Christmas

Simple Kingdom Living

December 30, 2013 Merlin Gonzales FHL Food Pantry, FHL Indiana

Welcoming 2014 with you

FREE PIZZA dinner

There’s a nice pizza place in Noblesville that I visit whenever I want to relax and have a good pizza. Just a few days before Christmas, my wife, my son and myself stopped by to have pizza and to finalize FHL’s Christmas Greetings. When it’s time to pay our bill, the owner came and said that a company gave them a Christmas gift so they can give away some Christmas dinner! My son said, “This always happens to you!”

CHRISTMAS BIKES for children

Two weeks ago, one of my FB friends Inboxed me and said that the restaurant that gave bikes last year is doing it again. They give bikes to children of less fortunate families. I thought of asking one of FHL’s food pantry Directors. Sure enough, her grandchildren do not have any Christmas presents this year. On Dec. 22nd, her 2 grandchildren received bikes. They were so thankful. Here’s the text that I received from the grandmother, “Thank you, this means the world to me.”

UNEXPECTED LUNCH from a FRIEND

On Christmas Eve, my parents asked me to bring them to a restaurant to eat. The temperature was in the teens. However, I sensed that they needed to get out of the house, so I brought them to a restaurant. My mother had stroke 2 years ago and my father has a progressive dementia. They live with us for about 3 years now. We enjoyed our lunch and I asked the waiter to bring our bill. He told us that someone had paid our dinner! I found out that one of my friends saw us coming in the restaurant and he paid for our lunch! I thanked my friend and he said, “You serve many people; you are being honored today!” I gave our waiter tip almost the same amount as our bill. By the way, this is the same restaurant that donate 100 bags a week for use for our food pantries.

ANSWERED PRAYER

The day after Christmas, I went to the office intending to work on some odds and ends stuff (yeah, right). I was getting immersed in cleaning my Inbox when I saw the FedEx man. He is the same man who asked for prayers a few months ago for the issues of his life including the selling of his house. I greeted in outside of the lobby and asked him how’s the selling of his house. All of a sudden, his demeanor changed and said that his house was just sold after 2 years in the market. He was praise God for answering his prayers.

It’s SIMPLE

I wanted to share these short stories with you to encourage you that Kingdom living is simple. Just be yourself and as a saying says, “Be supernaturally natural.” You don’t need to be weird to be spiritual. Just be yourself. You’ll be surprised when you see the unexpected things happen in front of your eyes…without striving. Those are the miracles! Kingdom principles applied anywhere, anytime.

It’s fascinating to see the supernatural becoming an everyday occurrence in your life…which is supposed to be. We are created to be Kingdom people, to spread the Good News and the freedom we have in Christ including seeing the supernatural in the natural. It’s not complicated; it’s simple.

If you are in doubt, I challenge you to plug in with the creator of the universe. You are the pinnacle of His creation! You are the reason why God sent His one and only Son to the earth to live among us. You are the reason.You are the reason why Christ died on the cross. You have eternal life in Christ. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are created in His image.

You are the most WONDERFUL person!

If you agree, then you are the most wonderful person here on earth! You have everything including the endless inheritance in heaven. However, if you have any questions about your identity in Christ, please contact me because you may be being deceived by the great enemy.

God bless you and May you have a Blessed NEW YEAR! Keep in mind, God is continually looking for people who would expand His Kingdom and to redistribute His blessings here on earth. Please check out this video to see how a simple Kingdom living can be blessings to others.

Merlin

Miracles in Our Midst

December 20, 2012 Merlin Gonzales Backyard Missions, FHL Indiana, Testimony

Last week, I had lunch with one of our ministry partners at a restaurant in Castleton in Indianapolis, IN. At our table, we were greeted by a high-energy waiter; he smiled and asked for our orders. After a few minutes, he came back with our delicious food. Just before he left our table, I asked him if we can pray for him. The question caught him off guard and suddenly, he got quiet. It took him almost a minute before he look at me and with a couple of deep breath, he asked to pray for his marriage. He left immediately so my friend & I prayed for his marriage and blessed our food.

