Commitment

I remember twelve years ago when I heard God ask me to leave where I was at, and go to Gateway Believers Fellowship. It was decision time again. I had a choice to make to either follow God, or be rebellious and act like He never spoke to me. I chose to follow Him. You may ask was it easy? No!

I fought for two weeks before I made that commitment. I can tell you when I stepped foot into where God had called me to be, there was such a peace of knowing that I had had obeyed Him. It did not matter what all the other voices I heard was saying.

I wanted more of God, but I had to be willing to pay the price, and do what He told me to do. There will always come a time to go your own way.  Commitment is a continual process, and you will always need His grace to go where He wants to take you.

God told us we are in a new place.We have to be willing to do what is necessary to occupy this place. Making a commitment involves dedicating yourself, to someone, a thing, or a cause. It will require you to do something that you’ve not done before. Before you make a commitment count the cost, because it will cost you something.  Many are called, but few hear His voice. When you hear His voice, it will sustain you to persevere.

You may ask yourself, “What is keeping you from committing your  life fully to His cause?”

~Tammy Sanders

Image Credit: ©Tammy Sanders

Senioritis

Senioritis [seen-yer-ahy-tis] noun A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation. – The Urban Dictionary

You probably know people affected by a complex disease known as senioritis. This disease makes it appear that the afflicted have completely lost their minds. Teenagers once content with their environment and circumstances are suddenly angered by them. Carefree children are suddenly worried about what lies around the next bend. Responsible young people make outrageously bad decisions. Apathy seems to abound.

It’s baffling, really. Right when you think they KNOW better, their actions lead you to believe that maybe they’re not really ready for that next big step after all. You start to wonder what they missed, how they got as far as they did, and if it’s even possible for them to succeed at the next level. They appear destined for complete and utter failure. Why don’t they care? You stand around, scratching your head, wondering, “Who ARE these people?!” They are certainly NOT the people they were even one short year ago…

… and THEN…

Graduation occurs! Graduation – the miraculous cure to senioritis. The calm that comes as they step across the threshold is akin to the noiseless cockpit of a plane after it has broken the sound barrier. Breakthrough has been achieved. Yes, it’s a busy time for planning and preparing for the new experiences at hand, but the noise and nervousness are gone, replaced by a fresh determination and sense of purpose. Apathy and lethargy become distant memories in the thrill and excitement of embracing this new season. Senioritis is gone!

“Now wait a minute,” you’re thinking. “All that happens with one lousy piece of paper slapped in your hand?” No, of course not. It’s not the paper or even the ceremony of graduation that signals the breakthrough. It’s the awakening to a new season that occurs when the mind grasps the accomplishment that has just taken place. It may not happen in an instant, but ask any of our high school or college graduates in a couple weeks or a month, and they’ll tell you that SOMETHING has changed. They will tell you they know they are not in the same place anymore and that there is NO GOING BACK NOW!

We all go through this process. We become seasoned experts on one level – the top dogs of our group. We get so good at what we do that we become overqualified to stay where we are, so we must move on to the next level. Once we realize that, things start shaking… all hell starts breaking loose in our emotions, in our circumstances, in our relationships. We fumble. We make mistakes trying to juggle a past that we’ve fulfilled with a future that is unfamiliar. We turn to see if there’s a way to stay put, but it’s too late… we can’t make it work out here and going “there” seems impossible. We have become officially infected with Senioritis. We get frustrated and angry at the helplessness we feel. We try to undermine ourselves by slacking off and coasting along. We distance ourselves from important relationships in our lives. We are plagued by thoughts of impending failure. “I can’t do it. I’m scared. What if I don’t make the right decision?” All these thoughts and emotions whirling around make us appear to those on the outside as though we’ve lost our minds! They may even wonder who in the world we are. We don’t look like or sound like the person we were even a short year ago…

…and THEN..

Graduation occurs! Breakthrough! We step across that threshold into the new level God has prepared us for. SOMETHING has changed. We are not in that same place anymore and there IS NO GOING BACK NOW!

So do a check-up: are you in a state of apathy or lethargy? Are you struggling to maintain your relationship with God and others? Are you frustrated and fumbling around in your spiritual life? If so, it may just be that you are experiencing Senioritis. Don’t be content to stay put where you are! Go ahead and take those qualifying exams and press into the next level God has for you!

By Linda Frederick

Careless Crossing

 

On May 11, 1965, I was in the ninth grade at Hamlet, N.C. High School. Mother would wake me up for school. I would get up, dress, eat breakfast, milk the cow, and catch the bus. I hated to milk our cow. She would usually slap me with her wet tail as I was milking. Since I was already dressed, the muddy tail usually got my shirt dirty. When this happened, I had to change and run to catch the bus.

