Hello, my name is Nelson Rodriguez. I'm just a regular guy from Archbold, NW Ohio, and now the founder of The First Digital Assembly of Jesus Christ.

A little bit about myself:

As a child, I lived in a two-story white house next to my uncle's church, the Assembly of God. This small-town life was punctuated by a recurring nightmare that began when I was around five years old. In the dream, I would be happily skipping off our front porch into the yard when suddenly, hands and arms would emerge from the ground. They grabbed at my feet and legs, pulling me downward. Just as I was about to be swallowed by the earth, everything would fade to black, and I'd wake up, my heart pounding with fear. This dream repeated itself dozens of times until I turned ten.

As a young boy, I didn't really understand the meaning behind those nightmares. They were just scary dreams that I was relieved to outgrow. But much like the biblical story of Joseph interpreting dreams in Egypt, these nightmares would later come to signify a deeper struggle within me, a struggle that became a turning point in my spiritual journey.

Growing up, my family was religious, and I went through the motions, but my heart wasn't truly in it. I was baptized, but it felt more like a rite of passage than a meaningful commitment to God. I went about my life, unknowingly being grabbed by the metaphorical hands of worldly distractions, much like those in my childhood dreams.

When I was 21, my world was rocked by my mother's pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Despite our prayers, she passed away, and my faith took a devastating hit. I began to stray from God, much like the Prodigal Son, wandering in a spiritual wilderness filled with ego, anger, resentment, and confusion.

Over the next 20 years, my life seemed to fall into place on the surface. I had a great job in engineering, a family, but inside, I was far from the peace and fulfillment I yearned for. It was like those nightmares from my childhood, with invisible hands dragging me down into depression and unhappiness.

When the world was brought to a standstill by COVID-19, my life took a surprising turn. I was suddenly working from home, isolated, and yet I felt an unusual sense of calm. It was in this solitude that I felt an urge, a pull towards something larger than myself. I felt a higher calling, telling me to dive back into the Bible, to explore it with fresh eyes and an open mind. To read it through the eyes of a spiritual child.

Using my background in technology, I went all in, spending hundreds of hours studying the Bible. I discovered incredible tools like the Blue Letter Bible app that helped me dissect verses in a way I hadn't before. I began to appreciate how much more access we have to information now than previous generations.

Raised in a family that treasured literacy, thanks to my mom's early insistence on reading, I had an advantage. She'd pushed me to read extensively as a child when my reading grades weren't up to scratch. Now, with my tech savvy, I was able to combine my passion for reading with my desire to deepen my understanding of faith.

But my thirst for knowledge didn't stop at the Bible. I felt led by the Spirit to broaden my horizons and delve into other ancient texts like the Nag Hammadi Library, including intriguing works like the Gospel of Thomas. This expanded my consciousness, allowing me to see God and faith through a wider lens.

As I immersed myself in these texts, I began to notice a pattern. Much like in engineering, where I used logic and analytical thinking, I realized that God works in a similar way. With all this technology and knowledge at my fingertips, why wouldn't I be led to greater understanding? I started to see the flaws, the generational curses in the way religion has been interpreted over the centuries.

It dawned on me that it was only a few hundred years ago when having an English translation of the Bible could get you killed. Understanding the history of religion and how institutions like the Church of England shaped the Bible to fit their narrative opened my eyes to the truth.

I have nothing but love and respect for my family in the ministry, but I understood that their path was different from mine. They didn't have access to the wealth of information that I did. It would have been impossible for them to have read the things that I was led to read. But with God, all things are possible.

It was during this time, I experienced a transformative and direct personal encounter with The Most High: My spiritual baptism of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. This was no ordinary event, but a powerful spiritual event where it felt like my soul was extricated from my body and disintegrated by an incomparable divine power. This ephemeral moment, a mere flicker in time, took me years to fully comprehend. Looking back, my prior understanding seems almost childish.

Acts 18:25 is particularly relevant here. The verse states, "This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John." It felt as if God was responding to my quest for proof of His existence with an emphatic, "Here it is." This mystical affirmation was the only kind of evidence that could have convinced me of God's reality. Following this revelation, I was on cloud nine for a week.

But then, a daunting phase of deep introspection set in, my personal 'dark night of the soul.' It felt as if my baptism had transformed into my judgment day, and it was time to face the music. Given God's reputed sense of humor, I suspect my trials and tribulations during this spiritual initiation must have provided some divine amusement. The saying 'no pain, no gain' was seared into my heart and mind by God Himself, serving as a reminder of the spirit of truth. This is reflected in John 16:13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth." These concepts echo throughout biblical verses and gained a new resonance for me.

