I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
words and music by Ira Stanphill

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Refrain
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
Ev'ry step is getting brighter,
As the golden stairs I climb;
Ev'ry burden's getting lighter;
Ev'ry cloud is silver lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eyes,
At the ending of the rainbow,
Where the mountains touch the sky.


Refrain
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
I don't know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the One Who feeds the sparrow,
Is the One Who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me,
And I'm covered with His blood.


Refrain
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

I have worked for the same company for ten years. This job came in answer to prayer.
Yesterday....the corperation that bought us two years ago decided to close our center.
So today I have ninty days to find another job.

So many times I've questioned certain circumstances
Or things I could not understand
Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision
And my frustration gets so out of hand
Its then I am reminded I've never been forsaken
I've never had to stand the test alone
As I look at all the victories
The spirit rises up in me
And its through the fire my weakness is made strong

Chorus:
He never promised that the cross would not get heavy
And the hill would not be hard to climb
He never offered our victories without fighting
But He said help would always come in time
Just remember when your standing in the valley of decision
And the adversary says give in
Just hold on, our Lord will show up
And He will take you through the fire again

Bridge:
I know within myself that I would surely perish
But if I trust the hand of God, He'll shield the flames again, again

Repeat Chorus

My Testimony

Greetings;
Grace and peace to you who are in Christ Jesus by faith;

Many who say they are "Christians" are an unknown in regard to their testimony and doctrine. I want to be up front and let others know how I came to faith and what my doctrines are.

My Testimony

My two Births:

Physical Birth

I was born physically in 1958.
I am the oldest of three sons.
I was born at St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital. The nun's took me to the priest and had me baptized as an infant to be a member of the Church. (i.e. Roman Catholic)
I went with my parents to Southern Baptist Churches in Seattle Washington until I was 6 yrs old.

My parents were nominal Christians and never talked about their own faith. They would get into full blown fights over going to church...with cursing and blasphemy. Dad would be the instigator. However he was both a Sunday School teacher and Scout leader. Because of the Boeing strike of 1965-66 my Dad moved our family to Angels Camp, Ca. We attended Foothill Baptist Church (S.B.C.) when it met at the Altaville Seventh-day Adventist Church. We stayed with my cousins, the Underwoods, who attended the San Andreas Assembly of God. Angels Camp was predominately Roman Catholic from Italian families that descended from miners that mine gold there. The second oldest church was the Congregational Church of Angels Camp.

Spiritual Birth

My Pastor was Dan Lambert. He was blind and would preach from braille. I came under conviction by the Holy Spirit when I was 6-7 yrs old during a communion service. When I was 10 yrs old I memorized Romans 5:8 and understood I was a sinner whom Jesus died for.
Then on Sunday, March 22, 1970 I was born again and on Saturday, March 28 I was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Sonora.

Shortly after my conversion...my parents left Foothill when the Church split.

My Christian Life

I was left to figure out my new faith on my own. Mom loved the Lord...but with an education up to the eighth grade...she was illiterate in regards to the Bible. After a year of not going to Church, a new neighbor...Marilyn Hunt..invited me and my brother Allan and Brian to go to the Angels Camp Community Church of the Nazarene [1]. Eventually my parents would become members. Dad would volunteer hours of carpentry and handyman skills to help Pastor Ragsdale build their new building and have them move from the store front where we met. Mom was on the Church board. But a brother and his two sister, who retired as Nazarene missionaries, moved to our area. They opposed Pastor Ragdales vision for the new building, expressing that too much money went to the building that should have gone to the missionary fund. Before I graduated in 1977, the church split and my parents membership was revoked when they opposed the Board...headed by the brother...to remove Pastor Ragsdale from the pulpit. I joined the Army and backslid, discouraged by the Arminian doctrine [2] taught in the Nazarene Church, that I could "fall from grace" and loose my salvation. I drifted into materialism for about a year.

