The Low Budget, Little Church Christmas Service

No pushing, shoving for a seat; 

No drummer boy to keep the beat.

No snow machines, no snowball fights; 

No decibels, no blinding lights.

No jingle bells, no one-horse sleigh; 

No little baby in the hay.

We sang no frozen Disney song; 

Somehow that would seem so wrong.

No Santa Claus and no fake snow; 

No folderol, no dance, no show,

All we had was Scripture reading; 

interspersed with carol singing.

We prayed, and praised the One who came; 

To live and die and rise again.

an original poem by Ralph M. Petersen

Why I Am NOT Voting For Trump In This Election.

I am tired of all the foolish, irrelevant, never-Trump and never-Hillary, lesser-of-two-evils, phony moral arguments. 

I am going to vote because I am an American citizen.  The individual citizen is the most important office in our constitutional republic and voting is a duty of an informed citizen.  It is up to us to uphold and protect our constitution, to reign in our out-of-control representatives, and hold our government accountable; Politicians won’t control or discipline themselves and they cannot be trusted. 

I am also going to vote because I am a Christian.  America is a REPRESENTATIVE republic.  That means that the government is comprised of people who are elected by citizens to represent citizens.  Therefore, the actions of the government are MY actions; I cannot abstain from voting and then sit back and complain about them.  It is my personal responsibility to do the best I can to ensure a government that will protect the innocent and keep us safe.  My Christian faith demands that I will do everything possible to elect people who will strive to protect the lives of the unborn, punish criminals, protect our borders, respect our God-given freedoms, encourage hard work and productivity, respect marriage, discourage idleness, allow the citizens to educate their children, and freely exercise their faiths.

  

Therefore I am NOT voting for Trump in this election.  Nor am I voting for Clinton or any of the other write-ins or third party candidates.  But I AM GOING TO VOTE.

So I WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR THE LIKEABILITY OF ANY CANDIDATE.  I will be voting for the most conservative candidates on the Republican platform because, among the party platforms, it is the Republican platform that best protects and encourages those Christian virtues. 

The Democrat platform does NONE of that.  In fact, it is diametrically opposed to all of those virtues.  To vote Democrat is inconsistent with the Christian faith.

It may be God’s will to raise up a wicked, ungodly ruler to bring judgment to this rebellious nation; that is His prerogative but it’s not my concern.  He requires me to do Right even if His will overrides and takes us Left.

I will be marking all the way down my ballot for the Right candidates.

Ralph M. Petersen

???The Recent Epidemic of Disrespect to Our Flag and Our National Anthem Is YOUR Fault

IF YOU VOTED FOR BARRACK OBAMA AND YOU ARE OUTRAGED AT THOSE WHO DISRESPECT OR HATE OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM AND OUR FLAG, YOUR OUTRAGE IS MISDIRECTED; YOU HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF.

Yes, HE told us in advance what HE planned to do. Few were listening.

The following is a narrative taken from a 2008 Sunday morning televised "Meet The Press.” From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008 11:48:04 EST, televised "Meet the Press" The THEN Senator Obama was asked about HIS stance on the American Flag.

General Bill Gann (USAF-ret) asked Obama to explain WHY HE doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

The General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171...During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at the very least, "stand and face it."

Senator Obama replied : "As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides. There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression. The anthem, itself, conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing."

Obama continued: "The National Anthem should be 'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song, I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing. If that were our anthem, then, I might salute it. In my opinion, we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we, as a Nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments."

“When I Become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation, have placed upon the nations of Islam, an unfair injustice which is WHY my wife disrespects the Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past.”

"Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation and offer the people a new path.”

My wife and I look forward to becoming our Country's First black Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America."

Yes, you read it right. HE said it and the majority of you bought it.

Dale Lindsborg , Washington Post

Thinking Happy Thoughts will NOT get Muhammad Ali into Heaven.

So, every time another, big-name, celebrity bites the dust, all of a sudden Christians start saying the stupidest things.

Death is a frightful thing for most people and it should be. So well-meaning people have invented all kinds of comforting platitudes designed to deflect the reality and oftentimes, the horror of death.

Unless they know for sure, Christians should have no part in presuming a deceased acquaintance is in a final place of peace. Unbiblical, wishful phrases like, “may he rest in peace,” “she’s an angel now,” “God needed another angel in Heaven,” or even the classic piece of false assurance, “He’s in a better place now,” are all attempts to offer false hopes to people who desperately need to know the truth that there really is a Holy God who judges sin with perfect righteousness.

We have a duty to speak the truth about death and the deceased regardless of that person’s relationship with God. Sometimes even clergymen can’t get that right; it’s never right or kind to offer false hopes just so that everyone will feel good because death is not the end of existence.  Death is the beginning of an everlasting, conscious existence in paradise, or eternal judgment and torment in hell.  If people don’t get that right in this life, there is no second chance.

I have been called to conduct a few funeral services and I know how difficult it is to comfort the family and friends of the deceased. There are three basic elements of a biblical approach to dealing with death and they are the same whether or not the deceased is safe in the arms of God:

1.            Honor the memory of the deceased. But that doesn’t mean to falsely imply that anyone will be in Heaven based on his own merit or goodness. To honor, means to be respectful. We can recognize and rehearse his accomplishments, cherish the memories, and share the joys of the relationships.

2.            Comfort those who grieve.  And, again, I will emphasize that offering false assurances and hopes are nothing more than lies.  We can best comfort those who grieve through empathy (weep with those who weep), listen to them, support them, help them, and offer expressions of kindness.  But the best comfort - true comfort is only found in knowing the true Comforter so we must be truthful and focused on the comforting message of the Gospel.

3.            Proclaim your hope.  The truth is that, for Christians, our hope is in the Lord. But regardless of their religious beliefs, that is also the ONLY real hope anyone has. Apart from the Gospel, there is no real hope; just wishful thinking. These times are often the only chances we may have to offer real hope of eternal life. These are good opportunities to read or quote Scripture and give them the good news of the Gospel.

DON’T TELL LIES and DON'T OFFER FALSE HOPE.  No, the unregenerate are NOT in a better place.  

"... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."  Hebrews 9:27

****So, the Second American Revolution Begins

Why wasn't this on nationwide television?

Washington State Gun owners stage the largest felony civil disobedience rally in American history.

State Representative Elizabeth Scott noted that Founding Father Alexander Hamilton said any law that violates the Constitution is not valid, and there is a moral obligation to disobey unjust laws.

-by Jeffrey Phillips

Around 1,000 gun owners rallied at the state capitol in Olympia, WA, openly armed, this past Saturday in defiance of the newly passed gun control law, I-594.

"This isn't just a protest. We are here to openly violate the law" stated Gavin Seim, organizer of the event, named I Will Not Comply."

At the end of the rally, gun owners burned their concealed weapons permits and signed a petition vowing to refuse to follow the new gun control law. The petition ended with the text, "We pledge our blood. We will not comply."

This certainly isn't the first large-scale act of civil disobedience by gun owners in defiance of gun laws. Earlier this year in Connecticut hundreds of thousands of gun owners refused to send in their gun registration forms, also becoming felons. Similar numbers of gun owners in New York have also refused to send in their registration paperwork and some even videotaped themselves burning the forms.

Fed up with the passage of an 18½-page incoherent, rambling, unconstitutional gun control initiative that was bankrolled by billionaires (the Hungarian Jewish NAZI George Soros ----- Michael Bloomberg just to name a couple), gun owners across Washington state held the largest felony civil disobedience rally in the nation’s history, brazenly titled "I Will Not Comply."

No one was hurt and no stores were looted. Between 1,000 and 3,000 lawful gun owners showed up openly armed at the state capitol in Olympia, Wash., on Saturday to defy the newly passed gun control law, I-594.

Organizer Gavin Seim made the extraordinary nature of the rally very clear, "This isn't just a protest. We are here to openly violate the law. Attendees publicly transferred their guns to each other in violation of I-591's background check provisions, and some even bought and sold guns just a few feet away from law enforcement. A fire pit blazed throughout the rally, and at the conclusion, gun owners lined up to burn their concealed weapons permits. A petition was circulated affirming gun owners’ refusal to follow I-594, which ended with, "We pledge our blood. We will not comply."

As the RSVPs in advance of the rally grew to over 6,000, the police, most who probably detest I-594, decided not to enforce the law.

The Washington State Patrol announced there would be no arrests for exchanging guns, not even for selling guns. Seim refused to obtain a permit to hold the rally, citing the right of people to peaceably assemble.

The rally could not be dismissed as fringe elements. Several lawmakers and lawmen spoke, including former Graham County Sheriff Richard Mack of Arizona, Washington State Rep. Elizabeth Scott (R-Monroe) and Rep. Graham Hunt (R-Orting), who sported an AR-15 during his speech. Mack advised gun owners engaging in civil disobedience to "put your sheriff next to you to keep it peaceful." Scott defiantly explained in her speech, "I will not comply with I-594 because it is unconstitutional, unenforceable and unjust. It is impossible to enforce this law unless there is a police officer on every back porch and in every living room. So it will be enforced selectively." She noted that Founding Father Alexander Hamilton said any law that violates the Constitution is not valid, and there is a moral obligation to disobey unjust laws.

Seim, a political activist, and congressional candidate, wrote on his website, "Today I become an OUTLAW! Arrest me! I will NOT comply."

He led the rally peacefully, and at one point asked everyone attending to kneel with him in prayer. As he led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, he stressed, "I am not pledging obedience to the government, it is to the Republic. We don't ask for our rights, and we don't negotiate for our rights. We will take America back."

Another speaker explained what was happening this way, "We no longer consent nor comply." Mike Vanderboegh, whose Three Percenter movement is modeled after the three percent of the colonists who fought in the American War of Independence, said that those at the rally are the resistance behind enemy lines. The resistance is also taking place in a handful of other states with strict gun control laws, where patriots are now smuggling in weapons illegally. Vanderboegh told attendees, "This is the tyranny the Founding Fathers warned us about. Tyranny can be voted into existence by a majority. We will not fire the first shot, but if need be, we will fire the last."

Gun control zealots have finally gone too far. Gun owners are now discovering that the police in New York are using gun control laws to confiscate guns from family members within days after their owners pass away. Hundreds of thousands of gun owners in Connecticut and New York who failed to register their AR-15s earlier this year are now felons.

Requiring the registration of guns or requiring background checks, as I-594 does, allows the government to compile a list of gun owners, which can be used later for confiscation.

If guns cause crime, then why wasn't there a single mishap, considering there were 1,000 or so guns present and hundreds of violations of felony law taking place? Tellingly, Washington State Trooper Guy Gill predicted beforehand, "Most of these folks are responsible gun owners. We probably will not have an issue." The truth is, the state capitol was probably the safest place in the state last Saturday.

Patriots have had enough. The Second Amendment is gradually being eroded, state by state, and gun owners are not going to lie down and give up their arms.

A handful of billionaires and elitists in blue cities like Seattle do not respect the Constitution nor represent the vast majority of Americans. Another rally in Olympia is planned for January 15, and another one in Spokane on December 20.

The Second Amendment Foundation, headquartered in Bellevue, intends to sue the state over I-594, and will be lobbying the legislature to get the law changed or repealed. Washington state is now ground zero for patriotic gun owners resisting tyranny, which is at a tipping point since law enforcement does not intend to enforce I-594. What happens next?

Please share this with any legal gun owners you know to get them into the right mindset to help this happen nationwide.

[Editor’s Note. With no regard for the Constitution: Hillary Clinton, if elected, says she will ban guns and leave citizens defenseless. Barack Obama is working behind the scenes to ban guns.]

Donald Trump Reveals His Plans For Your Guns.

Lots of people are criticizing Trump for offering no policy positions.  Well, this one is appropriately first because the Second amendment is america's first freedom and the protector of all the other amendments.

(THIS iS Donald trump's policy position on guns and the Second Amendment.) 

PROTECTING OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

Donald J. Trump on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.

The Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that belongs to all law-abiding Americans. The Constitution doesn’t create that right – it ensures that the government can’t take it away. Our Founding Fathers knew, and our Supreme Court has upheld, that the Second Amendment’s purpose is to guarantee our right to defend ourselves and our families. This is about self-defense, plain and simple.

It’s been said that the Second Amendment is America’s first freedom. That’s because the Right to Keep and Bear Arms protects all our other rights. We are the only country in the world that has a Second Amendment. Protecting that freedom is imperative. Here’s how we will do that:

Enforce The Laws On The Books

We need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals. The Obama administration’s record on that is abysmal. Violent crime in cities like Baltimore, Chicago and many others is out of control. Drug dealers and gang members are given a slap on the wrist and turned loose on the street. This needs to stop.

Several years ago there was a tremendous program in Richmond, Virginia called Project Exile. It said that if a violent felon uses a gun to commit a crime, you will be prosecuted in federal court and go to prison for five years – no parole or early release. Obama’s former Attorney General, Eric Holder, called that a “cookie cutter” program. That’s ridiculous. I call that program a success. Murders committed with guns in Richmond decreased by over 60% when Project Exile was in place – in the first two years of the program alone, 350 armed felons were taken off the street.

Why does that matter to law-abiding gun owners? Because they’re the ones who anti-gun politicians and the media blame when criminals misuse guns. We need to bring back and expand programs like Project Exile and get gang members and drug dealers off the street. When we do, crime will go down and our cities and communities will be safer places to live.

Here’s another important way to fight crime – empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Law enforcement is great, they do a tremendous job, but they can’t be everywhere all of the time. Our personal protection is ultimately up to us. That’s why I’m a gun owner, that’s why I have a concealed carry permit, and that’s why tens of millions of Americans have concealed carry permits as well. It’s just common sense. To make America great again, we’re going to go after criminals and put the law back on the side of the law-abiding.

Fix Our Broken Mental Health System

Let’s be clear about this. Our mental health system is broken. It needs to be fixed. Too many politicians have ignored this problem for too long.

All of the tragic mass murders that occurred in the past several years have something in common – there were red flags that were ignored. We can’t allow that to continue. We need to expand treatment programs, because most people with mental health problems aren’t violent, they just need help. But for those who are violent, a danger to themselves or others, we need to get them off the street before they can terrorize our communities. This is just common sense.

And why does this matter to law-abiding gun owners? Once again, because they get blamed by anti-gun politicians, gun control groups and the media for the acts of deranged madmen. When one of these tragedies occurs, we can count on two things: one, that opponents of gun rights will immediately exploit it to push their political agenda; and two, that none of their so-called “solutions” would have prevented the tragedy in the first place. They’ve even admitted it.

We need real solutions to address real problems. Not grandstanding or political agendas.

Defend The Rights of Law-Abiding Gun Owners

GUN AND MAGAZINE BANS. Gun and magazine bans are a total failure. That’s been proven every time it’s been tried. Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary sounding phrases like “assault weapons”, “military-style weapons” and “high capacity magazines” to confuse people. What they’re really talking about are popular semi-automatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own.

BACKGROUND CHECKS. There has been a national background check system in place since 1998. Every time a person buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer – which is the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases – they go through a federal background check. Study after study has shown that very few criminals are stupid enough to try and pass a background check – they get their guns from friends/family members or by stealing them. So the overwhelming majority of people who go through background checks are law-abiding gun owners. When the system was created, gun owners were promised that it would be instant, accurate and fair. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case today. Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health records into the system – and it should go without saying that a system’s only going to be as effective as the records that are put into it. What we need to do is fix the system we have and make it work as intended. What we don’t need to do is expand a broken system.

NATIONAL RIGHT TO CARRY. The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway. That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.

MILITARY BASES AND RECRUITING CENTERS. Banning our military from carrying firearms on bases and at recruiting centers is ridiculous. We train our military how to safely and responsibly use firearms, but our current policies leave them defenseless. To make America great again, we need a strong military. To have a strong military, we need to allow them to defend themselves.

****Regarding Trump for President - Why I'm Right and You're Wrong

Okay, I get it!  You can’t vote for Trump because he is (fill in the blank) and it would violate your conscience.  

Interestingly, there are legions of Christians whose consciences will prevent them from voting for Trump but, apparently, did not even have any conscience issues when they voted for an anti-American, socialist who lied about His Christian faith, abortion, the definition of marriage, your health care and doctor, and a litany of other things, but I digress.

I’ve read hundreds of arguments from Christians who will just stay home and not vote or who will cast a vote for Alfred E. Neuman or some other “good” guy who has ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE of winning, and therefore guarantee that Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States.  I’ve rehearsed the long list of awful character traits that stand in the way for those who cannot vote for Trump (but those same people give very little concern for the crimes and corruption of the opposition).  

And I have heard the oft-repeated Charles Spurgeon quote, "When choosing between the lesser of two evils, choose neither."  Well, that’s cute but Charlie was not a citizen of the United States.  He did not live in a country where his right, duty, and responsibility, was to actively participate in the governance of his country for the protection of the people.  And I am quite certain he didn’t have our election in mind when he said it. 

We can argue all day and not sway or convince each other one way or another.  All I want to say is, I will vote for Trump for two reasons. One of them is here.  But this post is about different reason and here’s why I will be able to do it and sleep at night with a clear conscience. 

The President of the United States has a big job with huge responsibilities, but his most important responsibility is the only one that is specifically addressed in the Oath of Office.  

Here it is quoted below from our Constitution:

Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

This great nation, gifted to us by God and fought for by our forefathers who sacrificed life and blood to protect it, is under attack.  Our most important job this election cycle is the same job the president has; “TO PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.”

That’s what I want; someone who will honor that oath.  We already know what Hillary will do.  We know that, once in office, she will work harder than she ever has to increase the size of government, usurp the responsibility of parents to raise and educate their children, strip us of our freedoms, and nullify or render the Constitution and Bill of Rights, irrelevant as she continues her relentless work to move this nation deeper into chaos and socialism.

I am doing this FOR YOU.  I had really hoped for a much better candidate but now I have no choice.  I will do my best to protect your freedoms and I will sleep just fine after I vote for Trump.  And for all the rest of you who disagree with me – I love you anyway, even though you’re wrong.

You’re welcome,

Congratulations Mr. Trump

This is my first letter to Donald Trump - mailed on 5-4-2016

Date:   May 4, 2016

To:       Donald Trump

725 5th Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Dear Mr. Trump;

Congratulations; it seems, now, that you will be the Republican nominee for the 2016 presidential election.  To say that you were not my choice is an understatement.  In fact, I don’t believe that you are a true, principled conservative and I fear that you may do serious harm to this country.

 

Nevertheless, I remain hopeful; I believe that you mean well.  I was encouraged by your recently published, conservative support for “America’s First Freedom,” the Second Amendment.  I believe that you really want to see the people employed and the economy vibrant again.  I believe that you really want the United States to be “Great Again.”   So, regardless of how I feel about the outcome of our primary elections, you are the candidate we will have and now, the one I must support in the general election.  To do otherwise would be an irresponsible act of my personal stewardship with a possibly disastrous outcome for my country.

 

Should you become our next president, beyond just supporting you with my vote, God's Word charges Christians (of which I am one) to pray for all those in positions of leadership and authority over us.  That will especially include you,  “Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God.  This is good, and it pleases God our Savior” (I Tim. 2:2-3) 

Mr. Trump, you have declared yourself to be a Christian but I have to tell you, many of us have our legitimate reasons to doubt that.  If your profession of Christian faith is without substance, I must tell you that the Lord God will not hear any prayer from you except the prayer of repentance from your sin and a cry unto the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you and save you.  Many Christians I know are praying, right now, that He would reveal Himself to you to that very end, that you might be saved.

