Seek first his kingdom
“Just have an open heart and God will take care of it.”
In a world full of machismo and bravado, Jose’s righteousness shines like a lighthouse. Glowing like a beacon in a dark world, he really adds a new level to what it means to earnestly seek after God. Much like the rest of us, once childhood innocence is lost, it becomes harder to follow these simple but powerful truths. Jose however, is willing to do just that.
Ricky Jean~ Chief Editor
Ricky: Tell me a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, stage in life, working, going to school, are you from DFW originally?
Jose: Well, I’m actually originally from Mexico. I was born in Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, MX. It’s kind of on the border part of Mexico. We actually have a church over there, it’s crazy. I grew up catholic. In Mexico you can’t take a street corner without seeing something or the other of the Virgin Mary. I grew up around a lot of religiosity; I was baptized as an infant.
I had a good childhood. I think I was born at the exact right time, this was like before the internet was commonplace, I guess. So kids still went out and played. Then I moved over here when I was like four, in Texas. When we came here my dad had already been working over here, and we had family over here. 
When they put me in pre-K I didn’t know English. They had a bilingual class but for whatever reason, my mom and my dad they decided to put me like in the normal English speaking class, and I didn’t speak English. So I was embarrassed. Literally, I thought that I was speaking English but I was actually speaking gibberish. But it was funny because I got the hang of it pretty quick, because little kids they pick up languages really easily.
Right now I’m studying. I’m a college student in my freshman year at UTA. Thankfully I get to go to school for free, pretty much. Because of scholarships and grants, like financial aid and stuff. So I got that to be thankful for.
Ricky: What are some of your favorite hobbies, and something you would consider unique about yourself?
Jose: I really like to read, and I really like to play video games. Another thing is I love music, a lot! I love all sorts of music. I love discovering new music, like all the time. I like to ask people, like what their favorite song is and then just play it. I usually find like a lot of new artists and genres that way.
Ricky: Tell me how you were met/invited to DFWICC?
Jose: Alan Ramos. He was just sharing his faith. I was sitting down with my lab partner, and Alan actually told me that I wasn’t his target. His target was my lab partner, because he thought that my lab partner would be more open than me. But my lab partner actually wasn’t open– like at all. And I was like “Yea, sure. Why not?” He got me instead of my lab partner. I got baptized like five days after.
Ricky: Describe your relationship with God prior to studying the Bible, and how it has changed?
Jose: God was basically like an abstract concept to me, like it didn’t really make sense. Even when I was little I thought “There’s a guy living in the clouds who created heaven, and he’s just there judging our every move?” When I got older– right before I was going to do my first communion, my mom, she didn’t let me finish it because she had heard from a friend I was unbelieving. 
She didn’t take the time to explain it to me, she just didn’t let me finish my communion. So ever since then I had a resentment towards like religion. Because I’m like “So this thing that I grew up with my whole life, you’re telling me that it was wrong?” It just didn’t make sense to me, so I was just like “You know what. I don’t believe in God anymore.”
We moved around a lot, from church to church. We went to a Methodist church. It was ok I guess. And a Baptist church– same type of deal. It was nice, but like the fellowship, just being around people, it was ok. Like I said, I never really had a whole lot of faith in God; and I actually never told anyone. I talked to my pastor, but the reason I never told anyone was because I was afraid of like– of what my mom would think of me.
Not that she would be angry or anything, but I would actually break her heart, because of what happens to atheists. Then one day it finally came out, and she broke down in tears. She didn’t try to convince me or anything. She was just sad. As soon as I met Alan and then quarantine came along, it just gave me a lot of time to think about stuff. God was one of those things, that’s why I was so open to the ICC when I met Alan. The rest is history.
Ricky: What are some of your favorite scriptures and why?
Jose: One of my favorites would be Jeremiah 29:11; because it’s just great how God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes we’re not able to see it like right away, but as soon as I started seeing the way God (through the DFWICC) was moving in my life, it just spurred me to do the next Bible study; and the next one, and the next one. Until I finally got baptized.
Ricky: What advice would you give someone who has started studying the Bible or is considering it?
Jose: I would just tell them to be open, that’s what got me into studying the bible. It was mostly out of curiosity, because like I said I was an atheist. And from there everything just grew. That’s something that I think I’m good at– like having an open mind. Being able to like, hear other people’s opinions and beliefs without immediately rejecting it.
That’s what I would advise more than anything, just have an open heart and God will just take care of it. Like as soon as you open your heart up, and you start seeking him, and start really asking questions, that’s when he’ll reveal himself to anyone.
I think in John 4 it says “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.” And that’s exactly what happened to me.
Ricky: What do you love about the kingdom?
Jose: The biggest thing is just God. Like just having him there, knowing that he’s just there. Like it says in Jeremiah 29:11; it literally says he has a plan for me, and that’s true. Like God knows me inside and out, he knows every single one in the kingdom. On the planet really. It’s just the fact that he’s there, and he’ll take care of me no matter what. 
Like he’s not going to let me fail, and if anything happens I just put my faith in him. Anytime I have doubts, anytime I have anxiety, I just remember at the end of the day God’s will prevails. Another thing is the people, the kingdom itself, like every single one in the kingdom.
It’s crazy because I’ve been in the DFWICC for four months, and I feel like I’ve known everyone for like a lifetime. And I have a whole lifetime to look forward to, of getting to know everyone, and you know there’s new people getting added like every single week or so. Which is crazy.
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