God is Good... All the Time!!!
Updated: Jun 1, 2021
Today is a glorious day our wonderful Heavenly Father has created for all us. After the rain of yesterday, the sun has come out and is shinning beautifully. Some would say, oh my, rain again... others would say oh, it is hot, I like it better when...
He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. NIV Matt 5:45b
What we tend so easily to forget is we must have both! We need the cleansing rain, just as much as we need the warmth of the sun. It is all part of His amazingly wonderful design. It is the same with trials and tribulations;
Webster's Definition: difficult experiences and problems or challenges.
As humans we seem to try our hardest to avoid pain of any kind, we are programed to just take a pill and things will be better. Difficulties and challenges don't come with a prescription except for the one our Lord wrote. The Holy Spirit shares with me that these trials and tribulations are merely our "Growing Pains."
The world preaches a false peace. In our present society we are discovering just how deep the coma is. Companies, Institutions, Politicians and Officials of Leadership that should be caring for the people and walking in the ways of God are being revealed as wolves in sheep's clothing. Those that should have been raised up to fight were lulled asleep long ago.
Take 2 - A new generation of rough riders is being birthed from within this depth of necessity created by our trials and tribulations. It is within these false places that we, Family of God Ministries have found one of the direct attacks of the enemy. Corruption and deceit are no friend of God!
“Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are wolves and will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes or figs with thistles. Different kinds of fruit trees can quickly be identified by examining their fruit. Matt 7:15-18TLB
But GOD...
During the first half of 2021, The Lord has provided Family of God Ministries a cocoon of sorts during this very trying time. He has had us mercifully hidden away as we have been being rebuilt and restructured from within. It is only now that He is prompting me to step out from beneath His Wings of Protection to reveal some of the challenges we have faced.
Personally, I find that during a processes of change and struggle, I require a deeper level of intimacy in which I have my refuge and my strength. I curl up, (literally I can feel myself in the lap of my Father,) as He holds me, sooths my fears and wipes away my tears. It is in this place, I can once again focus on Him and only Him. It is here I see His Face and the things of Satan fade into nothingness.
Now I must be completely honest with all of you. It was New Years Eve 2019, when tragedy struck and my son Iosia was taken. It was the same levels of shock and heartache that struck January 2021. I found myself shaken to my core. Heartbroken, if not for the overwhelming presence of my Jesus, the continual prodding of Holy Spirit and the tender assurances of my Loving Father I would have simply laid down and given in to defeat.
I humbly admit to my short comings. How I longed to give up, it would have been so much easier. I could have returned to somewhat a "normal" life. I could have allowed the infant that was Family of God Ministries to become just one more ministry that fell by the wayside. In other words in my human frailties, I would lay aside my calling the devil would have won.
This is why it has taken these long six months. I chose to wait upon the Lords timing. He may seem to work slowly at times, but as I look back over the last 6 months, I realize just how perfect "His Timing" has been during this entire process.
But MY GOD...
All along this new process
The Lord has been gently whispering into my spirit.
"Don't throw the baby out with the wash!"
Just because I was taken by surprise, never means that My God and Creator was! He was well prepared for He allowed the plans of the enemy to proceed forward. Yes, of course He could have stopped them, but then we would not have come out the other side better and stronger than when we went into battle. HE allows the testings to bring out the good things He has hidden underneath. Diamonds are only forged through the highest temperatures and the most unrelenting pressure. What was coal going in, comes out the other side stronger, better and more valuable to Christ for having endured.
Family of God has been learning over the course of our birthing process. In 2017, I committed to walk hand in hand with Christ into the unknown challenges of Mozambique. Throughout this journey Family of God has grown a fortitude to embrace challenges and stand firm in the face of difficulties. With Christ Jesus by our side we are "Overcomers." During the past few months Family of God has endured strategic attacks and hits of the devils forces that were designed to defeat and destroy. These attacks have come both on individual very personal levels, as well as corporate and team levels.
Saying "God is Good" is often the easy part. Standing firm upon His truths and holding tight to His promises has been put to the test on a new level for us within the family unit of Family of God Ministries. Satan, the enemy that comes against the faithful, often bringing unforeseen surprise attacks. Family of God Ministries has been buckling down on our knees in prayer as we have again, chosen to endure and grow during a time of our most severe attacks yet.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. These bodies of ours are constantly facing death just as Jesus did; so it is clear to all that it is only the living Christ within who keeps us safe. Matt 4:8-10
Yet, Family of God Ministries continues to grow and praise God, the Savior of ALL!
As part of the processes Family of God Ministries has been undergoing we have found it necessary to begin again, starting fresh and new on many levels. This evil thing known as Covid-19 has closed down everything for long periods of time, just as it has done here in the USA. This new door allowed the enemy to isolate and divide. No worship allowed. No Praise of God. To further the attacks the ancestor believers grew in rebellion and refusal of Gods Will. Fear began to seep inward, temptations embraced and sin was being birthed.
But God Knows...
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-28 Message
Licenses - All of our licenses for projects have been revoked. What the devil meant for our destruction, the Lord is using to grow wings. The struggles have been deep and at times seemly insurmountable. In Moz. all programs or projects are hinged to the first license, the Construction License. Ours was suddenly gone.
ONLY OUR GOD...
Our young and tough rough riders have changed as well. Two of our beloved brothers and leaders have taken a new direction for their personal lives. As we prayed the Lord brought new and wonderful additions to Leadership and family. We welcome Adventino. He is just graduating law school. Valentino, our English Professor, has now stepped up as our New Director. Side by side with Christ Jesus, they will forge a new and fresh way forward.
As part of the restructuring and governmental challenges, Family of God Ministries found an immediate need for a good law team, one of which will be Adventino (Tino.) He brought with him 2 of his University Law Professors to become Family of God Ministries new
"Law Team."
With our foundational licenses being taken, much has been sacrificed. But with all the sacrifices, Family of God Ministries has not sacrificed our integrity or our faith in God.
Now as we approach the end of this tunnel a new beauty is immerging. Just as a butterfly immerges, what once could only crawl can now fly with beauty.
“They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other’s throat, everyone hating each other. “In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes. “Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come. Matt 24:9-14
This road has been long and hard. Family of God Ministries has faced challenges and battles and we can be assured there are many more to come. The the local and federal governments stood against us. Over and over again, Family of God has been able to provide each document requested. As they have questioned our integrity and resolve Family of God Ministries has stood well. We are to stand - “Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world. Even as the first attorney we hired and police hired to serve warrants were found to be corrupt, we do not give into the schemes of the enemy. As the snakes in the grass were coming out to bite, Family of God Ministries has continued the fight because our GOD IS FAITHFUL.
NOW, I am very proud to declare to you that as of May 24, 2021 Family of God Ministries has finished the long, challenging and yes, very, expensive process of once again obtaining a wonderfully "New Construction License!!"
The actual certificate will take a few more weeks. This is the first step of many more to come. Along the way Family of God Ministries has learned much and persevered throughout the rolling tides of these new storms. I personally have leaned into Holy Spirit and felt His breath feeling the compassion of your prayers. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for persevering along side Family of God. There are times in this life that persecution comes simply because you are a faith-filled child of God, but together as one family, with Christ as our head, we will overcome.