A Forty Year Journey with God in Albuquerque, New Mexico

By John Michael Gurule

Revelation 5: 9, 10
Worthy is the lamb and they sang a new song saying, "You are worthy to take te scroll, and to open its seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood. Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us Kings and Priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483655994

Book preview

A FORTY YEAR

JOURNEY

WITH

GOD

IN ALBUQUERQUE,

NEW MEXICO

JOHN MICHAEL GURULE

Copyright © 2013 by John Michael Gurule.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 06/20/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

133449

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Ministries of the Prophet Elijah

Elisha, Elijah

The True Way Into the Kingdom, Matthew 7: 21, 23

Affirmations

Doctrine of Faith

Autobiography

A Little Story about My Forty-Year Journey with God, but It’s All about Jesus Christ Isaiah 53:3, 6

Photos from Albuquerque and Las Vegas, New Mexico

Acknowledgments

To Pastor Beraldo Romero and all his family members. To the church members, I want to thank you all. In all the services I went to, I would see the miracles and healing everyone would receive. This is not the first time I was involved in a church where the hand of the Lord moved. I was involved in some churches before. I have always seen miracles and healing in all the other churches before this one. Going to church has always been a blessing for me. I love church. I love God. In Beraldo and Lucy’s church, they were about teaching, preaching, and feeding the homeless praying for others. These people are people of God. They helped people. When I was younger, I would go to church to attend a Catholic Mass. Sacred Heart is where I went and also where I received my First Holy Communion. I would be praying in church and I would hear the word of God from the priest and I would always look at the cross that had Jesus on it. Jesus was nailed to the cross; and there was blood coming down from his head, hand, feet, and side. And I always wonder to myself who could do such a thing to a man that did nothing but good? There were two men on the left and right side of Jesus. One man said, We deserve to die, but Jesus did nothing wrong. He did not deserve to die. They beat and hung Jesus on a cross to die. Jesus left us the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

In the Bible, we learn from the Old Testament and the New Testament from pastors like Lucy and Beraldo. They gave up their lives to bring us the good news, God’s salvation for us. We have to learn what salvation is. Salvation is a free gift, apart from any works that we do. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephes. 2:8-9).

Realize the moment you trust Christ, you have salvation, and it can never be lost. The Lords says, ‘And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand’ (John 10:28).

Believe me when I say God will take good care of you, as long as you continue to walk with the Lord; but for whatever reason, if we refuse, that could cause some problems. The New Testament is the same as the Old Testament. If we refuse to return to the Lord just like in Jeremiah’s days, destruction came on the people who did not return to the Lord. God does not hate us when we turn away from God. We hurt ourselves. We bring trouble on ourselves.

Beraldo will tell you himself that he does not wish anything bad on anybody. His job is to preach the good news. Beraldo has helped me and my son Robert J. Gurule by allowing us to serve the Lord in his church. While attending the Agape Faith Ministry, Lucy and Beraldo’s church, they got some bad news that someone had taken his son’s life. Well, just like Jesus’s life was taken, I could not understand why Beraldo lost his son. Lucy passed shortly after. Beraldo was devastated but continued to serve the Lord.

Beraldo pulled through. Both my son and I did not pull through. I did not continue to serve the Lord. Had I did, both my son and I would have pulled through also. People, no matter what happens, we need to stick to the Lord. Serve the Lord no matter what happens. The Lord will bring you through whatever it is. Do not run from the Lord. Beraldo, thank you for being there for me. It seems to me that you were there a lot of the times I returned back to the Lord.

I went to Pastor Joe’s Romero Philadelphia Ministry. This time, I was pretty bad. I was on medication, on drugs. I had a broken right foot, and I was looking at going back to prison. You helped me get through that time. I will never forget what you did for me.

Pastor Beraldo, when you got ill, Diane, your congregation, Joe Romero, and I prayed for you with oil. I felt the power of God go through from your feet up, and Pastor Joe prayed from your head down. I knew God had healed you. Again, you pulled through. God is good. I enjoyed serving the Lord with you and will serve the Lord with you again. God bless you, Diane, and your family. Love, John Gurule.

To Pastor Joe Romero, to your wife Edwina Romero, and to your family, thank you for all you did for me. If it was not for all the pastors in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I would not be alive today. I want to thank you, your wife Edwina, and your family for being the loving Christians God has made you to be. You opened your home to men and women like me. We were all addicts and alcoholics, lost or running from the Lord. You took us in and taught us the way of the Lord.

I was so messed up I could not even remember a verse from the Bible. I lived in your home four different times. I could not even work. You taught me how to work again. The Jesus in you saved my life. Pastor Joe, you have the biggest heart I have ever seen. One day, I asked you to pray for this lady friend of mine. She owned a shop there in Old Town at one time. Well, she turned into an alcoholic. Everywhere she went, she had a drink in her hand; even while she was driving, she even scared me. I asked you to pray for her. Pastor Joe, when you prayed for her, I also had my hand on her as God is my witness. I felt the hand of God move so big I got healed. The lady never drank again. The lady hugs and kisses me every time I see her.

