There was once two brothers that had their own families, homes, and where partners in a fishing business. They were living the dream. Everything was fine until one Man changed it all. Everything they had worked so hard for, for so many years, had been diminished by one man and two words. That man’s name was Yahsuah (Jesus), and the two words were simply…FOLLOW ME. The two men were of course…Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew. These men’s lives had been so drastically changed in an instant, yet they had no idea just how much their lives would change in the journey that they were about to endure.
It is amazing to read about men like Peter and watch them as they grow. The Peter we read about in the gospels is, by far, not the same Peter we read about in Acts and the letters. This man is most defiantly not the same as he was the day Jesus first met him in that boat. He came from one who was constantly being rebuked by Jesus, he was called out as Satin at one point(Mark 8:33), completely denied Christ three times (Mark 14:66-72), to a man who was so full of God that his very shadow would fall upon the sick and they would be healed (Acts 5:16). He was transformed from little ol’ Simon the fisherman to a mighty man of God named Peter. When Peter writes in first Peter chapter four verse two “so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God”, he is not giving instruction about something that he learned about in seminary; he is testifying from a life of change that he himself had come to experience and understand.
Peter is just one of hundreds we find in scripture that had been completely flipped upside down when they encountered The Living God; in fact, I cannot recall one single person in the bible, there may be…I just can’t think of any, which continued living the same old life they once lived after being called out by our Lord. Abraham left everything to follow God, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and David…the list goes on and on. Every one of them were taken from the lives they were used to and comfort of the familiar, to an adventure that completely and utterly transformed them unto faithful servants of The Most High. God is in the changing business my friends. This is what He does. He is holy, righteous, and just. He is so completely other, and he wants nothing more than to change us into His likeness.
I know it is popular to believe that the day we became believers God preformed this supernatural surgery on us, and that somehow made us like him, but that is not even remotely realistic. I am not talking about heaven or hell here. I am talking about no longer being the self righteous, self centered, angry, abusive, God hating, world loving, sons of Adam. No matter how hard we try within ourselves to be anything else, we will still have this vessel we call flesh, thus failing in our efforts. Sure, with a great effort, we can change some old habits we may have, but at the end of the day we will still be Simon the fisherman. We can become bible scholars and do our very best to live out our interpretation of what God says in the scriptures, but our best efforts will only fabricate us to become Scribes and Pharisees, and we all know what Christ thought about them. The world doesn’t call them Scribes and Pharisees today, they call them hypocrites and religious nuts. In fact, disciples in the New Testament never called themselves Christians as we do today; they were called that by the world who believed that they were “like Christ”.
God knew that we could never live up to his standards on our own. That is why he came to this earth and put on this flesh of man. He came to illuminate in man the very righteousness of God, so that we may have the example to follow. Jesus also knew that even His example alone would not be enough for us to be like the Father, so He died and went back to the Father, so the Holy Spirit could come and live IN us, thus empowering His disciples to walk even as He walked. Jesus did not say that He is going back to the Father so he can send His Holy Scriptures to us that it may lead us unto all truth. He said He was leaving so that the Holy Spirit can come, thus taking Their abode inside of us and leading us unto all Truth (Jhn 16:13)-I would encourage everyone to read John 14-16 where Jesus speaks a great deal on this matter-. God wants to come and Live inside of you and I so He can change us into His likeness. This is a process that can only happen when believers become living sacrifices and allow God to make us holy and expectable unto Himself (Rom 12:1). This is the only way that it is possible to be like Christ. This is what empowered Peter to become the mighty man of God he was. This is what will empower you and I to manifest our loving and all mighty King to a world which is in great need of such a King.
Are we calling ourselves Christian or is the world giving us such a name because of what they see in us? Are we true disciples, if so then all that we are and everything around us will continually be changing? Every day, month, and year we will be less of what we were and more like the indwelling Spirit of God. So, in conclusion, let us freely welcome the change from the God who does not want to leave us the way we are, and with a grateful hearts, give praise to a God who, He Himself, never changes.

I have always compared my journey with the Father to Abraham when God told him to go to a land that He would show him. Abraham did not know where he was going; he was just obedient to the Word of God. Abraham had faith that God would lead him to the land He had promised.  I, in comparison, have always had faith that God would also show me the land that He, or at least I thought, told me. This journey has led me to many places which you, if you have not already, can read on this blog site in a number of different articles that I have written in the past few years. However, I am beginning to wonder if my journey has been more like the children of Israel wondering around in the desert for 40 years. This thought just came to me a little while ago. Could it be? Could it be that my journey has been just a mere wondering around in the wilderness, or is it, in fact, a journey of faith.

