I HAVE NOT BLOGGED FOR SOME TIME, I 'M SORRY. I HAVE GONE THROUGH A DIFFICULT SEASON IN MY LIFE. THE FIRST SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY 2005, I TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILTY OF PASTOR AT THE GARDEN OF PRAYER SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH. I KNEW GOD SENT ME THERE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY THE PURPOSE. I WENT INTO A VERY DIVIDED AND TROUBLING SITUATION. I TRIED HARD TO BRING THE CONGREGATION TOGETHER ONLY TO FIND GREAT RESISTANCE. THERE WAS A GREAT LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND ORDER. MY CALL TO DISCIPLINE AND ORDER ONLY CAUSED SOME TO FIGHT ME MORE AND BLAME ME FOR ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT EXISTED IN THE CHURCH. I WAS PHYSICALLY THREATENED AND VERBALLY ABUSED. IT WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO THE FACT MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE STILL IN ST. LOUIS. I FELT SO ALONE I FELT I HAD NO ONE TO TRUST. GOD WAS TEACHING ME THAT THIS ASSIGNMENT REQUIRED ME TRUSTING HIM AND HIM ALONE. HE PROVED HIMSELF TO BE FAITHFUL TO ME AND MY FAMILY. I LEARNED FROM ELIJAH THAT GOD TEACHES US GREAT LESSONS, "LIVING BY THE BROOK." MY ONLY RESPONSIBILITY WAS TO OBEY GOD. NO MATTER WHAT I DID THEY FOUND FAULT AND BLAME. THERE WAS A MEETING CALLED IN VIOLATION TO THE CHURCH BY-LAWS, BY A MAN WHO I HAD TO REMOVE FROM THE DEACONS BECAUSE OF HIS SOWING DIVISION, HE WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DEACONS. WHEN I CAME TO THE CHURCH HE WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF DEACONS, FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND COULD SIGN CHECKS ALONE. THIS IS SURELY TOO MANY HATS FOR ONE MAN TO WEAR AT ONE TIME. HIS FAMILY WAS ACCUSTOMED TO BEING IN CHARGE. SO WHEN I REMOVED HIM HE WENT ON A QUEST TO GET RID OF ME. HE CONTACTED MY OLD CHURCH BACK IN ST. LOUIS, WHICH IS BEING RUN BY A GROUP OF EVIL WOMEN. THEY HAVE HAD THREE PASTORS QUIT SINCE I LEFT FEBRUARY 2005. THESE WOMEN TOLD THEM ALL KINDS OF LIES AND SLANDER ABOUT ME WHICH THEY TAPE RECORDED AND PASSED OUT TO ANY THAT WOULD LISTEN. I FELT LIKE MY WORLD WAS CRUMBLING. GOD WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? THESE PEOPLE ARE DESTROYING ME. HE SAID NO THEY ARE DEVELOPING YOU. I AM TEACHING YOU HOW TO TRUST AND DEPEND ON ME. AFTER THEIR ILLEGAL MEETING COULD NOT REMOVE ME, THEIR CALLING THE POLICE COULD NOT REMOVE ME, THEIR THREATS COULD NOT REMOVE ME, GOD HAD ME TO HAVE A CHURCH MEETING. I SAID GOD MEET WITH THESE PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY ONLY WANT ONE THING ME GONE. GOD HAD ME TO CALL THE MEETING JUNE 24TH. IT WAS THE MOST UNGODLY THING I HAD EVER SEEN. PEOPLE WHO NEVER CAME TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, PRAYER SERVICE OR BIBLE STUDY
SHOWED UP TO VOTE ME OUT. THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THEY WERE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OR NOT. I WANTED TO PROPERLY DEAL WITH ALL THEIR ACCUSATION AGAINST ME SO I ALLOWED FOR ANY CHARGES AGAINST ME TO BE HEARD. NOT ONE PERSON HAD ANYTHING TO SAY, THEY JUST WANTED TO VOTE ON MY REMOVAL. ONE OF MY OPPOSERS WHO WAS THE WIFE OF ONE OF THE DEACONS OF THE CHURCH STARTED CUSSING AT A NOTHER SISTER AND HAD TO BE PHYSICALLY HELD. THIS WAS IN THE SANCTUARY. THE WHOLE MEETING WAS OUT OF HAND. NOW WHAT LORD? YOU SAID MEET WITH THEM. I COULD CLEARLY HEAR HIM SAY, OK RESIGN. WHAT? RESIGN LEAVE THIS PLACE. NOW I AM REALLY CONFUSED. HOWEVER, I OBEYED AND RESIGNED VERBALLY ON JUNE 24 2006. I PREACHED MY LAST SERMON AT THE GARDEN AND READ MY RESIGNATION ON JUNE 25 2006. JUNE 26 2006 I CLEANED OUT MY OFFICE. IT WAS AS IF A WEIGHT WAS RELEASED. SERVERAL PEOPLE LEFT WITH ME, I HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE GOING. GOD WAS GETTING THE REMNANT OF HIS PEOPLE OUT OF THAT MESS. SINCE THEN WE HAVE ORGANIZED THE WORD FELLOWSHIP REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCH. WE NEVER MISSED A SUNDAY OF WORSHIP NOR BIBLE STUDY. AUGUST 21 2006 WE WERE OFFICIALLY ORGANIZED AND I WAS NAMED PASTOR. WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 75 PEOPLE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE COMMITTED TO WHAT OUR REDEEMER DECLARES. IT HAS BEEN SO REFRESHING TO PREACH AND TEACH IN A CHURCH WHERE GOD IS BEING GLORIFIED THROUGH A PEOPLE THAT HONOR HIM AND HIS WORD. MY WIFE HAS COMPLETED HER RETIREMENT, MY DAUGHTER IS ENROLLED IN SCHOOL AND WE ARE PRAISING GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS TO US. WE ARE ALL TOGETHER AGAIN. JULY AND AUGUST HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE MOST REFRESHING TIMES FOR ME AND THE NEW CHURCH. I HAVE BEEN TEACHING THROUGH THE BOOK OF JUDGES AND WE WILL START TEACHING THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS THIS COMING SATURDAY. WE HAD A CELEBRATION DINNER THIS PAST SUNDAY FOR A MOTHER IN OUR CHURCH. IT WAS WONDERFUL FELLOWSHIP AND FEAST. SHE WAS SO SURPRISED, IT BROUGHT HER TO TEARS OF JOY. I KNOW TIMES MIGHT NOT ALWAYS REMAIN THE SAME BUT WE THANK AND PRAISE GOD FOR THIS DAY. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR MY FAMILY AND THE CHURCH THAT WE WILL BE A SHINING LIGHT IN THE CITY OF GREENSBORO FOR GOD'S GLORY. THEY MEANT IT FOR EVIL BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD. I AM BACK, GOD'S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. FOR HIS GLORY ALONE.
