Testimony: How @LostLambFound went from fighter in the ring into a fighter for the King!

Posted by thedeaconscorner

This is an AWESOME testimony of the Lord’s goodness, in his own words, from my brother (@LostLambFound) on Twitter. For more information of him please visit: http://lostlambfound.wordpress.com/

INTRODUCTION…

My name is David Martinez Jr. Ia am a former professional boxer and titlist of the California State super-flyweight, WBC youth world super flyweight championship. WBC Mundo Hispano bantamweight championship, and I was ranked #1 in the country as a amateur boxer in 2001.

From the age of 12 years old until my last fight in Sept. of 2008, boxing has been everything to me. I didn’t even go to my high school prom because I knew I would miss a day of training! ALL my marbles were in that one bag! Waking up in the morning and running 3-5 miles, going to the gym in the afternoon and pushing my body to that limit where some of us would not think our bodies could not be pushed…Let’s just say I would do anything to make weight… missing certain occasions, meals, holidays, anything to grow in terms of that God given talent…

I can’t say I had a bad childhood, as a matter a fact I was raised going to church. I was baptized at a young age, I once had a bible my uncle gave me that had that special day in it! I you know what I mean; in the front of your bible, where you put the day you “got saved.” I can’t honestly say that was an accurate date, due to the fact that without a shadow of a doubt I was rebellious to the God who loved me first. I’ve had my days of drinking, I’ve had my days of partying, I met my wife and mother of my three children 9 years ago at one of them. I lived a very fast life, and occasionally went to church on Sundays, read the bible from time to time. In spite of going to church, and reading the bible, and being a good father, it never dawned on me that I was a candidate to be someone that will one day say, “Lord,Lord…” and He will tell me, “depart from me you worker of iniquity!” I felt that I was a “good person,” and some would agree with me about it.

FAST FORWARD A BIT IN MY LIFE WHERE I STARTED TO NOTICE GOD DOING A WORK ON ME…

In my last fight, against a tall undefeated Columbian by the name of Yhonny Perez. I decided to put my faith in my talent, and take the fight on a couple weeks notice because the money offered, and it would be televised on Showtime. I wasn’t in the best shape, but I knew I had better skills then this guy, so I took the fight.

Here we are fighting, and round 1 and 2 were split with us winning one a piece. In the 3rd round we were mixing it up and all the sudden I could not see out of my right eye! My vision was pitch black to the right side and I was getting hit with a lot of shots to that side for the next few rounds, and finally in the 7th round the ref stopped the fight.

I was devastated, I went to my locker room and cried like a baby. I can remember thinking out loud to myself, “I can’t believe something I am so loyal to, faithful to, and gave all my time to, would do this to me!” (I was speaking about boxing and later found out that was one of my idols!)

APPROACHED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT…

A couple days later I was taken to the hospital, and found out I had a detached retna, and that I had to get surgery immediately because I could lose my vision out of that eye permanently. So we accepted the offer… I can remember laying there watching the doctor work on my eye, it was kinda weird„, all I could think of was healing from this and getting back in the ring! YA, THAT’S SMART I KNO! LOL… but my train of thinking changed… all the sudden the thought came up, “what if I would of died?” This was no ordinary thought, it was as if the question was asked to me, even though I was thinking it…”WHAT COULD I TELL GOD I DID WITH MY LIFE?”…”WELL I WAS A GOOD BOXER!” He would of laughed and said,”WELL WHY ARE WE MEETING LIKE THIS?” And that frightened me more than any punch, and more than anything in this world could. PROVERBS 1:7 – THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE…Up until this point I can say that I figured boxing kind of like my salvation. I believed that I would go to heaven for the simple fact that I was not the best person in the world, but also not the worst! I knew that I was not the worst boxer in the world, and that I was better than some champs out there…but does that mean id win a world title? And acting better then some, does that mean I’m going to heaven?

