In The Quiet Time

In the quiet time, I sit alone;

The familiar whirring of the computer is all I hear.

I am alone with my thoughts, or so it seems.

I feel a tugging in my heart; He is calling me.

In the quiet time, God speaks.

I am able to listen, soaking in His awesome presence

I am only one person, yet the Alpha and Omega talks with me.

In the quiet time, I am reassured.

He gives me a clearer vision of the path I’m on.

As I see more, I’m overcome with peace.

Jehovah Jireh is all I need.

In the quiet time, I realize even more it’s not about me.

There are people wandering in darkness, unable to see.

God nudges me to pray for them.

I say, “Lord, let Your light shine through the shadows that hide their destiny.”

I stand in awe of The Great I Am because He continually uses me.

~by Madison Sanders

Wrapped in His Arms

Most children look to their daddies to be their helpers: to fix everything for them when they’re too little to do it themselves. “My toy is broken, daddy. Can you fix it for me?” a child says with pleading eyes.

My story is a little different. I had a broken heart that couldn’t be easily fixed with tape or new batteries. I would have given anything for a dad who wanted to spend time with me when I was little. I used to be so sad when a movie would show a little girl climbing up in her daddy’s lap because that was something I never experienced.

I never felt safe around my daddy growing up. He was tall and had a booming voice that made me jump when he entered the room. I couldn’t just go up to him and say, “Daddy, I need a hug,” because he was often too busy doing his own thing. After a while, I just quit waiting for him to play with me because the sting of rejection was too much for my little heart to take.

When I came to Gateway, I was just a young girl still trying to get used to my parents’ divorce. I remember hearing sermons about the Father’s love. It was unlike anything I’d ever heard of before. Apostle David would explain that God loves each one of us unconditionally. I desperately wanted to believe that, but I had been so disappointed many times before in my life, and I needed help believing even that. Thank God that Holy Ghost is my helper! As I learned to pray in tongues for my own growth and edification, my Helper showed up to fix my broken heart.

After being able to grasp that God really wanted a relationship with me, scars and all, I began to let Holy Ghost heal my heart little by little. It started with praying in tongues and meditating on the words of the songs each time we worshipped in church.  I would find myself humming the words during the week when I was alone. Holy Ghost would take those words and help me see how they applied to ME personally.

It wasn’t always easy, but over time, Holy Ghost helped me see that it didn’t matter if my daddy ever told me that he loved me or not. God’s love became real to me, and I knew that HE cared for me. Through surgeries, falls, and awards ceremonies at school, Holy Ghost has helped me get through it all, letting me know and experience His love. He was there to help me let down the walls that I put up to keep others out, and through that I began to experience God’s love through those around me as well. I have found that I don’t have to do anything to impress God; I don’t have to be perfect. He just loves me for me. How awesome is that?!

You may think that you are too broken, too messed up, or too shameful for God to ever love you. That’s not the case, my friend. Once I let Holy Ghost help me experience God’s love, my life has never been the same. As I fully submitted to God, trusting Him to be the father I never had, He has given me an unspeakable peace concerning my daddy. God’s Holy Spirit has helped mend that void in my life, and He can do the same for you.

I dare you to believe Holy Ghost to be your Helper. He is all that you need! See what happens!

~by Madison Sanders

Thirsty for God’s Love

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

~John 4:14

Jesus was sitting by a well one day when a woman came up to get some water. She was just going about her daily life like she always did, but this day would be different. A few words from Jesus, and she realized that what she had been looking for would never quench her thirst, but what Jesus offered… love and forgiveness of sins… would change her life. Jesus knew that she was living with a man who was not her husband. He knew that she had five husbands before that man. He knew that she had failed in her relationships and was in sin. But He offered her a new chance at life anyway, and she took it.

I can relate to that woman so well. When I first came to this church, I didn’t have a clue about anything. I was just living day-by-day, flowing whichever way the wind blew, because that’s all I knew. I had no focus in my life…no purpose that I could tell. At a very young age, I had already been in more relationships than I like to admit and had my first child when I was still very young. I believed that anyone who messed up so early in life certainly couldn’t have much to look forward to. The best I felt I could do was just hope to make it through each day.

But God had a different plan for me. When I came to Gateway, I had just gotten out of a bad relationship and jumped right into a new relationship, which usually doesn’t work out very well. But this time, my boyfriend brought me to church where I soon learned that God loves me regardless of all the mistakes I’ve made. I realized that my relationship with Him quenches that thirst for love and acceptance that once drove me in the wrong direction. Not only have I learned how to receive God’s love, but I have also learned how to receive true, Godly love from other people. Coming to this “well” has changed my life. I realize I have purpose and that God really cares about my life and my relationships. That boyfriend who brought me here is now my wonderful husband of 12 years and one of the many blessings God has given to me.

We all have our stories and excuses for the reason we are the way we are, but we can’t let those things keep us on the wrong track with the wrong mindset. If we’ll trust Him and act on His word, then we can find His purpose for our life and walk it out. Even though Jesus knew all about that woman at the well and her husbands, He still took the time to speak to her and offer her forgiveness. Jesus knows all my mistakes, but He loves me anyway, has a plan for my life, and has given me purpose. He will do the same for you if you will just trust Him.

~by Guest Contributor  Michelle Parrish

You Are Special!

Most mornings I get up and go work in my garden by 6:00 am to pray in tongues, talk to God, and sing to myself as I weed the plants and water them.

The other morning, I found myself singing one of the songs we sing each Sunday morning in the nursery. It is called You Are Special and it is sung to the tune Jesus Loves Me. As we sing this song to the children, we insert their names into the song and point to them while they look at themselves in a mirror. Well, as I was singing about the kids in the nursery the thought crossed my mind to sing it and insert my name into the song.

I started to sing the song about me and found it very difficult to do. It was as if I felt that I was not special enough to have God love me just the way I am. See, I expect perfection from myself with no errors. It is easy for me to see that others are special to Him, but not as easy for me to see it about myself.

God has been trying to tell me for a very long time that I am special. It does not matter how messed up I am or the mistakes that I have made, God LOVES me just the way I am!

My challenge to you is to sing this little song using your name and looking into a mirror while you do it. It may be difficult at first, but push through and try it each morning. We all need the revelation that we are special to Him!

 

Lyrics:

Look at (name) see her/his face,

In God’s heart there’s a special place.

God loves (name) just this way.

Each and every brand new day.

Yes, look at (name) (repeat 3x)

God loves her/him just this way.

Who Are You?

When the Lord sent me to Carnesville to pioneer a church, I knew very little about the ministry of the apostle. I certainly did not think He would ever deal with me about being one! I knew God had called me to start our church, but I realized I was different from the other pastors I knew. It seemed the people expected things of me I could not produce. They wanted me to act like Jesus cradling a little lamb, but I needed to portray Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

The revelation of the ministry of the apostle gave me liberty to be what God called me to be. As I embraced my God-given assignment as an apostle, those around me began to understand that the role of the apostle was different from the role of the pastor. This understanding helped all of us to value those in this house who truly do have the gift of pastor and enabled them to enter into their role in the Body. Soon, others were released to walk in their roles as well, whatever they may be.

Don’t be a victim of mistaken identity. Allow the Lord to show you what role you have in the Body. Learn to identify the gifts around you. God is revealing his five ministry gifts so we can identify them and receive from them. Don’t let a case of mistaken identity keep you from the gifts God has for you!

~Apostle David Coker

Get Some Perspective

Do you have the right perspective?

Can you imagine what kind of power we would have in our lives if we would step back from our problems and look at them from God’s perspective instead of our own?  If we really sought His view of things, we wouldn’t be so worried about gas prices, the economy, and all the other woes of society.

