"Saints Unchained"

There are many saints that are in chains, serving God out of fear alone; perhaps they are scared of dying and going to hell, or maybe they are just afraid of God because they have been preached at so much that they just live in constant bondage, shackled with chains.

I got saved about 27 years ago in an ntcc church.  I believe that I was genuinely saved and filled with the Holy Ghost.  I served God for 13 years and saw a lot happen at ntcc.  There was bad; and there was good. Some of the best days of my life took place when I was a member of ntcc; and some of the worst days of my life likewise took place when I was a member of ntcc.  I've seen God move in ntcc churches when the Gospel was being preached.  I've seen pastors of churches that loved God preach God's word and God moved in those services.  I've also seen pastors of churches that were engrossed in the worst sins imaginable preach God's word and souls were saved as God moved in those services.  When I was a young Christian, I saw the fall of a very successful and prominent man at ntcc who preached like a house on fire and many souls were saved.  The servicemen's home was full to capacity; and it seemed like the church was in constant revival while this preacher at the same time was sinning grievously.  I later asked Pop Gaylord how could God bless so much when the man of God was sinning.  He shared with me a story of how they used to have to sober up a preacher by the name of A.A.Allen before every service; but because God's word was being preached, God saved souls in those services.

Bare with me, this story gets brighter.  At the peak of my service to God at the ntcc, I met a woman that worked with me in the Avionics shop at Ft. Carson, Colorado.  I witnessed to her and she came to church with me at ntcc.  But even though that preacher preached like a house on fire she did not get saved there.  It was through my personal witness to her at the barracks when  I told her "Everyone has a hole in the heart that only God can fill." -- God used that truth and the Holy Ghost's drawing and a few days later she prayed; and God saved her.  Then she wanted to come to church.  She learned later about the Holy Spirit baptism and while housesitting for a co-worker she prayed and was filled with the Holy Ghost.  I fell in love with her and we both had mutual feelings of love toward each other. The pastor of that church allowed his wife to interfere with our relationship and separate us.  This was 20 years ago and it was the single most devastating occurrence in my life.  But what made it worse was that two other ntcc 'pastors' had not allowed me to talk with two other women prior to this.  There were a total of three ntcc ministers who manipulated my life in a way that would not allow me to pursue the woman that I wanted to love.   This all happened during times in which I was giving more of myself in soul winning and tithe and offerings and doing everything that a brother at ntcc is required to do.  How sick is this?  By this time I'm thinking, what is my reward for faithful service, A life of celibacy?  Do they want me to be queer?  Now, I'm not here to beat a dead horse.  I've already covered this bad part of Ange's and my story on the first posting of our blog; but what I want to share now is how great God has been to both of us since we got back together and also what God is doing in our lives.  I know that people think we X-ers are bitter and that we are negative because we speak out against the ntcc.  Today I would like to share a different message to those who visit this site.

In the latter part of July of this year Ange got in contact with me and we spoke through a series of text messages and phone calls that led to us getting back together after 20 years of separation.  Both my friends and family, and her friends and family were shocked that we got married so fast.  I literally drove my truck to her place of residence, and we got married by the County Clerk on the 9th of August.  Neither of us had any reservation about this; because we knew in our hearts that it was God's will 20 years ago.  We waited a lot longer than most.  Ange also helped me realize that God still loved me even though I was no longer part of ntcc.  I literally went from rags to riches in the sense that I was lost, unhappy, facing damnation and alone in my misery, not having anyone that could understand what I had been through, to having God in my life again, happiness and the woman that I loved, and it keeps getting better.

Not only did Ange want to marry me, but she wanted to be with me 24/7.  This is really awesome!  So many truck drivers are alone and only get to see their families once every few weeks, but I get to be with the woman that I love every day.  I now have a wife that loves and supports me in everything I do and if that's not enough, she helps and encourages me in my life for God.  She knows the Word of God and also follows the leading of His Spirit.  We start out our day with devotions to God, and we pray and encourage each other throughout the day.  She helps me in so many area's of my life because she loves and cares about me.  I actually wake up every day and thank God for all that he does in my life and all that I have.  I am unbound from the chains that used to bind me.  It feels very good to be free in Christ and living for Him without condemnation or fear. We have so much fun living for God.  I have almost forgotten what it used to be like when I was a "Saint in Chains".   You can have fun living for God!!!  God is not a cruel task master that makes you a slave to routine and unreasonable enslavement.  God does not tell you that he will give you the desires of your heart and then send a man to contradict that.  God does not tell you that "The joy of the Lord is our strength" and then send some false prophet to tell you to live in misery.

Nowadays we drive down the highway listening to Christian music and having a great time.  I get hugs and kisses and loved on throughout the day, even back and neck rubs, and we plan on living the rest of our lives together this way in the peace and joy of the Lord.  What we will never do again is allow some man to tell us that we can't enjoy our lives together or try to steal our peace and joy from us because they want us to live according to their self-imposed standards.  I was going through some stuff the other day and I found a cassette tape labelled Sister B and my mind went back to a conference when Sister B (now Deb S) sang that song "Only one Life", and it rings true in our hearts today.  Only what we do for Christ will last.  You only live once, but if you live right then once is enough.  Many years have been lost; but we still have the best years of our lives before us.  If we live 'til we are 95, we will celebrate our 50th anniversary.  I love my wife very much; and I know that many people do not experience this kind of love in a life time; and it's all because God did not allow either of us to continue on without each other.  If people could experience what I have in the last 40 days, they would never cheat on their wives or do anything to hurt them.

As for the ntcc, I pray that they will realize what they are doing to folks by imposing rules and teachings on peoples lives that exceed what the Word of God requires and/or do not exist in the bible.  I am finding out every day that having the freedom to live according to the dictates of your heart and conscience as long as you are in the parameters of God's word, is Freedom with a capital F!  In ntcc I was told I was free if I allowed a whacked out preacher to decide who I could love; but those chains have been cut and I am now truly free.  The ntcc is too late to tell me that I can't be saved and love who I want to.  We will continue to be here for people that are suffering from the evil and cultish practices of the ntcc.  When you are in the ntcc it is almost impossible to see through the lies that are being preached and lived by the ntcc leadership.  But when you have the courage to question the doctrine of man and to look at it side by side next to the bible you will see the difference.  Until that time we pray for you and those that are sincere inside the ntcc, that God will allow you to see the truth of His Word.