Port Townsend, WA 2009: Bambi sniffing around a parking lot? With so many competing and confusing messages in the world, where can people find the truth? The gist of Trent Ling's ministering efforts aims to deliver real answers to genuine questions. Anything less leaves us in the Bambi position, here.
From Trent Ling:
The ministry of Jesus consists of all nations, races, ages, abilities and personal histories. Any so-called “ministry” or “Church” that falls short of that is not in the Bible and cannot possibly be of Christ or of God. God sent Jesus to save the world and to sustain everything by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:1-3. And Jesus promised that, “if anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” John 7:17. And yet, we live in a world where God is not chosen and the Bible not lived. Today, churches teach “church rules” and the Bible has been replaced by the teachings and regulations of men. Religious leaders have refused to come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed even though we are called to come into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what has been done has been done through God. John 3:20-21. True disciples of Jesus renounce secret and shameful ways, and simply set forth the truth plainly. 2 Corinthians 4:2.
Disciples of Jesus do not live the Bible for money, for living the Bible is not a job but a life. God has rescued disciples from themselves, from their sins, and from their blindnesses. As a result, the love of Christ compels them. 2 Corinthians 5:14. Along those lines, they would simply like all people to have the same opportunities to know the truth. Disciples are not trained ministers, for in the Bible God’s preachers and teachers were unschooled and ordinary men. Acts 4:13.
My goal is to help people take Jesus’ challenge by calling them to choose to do God’s will in order to finally discover whether what Jesus said was true or not. Personally, I had tried everything! Finally, through a series of miraculous events, God mercifully opened my eyes and I realized that being a disciple of Jesus was clearly the only thing to be.
I hope that you will evaluate and make use of this website and feel free to contact me to search out the depths of God’s Word and the depths of you. Sadly, many open and humble hearts are being superficially treated by religious (but not spiritual) people. Concerning this, God said, “prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” Jeremiah 8:10-11.
Easy and cheap bandages were not enough for me, and they will not be enough for you. I treat wounds seriously with the Word of God, and nothing but the Word of God. I have no pseudo-psychology, philosophy, medication, church rules, or teachings of men to offer. For God has shown all of these to be hollow in addressing spiritual ills.
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This entire letter is wonderful!! However, the most moving sentence is “My goal is to help people take Jesus’ challenge by calling them to choose to do God’s will in order to finally discover whether what Jesus said was true or not.” Wow, has it not been obvious that that’s been your deal Trent for people. For True Disciples of Jesus I can only hope that this is the goal. This single sentence simply lays out the deal of what Disciples of Jesus do (or should be doing). To my continued amazement, people will read these Truths in this posting and still not contact us, not join us and instead just move on with their boring, mundane, purposeless existence of being a commoner. Amen for the opening of our eyes…
This is exactly the message I will print out and put on the bulletin board in my apartment complex–online media backed by offline media =)
Freely you have received, freely you give… may all see the genuine, selfless heart you have in making this website available. No profit generated, no personal gain, just simply a chance for all to have what you have–putting the “why bothered” attitude to shame. Thanks! Love you.
When I look back at all the years of living the examples listed both by Trent and Mel – I am so thankful that God placed me in a position to “perhaps reach out for him” (Acts 17:25-27). Until then it was a mixture of what men thought up as a way to “worship” God while thinking Jesus died on the cross so our continued sinning (that was never spoken about) doesn’t really matter to God! What a horrific mistake. What so-called leaders have done to the understanding of God’s word (nullified – Mark 7:13) because of their own spiritual deficiency has left their “hearers” blind to what God really does offer. You will find what God really does offer . . . here in this ministry.
Amen, Brother! Your post reminds me of Matthew 6: 22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
A watered down, unhealthy gospel (full of teachings and regulations of men) does not require the believer to be in the light or does not expose the believer to the fullness and true power of the Word. Where there is no light, there is inevitably darkness. Rampant sin, emptiness, untreated wounds, and callous hearts are only some of the results of years and years of mere religious experiences. On the other hand, victory and power over sin, delivery from our chains, living under God’s grace and light, true healing from our wounds, and the fulfillment of our every need are some of the things we truly have at our disposal if we set our eyes on the unaltered gospel the Lord Jesus preached.
Trent, may this website be a tool to proclaim the good news to the poor in spirit and set the captives free with power of our Lord.
Love you!
Mel