{"id":20,"date":"2024-09-10T01:19:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T01:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/my-testimony\/"},"modified":"2024-09-29T16:20:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T16:20:17","slug":"my-testimony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/my-testimony\/","title":{"rendered":"My Testimony"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are looking to get to know me, this will be a pretty good basis for \u201cwho Joe is<\/em>\u201c. Who I am is really all wrapped up in how God has come into my life.<\/p>\n

I said how God came into my life, not religion<\/strong> \u2013 there is a big difference.<\/p>\n

Christianity is a topic that culture today sometimes puts down and mocks. And I get it. The great\u00a0Mahatma Gandhi\u00a0once said \u201c\u2026I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

What did he mean? It is not what a Christian\u00a0believes, but because of how many Christians\u00a0act. I am embarrassed by how some of my fellow Christians act\u2026heck, I am embarrassed by how\u00a0I ACT<\/strong>\u00a0sometimes! And this makes me sad, because if you never learn the truth about God because of how his people act, then\u00a0shame on us<\/em>!<\/p>\n

All I can say about that is, at least for me (I can\u2019t speak for others), I try to recognize the areas I need to grow and do my best to change and be better<\/em>. It is a struggle sometimes, and I don\u2019t always hit the mark. I endeavor to accept people as they are and do my best to represent the true God<\/strong> to them. To be kind to them, and that is a direct result of how God has changed me. I was not always very kind and accepting, but He changed all of that<\/em>.<\/p>\n

So, here is my \u201cstory<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

I had a pretty normal childhood, at least for a kid raised in the \u201970s who spent the beginning of his adult life enjoying the \u201980s. Looking back, I had\u00a0FUN<\/strong>! As a matter of fact, all of my decisions were centered around that…how much fun can I have!\u00a0I grew up playing sports, partying and carousing and chasing after girls \u2013 always looking for the next fun thing to do. Good times \u2013 at least by my standards \u2013 at that time of my life.<\/p>\n

I smoked a lot of pot starting in my early teens and gradually gave it up by my late 20\u2019s. Looking back, while I enjoyed it at the time, I can honestly say that I missed out on a lot<\/strong>. You see, it really took away my ambition to achieve. That is a whole topic unto itself, just suffice to say that it is a regret<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As far as God\u2026 I knew\u00a0of\u00a0Him and thought that I was doing \u201cOK<\/strong>\u201c. I never killed anyone and I was a pretty good person, whatever that meant. Never really gave much thought to what happens\u00a0AFTER<\/strong>\u2026I just figured hey, I am not as bad as some people, I should be good to go when I leave this earth.<\/p>\n

You see, I was raised with religion\u2026knowing there is a God, but\u00a0not knowing God<\/em>. Religion to me is man\u2019s feeble attempt to understand God and man-made rules to try and please Him. When I think about how religion tries to bring us closer to God \u2013\u00a0 rules, condemnation, shame, guilt \u2013 it really is an impossible ladder to climb<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Religion can make people do odd things. Even bad things. But if you let the actions of others define who God is, you are letting others determine your future<\/strong> \u2013 both how you live this life and what happens to you when exit this life. This can be very difficult to overcome.<\/p>\n

That was my mind set when it came to God \u2013 basically letting the actions of others define who He is<\/em>.<\/p>\n

And then there was this nagging in the back of my mind, there was something missing in my life \u2013 what was it<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

So, one day I was listening to a speaker \u2013 much like you are today.<\/p>\n

He told me\u00a0his\u00a0perspective of God. And it was compelling enough for me to let down my guard<\/em> just a little and let go of my preconceptions for just a minute. I listened and\u00a0evaluated.<\/p>\n

I was moving through life pretty smoothly, had a good life. Great wife, we were\u00a0DINKS\u00a0<\/strong>(double income no kids<\/em>), making good money \u2013 bright future.<\/p>\n

I still had that nagging feeling that there was more \u2013 that there was something missing in my life.\u00a0I couldn\u2019t shake that feeling<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The speaker started talking about how\u00a0religion\u00a0has kind of turned people off about God. He talked about how religion is all about defining what\u00a0I\u00a0must do to reach God \u2013 that sin kept me from knowing Him. Religious rules and regulations \u2013 things I needed to do to \u201cearn<\/strong>\u201d God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n

That was a problem \u2013\u00a0I knew I could never be good enough\u00a0to reach those marks.<\/p>\n

