Simply Being Obedient

I never knew that this one word could be so powerful. I am learning just how powerful it is and how it can set you free. I am still learning because as you know for your self it is easy to be obedient in some things but not everything or shall I say not in most things. If it was that easy then most of us wouldn’t have any problems with just obeying the spirit or our spiritual authority. As I really started thinking and meditating about the full meaning of being obedient or obeying, I realized that I never really knew what this word actually means at all.

When I heard the word obey I always thought it was just doing what you are being told to do. It’s so much more than that. Looking up this word there were two things that stood out at me: 1. It’s a willingness 2. I believe that you have a choice to obey or to disobey and that when you make that choice to obey then you are showing respect wither it be to a person, to God or Holy Ghost.

I have been in a lot of places lately that I really didn’t want to step over in because there was so much fear hanging over me. I made up my mind that I was going to be obedient no matter what, and God has always showed up. I know that He is not just looking for people who always know what to do, He is looking for people to just be obedient so that He can do what He wants to do. Just one simple choice of being obedient can mean so much to your life and to the life of someone else. Just another way to show God you have faith in Him!

Colossians 3:22  says, “Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose [with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression of your devotion to Him.”

~Michelle Parrish

Image credit: Monica Guzman

Thanks, Apostle!

He didn’t have to do it, you know. When God spoke to Apostle David about going to Rhema Bible Training Center back in 1983, he didn’t have to go. He could have chosen not to answer…. can you imagine where YOU would be today if he had chosen differently? When he graduated from Rhema, he could have gone anywhere… ANYWHERE. But God sent him right back here. From listening to his story, you know it’s not what he wanted. He wanted to go anywhere BUT home…. but he was obedient. Can you imagine where you would be today if he wasn’t?

Apostle David is very fond of asking me, “Where would you be without me?” He likes to tease me about how I thought I knew everything when I got here. I thought I was someone going somewhere BIG…that this was just a whistle stop on my train ride to destiny. But I was arrested by Holy Ghost…. after two weeks of being here at Gateway (then Faith Christian), He showed me supernaturally that David Coker was my spiritual father and what I needed to fulfill my destiny was in the vision inside of him. So, then I had a choice…. I didn’t have to do it. I could have gone anywhere…ANYWHERE but here. This is not what I wanted, but I wanted to obey the voice of God more… I wanted to be in the center of His perfect will for my life more than I wanted fame, fortune, or accolades.  I wanted… and still want… to follow God’s plan for my life.

So, I ask myself the same question sometimes…. where WOULD I be? If he hadn’t answered the call and been right where he should be? If I hadn’t answered the call and landed right where I should be? Where would I be? I think I know… I’d be on the seeker-friendly bandwagon, preaching compromise and watering down the truth. I would be chasing dollars instead of destiny. I would have religion with no relationship. I’d be crusty…There would be no power and anointing…. I would not have the influence I now have; there would be no favor of God… no divine connections. And then I think…where would my children be? What about my own spiritual sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters? Friends and neighbors I’ve come in contact with? Where would we be?

Thanks, Apostle… thanks for saying, “Yes!” to Holy Ghost. Thank you for staying through all the hard times… for praying through and pressing in. Thank you so much for showing us there is more to being a Christian than being blessed…. there is BEING ABLESSING. I thank you for your life of obedience and sacrifice…. your willingness to lay your life down for others and for this community… this territory…. the Body of Christ. I know you didn’t have to… but I sure am glad you did!

Happy Birthday, Apostle! Your life is making a difference.

~Linda

(article image: COUNTRY PATH © Dainis Derics | Dreamstime.com )

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

Gardening 101

I  was raised on a farm. We had a large family of eight, and I was the oldest. My father taught me how to garden, and we got up early to work in the fields. When I got off of the school bus, I would have a snack, change my clothes, and head to the garden. I wanted to play with my friends or watch TV. My father wanted me to learn and work. I remember lying down in the field and yelling “I hate farming!” When I grew up and had a family of my own, I missed those fresh vegetables. Now as an adult, I am glad I went through the hard process of learning to farm.

I like Jesus’s parable of the seed. He describes four types of soil. A fruitful garden begins with good ground. That is true in both natural and spiritual growth. We must learn to culivate our lives in order to be productive and fruitful in our christian walk. Before a seed can germinate and produce fruit , the soil has to be prepared. Our lives, like soil, has to be conditioned to obtain optimum results. We have weeds, rocks, and thorns in our lives that need to be removed so that the seed can take root and grow.

There is nothing better than fresh vegetables. A bountiful garden is something to be proud of. The rewards are many. I have learned in order for the (seed) Word of God to work and produce fruit in my life, I had to be willing to cultivate my soil. Is your life unproductive? It may be time to dig your soil. It will be hard work. The Lord will be glorified as others benefit from your fruitfulness.

~Ricky Robinson

Give Me, Give Me, Give Me

I remember being in Walmart and hearing a kid scream “give me, give me, give me!” I wondered if I ever sound that way to my Heavenly Father. One day I had been in prayer. I stopped and started going over what I had been saying. I had been talking to God like I was a kid sitting on santa’s knee. There had been no thankfulness or worship in my prayer time. Daniel was thrown in a den of lions for praying. I bet he hadn’t been praying for a camel upgrade. Can’t you see Joseph when he was in the pit praying for shoes to match his coat of many colors?

One of the many things that impresses me at Gateway Believers Fellowship is the corporate prayer time. The selflessness and maturity in the prayers has challenged me to grow in my own prayer life. I want to come to God with need, not greed. I desire to show God my gratitude and not attitude. I still ask for some of the material things I desire. My main priority is to come with adoration and worship.

~Connnie Robinson

Kingdom Finances

MONEY CHEST
© Lockstockbob | Dreamstime.com

God is in the building business, but He uses His church to do the building. The Church can’t do very much building without money. Unfortunately, a lot of Christians still sit around waiting on God to rain money from heaven. Or worse, they waste their faith praying for the guy from Publishers Clearinghouse to show up and rescue them. It’s time we, as a church, became more aware of our responsibilities with finances.

Have you ever thought about how critical it is for the Church to maintain financial integrity in the world of banking? As a Credit Analyst, I have seen many churches take out loans that they cannot repay. It breaks my heart to see that lenders do not take churches seriously, but it is hard to fault their viewpoint when church after church tries to tell them that God is their primary source of income, and then they can’t pay their bills. I have seen many churches criticized because they relied on fundraisers to raise money but winded up unable to sell enough chicken to pay their bills. Face it: If God said to borrow the money, He will supply the needs and means to repay it. That means that either the church is not hearing from God or they are not being good stewards of their money.

When a church or individual Christians borrow money from a bank and don’t repay it at all or are habitually late, this causes the loan officer and the other people of the bank to have to do much more paperwork for the banking relationship. What kind of example is this showing them? Are we showing everyone that God supplies all of our needs or are we showing others that we are like the rest of the world and may or may not repay the money?

Kingdom finance means that churches and individual Christians should have the type of relationship with financial institutions that have bankers begging to lend us money. The economy has taken its toll on just about everyone, but God doesn’t depend on the economy to supply our needs. Maybe the first problem isn’t money: it’s that we have not stopped and listened to what God is telling us to do. Maybe we’ve focused on what WE want instead of what HE wants. God isn’t interested in making us look good. He’s interested in us making HIM look good!

~Christi Duncan

Communicating for the Kingdom

TYPEWRITER
© Ariy Zimin | Dreamstime.com

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

I Can Do It

SINGLE PLANT IN RUSHING WATER
© Michael Keenan | Dreamstime.com

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~
 Jeremiah 29:11

There are days that I wish someone would come along and take some of the load off of me or at least help me out so that things would be easier for me to manage. These are the days when I wonder where God is. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has had days like this, right? Our circumstances can really scream at us, causing us to loose focus and to start feeling sorry for ourselves.

Recently, I was meditating the Word, and a picture popped up in my mind of a seed popping up through the ground. Well, I pondered on that picture and wondered why it popped up. I have learned that things do not “pop up” randomly for no reason. So, I tried to figure out what God was trying to tell me.

As I meditated on the seed, I was taken back to my science class where we were taught how a seed begins to sprout and form a plant. The roots come first, spreading and anchoring into the dirt so that the plant is stable. Then the seedling begins to push up through the ground. All the while the root system is still growing and expanding.

Have you ever seen a seed in a garden where it is barely up above the ground and it still has some dirt it needs to push away? I get so excited every year when I plant all of my vegetables and flowers. I mark on my calendar the day I plant and the day when I should see seedlings popping through the ground. I go outside every day to tend to them and watch for them. When I see a seedling that is just barely above the ground, I have to fight the urge to go and help it break through the ground the rest of the way. In trying to help that seedling out, I would actually be hindering it and causing some harm to the plant if I move the dirt out of the way for it. It would continue to grow, but it would not be as strong as it could have been if I had left it alone to push through the obstacle in its way. It is through this process that the plant becomes a strong plant that can stand on its own. I still go out and tend to it, doing what I NEED to do. I just do not jump in and do what the plant needs to do in order to be as strong as it could be.

God was trying to tell me that He is still tending to me and helping me where I need help, but in order for me to become the strong person I need to be, I need to push my way through, trusting in Him to guide me all the way and to support me as I grow. Being bailed out, so to speak, would not help me out in any way. It would actually hinder me from growing up strong in the Lord. I still have people who pray with me and for me. We all need that. We just do not need to be bailed out when the going gets a little tough or rocky. We need to learn to trust in God and His plan for our lives. It is a process and, like all processes, it takes time and patience. Eventually, we push through the obstacles and circumstances. On the other side is VICTORY!

~Ronda Sullivan

Identity Crisis

I am watching students dismiss to their buses and to car rider. I notice that so many of them seem to be wearing the same hairstyle, mainly boys. I tend to notice them more since I have two of my own. I was fascinated with the fact that the styles they were wearing are the same as when my son went through middle school about ten years ago. Then, I started thinking about how they will change again once they go into their high school years.

It was quickened in my spirit, in the hallway of a middle school, that these young people are trying to find themselves or their identity. They try new things, wear different things, act differently, etc. just trying to find their identity and fit in at the same time. How many of us are still guilty of searching for our identity and trying to fit in to some point? I know I have been guilty of it, even at the age I am now. Let’s face it, these feelings do not end when we graduate high school, college, or have a successful career. It is human nature to want to fit in. What seems to be coming to the surface is that I DO fit in! I just do not fit in with the IN crowd. I fit into the plan that God has for me. Do I know that plan in its fullness or completeness? Not by a long shot! I have a lot more pruning and mulching to do before I even begin to reach the peak of what God has planned for my life.

 

Some days I feel as if I am going nowhere fast because my steps are small and not very noticeable. I think back to when I was new in my walk with God. I was looking for my identity then, too. I hung out with people from church only, starting acting and dressing similar to them, but I was never myself. Instead of patterning after what God wanted me to, I was patterning things off of what my friends suggested. I had a fire for God, but I also had a desire to fit in. I wanted to be someone important, special, and feel valued. I look back now and see how things and circumstances have taken my friends out, but yet I am here. Why? I have asked myself that question a lot over the years. The only thing that comes to me is that I want to be part of something REAL, a part of something worth fighting for. At Gateway, I have come through a lot of obstacles that were designed to take me out, but they did not! I am moving forward even though it may not look like it. I am still moving and striving to fulfill my destiny and to understand my identity in Christ. I will not quit. I will not give in! Growing up, my dad always told me that Chapman’s NEVER quit. I think he had to pound that in me because my nature was to give in and let others and circumstances win when they shouldn’t. Little did he know, that he was shaping my identity in a positive way so that I could fulfill my destiny. Trust me, he was not spiritual back then! He made sure that we went to church but I do not remember him ever going.

 

A wonderful woman of God gave me a list of scriptures that show me who I am in Christ. Philippians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 2:16-“I have the mind of Christ”

Colossians 2:10- “I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power.”

Romans 8:17- “I am a joint-heir with Christ”

1 Peter 2:9- “I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people.”

Philippians 4:13- “I can do all things through Christ Jesus”

These are just a few scriptures on that list that are helping me to shape my identity, to help me see who I am in Christ. These are for you as well. What God has for one He has for ALL!

~Ronda Sullivan

Company Is Coming

Recently we got a call from some of our friends saying they would like to come by for a visit. They were coming for the weekend from out of town. We were excited about them coming to see us! My wife and I began to prepare with anticipation. We desired to make their visit a good one. We were going to try our best to see that it was enjoyable and relaxing for them! They were to arrive Friday and stay untill Sunday evening.

Thank God my wife is a good planner. I, on the other hand, am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of guy. She got out a piece of paper and began to make lists. She made lists for meals, activities, and of course house cleaning. 

Did I mention my wife made lists? One of them was “house cleaning.” You know how it is. We let clutter stack up. Clothes are in a pile in the corner. The refrigerator has all kinds of leftovers to be tossed out. Bed linens are to be changed. Guest bath is waiting to be cleaned. The list goes on. We get comfortable and let things slide untill there’s a mess we don’t desire company to see. 

As I reflected on what we had done to get ready for our friends arrival, Holy Spirit ministered to me about clutter in my personal life. There were things I needed to “clean up.” 

It’s a good feeling when you are all prepared. It relieves all pressure or stress. Everybody loves a clean house. with everything done and in order, all you have to do then is sit and wait for the doorbell to ring and invite your guest in.

Jesus is coming. Eph. 5:27 tells us He is coming for a glorious church, not having wrinkle or any such thing. But that it should be holy and without blemish. It’s time for us, the church, to live in anticipation of His coming. We need to live each day with our house in order, ready for His habitation. 

 ~Ricky Robinson