On the Verge, or afraid to Merge?

On the Verge, or afraid to Merge?

(1 Peter 2:9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Each morning I drive to work, and along my journey two highways intersect, and we the driver, are channeled through what is known as a “merge lane”. Now, this sounds as simple as it’s aptly named, all one must do is merge. However, invariably there in the lane made for the “merge” is someone STOPPED, yes that’s right someone is STOPPED IN THE MERGE LANE, their blinker is racing treating the merge lane, like a stop sign or a point in which to yield …

Don’t they get it? They’re not supposed to be stopped, waiting, or yielding!!! They are supposed to MERGE!!!

“PUNCH THE GAS LADY, AND MERGE!” I think to myself or vocalize in the privacy of my automobile…

What keeps people from merging?

Are the insecure?

Do they not feel it’s safe?

Do they not feel ready to do so?

Well there’s a lesson here for sure! I think in some ways it is what keeps us from victory, destiny and purpose… For we are either on the verge, or we’re afraid to merge.

What keeps us from traveling roads that we so desire to travel, from taking land that we want to take…

What keeps us from victory? What keeps us from a breakthrough, from a revival, from a real move of God? What holds us back?

Well, one thing I am certain of is it cannot be God. For through the ages since the dawn of creation it is easy to see from all the work the Lord has invested in us, His creation that God wants to move!

1) God desires to perform His work with us, not without us!

From the Tabernacle, to the cross, from the resurrection to the ascension, from Pentecost to the living Word! We have witnessed a God, who desires to move among us, His people. He desires to interact, and empower you and me, so that we can do great things!

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, prophesied in Joel, poured out in the upper room, manifest in millions of believers all over the world since the day of Pentecost is proof that God desires to work through us, and has made the provision to do so!

In fact Jesus stated the same anointing that was on Him is going to be on you and I, and as many as the Lord our God shall call. That is proof that God desires to work among us

From the men such as Abraham, Moses, Noah, to men like Peter, Paul and Silas, it is clear and evident that the desire of God is to empower His people for service.

Remember God said you shall be endued with power from on high and you shall be witnesses unto me… to the uttermost parts of the earth!

It was God who said

(Jeremiah 29:11) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Why however do we still seem to be in such lack, regarding a move of God?

Why are our altars not overwhelmed?

Why are our pews not crowded?

Why are we not making more noise in our city?

Well Consider the apprehension of humanity.

2) Because the typical first response of the prophet is to run from the call of God.

In every move of God, God had to deal with “apprehension” and that in one of two forms:

1) laziness or 2) insecurity..

I am sure there’s a more eloquent way of wording this, but by and by, these two road blocks are the biggest obstacles.

Consider the all great bible hero’s!

Gideon, the valiant warrior who fought with great faith!

Moses, the deliver escorting the Israelites from the clutches of Egypt the tyrannical enslavers!

Peter of whom the first church was lead!

Jonah, the fiery evangelist to Nineveh!

All of them were men of meager means, and lives, all of them ran, before God made them giants.

For seldom does God choose the noblemen of this world to be the leaders of His battalions, it is those of seemingly little consequence that He plucks from the vineyard of normalcy and then ripens them to greatness!

He has used men and woman worse than, less talented than, and more fearful than you and I…

And through them He has

Split seas

Slain armies

Raised the dead

Through them He has done mighty acts, moved heaven and earth, changed nations and called out a church of every people and tongue! What mighty things God can do through His people!

Christian apprehension for the most part, is due to our lack of confidence in who we are, or what we can be? This is a grave error, one that God often has to correct first, before He can use us, and before he could use the men I just mentioned

We must be forced to see, what God is capable of doing in spite of faults, and shortcomings! A critical lesson is learned.

The weakness of men, platforms the power of God!

(2 Corinthians 12:10) …. for when I am weak, then am I strong.

It is when we are most weak that God can show the greatness of His strength!

It is in that, that we are most inept that sets the stage for the anointing! That platforms a real move of God!