It was hard to explain at the time, but inside my \u201cgut\u201d I felt a tugging<\/strong>.\u00a0Something I couldn\u2019t shake\u00a0that was telling me this guy was talking truth. I have always been a fan of truth, so I kept listening to what he was saying\u2026\u00a0and evaluating. He was describing exactly what I thought God was all about at the time. I could\u00a0never\u00a0be good enough<\/em>.<\/p>\n

While I am a fan of truth, I also have a hefty portion of\u00a0cynicism\u00a0\u2013 always looking out for what people are trying to get from me.\u00a0 But this guy was not looking for anything from me \u2013 he was just sharing.\u00a0So I kept listening<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

After covering his thoughts about religion, things took a dramatic turn.<\/p>\n

He started talking about\u00a0Jesus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Funny, in today\u2019s culture when you bring up\u00a0Jesus\u00a0<\/em>you can get an entire spectrum of reactions. From\u00a0radical acceptance to radical rejection.<\/em> Many even use Jesus as a cuss word.<\/p>\n

But this time, for me, as I continued to feel that\u00a0tugging on the inside<\/strong>, I heard some things about who Jesus is that changed my life. Things I didn\u2019t know before<\/em>. From my religious experience, I had heard them spoken about in prayers and stories. But I didn\u2019t\u00a0KNOW\u00a0<\/strong>them.<\/p>\n

So, here it is in a nutshell.<\/p>\n

While religion talks about what\u00a0WE\u00a0<\/strong>need to do to reach God – Jesus was sent by God to do everything that needs to be done to reach God<\/em> \u2013 ON OUR BEHALF<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0A Gift for us from God.<\/p>\n

Think about it, if we can\u2019t be perfect enough to reach God, don\u2019t you think God knows that? I mean he\u00a0IS\u00a0God<\/em>! He made us, so he has to know how flawed we are.<\/p>\n

So what was it that needed to be done?\u00a0What is it that keeps us separated from God? The key here is sin<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What is sin? Actually, the definition of sin can be pretty complex. Transgression, wrongdoing, corrupted heart, immorality\u2026there are many definitions. However you define it, the result of sin is the same \u2013 separation from God<\/strong>. Let\u2019s not get caught up in the definition of sin, let\u2019s focus on the result.<\/p>\n

Go a little deeper. I used to think of sin as rules that God has\u00a0so that I can\u2019t enjoy all the things that life has to offer. As I looked harder, I learned that sin is not rules to follow,\u00a0but things to avoid\u00a0so I can enjoy closeness to God<\/em>. Until I realized this, I never understood the joy and happiness that came from being close to God.\u00a0This was a game changer for me<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So what do we do with\u00a0sin?<\/em> We are all affected by it. It is something we don\u2019t talk a lot about.\u00a0Why? I think, at least for me, it is a lot about ego, my ego. No one should tell me what is right and wrong, what I can and cannot do. I am a good person because the stuff I do isn\u2019t\u00a0THAT\u00a0<\/strong>bad \u2013 I mean I am not killing people or anything like that, you know. There are people that do a whole lot more bad things than me. I am not so bad.<\/p>\n

This is called self-righteousness.\u00a0Self-righteousness<\/strong>.\u00a0Making myself\u00a0RIGHT WITH GOD<\/em>. If you really ponder that, you will realize that we cannot make ourselves right with God. It has to be Him that brings us in to right standing.<\/p>\n

Enter\u00a0Jesus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Bible tells us that\u00a0sin has a wage.\u00a0We all have a sense of things that go against God<\/em> \u2013 think of the 10 commandments \u2013 things like murder, stealing, lying, etc.,\u00a0you fill in the blank). The\u00a0wages are death \u2013\u00a0\u00a0Separation from God<\/strong>. It is that simple. It is not that God doesn\u2019t want us to live a good life and enjoy our time on earth, it is that\u00a0a perfect God cannot be around sin. And He wants to be around us.\u00a0He chooses us<\/em>!<\/p>\n

It was around this point that I realized\u2026Because of my preconceptions of God, I was trapped and I didn\u2019t even know it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I thought\u2026being sinless to be with God is a pretty\u00a0high mountain to climb. I don\u2019t think I could ever do that. As a matter of fact I have already done some of those things that separate me from God (not killing anyone of course, but I have lied, stolen, lusted, etc.)<\/em>, so\u00a0I was screwed<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

