I am sorry.
May 22, 2009 0:55:36 GMT -5
Post by huntingmike on May 22, 2009 0:55:36 GMT -5
I am sorry that it has taken so long to post on the board. Life is so fast pace now that I have not had but a few minutes here and there.
I am going to give some back ground to those of you who have showed an interest in my missionary travels. I am going to try not to give a sermon. I just want you to know how I arrived at the place to where the Lord can use me in the wonderful way he has.
Facts: I was born the son of a Southern Baptist preacher. I was taken to church from the time of an infant. I was saved at an early age. I will never forget the day. I was a rebel during my early teens. I came back to the Lord after trying the world and gave the Lord everything I had. He forgave me and then a year latter called me to preach his Gospel. Afterward I married at an early age as well. We had our first daughter 5 years latter while I was still pastor of my first church. I was a bi vocational pastor meaning I had two full time jobs. I have always worked. I have two daughters living and one son (an infant) with the Lord. I was a Southern Baptist pastor for about 24 years at a total of 4 churches. I had been the pastor of the last church for 8 years and then the hedge was let down for my trying.
My wife of 24 years was unfaithful. I caught her with another man and we divorced and she married him.
My church where I had given all of my dedication thought it would be better for the church that I resign. Which I did with a broken heart and spirit. My 17 year old daughter (my youngest) suffered a stroke of the brain from a ruptured blood vessel. She was born with an AVM.We did not know if she would live or die for 4 months after the stroke. She was blind, crippled, lost some hearing, and lost most of her memory. She had to have brain surgery to save her life but they had to wait for months for the blood on her brain to clear up before they could try operate to save her life. Because of the AVM just a sneeze could cause her to have another stroke and die. (I give God the glory she survived, recovered almost fully, and is now married and she and her husband are youth leaders in their church.) Back to the hedge being let down. I lost my job at the paper mill due to modernization and down sizing. I suffered a stroke from the stress of all these things that caused a small blood vessel to burst. I recovered but depression was my constant companion. I had gone through all these things one after another in a space of three years. I felt like Job was my older brother. I was unemployed for 18 months. The enemy said end it. You will never be able to help anyone anymore. Why suffer like this. There is no use of living. I considered taking my own life for a while. I was a broken man. I considered how to take my life and make it look like a hunting accident for my children to get my insurance money. I felt I was worth more dead than alive. One day in my living room floor I told the Lord I was going to hold on to him no matter what else happened. But I said to him, " Lord you said you would never leave me nor forsake me. Where are you?" I could no longer fell him I felt all alone. I was a lone for the first time in my adult life. My daughters were both in college by this time ( again thank God for my daughter's recovery). I had no wife. I was trying to forgive her but I felt it was her fault that brought most of this to me. No church no job no ministry and no hope but him. All I could do was reach out to him with what faith that the word had given me but I could not feel him at all. I begged the Lord to send me to a church where I could just feel his presence again. It had been so long.
The Lord the next Sunday while I was praying, brought to my remembrance an uncle that was pastor of a church two towns away. He was my mothers brother and I had not seen him in several years and I was led to go there that Sunday night in desperation. When I arrived I was welcomed by all and my uncle was glad to see me also. I know he new some of the things I had been going through but he did not mention them at that time which was good. The service began. It was good worship music and then my uncle began to preach and it was good. I thought it is good to be here tonight. Part of the way through the sermon he walked to ten feet of me and said,"Mike God said for me to give you a word and I don't know what the word means but your spirit will and the word is bartola ( translated to mean a new beginning ). The power of The Holy Spirit hit me on the chest like a man's hand. Some how I was on my feet and this language that was not mine came from my mouth, fire all around me around my body's outline like waves of fire, and it felt like electricity going all through my body, and off my hands came balls of fire the size of basket balls. My mind thinks this is the baptism of The Holy Ghost like on the day of Pentecost. I was afraid, for it felt as if I was standing in the very presence of The All Mighty God Himself. I can tell you it was at the same time also the greatest feeling of love and power I have ever experienced. I was hearing this language from my lips having no control but to listen and then the language changed to English and was praising God for his might works and his glory and power for ever, over and over and over. Then the fire subsided but it did not go up from where it came but came inward and stopped. I fell back in my chair weak unable to move. My uncle cries out,"The power of God is real there was a Southern Baptist pastor speaking in tongues." I realized that I no longer had anger toward my ex wife and forgiveness was without effort. There was no more depression in an instant moment and I new right where the Lord was and is. He is on the throne of heaven and He had visited me. I just want to say that when The Lord shows up he shows out. Examples of Red Sea, Joshua at the Jordon river, The day Jesus arose from the dead, the day of Pentecost, Peter at the gate, Paul on the road to imprison those of the church, just to mention a few life changing moments. I know everyone does not have this kind of experience but everyone is not called to gone into foreign countries. I was broken but God took the tiny fragments of what was left of my life and I know what is expected of me. The walk of The Spirit is the Walk of Power. I have shared the facts of my life the bad and the great. I know most will not believe me here in America just like the Jews would not believe Paul. So he went where they would believe, to the gentiles. I am called to go to far away lands and I will tell those of you who will read a large post like this just the facts and nothing more to the best of my ability. I have keep it as short as I could but I want you to understand it is no longer about me but it is about him and where he sends I will go.
