Gateway Church, We are all about People!

I just want to thank the Lord for the last Habitation service! My husband was laid off from his job in December. Since then, he has been seeking employment, but he is sixty years old, and it is very difficult to get hired at that age. On the evening of the Habitation “party,” we were going through a tough time financially. We were three months behind on our car note and two months behind on our mortgage.

When Pastor Morris shared that some people at the service were behind on their mortgage payments and bills, I thought, “Wow, he is reading our mail.” The blessing that we received from people that we do not even know was overwhelming! Through the gifts we received, we were able to catch up on most of our bills. Thank you so much! My husband has since found a job, and now we are working to catch up on our last bills and get out of debt!

One of the Gateway pastors was praying during the last Habitation service when God said, “I want you to give away your sport coat.” The pastor said, “God, this is my favorite sport coat.” The Lord said, “I know, and I want you to give it to the man standing right over there.” The pastor was reluctant, but finally walked over to the man and gave him his coat. The man immediately put the coat on, and it fit him perfectly. They were the exact same size. The man explained that he had been out of work for months and finally had a job interview that Thursday, but didn’t have the money to buy a sport coat to wear to the interview … until now.

At the first Habitation service, we were told to pray for someone unlovable. There was a guy I knew at work who was in an immoral lifestyle. After Habitation, he became the object of my prayer. The very next Saturday evening, I walked by Guest Central, and there he was! After seeing him at church that Saturday, I continued to pray for him. Since then, he has been to the Monday night freedom classes, has gone through Kairos, and even attended the last Habitation service! My coworker is now saved and strong and happy, a testimony to others. He will never be the same again. I give my deepest thanks to Gateway and all the wonderful people the Lord has called to be a part. “Thanks” doesn’t adequately express what my heart feels. “Wow!” That's a little closer.

I have been a missionary living by faith in the Middle East for six and a half years. My congregation in Jerusalem sent me to the States to get training with Gateway and as I stepped out in faith to come here, the Lord has miraculously provided for me. One of the first provisional blessings was my brother giving me his truck. But a few weeks before Habitation the engine died. The best quote I found to fix it would cost the value of the truck. 

At Habitation, I knew I needed a car, but I also knew that God’s perspective of “needs” is totally different from mine. So I asked God what I really needed and felt He said I needed $2000. While I stood in line to go to the front, I was given several gifts, totaling $1500. When I reached the front, I told the elder, “My need is $2000 and I have received $1500.” He prayed for a moment, then said, “I don’t think we are supposed to give you any money. I believe God wants to meet your need another way.” I thanked him and went back to my seat. I sat there for the rest of the service and did not receive anything else.

After the service ended, I was walking out the door, when a gentleman stopped me. He said he felt he was supposed to give me a check, but he did not have his checkbook with him. He asked for my work address and said he would bring the check to my office the next day, and that it would be for $500.

The Lord is truly amazing!  His love and faithfulness is beyond measure. Thank you to each person who gave and also to everyone who allowed Him to minister in this amazing way.  I can’t wait to get to heaven and see the eternal fruit from Habitation.

I chose my husband's grandson as my unlovable person to love. He is 17 years old and is in a juvenile detention center for a year. We have little contact with the family and have not seen him since he was about five years old. I decided to write him twenty-one letters. I have written him everyday since the Habitation service. Today will be letter number twenty. Earlier this week, I received a letter from him. In it, he asked to know more about our family and told me about himself. He had started to read the Bible, which he previously found very difficult to read. I was both surprised and delighted with this unexpected opening. I pray I will be able to use this opening to help him get to know Jesus.

“At the Habitation service, I asked the Lord what our need was. He brought to mind the need to get braces for our oldest son. He has needed braces for three years, but we never had the means to get them. About a month ago, the dentist said we really could not wait. Our son’s teeth were coming in sideways and he would soon begin having serious problems with his mouth. They told us it would cost $2350 to pay for the braces. I felt defeated. I told God that I needed Him to step up, that we just couldn't do anymore than what we were and there was absolutely no extra money right now. My husband works forty hours a week and does lawn work all day Saturdays and some weeknights so that we can pay our bills. He is facing a possible job layoff in the very near future. 

When they asked f or those with needs over $2000 to stand, I did not want to stand. I wasn’t expecting this, I wasn’t prepared, I wasn’t even dressed nicely and my hair was a mess. I sat there for a minute and decided I had better do what God wanted me to do. I stood up and started to cry. 

Next thing I knew, people from everywhere are putting money in my hand. I had a fist full of cash and checks. By the end of the night, I had received $2303! When I got home, I told my husband what had happened and then we both told my son. I told my son that God is blessing his mouth and that he will use it to testify of God's goodness in his life, too. People are floored when I tell what God has done for me, none more so than my own family. I called my parents to share with them what God had done and my dad started crying. This has boosted my faith at a time I really needed God to show up in my life.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to OVERCOME!

A woman who attended the last Habitation service was on disability. The doctor had told her of a medical device she could have implanted that would allow her to get off disability, but it cost $4500 and she could not afford it. She had an appointment to go to the doctor on Tuesday to be fitted for the device but knew she would have to cancel the appointment if she did not have the money to pay for the device by then. She told the elder of her need, and he said that the elders would pray about it. The next day, the elders received an email that they would soon receive a donation of $9000 for those with needs from Habitation. They gave that money to the woman on disability and she was able to pay for the device and get off disability.

Editor’s Note: One of the Scriptures God gave us for this Habitation service was Luke 14:13-14, “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” We were honored to be used by God to meet the need of this woman who was facing serious physical needs.

God used the Habitation services to open my eyes to the condition of my heart. Before Habitation, I thought it was impossible for me to have a relationship with my in-laws. However, as I watched the Habitation service online, God showed me how I was not loving my in-laws. I had a mental picture of the many times I was rude, cold, unloving or dishonoring of them. I realized that it wasn't what they did or said that was important, but how I reacted to offense and my thoughts afterwards. I knew I needed to forgive them.

On Monday I started my homework from Habitation. As I studied what the Bible says about love, I just could not justify my sin anymore. That day, I chose to forgive, and God set me free! The love of God was poured on me like never before and my joy was complete.

On Wednesday, I saw my mother in-law came asked for her forgiveness. I humbled myself and I was forgiven. I still have to speak with my father-in-law, but I trust God that everything will be fine if I do the right thing. Healing has come to me and my family. I am having a hard time remembering why I was angry with my in-laws. My heart has been transformed, and I'm having a great time with God. All glory be to God for his unfailing love and grace. What a miracle He did in my life!

I am having a hard time writing this because there is so much to say and the words are so inadequate! At the Habitation service, when I asked the Lord what my need was, I knew it was my car. My car had over 200,000 miles on it and was in such bad shape that I didn’t know if it would make it another inch. For the past month, every time I stopped, the engine would cut out. I had to put it in second gear to get it to putt forward after a stop. I was trusting the Lord to sustain me and kept quoting Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But I will remember the name of the Lord my God.”

When one of the elders told me they had a car for me, I couldn’t believe it. I had asked the Lord to keep my car running, and He gave me another one. When I got in my new car and drove home, it was amazing. I drove without having to put my car into park every time I came to a stop, without having to turn off my air conditioner every time I came to a stop and without having to recite scripture over my car just to get in it (although that's always a good idea!). It’s fabulous! I am speechless.

My work place is a mission field. I have worked there for four years and many people know of my faith in God. Today was my last day there. When I gave my two weeks notice, I told the Lord I wanted to go out with a bang. I wanted Him exalted in a new way so that many would be stirred by the greatness of our God. The Lord used these last two weeks to make it known that I was trusting Him for a car. Today, my last day, I got to go in and tell my coworkers that God gave me a new car! FABULOUS! You should have been there. You gave so much more than a car. I am overwhelmed. Thank you so much!