The struggle God had with Moses, Gideon and others is training them not to look to themselves as the answer, the power, or the solution.

We have never been the solution…

We have never been the answer

Jesus is the answer!

Why is that so hard to learn?

Finally

3) We all have that within us that desires to do something great, something special, something noteworthy.

We have falsely labeled that desire as “ambition” and unfortunately, many times, it becomes little more than that.

How sad some settle for mere stardom, fame and fortune. They spend their lives chasing lights, and sound stages… When what waited for them was the real purpose God designed for them. The fire of doing His will.

Some have wasted away, famine’d by the chasing of stardom, and magazine covers… Certainly this sheds new light on why some, who seem to have it all…

Fame

Money

Success

And having attained the dream they become such a mess, doped up, drugged up, depressed, lost and suicidal!

Why?

Because they sought to fulfill the God impregnated desire within them to be something special… by means of worldly treasures.

Their failure to interpret that as worldly gain instead of Godly purpose produced within them despair, feeling unfulfilled, and lost, and many times suicidal…

I promise you God has a plan, and that plan for you was designated before your conception… and nothing will fill that void. Not money, not fame, not notoriety…

So go ahead… man, woman, whomever you are…PUNCH THE GAS AND MERGE!…. Move into the flow of God, get on destiny’s road. There’s a highway or purpose ready for your wheels man, so get the pedal to the metal and start livin the life the Lord has designed!

I know it hurts but it’s good for you

Do you remember going to the doctor as a kid, and getting a shot! OUCH!! WAAAAAA!!! Oh the pain! I hated that. It made me angry, frustrated and sore… “Why?” I’d ask… The nurse would say… “I know it hurts honey, but it’s good for you”

I love that don’t you?

“I know it hurts but it’s good for you” …

Sheesh! Come on! WHO BUYS INTO THAT STUFF??

But she was right. Pain at times though it hurts, does us good. I wish we never had to deal with pain, and the variety of methods it uses to inflict itself: betrayal, jealousy and meanness, among others. But it is a reality that we do. We have storms, and those storms are necessary because they have away of turning us to God.

In fact we are told:

(James 1:2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

(James 1:3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

(James 1:4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Okay so here we are with the “inspired” Word! God is speaking to us about trials and temptations; the trying of our faith!!! Lets see what He says …. Okay, wait! “count it all joy”! What? Not only must I concede to the fact that it is good for me, but also I should rejoice about it? How can that be?

Look at the Message version of this text

(James 1:2) Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.

(James 1:3) You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.

(James 1:4) So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

A sheer gift… LOL… uh um…what? Oh wait You’re serious about that God?

Um, but what happens when people do me wrong? How about if someone connives behind the scenes against me, and their conniving works? Surely I should not have joy about that? What about when someone hurts me, or…. Oh I see… I have to count it all joy all the time…

Rejoice – that is the Word from God concerning our trials. That is His answer… that’s a tough one…

Don’t worry about tomorrow

(Matthew 6:25) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

(Matthew 6:26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

(Matthew 6:27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

(Matthew 6:28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

(Matthew 6:29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

(Matthew 6:30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

(Matthew 6:31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(Matthew 6:32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

(Matthew 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Don’t fear man

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Love your enemies

(Matthew 5:44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

These are the words that God gives to us about life, trials and battles. That the pain will do us good, the hurt will work something in us, the sorrow will be seed to some new sprout of blessing in our life!

There are a few others things to remember as well:

God will turn it for good

(Romans 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

He will fight our battles

(Exodus 14:14) The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

He sees the lie

(Acts 5:3) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Give it to God, I think is the key here… Let God have His way… And keep that joy unspeakable … In the sun and in rain – REJOICE – GOD HAS A PLAN Look for God to: split the seas, raise the dead and silence the enemy!

On the Verge, or Afraid to Merge?

On the Verge, or afraid to Merge?

