I heard my life story today on a news program called "The O'Reilly Factor", an American (some would say) right wing "news" program. Mr O'Reilly was defending the GOP (our American Republican Party) for reductions in social legislation monies. He responded to his guest "foil" with his own description of "the poor" by saying that many began by dropping out of school, getting hooked on alcohol and/or other mood altering substances, never becoming able to hold down a job for very long or ever having a career, saddled with serious mental health issues, and ending up homeless. As I saw that this described me, and I digested this bit of truth, I realized that this could be the opening of my testimonial of the Luni-solar Truth and how it has impacted my life. Let me first Praise our Eloah (Lord) and Master: Yahushua! because of course this isn't an entirely true picture of what His Father, Yahuwa, has done for me.
I must begin at the beginning in order to give a true picture of my present position and condition, which is that of a disabled veteran receiving Social Security Disability for a condition termed "Schizo-affective Disorder" and awaiting Veterans Benefits from injury sustained while serving for six years in the US Army. In the US this program called Social Security is funded by and awarded to US workers (and in special cases to others, such as children of a deceased worker) either when they reach retirement age or when they become unable to work because of a covered disability. Thanks to Our all-powerful Father, I was able to hold significant employment for a number of years in the US Army and then in the hotel and casino business, and I've earned my coverage from both Social Security and the Department of Defense. As I have been unwilling to request Veterans Benefits for myself, Our Father Yahuwa has put a burden on a Veterans Administration employee to labor on my behalf ( Praise Yahushua for intervention!); no easy feat, as the VA is very difficult to work with, seeming to drag out deserving cases of obvious need until the former soldier, airman, marine or other veteran has died and can no longer lobby for benefits.
As a preschooler I was diagnosed by our Air Force doctors as an "autistic child" and my mother was told that I would not be able to engage in any significant formal educational program. This news came to her shortly after divorcing my father. My father was an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War and was very emotionally scarred by his experience there. He became quite violent and this led to their divorce. Shortly after I turned 7, my mother passed away and I was brought to live with my father. This began 8 years of abuse culminating in a life changing decision: to risk one of us killing the other, or leaving his house and fending for myself. Reading between the lines, I hope, dear reader, that you are able to surmise a number of miracles thus far. Yahuwa was certainly caring for me! I was able to become an "emancipated minor", the result of a process in which a judge determined that I was emotionally, physically, and mentally able to care for myself adequately enough so that I was able to receive the Social Security Survivor Benefits awarded to my father at my mothers death. This was my first experience, of many, with Social Security and veterans benefits. Once again prayer to the Father in the name of the Son resulted in a berakah (blessing), this time that of pulling me farther away from the symptoms of autism, as He already had done to a degree that enabled me to get at least nine years of education (the High School drop-out part of O'Rielly's description). Again I must Praise His Qodesh (Holy) Name: Yahuwa and that of His Son: Yahushua!
From this point I proceeded into the Army (active duty) and then the Army Reserve (also active duty) and after six years I was honorably discharged and promptly entered the hospital for six months, never really knowing what ailed me, but acquiring disability benefits, this time from my own work and earnings payments. Once again, Yahuwa barak (blessed) me and after a few years in college, I was able to find employment in the hotels of Las Vegas. (There are times when I am not certain if I've been barak (blessed) or cursed, but I will count it all joy as it has led me to the Light here at WLC and deeper knowledge of Yahuwa and His Scriptures!
My spiritual journey since my mother introduced me to "Jesus" (Yahushua) when I was five years old went from there to a Trinity preaching "Maranatha" type Church, on to initial education in preparation to become a Roman Catholic kohen (Priest) (not completed, but it was at this time that many of the symptoms and serious shortfalls of Autism were "lifted" from my life). Another good time to Praise the Father and the Son! From there I searched concerning the Sabbath and subjected more than one minister to my own self-styled "inquisition" in hot pursuit of proof of Sunday Worship somewhere, anywhere, within the pages of Scripture. Later I became sidetracked by my first marriage, which for a time became a duet in search of truth, but this relationship and the search ended with the tragic shooting murder of my oldest step-son in 1995. I praise Yahushua for enabling me to share the Gospel Truth with my son before he was killed. I have hope to see him in the resurrection of the qodeshim (saints) when Our Saviour returns.
This led to a time alone and then a second marriage. My second wife, a Chinese immigrant (via five years in Australia) is a wonderful woman who was led to divorce me because of a serious psychotic episode that befell me in 2002, and scared her so deeply that she felt compelled to divorce me. I had been drifting farther and farther from my search for Truth, and was "rescued' by the Hand of Yahuwa on a long visit to Hawaii. I ran there after my marriage ended and was introduced to the Seventh day Adventist Church there, where I was Baptized into the church, but was soon perplexed by the Pastor's attitude when I begged for guidance concerning my wife and marriage (the divorce not being final, I hoped for reconciliation and repair). This eventually led to a return to Las Vegas, returning to work in the casino where I was employed in the past. I quickly drifted away from the Seventh Day Adventist Church here, as I couldn't understand the separation between what I had learned and experienced in the congrgation in Hawaii, and the positions of the church here ( The congregation of the Samoan-Tokelau Seventh Day Adventist Church on Hawaii were introduced to the "Old-Time" religion of SDA and are very Spiritually Gifted).
The Eloah (Lord) was to lead me into the wilderness of homelessness and membership in a cult-like group called Victory Outreach Ministries, and then homelessness again, before placing me in my own modest home, with the desire and ability to continue searching for the Truth about the Sabbath, the "trinity", and correcting the lies spread in my mind by the adversary.
I am truly barak (blessed) by the Works of His Hand here at World's Last Chance! I have been given the proper question's to ask about Yahuwa (God), His Son, and His Church! What is His Name? And what is His Son's Name? Who is His Church? What are His Commandments? And what is the Faith of Yahushua and how may I attain that Faith? It's all here at World's Last Chance! Praise the Gift from the Vaults of Shamayim (Heaven) and Praise the Giver: El Shaddai!!! Yahuwa's Creation Calendar is truly an artwork worthy of Yahuwa!
As with any person's testimony, there is always much more to say when reporting on the Works of Yahuwa and Yahushua. I offer my Praise once again to the Father and the Son, and I thank you, His children for being my audience. Yahuwa Barak (bless) each of you!
Your Brother in Yahushua ha'Mashiah (Jesus the Messiah),
In His Service and His Care,
John Stepp
Las Vegas, Nevada
USA