What we believe
Terry Lascelle and Lorraine Porter-Lascelle
Who we are
Music Outreach Ministry
Nursing Home Ministry
TERRAINE GOSPEL MINISTRIES
Proclaiming the gospel of Christ without apology.
Terry's story
Born into a Catholic family, I dutifully attended a Catholic Church and school.
However, as a youth, I could never attain spiritual peace. I soon had many questions about the Catholic religion and practices, but could never obtain satisfactory answers through Church, family, or clergy.
In my early teens, I witnessed both my parents experience personal salvation outside of the Church and this led to a curiosity about this new life.
In my late teens, due to both their prayers and 'pressure', I 'went forward' at an evangelistic outreach to 'receive salvation'. Although it was emotional and heartfelt, I was never told I had to repent of my sins. I surely did not want to go to Hell but I didn't know I had to repent and surrender my life either. I was just told to ask Him into my life. I later discovered what I had really done was "cast a vote for Jesus" and take Him on the 'installment plan',,, Savior now and perhaps Lord later. As I was about to painfully learn, this doesn't make you a Christian. Over the next few years, I tried to live my 'new life" in my own strength,,, and failed.
I went to prayer meetings and church services, but as I read more of the Bible, I saw the "Christian world" around me was not lining up with what the Bible said it should be. My sinful nature and habits were still in operation, and I kept being told I should be experiencing a "changed" life. Only I was being told this by the lukewarm so-called "Christians" who were living the same way I was!
I became increasingly frustrated and finally, in my confusion, pride and immaturity, I came to the conclusion:
"I don't like it, I can't change it and therefore I don't want it".
I quickly separated myself from the whole Christian scene and drifted away into the world for an 18 year prodigal period of drinking, drugs, divorce, bankruptcy and a ruined life. During this very painful period, I always felt empty and longed to know what true Christianity was and to have a real, personal relationship with God but always felt guilty I had gone too far, done too many 'bad' things, and missed my chance.
However, in September 1999, as I was feeling the weight of my sin, I cried out to Jesus from a very low point in my life. In His great love and mercy, He answered me and I had a very powerful, humbling, personal experience with the living God. I knew He was giving me a second chance and was rescuing me from the road to Hell. I cried for six hours. I sincerely repented of my sin, surrendered my life to His Lordship, and became truly born again. I had finally made Jesus both Savior AND Lord of my life. I now knew the difference and wanted to tell everyone! Almost immediately, He gave me an overwhelming hunger for the Bible and since that time I have had a deep desire to help people discover the truth of the Word and come to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, in my zeal, I was a slow learner in the process of "dying to self' and I admit, to my shame, I have made many poor and selfish decisions along the way.
God's grace never gives us a license to sin,,,, but when I did,,, I was grateful for God's promise of 1 John 1:9 which states: "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
All I can say is Amen and thank You Jesus!
I am not perfect, but I am forgiven and I believe that although I didn't start out very well,,, by God's mercy and grace,,, I can finish better than I started!"
I have decided to live by Proverbs 3: 5-6,, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." As I have yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit, He has opened the door for me to become ordained as an Independent Christian Minister through the National Association of Christian Ministers (NACM).
Lorraine's Story
My only exposure to Christianity was in Sunday school as a young child. My father died when I was 7, and a few years later we moved to Canada. After that, church was no longer a part of our lives, except for special occasions. As a result, I had little knowledge of the Bible and no biblical outlook on life. I followed the path that most teenagers and young adults took, which led to mild drugs, parties and a sexual relationship at an early age. I became pregnant and was married at age 21, and then went on to have 2 other children over the next 5 years. While I was very content with my little family and had settled into motherhood quite naturally, deep down there was something else going on. Although I was unaware of it at the time, the Spirit of God was drawing me to Himself. I attended an evangelistic meeting in 1983 and accepted the invitation to become a born again Christian. From that moment on, I had a deep hunger to know the Bible, reading and listening to anything Christian I could find. I attended church regularly, was later baptized, and attended home bible studies and camp meetings whenever possible. I started telling my family and friends about my new experience but soon discovered that not everyone was excited or interested in what I had to share. Nevertheless, I was sure that Jesus was the only way and that the Bible was the only truth and I continued pursuing my relationship with the Lord and learning His Word. Early on in my walk with the Lord, I developed a passion for missions and end times prophecy and was exposed to teaching about the many false religions and cults that were deceiving so many. Looking back, I can see how the Lord was directing my path towards the purpose He had ordained for me. I found it hard to fit into some of the local church life, as I began to discover that it was not lining up with the biblical Christianity I had come to understand. At first, I began to question myself, thinking that maybe I was just being overly critical about what was being taught and practiced, but looking back I can see that my spiritual senses were picking up on what has now become a full-blown departure from sound doctrine. The final blow was when my husband and I got involved in a spiritually abusive church. This caused further damage to my already troubled marriage which eventually ended in divorce, damaged relationships and confusion for my adult children. During this period of disillusionment and pain, I looked for an escape, and instead of turning everything over to the Lord and waiting on Him, I took a path of my own for 3 years, trying to find healing for my wounded heart. God mercifully and lovingly called me back and I began the difficult process of putting my life back together. God set my feet back on the solid ground of His Word and restored in me a hunger to continue pursuing the path He had always designed for my life. After experiencing failure for a season in my own life, I have a greater compassion and mercy towards others who need to be restored by God's love and grace.
Our Story
We were married in 2011 and live in a small town near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Our blended family consists of five adult children and nine grandchildren. We have also sponsored several children in Mexico and South America through Compassion Canada. The letters from these children are truly inspiring, reminding us of how very blessed we are and encouraged by their sincere devotion in the midst of such poverty and difficult living circumstances.
As well, we financially and prayerfully support agencies which provide help and relief to our brothers and sisters in the worldwide persecuted church.
We are retired from the workforce and are now able to devote our time to more ministry work, teaching twice-weekly Bible Study, outreaches, helping others, studying the Bible, reading and researching articles, following the news reports and watching how world events are aligning with Bible prophecy and end times. Over the years, we have had experience in many areas of Church ministry as well as teaching home group Bible studies. we have also been able to hold Sunday Services at two local Nursing / Retirement Homes.
In the recent past, we have seen many changes within the various churches as well as within the Body of Christ itself. We have witnessed the churches and ministers becoming more ecumenical, 'social' and politically correct. We have seen the rise of many false teachers, the twisting of doctrine, people growing cold, believers growing lukewarm and the shipwreck of many people's faith.
Our many experiences and observations have enabled us to identify false teaching, help people find biblical answers to their questions and concerns and help them understand what the Bible says about things to come.
Our passion is to see people find salvation through faith in Christ and help those with broken lives be restored to the plans God has for them.
Although, regretfully, we both have had messy, painful lives in the past, we believe the Lord still wants to use us in these "last days" to reach out with the Love, Truth and message of Jesus Christ to the hurting, confused and lost, in whatever capacity we can, through whatever doors He opens.
God
We believe there is only one true and living God, whose name in Hebrew is Jehovah (I AM) and is eternally existing and manifests Himself in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe God is the Creator of all things and that He created the Heavens and Earth and everything within them in six literal days.
We believe God created mankind in His own image and that He created them male and female.
We believe God instituted marriage as the union between one man and one woman in a monogamous relationship as the primary foundation of the family and human society.
Scripture References (Genesis 1, 2, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 19:4-5, 28:19, John 10:30,
Ephesians 5:23-30)
Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten, eternal Son of God.
We believe Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah of the scriptures, who came to earth the first time in the form of man, conceived in the womb of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born as a baby.
We believe Jesus Christ, being at the same time fully God yet fully man, lived a sinless human life yet retained His absolute deity as God.
We believe He was crucified on a cross as our substitutionary sacrifice and that the wrath of God was poured out upon Him for the atonement of our sins.
We believe He was buried, rose bodily from the grave on the third day and ascended bodily to the right hand of the Father in heaven, where He now intercedes for us who believe in Him.
We believe Jesus Christ is going to return in the clouds in an event known as the Rapture, for His Church of believers, just before the wrath of God is poured out upon the unbelievers left on the Earth.
