God in the Gallery: Sunday June 27, 2010 Extending circumstances

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Sunday June 27, 2010 Extending circumstances

Today we went as a greater Tribeca Project to the 8am service at Bethel Gospel Assembly on 120th street and Malcom X avenue. The church was a converted elementary school which renovation the whole facility and Bethel has a space across the street from its main congregation. Something interesting of the church is two black girls got saved and want to attend church but couldn't because in the 80's segregation exist between blacks and whites so this white believer at the church started her own church planting with these girls rising them up with biblical truth and that how Bethel gospel started. The church is celebrating its 100th years old anniversary this year. Bethel was such a welcoming church never had a welcoming greeting quite like this where the choir sang and everyone else sang welcome as well greet the newcomers intentionally by shaking hands. I felt like praising because of the exciting performers who were worshipping and others within the congregation. The time was a celebration even tiding and offering which is done uniquely by rows each going down the aisle and handing their offering in person. The message was titled Extending Circumstances because he talked about an extending circumstances in his life of his grandmother. The family accuse of his grandmother being loose woman but what he believed to be his grandmother is a lie told to him. The story is complicated and not sure if I can explain it correctly, so I will glaze over this part and get to the point. The point of the sermon is base off of

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.

Elder Darren Hicks talk about his past abuse and sins committed to him and how he believed in a lie for forty years about his grandmother and finally the truth is revealed to him setting him free of this guilt of who his grandmother is. He explain how we shouldn't fear or be ashame of our past because God design the past, present and future and everything is created for his use, even a story of abuse he use for children who were physically abuse as well as part of his testimony. It reminds me of how GOD can turn something so ugly into his glorious healing plan for Darren Hicks life. I need to learn to forgive and ask for healing from God in broken relationship in my life like Darren did.