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An unusual day

November 15, 2021 Merlin Gonzales Backyard Missions, blog, FHL Food Pantry

I still remember when the government first announced the severity of the spread of the pandemic.

A historical event

March 13, 2020, was the date that many of us will remember. It was the day when President Trump declared a nationwide emergency due to COVID-19. As I was trying to keep up with the news on Thursday, March 19th, I watched a TV broadcast about a priest who was doing a drive-by confession.

“He might do it”

The next day March 20, 2020, I stopped by my church to visit my wife; she works there. The streets were clear of traffic for a Friday morning. In the church building, there were only a few people around. “The pandemic is real”, I told myself as I was phasing back and forth on a church hallway. As my pastor was passing by, I told him how innovative was the priest who came up with a drive-by confession. He smiled as he said (because he said I might do it) that a vacant Starbucks building at an intersection close to the church could a great drive-thru prayer. However, even before he finished his sentence, I thought came to mind that it would be a great drive-thru food pantry.

A burning building

The thought of a drive-thru food pantry stayed with me for the next 2 hours until I decided to drive by the building to check it out. I have been to that same building several times when it was open. It had been vacated and empty for about 2 years. I remembered when they closed it, the leader of the missional food pantry at my church came to me and asked for my advice if he should ask the manager to donate the coffee tables and chairs. He found out that they were giving it away since they want to have new coffee shop furniture at their new location – no more than 100 feet away from that building! But that day was different. I had a feeling of certainty. I parked my car in front of the building.

It seemed to me that the building was burning… in my heart.

I saw a sign in the front of the building that it was for lease and the number to call. Without any hesitancy, I called the number. A leasing agent answered me. I told him that I would like to turn the building into a drive-thru food pantry since many people have been laid off and it would be a strategic location since it is one of the busiest intersections in that part of town.

He said that he will speak with the Starbucks contact and will get back to me. I thought he was just trying to get me off the phone. I said to myself, “That was the end of my vision”, and I did not expect any callback.

The bush was not burning!

By around 4 pm, my phone rang! The leasing agent said he has someone in line to speak with me. I had mixed emotions at that point… “Was my idea a flop or is it from God?” As I was being introduced to an executive from Starbucks in Seattle, Washington, my head was computing data at the speed of light!

After a brief introduction of all the parties involved, I share my vision with the Starbucks executive, “We are not asking for money”, I said. I shared my vision that it would be a great community service if his company would allow us to use the vacant building as a drive-thru food pantry. “It would be a great help to the residents of the community where they’re doing business”, I added.

To my surprise, the executive said that he will speak with their legal department for consideration.

A Wallet from Heaven

October 9, 2019 Merlin Gonzales a Study on God's Dominion, KIOM

The day before Faith Hope and Love Community (FHL’s) annual fundraiser dinner was very busy.

As you may know, many details encompass the planning for such an event, but it was important to my team to hash out the details necessary to make the dinner a success. After accomplishing our plans for the day, my wife and I treated ourselves to a relaxing dinner. However, when it was time to pay, I discovered my wallet was missing!

A queasy feeling

Assuming I had left the wallet in one of our FHL trucks, we decided it would be best to just wait to retrieve it the next morning when we arrived for setup-the day’s events had left us very tired! The next morning, though, I was dismayed to discover that my wallet was nowhere to be found. This worried me greatly, but I was tasked with assisting with setting up the venue. Throughout the rest of the day, I searched the vehicles I had travelled in the day before inside and out, even searching through the venue several times thinking I had perhaps left it sitting somewhere. That lingering anxiousness stayed with me for the next few hours. Finally, my wife finally told me to forget about my wallet and concentrate. I decided she was right. The angel of the Lord would just have to deliver my wallet back to me.

The fundraiser proved to be an excellent distraction. It was an evening filled with powerful stories and life-changing testimonies, including stories of miracles.

When the guests were gone and everything put into its proper place, I started the drive back to my home around midnight. Suddenly, I remembered my wallet! Immediately, the feeling of anxiousness and dread came rushing back over me. The thought of my personal information being open to a stranger was interrupted by a “thump” on my windshield. For some reason I can’t explain, I thought that perhaps this could have been my wallet! After pondering this for several minutes, I decided to turn around, (thank God for round-abouts), and I drove back to where I heard the sound. My hope began to fade as my methodical search did not reveal my wallet. Besides, I couldn’t figure out how it would have suddenly shown up anyway. I got back into my car to go home, but I felt the Lord’s nudging to go back. Hesitantly, I turned around saying to myself that this would be the last time.

Choosing what to believe

I turned on my hazard lights and got out of my truck. After about 2-3 steps I saw on the side of the street what seemed like a piece of paper and not thinking anything else, picked it up. To my surprise, it was a copy of the FHL tax-exempt certificate! I had inserted it into my wallet to have ready to show to certain merchant who offered us an exemption to rent the tables we needed for the annual dinner.

A surge of energy radiated all over my body! It only took me a few minutes after that to find all my credit cards, pictures and my wallet! It was a moment when I knew that heaven invaded earth!

I called my wife immediately and as I proceeded home, I tried to remember how, when and where I lost my wallet to dispel the notion that indeed, an angel of the Lord had brought my wallet back to me.

