There is absolutely no story greater than that of God's love for the world evidenced by His sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us that we may be redeemed. And even as that great story records our origin, our stories record our history and confirm that we are or were indeed here.
We have revelled in the stories of King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Prophetess Deborah, Apostles Paul and Peter, Abraham and Sarah, and even Jacob. We have revelled in the stories of Presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop G.E. Patterson, Martin Luther King, and Hillary Clinton. But we also have stories to tell, and they are relevant somehow to somebody because "No man is an island."
Approximately twenty years ago, the Lord spoke that one day I would write a book entitled "Without Apology." Well, that book was published a year ago (2011). Prior to His speaking that, my life's work or ministry had already taken an adventurous or unorthodox direction ten years earlier by the laying on of hands by the presbytery of my church at the time. For three years, I had tried to avoid following the directions that the Spirit of God continued to show me, but eventually I conceded.
No, my concession was not willingly. There was a bit of coercion. Before and after the laying on of hands my life began to become increasingly erradic from having two house fires to having a car wreck where my car flipped over three times. Finally, I realized that my safety would be in answering my call. My response involved resigning from a job with the IRS where I had been employed for years and moving eleven hundred miles from my hometown.
Well after my initial assignment of four years where God used me to facilitate closing down a "Christian" cult, I returned home to invitations for pulpit ministry, seminars, workshops, "revivals" in and out of town, and a short-lived radio program. But God had other plans for my life, and so the adventure began. So often, I had to send or take messages to Pastors, Christian and civic leaders, and numerous others among the many challenging assignments that have been appointed to me.
My assignments were in and out of corporate, retail, Church, private family, and many secular settings for periods of weeks, months, and even years. As I was removed from the "pulpit" my life became the message. My life's work dictated that I practice the principles of God's Word. I had to overcome fear; to be wise as a serpent, but harmless as a dove; to be long suffering and patient while being steadfast and unmovable; to walk in intimacy with the Father; and to operate in the authority of the Kingdom.
Of course, this article can't tell my story, and my book "Without Apology: On Call For God" only gives samplings of my story. I give dinner parties, attend plays, write and perform poetry, fund charities, volunteer my services, enjoy aerobics, exercise my civic duties, and cherish my family and friends. I have likes and dislikes, including people, places, ideas, and things. As time passes, my own story has become dear to me, and so should yours to you.
Well after my initial assignment of four years where God used me to facilitate closing down a "Christian" cult, I returned home to invitations for pulpit ministry, seminars, workshops, "revivals" in and out of town, and a short-lived radio program. But God had other plans for my life, and so the adventure began. So often, I had to send or take messages to Pastors, Christian and civic leaders, and numerous others among the many challenging assignments that have been appointed to me.
My assignments were in and out of corporate, retail, Church, private family, and many secular settings for periods of weeks, months, and even years. As I was removed from the "pulpit" my life became the message. My life's work dictated that I practice the principles of God's Word. I had to overcome fear; to be wise as a serpent, but harmless as a dove; to be long suffering and patient while being steadfast and unmovable; to walk in intimacy with the Father; and to operate in the authority of the Kingdom.
Of course, this article can't tell my story, and my book "Without Apology: On Call For God" only gives samplings of my story. I give dinner parties, attend plays, write and perform poetry, fund charities, volunteer my services, enjoy aerobics, exercise my civic duties, and cherish my family and friends. I have likes and dislikes, including people, places, ideas, and things. As time passes, my own story has become dear to me, and so should yours to you.
