We are the Family of God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we must grow together as a family, across denominations, across political party, across racial barriers, across economical differences, across nations until we all are one, under the headship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Last night at St Paul AME Church in Marathon, FL we began our New Year with a mighty step in this direction.  Instead of saying “no”, many of Marathon and the Upper Keys said “yes”.  Yes to a Saturday night in traffic.  Yes to an entire month of planning and praying.  Yes to going where we have never gone before.

YES! To trusting our spiritual discernment and to listening to the voice of the Lord and following by faith.  And we were blessed.

Several people prayed, several gave testimony, and Pastor Nick Vaughn of the Marathon Church of God gave a message of hope – the hope that comes as we who are the Family of God allow the Holy Spirit to bring freedom from division, bondage, and dependence on our government and ourselves to deliver us.

We worshiped God in community with our neighbors whom we didn’t know.  We went to a church believing in the relationship that God had orchestrated by a humble pastor, Larry White, who stops to seek God every Monday afternoon in the House of Prayer on his way to serve his community on his day off.

And it produced spiritual food.  It produced relationship with the body of Christ.  It broke off bondages as people came forward for prayer.  It shouted up to God – We Believe! Our Hope is in YOU.