Post by MikeTaft on Oct 17, 2017 14:08:20 GMT -6
Hello Everyone! Grace, Peace, & Love to you in our Lord Jesus Christ!
First I would like to introduce myself. My name is Michael (Mike) Taft. I'm 29, married, no kids as of yet, and been a fellow watchman on the wall for quite a few years now. I am a native Virginian and lived here all my life until I joined the Navy in 2008 and spent most of my tour overseas in Japan & Bahrain. I just recently ended my time with the Navy in 2016. I am now back in Virginia, living in the Shenandoah Valley just a few miles from the West Virginia border. I am thankful to find a place to share and learn about these amazing days we are living in as we all hold on to the Blessed Hope of the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The reason I want to share my testimony as it is not only a tool to edify the body of Christ, but also a weapon against the enemy (Satan). I'll try to keep the life story short without losing to much detail of my testimony. As a child I was raised in a Christian home with my parents trying to raise me up in the ways of the Lord. In my elementary years, by dad had a bad run-in with the church and stopped going. Eventually my older brother stopped going, and it was up to my mom to take me and my younger brother to church. My mom tried her best to raise us in "Christian" ways but never brought me to the realization of having a relationship with Christ. The Church I grew up in was more of a community group than an evangelizing, discipling, on fire fore Jesus group. For the longest I knew about God, but I didn't know God. I was always bullied growing up with me being a shy kid. My middle school years were the worst. I dealt with so much depression and even thoughts of suicide because I felt so alone. It my worst state of depression in my freshman year of high school, I was failing in my classes, and few friends to count. God provided me a new direction by allowing me to be accepted into the Navy JROTC program in a school the next city over. Even my mom drove me there and back every day because the bus didn't come through my neighborhood. It was a fresh start with new people and with my interest in the military I quickly fell into a place I felt accepted. During my high school years I still didn't know Jesus. I even dated a girl that went to church, but I never knew the saving grace of Christ. Even in my high school years I dealt with fortification with my relationships, and it eventually led into looking at pornography. I was basically doing what everyone else did at school. God placed many Christians in my youth, but I never got the picture when it came to walking with Christ.
I graduated my senior year in 2006 with honor roll. With not so great SAT scores I couldn't see myself getting into the Coast Guard or Navy Academy. I tried the civilian workforce for a year, but the pay and lack of benefits made it difficult to say the least. I decided to enlist in 2007 in the Coast Guard. Unfortunately with the Iraq war the wait for boot camp was backed up to two years. I decided to try my luck with the Army, and they rejected me out of MEPS for a medical waiver. My older brother was in the Navy and our family was good friends with the local Navy recruiter. He pulled my through the hoops and before I knew it I was in the Navy!
To speed things up I joined in 2008 and for the first 4 years I was stationed in Japan. It was a whole new world and learning experience. My mom would always Skype me and try and talk to me about God, but I was quickly sucked into the world of being a sailor. Drinking, sex, pornography, and all the wiles the world offers. I eventually became an alcoholic. In 2009 my mom gave me a New Testament message bible for Christmas. After 2009 I was sick of my life. I was tired of alcohol, tired of empty relationships with meaningless sex. I wanted a way out. So I picked up that bible my mom gave me and started to read. Can't put a finger on the exact day or month, but it was late winter in 2010. I just finished reading the gospel when it hit me like a brick. I knew that I needed Jesus in my life to change it around. I called on Him and asked Him to forgive me. At that moment I heard a soft voice tell me, "Michael I love you, and I am calling you to my ministry." I wasn't sure what to make of it. Now I know it was the Lord, but all I could do then was say, "Ok."
Eventually I finished that bible and I wanted to read the whole thing. So I bought a message bible with both the New and Old Testament. I read that thing front to back. By the end of it I wanted to seek after God's ministry for me. Before I knew it I was not reenlisting and I ended up applying for bible college. The first college I came across was Valley Forge Christian College (now University of Valley Forge). I got out of active duty, but stayed in the reserves to keep my time serving going and enjoy a nice paycheck while in college. I also got plenty out of the 9/11 G.I. Bill as well. I eventually transferred to the Woodbridge campus since it was so close to my home in Manassas. There I spent two years studying with the most amazing, spirit-filled Christians I have ever met. It took me from 0-80 MPH in my walk with Christ. God took my dependency on alcohol away not long after I was saved. My issues with promiscuity & pornography took a little longer to be healed from, but even the Lord's grace healed me of that. Eventually I had the opportunity though Liberty University to get my degree in Aeronautics with my pilots license. I got as far as my senior year, but the funds dried up. By this time I was walking strong in the Lord and I met my amazing beautiful wife on Christian mingle and we got married in January 28, 2017. God began to reveal to me many things pertaining to Israel and prophecy that took my faith to a whole new level. I began to study more and more, and eventually came across the recent Revelation 12 Sign in 2016. A few months before the eclipse I began to sound the alarm on the wall. Telling many friends and family of the coming Tribulation and the saving grace of Jesus. The Lord even has me leading a men's group studying Revelation and bible prophecy.
There are so many details in this long journey, but I know that even when I didn't know God, He was still there seeking after me, calling me to Him. I am so thankful for the life God has given me and even though I wish I knew Him sooner and made better decisions, the Lord has used my mistakes to be a tool to bring others to Christ and have compassion on those who were in the same boat I was. I am so thankful that one day I will be with you all and our Lord Jesus lifting up His name and giving Him all honor and glory! I hope this background and testimony has blessed some of you. I'm still not perfect, but each and every day God is bringing me through the flames and purifying me like gold! I hope to get to know you all more in this precious time we have here on earth before His return.