It was also during this time that my childhood nightmare began to make sense. Those hands dragging me into the ground symbolized my attachments to this world. My ego, my indoctrinated convictions, and my need for the approval of others were the very chains holding me back from embracing the fullness of my faith. All of my attachments to the conformed material world. These are the attachments that take down even the best of us. But only by the grace of The Most High God, not me.

With this revelation, I realized that being led by the Holy Spirit wasn't a restrictive concept but a liberating one. I was learning to cast off the shackles of religious conformity and tune into God's direction in my life. My dream was an early warning sign, a call to let go of worldly attachments and fully surrender to God's will.

I started seeing faith as more than mere belief. It was about action, about living in a way that reflected the love and teachings of Jesus. It was about being the change I wished to see in the world, just like Jacob was when he wrestled with the angel and wouldn't let go until he received his blessing. It was actually just about following everything Jesus commanded us to follow. This realization marked a turning point in my spiritual journey, which led me to create The First Digital Assembly of Jesus Christ.

My goal was simple yet profound. I aimed to use the gift of technology to share the transformative message I'd received. Just as David broke into the house of God to feed himself with sacred bread when he was in need, I wanted to break down the walls that often separate us from a direct relationship with God. I wanted to offer a place where people could explore their faith, ask questions, and find the spiritual nourishment they need.

Throughout this journey, I've remained mindful that I'm no different than anyone else. I'm not a spiritual guru or an enlightened master. I'm just an ordinary person who has been touched by the extraordinary grace of God. My journey has been marked by trials and tribulations, much like those nightmarish hands that tried to pull me under in my childhood dreams. But just as those hands couldn't keep me down, I have learned that life's challenges cannot overcome me when I am rooted in faith.

This journey is not a walk in the park. There are mountains to climb, metaphorically speaking. I have had to confront my anger, strive to respond to all situations with Christ-like compassion, and work hard to manage my emotions. To keep the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, alive in me, I had to let go of my ego and surrender to Christ. These struggles were intense, but they brought God's love and grace into sharp focus, making each step of the journey worth the effort.

So, where am I now? I am still an ordinary man who is blessed to be led by the Holy Spirit, a man who seeks wisdom and guidance from the Bible every day. I am by no means perfect; I stumble and fall just like anyone else. But every day, I strive to live a life that reflects the truth about God's incredible love. I have learned that the path to God is a narrow road that requires us to put our faith into action, and this knowledge has been a game-changer for me.

I am just a humble servant who received an undeserved gift of grace from the Most High. This journey has not been without its pain. My baptism, while proving God's existence, also meant I had no choice but to go through the trials and tribulations of finding out exactly why I had been so miserable in life.

I left my old world behind and offered my ego to Christ. It's a daily struggle, and no one will ever be perfect, but at least I know the truth about the Most High and His goodness. This truth is what I strive to proclaim until the day I die. I am led by the Holy Spirit in all that I do, a testament to my surrender to God's will.

This is my humble journey - at least for now. I am truly blessed to share my story with you, and my hope is that it might offer some encouragement or insight into your own spiritual walk. Faith, as I have come to understand it, is not solely about belief. It's about living and acting in ways that radiate God's love, embodying the teachings of Jesus in all we do.

As we journey onward, I am eagerly anticipating connecting with fellow mature spiritual seekers, those who are deeply committed to following Jesus, and those open-minded individuals who know and seek God. I am keen on engaging in collaborative endeavors such as podcasts, where we can share our experiences, wisdom, and perspectives.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Whether it's about possible collaborations or if you're going through a tough season and just need someone to talk to, I'm here. I can assure you that I will listen as someone who truly cares. After all, part of our journey of faith is about taking action - reaching out, extending a helping hand, and walking this path together.

To all of you grappling with life's trials, wrestling with your own versions of angels and demons, remember that you're not alone. Each of us has our own struggle, our own fight for blessings, and our own path towards God. Don't hesitate to act for your faith. Let's walk this path together, with faith, hope, and love guiding our steps.

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For anyone out there who finds themselves at their wit's end, desperate, and feeling alone, remember this: God is real, and He exists. The challenge is for you to prove that YOU are real, that you exist with a purpose to serve Him.

If you've had enough, if you need something concrete and real in this often-nonsensical world, then it's time to make a stand. Cry out to the Most High. Surrender your heart and soul, utter those words of desperate need, and be ready for a response.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." - Matthew 5:6.

The Gospel reminds us that our hunger and thirst for something real, something righteous, will not go unanswered.