I had been in full time ministry for eight years when I felt God calling me to come to Winnipeg and do a church plant. For a long time my family, my brother, and his wife were the only congregation I had. We met in my basement. I worked a number of secular jobs to pay the bills, while putting my heart into getting this going.
About three years into it, the plant where I was employed shut down for health violations. (It was a hog processing plant and every day I thought about the prodigal son and where I could have missed God. I wanted to let the pigs go and slaughter my co-workers)
At that time I felt the Lord was leading me not to look for another job but to trust Him and go all out with the church. This was not a logical thing to do, we were way too small and there was nowhere near the money to pay me a survival wage.
About two months into it the bills were piling up. (Getting paid but never on time.) I went job hunting and found one right away. This was a good job! The boss/owner was a Christian and the job involved working a printing press, which I figured I could eventually tap for flyers, bulletins and the like. After two weeks payday came but the boss forgot his checkbook at home and would have to catch me next week. I figured it’s all right He is a Christian I’ll get my pay.
To my shame I continued to believe
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