To Know Him, Jose Paulino

I met the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was 11 years old. I remember that I was sitting on the back pew in a Baptist church and realized that I was a sinner. Despite the fact that I’m not an emotional person, I began to cry. My dad realized what was going on and showed me some verses in the Bible and it was then that I accepted the Lord into my heart.

I thought that becoming a Christian just involved accepting the Lord and then trying to live a good life. Through elementary and junior high I knew I had God inside me, but I didn’t pursue to know Him. During my high school years my aunt invited me to some youth meetings in the local church in Irving on Sundays. I also went to some two-day high school conferences that they had once or twice a year. It was in these conferences that I saw kids my own age who were consecrating their lives to love and pursue after the Lord.

I can testify that it was the Lord’s mercy that led me to all the dear believers who helped me get to know my God in a much deeper way. I have found out that the Lord is a seed within me that wants to grow (1 Peter 1:23). The hardships that I have to deal with do not come because God likes to be mean to me, but it’s the only way that He can break through in me. I’m happy that in my local church I don’t hear a self-improvement sermon, but I keep getting reminded that God is real and He wants to spread out into more of my being. The only way for that to happen is to cooperate with His speaking and let Him live through me. Galatians 2:20 has really helped me in my pursuit, “For I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me.”

Also the many books by Watchman Nee and Witness Lee have been of immeasurable help. The book The Normal Christian Life was such an eye-opening book to me. I also have received much help from the Life-study of the Bible by Witness Lee. They have revealed much of the Bible to me, especially the Old Testament. The Bible has been opened to me so many times, through the many messages that I’ve read. In the end I can only say that I’m so happy that God is real to me and I not only know about Him, but I know Him.