Dear Friends,

Have you ever watched how Formula One racing car drivers cut in on one another during a race? That is what they do to win the race! They overtake and then cut in front of the car they have overtaken, so that the driver they have cut in on doesn't do the same to them, for as long as they can possibly hold them off. They weave all over the race track, trying to stop each other from cutting in on one another.

We have an adversary that likes to do that to us. Whether he uses people or "things", he will try to find a way to "cut in on your race" with God. He is the devil and any way he can make you think that God's race is not going to work for you, he will. He will bring discouragement into your life, and pull your faith down and before you know it, you are in another race on another road, but it isn't the race or road that qualifies you for God's prize. It isn't God's race or God's road that you find yourself on!

Paul puts it like this in Gal 5:7-8: "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? (8) That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you."

Maybe last year you were running a good race in the race of life and then somehow, somewhere, someone or something, cut in on you and you stopped running the race. You might have become distracted with work, relationships that let you down, discouraged or feeling that God has let you down, even though you know might have heard or know that the scriptures teach us that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

Sometimes the words of scripture become a distant memory and the power and impact of its words of wisdom get lost in the midst of our "moment" of losing our way. Whatever it might have been, it stopped your and sidetracked you so much that you stopped running God's race, you took your eye off the goal which is Christ and started running a race in your own strength.

Maybe you have been on a road of discouragement about Christianity for some time now and feel that you cannot be close to GOD if you happen to be gay or lesbian. Perhaps people from the Church have hurt you so badly that you cannot see a God who loves you with an unconditional love?

Or, maybe you are someone that was a key leader, or in key ministry for years, or years ago in your church and you stopped running the race because you thought you couldn't carry on especially if you are a LGBTI person.

You might be a committed Christian that this has happened to, but without realizing it, little by little your faith, fire and passion for GOD has ebbed away as you have let negativity creep into your faith and walk. The devil is a liar and a counterfeit.

If I am speaking to you, get back in the race quickly, don't delay, God needs you!

It doesn't matter what people think, what matters is what GOD thinks.

You have value in the Kingdom and God is going to do great things this year, but God needs you and me to be the vessels. It is no matter that you might be a broken vessels but merely that you are still running the race allowing God to use you to make a difference, because you are a willing vessel.

In 1 Cor 9:24, Paul says that we must run the race in such a way as to get the prize. What is the prize a crown of glory, don't need to compete for it, everyone who finishes gets the prize!

I want to finish the race that I started in Christ. To do that I must run it GOD's way, submitting to God's will for my life. The devil tried to cut in on me a few times, being a pastor is no exception! But you have to believe God's voice and promises not what the devil is saying.

Let's run this race in 2010 that God has for each of us, together. Remember it is not just about starting the race but finishing well.

Don't let anyone cut in on your race in 2010 and make sure you are in the right race on the right road, leading to victory! It is not a time for new year's resolutions, those are made in our own strength and carnality.

It is a time to surrender to GOD in totality and walk authentically as GOD created you to be and who GOD created you to be in your faith walk.

Surrender means we don't "go it alone" or think we can manage without GOD, it means more than ever we rely in and trust GOD with and in everything, seeking to please GOD in all we do.

Running the race in "such a way" as to get prize; means this is a race where righteous and holiness reign. We can only be holy & righteous through the power of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, otherwise we end up being self righteous.

Run your race in 2010, so as to get the right prize! It's a prize based on love.

Blessings
Rev. Deborah Bell
Senior Pastor 
Deo Gloria Family Church 

Hi there friends,

After a friend pointed out to me this article from News24, I was again reminded of the stark reality that many LGBTI people face everyday when it comes to Christianity and being LGBTI.

Hi Friends,

In Esther 4:14, we read this: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

In the book of Esther we read about how one woman saved a nation because of her passion to see justice. She risked her life to see the Jewish nation saved from the annihilation of those that hated the Jewish people. Just one person, yet she helped to save a nation.

Perhaps many of us have been born for such a time as this.

We may come from different backgrounds, in our faith, our culture etc. but we can surely stand together with the commonality of ensuring that our very new equal rights (for GLBTI people) are not compromised by homophobic polemics, who claim too much, about the very little they think they know, about who we are.

I believe it is everyone's responsibility as gay and lesbian people, to take a stand to protect the equality in our nation, regarding GLBTI people, which is very possibly at great risk with the stance of our newly elected President, who has publicly confessed his homophobic stance in the past. Along with him, we have Pastor Ray McCauley who has his own agenda to reverse the same-sex marriage laws, among other laws that he believes "fly in the face of God".

This saddens me, because what flies in the face of God, more than anything, is when the Church places conditional love on whom is welcome and whom is not.

The Bible states clearly, that all are welcome to throne of God. John 3:16 says: "Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord may come." Acts 2:21 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

God's love is unconditional, and it is that love that changes people and nations, not human judgement.

Esther was raised up for "such a time as this". I believe that our time to stand together like never before as a holistic community of GLBTI people, represented in every aspect, has come.

Many have gone before us and paved the way, through agonising opposition whilst many of us have "reaped the benefits" of those who have previously fought for us, who changed the constitution because of their deep-rooted passion to see justice served, and who have strived for equality for our community.

But it is a new season now, and those of us that have stood in the sidelines for so long, must move from the sidelines to the stand in the front line together now.

Unity and solidarity has much more strength and power than staying invisible and thinking we are making a contribution by simply being in agreement.

You don't have to be an activist, but all of us can be active in supporting our "right to marry". These are not "special" rights, but rights that any human being should have the choice to make, with the person that they choose to spend the rest of their life with.

Anything less is discrimination, bred out of ignorance and homophobia.

The time has come for us to stand up and be counted. Don't remain silent any longer, come out of the toxic closets of shame and let your voices be heard.

Let's join hands and do this together. After all, who will we blame when we no longer have marriage rights, or no longer have the protection of the constitution? This would be a travesty of justice.

Keep your eyes on what is happening and get involved on some level and make a difference in helping by standing up for who you are in Christ as a gay or lesbian person.

We cannot go back into the 19th century.  We need some "Esthers" to arise and take a risk or two for our community, and our right to freedom.

Here are some groups on Facebook that you could join as a start:

Deo Gloria Family Church (Facebook group)
(PICSA) Progressive Interfaith Coalition of South Africa (Facebook group)
SA GLAAD (Facebook group) or visit the SA GLAAD Web Site

Blessings and Regards
Rev. Deborah Bell
Senior Pastor - Deo Gloria Family Church