I look at myself today and I am not sure who I am anymore. There was a time that I could identify myself. I was a preacher of the Gospel of Christ. I was a music minister, youth pastor, and evangelist. I was a Christian radio man. I know that these are just titles, but I was comfortable with who I was, and I believed in what I was doing then. Today I stand today completely useless. I am no good to the Baptist, charismatics, or any other denomination or “non-denomination denomination”. I am no good to “community” living. I have been so engrossed by systematic Christianity that I am deemed useless to them.

You know…I don’t ever remember reading where Abraham went here and there asking God…”Is this the land Lord…How about this one Lord…not this one either?” Yet, this has been my journey up to this point, or at least It is how I am perceiving it right now. I do believe, without an inch of doubt, that God had opened my eyes to the Truth of westernised Christianity. My heart is, to this day, very heavy for the church. I believe that so many are deceived into thinking that their way of “doing church” is the pleasing God; however, what good is such revelation? What is it worth to know that bible studies, sermons, church programs, pulpits, pews, and steeples have become a stink in the nostrils of All Mighty God. Not that all of these things in themselves are bad, but what we have made them has become nothing more than the ritualistic sacrifices the Israelite’s where making that made the Father want to vomit so many years ago. Tell me what good is such understanding? It is not like I can convince anyone of such truth. Most, if not all, of those in this deception will never be convinced that it is so. After all… They have it all figured out remember. Who knows? I am telling you I am no good for anything anymore.

My journey has been to find a land that I believe God has promised. A place where westernized Christianity has no place in the hearts of the residence. A place where the “Spirit of Religion” can not enter into the gates. A place where Love is the foundation and NOTHING more. A place where God is all that matters and NOTHING else. A place where the Spirit of God has  the lead and not some man. A place where it’s residence don’t turn their backs and run away from their own. A place where the residence gather together for the mere purpose of being together, praising our Lord, and not to have bible debates, sermons, or any one person dominating the time. I have been looking for a place where the only thing we know for sure is that we know nothing, and God knows all. I have been looking for a people who don’t have all the answers, but can lead you to the One who does. A place where God Himself defines who we are to the people around us and not our interpretation of the scriptures, doctrines, or the name we have on the sign out front. A place where they don’t hold scriptures, doctrines, customs, traditions, or anything above The Father. I have been looking for a place where God truly does sit on the throne, and not just have a people who says He does. I long for a place that  has Jesus as the one we model our lives after, and not (though great men of God) Peter, Paul, or anyone ells in scripture or of this world. A place where judgement still belongs to God and not His servants. A place where all the residence are, as God sees them,…equal. A place where each member can thrive and be molded in the hands of The Living God to be placed exactly in the Body where he or she is supposed to be, thus bringing life to that part of the body. I can go on forever here, but it is late and I am tired, so let’s rap this up.

I guess you can call me Martin Luther King Jr and say I am just dreaming, and that there is no such place this side of Heaven. Maybe your right. Maybe I have just been wondering around in the wilderness for 40 years. Maybe I am just a lost child and not a Abraham. Maybe I should just give up searching, I definitely feel like it. Maybe I should just start my own denomination (makes me sick just saying that). I don’t know. I really don’t. I don’t have all the answers; right now I feel I have zero answers.  I do know that God is my Father, and I Will go where he leads me. I have nothing more. I just pray that He speaks soon.

Anyway…that is where my pathetic mind is at the moment. As always, my brain is in full speed. It is 2:44am right now, that should say something. I will attempt a little sleep now. God bless all the readers of this blog. I love you, and, as always, I pray that God will lead us all into the fullness of Him.

Okay, I am about to say a number of things that we are not supposed to say, yet most of us do, and the ones that haven’t only wish they did. Here we go… I QUIT, I GIVE UP, I CAN”T DO THIS ANY MORE, I AM DONE, I AM THROWING IN THE TOWEL, I CAN NOT GO ON ONE MORE SECOND!!!!! There….now that I got that off my chest…let me proceed with this entry.

If you have read my last blog entry entitled “Home…How Do I Get There” you would have read that I have been on a long journey in search for home, or at least a place that felt like home to me. Of course I have failed in my efforts time and time again, and for some reason I believe that God has brought me through such a journey to bring me to this very spot that I am in right now. In fact, threw the past several years He has opened my eyes to so many things, and I think that I am finally, being the slow minded man I am, understanding some of those things. It is like seeing fire for the first time in your life…you see the flames, but you don’t understand how hot it is until you touch it. God has aloud me to see many things through the years, but it is only now that I have finally stuck my hand in there and touched it, and now I am beginning to understand it.