I was so blessed by the Habitation service. My husband has been out of work for some time, and it has put a lot of stress on us. We were behind on of all of our bills, two mortgage payments, car payments, electric, phone, everything. My husband and son had an event the evening of Habitation, so I went to the service alone. It was hard for me to come alone, since I only know two or three people at the church, but I went ahead and obeyed what God wanted me to do. That night, I was blessed with $1229!!! God is so good! Through what happened at Habitation, I felt such an incredible sense of God's love on me. I just cried and cried there and all the way home. When I got home and told my son and husband what had happened, they both cried. We prayed over the gifts people gave us and prayed that those people would be blessed over and above they ever could ask or think! My husband was in shock. He felt God’s love for him like never before. It was huge to us and I praise God for it!!! We thank Gateway so much for the blessing that was poured out to us! God’s hand is definitely on this church!

Last week, I received my paycheck and realized that I had did not have enough money to pay one of my major bills. I did not know anything else I could do to earn money. I was very upset and crying, but as I prayed about it, God told me not to worry, that He always provides, and He was going to provide for me.

I was working in the children’s ministry on the night of Habitation, and when the service ended, a single mother came to the door. As she picked up her child, she called me over and handed me a bill. I thanked her and put the bill in my pocket. I didn't look how much it was, but I felt very blessed. I knew it was a sacrifice for her.

A few moments later, a woman and her husband who didn't have children with them approached me and asked me to come to the door. The woman told me that God had showed her my face and said to find me, and that this money was specifically for me. They told me that God wanted me to know that He provides. I immediately started crying, because I knew God was showing me that He was providing and that He cared. Then another woman came and left a twenty dollar bill on the door for each of the workers in the room. I was so overwhelmed with joy and love and just thanked God so much for caring for all my needs.

When I added the money up that I had received, I realized that it was the exact amount of the one bill that I was unable to pay. It was such a huge blessing. We have such an amazing church! I was so blessed. Thank you so much! I really hope everyone knows how much they blessed one of the nursery workers.

While I was growing up, my mother and I did not have a typical mother-son relationship. My grandmother raised me for most of my childhood. During my teen years, I lived with relatives or friends. I would see my mom occasionally, but even through college and medical school, I really didn’t have a relationship with her. When I became a Christian, I went through ministry and received a lot of healing from the hurts of my past. I forgave my mom, but nothing changed in our relationship.

One day, an elder at our church encouraged me to find someone that I felt was hard to love and show them the love of Christ. Although I did not feel it was hard to love my mom, I knew I needed to do a better job of showing my love to her. My mom lives several hundred miles away from me, so I decided to call her every day for one month. I told her of my commitment to call her on the first day. I will admit that the first several phone calls were rather awkward. For quite awhile, it was challenging to come up with things to talk about. However, by the end of the month we were engaging in meaningful conversations. We had begun to understand each other’s likes and dislikes and were genuinely interested in each other’s days. We actually looked forward to our conversations with each other!

When my mother finally began to see my love through my actions, our relationship began to change. In the year-and-a-half since the thirty days of phone calls, I have continued to show love to my mom and today, our relationship is better than ever. One of the best parts of this testimony is how my mother’s life has changed during this time. A year ago, she would hardly go out in public places because of her fear of people and crowds. She recently came and stayed with my wife and me for three nights, something we have been asking her to do for years. Also, my mom had tried to stop smoking for years. Soon after the month of calls, she quit and just celebrated her one-year stopping date. She visited us a couple weeks ago, and we took her to church. The sermon was about love and as we discussed the sermon on the way home, she said that for the first time in her life, as far as she can remember, she told God that she loved Him! God is really doing amazing things in her life.

Everything that has happened in my relationship with my mom has been a great encouragement to me and to other people in our life. It has created a desire and vision for us to build love into all our relationships. If we allow the love of God to flow through us He will change us and He will change those around us. He is God! And He is always good!

At the Habitation service, I felt that God told me an amount we were supposed to give. I asked my husband what he thought and he said the same number. I started writing out the check when my husband leaned over and said, “Leave the name blank.” I was a little confused, but right then Pastor Robert said, “You may not know the name of who you are to give money to, but if you need to write a check you can do so and just leave the name blank.” I handed the check to my husband, and he sat there for 10-15 minutes just looking around the Auditorium. Suddenly, he pointed out a gentleman and asked if I knew who he was. I did, so I told him his name and that he was a Seabee. My husband jumped out of his seat and went over to give him the check. Later, my husband told me that as he prayed about who to give the check to, all he could hear was, “Brother.” My husband does not have any earthly brothers and does not call people in the church “brother.” The closest brotherhood he has ever had was when he served in the Seabees. So when I said that the man was in the Seabees, my husband knew exactly who to give the check to. He told me he gave him everything in his wallet as well. We later found out that the gentleman we gave the money to was out of work. It was my birthday last night, and it was the most special night of my entire life.  

