hello from Nathan

[Nathan]

Hey guys . . .new to this forum, perhaps not to some of you as I've been on a few others in recent months.  I'm just a pastor from Iowa enjoying the growth from communing with others who've broken away from the traditions of men.  Looking forward to giving and receiving as we fly in the currents of his truth together.

Blessings

[Taffy]

Hi Nat.

Welcome Bro
How ya  :icon_flower:.
Good to have you at Tent and look forward to you sharing in the manner I know you do... :icon_flower:

Blessings
Taffy

[SeekerSA]

Hi Nathan

:welcome: to TMf

Hope you will be blessed here

[Taffy]

Im sure he will B,

But Im pretty sure many will be blessed by what he has to share also. :icon_flower:

T

[joyful1]

Hi Nathan--
I'm still a newbie here myself, been at other UR/US forums for over 2 years now...
If you don't mind me asking...
what type of church did you pastor?
how long have you been looking at the UR/US message?
what's your most burning question right now in your walk?
looking forward to your posts!
Joyce :)

[Nathan]

Wow!  Joyful1, great questions!  I am a Pastor of a small Foursquare Church.  They're not that many around here, most are all on the west coast as that was where it originated.  I've been raised in the strictest parts of the Assembly of God . .no make-up, girls no jeans, earings . . . the whole thing.  We probably changed churches about 5 times up to the time I turned 18 or so.  The problem was, my Dad would always find an issue that was unacceptable to him . .it was almost as if, they weren't strict enough.

When I was around 20 I left the family church which was then an independant one being run my my Uncle.  And I found a large . .. (large to me, at the time, about 700, now they're at about 2500) Assembly of God church in Cedar Rapids here in Iowa and spent the next 20 years attending there.  I had no problem with the doctrines . . . I became an adult Sunday School teacher there . . . taught the book of Revelation then to.  But I used David Jeremiah's study guides because I didn't realize people actually could teach Revelation by revelating . . . I just taught what was said to be taught . . . never questioned it.

I came into the Foursquare church by vision . .literally, I'd never had one before like that . . or since . . . I came into the position with the intention of continuing to teach from the notes I'd already taught from . .. which lasted for a year . . .that was 5 years ago.  With all the good intentions of any religious person, I led the church into a 40 day fast . . .fasting came easy for me, I did it all the time.  But this one also included the church members . .I had them mark the day or days they would fast so that we knew every day of that fourty days was accounted for . .at the  end of it . .nothing happened.

Well . .something happened, but nothing happened.  Don't you love it when I elaborate and it clears it right up!  There was a change underneath the surface, but it wasn't until a year and a half later, as I was going through old sermon tapes . .throwing out the ones that I didn't agree with anymore that I realized something did happen, the second Sunday after the fast was over, I was given a tape . . the second I laid hands on it . .the Lord simply said "this is the direction you're to go."  That was the purpose of the fast, for God to give us direction . . . I still can't believe I didn't make the connection when it was all going down.

The tape was a video by Mark Hanby called "The voice behind me" which was dealing with Revelation . .my first taste of the book outside of traditional thinking.  The message was dealing with John being in the Temple and hearing a voice behind him . . . but in order to see, he had to turn around.  It's a picture of the church being in the temple, but facing the wrong way.  Well, I turned around . .and I haven't looked back since.

As far as UR goes . . .I'd have to say . . .about 2 months.  Here's how it works for me . . .ever since I realized all my platforms were made by men and not by God . . .I've left them . .some of them were torn down immediately as my beliefs changed, they continued to fall.  Others, I left standing but gave them notice they to are likely to come down.  So as I come to these new things . . . it's not like my platforms are surprised crowbar showed up . . .I've already given them fair warning.

Oh, I have a crowbar hanging from my pulpit . .or did have . .since the huge flood that went through, it's at my wife's parents house, but when they're done with it, back to the pulpit it goes.  There's to much yet to be torn down in us and I'm more than willing to let them be.  So when I realized that hell isn't what we thought, it wasn't nearly as hard to let go of.  I didn't like hell anyway.  Still don't.

So anyway, some beloved friends at heart to heart tagged me with the name "crowbar" and I liked it.  Ummm . .what else?

Ah, the most burning question . . . well, the only one I have is not "about" not understanding God, but it's more about not understanding believers . .why are we so afraid to fly?  Why are we so concerned about right and wrong . . .especially those who see the different between the two trees . . . why do so many embrace a Bible that was never intended to be taken naturally?  The answer that keeps popping up is veil, veil and veil.

[joyful1]

Romans 11:7
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

Does that one help?

Your story is very interesting, Nathan!
How is it going with your family and friends at this point, with your new beliefs. I've been branded a heratic by my closest friends....they pray for me to have my eyes opened to the fact that I've been led astray....and that the "teachers of UR/US that I've read from" will receive the hotter places of hell!....good grief, charlie brown!