God graciously brought me back. First He assured me my salvation was secure through Romans 8:31-39. Then He connected me with Bill Keisling who discipled me and I converted to Fundamental, Independent Baptist [3].
I attended;

While stationed in Erlangen, Germany with the 1st Armoured Division ; Heidelbronn Baptist

While stationed in Seaside, Ca with the 7th Infantry Division; Calvary Baptist of Marina, Pastor Thomas Knauf Sr.

After discharge from service 1982, Baptist Temple Of Salinas, Donald Domelle, 674 Harrison Rd, Salinas, CA 93907

After moving to Utah 1984, Berean Baptist, Pastor Musson Sr.; 3846 Jackson Ave
Ogden, UT

I remained in this fellowship until 1990..when the Fundamentalist Churches in the Northern Utah area required that to be a member one had to accept King James Onlyism. This movement started here with Pastor Corkish and assistant Pastor Mark Short of Anchor Baptist...and it came into Berean Baptist of Ogden. I was under the influence of KJV Movement up until this time. I discontinued my membership when I rejected KJV Onlyism.

I was a member of Intermountain Baptist (C.B.C.) under the ministry of Pastor Dean Shriver. But this church is neo-evangelical and this concerned me. When Pastor Dean decided to go through the 40 Days of Purpose based on Pastor Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life" I separated from them and moved my membership (Yes I have the book and read it for myself).

My membership with Grace Baptist under Pastor Walley Higgins and Matt Johnson ended. It was due to my not feeling like I was a part of the Church membership. I found out why I was kept at arms length by the Associate Pastor...but the details are personal. I decided to find a Church where I could be a part of the fellowship.

I went to Jordan Valley Baptist Church in October of 2005. The Church is Pastored by Harley Johnson. After three months I was accepted as a member of this Church. Since this time I have been entrusted with responsibilities as a member. It feel like I am among family in this small Church.
I lived at River Run Condominiums, only a couple of block away from 3855 S and 500 W where the Church met, so it was easy to get to.
Several events occurred.
I was forced to move out when my friend Steve was no longer making payments on the condominium. My friend John lived near downtown Salt Lake City and let me move in until I found and apartment next door. This meant taking the UTA Trax on Sunday to go from downtown to South Salt Lake City.
Then Jordan Valley was forced to move out of the building we were renting when new owners doubled our rent. We moved to Adventist Salt Lake Junior Academy at 965 E 3370 S. I had to take a bus to get to this building. This continued for two years. Then the School raised the rent to triple the amount they were charging us. So the Church moved to 7681 S. 2200 W. West Jordan, Utah for a place to meet. I continued to attend Jordan Valley until September 6th, 2009 when they moved. This is too far away. So I moved my membership to Heritage Baptist Church [(801) 533-8913] at W 500 N at 1502 Walnut Dr.
Pastor Mullins was called to take over a Church in Ohio.....so we are currently searching for a new Pastor to fill the pulpit when he leaves on December 13th. We are busy in a campaign to hand out 15,000 flyers by November 22nd. So far we have handed out over 11,000 flyers. As we hand out the flyers....we also stop and witness to people we meet.


End notes;

[1] http://www.iloveangelscamp.com/html/main/org/org_catID/4/index.html

[2] http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/dabney/armin_2.htm

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalism

IS FUNDAMENTALISM MERELY A BELIEF IN THE "THE FIVE FUNDAMENTALS"?
http://www.wayoflife.org/otimothy/tl050006.htm ; Dislaimer- I am not a King James
Onlyist Fundamentalist - http://www.kjvonly.org/

Truth or Consequences

For if someone comes to you and preaches a:

• Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or...
  
• If you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or...
  
• A different gospel from the one you accepted,....

You put up with it easily enough. 2 Corinthians 11:4

In the early 1970's my two favorite games shows were a) Truth or Consequences and b)To Tell the Truth. I remember as a young adult I was meditating on this text and I imagined the game show "To Tell the Truth" with the title juxtaposed with "Truth or Consequences."

Opening sequence: "Truth or Consequences."