Pastor Joe, Edwina, and family fed the homeless for many years. I’ve seen miracles and healing in your church. The last time I went to your church, I was healed the whole time I attended, which was for one year. I was back to normal, well, halfway there. Pastor Joe, you visited me in jail. You just walked right in to where I was at. I can remember it was three times. I know you are in heaven now. Pastor Joe, I will always love you and your wife and your family. Just like Pastor Beraldo Romero, I left the ministry both times. You pastors saved my life, not just once but many, many times. I don’t know why I went through what I went through, but I’m sure there’s a reason for what I’m going through. Edwina and family, I grieve your lost. Pastor was a man of God. Just like Jeremiah served to the very end, so did Pastor Joe

I’m writing a book. You will hear more about all the miracles I received in the Philadelphia Church and the men’s home. In memory of Pastor Joe. You will be greatly missed.

This book will be for the Lord’s ministry and for my restitution to the Lord. I will serve to the end. Edwina, a lady of God, I have seen you serve the Lord with the glory of God on you. Forgive me for anything I’ve done. I gave it all I could give, and I would fall back to the world. God, forgive me. May God bless you and your family.

John M. Gurule.

Pastor Leo, wife, and family

Pastor Leo, I want to thank you and your wife for also saving my life from alcohol and drugs. I met Pastor Leo though Don Carron, another drug addict I met on the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico. I got out of jail. I took the bus to the west side of the town of Albuquerque. I got off the bus on central northwest, right in front of People for Jesus Church. I walked across the street. I had money to get what I needed. I was in jail for seven days, locked up for getting into trouble. In jail, I was not sick from drugs, but when you get caught up in that kind of lifestyle, your mind has a one track: that is to start where you last finished—to use drugs again. Well, Don Carron was lying on a couch outside of People for Jesus Church. He came to me and told me he surrendered his life to the Lord. He told me to do the same. He said he knew Pastor Leo real good and could get me in the men’s home if only I would return to the Lord. So I surrendered myself to the Lord. I stayed in the men’s home for ninety days; the hand of God was on that home. I felt the power of God there. Well, I got to meet a lot of the people there. There was a lot. Mario worked on cars. His wife and children also lived in the home. There were alcoholics, drugs addicts, people with cancer, and homeless people. Pastor Leo and his wife were busy preaching for nursing homes and parks, and for feeding the homeless inside and outside the home. There were church services two to three times a week. I’ve seen miracles, healing, in that church. One girl walked to the altar to Pastor Leo. She had a crippled right foot. I have seen the power of God move on that girl’s foot. Her foot—I’m not kidding—had straightened out. She was walking normally. That was a miracle, a healing. I got healed. My chest pains went away. My headaches went away. The color in my face was coming back. I was starting to look normal again. I was eating well. There they served good food. I was gaining my weight back. God really moved in my life again. After I got better, I went back home to my mother’s house. Instead of staying and growing with the Lord, I left. I don’t understand. Instead of continuing in the men’s home, I went thinking I was all right. I thought in my head I would never return back to my old ways. Two weeks later, there I was back to using again. I went back to the men’s home. It got twice as hard for me. People would bring me drugs; people would come to get me out of the men home. I did not fight for my soul. I should have been in the word praying, reading the word every chance I got, praying for people in the home. I was lost. I wasn’t in my right mind. I wasn’t thinking straight. Then Pastor Leo and his wife were praying for me. It wasn’t long before I weeded myself out. I feel I’d tried with what I knew to stay in that home. I did get a little stronger. I can tell you this: I would have been dead if it weren’t for the men’s home. People, for Jesus, I will never forget that church.

To Pastor Leo and your wife, may God bless you for all you did for me. Both of you are real. Forgive me if I have done anything wrong. I do love you both, and I know we will serve God to the end. Bless you and your family, Leo.

John M. Gurule

To Eric Nieto

Pastor Eric Nieto and family members of the Placitas Outreach Ministries, I want to thank you and your family members and the congregation of the church. Dear Eric, my brother in the Lord, I thank you for taking me into your home. I remember your whole family serving the Lord. Your father preached the Word of God, and everyone followed. I remember you when you came back from San Antonio; you were a disciple of Freddie Garcia and his wife for a period of three years. You came back home anointed by the Lord to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent you to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to the captives, and to open the eyes of the blind. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of God’s favor to them has come, and the day of his wrath to their enemies to all who mourn in Israel he will give: Beauty for ashes; Joy instead of mourning; Praise instead of heaviness for God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory (Isa. 61:1, 3).

Eric, I was messed up on heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. I lost my family behind all of that. I stayed for six months in your home. Ever since I was a little boy, I experienced visions. My first vision was I was playing ball with someone in heaven. I am your creator. You were in my care even before you were born (Isa. 44:2). I do believe I was playing ball with God before I was born. I just could not see him. The reason I mentioned the vision is because I have seen a lot of visions in your home. You will read a lot of those visions in my life story. Eric, you are an anointed man of God! You’re good news of God. Your church, your ministry, is blessed. You are blessed. I know bad things happen in our lives, but there is a reason for everything that happens. I know you know that I just want to tell you I love you as a brother in the Lord. I love your family, and I hope to see you soon. My God bless you and your family. I want to leave you with a scripture from Romans 1:1, 7.

Hebrew 3:1

Eric Nieto is a true man of God, a pastor, an apostle, having true obedience to the faith. True saving faith always produces obedience and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This describes anyone whom God has sent with the message of salvation (Acts 14:14, Rom. 16:7).

Romans 1:17: Dear friends in Rome: This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ’s slave, chosen to be a missionary and sent out to preach God’s good news. This good news was promised long ago by God’s prophets in the Old Testament. It is the good news about his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who came as a human baby, born into King David’s royal family line. And by being raised from the dead, he was proved to be the mighty Son of God, with the holy nature of God himself. And now, through Christ, all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us undeserving sinners. And now he is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things God has done for them, so that they too will believe and obey him. I became a bigger believer, living in your home, in your ministry.

John M. Gurule

To Pastor Al R. and his wife

Victory Outreach, Pastor Al, and your wife, may God bless your heart, you, your wife, your family, and all the church members, house members. I don’t remember all the names, but there was one family that I remember: David, George, Robert, and Moya’s. I did some time in jail and in prison with these brothers. Robert, Moya, I, and remember working with him in prison. David and George, I spent some time in prison. In jail, I also spent time with George, Robert, and David. There is another brother, James, I did six months with in BCDC county jail here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I prayed my way into Victory Outreach where I met a whole bunch of people that tried to help me out to get to learn about the Lord. They gave it all they had, and I gave it all I had. I did make it into Victory Outreach. I stayed one year. People may not see me going to a program or a place like Victory Outreach because of the jail, prison, drugs, and alcohol. But if you want to turn your life around, Jesus would be the only way. If you want to get anywhere in this life, you need to learn about the Lord. So when people tell you about the Lord, witness or give testimony. They tell you because it works. These are things they have seen or personal knowledge things they have done spiritually. There are evidences, people getting healed, set free from jail, and delivered from drugs or alcohol. People’s lives are turning around 100 percent. This is evident that the hand of the Lord has moved in people’s lives. Believe me, you will know when the hand of God moved in people’s lives. Believe me, you will know when the hand of God moves. Well, I stayed in Victory Outreach for one year. I learned a lot about church, praying, learning to preach, and working. We would clean the church and feed the homeless people. I learned that I was not strong in the spiritual way of life. So I made up my mind that I would learn more about the Lord’s church. I wanted to build up my spirit. The Lord opened the door for me. So after one year in Victory Outreach, I went to court. Woody Smith was my judge. Woody Smith turned out to be one of the nicest judges. There are a lot of good judges. Woody Smith is one of them.

Well, I was facing four years in prison with good time. Good time means working or going to school would cut my time in half. I would only do two years. Well, I continued to serve God in prison, witnessing, praying, giving testimonies, reading the Word, the Bible, and going to Bible studies and church services. I was helping people get Bibles from the outside people. People were turning their lives around. I also got baptized in prison. In the dictionary, the word baptize means to administer baptism to, immersion in, or sprinkling with water as a rite of admitting a person to a Christian church, learning to turn and learn the ways of God. If we love Jesus Christ, we have to learn about him and his ways. You will find that it is not that easy. There a lot to learn. In this book, you will learn how to get back on the right track. I thank God, Jesus Christ, and Victory Outreach for being there for me. These are people of God. Victory Outreach gives you the chance to get away from the world. Consecrate would be a word that’s expands a little bit to be set apart for a holy use to devote or to render holy. It is a chance to make things right with God. That’s what we all need to do. Thanks again, Pastor Al.

To My Parents, John R. Gurule and Andrea Gurule

Matthew 19:19: Honor your father and your mother. Honor in the dictionary means high esteem, high reputation credit for honesty, treat with due respect. Even though parents are only human and are not always perfect, we should always love them. No matter what, I love my parents. I will never forget my grandparents. God blessed me with good family members on both sides my father and my mother.

To my grandparents on my dad’s side, Emilia Gurule and Manuel Gurule, and to all the Gurule family members, I love you all. Some of you I don’t know that well, but from what I have seen, I do love all you guys and girls. May God bless you all.

To my grandparents on my mother’s side, Enrique P. Montoya and Isabel L. Montoya, and all my mother’s family members, we had a lot of fun growing