That morning I got to school at 7:45, so I had fifteen minutes before school started. David, my friend, met me when I got off the bus. He suggested we go to the store across from the school. A bus student wasn’t suppose to leave the school grounds. I was fifteen and a typical teenager, rebellious and hated rules. My parents believed in corporal punishment, which kept my rebellion in check most of the time. Not this morning, I was already mad with having chores before school. I wanted some control over my own life, and was tired of obeying rules.

David and I took off for the store. I saw the crossing guard and didn’t want to get hasseled for leaving school grounds. There was a gate where we exited in the middle of the block. I looked both ways and then back to my left watching the x-ing guard with his back to us. I took off heading for the store. Bam! I was hit by a car. I never saw it.

My next memory was waking up, thinking I had to get up and go milk the cow. Then, I heard people talking and asking me questions. I was in shock in a hospital with a compound fracture and head injuries. Because of my injuries I had to be transported to Columbia, S.C. to a specialist.

It was a long painful ride. My mother rode in the back of the ambulance with me. I know it was her prayers and those of my family that spared my life. Thank God for a praying family and His mercy. One of my favorite verses is,” The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”~ 2 Peter 3:9

You might get by with rebellion for a season, but remember your sins will find you out.

~Ricky Robinson

Image Credit ©Tammy Sanders

What Color Is Your Coat?

 

Genesis 37:3 Says, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other children, because he was the son of his old age and made him a coat of many colors.”

Awhile back,I bought myself a jacket. I liked the taupe color because it is neutral. I was leaving the house to go have lunch with a friend. I noticed that in the sunlight my coat looked more green than taupe. This made me think of a young man in the Bible by the name of Joseph. His father made him a coat of many colors. He did this because he loved his son very much. It is easy today to run to the mall and purchase a jacket for ourselves. We realize that wasn’t the case in Joseph’s time. I can picture the father working lovingly on the coat for his son. He must have worked for days, even weeks on it. I believe he took great thought into picking each color of fabric.

In my mind I  can see him choosing purple. Joseph would someday be a part of royalty. Maybe he chose a blue. He prayed his son would always walk in revelation knowledge. White could stand for a reminder to Joseph to remain pure until marriage. This story reminds me of how many times my Heavenly Father has covered me. I have walked in some hard places. I know I could not have made it without Gods love for me.

Later on in the story, Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his beloved coat. It didn’t matter. He still felt His Fathers love and presence in his life. Have there been times in your life when struggles have made you feel stripped of who you know  you are in Christ? The enemy has tried many times to convince me God wasn’t there for me in trials. Maybe at times it has seemed like God is far away. Those are the times we must remember how He has always prepared for us whatever we needed. Whatever we may face, He has us covered. There is nothing that gives us strength more than spending time with Him. The world may try to strip us. Nothing can take away the love our Father has for us. What color is your coat today? I can tell you. It is whatever you need from Him. All you have to do is ask of your Father. Remember, he has you covered.

~Connie Robinson

Image Credit @ Tammy Sanders

Walking Contagion!

 

Thank God for infections! Yes, you heard me correctly. Did you know that living on and in you are more bacteria than you have cells in your entire body? (Pause) Okay, now that you are recovering from the nausea of such an idea, let me explain. On your skin and lining your respiratory and gastrointestinal tract are millions of bacteria, without which you would be severely sick. Research has shown that if certain bacteria are not present in certain areas of the skin, specific diseases can occur.

In the intestinal tract, normal flora bacteria produce growth factors and nutrients which allow your cells to function, not only normally, but at a higher level than they ever could without the bacteria. Another way bacteria benefit you is by providing a competitive environment, where harmful and deadly bacteria can be hindered from causing disease.

Now think about the promises, dreams and hopes that God has given you as bacteria! You see, God’s principles are always revealed through His Word, and all of creation is literally His words manifested (Gen. 1-2). God desires for you to be “infected” with His plans and dreams for you and His Kingdom.

For example, when we hear from God concerning our purpose and destiny, a hope arises within us. This hope gives rise to faith and acts as a protective covering, much like bacteria on your skin, to help fight the lies and frustrations of circumstances from consuming God’s Word concerning you.

The Bible also says that God’s Word is the bread of life. Each time you allow a dream or prophetic word to grow and multiply within your spirit, you allow God’s Word over you to supply the “nutrients” needed for you to rise above the circumstances and ultimately walk into the manifestation of your dream.