In his service,
Mike
I am going to give some back ground to those of you who have showed an interest in my missionary travels. I am going to try not to give a sermon. I just want you to know how I arrived at the place to where the Lord can use me in the wonderful way he has.
Facts: I was born the son of a Southern Baptist preacher. I was taken to church from the time of an infant. I was saved at an early age. I will never forget the day. I was a rebel during my early teens. I came back to the Lord after trying the world and gave the Lord everything I had. He forgave me and then a year latter called me to preach his Gospel. Afterward I married at an early age as well. We had our first daughter 5 years latter while I was still pastor of my first church. I was a bi vocational pastor meaning I had two full time jobs. I have always worked. I have two daughters living and one son (an infant) with the Lord. I was a Southern Baptist pastor for about 24 years at a total of 4 churches. I had been the pastor of the last church for 8 years and then the hedge was let down for my trying.
My wife of 24 years was unfaithful. I caught her with another man and we divorced and she married him.
My church where I had given all of my dedication thought it would be better for the church that I resign. Which I did with a broken heart and spirit. My 17 year old daughter (my youngest) suffered a stroke of the brain from a ruptured blood vessel. She was born with an AVM.We did not know if she would live or die for 4 months after the stroke. She was blind, crippled, lost some hearing, and lost most of her memory. She had to have brain surgery to save her life but they had to wait for months for the blood on her brain to clear up before they could try operate to save her life. Because of the AVM just a sneeze could cause her to have another stroke and die. (I give God the glory she survived, recovered almost fully, and is now married and she and her husband are youth leaders in their church.) Back to the hedge being let down. I lost my job at the paper mill due to modernization and down sizing. I suffered a stroke from the stress of all these things that caused a small blood vessel to burst. I recovered but depression was my constant companion. I had gone through all these things one after another in a space of three years. I felt like Job was my older brother. I was unemployed for 18 months. The enemy said end it. You will never be able to help anyone anymore. Why suffer like this. There is no use of living. I considered taking my own life for a while. I was a broken man. I considered how to take my life and make it look like a hunting accident for my children to get my insurance money. I felt I was worth more dead than alive. One day in my living room floor I told the Lord I was going to hold on to him no matter what else happened. But I said to him, " Lord you said you would never leave me nor forsake me. Where are you?" I could no longer fell him I felt all alone. I was a lone for the first time in my adult life. My daughters were both in college by this time ( again thank God for my daughter's recovery). I had no wife. I was trying to forgive her but I felt it was her fault that brought most of this to me. No church no job no ministry and no hope but him. All I could do was reach out to him with what faith that the word had given me but I could not feel him at all. I begged the Lord to send me to a church where I could just feel his presence again. It had been so long.
The Lord the next Sunday while I was praying, brought to my remembrance an uncle that was pastor of a church two towns away. He was my mothers brother and I had not seen him in several years and I was led to go there that Sunday night in desperation. When I arrived I was welcomed by all and my uncle was glad to see me also. I know he new some of the things I had been going through but he did not mention them at that time which was good. The service began. It was good worship music and then my uncle began to preach and it was good. I thought it is good to be here tonight. Part of the way through the sermon he walked to ten feet of me and said,"Mike God said for me to give you a word and I don't know what the word means but your spirit will and the word is bartola ( translated to mean a new beginning ). The power of The Holy Spirit hit me on the chest like a man's hand. Some how I was on my feet and this language that was not mine came from my mouth, fire all around me around my body's outline like waves of fire, and it felt like electricity going all through my body, and off my hands came balls of fire the size of basket balls. My mind thinks this is the baptism of The Holy Ghost like on the day of Pentecost. I was afraid, for it felt as if I was standing in the very presence of The All Mighty God Himself. I can tell you it was at the same time also the greatest feeling of love and power I have ever experienced. I was hearing this language from my lips having no control but to listen and then the language changed to English and was praising God for his might works and his glory and power for ever, over and over and over. Then the fire subsided but it did not go up from where it came but came inward and stopped. I fell back in my chair weak unable to move. My uncle cries out,"The power of God is real there was a Southern Baptist pastor speaking in tongues." I realized that I no longer had anger toward my ex wife and forgiveness was without effort. There was no more depression in an instant moment and I new right where the Lord was and is. He is on the throne of heaven and He had visited me. I just want to say that when The Lord shows up he shows out. Examples of Red Sea, Joshua at the Jordon river, The day Jesus arose from the dead, the day of Pentecost, Peter at the gate, Paul on the road to imprison those of the church, just to mention a few life changing moments. I know everyone does not have this kind of experience but everyone is not called to gone into foreign countries. I was broken but God took the tiny fragments of what was left of my life and I know what is expected of me. The walk of The Spirit is the Walk of Power. I have shared the facts of my life the bad and the great. I know most will not believe me here in America just like the Jews would not believe Paul. So he went where they would believe, to the gentiles. I am called to go to far away lands and I will tell those of you who will read a large post like this just the facts and nothing more to the best of my ability. I have keep it as short as I could but I want you to understand it is no longer about me but it is about him and where he sends I will go.
In his service,
Mike