Our struggles were far from over. Since 1986 I had run my own business, lost everything in 1993, bounced back and yet by 2009 I had become even more disillusioned with the process of generating new business in a B2B environment.
With Liz's encouragement, I chose to re-focus on marketing as I believed this was the area most businesses lacked and yet it was the first stage of all new business.
Whilst I had some early successes, the previous 86 court appearances took their toll. Funny, my ex and her family vowed they would ruin me financially, not because I was in the wrong, but because they were so incensed that I wouldn't allow them to get away with their lies and would always pursue the truth.
During this time we moved into a fairly large property, as we were now housing four children, who by this time were all teenagers, and our landlord was a Muslim guy (I'll speak more about Islam a bit later). However, after a couple of years he decided to sell this property, so we had to move out. Our financial position was dire.
We told our groups at the church what we were going through, and they prayed for us. One prayer in particular stuck with us, when someone said they were praying to God to honour our faith in Him.
We looked around for vacant property and there was nothing, we did find one, but we could barely afford it. It was madness. We had no deposit, and very little income to fund a move, let alone the rent for such a property. At this point I didn't even want to view the house, but Liz said we had to persevere, so I followed.
The estate agent told us straightaway someone else was interested and so I made a suggestion of paying the landlord three months deposit in advance and two months in advance for rent. He said he'd ask the landlord. I had no idea how or why these words even came out of my mouth!
A few hours later I got a call telling me that the landlord had accepted the offer. Within an hour, our existing landlord contacted me and asked when we would be moving out. I told him we'd found a place but couldn't move because of the cost etc. And therefore had to keep looking. What we didn't expect was for our landlord to offer us the money to move.
Upon returning to church the following Sunday, our friends looked upon us as 'dead men walking', however, we were full of smiles. They couldn't believe what they were hearing., Only God could have made this happen.
Prior to moving I found out that the Child Support agency planned to raid my ex-wife's place of work as she had been stealing the CSA post and refusing to pay to support the children who were both living with me full-time.
A few days after we moved in, we receive two lump sums in back payment. For the previous five years. Again, God moving and making things happen.
As this is part of my testimony, it is important to say that we were both in a state of awe. Naturally, this was unexpected. We also wondered how frequently God's favour on our lives would happen.
This is where we as believers need to become more philosophical. About our faith.
Whilst we want a roof over our heads, what is the real prize? We must, at every juncture remember, Jesus died on the cross for a reason. To many people, they either don't get it or are flippant in their attempt to understand.
We all have free will. We can do anything we please. But we also have a built-in moral compass, therefore we know instinctively whether something is right or wrong.
If we do something illegal, we know there will be consequences if we are found out (remembering God knows everything!). If that happens, society has a mechanism in place to fine, or confine, to ensure we pay for our crimes. When time is served, society apparently erase the crime. But only if it's minor.
Forgiveness from God on the other hand is predicated on two things.; Firstly, believing that Jesus is Lord over your life and is the only Son of God. And secondly, being genuinely repentant of your sin or crimes so that you will not repeat offend.
The Bible says God will forgive your sins to the pointer or as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). Therefore, even if society incarcerates someone for murder, for life, if they're genuinely repentant, God forgives completely, even if society does not.
Jesus is death on the cross fulfils prophecy and tradition. Atonement for sin can only be achieved by the shedding of blood. Throughout the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were offered and the transference of sin, taken from the sinner and placed on a goat as a scapegoat, which was set free outside the tabernacle.
Jesus was the final sacrificed. He covered our sins and took the punishment, once and for all time and now, our job is to acknowledge what he did and to live and behave in a way, based upon the directions within the Bible, that is pleasing and acceptable to God.
I hope you can see within this blog and the entire website why I would want to live and believe in a certain way.
After years of research and reading and watching copious videos in an attempt to get a broader understanding, I'm now writing this blog as a journal, to communicate my faith and life as it has happened or is happening.
In the next episode, I'll be sharing some rabbit hole content that will make you start wondering what's going to happen next.
Until then. Bye for now.
Nigel