Host: Welcome to our show where our panel decides what is the truth, but if they decide incorrectly there will be a consequence. c) The gift for finding the truth is eternal life and the consequences for deciding wrong is death.
Our guest today is known and loved around the world. He was born in a humble village in Judea, grew up in obsurity and at thirty years old began his work of healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, and doing good. His life was cut short when the religious establishment turned on him and had the Roman Goverment execute him by crucifixion between two theives. He was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. He ascended to heaven to sit at his throne at the right hand of his Father. Today he has agreed to appear a our guest. Please welcome Jesus of Nazareth.

Scene: Camera swings to the curtin which opens to reveal five men.

Guest number one: I am Jesus of Nazareth.
Guest number two: I am Jesus of Nazareth
Guest number three: I am Jesus of Nazareth
Guest number four: I am Jesus of Nazareth
Guest number five: I am Jesus of Nazareth

Host: Panel it is up to you to decide which of these men are Jesus of Nazareth.

---

Number 1: I am Jesus. I have never claimed to be God or the son of God. I am ordinary man who, like other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. I am the "son of Mary" born as the result of virginal conception, and was given the ability to perform miracles. I am the a precursor to Muhammad, and have foretold of his coming. I was never crucified by the Romans, I had been raised alive up to heaven. I will return to earth near the day of judgement to restore justice and defeat "the false Messiah" and the enemies of Islam. As a just ruler, I will then die.

---

Number 2: I am Jesus. I am divine, but am nevertheless a created being and therefore less divine than God the Father. I am Jehovah's first creation, who then created everything else by means of his son, and that the initial unassisted act of creation uniquely identifies me God's 'only-begotten Son. I served as a ransom sacrifice to pay for the sins of humankind. I died on a single upright torture stake rather than the traditional cross. All references in the Bible to the Archangel Michael, Apollyon (a.k.a. Abaddon), and the Word all refer to me.

---

Number 3: I am Jesus. I am the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father by decree before the world was created. I came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified under Pontius Pilate; I suffered and was buried; and the third day I rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and I sit on the right hand of the Father and if my children do sin, I speak to the Father in their defence. I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. I shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; and my kingdom shall have no end.

---

Number 4: I am Jesus. I am the second person of the triune God. I am the Son of God and the Son of Man. I was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary. My mother Mary contributes to a fuller understanding of who I am and what I did. It is necessary to go back to Mary, if you want to return to the truth about me. I came to build my Church and upon Peter I built my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I gave to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The Catholic Church is the only "instrument for the salvation of all humanity." My Church possesses the power to forgive the sins of the baptized and exercises it through bishops and priest normally in the sacrament of Penance. My priests after me hold on earth my place of mediator between God and men, particularly on the altar. My priests approach the altar as another Christ. My priest at the altar performs the office of Christ . . . . . he holds the place of the Saviour, when by saying "Ego te absolvo," he absolves from sin."

---

Number 5: I am Jesus the first spirit to be born in heaven. I and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven. My sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins. Both the Father and I are in form and stature perfect men; each of us possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones. My birth was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. I partook of flesh and blood - was begotten of my Father, as we were of our fathers. I was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers. I was not Begotten of Holy Ghost ...I was begotten of God. I was not born without the aid of Man, and that Man was God!" Elohim is literally my Father of the spirit and also of the body in which I performed His mission in the flesh.

---

Now panel it is time for you to decide who is speaking the truth. If you decide incorrectly then you will suffer the consequences.

Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7:22 & 23

---

a) Truth or Consequences, an American quiz show, was originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940-57) and later on television by Edwards (1950-54), Jack Bailey (1954-55), Bob Barker (1956-75), Bob Hilton (1975-78) and Larry Anderson (1987-88). The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication. The premise of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_Consequences

b) To Tell the Truth is an American television game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired intermittently in various forms since 1956 on both networks and in syndication. Along with The Price Is Right, it is one of two game shows in the United States to have aired at least one version in every decade since the 1950s. The show challenged a panel of four celebrities to correctly identify a described contestant who typically had an unusual occupation or experience. This "central character" was joined by two "imposters" who pretended to be that central character. The celebrity panelists questioned the team of challengers, with the imposters allowed to lie, but the central character "sworn to tell the truth".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Tell_the_Truth
c) Romans 6:23