From: Andrew Ramos
Date: Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 1:35 AM
Subject: Intro...Fellowship
To: Jeff Gorton; iStar-Tariray
Hi Guys,
Well this is an odd way of introducing you two, but I know it's beneficial. So with that said Star I will respond to your texts now in this email. If you're wondering if Mr. Gorton know what you texted this morning? Yes, he does. In fact, we were corresponding through viber when your texts came in.
You need not to be sorry for being open and putting forth how you feel. I appreciate your honesty and willing to put forth what you feel. I, on the other hand, am not sorry for obeying the Lord which you already know.
You had mentioned that I had Mr. Gorton and Gene (his bro-in-law whom I call Dad) and Jeanne (Mom), namely the whole Gorton family, who I had to guide me and feed me when I was new in the faith. I'm sure, Mr. Gorton can probably validate this, that he was only able to share whatever that may be at any time as he was being led to. There have been instances in the past where Mr. Gorton could not go there with me or share things dear to his heart as much as he wanted to. In fact, Mr. Gorton in all the 20 years we've know each other, NOT ONCE HAS HE INITIATED AN EMAIL OR OR JUST OUT OF THE BLUE SAYING 'HEY ANDY, LOOK AT WHAT THE LORD IS DOING IN MY LIFE!' hahahah (Yes, I specifically put that in all CAPS so you don't miss it Mr. Gorton)
I will affirm your statement of my greed. I am greedy in the Lord. My greed to wanting to only share this precious things to whom He allows me to share it with at His choosing of time and place so I guard that jealously.
So let's move on. I'm will give you guys the floor. Whatever you guys may have to say go for it.
Love you guys,
Andy
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From: Gorton, Jeffrey
Date: Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 9:42 AM
Subject: RE: Intro...Fellowship
To: widopenspaces, somar79126, iStar-Tariray
Good Morning Star!
“Mr. Gorton” here, but I want you to call me Jeff, please. You, on the other hand, My Brother, can continue with Mr. Gorton or Sir because I don’t want anyone to think I’m close with some duck egg eating, fish noodle sucking foreigner with tattoos. People already think I keep some pretty shady company . . . J You should consider yourself lucky, Bro, to keep such company as this 6’5’ 275 pound meat and potatoes eating, redneck! I might be related to the guy from Gorton’s Fish Sticks, but I certainly don’t claim him as family. I am a proud fly fisherman who releases every fish I catch, that Gorton’s Fish Sticks dude, on the other hand, keeps everything.
Yes, Star, by choosing to associate with Andy and I, you have chosen to interact with the unloved and unlovely. But you know what, Romans 9:25 says, “As He says also in Hosea: I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” We have been instructed to pray for the unloved and unlovely so maybe that’s why the Lord lead you here. Whatever the reason, Star, I rejoice in my spirit to have you a part of our this interaction we call fellowship.
There is nothing here that remotely resembles structure. Andy and I are as family as me and my brother, Joe are. We discuss everything because life happens. We share in each other’s joys and sorrows and stand with each other through everything, trying as best we can, to walk in Christ in the shadow of His cross. This isn’t religion, this simply “is.” Nothing is off limits. We don’t reach for something to say. If we have nothing we say nothing. We don’t always agree. We don’t all have the same function – yet, we are all a part of the whole.
It’s funny, I was sharing a recipe to a friend of mine this morning. The recipe called for tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. She too is a Christian and I said to her, “You know what, Kerry, when I sat down to write this out for you all I intended to do was share a recipe. When I finished writing it out, though, the Holy Spirit began dealing with me. There were some parts of this recipe I could consume on their own, specifically the tomatoes and the cheese. The rest, however, the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and basil – none of those are really great in any quantity on their own even though they all serve a very necessary purpose. I don’t know everything I am supposed to be getting out of all this but I do know one thing for sure, as a whole, the recipe is incomplete without them.”
Anyway, Star, The Lord showed me a picture of the Body of Christ, his Bride, in the side dish I prepared for my wife and I last night. Andy says I never. . . no wait, I won’t paraphrase here, let me quote my kind, compassionate brother-in-Christ, “NOT ONCE HAS HE INITIATED AN EMAIL OR JUST OUT OF THE BLUE SAYING 'HEY ANDY, LOOK AT WHAT THE LORD IS DOING IN MY LIFE!” Well, I want you to know, Star, the first time I ever wrote to you, I just did . . .
I suppose what I am saying in my longwinded way of doing so is that I’m not sure who’s who here for sure other than Andy is definitely the “pepper” but we all have our places in the body and the three of us, whatever our function at this moment in time, are coming together as a part of THE WHOLE. Thank you Jesus that I am privileged to be a part of that group, an heir because of your willingness to die for my sins!!!
In closing, Ephesians 4 comes to mind. So cool that countries apart, we three are a part of “one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Welcome aboard, My Dear. Please feel free to share, comment or question as you feel led. It is a blessing to meet you! I’ve never seen you, spoken with you or met you, but I feel a kindred spirit and that can only be Jesus Christ and regardless whether we agree, disagree or are indifferent, HE will always be that common bond greater than all our differences.
Jeff
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From: Istar-Tariray
Date: Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: Intro...Fellowship
To: Andrew Ramos
Cc: Jeff Gorton
Dear Sirs,
I do not know where to start. I have been up all night and indeed do not know what to say upon reading this email. I feel so ashamed and so small on how I acted the other day about wanting to hear more of the sharing and felt so bad about the hesitation that I felt. My apologies for that, I am deeply humbled that I am included in this email. In fact, I only prayed for a constant fellowship with the Lord that I could learned and know HIM deeply. I mentioned that I envied Andy so much that the LORD spoke to him so easy and why can’t I have that? It made me so frustrated that Manong Andy would not share what he have and that made me say that indeed he is too greedy to share the good news. And now I understand that it is the Lord’s leading for him to abide not of the flesh. Just only last night I was praying why I have this eagerness and desire of knowing HIM more and more every day? Surely I read the bible cover to cover more than once yet still do not have the full grasp of Spiritual understanding that Andy does. Sir, I do not know who Art Katz is, neither Derek Prince because nobody shared to me about it. I do not know how God designed marriage and HIS original intention about marriage and all that stuff. I do not know all of this since my knowledge is very limited when it comes about Spiritual understanding of HIS word. I asked the Lord to give Manong Andy patience in me as I frequent him if he have something for me to read and to learned from. And I am so thankful every day for the fellowship yet still desiring for more. I stopped attending bible study and our local church where I grew up as I felt that my spiritual health needed something else.
I will stopped right here because I don’t know what else to say Sir. I praise GOD for people like you whom HE uses to awaken me in my spiritual slumber- to rip open my carefully crafted excuses and stuns me back to life and reality about the Lord.
Ezsie