Each morning I drive to work, and along my journey two highways intersect, and we the driver, are channeled through what is known as a “merge lane”. This sounds as simple as it’s aptly named, all one must do is merge. However, invariably there in the lane made for the “merge” is someone STOPPED in the lane, blinker racing treating the merge lane, like a stop sign or a point in which to yield …

Don’t they get it? They’re not supposed to be stopped, waiting, or yielding!!! They are supposed to MERGE!!!

“PUNCH THE GAS LADY, AND MERGE!” I think to myself or vocalize in the privacy of my automobile…

What keeps people from merging? Are the insecure, do they not feel it’s safe, or do they not feel ready to do so? Well there’s a lesson here for sure! I think in some ways it is what keeps us from victory, destiny and purpose… For we are either on the verge, or we’re afraid to merge.

What keeps us from traveling roads that we so desire to travel, from taking land that we want to take…

What keeps us from victory? What keeps us from a breakthrough, from a revival, from a real move of God? What holds us back?

Well, one thing I am certain of is it cannot be God. For through the ages since the dawn of creation it is easy to see from all the work the Lord has invested in us, His creation, that God wants to move!

1) God desires to perform His work with us, not without us!

From the Tabernacle, to the cross, from the resurrection to the ascension, from Pentecost to the living Word! We have witnessed a God, who desires to move among us, His people. He desires to interact, and empower you and me!

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, prophesied in Joel, poured out in the upper room, manifest in millions of believers all over the world since the day of Pentecost is proof that God desires to work through us, and has made the provision to do so!

In fact Jesus stated the same anointing that was on Him is going to be on you and I, and as many as the Lord our God shall call. That is proof that God desires to work among us

From the men such as Abraham, Moses, Noah, to men like Peter, Paul and Silas, it is clear and evident that the desire of God is to empower His people for service.

Remember God said you shall be endued with power from on high and you shall be witnesses unto me… to the uttermost parts of the earth!

It was God who said

(Jeremiah 29:11) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Why however do we still seem to be in such lack, regarding a move of God?

Why are our altars not overwhelmed?

Why are our pews not crowded?

Why are we not making more noise in our city?

Consider the apprehension of humanity.

2) Because the typical response of the prophet is to first run from the call of God.

In every move of God, God had to deal with “apprehension” in one of two forms: laziness or insecurity..

I am sure there’s a more eloquent way of wording this, but by and by, these two road blocks are the biggest obstacles.

Consider the all great bible hero’s!

Gideon, the valiant warrior who fought with great faith!

Moses, the deliver escorting the Israelites from the clutches of Egypt the tyrannical enslavers!

Peter of whom the first church was lead!

Jonah, the fiery evangelist to Nineveh!

All of them were men of meager means, and lives, before God made them giants.

For seldom does God choose the noblemen of this world to be the leaders of His battalions, it is those of seemingly little consequence that He plucks from the vineyard of normalcy and then ripens them to greatness!

He has used men and woman worse than, less talented than, more fearful than you and I…

And through them He has

Split seas

Slain armies

Raised the dead

Through them He has done mighty acts, moved heaven and earth, changed nations and called out a church of every people and tongue! What mighty things God can do through His people!

Christian apprehension for the most part, is due to our lack of confidence in who we are, or what we can be? This is a grave error, one that God often has to correct first, before He can use us, and before he could use the men I just mentioned

We must be forced to see, what God is capable of doing in spite of faults, and shortcomings! A critical lesson is learned.

The weakness of men, platforms the power of God!

(2 Corinthians 12:10) …. for when I am weak, then am I strong.

It is when we are most weak that God can show the greatness of His strength!

It is in that, that we are most inept that sets the stage for the anointing!

The struggle God had with Moses, Gideon and others is training them not to look to themselves as the answer, the power, or the solution.

We have never been the solution…

We have never been the answer

Jesus is the answer!

Why is that so hard to learn?

Finally

3) We all have that within us that desires to do something great, something special, something noteworthy.

We have falsely labeled that “ambition” and unfortunately, many times, it becomes little more than that.