You know…the funny thing is…I am a ordained minister of the gospel (according to the umpteen men that laid their hands on me and the rest of the folks in that ministry that claimed to have seen that gift in me), so I have this automatic thing I do. I tell people what I have learned. I have always shared what I believed God was giving me, kind of like I am doing now. Only blogging, I think, Is more of a therapeutic thing I do to help me get my thoughts straight, and you all have the pleasure of  of telling me how far away off the mark I have went. Anyway, I have learned that people, including myself, think they already know everything.  When one shares what is on their heart the hearer will either amen what you say or refute what you say. Either way, they, again…including myself, think they already know. “Amen….I agree with that…nope…that’s not right because bla bla bla bla bla”. You see. What is the point of saying something to anyone when they already have all the answers?

You know…there where people in the scriptures that where just like that. They where called Scribes and Pharisees. They thought they had it all figured out as well. That is until Jesus came and challenged their thinking. Oh wait…that’s right…the Son of The Living God did not convince them either. Okay…a little sarcasm there, but it is true. They really believed that they understood God so well, that instead of falling at the feet of Jesus, they hung Him on a cross.

Jesus, however, had a handful of men who really wanted the Truth and he called them disciples. After a good wile of hard knock life kind of teaching from the Master He sent them out to tell others of the good news, and then He named them Apostles, or sent ones. They where not sent to the Scribes and Pharisees but to the people who where hungry for Truth, thus making these truth seekers disciples as well.

These Scribes and Pharisees knew the law by heart. They where trained to know that law, and they where trained well. They held so tight to what they thought they knew that the missed the very Messiah they longed for. He stood right in front of them and spoke around and to them, but they could not hear. You see…all they know to do is amen or refute because they already know God, and the things Jesus said did not jive with there interpretation of the law of God, so they choose to refute. All I can say is Solomon was right when he said that “there is nothing new under the sun”. Times have not changed, or should I say, men have not changed that much. The world, especially Christianity, is full of Scribes and Pharisees. I should know…I am one of them, but I believe I am finally being set free from such a title.

I have spent most of my Christian life around scribes and pharisees, so I think it is high time I move my church letter from the church of bla bla, and move it over to the first church of walk it out. It is time that I just focus on living the gospel of Christ instead of  preaching to the choir. There must still be a true seeker of truth out there somewhere that just wants to be set free from the bondage of deception. I think mother Teresa nailed it with her statement “always preach the gospel, and if necessary…use words”. I don’t know if that is the exact quote, but you get the point.

I have but one ministry, and that is to love God and love everyone ells. We all work so hard on trying to learn the scriptures, understand church doctrine, find what or which church to belong to, seek out the where and what God has called us too or to do. We go to church meetings, Sunday school, bible studies, seminaries/bible collage, conferences, and seminars. We watch Christian programing, sport our Christian tee-shirts and bumper stickers, and read Christian books (yes even blogs). This list can go on and on; however, every single one of these things mean absolutely nothing without the foundation of Love.

Let me put it another way. You go in for a surgery to remove your appendix, and the surgeon you have has mastered the art of cutting people open and closing them back up. Unfortunately, he skipped out on every class in med school that covered anatomy. He wears a white coat. Everyone calls him Doctor so and so. He has all that good medical terminology down pat, so he sounds like a good Doctor. He even knows all the instruments to use during the procedure, but when you wake up you find it hard to breath because supper Doc removed one of your lungs instead.

I feel we have done the same thing. We can look the part of a Christian, talk a good Christian talk, and we can convince a great deal of people that we are Christians; however, we have missed the basic fundamental foundation of the Love of Christ that makes us Christian.  As Paul says in 1 Co 13:1 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (ESV)”. There are many scriptures I can quote her to back up what I am saying, but it is not my intent to try and convince anyone here of anything. I only want to report what my direction will be from here on out.

I am done chasing movements, churches, and visions of man. I am done preaching to the choir as it where. I am done with trying to be the perfict Christian. I am done with trying to make sure everyone (exept The Father) is pleased with me. I only want to fall at my Father’s feet, let Him love me, love Him in return, and allow that Love to radiate out to all around me. If while at His feet He uses me for anything more, then it will be His doing and not mine.

I would challenge you to do one thing. Read the whole book of 1 John; however, when you read it, do not try and lie to yourself about what John really said, but just beileve what he said. For example in 1Jn 2:9  “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness”. don’t try and covince yourself that it “really” means I want him to go to hell kind of hate, but take it for what it is. If I don’t love him…Jesus give my life for him kind of love, then I am in darkness AKA…without Christ (the true light) even now.

As always…thinking out loud…your friend Frank. May you walk in the love of beloved Father.