Gateway Church, I just wanted to say thank you for your church and for the blessing that you extended to me at the Habitation service. I was in town visiting my family when my sister brought me to Gateway for “God’s Party.” Your church family helped me pay an immediate debt of $1000. I am so grateful to God for His faithfulness to me, and so thankful you were obedient to give as He led. God is truly in your church body. His presence was so evident in the worship and in the heart of His people. You displayed the hand of the Lord. Thank you again and the Lord bless all of you.

My husband was out of town for the third Habitation service, and I wasn’t sure what to give. I prayed, “Lord, what do you want us to give tonight?” and was surprised when I heard the Lord say, “I want you to give your husband’s shoes.” My husband is a professional athlete and wears size 15 shoes, so I couldn’t imagine who could need or wear them. I said, “Lord, we can give money. Are you sure you want us to give shoes?”

About that time, a woman came on stage to give a testimony. She shared how she and her boys were victims of Hurricane Katrina and had come to Dallas with nothing but the clothes on their backs. As she told how she had been blessed that night, I knew I was supposed to give the shoes to her sons. As she stepped down from the stage, I introduced myself and said, “I know this sounds crazy, but I feel like I am supposed to give my husband’s shoes to your boys.” She said, “My boys wear size 15 shoes.” That was the exact size of the shoes I was giving!

We sent many pairs of shoes, some still in the box, and some new clothes my husband had. My sister works for a professional sports team and when she told the story about the shoes to one of the players, he gave her some brand new clothes and shoes of his (size 16, for when the boys outgrew the size 15 shoes). In the end, the boys had more clothes and shoes than they could use and decided to share them with their friends at school, telling them the story of how God had provided for them.

After the first Habitation service, I began to declare every day, “I choose to love God, my neighbor and myself.” I am a nurse, and three years ago, I reported an unsafe practice of a certain doctor. Since then, the doctor has refused to speak to me or allow me to care for his patients. I continued to be nice, but have not worked with him at his request.

Less than a week after the first Habitation service, I was taking care of a patient when, to my surprise, this doctor came into the room to examine the patient. I was friendly as I assisted, but said little. I expected the doctor to request another nurse, as he had several times before. As we worked the rest of the shift together, he said nothing about replacing me. At the end of the night, the doctor hugged me and thanked me for my help. I could not believe it. It was a huge miracle!

As I have chosen to love God, my neighbor and myself every day, it is like the spiritual atmosphere around me has changed. I have asked God to let me see people through His eyes and, as I have walked in love, walls have been broken down in my relationship with others. The atmosphere of our office has even changed. Even more importantly, God has changed me. I give all the glory to Him.

As one couple prayed about the amount to give at the third Habitation service, the husband felt God was telling him to give $1000, a large amount for them. He asked his wife, “What number did you get?” She said, “$1000. What number did you get?” He said, “$500.” $1000 was a lot of money for them. They gave $500. As they picked up their children from the nursery, the husband saw a woman working in the classroom. He remembered how God had told him $1000 and knew he had to give her the rest of that amount. He stopped her and explained that he felt God wanted him to give her something and wrote her a check for $500. The woman had been going through a difficult time and was very grateful for the couple’s generosity. As she was driving home, she cried and thanked the Lord for the gift. She knew God had given her the money for a specific purpose, but she wasn’t sure what that purpose was. As she left her house on the following Wednesday, she saw she had a flat tire. When she went to get the tire changed, they discovered she had steel showing through on the other three tires and needed to have them replaced as well. The total cost to replace all of them was $450—exactly what she had left after giving her tithe for the money she had received!

About three weeks ago, I was nine weeks pregnant and so sick that I couldn’t even get out of bed. I was vomiting 15–20 times a day and became so dehydrated that I had to go to the hospital for an IV to receive hydration. That Tuesday, my husband asked everyone in our life group to pray for my healing. I was not there because I was so sick. Steve Dulin shared a word that by the next Tuesday, plus or minus two days, I would be healed. By Saturday, I was doing even worse. My husband and I called Steve and his wife, Melody, and asked them to pray about why I was so sick. They prayed against a spirit of fear and again encouraged me that by next Tuesday, I would be healed. Later that night, I was on the floor in the bathroom and could not take it anymore. I prayed, “God, I hate this—not just the sickness, but this fear. I am tired of it attacking me and I want it to go. What else do I have to do?” The Lord said to me, “Will you believe?” Immediately, I knew why the fear would not leave—I had not believed, truly believed, that God would heal me. My husband and I repented of our unbelief and told God we would believe. By the next morning, I was completely healed. I give all praise to God!

Several years ago, I strongly felt the Lord was calling my family to move to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The night before we were set to leave, my dad said, “Go ahead and move. It is absolutely the wrong decision and you will fail. When it occurs to you that you are wrong and you decide to move back, do not call me. In fact, do not ever ask for another thing from me for the rest of your life.” I was very hurt, but I did what I had always done—buried it as deep as I could and just tried not to think about it.

After our move, I began to think more about the confrontation with my dad. The more I dwelt on what happened and what he said, the angrier I became. This began to negatively affect many areas and relationships in my life. I harbored these emotions and feelings for years and they wore on me daily. Then I was challenged at the Habitation service to love someone “unlovable.” I knew I needed to love my dad and allow God to bring restoration to our relationship.

I did not know how or what to do, so I prayed for my dad and asked the Holy Spirit to show me how to begin to love him. My heart began to change and hurts began to be healed. One day, the Holy Spirit told me that I was to plan to spend an entire day with my dad, just the two of us. My dad and I had never spent that much time together. I obeyed the instruction and God moved mightily that day. My dad told me how much he loved me and how proud he was of me. Then he asked if I remembered the conversation we had the day I moved to Dallas. He began to weep and say over and over how sorry he was for saying such hurtful things to me. He asked for my forgiveness and I asked for his. God, by the power of love, healed years of hurt in us both.

At the first Habitation service, Steve Dulin said that miracles would happen through our obedience to God in loving people who were difficult to love. Well, I have a major praise report of a miracle that happened when God helped me love someone in my life.

I have a friend who is married with several children. He has been laid off a couple of times, leaving his family in a difficult financial situation for the past five years. My wife and I have been pleased to help them out, but after supporting them financially with thousands of dollars over five years, I was really worn down emotionally. A few days after the Habitation service, I talked to my friend. Once again, he was in a very serious financial situation. At the Habitation service, I had specifically prayed for God to show me someone in my life who was hard to love and then help me love them. As I was wrestling with this family’s urgent need, the Holy Spirit said, “You are exhausted with supporting this family. Who could be more difficult for you to love right now?” I said, “You’re right, I'll do it.”

I sent my friend a check for $1,100. The next day, I talked to a friend about this family’s situation and their desperate need for a solid job for the father. My friend said, “I have a friend who is a recruiter at a large software company. Do you want me to try to get your friend an interview?” I said that would be great and provided my friend’s resumé.

My friend had an interview confirmed with the company by the end of the day. When he arrived at the interview, the hiring manager said, “I don’t want to see your resumé. I have asked around about you and you come with such high recommendations, I am telling you that you will have an offer letter as fast as Human Resources can get it to you. I hope you will consider this position.”

My friend started the job the very next week! At his last job, he made $28,000. At this job, he is making $86,000 with stock options and healthcare for him, his wife and his kids. The job also started on the last day required in order for him to receive a paycheck at the end of the month.

I praise God that He gave us someone to love and told us what to do. When we obeyed, it broke some things in us and taught us to rely on God and obey even when it is difficult. I praise God for using this to transform the faith of my wife, my children and me. I know that He transformed the lives of my friend’s family, forever.