SACRED SEASON OF CONSECRATION 15 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING # Uncommon SACRED SEASON OF CONSECRATION 15 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING # Uncommon
THE GATE CHURCH thegatechurch.tv SACRED SEASON Sacred Season is 15 days of fasting and prayer devoted and dediDcateAd tYo th e1 pBuYrs BuIiSt HoOf GP oTdO’Ns Yp rMeIsLeLEnRc e, hearing His voice and surrendering to His will and purpose for our lives. It is both a personal pursuit and a corporate commitment of our church, to annually set aside this time and honor God with the “first” of the New Year.
Matthew 6:33, Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
Each day, we commit to give God the “first” of our day through prayer and devotions. Each devotion in the Sacred Season journal is written by one of the Pastors or Lay Leaders at The Gate Church.
Every morning, begin your day with us in prayer on Facebook Live @thegateokc at 7am. The primary assignment of the church is to be a "house of prayer". If you miss a morning you can catch the replay on our YouTube Channel.
Also make plans to join us on Monday Night, January 29th at 6:30pm at The Gate for Prayer and Ministry time. We are expecting the UN/COMMON.
Why We Fast During Sacred Season
• Fasting was an expected discipline in both the Old and New Testament. Jesus fasted and reminded His followers to fast, “when you fast”, not IF you fast • Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the “first love” for the Lord and bring you into a more intimate relationship with Jesus. • Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God. Psalm 35:13, King David said, “I humble myself through fasting”. • By denying ourselves, we are provoked to rely more on God and yield entirely to the leading of the Holy Spirit instead of living under the power of the flesh. • Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance and a transformed life.
THE GATE CHURCH • When you fast, The Holy Spirit will quicken the Word of God in your heart and His truth will become more meaningful to you. • Fasting is a gateway through which God releases His supernatuDral pAowYer. 1 • Fasting breaks the work of the enemy and sin from our lives. Mark 9:29, BY BISHOP TONY MILLER “Jesus said, this kind can come forth by nothing, but prayer and fasting.” • Fasting can transform your prayer life and result in a dynamic personal revival and make you a channel of revival to others.
The enemy knows that there is nothing that does damage to him or his kingdom like a praying Church. When the Church has received on their knees ‘power from on high’, then the powers of darkness will be shaken and souls will be delivered!
There are several types of fasting. The one you choose is between you and God. He will honor your best sacrifice. Get more information at thegatechurch.tv/prayeremphasis
Full Fast Drink only liquids.
The Daniel Fast Eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Drink water and juice. Eat fruits and vegetables.
Partial Fast A partial fast is from 6 am - 3 pm or from sun up to sun down. You can select to do a Full Fast, Daniel Fast or give up at least one item of food. Whichever fast you choose, remember, this is a fast (which means to restrict food for spiritual purpose). One of the most powerful lessons you can learn during this time is how to put your flesh in its rightful place and realize that you don’t have to give in to the desires of your flesh. Invest most of your time and attention on the Lord. Keep Jesus and your relationship with Him as the foundation of the fast.
Remember that it is the attitude of a heart sincerely seeking Him to which God responds with a blessing. THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON DEVOTION A T I M E O F U N C O M M O N D A Y 1 BY BISHOP TONY MILLER
Happy New Year
I have incredible expectation as we launch our season of focused Prayer and Fasting as a church family in this “Year of the UNUSUAL (Uncommon, Extraordinary)”! As we begin – TOGETHER - ‘seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness’ (Matt 6:33), exercise your faith and believe that your decision to put God FIRST will result in uncommon strength and life.
Acts 19:11 says – “Now God worked unusual miracles through the hands of Paul …”. As you humble yourself in prayer and fasting today you can expect several things to take place –
You can expect God to begin to ‘work’ in your life, your family, our church and city. Or you could say it this way – God will begin to PERFORM what He has promised and COMPLETE what He has begun. Expect God to be present and active in your life today!
I have found that when I invite God to ‘work’ in my life that every aspect of my life is affected. My heart is shaped in unusual ways! My mind is renewed to think uncommon thoughts and my hands begin to reach out with uncommon compassion for those around me. As you pray today expect the UN/COMMON from Him!
