Maiden Post

That’s maiden post because it’s my first post. Not because it’s being delivered by a maiden….

Anyway.

Since being born again and filled with the Spirit of God in 2001, I have had a strong sense of calling to equip and empower the sons and daughters of God. So far, it hasn’t quite worked out the way I thought it would. In the beginning I’d imagined following in the steps of those before me; of pursuing training and ordination through my church and ending up as a minister ordained by my chosen denomination. That’s not quite how it turned out though. In the end my training has come directly from God, and he has used the Bible, other people, and life experiences to do it.  

The most significant experience was only a few years after being born again. After a protracted period of difficulties with my church, I was left heartbroken when they eventually revoked my membership. I sadly found that when tested, much of what I had been taught to believe in and about church, and being a Christian, had failed.

I was left feeling like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole, because my whole identity as a believer back then was inextricably linked with the church. That experience triggered a crisis of faith for me, and the only thing that sustained me through that period was the decision to believe that God is faithful despite how I was feeling.

That experience also became a catalyst for change within me. Using the Word of God as an instruction manual, God basically took my entire belief system apart and disassembled it the way you might strip down the engine of a car. Then working methodically, each part was held up and examined against the Word before being discarded, replaced or refined before being reassembled. I had to test and weigh all I had been taught about Christianity in order to restore balance to my perspective and understanding, but the end result is a faith built upon an unshakeable foundation.

I know why I believe what I believe now, and it has emancipated me as a Christian believer.