How sad some settle for mere stardom, fame and fortune. They spend their lives chasing lights, and sound stages… When what waited for them was the real purpose God designed for them.

Some have wasted away, famine’d by the chasing of stardom, and magazine covers… Certainly this sheds new light on why some, who seem to have it all…

Fame

Money

Success

And having attained the dream they become such a mess, doped up, drugged up, depressed, lost and suicidal! Why? Because they sought to fulfill the God impregnated desire within them to be something special… by means of worldly treasure. Their failure to interpret that as worldly gain instead of Godly purpose produced within them despair, feeling unfulfilled, and lost, and many times suicidal..

I promise you God has a plan, and that plan for you was designated before your conception… and nothing will fill that void. Not money, not fame, not notoriety…

So go ahead… man, woman, whomever you are…PUNCH THE GAS AND MERGE!…. Move into the flow of God, get on destiny’s road

The Quest - Oneness to Trinitarian: Denying Fear

One of the most common elements used to retain congregants, relationships, and/or loyalty; is fear. Fear of what may be, and fear of what might happen! I can recall all to well the multiple “Word from God” warnings I received regarding my departure from the Oneness Pentecostal faith. I can recall the many horror stories of once strong Christians who suddenly ended up in sexual depravity, alcoholism and drug use because of their departure from Oneness theology. These “backsliders” were exampled from the pulpit, during bible studies, and even casual conversations… These were all lessons, and certainly many have been subject to this style pedagogy.

What is the real school of thought being taught here though? Is it a warning being given, perhaps a passionate beg in the spirit of genuine concern, or something more deceptive and subtle?

My thought is the real intent of the lesson is not so much my personal well being, but instead an attempt to control, by means of fear. I can think of few things I like less, than the attempts of man to intimidate, and control others with fear.

Fear is often used when genuine reason is not an ample means of persuasion. That’s a good statement there, and you can quote me!

Fear is often used when genuine reason is not an ample means of persuasion.

Fear is often used when genuine concern is not present, and fear is often used because of its power of manipulation. Fear can be a strong motivator! Consider Peter, who denied the Lord Jesus! Fear caused him to do something that he had determined he would not do! Something his heart desired not to do! Fear often makes us act in ways we might not, and live in ways we don’t want to.

This is my second entry on fear, and for good reason. You need to be aware of its power over your life. Many times we become so accustomed to fear, we no longer realize we have it! However close contemplation and reflection reveals to us that our lives have been shaped by it; it has become the steady seasoning of our diet, the salt of our sustenance! Such as:

God will stomp out...

God will make bad things happen to you, curse your life

God will not put up with you

God will not tolerate your bad decisions

God will not bless that mess

They lost the anointing when they left

God is mad at you

AND SO ON!!!

I am reminded of the story that circulated our former particular doctrinal persuasion… It recounted the tale of a young woman who was faithful to God, in the avenue of her uncut hair. She would not cut her hair as her reasonable service to God.( a well established/accepted doctrine of the Oneness Pentecostals is a woman cannot cut her hair) Well she fell into all sorts of sin, finally reaching the moral depraved consciousness that allowed her to cut her hair. She cut it… What ensued, as the story goes, was a horrible rape, followed by a “so you see…” Somehow indicating that the woman brought on the offense, by the cutting of her hair… Makes you upset, doesn’t it?

Okay well, while I agree that many times we propel ourselves out of God’s hand into all sort of dangerous circumstances… But God allowed a woman to be accosted because she cut her hair? Gee, I don’t think so. This little story is not an actual occurrence, instead it is a device, and its sole purpose is to control, in the absence of logical persuasion.

As silly as this is, as offensive as it sounds… what silly fables and fears have you accepted as truth?

What silly lies have you believed?

Come on, what doctrinal, theological boogie man, is in your closet?

Think about it for a moment? Check under the bed, that monster may be all in your head…

I’ll leave you with this! From the Message Bible

1 John 4:18 There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life--fear of death, fear of judgment--is one not yet fully formed in love.