We believe this same Jesus will come to earth a second time, with His Church and all His holy angels, at the end of the Great Tribulation to set up His kingdom on earth and rule and reign forever and ever.
Scripture References (John 1:36-42, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35, Hebrews 4:15, 7:26, John 1:1 & 14, John 20:28, 1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9, John 19:40-42, John 2:19, Mark 16:19, Acts 7:56, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:13)
Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune Godhead, and is the Comforter and the Promise who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
We believe the present ministry of the Holy Spirit in the world today is to convict the world of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Christ.
We believe that genuine believers are born again by the Holy Spirit, and that He indwells them, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, places every believer into the family of God, and seals them with a guarantee of eternal life.
We believe that all believers need to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a godly life, produce spiritual fruit and to be bold in their witness for the Lord.
Scripture References (John 3:1-6, Acts 1:4-5, Romans 8:13, 14, 35-39, Ephesians 1:13-14,
1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18, John 1:12, John 14:16)
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the only inspired Word of God to mankind and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness.
We believe the Bible is final and complete in its existing canon of 66 books.
We believe in the authority of both the Old and New Testament scriptures and that they are the only rule of faith and practice by which the Body of Christ should operate and be governed.
We believe the Word of God is holy, complete, infallible, and inerrant and that it stands above any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
Scripture References (1 Timothy 3:16, Revelation 21:18-19, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 1:20-21).
Sin
We believe that sin, as described in the Bible as transgressions, iniquities or sin, whether by commission or omission, can be summarized as 'any selfish decision that violates the Word of God'.
Scripture references (Exodus 9:27, Leviticus 4:22, Judges 10:10, 1Samuel 15:24, Psalm 78:7,
Isaiah 59:12, Daniel 9:5, Romans 3:23, James 4:17)
Salvation
We believe that all unregenerated humanity is born with a sinful nature, responsible for their own sin, separated from God as a result and consequently condemned and considered “lost”.
We believe salvation is the free gift of God's grace and is received only through godly sorrow, repentance from sin and personal faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and not by any human merit, entitlement or performance.
We believe true salvation is a solemn, holy and Divine spiritual intervention in a human life and it must be attained by more than just mental assent, emotional experience, verbal acknowledgment of Christ or credence in church doctrines or articles of faith. The person must be truly repentant of sin and "believe"
(be fully convinced of, trust in, and rely upon) in the saving grace and atoning death of Jesus Christ.
This includes submission and obedience to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
We believe that upon true salvation, the believer is immediately forgiven of their sins, born again into the family of God, regenerated and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
We believe the evidence of true salvation is expressed by a changed life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and production of spiritual fruit and good works pleasing to God.
Scripture References (Luke 19:10, John 3:16-19, John 5:24, Romans 3:10,23, Romans 5:1-12,
1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, 17-20, Galatians 5:16-26, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Heaven
We believe heaven is a real place where the saved will dwell with the Lord forever.
We believe heaven is glorious, eternal and will be beyond our expectations.
We believe in the new heavens and the new earth and the new Jerusalem, descending from God.
Hell
We believe hell is a literal place of eternal torment made for Satan, his fallen angels, demons, and evil spirits. Tragically, all those who reject God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, will choose exile and eternal damnation in hell forever.
Satan
We believe in a real devil called Satan who hates God and the followers of Christ.
We believe Satan, his fallen angels and demonic forces are actively at work in the world today, deceiving mankind to keep them from turning to Christ, influencing and controlling false prophets and false teachers to shipwreck the faith of believers and destroy the work of God.
We believe Satan was defeated by Jesus Christ at the Cross and all authority and power has been given by Christ to the believer to resist the Devil so that he must flee.
We believe Satan, the beast and the false prophet will eventually be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone forever.
Scripture References (John 14:1-3, Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 21, Revelation 22:5,
Genesis 3:1, Job 1:6-12, Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 10:19-20, Luke 22:31-32, 1 John 4:4,
Revelation 20:10, Isaiah 14:12-19, Ezekiel 28:12, James 4:7)
Bible Teaching
Evangelism