All posts tagged: God

Journey Through the Tunnel: Pathway to Promotion

February 15, 2025 Merlin Gonzales a Study on God's Dominion, KIOM No comments

A tunnel to promotion…

This past year, I have been crying out to God for many hours every day. I’ve prayed, worshiped, read the Word, and soaked in sermons; I worked hard as well. I sought the Lord with all my heart, and just as David did, I have strengthened myself in Him. I’ve experienced dark times before, like when I was betrayed by one of FHL’s partners. It was a season filled with despair, but God turned it around.

Running away

In 1 Samuel 22, we see King David hiding in a cave, fleeing from King Saul, though David had done nothing wrong. Saul’s jealousy drove him to try to take David’s life. Yet, amid this trial, David found strength in the Lord.

King David hiding from King Saul

David went hiding and his family and many others joined him—those who were in distress, debt, or discontented—and he became their commander. “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.” – 1 Samuel 22:2 (NIV)

To the darkest cave

The organization I founded, Faith Hope and Love Community is in some kind of distress and debt and discontented. It has been challenging but God has a way of bringing transformation from the darkest caves, and I believe I am about to see that transformation unfold.

The experience I am dealing with currently is nothing compared to King David’s. I can only imagine the immense stress and persecution David must have endured from every side. In his desperation to escape from Saul, he found refuge in the land of the Philistines—Israel’s enemy. Despite this, David’s loyalty earned him the trust of Achish, the son of the King of Gath. As a result, Achish gifted David the city of Ziklag. Together with his army, David fought many battles for the Philistines, achieving great victories (1 Sam. 27-28).

Moments of rejection

But then came the moment when the Philistines prepared for war against Israel. David and his men were ready to fight, but the majority of the Philistine leaders rejected him, fearing that David might turn against them in battle (1 Sam. 29). In an instant, David found himself rejected—not just by Saul and his own country, but now even by the Philistines.

When David and his army returned to Ziklag, what they found shook them to their core. Smoke filled the air over their city. “David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way“ 1 Sam. 30:1-2, (NIV). David’s men were so devastated that they even talked of stoning him. But, in the face of despair, “David found strength in the Lord his God“ 1 Sam. 30:6 (NIV).

Victory Awaits Those Who Believe

I urge you to do the same—to continue strengthening yourself in the Lord, as David did countless times. And just as David inquired of God, you too must seek Him for guidance. 1 Samuel 30:18-19 says, “David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken… Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.”

FHL’s journey, like mine, is filled with testimonies of God’s unwavering faithfulness. There were times I went without a salary for six months, on the brink of losing my home and facing bankruptcy—but God always made a way.

About David… after all the trials, rejections and even on a brink of mutiny, the next scene of his life was becoming King. And if you read further, the foundation of his kingdom was built by the”mighty men of David” – who in the past were distressed, in debt and discontented.

You are on the Pathway to Promotion

It is our obligation to encourage one another. Though you’ve been on your Journey Through the Tunnel of challenges, God has been using this time to strengthen you so you can carry the weight of the promotion that’s coming. You may need to adjust—not according to your own plans, but to God’s. No matter what, do not lose heart! God’s promises never fail—for each one of us. Your breakthrough is coming. Strengthen yourself in the Lord! The question is, “Do you believe?”

Laptop from Heaven

December 14, 2024 Merlin Gonzales blog, Testimony

On December 10, 2024, I had another spiritual encounter—one that tested my faith and taught me about trust in the unseen.

That afternoon, I had returned home after running errands at a hardware store. As I unloaded my purchases, I made a startling discovery: my laptop case, which I always carry with me due to the important information stored inside, was missing. Panic set in immediately. I frantically retraced my steps, remembering that I never leave my laptop in my vehicle. Surely, it must have been lost somewhere between the checkout counter and my vehicle.

As I unloaded my purchases, I made a startling discovery: my laptop case, which I always carry with me due to the important information stored inside, was missing. Panic set in immediately. I frantically retraced my steps, remembering that I never leave my laptop in the car.

I quickly called the store, hoping someone had turned in a laptop case. But their response was disheartening: no one had reported finding one. Filled with anxiety, I drove back to the store to check for myself.

When I arrived at the Customer Service desk, they confirmed what I feared: no sign of my laptop case. Determined not to give up, I scoured the entire parking lot, examining every cart in sight. But despite my efforts, the case—and my laptop—was nowhere to be found. Throughout the day, I called the store multiple times, hoping for good news. Each time, the answer was the same: no, nothing had been turned in.

Desperate, I decided to file a police report. The detective assigned to my case was empathetic and assured me he would do everything in his power to find out what had happened. He even followed up several times to gather more details. His concern brought some comfort, but the worry still gnawed at me.

Later that night, I managed to reach the store manager. He told me that the police had already contacted him, and he had alerted all of his employees to keep an eye out. He promised to let me know if anything turned up.

That night was agonizing. I spent hours remotely clearing sensitive files, trying to protect my personal and business accounts from potential identity theft. My mind raced as I considered the implications of losing so much valuable information. Sleep was elusive, as I battled with thoughts of what could happen.

The next morning, I woke up with my mind still in turmoil. Yet, amidst the chaos, I held onto the words of Jesus: “Do not worry.” I repeated this to myself over and over, convincing myself that somehow, everything would be alright. I didn’t know how, but I trusted that it would.

An hour after arriving at my office, the phone rang. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was the hardware store calling. I just knew they had found my laptop. Sure enough, the voice on the other end confirmed it—the case had been located.

Later that afternoon, I rushed back to the store with a mixture of hope and relief. As I walked down the aisle, I spotted a woman approaching me, her face warm with a smile—and in her hands was my laptop case. In that moment, all the anxiety and fear melted away. I thanked her profusely and asked where they had found it. She explained that an employee had discovered the case late the previous night, abandoned in a cart at the back of the store. I smiled and, overwhelmed with gratitude, said, “I believe in miracles.” She grinned and responded softly, “Merry Christmas.”

Standing there, holding my laptop, I felt more than just relief. I was reminded that, even in the most uncertain and worrisome moments, there’s a greater plan at work—one that I may not always see, but I can trust.

In the days that followed, I spent time in conversation with the Lord, reflecting on why He allowed this to happen and what lessons I needed to learn. As I thought about the sequence of events, it seemed impossible that a person collecting carts could have missed my laptop case. The store had been thoroughly searched, every employee notified, and even the police had gotten involved. Yet, despite all that, the case was found.

I choose to believe that God returned my laptop, whether it had been stolen or simply left behind. The most curious part is that I cannot clearly remember whether I left it in the cart or if someone took it while I was shopping. What I do know is that my prayers changed the outcome, and God showed me favor in how the story ended.

This was not the first time such an incident had occurred. It was the third. On each occasion, something I had lost was returned to me, always with details too unexplainable to ignore. There is no doubt in my heart that divine intervention is real.

Praise God, and I am grateful to the angels who assist and protect me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thank You, Jesus!

Session 3: Kingdom Worldview

May 18, 2016 Merlin Gonzales a Study on God's Dominion, blog, KIOM Study

Kingdom Worldview

At the start of Session 3, Don and Donna Cherry and Jeff Teel blessed the group with their awesome worship! This week, my friend Pastor Brian will bring one of his worship groups to lead the worship. It is going to be another awesome night!

Don & Donna and Jeff

Session 3 table discussions

Heaven invades earth when we partner with the Holy Spirit. Jesus launched His ministry after He was baptized by the Holy Spirit and Jesus was endowed by the Holy spirit to fulfill His Messianic mission. Jesus was bestowing on His disciples the same Spirit that had descended on Him at His baptism, including us, now. We learned in Session 3 that we literally become God’s hands and feet when we see His way of doing things (Kingdom worldview) and then act accordingly.

Worship and prayers

Is. 35:5-6 “And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind…“

Assignment for Session 4

Signs of the Kingdom are here with us

Read pages 63-98 of “The Kingdom In Our Midst” and answer questions 1 thru 9 on pages 99-102

Contemplation: Are you living short of the wonder of God’s power within you?

Experiential: Do something out of your extraordinary routine to put your faith in action.

Listen to Session 3 Parts 1 and 2

Part 1:

Part 1

Part 2:

Part 2

God bless you!

Session 2: The Possibility of Kingdom Living

May 11, 2016 Merlin Gonzales a Study on God's Dominion, blog, KIOM

Session Two

It was a blessing to worship the Lord with Lirios de los Valle (Lillies of the Valley). Bilingual worship was powerful! As a part of experiential study, there will be different worship teams coming throughout the entire class. In heaven, there’s no division between Americans and Latinos or Evangelicals and Pentecostals.

Bilingual worship

Group discussion is an important part of learning

Our consciousness and our awareness of the promises of God affect our lives and our approach towards others, the next generations and beyond. At the group discussion, we shared our thoughts about our understanding of Genesis 28:10-22. We also learned about the definition of a kingdom and some of the characters of God as we study how we live out the Kingdom in our everyday lives.

In Session 3, we will discuss about the Kingdom worldview. We will look at how Jesus operated His life while He was here on earth and how we can be supernaturally natural through working with the Holy spirit within us.

At the end of each class, we pray for each other and speak blessings over our group.

Genesis 28:16, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it.“

Assignment for Session 3

Kingdom Worldview

Read pages 22-55 of “The Kingdom In Our Midst” and answer the Group Discussion questions in Session 3. Read Act Chapters 1 and 2.