For more information on the Trinity - Please check out my "Sermon Notes" link on the right.

For more information on the uncut hair doctrine please look at the “Holiness Standards” under the “CATEGORIES” section to the right.

And by the way: My dear friend Pastor Nar, always ends with this, and I think I’ll share his sentiments

“God is not mad at you”

Bertrand Russell:

Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.

The Quest – Oneness To Trinity Part Two

Courage to Change – Faith to Follow

Greetings friends, glad to have you visit again! My Pastor, Pastor Jeff Baker, asked me to share some more of my experiences that aided my journey... I hope you enjoy

One of the obstacles or the brick walls of making a real and effective change is the element of fear. How many of us have been stalled, thwarted or imprisoned by fear?

As I continue to write concerning my journey from Oneness to Trinitarian, I’d like to examine the element of fear that was present in my journey.

Why was I afraid? Well as I stated in my teaching on the Trinity… in Session 2 – as a Oneness Pentecostal I was always taught that anyone outside of Oneness Pentecostalism was a non Christian, and that my friend is not limited to non-believers, such as the heathen or the pagan, it is inclusive of ALL including Trinitarian Christians.

That’s right, consider the hero’s past… Men such as: Martin Luther, Charles Finney or Billy Graham… LOST! LOST! LOST! Scary stuff right?

Therefore to consider that the doctrine of the Trinity may be truth. Wow, that was … well it was scary. I was risking my salvation! How was I going to overcome this deposit of influence in my life, look past the foreboding feeling that life was going to fall apart? How was I going to look at the Bible in a clear manner not influenced by the stifling fear forced upon me?

Well perhaps the Holy Spirit could help?

One such avenue was a spiritual experience… Let’s talk about a particular scenario that occurred in my life:

Joyce Meyer

You may or may not like Joyce Meyer… However, she is an excellent communicator, and she unknowingly played a role in the transformation of my wife and me. My wife listens to her all the time, and she did during the Oneness Pentecostal years as well.

That was a problem for me!

During those times, I was so frustrated with my wife who was listening to that… that… short haired, make up wearing, Trinitarian! I mean what was wrong with my wife, How could she?

While Gina would watch Joyce Meyer, I would leave the room! The problem was in that tiny little house we lived in, even though I parked myself staunchly in the kitchen,(voicing my opposition) I could hear Joyce! How irritating! What was more irritating than that? Well, the fact that I liked what she was saying… (Shhhhhhh – don’t tell!) She was ministering to me! Slowly I moved from listening in the kitchen, to the door way of the kitchen… then after some time I started standing in the living room (after all as long as I was not sitting and watching, somehow I had not fully given approval, nor had I non-verbally consented to the validity of Joyce Meyer being saved and (gulp) anointed!)

Then one day the unthinkable happened…

I watched SITTING down!!

I even attended a Joyce Meyer conference… A defining moment! There I was face to face with truth… Truth in the form of the Holy Spirit… I wept at that conference… I mean I really wept… in fact the sweet woman next to me offered me a couple dozen tissues… and I needed them. The presence of God was so strong, and I had been so… self righteous, so wrong, and guess what, I was busted.

The Holy Spirit was working on me, bringing change…

Let me speak to you for a moment, you who fear change, yet feel the pull of God. What is God saying to you, how is He speaking to your heart?

We should never undervalue the potential of the Holy Spirit to pull us and lead us in the direction He wants us to go…

(John 16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

In regards to being afraid – we need to listen to the words of Paul in Romans 8

(Romans 8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

(Romans 8:15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

(Romans 8:16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Hear that? We do not have a SPIRIT OF FEAR!!! But instead we have the Holy Spirit, and just as He was guiding me from the Oneness movement to Trinitarianism, so He has the power and authority to guide you, also, to wherever He wants you to go!

Do you trust the Holy Spirit?

How is He leading you even now?

Is it scary?