What I learned that day, though, is that God is love<\/em>. Not that God loves, but that\u00a0GOD IS LOVE<\/strong>! He provided a way for us to be with him, even though we have sinned.<\/p>\n

The Bible tells us that\u00a0God so loved you, He so loved me, that He sent Jesus to live on earth to be perfect\u00a0FOR\u00a0<\/strong>us. So that if we believe in Jesus, and we accept His sacrifice as payment for our sin<\/em>, and turn away from that sin, we can live here and now with God as our heavenly father, and when we die \u2013 live with Him forever.\u00a0That is the promise.\u00a0That is the free gift<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And it is pretty simple really. Jesus came to live among us\u2026and He did. He lived a sinless life \u2013\u00a0something none of us could ever do\u00a0\u2013\u00a0ALL\u00a0<\/strong>of us have fallen short.<\/p>\n

History\u00a0tells us that Jesus was tortured and crucified and died as an innocent man<\/em>. Even those who condemned him to this horrible death said\u00a0He was innocent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Jesus took on all of the sin of the world and was separated from God for 3 days \u2013 to pay the wages for us<\/em>. And after 3 days Jesus rose from the dead and declared the wages for our sin were paid, and if we accepted that payment we could be with God.<\/p>\n

This was worlds apart from what I was taught. What I had just heard was\u00a0Good News!<\/em><\/p>\n

At this point the tugging on my gut was pretty strong and\u00a0I had a decision to make. The speaker laid it out pretty simply.<\/p>\n

Now that I had heard this good news,\u00a0I had a choice to make<\/strong>: I could let the sacrifice of Jesus pay my wages \u2013 I could accept that payment, or not<\/em>. No one forcing me to do a thing.\u00a0It was between me and God.\u00a0No one would even know the difference between a \u201cyes\u201d and a \u201cno\u201d. It was then that I\u00a0KNEW<\/strong>\u00a0that the tugging on my gut was\u00a0God. He wanted me to be with Him because\u00a0He loved\u00a0ME<\/strong>. But love is not love if it is forced. So in order for me to love Him back I had to choose to love Him.<\/p>\n

So I said\u00a0YES<\/strong>. And let me tell you,\u00a0that changed my life for ever.<\/em><\/p>\n

After that, every light turned green for me from then on, I had no more financial struggles, no more relationship struggles, always getting what I wanted, never sick again\u2026Not exactly.<\/p>\n

Life continued to have its ups and downs, but that tugging on my gut stayed with me (and got stronger<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

I decided to learn more about what \u201cliving the here and now<\/em>\u201d in a real relationship with God meant. I started studying and asking questions.<\/p>\n

Now, when I have financial struggles, sickness, problems with people, etc. I have someone I can lean on in prayer. And when I pray, He gives me peace and guidance through the struggles of life that I didn\u2019t have before<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It is that \u201csomething more<\/strong>\u201d I was looking for \u2013 it was what was\u00a0missing in my life.\u00a0A relationship with God, through the person of Jesus.<\/p>\n

So now you have a decision to make<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If your answer is \u201cno<\/em>\u201c, thanks for taking time to read my story. I hope you at least learned something you didn\u2019t know before.<\/p>\n

If your answer is \u201cyes<\/em>\u201c, it is pretty simple to accept the gift Jesus gave us.<\/p>\n

God is listening right now\u00a0and really all you need to do is from your gut, give in to the \u201ctug<\/em>\u201c, tell Him that you know you have missed the mark, you are sorry and want to do better.\u00a0Then tell Him that you believe in the gift of Jesus<\/strong> and you want to accept the gift of his payment for your wages.<\/p>\n

Speak words to that affect (pray<\/strong>), out loud so you can hear them<\/em>. The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus paid your wages and ask Jesus to be your Lord, you will be saved.<\/p>\n

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.\u00a0\u00a0\u2013John 3:16<\/em><\/p>\n

Simple as that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you do pray this, find someone who knows God in this way. Talk to them about it and find a good church. If you are having trouble with this, reach out to me, I\u2019d be happy to speak with you.<\/p>\n

Thanks for your time, I hope it was worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are looking to get to know me, this will be a pretty good basis for \u201cwho Joe is\u201c. Who I am is really all wrapped up in how God has come into my life. I said how God came into my life, not religion \u2013 there is a big difference. Christianity is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tld_youtube_id":"","tld_audio":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aa-my-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234,"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions\/234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mylegacyden.com\/joedifalco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}