Joyce :)

[Nathan]

I did have one of my closest friends, a guy who was my music partner.  He played guitar and blues harp . .I played harmonic harp and wrote the songs.  I LOVED playing the harmonica with him . . . when I became Pastor, he agreed to be our worship leader .. .the first year wasn't so bad because the change didn't come until right around my 1- year anniversary . . .but shortly after that . . . in about six months time, I had probably 8 families leave . .his was one of them.  The ones that stayed in the church . . really weren't "committed" to this direction . .they just didn't have any place else to go . . .they were more concerned than they were committed. 

I promised them if they just gave it a chance to take root in them . . .they'd see that it wasn't a man leading them away from God . .it was God leading them away from men.  Now, we're five years into the kingdom perspectives . . .and they still look like a deer in the headlights on any given Sunday . .but they've become accustom to this.  I keep telling them . .as anyone else who will listen . .growth is not hearing what you already know.  It's those things you've never heard before that cause you to be impregnated.  My constant request was . . .just don't reject it.  I don't care that you don't understand it . .heck . .half the stuff that comes out of my mouth . . "I've" never heard before either.

My Dad rejects all of it . .. my Mom rejected it at first . .but then told me where I am is where she felt called to be years ago, but because of my Dad's influence, she was not allowed to pursue it.  Now, she comes to my church and Dad goes to his . . .it took them a while to come to this agreement . . .but it seems to work for them.  I have brothers in ministry as well . .but it's traditional ministry and neither of them are with us.  The one did leave his church due to the controling nature of the leadership became to much for them . .which was very hard because they were his friends.  And I've heard his wife is hungry for more and I sense she's heard the call also, but she hasn't responded to anything I've shared with her. . .

Family aren't to bad, the friends I have are mostly here at Quaker and there are a couple of them are right in this . .the others aren't into God at all.  I do have a loop of friends in Wisconsin that I'd become a part of as they are of the same circle . . .I've only met them once at a meeting in Tenessee at Mark Hanby's ranch.  Still email them and hear from them regularly.

My wife's side continue to go to First Assembly, her parents aren't happy there because  . . well, the Brownsville revival actually affected our church greatly.  We had a bit of a revival of our own from that.  We had their services on video, we had our worship teams taylored after theirs . .our ushers changed their jackets to be matching just as was theirs . . . we had the leaders of that revival come visit us in Cedar Rapids . . .it was such an awesome time to be in Pentecostal religion . .. we saw ourselves as the "chosen" ones due to the fact that revival never hit other churches like this, just Pentecostal ones . .and the fact that the Brownsville church was AOG as well . . . we felt  . humbly of course, that we were on the cutting edge of God's plan.  Unfortunately, the church went the same coarse as Brownsville did . . .eventually, things just sort of died down and now they're pretty much back to normal . .kind of sad really.

But that's where my wife's parents and sister goes.  As I said, the parents aren't really happy . .but they're not leaving.  We've talked to them some about what we see . . .floored them . . moved them . . .but not enough for them to jump in themselves.

These forums are about the only place where I find others who are actually beyond where I am . . there's no one locally that comes close.  I'm just awed that there are people that have been in this for 30 years or more . . .but I do believe that's about to change.  I believe that this is what the earth is having birth pangs for . .the manifestation of the sons of God has begun.

[shonda]

Amen Nathan!

God bless your faithfulness....

I always say it's easy to be all Praise God when your high on the mountain top...but get face down in the mud and let me hear you Praise HIM....

I used to think when people start saying well if you ain't got peace in your life, you ain't got God...I just have to laugh cause the God I knew was always stirring things up...I could never get complacent in one thing place...it was the ability to have PEACE IN THE STORM that I saw as Truth....

I'll take the line upon line of truth over the next revival anyday....and that's saying alot from me...cause I was raised in tent revivals..lol I still love the smell of canvas and dirt floors...old organs and evangelist singing Glory Hallelujah!

thanks Nathan for all that you've shared (preached) I find it refreashing and a blessing...

[onlytruth]

hi nathan-sounds alot like my story.i struggled with rejection at first but now have so much peace in what God is doing;
the more i rest in the Lord the clearer things become.i guess this is the coming out of babylon.
i can't wait for the authority to come on the sons and daughters-thats going to be awesome
blessings in the kingdom -fred :icon_king:

[willieH]

willieH: Hi Nathan...  :cloud9:

Is this my friend Nathan from Flying Eagles Forum?  :dunno:

Hey guys . . .new to this forum, perhaps not to some of you as I've been on a few others in recent months.  I'm just a pastor from Iowa enjoying the growth from communing with others who've broken away from the traditions of men.  Looking forward to giving and receiving as we fly in the currents of his truth together.

Blessings

At any rate, ...Welcome to TM brother!  :welcome:

peACe...
...willieH  :king:

[Nathan]

Hey Willie . . I would have to say . .yes it is, the Flying Eagle was my first and Dave then led me to AinA and HtoH, then I found livelystones and Taf led me here . . .this place is huge!

[B_T]

Dear Nathan,

Thank for your story. I don't know about pastors visting this site, but you must contact pastor Craig here.. he's lurking around :)