Contemplation: Meditate on the topics about the Kingdom of God in the Bible

Experiential: Make a conscious effort to increase your awareness of the Lord’s presence in your life. What is He doing in your family, neighborhood and work places?

Listen to Parts 1 and 2

Part 1:

Part 1

Part 2:

Part 2

God bless you!

Merlin

Unexpected

October 10, 2015 Merlin Gonzales blog, KIOM

There many things in life that do not make sense.

The ministry that I founded, Faith Hope and Love Community celebrated it’s 11th “Mission Trip in Your Own Backyard” during the last full week of July through a week of community services with churches and ministries. Through food pantries, block party and other outreaches, hundreds of people were blessed.

A day after the week of missions, my wife and I were at a restaurant overlooking a lake to celebrate what God had done. Suddenly, we saw the dark heavy clouds moving in our direction. Just a few hours before this happened, my wife and I checked the forecast and there was no trace of rain for the day! The wind picked its speed and the waves got higher. Within a few minutes, we saw an incredible amount of rain poured like waterfall from the sky. It was amazing to see that kind of rain over the lake.

As we were mesmerized by the nature, we remembered that our office is in a flood zone and my 2 vehicles were parked near a creek. We rushed to our office while battling the downpour. By the time we reached our office complex, the parking lot looked like a rushing river. I saw both my vehicles in the flood path and decided to rescue them.

An unexpected downpour

I was able to start my truck and moved it to a higher ground. My van started but stalled after driving several feet. After letting it dry for a week, my friend and I changed the engine oil which was mixed with water. We tried several ways to start it but finally gave up. The van had high mileage and it has only third party insurance coverage which means that we lost a good running vehicle from a flood.

I asked God why He allowed it to happen, we just blessed hundreds of people and cannot afford to buy a replacement vehicle. We checked the forecast and we blessed the vehicles before this unfortunate incident happened! So many things ran through my mind. Maybe I should have just left it in the flood and let it dry later or I should have not left my vehicles in that parking lot! Maybe God will replace it and He is about to bless us with a nicer and newer vehicle.

It took me a few weeks to let it go and to stop asking why. I finally accepted that it happened and there’s nothing else I can do to bring back my van.

I was now looking forward to perform the marriage of one of our friends!

My wife had been busy for several months in the preparation of the wedding since she was the wedding planner. The bride and groom got us a nice hotel room for 2 nights so we could be close to the venue. Since the wedding started at 6pm, I had time to visit the town and to exercise at a gym. I stopped by Walmart to purchase weight lifting gloves.

I had a great time at the gym; I felt stronger and had more endurance. I went back to my hotel room, took a shower and had lunch at a fast food. Afterwards, I went back to the hotel and worked on my message for the wedding and reviewed the flow of the ceremony. I felt good!

It was now time to get dressed and go to the wedding venue. After putting on my clothes, I noticed that I was not wearing my wedding ring and my cross ring. I looked around the room and checked with the front desk! I called the gym and checked the room again but no one had seen my rings!

I was devastated to find out that I lost my rings – they represent my commitment to my wife and to the Lord! This loss was more than my van, not financially but emotionally! How could God allow this happen especially just before I officiate the wedding of my friends!

God gave me the grace to temporarily forget the lost rings during the wedding and the reception. It was a beautiful wedding and a magical night.

There are unexpected things and events that happen to us. Things that are good and things that are bad. We live in the tension between light and darkness, good and evil, choices and decisions. It is through those events that our faith is tested. Whether we think what’s happening to us is good or we perceive it as bad, our faith should be unwavering.

Think about Abraham, the father of faith. He left his home town to go to an unknown place. Joseph who had good intentions was sold as a slave by his own brothers and was put in a dungeon for doing what the right things. John the Baptist who proclaimed the coming of Jesus and was beheaded.

Hebrews 11:1-2, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ²This is what the ancients were commended for.“

Please be encouraged that no matter what your situation is, God is still Sovereign, He is in control and He is God! Unexpected things happen to all of us and we do not have the answers to all of them, however, God does NOT cause bad things to happen. He is for us, not against us. Perhaps He would give us answers to all the unanswered questions we had here on earth when we see Him in the fullness of time.

PS. I will be doing a Book Signing on Saturday, October 17th from 11am to 2pm at The Living Truth bookstore located at 17665 Cumberland Rd, Noblesville, IN 46060. If you are in town, please come and visit me; I’d like to meet you in person and sign my book for you.

PPS. Let me know if you are interested in participating to “Living in God’s Dominion Here on Earth” class based on my book, “The Kingdom In Our Midst“; I will keep you posted as the class develops.

God bless,

Merlin