God gave me a passion.

I forgot all about my blog. So, here is a little something. I’m going to try to write something once a week.

As my last year of school is coming to a close, I’ve seen how much God has helped me grow. It seems just in the past 4 months God has given me the passion of reading. Which is very weird for me, because growing up I didn’t like reading. The only things I used to read were comic books, magazines and stuff for work. I never had any desire to read a book because just like a lot of people think (If the book is any good they will make a movie out of it. So, why read it). I’ve never had much confidence in myself in that area. I think all of that stems from growing up with a learning disability. As long as I can remember in school I was always in “Special” classes. I was always embarrassed that I couldn’t read very well and that I wasn’t the smartest kid. I always covered it up with humor. In Jr. High, I was still in the “Special” classes but I also was in band. And Band was where all the smart kids were. I always felt worst because I would hear my friends talking about school and they always made it seem so easy and I was struggling so much. And that feeling of having no confidence in myself has followed me into adulthood. I was in cellular sales for 7yrs, and I thought that would be the only thing I would be able to do. I will never be able to move anywhere in my life because I have been limited by my disability.

But then I got called by God to be in the ministry. And man, I freaked out. At that time, I felt like I was somewhere between a baby and a teen in my walk in Christ. I still had no confidence in myself. All I could think about is the limitations that I had. All I could think about is that I have a 7^th grade reading level and I can’t speak in front of people, but I never thought about the fact that my Holy God has no Limitations. When I would discuss my feelings and worries with Andrea she would tell me, "God doesn't call the Equipped, He Equips the called."

1Co 1:25-29

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Thank goodness, I don’t have to be the smartest person in the world!!! Look who Jesus Christ chooses to be his disciples. Some were farms, fisher men, and other jobs, most of them weren’t viewed as the smarts people. But that is who Jesus chose to be his disciples. These people had good hearts and were willing to submit to the Holy Spirit so they could do the work of Christ. With out the Holy Spirit we would have to rely on ourselves to do it. And it couldn’t be done.

Tony Ochoa

My first blog And a brief testimony

I grow up in a First Assemble of God church. My parents took my sister and I to church every Sunday for Sunday school, church and every Wednesday for youth Group. Anytime the church was having something our family was there. I can’t say that I was strong in my faith because I never really used it. But my family fell apart, my parents split up and my sisters left the home and went there own was to start there life after high school. I really felt alone. So I left the church and threw my self in to the world. In high school I stared really getting in to drugs and partying. And after high school I got into harder drugs and harder partying. It got to the point where I would party every night and do drugs all night, get 2 hours of sleep and then go to work. Then do all over again. My life was getting out of control. And no one knew it.

But it all changed in one night. I was driving home after a long night of partying. I was driving way to fast and I was way to drunk and high to even be driving. And the something that no one wants to see in there rear view mirror showed up. Yes it was a red and blue lights, I was getting pulled over. I was drunk and I had a lot of drugs on me. I was going to jail. The cop came up to my car ask me for all my info and then he said it. Have you been drinking? I couldn’t lie it was all over me. Yes sir I have. He asked me how much. I wasn’t about to tell him I how much, One of two I said. And one thing you don’t want a cop to ask you is, May I have you step out of your vehicle. I knew it, I was going to jail. I remember the last thing my dad told me when I moved out was. If you get arrested I will Not bail me out. But the weird thing was once I stepped out of my car I was sober. The cop talk to me a little bet more but then he got a call. When he was talking on the radio I looked over to my apt complex. I was that close. The cop got another call and gave me a ticket and left me. I went home and broke down. That night God show me something, my life is at a cross roads. I could go one way or another way. Let’s just say I took the better path. I stopped parting and moved back in with my father. And between that God brought Andrea back into my life. After talking to Andrea’s father when I was asking her hand in marriage I knew I really have to get my stuff together. Not just because Pastor Wes (Andrea’s Dad) at that time scared the crap out of me but because my wife deserved a Godly man. I think it was a year later but God told me that I was going to be a Youth Pastor. But as always ,Andrea knows stuff before I do. God told her some weeks before I did.

You would think after seeing what God has done in my life up to then I would be all Gun-Ho About be coming a Youth Pastor. But I was scared! At that time Andrea and I just got married and I just spent a year seeing what a Pastors and there Family goes through. And I had all the feelings of doute come over me. I’m not strong enough, I’m not smart enough and I have a crazy past. If the church knew what I did as a kid/young man, they wouldn’t want me to be around there kid or even teaching them.

Old Man/Past Life

But just like a lot of people I have to Get over my past and be that New Man! Remember the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"? How powerful is that! As Christians, we know that as soon as we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, our sins are wiped away and we become a new creation. And every time we sin, if we wholeheartedly repent, He will forgive us. So our Past is our Past. Isaiah 43:25 says, "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins." So if the Lord doesn't even remember our sins, why do we dwell on/recall them? This is was we can do with our Past “The Old Man”

1) Look at them as a learning experience. We all have low points in our lives at some times. Looking back at our sins helps us to acknowledge them and prevent them from happening again in the future.

2) Encourage others. Perhaps a friend is struggling with a sin that is eating away at them. If we struggled with that same sin in the past, and overcame it through the forgiveness of God, we can help others to overcome it as well by offering our support.

New Man

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I come back to this scripter because I love to hear the old has gone and the new has come. We are a new man, a new creation. We are here to let God Transform us.

Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

I’m starting to see the transformation in my life. The things I liked before I don’t like any more