Stepping Out in Faith

Anyone who has talked to someone in the band about us going full time has probably heard the phrase, “We’re out of the boat now.” We all left our jobs back in June 2015 so that we could always be available to go wherever God opens the door for us. We stepped out on faith that God would provide our needs to go where He needs us to be. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do at first, but the more we have relied on Him the more He has blessed us. We are living proof that God will do what He says and will take care of His children.

When we stepped out we learned just what it meant to fully rely on God and trust Him in all things. In doing that God used it as a way to weed out those who weren’t ready to really go into full time ministry like He did with Gideon and his army in Judges 7. God told Gideon that he had too many men in his army and that if they won then the people would be boastful and say that they won and they wouldn't give God any of the glory. So first He had Gideon tell the men that anyone who was afraid should leave and 22,000 men left. Then God said there were still too many men and He told Gideon how to test them. He had Gideon take the men to the river for a drink and God said that anyone who put their head into the river to drink like a dog would needed to be told to leave, but those who used their hand to cup the water and bring it to their face to drink while they kept watch was to stay. Gideon was left with just 300 men. Think about that for a second. He went from having over 22,000 men to 300. Through Gideon’s obedience God was able to use just 300 men to defeat the entire Midianite army and deliver the Israelites.

When we started the band we had 14 members between those in the band and the family members that traveled with us. We are now down to just 8. God knew the hearts of the people and knew who was ready to travel and who wasn’t ready. He slowly pulled people from the ministry and replaced others till we had just the right group to go out and do His work.

Sometimes it feels like every time we would start to doubt what God is doing and second guess ourselves God just does something so amazing as if to say, “Don’t you get it yet? I got it!” He did that to Gideon too. He asked God for 3 different signs of confirmation before believing the God wanted him to lead the army and every time God gave it to him. Every time we say, “God are you sure?” He shows us that we are exactly where He wants us right now. When our singer left just 2 weeks before we were supposed to leave for a month long tour God gave us a new singer the NEXT DAY. The need was filled before we could even try to do anything about it.

If God calls you to step out in faith you can believe that He will carry you the whole way through. He will mark and guide you steps the whole way through. One of my favorite phases is "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." Meaning you don't need to have it all to do Gods work. If He calls you to do something He will give you all the tools you need to do the job.



If you would like to read more about Gideon and what God did through him you can read his story in Judges starting in chapter 6.


Closing question:
What areas in your life has God asked you to step out in faith? Did you listen? What blessings do you think you either received or missed out on?

New Year… New Me…! By Cassie Burgess

Isn’t that what we always say? “It’s a new year so it’s going to be a new me!” We always make new resolutions to improve on ourselves and make this year “the best one ever!” Let’s list the typical ones shall we.

I will…

• Eat healthier
• Go to the gym more

• Lose weight

• Organize my living space
• Be an all around better person

    While all of these and other resolutions are just fine, how many of us really stick to them? I will be the first to admit that I have all of these high expectations of what I will do at the beginning of the year and then fail to keep up with them. I last a few weeks and then old habits creep back in and the excuses start. “Oh I’ll get to that tomorrow’” and when tomorrow comes there is something else in the way, more important or, let’s be honest, we just too tired that day to do anything after work.

Sometimes I feel as though people put too many unrealistic expectations on themselves with their resolutions wanting everything to change and be easy and done by February. Then, when it’s harder than they realized, they give up. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with putting expectations on ourselves, that’s how we make and reach goals and move forward in our lives. However, when our expectations are too high and almost unreachable we are just setting ourselves up for failure and disappointment.

That is not how we are supposed to live our lives. God will always put challenges in our paths and push us to cling onto Him more, but He will never put an expectation on our lives that we will never be able to reach. He wants to see us grow and improve on our lives according to His plan for us. I will admit, this is a hard lesson for me. I have been working on for a while with setting goals for myself that I can really achieve instead of just setting goal after goal that I will never reach.

