Some people just never seem to leave Burbank; I guess I’m one of them. I was born and raised in Burbank and actually have a long history with Calvary Bible Church. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home but my parents sent me to Christian places anyway. I attended Salem Lutheran Elementary School in Glendale and in the summers went to Calvary Bible Day Camp. There, I received knowledge of the Savior, but by no means had saving faith. It takes more than simple knowledge or intellectual assent of Christ to be saved; even the demons “believe” in Jesus (James 2:19)!
As I grew older, I moved on to middle school and eventually to Burbank High. During these times, I no longer even pretended to love God. I was still a good and moral person in my own eyes, not getting into much trouble, but nonetheless, it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). Upon starting college at UC Berkeley, I quickly shed the veneer of being moral and plunged further into corrupt living. Thankfully, it was only a few months before the party scene had taken a spiritual toll on me.
At that point (2001), I was gripped with the utter vanity of life. Even at that young age, I felt I had tasted what the world had to offer…and I was left with a very bitter taste in my mouth. This sense of futility was compacted with the realization that all men are destined to die. At that point I simply questioned the meaning and purpose of life. I wasn’t looking for an intellectual or emotional crutch to give me a sense of purpose in life; rather I was more concerned with finding truth. I wanted truth so that I could live in light of that truth. If there was no God, that would surely affect how I was to live the rest of my life. Likewise if there was a God, I definitely wanted to know Him.
In hindsight, however, it wasn’t me that was seeking God, but it was God who was calling me. He called me the only way He ever calls anyone: through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I found myself opening the Bible and reading about Christ. God transformed my mind and convicted me of the truth of His word. I saw that man’s greatest problem is neither death nor vanity, but rather that which leads to these ends—sin. Even worse is that all men are sinners and will be judged for their sin, for God is a righteous and holy God who cannot leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:7). Yet there is good news—that God took the form of a man in Jesus Christ and paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. The result is simple: either you pay the penalty for your sins in hell, or Christ pays the penalty for your sins on the cross. This forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God is offered as a free gift and to receive this gift, one must place their full trust and assurance in Jesus Christ (have faith) and turn away from their sin (demonstrate repentance).
Praise God for saving me and developing in me genuine faith and repentance! While still a freshman in college, I immediately turned away from my licentious lifestyle and became a follower of Christ. I lived my life in accordance with the Bible, for those that claim to love Jesus but do not do what he says are liars and the truth is not in them (1 John 2:3-6). Although not perfect overnight, the course of my life was directed away from sin and toward Christ.
Since that time, I’ve graduated from Berkeley with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Shortly thereafter in 2005, I married the woman God created for me, Angel (not the heavenly being, her name is just Angel). Shortly after marriage, God placed the joyful burden on my heart to serve Him in my vocation and I’m currently pursuing an M.Div degree at The Master’s Seminary with the goal of entering the pastoral ministry to shepherd the flock of God.