Love you all in Christ!
Michael (Mike) T.
First I would like to introduce myself. My name is Michael (Mike) Taft. I'm 29, married, no kids as of yet, and been a fellow watchman on the wall for quite a few years now. I am a native Virginian and lived here all my life until I joined the Navy in 2008 and spent most of my tour overseas in Japan & Bahrain. I just recently ended my time with the Navy in 2016. I am now back in Virginia, living in the Shenandoah Valley just a few miles from the West Virginia border. I am thankful to find a place to share and learn about these amazing days we are living in as we all hold on to the Blessed Hope of the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The reason I want to share my testimony as it is not only a tool to edify the body of Christ, but also a weapon against the enemy (Satan). I'll try to keep the life story short without losing to much detail of my testimony. As a child I was raised in a Christian home with my parents trying to raise me up in the ways of the Lord. In my elementary years, by dad had a bad run-in with the church and stopped going. Eventually my older brother stopped going, and it was up to my mom to take me and my younger brother to church. My mom tried her best to raise us in "Christian" ways but never brought me to the realization of having a relationship with Christ. The Church I grew up in was more of a community group than an evangelizing, discipling, on fire fore Jesus group. For the longest I knew about God, but I didn't know God. I was always bullied growing up with me being a shy kid. My middle school years were the worst. I dealt with so much depression and even thoughts of suicide because I felt so alone. It my worst state of depression in my freshman year of high school, I was failing in my classes, and few friends to count. God provided me a new direction by allowing me to be accepted into the Navy JROTC program in a school the next city over. Even my mom drove me there and back every day because the bus didn't come through my neighborhood. It was a fresh start with new people and with my interest in the military I quickly fell into a place I felt accepted. During my high school years I still didn't know Jesus. I even dated a girl that went to church, but I never knew the saving grace of Christ. Even in my high school years I dealt with fortification with my relationships, and it eventually led into looking at pornography. I was basically doing what everyone else did at school. God placed many Christians in my youth, but I never got the picture when it came to walking with Christ.
I graduated my senior year in 2006 with honor roll. With not so great SAT scores I couldn't see myself getting into the Coast Guard or Navy Academy. I tried the civilian workforce for a year, but the pay and lack of benefits made it difficult to say the least. I decided to enlist in 2007 in the Coast Guard. Unfortunately with the Iraq war the wait for boot camp was backed up to two years. I decided to try my luck with the Army, and they rejected me out of MEPS for a medical waiver. My older brother was in the Navy and our family was good friends with the local Navy recruiter. He pulled my through the hoops and before I knew it I was in the Navy!
To speed things up I joined in 2008 and for the first 4 years I was stationed in Japan. It was a whole new world and learning experience. My mom would always Skype me and try and talk to me about God, but I was quickly sucked into the world of being a sailor. Drinking, sex, pornography, and all the wiles the world offers. I eventually became an alcoholic. In 2009 my mom gave me a New Testament message bible for Christmas. After 2009 I was sick of my life. I was tired of alcohol, tired of empty relationships with meaningless sex. I wanted a way out. So I picked up that bible my mom gave me and started to read. Can't put a finger on the exact day or month, but it was late winter in 2010. I just finished reading the gospel when it hit me like a brick. I knew that I needed Jesus in my life to change it around. I called on Him and asked Him to forgive me. At that moment I heard a soft voice tell me, "Michael I love you, and I am calling you to my ministry." I wasn't sure what to make of it. Now I know it was the Lord, but all I could do then was say, "Ok."
Eventually I finished that bible and I wanted to read the whole thing. So I bought a message bible with both the New and Old Testament. I read that thing front to back. By the end of it I wanted to seek after God's ministry for me. Before I knew it I was not reenlisting and I ended up applying for bible college. The first college I came across was Valley Forge Christian College (now University of Valley Forge). I got out of active duty, but stayed in the reserves to keep my time serving going and enjoy a nice paycheck while in college. I also got plenty out of the 9/11 G.I. Bill as well. I eventually transferred to the Woodbridge campus since it was so close to my home in Manassas. There I spent two years studying with the most amazing, spirit-filled Christians I have ever met. It took me from 0-80 MPH in my walk with Christ. God took my dependency on alcohol away not long after I was saved. My issues with promiscuity & pornography took a little longer to be healed from, but even the Lord's grace healed me of that. Eventually I had the opportunity though Liberty University to get my degree in Aeronautics with my pilots license. I got as far as my senior year, but the funds dried up. By this time I was walking strong in the Lord and I met my amazing beautiful wife on Christian mingle and we got married in January 28, 2017. God began to reveal to me many things pertaining to Israel and prophecy that took my faith to a whole new level. I began to study more and more, and eventually came across the recent Revelation 12 Sign in 2016. A few months before the eclipse I began to sound the alarm on the wall. Telling many friends and family of the coming Tribulation and the saving grace of Jesus. The Lord even has me leading a men's group studying Revelation and bible prophecy.
There are so many details in this long journey, but I know that even when I didn't know God, He was still there seeking after me, calling me to Him. I am so thankful for the life God has given me and even though I wish I knew Him sooner and made better decisions, the Lord has used my mistakes to be a tool to bring others to Christ and have compassion on those who were in the same boat I was. I am so thankful that one day I will be with you all and our Lord Jesus lifting up His name and giving Him all honor and glory! I hope this background and testimony has blessed some of you. I'm still not perfect, but each and every day God is bringing me through the flames and purifying me like gold! I hope to get to know you all more in this precious time we have here on earth before His return.
Love you all in Christ!
Michael (Mike) T.