So here is my challenge for everyone, and for myself. Instead of making a list of resolutions, start with one or two and when you reach one then set another. For me, I’m going to do a long term resolution for this year.  I’m going to try to dig into the Word more and read every day, and I’ll admit I’ve slipped already, but it’s a new habit that I am working on.

Jeremiah 29:11
"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."

On Your Mark… Get Set… Merry Christmas!!!

On Your Mark… Get Set… Merry Christmas!!!

By Kisha Marie

Have you ever been laughed at when you were trying your best and still you came up short? When I was young and strong I was an athlete. I loved sports. I ran track, played volleyball, kickball. I was a cheerleader and a synchronized leg kicker of my high school band’s dance line. I even tried my hand at football. (Don’t judge me! LOL) While I enjoyed competing, I never was the best at any one thing and that was okay with me. I just had to be better than I was the day before, the event before… and not come in last place if I could avoid it. However I learned that this was not always going to be the case. Regardless of how I started I knew that if I just persevered to the end I would finish strong because it mattered to me and my team.

One of the most embarrassing events of my life happened when I was a teenager. I was at a track meet for novice competitors. It was a place where the non-elite could celebrate success and coaches could push their rising stars to new heights. Unfortunately, there was a mistake and it was not made in my favor. As a sprinter I was entered into the 100 meter race. This was one of my favorite events. Either you kicked butt or you got your butt kicked. There was no gray area. Almost as soon as the race begins, it is over.

So there I was, poised to burn up the track, finally getting my chance to win a medal for an event that I loved. I had been working hard and preparing for this moment for weeks. The starting shot rang out and I pushed off. My legs were pumping. My arms were driving. The only problem was… I was waaaay too slow. Everyone around me was charging ahead. All I could see was the back of their jerseys. Right then and there I realized my worst fear had come to pass. I was being left in their dust.

It was like being in a dream. By the time I was halfway down the length of the football field my competitors were ALL approaching the finish line. The crowd went from cheering everyone on to snickering, laughing and pointing… at me! I couldn’t believe my eyes. How did this all go so wrong? I was in shock. Embarrassed. Humiliated. But… taking my pride out of the situation, I realized how funny this must have looked. I couldn’t help but to burst into laughter myself. But I kept running. Laughing and running all the way to the finish line.

As I persevered to the end I could see all of the other runners exit the track. All of the time keepers peeled away from the edge of the field except for one. I knew that he was there to keep track of me. All of my team members turned their backs and walked away shaking their heads and laughing except for one. Yet while he was doubled over I could still hear him yelling “Come on Kisha! Keep going!” in between his visible gasps for breath between laughs. Every coach for every team had also turned away except for one. My coach was still standing on the sidelines… waiting… with a smile on his face. He eventually apologized to me saying that he accidentally placed me in the fastest heat instead of the slowest. Even though I was set up against impossible odds, he was proud of me for never giving up.

When the opposing teams had fallen away and it seemed like no one was watching. I had 3 people who were at the finish line keeping watch over me. I could hear cheers in the stands coming from the people who had watched me struggle to hold my head up and keep my form together until the end. It is that moment that has stayed with me through the years.

The Holy Bible tells us that over 2,000 years ago the prophecy of a savior was fulfilled through the birth of Jesus the Christ. Upon his birth an angel appeared to the shepherds in a field declaring his arrival and the heavens opened up and rejoiced. His birth was recorded in history.

Luke 2:1-21 New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.”

We celebrate the birth of Jesus because it is the event mankind had been anticipating. It is the fulfillment of prophecy.

Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

God’s love for us is a message of hope. When God saw that man was struggling to live a life was pleasing to Him He sent us a savior to capture the victory for our team.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” - John 3:16.  

Throughout His time on earth Jesus walked through life experiencing everything we do as human beings. However, He was the living Word of God (John 1:14). He was the sacrifice that God accepted in place of our sin.