As I mentioned in my last entry, I will be sharing my testimony once again for all of you who have not yet read it. It will be in several parts, scattered over the next few weeks. If you have read it already, I would encourage you to read it again, and make any comments, or ask questions that you would like. 

Hello friends, this will be my first real entry to my blog. I thank you for taking some time to read a little of what God has been doing in me. If you have not yet read my introduction to this blog, I ask that you read it first. Then read all of my blog entries in the order that they are written. Otherwise, some of what you read may make little since.

As I said in the introduction of this blog, I want to share with you a little of what God has brought me through, or should I say bringing me through, so in order to do that, I must take you back through some years. I will do my best not to bore you; therefore, I will give you the dissected version.

Where do I begin; It’s so hard to know where to start because for the past six or seven years God has taken me on such a journey it would make David and Goliath look more like David and the dwarf ( or at least that’s how it feels to me). It would take many pages to dictate what God has allowed me to see and experience on this journey, so I will do my best to keep it short and to the point as much as possible.

I came to know Christ when I was thirteen years old, and man what a change he made in me. I went from parent’s worst nightmare to a young man full of life and love for everyone. I was filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory. All I wanted to do was to share this amazing experience with everyone I encountered, and I wanted to know all I could about the One who brought this life to me. Little did I know, that same zeal for knowledge would be the very thing that would suck the very life out of me.  Anyway, I went to church, Sunday school, and bible studies; I was taught by elders, pastors and from anyone ells I could learn from. Man, I learned a great deal. I got to where I knew the scriptures and could debate with the best of them.

I was about seventeen when I first felt the call of God on me to preach the gospel, even though I did not answer that call until several years down the road. God seemed to be doing a great deal in me during those years; however, it seemed that the more I “went after Him” the farther away I got, and the farther away I got the more (at least in my mind) I would go after Him. I studied more and learned more. I became a minister of music, went to bible college, I was a youth pastor, a school guidance counselor at a Christian school, and a DJ at a Christian radio station. I was a Sunday school teacher, preached in churches, held revivals, evangelized cities, went on short term missionary trips, and I preached in another country. I seen God do some awesome things in those days.

There was great joy in preaching and telling people of an awesome redeemer who had come to save them from their inevitable destruction; however, inside I was still dying. Dying… how can this be? Somehow, in the midst of “doing God’s work”, I lost track of Him. I no longer had the joy, the peace, and the sweet presence of God that I fell in love with years earlier. What happened? I could not understand it; how could I have missed it? I did what I thought I was supposed to do as a God loving, God fearing Christian. I asked other preacher friends of mine if they knew what was going on in me and if they had ever experienced any such thing. More than one of them told me that what I was going through was called “the honeymoon factor” and what I was experiencing was the end of that honeymoon with God. They said that God was still with me as he was before, but I was no longer on the milk but on the meat. Much of what they told me made sense, but I knew in my heart that there was something greater amiss. I was now more determined than ever to come unto the fullness of God. I always knew in my heart that there was so much more than just knowing scriptures and “doing ministry. God would through me a crumb or two my way to let me know there was indeed more.

As I began seeking for the truth of my stalemate spirituality, God stood true to his word, “if you seek Him you will find Him”. God gave me a vision, or to sound a little less charismatic, a picture in my mind, of a room. This room was filled with pictures of God; you know… blue eyes, long blown dried hair, and a nice trimmed beard etc. There were bibles, banners with the names of God, and all kinds of memorabilia I had collected over the years. There was even a sweet fragrance of God filling the room, but God was nowhere to be found.  God was showing me that I had filled my life with nothing but memorabilia from the life I once had with him. This vision reminded me of a verse in Song of Solomon where she looked everywhere for her beloved; she would catch glimpses of him and even hear him at the door, but she looked and looked for her long lost lover with no avail. God began showing me more and more truth, which (I might add) scared me to death.

This is where I must stop for now. I have so much more to share with you, but for now, I must go. I will try, as I said in my intro, to write at least one entry a week; however, I will do my best to get more to you sooner. If any of my experiences sound familiar to you, I would love to hear about it. If anything offends you, feel free to share your heart as well. Until the next time, my prayer is that you seek God with all of your heart, so he can stand true to his word to you as well; That you will find Him and all His glory.

Over the next couple or few weeks, I will be re-entering my testimony that some of you may have read already. It was entitled “What a Journey”. If you have read it already, I encourage you to read it all again. This is the main reason I felt to start writing my blog to begin with. The journey that God has brought me through to this point has been amazing, and I look froward to seeing all that is ahead. I would also encourage you to ask questions or make any comments you wish. Remember, however, I am not writing so I can get some great debates started. I am merely sharing what God has done in me, and has opend my eyes to. Find out why I have titled my blog “The Veil Has Been Lifted”. God Bless.

I am new to all of this, so I ask for your forgiveness as I plunder my way through all of this blog technology. I started all of this because I thought it would give me an opportunity to share my heart, and all that God is, and has been, doing in me. Once again, I beg your forgiveness as I am no great writer, but I hope that God, in some way, will dictate his heart through me so we can examine ourselves to see whether we are truly in the faith. 2Co 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” KJV.

Did you see anywhere in that verse of scripture that says go and ask your pastor whether or not you’r in the faith, or ask your Sunday school teacher if there is something written in the bible that can give you that assurance? NO. Nor will you find anything in scripture that says as long as you fly you banner under some denominational name or follow the same traditional religious pathway your father and great great granddaddy traveled will give you the blessed assurance that you are in Christ. Maybe you are putting your hope in the fact that you get holy goose bumps or other emotional experiences. Are these the things you really want to rely on for having abundant life in the kingdom of God? If so, then this blog will be a big waist of your time; however, if you’re one of those who have had something rise up in you and make you wonder if there is something more to Christianity than you have seen, and that God has to be more than just mere entertainment, bible studies, stain glass, and steeples, then you are why I feel I need to write this blog. Just look at me as someone who would like to help you put 2cor 13:5 into action.

All I would like to do is just share with you the path that I have traveled that brought me to where I am today. I must first tell you that I by no means have “arrived”, if you know what I mean. I do not claim to know all the answers to your questions. All I can tell you is what 1Jo 1:1 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life “. I will leave it to you and God to decide if what I speak is truth or not. I just ask you to search you heart and test if you are in the faith.

I also write this blog for another reason. I would like to share with my family and friends that feel I have left the faith and have joined some cult, the truth that has set me free. My prayer for you all is twofold, one: that God would give you peace in your hearts that I am truly in His hands, and that he is the creator of this life that I now live, and two: that your eyes also will be opened to some truth as well, and that you may be set free from the religious bondage that once held me captive. My love for you all is deep as the sea, and I hope that, no matter what you may read in this blog in the weeks to come, you never forget that.

In my next journal entry, I will begin my testimony of the past years, and how God has broke me, crushed me, and brought me through his own personal detox program to begin washing me clean of the religious system we call Christianity. I will do my best to write something at least once a week. My plan is to bring you up to date to where I am now, and then give you a week-to-week account to what God is doing with me. Until then, may God give you a hunger, like never before, for His righteousness.

Hello friends, I hope that the “My Journey Till Now” blog entrees have challenged you to look at where you are in regards to your walk with Christ, and I trust that they were a blessing. My heart in sharing my testimony with you is that you could see that God is much more than what we have made him, God has so much more for us than we have embraced, and God has a much greater plan for our lives than we could imagine. There is a life that we were created to live, and that life can only be found “IN HIM”. We can have experiences with Christ anywhere He chooses to show up. I was in a Missionary Baptist Church at age 13 when I first met our glorious savior. I have seen, felt, and experienced Him in Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, and non-denominational churches. He has been with me while driving down the road, at concerts, in living rooms, on street corners, in the hospital, and many other places. Just because we have a heavenly experience with God in a certain denominational structure, does not make that structure God’s chosen constitution for His Church. All church organizations claim to be the way to God. Every one of them believes that their way is the right way, and that their doctrine is true doctrine. However, Jesus says that He is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. His name is not Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal. His name is Jesus (Yahshua).

Jesus in deed has a body in the earth, but it does not carry a banner of some denominational name either. It can, however, be recognized easy enough; It will look just like Christ. Do not look to some organized church system to find out what Christ is like. Read about Him in scriptures. You will find someone who had left His home, came to earth, spent his time with the scum of the earth, healing the sick, and He became a servant to everyone around Him. Jesus had no place to lay his head, He did not own anything of earthly value, and everything he did was for the salvation of us all. To prove that to all of us, He stretched out His hands and he died on a cross. All the things that Jesus taught to us were not just words; they were who he is. He tells us things like love our neighbor, do good to those who do wrong to us, love our enemy, give your shirt to the one who will take from you your coat, lay down your life for those around you, pick up your cross and follow him. Everything that you hear him teach is wrapped up in one word…Love…The love of Christ. Love is the fruit of a true child of God. Love is what we produce when we abide in Him. That is how we know if someone is a true disciple. True disciples are not known by their many words, their great interpretation of scripture, or their great doctrines. They are known by their LOVE. Inside of this four-letter word, you will find all that Jesus taught. I would like to challenge all of you once again to do an extensive study on Christ and his teachings.

What if I told you that I have found a people that fits Jesus’ prerequisite of being true followers of Christ. What if I was to say that there are a people who lay their lives down every day for one another. A people who have left and forsaken all that they once regarded as life to follow Christ. A people who are not out to gain their American dream of houses, cars, and fat bank accounts. What if I told you that there are a people who have truly become living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. Let me confirm to you that I have. The things that God showed to me that was missing in the church system, I have found living and breathing in about 300 people down in Selmer TN.They are not a flawless people who never make mistakes. They are not people who are exempt from the temptations of the enemy. They are not Super Saints walking around thinking they are better than anyone. They are, however, a people who love and fear God. They are a people who are crazy enough to, actually, believe that they are supposed to live out the life Jesus told us to. There are no halfhearted Christians here. Believe me, you cannot live in the kingdom of God and be halfhearted. They love God, and therefore they love one another.

Let me give you one small example of the love of Christ that can found among these people. About three years ago, the doctors found a cyst on my pancreas. It is not cancer, but it can be life threatening. The problem I had was that this ailment required a great deal of medical attention, and I could not afford to pay for it. I did the best I could, but I had no health insurance and so I could not get the care that I needed. I was living with a great deal of pain back then, and there was nothing I could do about it. The church that I was attending at the time was a good size ministry, with churches all around the world. Everyone was aware of my condition and my lack to take care of it. I was never offered any help to make sure I was taken care of. All that was offered to me was their prayers. Now do not get me wrong, prayer is a good thing. The problem is faith without works is nothing but dead faith. The people here at Rose creek village acted in complete contrast to former. As soon as they knew about my condition, they have not failed to make sure I was completely taken care of. They give me time off work to go to the doctor, they help pay the dr. bills, and they even put me in a job position that would not aggravate the cyst. This is just a small example of the love of Christ here. They are a people who care more about me than what I can do for them. In fact, they do not expect anything in return for the love they give. It sounds a little like Jesus does it not.

The men here at Rose Creek go to work every day to help provide the needs of the widows, single mothers, the poor, and orphans every day. The love they have for each other means more than any disagreement they may have. Out there in the church world, that I came from, when someone would have a disagreement we could just agree to disagree and move on, but not here. Here, preserving the unity of the faith has the upmost importance. We work through all problems that may arise until we find God’s truth in the matter. This is a beautiful thing to see.The best thing I could tell you here is to just “COME AND SEE” for yourself. Words cannot describe the beauty that is found in such unity. We have heard much teaching on the body of Christ, and we thought we had an understanding of what it is, but when you really see it for the first time, it is breathtaking. Do I think that the people here at Rose Creek Village are the only people of God in the world…Absolutely not? They are, however, the first demonstration of the true body of Christ I have seen. I have seen true Christians out there, I know there are many people who love God, and they are intertwined in several different ministries. I have seen missionaries who have laid their lives down for the sake of the gospel. There are people every day pouring their lives into the lives of others, and are demonstrating the true love of Christ, but this is the first time I have ever seen a whole body of people with the same heart, mind, and spirit. I know there are others out there, and I am always looking for them. We have found some in Rhode Island, South Dakota, and possibly some other states that we are aware of. It is exciting to see what God is doing.

I am forever grateful for what God has opened my eyes to see. I may have lost friends, and possibly some family in the process of following the path God has laid; however, He is worth it all. I love every single friend and family member I have, and it kills me to think that they’re hurting in any way, but I must follow God. He is my way, my truth, and my life. Where ells could I possibly go.

Do I think that I will always be at Rose Creek Village…I do not think so? I will, however, always be attached to the body of Christ. All I know at this point is I am where God wants me, and my prayer is that God would let this life spread into every town, city, state, country, and nation.

Oh God, let your Kingdom come.

 Hello friends, I want to wrap up my journey-to-now entries today if I can. For the past several weeks I have been sharing my heart and experiences that I have endured over the past several years. (Please go back and read all of the “What a Journey” blog entries before going further.)  I understand that much of what I have said sounds way out there, or a little rocky. I will say again; I do not claim to KNOW anything. All I have done here is shared what God has done in me.

  I am sure you can tell by my writing that I am not this big educated bible scholar. I do not have a PHD or some fancy title in the front, or at the end, of my name. I am just a messily old, good for nothing, sinner boy that without God would be a lying, cheating, murdering rapist. Jeremiah says it this way “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” That is what we all are without God…deceitful and desperately wicked. I do not know why God would choose me; however, this will be one of the first things I will ask him when I see him. I have done nothing in my life that can possibly warrant God’s attention; those of you who know me can amen that. All I can say is He has chosen me. He did not leave me in my hypocrisy. That is what I was dear reader… a hypocrite. 

Sure, I loved souls, and I wanted nothing more than to see them come to Christ. I cared about people, and the things I did in the ministry where not for the money I assure you. On the other hand, I would preach that people should live holy and virtuous lives before God, yet I did not understand what I was preaching. I would preach things such as we need to love one another, walk as Christ walked, go to church, win souls, and –God forgive me- church doctrine. I am sure I was telling people some truth; however, it was coming from a lack of understanding. I had knowledge; that is all I had. I had knowledge that I had obtained from my many different teachers over the years, and from bible study, which relied on those same teachings. I had knowledge, but I lacked understanding. Knowledge is not difficult to get. All you need to do is listen and retain what is taught; however, to get understanding you must physically experience something. If I told you not to put your hand in the fire because you would burn it, you would have that knowledge; moreover, if you put your hand in the fire and received a burn, you would then have understanding. I was preaching to people warning them not to put their hands in the fire when I myself, had never been burnt. It is not enough to know how Jesus walked, talked, and responded to diverse situations. If all we have is knowledge of all that Jesus taught, we have fallen short. We must experience Christ.

We must leave our old lives behind, put our own selves aside, walk in a world that we do not belong, become a servant to all of humankind, pick up our cross, and carry that cross to the place that we must die. It is not until then that we come to understand what Paul was saying to the Galatians when he said… “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” It is here when we find not our understanding at all, but that we share in the one who understands all things.

I believe if we where to really look at the life of Christ, and truly LEARN HIM, or should I say UNDERSTAND HIM, we would have a real hard time finding him in our church, and most importantly, in ourselves. The truth is most of us have not so learned Christ.  Eph 4:20-24 says “But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”.  The Greek word “learned” in this verse is manthano meaning, you guessed it, understand. That is what God showed me. When I would stand in the pulpit to deliver “God’s message”, they did not see Christ, they saw Frank Lee, and believe me he is not much to look at. -God may have used something I said to drive something into someone’s spirit a time or two, but remember what He used to speak to Balaam- (Num 22:28).

No one can come to Christ without first seeing Him. No one can see Him unless he is on us (the new man) and we are in Him. We cannot be in Him if we do not have an understanding of Him, and if all we have is knowledge of him with no understanding, where does that leave this lost world? These are just a few of the things that God was revealing to me during this time.

Look, I know that there are good people in the church system. There are people who may even have the Love of Christ. There are preachers who stand every week and plead to their congregants to live a life pleasing to Christ, and they do the best that they know how. There are men and women who are on their faces before God weeping for the souls of this world. I have worked alongside of some of them; I was one of them. My prayer is that God would give to them a Damascus experience, then send to them their Ananias, and have the scales fall from their eyes.

 All the things that you have read in my blog have been my Damascus experience. Up to that point, I thought that I was on the right path as Paul did. I believed I was doing the right thing and serving in the right capacity. My Ananias, however, would not be found in these experiences. My Ananias was found in a little town in southwest Tennessee called Selmer where I now reside. It is a people, a people of God, and when the scales fell from my eyes I seen the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was the body of Christ.

In my next blog entry, I will share a more about this place in which I now LIVE, and I will tell what makes it the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Until then, may we all come to understand Christ.           

 Hello dear friends, I hope this blog has blessed you in some way thus far, or at least caused you to look at where you are in regards to your walk with Christ. Because this blog always puts my last entry on the top of the page, I must once again ask all new readers of this blog to go back and read the last three entries in the order that they were posted, so you know where I am with my testimony. Otherwise, I may make some references that will make no sense to you at all.

I left off with my last blog talking about the revelation that God gave me in regards to the lack of cross bearing love in the church system. I hope you got a chance to check out the video that I have posted on my MySpace. If not, make sure you do. www.Myspace.com/franklee72.

I would like to continue my journey with another revelation God gave me during this time, which is, what I  call, “part time Christianity”.  These two day-a-week spiritual filling stations (churches) that we like to go to so we can have enough “strength” to make it through the rest of the week. I looked and looked in the scriptures for anything that would give me even the slightest hint that God wants us to meet in this manner. I never read anywhere where Jesus said to any of his disciples that he would see them in church on Sunday, nor did I find him ever saying to Peter “don’t forget prayer meeting on Wednesday. In fact, except for a few times when Jesus went to pray or minister, he and his disciples where always together. They were together Sunday –Saturday, 24 hours a day, and seven days a week. Jesus did send them out to minister as well, but these guys where together from beginning to the end. They were family. Remember, Jesus was laying the foundation of what was going to be his church. Read the book of acts. You will see this same example of unity continuing. Jesus never meant for his children to walk alone. He never meant for us to walk alone five days out of the week and have unity two days a week; in fact, it is completely unattainable to have any unity at all when we only see each other two days out of the week.

Anyway, I was not seeing the unity of Christ in the church. What I was seeing was not the body of Christ at all; it was more like the body of a Mister Potato Head (the body was dismembered most of the week, and put back together two days a week). The truth is, most people would not be able to be together any more than that because there is so much diversity; we would drive each other nuts if we were together any longer than that. Why is that? It goes back to my last blog entry; it is the lack of the Love of Christ, and do not forget, we need those other days to pursue our worldly kingdom.

I know these words may come across a little callous, and I probably sound arrogant. The truth is my heart breaks over you my brother and you my sister. I know how hard it is to try living a life for Christ on this two day-a-week church mentality. I know how hard you try living a life that will please our King. You have good days and you have bad days. Most of you are still struggling with the same sins and strongholds that you have dealt with from the beginning. There is not one evangelist out there that has enough, anointing, power to cast these things from you. Your only hope is the same hope Peter had, and that was the accountability he had with his new family. He could not come home after a hard day’s work and slap his wife around…why? He was no longer alone. He had his brothers there to make sure of it. The truth is, we need the whole body of Christ; “the hand can’t say to the foot I don’t need you”.  I think one of the best gifts God has given us, next to himself, is each other. God never meant for his children to live separate individualistic lives away from each other. David new that value of Gods people being together; in Pslm 133:1 he says “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity”! Even from the beginning, God gave his people a land so that his children could be together. Jesus taught this to all who would desire to be a disciple. He never told anyone, if you want to be my disciple then go to college, get a good paying job, raise a family, go to church on Sunday and Wednesdays, and live individualistic lives apart from the rest of my body. No. He said things like drop all that you’re doing, forget yourself, sell all you have and give it to the poor, let the dead bury the dead, forsake mother father and you own life also, and follow me. Jesus even prays for this in the book of John 17^th chapter 22^nd and 23^rd verse. 17: 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Do you hear what this is saying dear reader? Gods will is that we are one single unit, and it is by this unity that the world may know of Christ. It is by Gods people living together as one body, one heart, and one mind that will show the world that God is God, and he is alive and well. The early church had no problem understanding this. What was the first thing the new believers did in the book of Acts? They sold all of their possessions, continued daily at the feet of the apostles, went from house to house, eating their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.  Ask God to give us eyes to see the scriptures in his light and not through religious, denominational, and traditional, spectacles. I believe, if you will seek His truth with all of your heart, you will see all of these things very clearly in the scripture.          

Anyway, all that God was opening my eyes to see was breaking my heart to the deepest core. I would literally drive past church buildings and weep as I watched people walk into them. What is worse was, at that point, I felt more alone than I ever did; I was an emotional wreck. I would break down and start crying right out of the blue. It did not help matters any when God gave me yet another vision (or picture in my mindJ. This time it was of the church.

I saw a straight road that went all the way back to the early church that we read about in Acts. I saw this little black dot running back and forth across the road. At first, I could not make it out, but it kept getting closer and closer, running back and forth through generation to generation. It went from church body to church body. It finally got close enough that I was able to see what it was doing. It was the enemy; now you can call him satin, the devil, Lucifer, or whatever, but in this vision, his name was clear; it was Religion. What he was doing was going back and forth through the ages dropping seeds. The closer he got the darker the church got; the churches light got dimmer then dimmer, and by the time it got to our generation, the light was almost completely overshadowed by the darkness. I began to weep uncontrollably, and I cried out “oh God where has the light gone, where is that city that sits on a hill that cannot be hid”. This establishment we call the church, at one time, may have been the church, but it was no longer.

I know how all of this may sound; probably the same way I felt at the time…crazy. Some lunatic, atheistic infidel, but what is true is I asked God to open my eyes, so he was and still is to this day. The fact is, when I leave this world, it will not be pastor so and so, brother so and so, or dad or mom I will need to answer to, it will be God. Let us always remember that my friends, and let your prayer be that God will lift the veil from your eyes. Until next time, may God give us the eyes to see.                           

  Hello once again my friends, I am lying here in bed feeling a little under the weather, so I thought I would take advantage of the time I have here to share a little more with you. It is nothing to worry about; I believe it is just a cold, so I am trying to nip it in the bud before it knocks me out of work. I know my entries have been short, but I am doing what I can with the little time I have, so please bear with me. Once again, if you are new to this blog, you will want to go back and read my previous two entries before reading this one, or you may be a little distorted with what is going on.