His Grace at Work
Testimony of a Preacher
          This Writing has been refreshing to remember and is a great blessing. But not all is seeing or feeling God's glory and power. I have learned that Christians are not perfect and I am definitely not perfect but only through Christ are we made perfect. Many things that have happened in the ministry from a negative at time have been caused by my own misunderstandings. I can say honestly that I have made wrong designs that have effected my progress to this day but this I know that God is working for my good.
To take the call of God is only a work of God and His grace. No man or women can or ever will have the power to call or impart a gift of grace to another. It is the work of God and God alone. It is simply his choice and his prerogative as the potter. So who are we to complain at the hands of the potter.
          Being called to ministry is something that can not be taken lightly. I know many that have tried and are still suffering the pain of disappointment and rejection. Some the most offended and bitter people come from ministers and families. It is only through God's love that healing comes and a decision to trust him again.
          As a ministers we are not exempt from attacks, we have no hold on hearing God, We have no special entrance to the all Mighty. We are not the favored of God's children. We have no extract line to His power. We are simply people called to train and minister the heart of God to a people of different minds, characters, and personalities.
          We are People that constantly deal with individuals who struggle with the flesh and it's cravings. The greatest travesty of the church is lifting up of ministers to a place heroes that are perceived perfect in everywhere. This only laid the bases for darkness to set up its ugly plan of destruction.                                         
          On the other hand because of a lack o respect and a misunderstanding many a minister is treated like a hireling, Assumed that they are to eat out of the mouth of a raven. In turn financial stress is epidemic in ministry circles. Only a luck few can be charismatic enough to awe that masses.
          Now I do not want to give a false impression on ministry. Let me enervate that when one grasps the greatness of their call and move into the plans and purposes of God there is a peace unspeakable. A love to do and to be all God desires them to be. But this does not mean that we live in seventh heaven .
          After the visitation in May 1987, I was moving fast. I was introduced to a bible study group. The head of the study was an accountant. He and his wife opened his home every week and I would go and intently listen and question what was said. Of course I did not always ask the right questions but I was learning. He was also president of Christian businessmen's group in the city. And soon he asked me to be on the board. Then to share my testimony and a couple years latter I became vice president then president. This was good experience because I soon saw the politics of organizations and the differences of opinions concerning administration and beliefs.
          I could feel the call of God to Pastor and teach and I was convinced of my call. A door opened through a Pastor at a Mission. It was a seventy mile drive one way. That meant a long road home after. But with the zeal and desire we started having meetings. I ministered a simple message of God and his family and that he heals today. We started with about seven people and in eight months the little church was packed. People being delivered and set free. But as I was to soon find out that the politic of denomination would step in and the meeting were cancelled. I was hurt and confused.
          Then the church we attended had a church split. I could not grasp the hatred and gossip. In one meeting I was sitting in I broke down a cried out loud because I grieved so much. I was latter told I was out of order. I had many questions and was starting to take offence with the Body of Christ.
Then the business men group had a big split and more in fighting. Then a few months latter another goes around at the church. I was tired. One service I suddenly had a vision of a serpent around the pulpit. It freaked me out and I felt I needed to tell the pastor because I did not understand it. He misunderstood me and soon the church was shunning me. People would see me on the street and walk over to the other side. I was confused and my family was being hurt so we decided not to go to church.
          I was studying and studying, God was giving understanding of his righteousness and a glimpse of his grace. Many times I would write when God would speak to me. One time he said that there was a man coming to start a church in the city and he is coming to as you to help him and you are to go with him. Sure enough when I was at a Christian business meeting a man approached me to have coffee during the week. I was a district manager for an Oil service company at the time. We met and the first thing he said was that God had sent him from Ontario and that he was there to start a church and would I help him. I instantly said yes because of the words God had said. I had no church and so we stepped out.
          Little did I know that the man that had come would play a roll in teaching the revelation of the body of Christ, the word of gracenad reconciliation to all! I talked to family members and a couple friends, before long we were a church that grew to about sixty-five people. The pastor said that he felt I was called and asked me to be his assistant Pastor, I had no bible school at the time but he said he would train me. In February 1986 I was ordained as a minister of the gospel.
          For weeks this Pastor taught on understanding the church and how it functioned. I had developed an offence with the church because of all the happenings so this was hard to take One Sunday the Pastor was gone to a convention So this met I had to minister at the Sunday morning and evening service. Little did I know god had something up his sleeve?
          That Sunday morning I taught on faith, by the end of the service I was so grieved. I decided to stay at the office and pray. I wept wined before God then He spoke, "Son you have to fall in love with the church before you can go further with the ministry. I need you to understand that this is not your church but my church and that it is not your pulpit but my pulpit. And that it is not your gift but my gifts in you. So when you come up to my pulpit with my gift with my people you must always remember that you are ministering to me for the people are me and they are one with me! I instantly asked him for forgiveness and I can say to this day, through all I have been through with the church, I love the God's people from the bottom of my heart to this very today.
Conclusion
          As I sat under this wonderful pastor, God started me on the road to healing and understanding His Grace and unconditional love for humanity. It has been one obstacle after another but he keeps teaching me more and more of the wonders of His grace and the uniqueness of redemption.
          I have had many visitations in different way, visions, revelations, prophetic words and the greatest being the love of individuals who believed in me when others did not.
          Over time God has shown me what those two angels had ministered concerning my ministry. God has given me words from men and woman of God. Words that my call was to bring unity to the body, To be a repairer of the breach, To bring a message for the last days that would touch thousands of people. This has come to pass!
          The message is simple and to the point, that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. This is the message of God's grace and unconditional love. I am called, as all who believe, to proclaim that God loves all humanity and that he will never leave us nor forsake us. That to know him as the person of a Father will change your life forever.
          It has not come with out disappointment and pain. I have been shunned by denominations; ministers, pastor friends, believers and even some I have pastored in love, for preaching grace and  unconditional love.
          But I have realized through the revelation of His love that I must love those who do not agree because the same blood that saved humanity is the same blood that set me free. No matter how one thinks of me, I know how God thinks of them so I must do as my Father does by loving the Lord my God with all my heart and loving my neighbor as God loves me.
          Over the last couple years God has never stop showing me the wonders of his grace. I have learned even more of the work of the cross and the reconciliation of all. I have come to the place of a greater appriciation of the blood of Christ , it's depth and power.
          I beleive God is reavling to all what He has done and that soon the real gospel of the good news will be proclaimed. God is showing, even what we now call the church, that he has done more then we can ever imagine.
          Legalism and the mixing of the Law has brought much pain to this world and the church. The church must take some blaine for this pain. The beleiver must be awakened to the true work of christand the cross.
          I leave you with some scriptures to ponder and maybe you to will see the truth of reconciliation.
          There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
          God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).
          All things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
          God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him (John 3:17).
          The Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14)
          There is One God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:6).
          God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Chapter Nine
My Grace to Being a Preacher
Roxy Nolin Copywrite - 2002