Yes. I was a member of a state champion varsity track team. Yes. When it was my turn to represent the team I performed under pressure and did my personal best. Sometimes I even managed to win a few races. But there were many who came before and after me who helped the team to finish strong. It doesn’t matter if the odds are stacked up against us in life and it looks like there is no way for us to finish this race. Jesus has already captured the victory for our team! It is our job to keep pressing toward the mark knowing that God is on our side. Run like God is watching. Don’t sit on the sidelines of your own life and watch it go by. The coach (God) put you in the game the day you were born. Use the gifts and talents you were given to run the best race of your life. Be selfless and give everything you can, not because it is the Christmas Season but because that is what we are called to do. (Hebrews 13:16, Luke 12:33)   After all, it matters that you use what was given to you to be true to God, honor the Lord, and follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit.

On Your Mark… Get Set… Merry Christmas!!!

Layer Up… It’s Cold Out There by Kisha Marie

It’s that time of year again. Fall is here, a time of harvest. The leaves are beginning to change. The air is swift and crisp. The food we eat begins to take on new life introducing seasonal spices, fruit and vegetables that were not a part of the menu before. The menu becomes more hearty, filling our bellies with heavy food with robust flavors. For those of us who live in the cooler climates, we are starting to add layers to our clothing, seeking warmth as we progress through the day. But if you are like me, before you leave the house you stop and ask yourself this question… “Am I forgetting anything?”

It never fails, when I finally get ready to go I end up running back into the house 2 to 3 times to grab something I left on the way out. Just this morning I was reading an article on adult ADHD recognizing many things about myself and loved ones that gave me pause. Maybe this was the reason why I can never get out of the house when I intend or and often doing many things at once. It was until several hours later that I realized that I forgot to press send and share the article with my family. Go figure. SMH

Did you know that the word remember appears more than 200 times in the bible? This was news to me. God’s word often refers to memories as promises issued and kept by God. There are also promises written that we are waiting to see fulfilled.

Genesis 30:22  NKJV
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

Exodus 13:3  NKJV
[ The Feast of Unleavened Bread ] And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

Hebrews 13:3  NKJV
3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Hebrews 10:16-18  NKJV
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”[a] 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”[b] 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

God has been laying it upon our hearts as believers to grow in faith, read our bibles and share with one another about the amazing things He is doing in our lives and the lives of those we know and love. Take a look at what it says in Ephesians 6:10-18 about putting on the whole armor of God. He is giving us the tools we need to be reminded of his love for us. He is giving us warnings about the dangers that may lie ahead in our path. He has even given us the tools to stand in the face of disappointment, frustration, and danger.

Now more than ever, Christians are coming under attack. It is once again becoming dangerous for those who believe Jesus and his death and resurrection being a pardon for our sins to proclaim this truth. We must remember, however, that we are not to shrink into the darkness and deny what we believe. We as believers are called to share the good news with others in a loving manner so that they may come to know God’s love for them. In John 9:5 and Philippians 2:15 we learn that if we follow the example of Jesus we walk in his light and become a light to others.

As we usher in the fall season and put on our layers of clothes for the season, let us remember to put on the whole armor of God. This is a great time to love and serve one another without grumbling or complaining as we do it. Give food and shelter to those among us who are in need. Doing so with a glad heart in serving to the glory of God. (1 Peter 4:8-10). Remember to prepare our hearts and minds to enter the world each day and not just our bodies. The bible reminds us in Matthew 4:4 that we cannot survive on bread alone. Matthew 4:4 NKJV But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We must nourish our spiritual being with the word of God so that we may truly live. Remember to “...stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18). Be a beacon of love, light and truth to those in darkness. Before you run out of the house, stop and ask yourself, “Am I forgetting anything?” Remember God. Put on your armor. Layer up. It’s cold out there.


*****

You can find more instances of remembrance in the bible by going to www.biblegateway.com and typing in a search for the word “remember”. It is a great resource for anyone who wants to see what the bible says about many different topics.