas of our lives when we begin to read the Bible because He sees that we are looking for His word and His guidance. In return, He helps us by teaching us His doctrine, guiding us with His Holy Spirit, and protecting us with His true Word.

3. Praise Him/Thank Him. We were created to give thanks to and praise God. When we do so, we are worshiping Him and this is pleasing to Him. Take a few minutes each day to thank God for all of the blessings in your life. When we do these things, the Lord blesses us in many ways. In the Bible, you will find a book called Psalms - God loves it when we read Psalms because they are prayers and spiritual songs that offer praises to God. If you've never read the Bible before and would like some helpful tips to get started, send me a message below. I would be more than happy to help you get started!

The Next Chapter of Your Life

The next chapter of your life could be really amazing if you let God help you get there. If you would like to have the Lord guide you, pray to Him with a sincere heart for His guidance. I encourage you to go to the Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International. If the Church is not near you, I encourage you to listen to and subscribe to the Church's YouTube channel. My desire is for you to get to know the Lord more so He can give you the peace and happiness you've been longing for.

If you would like to listen to testimonies of other brothers and sisters who have also experienced God’s miracles in their lives, click below: