Your 40 Days Are Up!

Goliath had the armies of Israel convinced that they could not take him down. For 40 days, he stood and mocked the God of Israel and belittled His people. He bullied. He bellowed. He beat his chest and proclaimed himself to be mighty. But then… a young boy with confidence in His God took him out with a slingshot and a single rock. Goliath’s 40 days were up and the armies of Israel were victorious.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of Goliath bullying me into submission. I’m tired of the devil telling me that I am not capable enough, brave enough, strong enough, or worthy enough. I’m through with the feeling of not being valuable or important. I’m serving notice on the Goliath in my life that his 40 days are up! I’ve got my ROCK and I know how to use it!

So, here’s what I have to say to you, devil.

If God is for me, then who can be against me? Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. Christ in me is my hope of glory, and I am continually being shaped and transformed into His image. I am the head, not the tail…above only and not beneath. God knew me from the foundation of the world and formed me in my mother’s womb… He has thoughts and plans for me to give me a future and a hope. His gifts and callings are without repentance, so He has no regret that he has called me to be a prophet to the nations. His grace is sufficient for me and Christ has already led me in triumph, causing me to be more than a conqueror. I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. I have the mind of Christ and the wisdom of God, and goodness and mercy follow after me all the days of my life. I will see my reward in the land of the living because God prospers the work of my hand. He loves me as I am. He has faith in me when I don’t. He believes in me.

Christ is my rock and my salvation… it is this ROCK that silences my enemy.

So, Goliath… your 40 days are up!

Swimming Up Stream

“Take a lesson from the salmon, you who are dead in your religion. Learn from their ways and die to your own desires, live an extraordinary life and pursue your destiny in Christ!” – Proverbs 6:6 LFT (Linda Frederick Translation)

We have been issued a challenge to live the life Christ provided for us on the cross. It’s not easy… it’s not a cake-walk…it’s not for sissies! Walking in all the power, anointing, and grace that belongs to us is challenging to our mind and our flesh. Many Christians never do walk in the fullness of their salvation; in fact, religion makes it easy to lay back and settle for fire insurance and a one-way ticket to paradise. It doesn’t take much sacrifice or effort to live the “Christian life” of most Christians today. All you have to do is attend the church of your choice only when you feel like it and apply only the Word that is easy, comfortable, and doesn’t contradict your grandma. As Kenneth Hagin so aptly put it, “Any old dead fish can float down stream.”

Christians not walking in the fullness of their salvation can drift along lazily following whatever is trending in Christianity Today while singing “Que sera, sera… whatever will be, will be”. It’s so easy to just “go with the flow.” After all, one symbol of Christianity is a fish, right? Isn’t that what fish do…go with the current? Well, that’s certainly not the life we preach and pursue here at Gateway. We embrace more of “salmon” approach to living the Gospel.

What does that mean? Well, consider the Pacific Salmon for a moment. A few years ago, we were visiting in Seattle and went down to the shipping locks to watch the salmon run. It was amazing to watch them push against the current and navigate through natural and man-made obstacles, forcing themselves to head in the direction of their spawning grounds. I remember thinking how much easier their lives must have been cruising around in the open ocean. Yet, here they were, leaving the easy provision of one ecosystem, while risking entrapment by bears and humans to enter into another. We’ve all seen it on TV and marveled at the strength and determination of these fish, but most of us don’t realize the most fascinating aspect of their journey… these fish are dying.

See, salmon aren’t dead fish, floating forgotten down stream. Nor are they content to remain living fish, swimming comfortably around filing their own bellies. These salmon are dying fish, struggling and fighting against raging currents, leaping over rocks, desperate to fulfill their destiny. Once they transition from the open sea into the fresh water, their bodies begin to change and they, literally, begin to die. The Sockeye Salmon even begins to turn a brilliant, crimson red. Why do they do it? The sole purpose of their return is to lay or fertilize eggs and to die in the spawning grounds so their bodies provide nutrients for their newly hatched young.