During the course of our stay in the restaurant, our waiter visited our table a few times thanking us for praying for him. Just as we were about ready to leave, he gave me a card with a note, “Thank you soo much for the prayer, you have no idea what it means to me!”

This morning, one of our ministry leaders, Bill & I visited one of our volunteers who was hospitalized 4 weeks ago. The operation restricted her to move around. At the end of our visit. We prayed for her. Nehemiah 8:10 came to mind, “for the joy in the Lord is your strength.” and I shared it with her.

Suddenly, she stood up quickly as if she was fully recovered. She walked rapidly towards her piano, cleared the bench and looked for a hymnal. I did not know what was happening. To my surprise, she played, “Joy to the World.” I was floored to hear how she played it with passion. A simple words of encouragement lifted her faith and changed the spiritual atmosphere in her residence.

These 2 stories of simple acts of kindness and encouraging words can be the miracle that people are waiting for this Christmas season. As we are getting close to Christmas Day, keep in mind that God can use you mightily in someone’s life…the best gift that you can give. The reality of the Kingdom begins within you.

2008-the “Year of Love” for FHL International, Inc. and its Mission to our City

December 20, 2008 Merlin Gonzales Ministry

nativity3 FHL International, Inc. has opened its heart to allow the Lord to work through us in lavishing Indianapolis with love throughout the 2008 year. Through the Mobile Food Pantry, Kindness Days, ESL, Alpha Classes and FHL International Inc.’s signature event-‘FHL Week’, thousands of individuals were served.

God is doing mighty things through FHL International, Inc. in spite of the current economic conditions. I think the Lord birthed Faith, Hope and Love, International, Inc. during the boom in 2005 as part of our preparation for the current recession.

As I was sharing a vision with one of our partners about using their facilities as a storehouse, someone mentioned how the Lord had used Joseph during the famine in Egypt. Please read Genesis Chapter 41 to see how God prepared Joseph to build store houses around Egypt. This has been the vision of FHL-not to build a conglomerate ministry but a network of centers to work together towards the common good for local areas and their needs. This is what I mean about “building communities of faith, hope, and love around the world.”

Please read Acts Chapter 2, also. The current economic condition is a wake-up call to our churches and ministries to start working more closely together (See our future article: 2009 is the ‘Year of Hope’.) With the addition of Cars Ministry and the employment of Bill Farrar as Missions Director, FHL is now poised to expand instead of shrink in these tough economic times, leveraging our god-given resources and talents in serving others rather than using them for self-preservation. Jesus said, to “seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and everything will be added unto you.”

We just need to be reminded of the second Greatest Commandment – love God and others, Mark 12:29-31, “30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[b] 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c]There is no commandment greater than these.”

I give glory to God who provided FHL International, Inc. so much. As you have read and heard on the news, countless food pantries are drying up but FHL International, Inc. is now receiving much more than any other time in its existence. God’s economy cannot be explained by human intellect and reasoning. This is the time to have more faith and to rely more on God’s provision rather than men’s wisdom and intellect. (Psalm 146:3)

christmas-box Someone said “You cannot out-give God” and it has resonated through FHL International, Inc. throughout the 2008 year. 2009 is the Year of Hope. As vessels of hope, you and I can be conduits of God’s grace and come along side Him in giving hope to our neighbors. As 2008 come to a close, it is not too late to bless others through your prayers and tax deductible contributions. When you consider your year-end giving, please keep FHL International, Inc. in mind.

Please send your contribution to:

FHL International, Inc.
8383 Craig St Ste. 335,
Indianapolis, IN 46250

On behalf of FHL International, Inc., its staff and volunteers, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year.

God bless,

Merlin Gonzales

President, FHL International, Inc.