Revelation of God

You are asking me to separate what God has given me, and to tell you how it makes things different. That is all I know. I was raised Wesleyan (arminian/pelagian), and in a Nazarene church. It wasn't until I was in jail in 2010 and on my way to prison that God brought me to the Truth.

I didn't have anyone to teach me how to believe, or what to believe. I had never even heard of the Doctrines of Grace or the 5 pillars. I had my Bible, and the Holy Spirit.

I threw myself at Jesus feet and I cried out to Him to just make me the man He made me to be. I asked Him to show me what He wanted me to see, and that I was willing to let go of anything and everything that was not of Him.

After spending 6-8 hours a day for 20 months in the Word and in prayer, God had firmly established Truths on my heart that no man will ever move me from. I have still never read any of John Calvin's works. In fact, the only two books I have read outside of the Bible is "Humility" by Andrew Murray and "Attributes of God" by A.W. Pink. I didn't take anything new from these books, but rather God used them to confirm everything He had just shown me over the previous 20 months.

Right before I got out of prison the Chaplin told me "You are a Calvinist, aren't you?" Well, my response was "What the heck is that?"

I just believed what the Bible says, and I was shocked to find out that so many who considered themselves genuine believers didn't believe the same way. Since I have been out I have learned the theological terms that summarize all the things God has solidified in my heart.

My faith allows me to diligently be at rest, to speak with confidence, and to trust in God like never before. When I speak the Word of God, I KNOW that it will accomplish EXACTLY what He pleases REGARDLESS of how the one hearing may "feel" about it.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in  the  thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11 NKJV

Revelation of Truth

I don't hold fast to any doctrine of man. God gave me an analogy once. He showed me a vision of Jesus and I walking down this winding path, like Tha path of knowledge of Him, and as we were walking He was showing me all of these awesomely amazing things (For this is what was happening to me through the Word. Every day was an eureka moment.)

As we were walking we passed men who sat on the side, holding beautiful flowers in their hands that represented some of the Truths God was revealing in His Word. These men had grabbed ahold of these truths, closed their hands around them, and then camped out. Their sanctification was stunted until they would let go of that truth and keep walking with Jesus, letting Him show them more great and mighty things which they do not know.

There have been times I have been just as guilty, but Jesus patiently waits for the Holy Spirit to bring me under conviction and set me moving once again. We must give each other grace in this walk. God is infinite, and we are finite. I continue on that path today. The Truths I have been given, no man can take, but I eagerly wait for more great and mighty things which I do not know.