Okay, so what does that have to do with the church? Let’s go back to that symbol, the fish, again for a moment. I know the scriptures talk about us becoming fishers of men. But we also need to recognize the fish that was broken and divided to provide food for the multitudes. Early Christians used the symbol of the fish to represent themselves, not the lost. The Greek word, ICTUS was used as an acrostic to mean (in English) “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior”. So, while we are fishermen, we are also fish.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not all about succumbing to the easy tide of trendy religion here at Gateway. We acknowledge the fact that we are transformed by the Blood, and like the Sockeye, this transformation drives us to give our life for others. We die daily to our selves, striving to enter into the Kingdom and turning from the comfort of the flesh to fulfill destiny and purpose. We understand purpose and sacrifice and the need to lay a foundation of Kingdom life for future generations. Like the salmon, we travel upstream dodging the enemy and overcoming obstacles so that, at our end, we will hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

What kind of fish are you? Are you a dead fish, filled with dead stinking religion? Are you a live fish, swimming comfortably following your own pursuits, filling your own belly? Or are you a dying fish, laying down your life for the sake of the Kingdom? Consider the salmon!

~Linda

Miracles in My Mess

Have you ever noticed how God shows up in the most unlikely places with the most unlikely people? Six years ago, I started working in my local elementary school. If you had asked me 15 years ago if I could see myself doing that, I would have said, “NO WAY!” My self-esteem was so low. Relationships have never been the easiest thing for me. I tried to appear collected on the outside, but on the inside I stayed in turmoil in my mind and emotions. But GOD used a lady at work to help me change all of that. No, she wasn’t a great friend who made me feel welcome; she was actually quite mean and hard. She was always abrupt and cold. I couldn’t understand why she hated me! Her attitude toward me certainly didn’t help the self-esteem issues I was dealing with! Or did they?

I remembered what Apostle David always says: hurting people hurt people. So, in the middle of all of my own hurt, I cried out to God for her. I asked Him to show me what I could do to love her, in spite of herself. The Lord dealt with me to pray for her. I also asked Him if there were something I could do for her, and I heard Him say, “SMILE at her.” And so I did…in spite of how hard it was!

Did things change? Sure, in only a few short years. Yes, I said years! Not days or weeks, but years. Then one day, out of the blue, she ran up to me and said, “Sherrie my husband got saved!” I rejoiced with her and gave her Apostle David’s book on prayer, which she soaked up like a sponge! She took hold of the message in that little book and lost 50 pounds! She even got off her blood pressure medicine. Now, she and I are good friends. But she wasn’t the only one who had changed…I had changed, too. Through all of this, God used this woman to show me that one way to break down walls in me is to cry out to Him for someone who is hurting me. What I saw as a mess, God saw as a miracle in the making…for two!

~Sherrie Vaughn, guest writer

Hey, man! Nice shot!!

I spend so little time in church compared to the time I spend with my family, friends, and co-workers. In light of that, my mandate is to influence them for the cause of Christ. Luke 14:34 says “Salt [is] good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” One of my challenges is to determine how I can be “salty” enough so that those around me are left thirsty for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the years in my Christian walk, I have been more like the blast of a shotgun shell. I would “follow an unction” ( more accurately, an emotional urge) to fire a shot in someone’s  general vicinity from a long range. Collateral damage was inevitable and, frankly, bloody for everyone in the room. The truth is, while I gleamed over my prey’s demise, the seed sown had fallen on ground that wasn’t prepared for sustained growth (Mat. 13:19-22).

I think I will put down my old splatter gun and invest in some focused sharp shooting skills. On exam day, I’ll part a honeybee’s wings on a hound dog’s hiney at a thousand yards. Expert marksmen know how to breathe properly and squeeze the trigger for improved accuracy.  Mastering the call to love my neighbor, well, that’s a bit more complicated. I need to pray for God’s leading when I am determining the best person to try and reach out to.

Study the Word. God’s very nature is wrapped up in His love for His children. Loving my neighbor naturally follows from our Father’s example.  I find His desire for His children within the pages of His Word.  I will saturate my soul with the scriptures and when my mouth is dry and empty, His Words will pour from my born again spirit and satisfy their thirst.

It is so significant to be sure we are “walking the talk”. It’s cliché and it rolls right off the tongue, but it’s not so easy to do.  Real life is lived outside the four walls of the church. That includes real fill in the blank yourself. I mean real pain, fear, anxiety, emotional vomit, selfishness, etc. You’re with me! Don’t deny it.

After I say the things I believe God expects me to, I have to stand in faith knowing they will come to pass in their life, no matter what the circumstances are. One of my bigger shortcomings has been my lack of following up in a systematic and routine way. I am busy, so putting them on my schedule will help me move from the shotgun attack to the eagle eye, super-shooter God wants me to be. Building relationships with potential believers should require me to organize parts of my day so I can control the scenarios I am led into. Let’s face it, if I don’t follow through and show compassionate interest in them, then they know I am nothing more than a double-barreled blowhard and they are the trophy destined to hang on my wall.