Moments like this give me confidence that God uses such times to build our faith in Him. I believe He chose that moment to, ‘drop my wallet from Heaven,’ to give me assurance that He is intimately involved in my life.

Beyond life’s circumstances

Our God is a God of miracles that can go beyond space and time, and infinitely out of the bounds of our limited minds and experience (Ephesians 3:20). This experience reminded me that whatever happens in my life or my ministry, He is in control and I have nothing to worry or be anxious about. The same is also true for you, and your worries and cares. We can trust in the promises of God, no matter how absurd or illogical they may seem to be.

God is with us and He is good all the time.

Update: When my wife read the story, she had vision of an angel and the demon who stole my wallet fighting in the sky and the angel got my wallet back and threw it in my truck.

Living in synchronicity

March 22, 2018 Merlin Gonzales blog

“‘Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.‘” John 5:19

A Vision

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” was the focus of my meditation this morning.

A plethora of angels filled the sanctuary, hovering in the room. An angel placed a glistening golden crown on my head. As soon as it touched my head, a regeneration process started.

The glow from the golden crown slowly flowed from the top of my head down to my feet. Another team of angels came from the right side with glorious intense bright light in front of them. The glory moves as the angels move closer. The glory in front of the angels reached me.

Suddenly, I was consumed by the light and became one with the light. The light was so bright; all I could see was intense brilliance. I sensed the angels continued to move and the glory filled the entire sanctuary. Gradually, my eyes were transformed to see through the brilliance that filled the room. I saw multitudes of people receiving their golden crowns from legions of angels. They were all transformed as well. My vision became so vivid and saw everything surrounding me. Beautiful multi-colored flowers, tall trees that reach the blue sky above, mighty mountains and below me were liquid golden streets.

A new creature

The transformation that happened made me a new creature in Christ. The regeneration grace that flowed within me changed the wiring of my brain, my veins and arteries were cleaned as well as my stomach and intestines. My joints were lubricated and my skin was renewed. An overhaul of my soul, spirit and physical body revolutionized the way I experience my existence. Not only my eyesight had changed but my perception as well; my entire experience of the world shifted to another dimension. My internal processor was reconstructed and I became a new creature.

Dual reality

Somehow, I saw a glimpse when Jesus said that He only do what He sees the Father does and only say what He hears the Father says. Jesus lived in two different and opposing reality simultaneously. He acted on things based on what God is doing. Is this because He and the Father are one? The Scripture indicates that He is not the Father. Jesus had intimate relationship with God. His obedience made it impossible for Him to do anything separate from the Father. He was acquainted with the ways of the Father. He lived here on earth as the Father lives in heaven.

As new creature, would it be possible for us to concurrently live in two worlds, spiritual and physical? Could we exist in the heavenly and earthly dimension at the same time? Jesus said that we have the same Spirit who lived within Him. He also said in Ephesians 2:18 that we have access to the Father by one spirit. He also said in John 14:12 whoever believes in Him will do the works He had been doing and do even greater things because He is going to the Father.

Back to work

My experience that morning lingered throughout that day. On my way to my office, I had an exhilarating drive, smiling to everyone and noticed that my vision was much clearer – not so much about my eyesight but the perception of my surroundings. I felt light, content and joyful. At lunch my taste buds were more sensitive; the food was so incredibly delicious. I felt releasing love and receiving love from everyone in the office.

Could this be just my imagination or was the transformation that happened in the morning meditation was real? How can I be in perpetual awareness to my new self as a new creature and experience the dual reality at the same time? The opposing world – heaven and earth lived synchronized in the present.

Looking For A Speaker?

January 25, 2018 Merlin Gonzales blog

Registration for the Unconference for 2018 is over but keep me in mind for your next conference. I am available for speaking engagements. Please contact me on my website or email me at [email protected]

A good place to start

December 30, 2017 Merlin Gonzales blog

You – yes – what’s inside of you is the starting point.

What you have inside will manifest outwardly. Our relationship with ourselves reflects our relationship with God. The Apostle John recorded what Jesus said about this: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4). If what’s inside of us is detached from the source of Life, we will whither and not produce fruit. Our lives will reflect what’s inside of us.

The first Old Testament verse that Jesus quoted was Deuteronomy 8:3 when He said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.‘” (Matt.4:4). What we consume is cast back out.

Let’s take a look at some of the things we consume – things that influence us. We have heard the teaching, “The eyes are a window to the soul.” ²²“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ” – Matt. 6:22-23. Are we full of light or are we in great darkness?

It is hard to hide what’s inside of us. Jesus said in Matt. 23:27, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”

This coming year will not be different than this year if what’s inside of us remain the same. We can change the way we clothe ourselves, we can change jobs and we can change relationships, but if we continue to consume the same things (physical and spiritual), we will produce the same fruit. Unless we remain in Jesus and unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we cannot expect different fruits.

It’s not to late to plan (or change your plan) for 2018. This coming year could be the best year ever. What would you like in 2018? Here’s a promise – from God, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matt. 6:33

Have a joyful 2018

What’s inside of you is the starting point in 2018.

HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR!