Then and Now

The CHOSEN Youth Conference has just ended, and I’ve been reflecting on how things were just a few years ago. When I was a thirteen year old girl, I attended Camp Destiny hosted by Gateway, but it was so much different. Back then, I thought it was all about what I looked like. My mom took me shopping for new outfits, and I was set to go. Of course I was changed by that camp in some ways. I definitely learned where I had more work to do in my faith, and let go of some unforgiveness. I think I was so insecure in myself that I had a hard time trusting God. I definitely didn’t know God like I know Him now.

This year’s CHOSEN Youth Conference was different in so many ways. For starters, all of the speakers came from Gateway. They brought the word and ministered in power during each session. Although I was unable to come during the day, God showed up in the night sessions as well. Even though I knew God was going to do something great during this time, I was still kind of in limbo. In other words, I’m not a teenager anymore and I wasn’t a worker. The enemy really hit me with condemnation saying, “You don’t fit in. What are you doing here? This isn’t for you!” I pressed past how I felt and worshipped in the night sessions anyway. You see, I’ve been in a dry place spiritually lately. Not where I want to be, but not where I’m going, so the devil tried to hit me while I was down.

I can’t write this post without mentioning my sister, Vickie Bowman. Without fail, she came and found me before service silently slipping away from the hustle and bustle for just a moment to give me a hug. She’ll never know how much that meant to me each time. She didn’t have to do it, but it was a powerful reminder that I’m still a part of the Gateway family, even though the past five years have been really hard requiring me to miss more church than I would’ve liked.

I’ve been at Gateway for eleven years, but I didn’t see the speakers as just Ann, Vickie, or Josh. I knew God had something to say, but it was up to me to listen. On the last night of the conference during praise and worship, I sobbed like a baby. I was definitely not concerned with what I looked like or what people thought! It was about experiencing God on a whole new level. The anointing was so powerful that you couldn’t deny it. I left that night feeling refreshed and renewed, knowing God’s not done with me yet. I can truly say there’s nowhere else I would’ve rather been this past weekend than watching those youth and workers lives be transformed. Minute by minute. Session by session. Anyone can get something from God at a youth conference! It just solidified everything that God is doing in and through the people at Gateway, and I’m honored to be a part of this family.

~Madison Sanders

Seek First the King

CROWN SPARKLER
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Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ~Matt. 6:33

It has been said that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. One of the most important lessons in Kingdom living is to learn to hear God’s voice concerning HIS plans for your life instead of trying to convince Him that your plan is the best for you!

My husband and I were happy with our lives in N.C. We were in a church we loved. We had built a house we enjoyed. We were among good friends and family members. With all that we had, we began to sense the urging of the Lord that a big change was coming to our lives. Even though we were happy, we began to feel restless. We were excited in our spirits, and we began to pray about our future.

During this time, I found The Celebration online. I began reading it every day and couldn’t get enough of it. I talked a little with Linda and the other writers through the blog and knew I was to be connected to it somehow. Amazingly, we found out the church hosting the blog was in the same county where our daughter was living, so we decided to check it out. There was no turning back from there; we knew God wanted us to move to Georgia.

Even though we heard His voice, we still had to walk out our faith. The real estate market in our hometown was at a stand still.  Well meaning people told us that we wouldn’t be able to sell our house. We didn’t turn our house over to a realtor. Instead, I put it in a community trader paper, and we had a buyer the next week. It only cost us $16.00 to sell our house!

I can’t say we didn’t have times when we shook our heads and asked each other what we were doing, but I can say that the excitement of what was ahead never left us. We knew God was directing us.

Since moving to Georgia, we have met wonderful people. We are part of an amazing church. We would have missed out on many awesome experiences had we not been obedient to His voice.

God doesn’t tell everyone to move two states over, but He does have marvelous plans for His children. Living for God is an adventure! It is exciting to realize that someone wiser than you is in control! We must seek first the Kingdom. If not, we will miss out on the best God has for us!

~Connie Robinson

 

 

Science is Kingdom Business

MICROSCOPE
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The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.  ~ Psalms 19:1  

 For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ~ Romans 1:20-21

Growing up, God’s creation always held me in awe. As a child, I was consumed with a love for animals, but as I matured this passion expanded to a love for science. I was that kid who looked forward to my chemistry and biology classes because they revealed to me even more of my Creator and His creation. I would read books on edible plants and become overwhelmed at the realization of how God has so completely provided for our every need. Looking up at the stars at night just confirmed to me how magnificent, omniscient, and all-powerful my Father is. My experience as a veterinarian and, more recently, as a graduate student in biochemistry and cell biology, has revealed to me the brilliance of the “hidden/microscopic” components of His creation.

I have always been aware that everything God has created shows His majesty. Because of that, science and God have always been inseparable to me. If God reveals Himself through His creation, why wouldn’t one want to unmask the mysteries of His creation to further illuminate the greatness of our God?

Unfortunately, I find very few people in either the Body of Christ or the scientific community who seem to share this view. Most people see science and God as mutually exclusive entities. A great chasm has developed between the church and the scientific community. As a Kingdom Ambassador in the field of science, this rift breaks my heart, and I believe it breaks the heart of God as well.

Why is there such a divide between science and the followers of Christ? Quite honestly, both sides are in the wrong. One side tends to belittle people of intelligence and condemn the use of the many medical and scientific mysteries that God has allowed to be revealed. The other side disdains the concept of faith and a Creator, yet they try to obtain personal fulfillment by understanding how and why they physically exist.

And then there’s me: a man who is passionate for both science and God’s Kingdom. I believe in walking by faith, but I also embrace and recognize the numerous ways God has provided His healing through medical and scientific breakthroughs. My heart aches for the academic scholars of this world, knowing they have been deceived by false doctrines, and that Jesus Christ died for them just as He died for you or me. As an apostolic believer, I have come to recognize that some cures and discoveries are guarded in the spiritual realm by demonic forces and can only be accessed by men and women of God who know how to fulfill their destinies by praying in tongues, dying to themselves through fasting and mortification, and understanding their spiritual authority in Christ.

As His ambassador, God has called me to walk in Kingdom dominion in the scientific and medical communities of this world. I’ve had to learn to rely on Holy Spirit and walk in His wisdom more than ever. As He provides opportunities for me to witness, I do. When there is a chance to be His voice, I’m there. All the while, I strive to allow the gifts and anointings He has placed in my life to draw people to me, building influence within the community to which I’m called. I have truly had to become wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove. Even though I must walk a delicate line at times, I know God has called me into science for a reason. My destiny is to establish Kingdom culture in the medical and scientific worlds and to bridge the chasm between the Body of Christ and the scientific community.

~Dr. Matt

 

 

 

Communicating for the Kingdom

TYPEWRITER
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In the short span of four months, I have met people from all over the world because of the work I do with Athena Magazine for Girls. This internship is an awesome way for me to be an ambassador for the Kingdom using my skills as a communicator. Telling an interesting story is only half the battle. Really communicating the heart of the matter and understanding the people I interview and the jobs they do is the other part that I tackle each time I interview someone. Honestly, sometimes this process is emotional. I realize I have to build a relationship with people before I start firing questions at them. When the interview is over and I’ve put the last word on the page, the subjects of my stories and my readers just want to know I care.

Lauren Ricks is a young woman I have had the privilege of knowing through college. At twenty-one years old, Ricks embarked on a journey that would change her life forever through the World Race, a missionary journey to several of the poorest areas of the world, like Thailand, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Ecuador.

Seeing Lauren’s mission field pictures of beautiful children against the backdrop of dirt roads, garbage and filth brought tears to my eyes. “How can I make a difference in the lives of these young people from my bedroom in the United States?” I wondered. I wanted to do a story that would inspire the young girls who read the magazine I work for to go beyond their comfort zones and make a difference, even if they couldn’t afford to go to other countries. I spotlighted Lauren because of her selfless and beautiful spirit, letting God’s love shine through her while caring for children at a boy’s home, being a friend to prostitutes in Thailand, or singing silly songs with Kenyan children.

God doesn’t always lead me write stories showcasing Christians doing His work. I recently did a story including Leslie Kantor, VP of education initiatives for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, who has worked tirelessly for years educating women about their health. Before you are quick to form overly judgmental criticisms of me for doing this story, let me explain. As a communicator, I know God has called me to make a difference and infiltrate the world around me. This means making a difference in the secular world. To get this interview, I had to be extremely persistent, pursuing the people in their New York offices to give me a few minutes to share my ideas for my story. While I may not agree with all of their practices, I have a responsibility to those who read Athena magazine to present a fair and unbiased view on things. I chose to write about the highly publicized decision of Susan G. Komen to stop funding Planned Parenthood, so I got the chance to interview Ms. Kantor for her perspective as well. I also interviewed, the Pro-Life Action League (PLAL) to ensure all viewpoints were equally represented. I wanted to draw attention to the reason behind the Komen decision and then let the reader decided where she stands on the issue for herself.

I’m so excited to see where this internship takes me as I strive to be someone who communicates the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet some incredible women. At the end of the day, I am grateful for the opportunity to bring awareness to young readers about some awesome women who are making a difference. Whether the girls reading the magazine know it or not, they are important and valued. If they get nothing else out of the articles I’ve written, I want them and YOU to know you can make a difference in the lives of others! Communicating this is part of my Kingdom assignment!

~Madison Sanders

What Does Love Look Like?

What Does Love Look Like?

Put everything you have ever been told about love back on a shelf somewhere. Love is like everything else we have been taught, it is only what has been passed down to us. Whoever taught us before could only teach us what they have been taught. I thought love was a feeling, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Love is kind, it is not self seeking. Love looks for the best in everything and anybody. No matter what! Love does not back bite or gossip. We have all been in the other person’s shoes and some of you reading this may be still there. That does not mean you have to stay there. It is a choice made everyday. Jesus taught that we should love others as He loved them.

~Tammy Sanders

Seeking Time is Over? I Think Not!

Each year, Gateway Believers starts a seeking time that is forty days long. Each person purposes to fast what God has led him or her to fast. Our goal is not to change God but to change us. My understanding is that as we seek God, He will reveal things that are inside of us preventing us from going to the next level in His Kingdom. I do know that in previous seeking times He has shown me things about me that needed to change. The choice to change is always left up to me, just as it is with you.

With each seeking time there was always such a relief when it was over. I have yet to go the forty days straight without falling out and having to start back over, but I do start over each time. This year’s seeking time was so different in so many ways. The end to Seeking Time has come and gone and I still find myself in a “seeking time” battle. My spirit wants and desires to grow closer to Him. I go days where I am praying in tongues, talking to Him, meditating on His Word, feeling so excited about life and what God is doing, and then all of a sudden, BAM! I am in a battle to make it through the day.

I hear my spirit saying, “pray in tongues, worship, or even call someone” but it feels as if there is a four-ton weight preventing me from doing so. You feel as if you are struggling for air to breath much less to pray. I do finally shift the weight enough eventually to where I start praying in tongues and then I move into worship, which breaks through the heaviness. I know the process I am going through is that I am dying to myself, so that there is less of me and what I want in my life and more of God and what He wants in my life. I know this battle is not over with my flesh. I DO KNOW THAT I WILL BREAK THROUGH!

God’s Word tells us that the plans that He has for us is GOOD! So when you are going through the sifter, just remember that God is doing a Good work in your life and He has an AWESOME plan for you if you choose to press on through the sifter. It is never an easy process, but it is a much-needed one if we are going to fulfill the destiny He has planned for us. Keep pressing and you will be glad that you did!

~Ronda Sullivan

Celebrating Black History: Lucy Farrow

Let’s meet another one of God’s warriors as we continue to celebrate Black History Month…

Lucy F. Farrow

Lucy Farrow, niece of renowned black abolitionist Frederick Douglass, was serving as pastor of a holiness church in Houston in 1905 when Charles Parham engaged her to work as a governess in his home. She received the baptism of the Holy Spirit while working for his family. Farrow carried the Pentecostal embers back to Texas, on to Virginia, and later to Liberia. No evidence survives to tell us that she was a good preacher or a sound biblical expositor or even a caring pastor. But her aptitude for igniting the supernatural gifts among others was evident at a 1906 camp meeting near Houston when some 25 seekers stood lined up in a row in front of her. When Farrow “laid hands upon them…many began to speak in tongues at once.”

Celebrating Black History: Amanda Berry Smith

“The color line was washed away in the Blood.” – Frank Bartleman

Without a doubt, the United States has been the birthplace of the modern Pentecostal movement. As we continue our celebration of Black History month, it is important to note that our history, the history of the Church, has been shaped by the contributions of Black believers.

Amanda Berry Smith

Born a slave in Maryland in 1837, Amanda Berry was the daughter of a slave who was able to buy his freedom and that of his wife and five children. The Berry family moved to Pennsylvania where their home became a station on the Underground Railroad. After her first husband was killed while serving in the African Regiments in the Civil War, Amanda remarried and moved to Philadelphia. There, she was born again, joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and received her call to preach. In 1869, she began preaching in churches and at Holiness camp meetings in New York and New Jersey, becoming a popular speaker to both black and white audiences. By the end of the decade, she was known as far north as Maine and as far south as Tennessee. Although she was not ordained or financially supported by the AME Church or any other organization, she became the first black woman to work as an international evangelist in 1878. She served for twelve years in England, Ireland, Scotland, India, and various African countries. She emerged as one of the A.M.E. Church’s most effective missionaries and one of the most remarkable preachers of the age. In the process, she opened the way for more black women to preach in the A.M.E. church.

Fill ‘Er Up!

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” – 2 Timothy 4:3-4

I was going down the road the other day when I saw an interesting message on a church sign. It said, “Free fill ups each Sunday.” I thought that was clever as I began to think about the comparison between the gas I put in my car and church. Why do I fill up where I do? Most people go to a specific gas station because they like the service, the brand, or the prices, but what makes me choose where to go? Is it because it’s convenient? Or cheap? What kind of gas do I put in my car? Is it the best kind? Am I willing to pay more for better fuel?

I might not think about it much for my car, but I know I don’t want anything but the highest quality fuel when it comes to the Word. Being at Gateway has taught me to think about what I’m fueling up on and what I’m handing out. I know how important the TRUTH is, even if it sometimes hurts. I know that I can’t be self-centered if we are going to see people’s lives changed and our community transformed. I know that being Kingdom-minded is more important than convenience, and I know that other people are watching me to see how this spiritual fuel works in my life. Think about those things the next time you go for a fill-up!

~by Ronda Sullivan

Individuality

How often do we want to fit in?  How many times do we look at ourselves and compare ourselves to others?  I know that I am guilty. It seems that all I want to do is be like everyone else in every aspect of my life. I am fully aware that it is impossible, yet I waste so much of my time striving for something that is never going to come to pass. When we first started coming to Gateway on a regular basis, I mentioned the church to a few co-workers and friends. It seemed that no one had a problem with the term apostle or speaking in tongues or even many other things that we believes in as an Apostolic church. However, as we have been studying on evangelism, I have been striving to be more outgoing and evangelistic. I quickly learned that the reason no one had a problem with my church was because I hadn’t been sharing the experiences that happen at Gateway. As I began to share these experiences, I quickly learned that I attend a church like no other in this territory! Needless to say, many of my closest Christian friends have ostracized me because of what I believe and who I am becoming in Christ.

It is easy to stand up for what you believe in when you’re under the mighty corporate anointing like the one that is present at Gateway, but in the work place or anywhere else that you may be outside of the church walls, it might be a bit of a struggle, especially if you are trying to fit in and be like everyone else. Just remember that God created everyone with individual traits and uniqueness. Not one person on this planet is exactly the same, and all of us together make up the perfect plan of God. If we are trying to be someone else, how are we going to fulfill our individual purpose? If God had wanted you to be someone else, He would have made you someone else! If we meditate on who we are in Christ, we can overcome the need to be like everyone else. As I do that, I become more and more settled in knowing that God sent my family here to Gateway for a purpose and we intend to find that purpose and fulfill it in every way possible!

~by Christi Duncan