So over the next few months leading up to the election and, over the next four years, should you be successful, I will endeavor to regularly hold you up in prayer-not that you would have your way but that God would have His way.  Here are several specific ways that I, and many other Christians, will be praying for you:

• You are a very proud and arrogant man and that trait is one that God hates and will be a big hindrance to your success.  I will pray that you will humble yourself, realize your inadequacies for the huge responsibilities you face and that you will recognize your personal sinfulness.
• I will pray that you will surround yourself with good political and spiritual counsel, and appoint true conservative advisors who will help you protect our God-given republic.
• I will pray that you will truly depend on God for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and courage that you will need to make this country “Great Again.”
• I will pray that you will reject all the counsel and advice of others, that violates biblical principles.
• I will pray that God would enable you to resist temptations and pressures to act or rule immorally.
• I will pray that you will continue to set aside your own personal ambitions for the sake of the best interest of the people, the good of this country, and the religious freedom of the work of God in the nation.
• I will pray that you would be quick to seek God and trust His Word, as the source of your strength and the key to REAL success.
• I will pray that you will act carefully to maintain trustworthiness and righteousness in your administration and that you will strive to guard the dignity, honor, and reputation of your office.
• I will pray that you will stop your outrageous rhetoric and strive to be a good example, to others, of wholesome speech and conduct while carrying out your presidential responsibilities.
• I will pray that you will be always mindful that you will be held personally accountable to God for your attitudes, actions, and motives while serving your constituents.
• Finally, and most importantly, Mr. Trump, I will pray that you will seek the Lord while He may be found and turn to Him for the salvation of your soul.

Respectfully,

 

Ralph M. Petersen

***The Father, The Word, and The Spirit-- These Three Are Co-equal and Coexistent.

All biblical theology can be summarized in two statements:

1.     GOD IS.  That fact is declared in the first four words of the Bible (Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning GOD.”

2.     HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF.  And that is the rest of the Bible in its entirety.  It is all about Him.  It is His revelation of and about Himself to His creation.  Everything we need to know for faith and practice, He has revealed in His written Word. 

If we can get these two statements firmly embedded in our minds, everything else falls into place.

And frankly, I think it is enough.  Most of us have a hard enough time understanding, believing, and obeying what He has revealed.  We don’t need more or new revelation; we just need to believe what He has already given us.

And He has given us all we need to know about Him.   So when it comes to hard truths that are beyond our human ability to understand, like the tri-unity of God, we don’t have the prerogative to decide, define, or explain it.   According to God’s revelation, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit-- these three -- are co-equal and coexistent.

  

Churches and denominations divide over this doctrine because they try to explain it in terms that make sense in our own human dimension and with our finite understanding.  It is possible that many (or possibly all) people or can be WRONG about any particular doctrines, but one thing is certain; THEY CAN'T ALL BE RIGHT!  

And any of our foolish attempts to deny God’s triune nature or to explain it with stupid analogies (like water or eggs or…)  are ludicrous; in fact, analogies are probably heretical, idolatrous, or blasphemous.

God’s ways are not our ways; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts; He is the creator and we are the creatures; He is eternal and we are finite; He is spirit and we are flesh, and He exists in dimensions that we cannot conceive.  And He has not seen fit to reveal, to us, how that can be nor has He ordained that we should understand it.  He has just declared it and ours is to believe it.  Apparently, that's all we need to know or He would have revealed more.

It is probably over-simplified to just state that the One True, Eternal, Living God co-exists in three distinct persons. The Father is God. The Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is God. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, is God. And yet these three are coequal in glory, and power. But that's about as reverently and Scripturally accurate as we can get when describing the Trinity.   

Remember - God is and He has revealed Himself.  As for me, I will just accept, as truth, what He has declared. To disbelieve His Word is to deny Him.