PAYING BACK THE LORD WITH DEEDS…

Walking with the Lord is a really humbling experience. There is so much that I wanted to do for GOD, and for having mercy on a sinner like myself, and I said to myself at that time, “I’m going to continue to box, and whatever I do, I will do to the glory of God!”
So I continued boxing, training daily, except the difference was id pray before and after training. When I ran, I enjoyed looking at His creation, and thanked Him for it! I told guys in the gym about Him, everything I did was to His glory.

When I would pray, I would ask Him to show me if what I am doing is right, and if not to show me. I would ask brothers to pray that the LORDS will be done, not mine.

PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED AND WE TEND TO NOT WANT TO RECOGNIZE…

One day I was online and was instant messaging with a really good friend on myspace, he is the best flyweight in the world right now, his name is Nonito Donaire, he had asked me if I were interested in going down and helping him with sparing for a upcoming fight, and I said yes. I prayed the Lord do His will with me there, use me…and He did!
I got in the best of shape I have ever been in thanks to the sparing and trainers there, and I looked forward to comming home and getting a fight in due time.

So after three weeks of training there, I came home…a couple days pass and I notice a liquid floating in my right eye. I thought nothing of it, just stayed positive that things will be okay. The next morning I woke up, and out of my right eye again…it was this time, pitch black on the top half of my vision, and I can see out of the bottom half. Think about it, things were cut in half due to my vision! I really knew exactly what the LORD was saying, but at the same time I was saying to myself, “I never did anything with this talent for Him.” I was a bit scared that the one talent the Lord gave me, I have buried! Which would make me a worker of iniquity.”

I went and told a very close person to me what was going on, and he told me to go see the eye doctor. So I did. As soon as the doctor seen it, he scheduled a appointment for surgery the next day. A prayer was answered though, one that my mind was set on…I TAKE JOY IN WHAT HAPPEN!!!
When I started boxing at the age of 12, His plans were not mine. And after I put my trust in Him, He showed me my greatest works are like filthy rags!

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD…

The word of God tells me that He knew me even before I was in my mothers womb. It tells me He knew me before the foundations of the world. And it tells me His plans work to perfection, as the word would say, “and God saw it was good…” but what amazes me personally is the fact that He knew that I would get a big idea of being a world champion, He knew that I would go to far extremes to get a belt. As far as almost losing my vision! I honestly would of died for it.

So I believe He knew before hand that I would hear the Holy Spirit talk to me on the day of my first retna tare. He knew that the fear of Him was the beginning of me getting to know Him. As a matter a fact, He knew that I would get the 2nd retna tare as a hint to me that the reason I began boxing at 12 years old was to find out the truth! NOT to be a world champion. Will I believe it? YES, because my Father is not the author of lies.

PUT MY TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST…

When I put my trust totally in Jesus Christ, it didn’t make me a better boxer, but by trusting in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, gave me the confidence that I can stand in front of a Holy and Righteous GOD, and I will not tell Him “I was a good boxer,” but I will say…

“I am guilty of every sin in the law, I am aware of that…I NEVER loved you like you asked, ‘with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength… I have even stolen glory that was yours, and took it for myself, which is the worst for of ‘idolatry’… BUT … I have trusted in the One whom you sent, and His worth is more then ALL humanity combined, and He paid for my iniquity, with His own blood! That is the only reason I can be here in your presence on my knees LORD!”

CONCLUSION TO TESTIMONY…

To this very date I will do exactly as MATTHEW 6:33-34 says… If you seek the kingdom of GOD and all His righteousness, all these things shall be added to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, let tomorrow worry about itself, today’s troubles are enough.

If I seek His kingdom, I will get a bigger title, a bigger crown, that won’t rust or be destroyed. A crown that I will still not be worthy of, because He is the only One worthy. I will lay it back at His feet with meekness, and thanks Him for paying the ransom for me to be free, and stand in His presence!!! GLORY 2 GOD!!