Let’s face it, we usually can’t see God’s picture for our lives because we are drowning in our own issues. Feelings of self-pity, anger, resentment, unforgiveness, jealousy, fear and pride all cloud our vision. These things cause us to be blind to His plan for our lives. They are pebbles in our path, but the fear that comes with not seeing clearly causes those pebbles to look like huge rocks to us. If we saw those things the way God sees them, those pebbles would not cause us to take a second glance. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had to ask God to remove the blinders from my eyes lately so that I can see clearly. I don’t’ want to go through my life with vision blurred by my own inadequacies when I should be looking through the eyes of His grace.

What perspective do you have?

~By Madison Sanders

Love Breaks Through Fear

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” ~1 John 3:18

From an early age the Devil worked hard to make me scared of everything. I had constant nightmares and waking visions, causing me to fear spiritual things. I was that guy who could never get the right words out of his mouth, so I feared public ridicule. Having been the victim of child molestation, I grew into an adult terrified of intimacy. Fear caused me to avoid people and any responsibilities that would cause me to interact with others in any way. I instinctively rejected people for solitary pursuits, knowing that people would only hurt me more then I felt equipped to bear.

When we came to Gateway and I entered into fasting and praying in tongues, God started unraveling pieces of my fearful soul, and I experienced breakthrough in many areas. I gained confidence in my abilities, and I learned to be comfortable enough around people to hold down a job for the first time in my life. These changes were good, but there was still more to be done. Through mortification, I reached a place where the Love of God began to deal with me about my fears and insecurities. Holy Spirit wanted to expose them and show me how to deal with them, but I didn’t believe I could face those fears and I didn’t want others to know about them. I realized I had become a fake, a façade… willing to live a life I could control with intellect and logic, but not willing to really open up to the Love of God or the love of others.

Instead of pressing in and trusting God, I ran from Him and I ran from the church. For eight years I was out of church and out of God’s will for my life. During that time, I was a faithful employee and a “good person.” I was kind to my wife, and I dedicated all my free time to building a community project that helped others. I thought I was ok, because I still prayed in tongues occasionally, I read my bible once in a while, God never convicted me for leaving the church, and I never spoke evil against the leaders of the church or hindered my wife’s attendance. Despite all the “good” I did, those same old fears controlled me, guiding my decisions and actions. Over time, patterns of isolation took over again. Those hidden fears manifested in full force and I pushed back against people so hard that I almost pushed them all away.

God, in His mercy, gave me a wake-up call. Facing the possibility of losing everything that was important to me, I finally accepted that something had to change…and that something was me. Sitting alone, crying from grief and pain, I realized just how much I hurt everyone in my life. I knew that if I did not face my fears, I would wind up loveless, friendless, and homeless. I also realized the only hope I would ever have to be the man I must be is to trust the Lord. I cried out to Jesus and asked Him to forgive me for my disobedience and the hurt I’ve caused others, and He immediately overwhelmed me with His love and forgiveness. He told me it wasn’t too late to turn things around if I would trust Him and accept His love completely.

To achieve breakthrough, I have had to repent to God and to those I’ve hurt. I’ve had to forgive myself, as well as those who hurt me. By God’s Mercy, I receive forgiveness for each of my transgressions and the Grace required to help me make amends. It’s only because of His mercy that I don’t worry about missed opportunities. My hope is that as I continue to die to myself and depend on Him, His perfect Love working in me will provide what I cannot provide for others. Every day I experience His strength working through my weaknesses. It has been an uncomfortable process, but with each step His Love is breaking through in my life, and I am walking free from years of fear and bondage.

All praise, glory and honor to my Lord Jesus Christ, the light and hope of my salvation, Amen!

~by guest contributor (and husband of Anessa), Eric Back

Jesus My Deliverer

My heart worn down with fear and pain 

Eroded years of guilt and blame

Covered face and blushing shame

I am my own worst critic

The more I have the more I want

Not satisfied with more than enough

Grabbing, groping for more dumb stuff

I am my own whore-monger

My heart beats dead beneath my rib

Silent, numb since I was a kid

Can’t move from this place it’s hid

I am my own dread monster

But one day I saw the truth of my life and knew

Just knew

That my failures are not the end and my

Frailty

Does not define me

Or constrain me

In my weakness His strength is perfect

Realizing my inequity

Exposing truth for all to see

Bound no more, I walk free

Jesus, my Deliverer

“Cru” Who?

So, Campus Crusade for Christ has joined the seeker-friendly masses and changed its name. What a shame. For more than fifty years, this ministry has been standing for Christ on college campuses around the world, and now they will stand for…”Cru”??? Cru, who??!!

Why would they even consider taking Christ out of their name? Well, because they took a poll and found that 9% of Christians and 20% of non-Christians were alienated by the name. Okay… let’s see. I’m no mathematical genius, but I’m thinking that means that 91% of Christians and 80% of non-Christians were OKAY with the name the way it was! What kind of insane logic is that?

Their website says “New name, same commitment to Christ.” Really?? Well, then why take His name out of the name of your organization? They further say, “The only name that matters is Jesus and what matters most is connecting people to the name that gives life.” Okay… I can buy that, but why didn’t they change the name to something that says THE NAME OF JESUS, if that’s what they really believe?

This is just another one of the strategies coming from the “purpose-driven” emergent church. Simple, sugar-coated deceptions to convince  millions of good people that they are making Christ more accessible to the masses by watering down the message and making people more comfortable. Folks, this looks nothing at all like The Church in the New Testament.

I mean, can’t you just see the Apostle Paul saying, “Now, boys, we’re not getting enough people into the Kingdom by preaching Christ and Him crucified, so we’ll need to take Christ and His cross out of our message. Let’s pay more attention to soulish things and stop being led by the Spirit. Sure, we won’t be producing Sons of God anymore, but we’ll be so popular! Oh, and we have to quit telling people that ‘many are called but few are chosen’ because that is a real turn-off! After all, we don’t want to offend anyone!”

As Apostle David Coker says, “Give me a Mickey Mouse break!”

For all of you who are passionately pursuing THE KINGDOM OF GOD, whose lives are not your own but you are bought with a price, who are determined not to be ashamed of Christ and His gospel… come and join THE CHURCH…there’s work to be done!

For the rest of you… enjoy the concert with your “cru”.

The Princess Bride

The entire world is at pause today as HRH Prince William marries the lovely Catherine Middleton. There is nothing to compare to the  pageantry of this wedding. The streets of London swell with national pride as millions of Britons line the streets to catch even the smallest glimpse of the wedding party as they glide along in magnificent vehicles. Every moment, each tiny movement of both bride and groom, will be recorded for all the world to see. It is what one would expect from a Royal wedding. It is a day that will live on in the cultural life of England and the world for as long as this world exists.

On this day, I reflect upon the union of Christ and His Church. With what degree of anticipation do we await that day? Where is the excitement, the eager expectation for even one glimpse of the Bride? Do we spend time wondering about the Wedding garments, the guest list, the impact of that ceremony? Sadly, I think not.

I love weddings and the spiritual significance and representation of each movement, prayer, and recitation. There is something mysterious and wondrous about a wedding, which is meant to represent the union of our Lord and His Church. Although I rejoice with William and Kate in their glorious day, I long for the heart of God’s Church to be drawn in like manner to the preparation of our union with Him. Let this union become more important to us than this Royal wedding has become to England. Let our lives become more focused on fulfilling necessary duties to Him, to each other, and to ourselves in order that the Day may come. Each moment of our day, every person with whom we come in contact, every deed we do in service to our Lord becomes a thread in the fabric of our glorious Bridal gown. I pray today that we would be knitted together in love one with another as we anticipate our own Wedding day with Him.