What strategies has God given you for focusing in on some of the people you are in contact with outside the walls of your local church? Let us know by posting a response to this article on The Celebration blog. They will benefit all of us. So, let’s make a deal. I promise to work through these on a greater level. Will you?

(first published 08.16.09)

Who is This Jesus?

Why are there so many different names of Jesus? The names serve as a description of who Jesus is and how He works in the lives of individuals. Some scholars have located over 700 titles and different names for Jesus in the Bible. Let’s study a few of them here.

God – Jesus is called God in several passages in the Bible. Along with His sinless life, miracles, and resurrection from the dead, His claims to be God stand firm (John 20:28).

Lord – In the New Testament, this term is used as a salutation to honor a man of distinction. The disciples used this term to salute Jesus as their teacher and master (Matthew 22:43-44).

Word – This title was used by the apostle John to describe the mission of Jesus. The title states Jesus’ Godhead and eternal and absolute deity (John 1:1, 14).

Messiah – The long awaited “anointed one” who would deliver Israel. Jesus came to deliver mankind from sin and death (John 4:25-26).

Alpha and Omega – These two characters were the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This descriptive title expresses the eternal nature of God – the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8; 22:13).

Savior – Jesus is the person who rescues mankind from an eternity in hell.

Redeemer – “One who frees or delivers another from difficulty, danger, or bondage, usually by the payment of a ransom price.”1 In the New Testament, Jesus is viewed as the ultimate Redeemer who gave His life as a ransom (Mark 10:45, Titus 2:14).

Light of the World – Jesus is the Person who brings true knowledge of God. Those who reject this light bring judgment upon themselves (John 8:12; 3:19-21).

Lamb of God – This title refers to the Old Testament sacrificial system where God accepted the blood of animals as atonement for sin (John 1:29, 36). Jesus’ blood made atonement for sin!

Ruler of Creation – Christ existed before the creation of the world and He is sovereign over it (Revelation 3:14).

Mediator – Because Jesus is fully God, He can represent God to man. Because He is fully man, Jesus can represent man to God. Reconciliation is possible (1 Timothy 2:5).

Bread of Life – Jesus is the one and only supplier of true spiritual nourishment (John 6:35). Way, Truth, and Life – Jesus is the only way to heaven, the only source of truth, and the foundation of all life (John 14:6)!

Personal Meaning
What do the names of Jesus mean to you? Do they have personal significance? Is Jesus your Savior, your Mediator, your Redeemer? If not, we encourage you to learn more about Him and accept the gift of salvation He has offered to you.

Stockholm Syndrome

 

Imagine you are taken captive by an aggressor and forced to live with the threat of death daily. You are cut off from the real world and your world is now at the mercies of another. It is difficult and frightening and confusing. You’re scared.

Now imagine you wake up one day and you are offered freedom. You are given an open door: an escape. You refuse. You won’t run. In fact you have become comfortable with your captor. You’re okay with the circumstances. You have come to accept the conditions you have been given and if rescued from your captor you grow resentful of the ones who have rescued you. That’s pretty bizarre isn’t it?

Well, yes and no. It happens all the time to battered spouses, drug addicts, alcoholics, kidnap victims, members of cults…the list goes on. People may not enjoy a scenario, but if they can see no other option they will learn to deal with the scenario. Without a radical transition they may grow to embrace their situation.

However, my concern is not with the above mentioned groups of people; rather it is with the Body of Christ. Are we suffering from Stockholm Syndrome? Have we allowed ourselves to be held captive by circumstances for so long that we have started to accept and even embrace them as the truth? Take a look at your current situation and ask yourself is this where I really want to be? Or have you merely forgotten that you are a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus?

You are more than a conqueror my friend! You are the victor and not the victim. Jesus has called you to live a victorious life and a life full of the blessings of the Lord. Jesus has paid for your freedom. You have been redeemed unto God by Jesus Christ. Your ransom has been paid. The doorway to a life of liberty was forever opened when Jesus hung upon the cross for our sins! It is time for us to stand up in Jesus’s name and by the grace of God walk out of the circumstances and walk into the Life of God. It would be a shame to live another day bound only by a false sense of security and blinded by the lies of the enemy and our own unbelief. We are free to live for Him, but we are bound to live by the worlds we choose to see. Father let our eyes be opened to the truth; that we may see You in all things and rise to every occasion by Your Grace. Amen

Q: Is this really where you want to be in your relationship with God? What is keeping you from walking through that door of freedom?