You see, when we meditate on God’s Word, be it the scriptures or personal words from God, we allow God’s Word to be established as the “normal flora” of our lives. God’s Word now fights off the “evil bacteria” that come to try and steal our confession, our faith, our hope and our joy.

Now for the fun part! Do you know what is so great about bacteria? They can’t just stop by infecting one host! They are always looking for opportunities to infect and reproduce themselves in as many individuals as possible. Why? Because the more they spread, the greater they become (number-wise that is). So I ask you this question: What have you been doing to grow and reproduce God’s Word in you? Have others been infected with your dreams, your passion for God and His Kingdom?

If your answer is no, then stop being sterile! Throw away your spiritual antibiotic scrub-brush and embrace, cultivate, and spread the infectious words of God in your life. And soon, you will be a walking contagion for the Kingdom of God!

~Dr. Matt

Image Credit  © Johanna Goodyear | Dreamstime Stock Photos

 

Using Your Authority

 

Anybody can praise God whenever things are going great. What about when your children are ill, you lose your job, divorce, death in the family, and the list goes on. What do you do then?

I have had many circumstances over the years come against me and my family.  I had a choice to make to either duck tail and run or go right through the middle of it. To tell you the truth at times I would love to have run, but God on the inside of me just would not let me do that.

He’s always been bigger than anything I have ever faced.  At times I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, and then I would remember that He was right there with me, seeing me overcome every obstacle that came my way.

I’m so glad that I have learned how to believe God for myself.

Confess His word and watch it come to pass.  Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say unto you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you shall have them.” The devil is just the devil; he will always put up a fight to keep you from the things of God.  Don’t listen to his lies. If the Bible promises you something, you have a right to fight for it. God has given us every tool we need to win.

The sword of the spirit which is the Word of God is one of our greatest weapons against the devil.  Jesus always used it when He was tempted of the devil. Now, it is our turn to do the same thing. The next time the devil comes telling you anything contrary to the Bible, and trying to beat you up, use the Word.

Just like David said to the uncircumcised Philistine, You come to me with a sword, and a spear, but I come at you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.  ~1 Samuel 17:45

~Tammy Sanders

Image Credit: Tammy Sanders

My Bucket Has A Hole In It

Jeremiah 18:1 As the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

I have a friend who is a nurse. She told me that pain is my friend. She said it lets me know that there is a problem. I have to disagree. It is not my friend. Another word I don’t care to hitch my wagon to is stress. Some Issues I have been faced with have caused me to be more aware of stress than I care to be. I am thankful that in all we may face, we are never alone. I know I couldn’t make it through these hard places without Jesus. He lets me know He is with me in so many wonderful ways. He sends friends to encourage me. He sends his peace. A scripture may come to mind at just the right time. With all of this, I still complain.

2nd Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not us.

Earthen vessel to me could be a fancy way to say bucket. I have felt like lately  that I am a bucket with a hole in it. I know there is still much work to be done in me. I have been letting situations I am facing reflect how my attitude has been. I have not been allowing the fruits of the spirit to pour out of me. I usually like to make people laugh. I may tell them a silly story, or a corny joke. I love to see a smile come on someone’s face. It helps me feel better too. This is a small way the Lord uses me. We all have ways to be a vessel that God can use.  We must guard our hearts and minds. The enemy will try and cause us not to use whatever the talent is God has given us. He likes to keep us focused on the negative. I am determined to allow God to mold me into a vessel to be used however He may choose. A hole in a bucket can make the light shine out of it brighter, right?

2nd Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use and prepared unto every good work.

~Connie Robinson

Image Credit @ Tammy Sanders

The Maze of Life

 

Have you ever gone to the airport and watched and listened to the people coming and going? I recently had that opportunity. I had to pick up my nephew who was flying in from Minnesota. I pictured this little maze with a mouse running around trying to find it’s way to the prize, the CHEEESE at the other end. People were darting here and there to get to where they were supposed to go hoping they do not miss their flight to their destination.  Their eyes are focused straight ahead as they maneuver around people, luggage, and barriers.

I was pondering on this and the thought crossed my mind, “How many times do we run around, darting to and fro, trying to find our way to the end, the grand prize?” Like the mouse in a maze, we try one avenue only to find a barrier or obstacle so we try another way. This process goes on until we FINALLY get on the right path, the one that God had originally wanted us on. We dart through life doing a lot of good things, but are they God things? I don’t know about you but I have traveled paths that were good paths, which I thought were God’s paths, only to find that I missed the flight so to speak. Never loose hope because you have wondered down the wrong trail or wondered down the wrong path. It is so easy to get back on the right trail. All we have to do is ask God to forgive us for making the wrong choice and He does. Immediately we have gotten back onto the right trail towards the cheese.

Satan wants to deceive us. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. He can make things look so good that it must be God telling you to do something or go somewhere. Remember that he is the master of deception! In order not to fall for every deception he puts out there we must equip ourselves daily. Not just on Sundays. To equip ourselves we need to build a relationship with God. Spend time in prayer and just communicating with Him. Have a conversation with Him, and then listen to what He has to say because He will respond to you if you listen. The next thing to do is to digest the Word. Not just read it to say you have read the Bible. That would be like buying lunch at a fancy restaurant and just watching the food. It is not until that food gets inside of you that your hunger is quenched. Your body digests the food to energize your body so that it will function correctly. The Word, once digested, becomes part of you. It helps your spirit man grow and become strong.  Meditate on what you read. Make it a part of you not just a once in a while thing. I am talking to myself as well. We have all missed it in this area if we are at all honest with ourselves.

Praise and Worship are two other ways to keep the enemy from deceiving you. Create a lifestyle of praising God daily. Even down to the littlest things you have. All things on this Earth belong to God. God, the creator, inspired everything created, and then had man to create what we have,. Give Him the glory for each day that you have and for the wonderful provision He has bestowed upon you and your family!  God wants us to be prosperous but not to hoard up the prosperity. He wants us to share with others to establish His Kingdom here on Earth. It is never too late to start over. If you miss it, repent, then move on with God. He is waiting for you because He loves you unconditionally!

 

~Ronda Sullivan

Image Credit © Michal Wozniak | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Watch out For The Birds

You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest.Temptations come at us everyday. We make choices whether to give into them or not. It’s not a sin to be tempted. Sin comes into the equation when we choose to yield or give into it. When God created man He wanted us to have a choice whether to serve Him or not. A few years ago Flip Wilson said,

“T he Devil made me do it .” Well, that sounds good and a lot of people love that excuse. It may sound good, but as a Christian satan has no power over our choices.Man from the beginning has always tried to pass the responsibility for his choices over on someone else. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the devil for their disobedience to God. When it comes down to the truth, everyone is responsible for their actions and choices.God gave us a free will to love Him and keep His commandments. The definition of will is, The power of conscious,deliberate action. The faculty by which the mind makes choices and acts to carry them out. As one pleases or purposes to do, strong determination. Our choices are our own.

No one can make you go against your own will.We live in a generation that has been taught, You are not responsible for your own actions. It’s the environment  lack of education, social standing, upbringing, government, and the list goes on. NO, you are responsible. No matter what society says, God’s Word is true forever. It’s our standard that never changes. The Lord wants us to be blessed and make the right choices when we face temptations.If they obey and serve Him. They shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures. Job 36:11

It’s your choice, choose wisely.

~ Ricky Robinson

 

Image Credit © Sandy Matzen | Dreamstime Stock Photos

 

That Lie We Tell

 

I am too blessed to be stressed. Doesn’t that sound nice? When we become born again, our troubles are over. We are never faced with problems again! That may even sound a little poetic. It’s not true. We will be faced with challenges. We will experience pain. The good news is that we don’t have to fight alone. The enemy wants us to believe our battles are all over. He wants us to become unaware. We may even become lazy and fall asleep. A lazy soldier who is not equipped is a defeated soldier. I am not saying we will only know war. There will also be times of peace and joy as well. Christ died so that we can enjoy a victorious, abundant life. Our enemy is defeated. He will still try to kill, steal, and destroy.

We must stay in the Word. Our battles must be fought on our knees in prayer. We can’t fight in our flesh. God has given us mighty spiritual weapons. These weapons are useless if we don’t learn how to use them. The Bible tells us not to be ignorant of the devil’s devices. One of the devices he uses is to convince christians that we don’t need to grow. This way, we are easily defeated. I know some wonderful Godly people who are facing struggles in their lives. My family and I are are also in a challenge right now. We are all going to win. There will be rejoicing for us in the days ahead. Maybe you are in a hard place in your life. Be encouraged. Know that greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. Read your Bible. Pray for wisdom, favor, and strength. We can endure hardships when our hearts are set on our destiny. We can’t endure trials if we only concentrate on our flesh. Stand firm on what God has brought you through in times past. You will find strength and hope in knowing who Jesus is.

~Connie Robinson

Image Credit © Roman Milert | Dreamstime Stock Photos