It very well may be, new things, and changes often are. But we can trust the Lord… We can in spite of the fear we may feel forge ahead, knowing that He who has begun a good work in us, will complete it!

(Philippians 1:6) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

I want to talk more about the power to change and the fears and emotions that can be associated with that, while chronicling some of the events and emotions I experienced.

God used that which seemed most offensive, actually offensive to religion and traditions of men, to soften my heart.

How is God dealing with you?

Are you certain you’re following the Holy Spirit, or simply following personal preference and tradition?

Let God lead you, listen to His Spirit…

If you'd like to more theologically on the Trinity, and it's relation to the Oneness doctrine - please view the "Trinity Sermon Notes" on this site, under the "Featured Studies" heading, just to the right - Thanks and God Bless

The Quest - from Oneness to Trinitarian - Part One

I had a request from my friend, Pastor Bob Beeman, it was this: “You should say something about your quest - from oneness to Trinitarian, your personal experiences”

So onward and upward we go. A small tidbit of our journey!

It’s really only been just 10 months or so that all this began. My wife and I were pastoring a small Oneness Pentecostal church. We had just acquired a new building, and God began to do something, His stealthy, yet obvious move, was well evident. That "something", that "move" however was not necessarily an attractive thing from the outside, or in the immediate, but instead this glorious "something", would blossom in the near distant future.

I have found more than once as God journeys us to our needed destination, we at times, must walk through what appears to be “the valley of the shadow of death.” In reality however it is a portal to new life, or a new level of God consciousness! Whatever we label it, it’s an expanding of who we are in Christ, and equally important, who He is in us!

It was December of 2006, when we began to have turbulent times within the assembly we pastored, not so much between us and the congregation.. There were no terrible events transpiring! We were all getting along, but instead, just internal issues that were hard to categorize or define. Not to mention a leading and a pulling in my spirit from the Lord... that something was not quite right. God was moving! His grace was abounding! As I recall the whole experience, I stand amazed at the series of events that occurred simultaneously, seemingly with its own inertia, spinning completely out of my control!

(Psalms 37:23) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

My wife, Gina, had already told me she did not want to be called “Oneness” anymore, because of so many scriptural red flags. The church was for some reason suddenly ailing, and my very good friend, Pastor Jeff Baker, was calling me, trying to “make a connect” as he stated it, between Gina, myself and his “friend whose a former Oneness Pentecostal , Steve Evans”! With some amount of irritability I exclaimed "GOD, what are you doing?"

Honestly it was all just too much! Gina and I agreed to talk with “former Oneness Pentecostal Steve” who is now simply and affectingly known as: “Steve Evans, our dear friend”(What a great connection it has been!). We also spent many nights, my wife and I, pouring over the Bible, looking at scripture, crying out to God. God’s spirit had already done such a powerful work in us, and around us, that we were ready to hear, learn, and let God move. Our journey from Oneness Pentecostalism to Trinitarianism is evident, we made that journey, in an intellectual and theologically sound manner... However, there were emotional aspects to making that change.

Doctrines of legalism, grip an individual not just spiritually, but emotionally as well...

If ever a time God’s grace and mercy, and faith in His way, is needed, it’s during times of great trial, blessing and certainly during change. Gina and I were in the middle of all three of these! However, God was there, He was alive, and He was leading.

The most remarkable gift is hidden in these events. I could praise the Lord for showing us the doctrine of the Trinity, revealing it to us through His Spirit, and His Word. His anointing us to change, I could praise the Lord for the many new friends we have, that have become so very precious to us, so dear to our hearts, or for the church home we have. For all of these are His blessings at work. However if one thing be evident, true and confirmed, it is this:

(2 Thessalonians 3:3) But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.

(MSG) Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," Message Translation

(Matthew 28:20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Faithful

Never letting us down

With us always

The most remarkable gift of God, through His cross, is His abiding presence! Thank you Lord, for walking with my family on this journey! Thank you for your faithfulness, for never letting us down, and lighting our path… even though you do it, only one step at a time… You Jesus are always there!