"All this was accomplished ‘by the hands of Paul’. You can put your name there! God worked … Paul reached! Declare today – “God is blessing the works of my hands in UNCOMMON ways”!
Special reading: Psalm 27; Prov 15; Matt 17:14-21
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON DEVOTION R E F U E L D A Y 2 BY ROB CLAY
We live in a fast pace world. It is easy to go throughout the day and miss out on some important things that are necessary for us to survive and effectively manage the tasks set before us.
We are always in a hurry. We hurry to work, we hurry getting the kids to school, we hurry making dinner, etc. We stop only to realize that the “gas hand” is on EMPTY and we've missed what's considered the most important meal of our day…breakfast! Now we're stranded on the roadside in need of help and dealing with major delays in our day accompanied by a growling stomach.
I encourage you today to SLOW DOWN and take some time to refuel and rejuvenate your mind, heart, and spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT) says, "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?"
It is important that we start our day in the presence of God! His WORD is the most important meal of the day. We have to take time to chew on it for strength and nourishment, to make it through difficult things we may encounter. The more we spend time in God’s presence in worship and the Word, the more we build our natural and spiritual temples. "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35 (NIV)
Let us continue to commit today to seek passionately after the Lord with all our being. We will not let the distractions or demands of our day derail us from the time we need to spend with God. But instead, "We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." Acts 6:4 (KJV)
And by this we are confident that our lives will be forever changed. THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON DEVOTION A T I M E O F U N C O M M O N P U R I T Y D A Y 3 BY PASTOR COLE PHILLIPS
Being Pure. WOW! When I hear the word “purity” when talking about my heart, motives, and actions, it seems like an unattainable goal. It is something we often feel impossible to reach. But then I read the bible. So, apparently, I am either missing the mark or I am missing an important piece of information.
Jesus, when teaching in Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV), started along a string of sayings that we now know as the Beatitudes. For some reason, verse 8 has ALWAYS stood out to me. “Blessed are the PURE in heart, for they will SEE God.” (Matthew 5:8 NIV) See God? That is what I want! But there’s that word “pure” again!
For years I was obsessed with this; I wanted to be pure. But I found myself in a battle, much like Paul talked about in Romans, in which I wanted purity, but kept messing up. I desired it, but something kept getting in the way. And then one day something popped out to me. I was reading 1 John 3:2-3 and came across this:
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,a we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”
Ding-ding-ding! The light bulb went off! That is it! It is through our HOPE in Jesus and in our pursuit of SEEING Him (a real encounter), we purify our hearts. And in the purifying of our hearts, we actually SEE HIM! Simpl put, the more we pursue Jesus in a REAL way, the more pure we become! It is impossible for the impurities of sin, mindsets, words, to stay as I get closer to HIM!
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So, today our prayer is that we encounter Jesus, that we actually begin to see Him! We do this by reading our Bible, because we see Him there. And when we worship Him, we see a little more. And when we interact with other Christ- Followers, we see another piece.
“Father our heart cries today to be people who have a longing, a desire, to see you! Every facet of you! We ask, like Moses did, that we can see your face. And we trust that in the seeking of you, we purify ourselves. We become Holy. Entanglements fall off. The addiction to sin is broken. The love of Christ shines through, we are purified, and we SEE YOU! Amen!”
Special Reading: Matthew 5; Psalm 51; 1 John 3
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON DEVOTION Q U I E T I N G M Y H E A R T B E F O R E G O D D A Y 4 BY PASTOR DAVID STRICKLAND
Today in our video devotion we talked about turning down all the noise that fills our mind and keeps us distracted. If you’re like me, your day started with phone calls, emails, news feeds, and requests that can keep you spinning in circles. But the Psalmist made a choice to find a quiet place.
Psalm 131:1–2 (NLT) Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
In our season of the UNCOMMON, giving God the first hour or first few minutes of your focus can awaken your spirit to the voice of God in ways that the noise of life had previously drowned out. Furthermore, you can come to that moment of consecrated silence expecting for God to show up. I know he will!!
Today, we encourage you to use these prayer directives and pray with us to focus your soul on the voice and peace of God...
1. Jesus, you are my peace (Jn 14:27). 2. Father, my soul waits for you in silence (Ps 62:1-2) 3. Lord, you are my portion today. In you I have everything I need (Lam 3:24).
Prayer: “Lord, your voice is the most important voice I will ever hear. But to hear your voice I have to quiet my heart and remove the distractions. I make a conscious decision today to accept your love and be at rest in your presence. Here I am Lord, speak to me.”
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON DEVOTION “ W O E I S M E ? ” W H A T W A S I S A I A H S A Y I N G ? D A Y 5 BY PASTOR LINDSEY JONES
Hasn’t this week been great? I believe that any time people gather and pray is spiritually moving. But, even more so, when people dedicate a TIME of being SET APART to pray for a specific thing at a SPECIFIC TIME... that time is NOW!
Ok let’s get started > Get your bible out... and read Isaiah 6:1-8 (I’ll be referencing most of my scripture reading from the NLT and ESV)
Story Set Up > There are many things happening in this chapter and leading up to it. From the start, you learn, this is the year King Uzziah died. That was a pretty strong statement from the beginning. Why? Because it was like saying, “in the year a great and wise king who had a tragic end, died." King Uzziah went against the Lord and entered the temple to light incense. In return, he was struck with leprosy and lived as a leper until his death. Isaiah may have had great reason to be discouraged and confused at the death of King Uzziah, because a great king of that time died and in a traumatic way. Where was the Lord during all of this? Sitting on the throne!! And that is where Isaiah comes in ... Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on the throne and was moved.
Let’s focus in on vs. 5 – “Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet, I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies." (NLT) The ESV translation says, “Woe is me, for I am LOST”.
Both of these verses have an interesting choice of words: “It’s all over”, “I am lost”, “I am doomed”, “I am undone” ... Why such dramatic sayings? Did he think the Lord
THE GATE CHURCH DAY 5 CONTINUED
would cast him out? No! So what made Isaiah feel like he was coming apart? Two things: First, the sight and sound of the seraphim and secondly, the vision of the Lord GOD.
When he says, “saw the Lord”, Isaiah had a revelation of what kind of person HE really was. It made him realize – “Whoa!! Lord I am lost” (Lindsey translation) or “Woe is me, for I am undone” (Actual bible translation). Being at a place of saying, “I am undone” is not always bad. "God will never do anything with us till we are first undone by Him." (Spurgeon) Isaiah's life may have been as brilliant as a diamond. But when you lay a diamond against a perfectly black background, and have the right light upon it, you can see every flaw and imperfection - flaws that were invisible before. Even so, when Isaiah's life lay against the background of God's perfection, it looked different. The closer we get to Him the more our eyes are open to see what HE wants us to be!
Take this away > Understand the closer you ‘consecrate’ your life to the Lord, the more revealing your own life is. Once Isaiah MET with the Lord, SAW his own sins and was CLEANSED from guilt, was the moment he was ready to serve the Lord with arms held high. It is not a “feel bad for me because I am an awful person”; it is more of “I will never stand in comparison to who the Father is towards us”. (Pause) Let’s all take a moment to reflect on the goodness of the father towards us and us towards Him.
Our commission today comes from Isaiah 6:8 (God speaking to Isaiah and Isaiah responding to god): “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Let us set ourselves in a place to be used by Him.
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON CHURCH B E S A L T Y D A Y 6 BY COLE PHILLIPS
I grew up in the southern United States in South Carolina. Besides Clemson Football, we have some things we pride ourselves in. One of those things is SOUTHERN FOOD! Who doesn’t love going out for fried chicken, greens, mac and cheese, and corn bread? This is a common meal for a southerner.
Another southern meal is grits. Now, you may not know what grits are. And if you don’t you need to take a trip to a local Cracker Barrel and order some. Grits are a common side item to a southern breakfast. I personally love my grits with lots of cheese… and SALT! In fact, salt is a common (probably too common for too much to be added) seasoning to any good southern meal. I love salt!
Jesus used salt as an illustration when he was teaching a multitude of people. In Matthew 5:13 He said “You are the salt of the earth.” This is a cool piece of information. I am called to change the flavor of everything around me! Such a strong statement, yet, Jesus said it!
Here are some tips about being Influencers:
1. We must seek to be consistent in everyday life. Salt always tastes like salt. You can eat salt plain, put it in meat, put it in GRITS, and it always has the same properties. It tastes like salt. You can trust this to always be true. So, like salt, it is important that we remain consistent. The greatest way to be an influencer in our workplace, school, friend circle, or even family is to be consistent. Always representing Jesus, being steady, uneasily moved, and a voice of reason. We represent Christ and must be consistent to do so
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2. We have to understand the power we have. Salt doesn’t question that it has an ability to change the taste of food. We must know every day that our influence has the ability to completely change everything we touch and interact with. This is good or bad. So it is important that we use our power of influence to positively change the world around us.
3. We have to realize the long term effects of our influence. Ever over-salted your food? It is HARD, nearly impossible, to get that to change. Salt is permanent. Long after we interact with people, and show them the nature of Christ, our words and actions live on. So, we have to make very conscious efforts to be Jesus in the daily interactions. It lasts, often for eternity!
So today, in all of our conversations, actions, and interactions let’s be SALT! You WILL change the world around you! Now, I am going to eat some grits!
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON CHURCH U N C O M M O N M I S S I O N F O R Y O U D A Y 7 BY PASTOR EVA PHILLIPS
1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT “For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a Holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness and into His wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you’ve received God’s mercy.”
There are many different ways we can pull this awesome scripture apart. What I love about this verse is the fact that we are called priests; priests who are called to reveal the goodness of God on display for all to see! The role of the priest was to carry out their duties associated with worship and sacrifice. They functioned as mediators of God’s presence. The word “priests” is “hierateuma” in the Greek which, when broken down in context of this scripture, means “a body of priests”.
How can we be uncommon in our consecration to our local mission?
If we’re not careful, we downplay our effectiveness and fall into the trap of thinking that the only way we can fulfill the local mission is if we are the ones on a platform with a microphone. This just isn’t true! As a body of priests, our job is to help guide people towards the presence of God on a daily basis. One of the ways that we do this is by simply showing others that He is GOOD! It’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance. (Romans 2:4)
1. Cultivate the uncommon YOU! 1 Peter 2:10 reminds us that we had no identity before Christ. We are now royal priests; when we truly grasp that reality and begin to walk in it, the mark on our lives gets the attention of those around us who do not know Him. THE GATE CHURCH DAY 7 CONTINUED
2. Love people well! When we know who we are, we can truly love others. Our heart can truly become so full and impacted by the love of Jesus that it “spills over” to all who are around us.
3. Be intentional about simple, everyday things! Having an awareness about those we can impact can cultivate action. Ask the Lord to show you who you can make an impact on today and how you can fulfill the local mission in your specific day. He desires to move in and through you!
As we position ourselves towards the uncommon, we will see a difference in our city! Let’s go for it!
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON CHURCH B E A G O E R D A Y 8 BY PASTOR JOSHUA JONES
One of the things I love most about being a follower of Christ is that it naturally brings with it a sense of mission. Mission may mean several things to you but it essentially means AN IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT THAT IS BEING CARRIED OUT. With that in mind let’s look at a few passages about mission and let them speak to us and encourage us in our personal, corporate and global mission.
MATTHEW 28:19-20 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always , to the end of the age.”
We all have a mission and Jesus makes that point. This is a well known passage but many see it as a passage for pastors, church leaders, really anointed(gifted) people, yet rarely see it as a passage for themselves. Let’s allow Jesus and His Words to encourage us as well as challenge us to be missional everyday.
First, the “GO THEREFORE” are words that are spoken to us today as clearly and directly as they were to the disciples who lived and followed Jesus. Make no mistake, you are called to be a GO-ER (yes, it says “goer”). Say it out loud, “I’m a Go-er.” Jesus was talking to us now in 2018. Never doubt the truth that you are called and have a part to play in Papa God's plan. Two-thirds of God is GO. Remember we are called to be missional and Go.
Secondly, our lives and words are always teaching, leading, and echoing something. You may not stand behind a pulpit or teach in a classroom but you will teach in your life. How, you ask? Simple, with your everyday life lived out to the fullest. Part of being missionally minded in your city, church,
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or community is recognizing that Jesus didn’t ask you to teach but commanded you to. He isn't saying start a church or a traveling ministry but rather to recognize that as we Go and do life we will teach with our lives. When men observe our lives, we teach them. When we teach them, then they will observe all that Christ commanded. Let your light shine so that men may see… and glorify your father in Heaven.
Lastly, as we GO, TEACH WITH OUR LIVES, may we never forget that HE IS WITH US. His name is EMMANUEL- GOD WITH US. You can go and be bold and confident today because He promises to be with us. Jesus being with us is more than enough to do all that He asks us to. Go do life big today with Jesus and know that you aren't doing it alone!
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON CHURCH W A T E R E D D A Y 9 BY PASTOR SISSI PIKE
Isaiah 27:3 A Vineyard of red wine! I THE LORD keep it, I water it every moment . . .
Today, as you spend time in God’s presence, consider this amazing promise in Isaiah – God waters his vineyard EVERY MOMENT . . .
Scripture often compares the nurturing of our inner life to tending to a vine or vineyard. Jesus tells us that He is the vine, and we are the branches, and that the key to abundant inner, spiritual life is abiding in Him (John 15).
This promise from Isaiah tells us, that in spite of our feelings or circumstances, God is faithfully watering the vine – the source and supply of our inner life – every moment!
Know that today, God is watering your spirit man each and every moment. Jesus lived with an amazing awareness of the Father’s activity. “My Father is always working, and so am I”, he said in John 5:17 (NLT).
Your Father is always working! Always watering! Ask The Father today to make you more aware of His activity in your life.
Father, we ask that by your Spirit you would open our eyes and our ears so that we see what you are doing and hear what you are saying to us as your people today. Give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying and eyes to see what the Father is doing. We know that you are watering the vine of our inner life every moment, and we receive fresh nourishment from your Spirit in this moment and in every moment today. In the name of Jesus we pray!
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON CHURCH L O R D , B R E A K M Y H E A R T D A Y 1 0 BY CHRIS WILSON
I hope this season of prayer and fasting has been a blessed time of renewal and focus on your relationship with the Lord and His kingdom. Through my own experiences I have found that times of fasting, where my heart and mind are focused on Jesus, actually become times of filling. While I fast from distractions I am filled with His Spirit, Word, peace, vision and strength. I believe the same will take place in you!
Today as I think on the local mission of the church, I question why we, God’s people don’t do more to bring the gospel of the kingdom to our family, friends, neighbors and city. Ultimately, I believe the lack of action is the issue of a heart that doesn’t break for the same things that break God’s heart. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul demonstrates a true brokenness for the lost with this lament: "I am speaking the truth in Christ – I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit – that I have great anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh". (Romans 9:1-3 ESV.)
Paul, who had just finished an incredible explanation of the gospel, was completely broken by the unbelief of his Jewish kinsman. The same Apostle, who in the previous chapter had written of the inseparable love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37-39), is now wishing that he could be cut off from this very love if it would lead to the salvation of his brothers! This is the love that Jesus has for us, and it is the love that He calls us to have for one another.
Today, as you spend time with the Lord, I challenge you to make this your prayer: “Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours. Don’t let me continue to be in contact with so many lost and hurting individuals every day, yet never feel the anguish and hurt that you feel for them. Having a heart that aches for them, give me the courage to share the gospel of the kingdom through proclamation and demonstration. Equip me with the gifts and wisdom I need to reach your people. Lord, break my heart.” THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON IMPACT T U R N T H E W O R L D U P S I D E D O W N D A Y 1 1 BY PASTOR JORDAN ROBERTS
What an exciting time to be connected to The Gate Church! The Lord is leading us into a time of unusual/uncommon consecration. If the Lord is working in our hearts through personal consecration, re-focusing our church through consecrating our mission, then it is inevitable that He is preparing us for Uncommon Impact! As we consecrate the expanding of our ministry, then I believe that we will be known like the believers of Acts. Acts 17:6 (NKJV) – “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
Acts 3:6-7 (NKJV) – Silver and Gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” As we consecrate our ministry unto the Lord we can believe that God will cause us to have uncommon impact in our world!
1. Peter and John were having a normal day, with a normal routine. The day that God uses you to bring uncommon impact to a life, a family, or a city will most likely start like any other! It is not the circumstances of the day that determine if we will be used. It is the willingness of our heart, our faith that says: “It is not my provision, my skill, my talents… It’s the name of Jesus that has the ability to bring change”!
2. Peter and John didn’t leave well enough alone! As a crowd gathers to witness a miracle, Peter takes the “stage” not to promote himself but to preach the Gospel. Acts 3:16 (NKJV) – “And His name, through faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know”. The core of consecrating our ministry to him is remembering that HE is the center of all! His abilities become our abilities.
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3. At the end of Peter’s sermon 5,000 men are added to the church in a day, (not counting women and children. We must know this: Our God is not only capable but He loves to multiply impact and growth! Abraham was one man who became a nation, David was one shepherd boy who delivered a nation, Jesus was one man who saved the world. God took one miracle, and grew the church by 5,000+. I encourage you to allow God to multiply your impact! If God can use Peter and John, He can certainly use you and me!!!!!
Special reading: Acts Ch. 3-4. Acts 17
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON IMPACT E X P A N S I O N D A Y 1 2 BY ASHLEY NEELY
During this season of the UNUSAUL, we believe 2018 will be a year of uncommon and extraordinary impact for the Kingdom of God. Every believer has been commissioned by Christ to carry the message of the gospel into all the world and today we believe that the One who has sent us, has given us the Grace to share the “good news” with power and authority. Mark 16:15-16 says – “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” -KJV
We have been richly blessed and have been given a special gift to minister to others because it is our responsibility to spread the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. God has uniquely designed some to take the message of Christ to people in the far reaches of the earth, but we each have our own mission field and sphere of influence. We can carry the message in our homes, neighborhoods and places of employment. We are responsible for spreading the gospel with our words and ,more importantly, our lives.
We have to know that kingdom and ministry expansion begins with us. We are the hands and feet of Christ in the earth today.
As you seek God in prayer and fasting today, ask Him to:
• Expand my sphere of influence for Kingdom Impact • Give me the grace to carry your message everywhere I go • Let my life be an example of Christ.
Special reading: Mark 16:15-16, Matthew 28:16-20
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON IMPACT G O F O R I T ! D A Y 1 3 BY FELIX & KAY BAUTISTA
As we have an incredible expectation for 2018, we have launched this season of focused Prayer and Fasting as a church family in this “Year of the UNUSUAL (Uncommon, Extraordinary)”!
In today’s devotion, we want to talk about the uncommon expansion impact that you have in your ministry. You might say; “Wait a minute, I don’t have a ministry. I’m not an ordained minister”. You do have a ministry and we have all been commissioned to do this ministry.
2 Cor. 5:15-19 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
Every person who is a believer has been given the ministry of Reconciliation; to reconcile everyone we come in contact with back to God. 2 Cor. 5:20 tells us, “Now then, we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God”. What a great honor that God would entrust us with His Holy WORD; that He would allow us to declare His WORD, the Eternal WORD that will never pass away, the WORD of life that can change someone’s destiny. Not just their eternal destiny but destiny while here on earth.
Now that you know what ministry you have been entrusted with, it’s time to expand your horizon. It’s time to take it to the next level and GO FOR IT! Be the Ambassador of Christ God has made you to be. Expand the ministry that God has placed you in. THE GATE CHURCH DAY 13 CONTINUED
Three things you need to know to expand your ministry and impact those around you in an UNCOMMON way.
1. You are not alone. God has given you His Holy Spirit and said “Remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Matt. 28:20, Deut. 31:6 2. You have been given the power and the authority. Matt. 28:18,19 3. Trust God that He will work with you and confirm His word with signs following. Mark 16:15-20
Prayer: “Father, thank you for your loving-kindness and tender mercy. Thank you for reconciling me and making me a part of your family. Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit who leads me and is my guide. Thank you that I have been endued with power from on high to accomplish your will, your plans, and your purpose. Thank you for putting me in the ministry of reconciliation and for the honor of being an Ambassador for Christ. I will go forth into my area of influence and declare the good news of the gospel of Christ. We expect today to see UNCOMMON and unusual ways for you to reconcile people back to yourself. We believe and receive the outpouring of your Spirit in these UNCOMMON days. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen.
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON IMPACT A N U N C O M M O N A S S I G N M E N T D A Y 1 4 PASTOR JENNIFER STRICKLAND
It’s easy, in the busyness of life, to forget why we’re here. We get so caught up in our education, our careers, our interests, our families, our plans. But God has a distinct assignment on each of our lives. And, not only that, He has created us for UNCOMMON IMPACT. Have you ever taken on something bigger than you? And then wondered if you’d be able to conquer it after all?
It’s been almost two years since God called our family to Oklahoma City and to The Gate Church. Part of that calling included an investment into the vision of The Gate Church and its desire to open a Child Development Center. This type of work was not new to me; my degree is in early childhood education, after all, and my husband and I had spent many years overseeing educational programs. This would be an opportunity to fulfill part of the assignment on my life. So, I dove in, head first. Needless to say, 5 months into it, I was sure I was going to drown in the deep end!
In Hebrews 6, Paul is writing to believers about not just being believers. In verse 3, he talks about going beyond the basic teachings of our faith. Then, in verse 9, he says it again, “…we are talking about the things that go along with being saved.” Remember the whole, taking on something bigger than you? That’s what God desires for us; to completely trust His leading in the assignment on our lives and also to trust His process.
Read Hebrews 6:9 & 10 (NIRV) Paul is reminding believers that God is fair. Verse 10 says, “He will not forget what you have done. He will remember the love you have shown HIM. You showed it when you helped his people. And you show it when you KEEP ON HELPING THEM.” Did you hear that? We are showing our love for God when we help His people. And, not only help them, but keep on helping them. It’s really that simple. THE GATE CHURCH DAY 14 CONTINUED
Now, read Hebrews 6:11. Hebrews 6:11 is the key to following through with every single assignment we’re given.
• First, God calls us to be faithful to the very end. Don’t give up on what you know God told you to do! Keep pushing through your insecurities, the challenges, the heartache. Remember that God is right there with you! • Next, be sure of what you hope for. Write down what you know God wants you to accomplish. Then, go back and read it over and over again to yourself when you want to quit. You’ll never arrive at a place you’ve not identified. Know where you’re going and be sure that God will get you there. • Last, don’t slow down! God requires us to keep moving forward with faith and patience. His word says that we “will receive what God promised.”
Whatever the assignment on your life, God wants it to result in UNCOMMON IMPACT. Now that the Child Development Center is a reality, it functions like no other place in Oklahoma City! We are intentional about the atmosphere there and are fully committed to creating a Christ-centered culture. Everyone from our staff, to the children and their families, receive the Word each day. Our administrative staff walks into each room and prays a blessing over the teachers and the children every single day. Children are learning that our hope is in Christ and His blessing. I’m grateful that the process to open the Center didn’t take me out, but it created in me a determination to see this community reached by an UNCOMMON God. Hang in there! God is going to show Himself faithful.
THE GATE CHURCH UN/COMMON IMPACT A N U N C O M M O N D A Y D A Y 1 5 BY PASTOR JAY PIKE
Genesis 2:3 – “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation”
Our hope and prayer is that this has been a “wonder-ful” time of prayer and fasting – a time of consecration for you and your family.
As we conclude this season, it’s interesting to consider that the first thing God ever called “Holy” was not a temple or a mountain, not a city or a palace. The first thing God calls holy was a day. God calls time holy. Time that belongs to God. Time set apart to God.
Our role as ‘priests unto God’ is to recognize as holy what God calls holy. The Psalmist did this in declaring, “This is the day the Lord has made . . . and I will rejoice and be glad in it!”. We recognize this day belongs to God. This day is set apart to God.
As priests, we are authorized by God to embrace common days and common moments and call them holy days, and holy moments! In Christ, every day is a holy day, every conversation can be a holy conversation, every moment has the potential to be a holy moment. We encourage you to carry this season of consecration into 2018 with you. Carry the mindset that each day can be a consecrated day.
In another place the Psalmist consecrated his year to God by declaring, “You crown the year with your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.” (Psalm 65:11).
Let’s declare over our 2018, that God is crowning this year with His goodness, and that our paths are dripping with abundance at The Gate Church! Uncommon goodness! Uncommon abundance! THE GATE CHURCH NOTES NOTES