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How to Make This THE Year You Win

Drenda Keesee • Feb 13, 2019

She took me over to her dresser and opened the top drawer.

I was shocked at what I saw.

I once knew an elderly lady who lived through the very tough times of the Great Depression. I would often see her wearing a pair of tattered gloves. I wanted to bless her, so I bought her a new pair of gloves and went to visit with her.

She opened my gift and thanked me. Then she took me over to her dresser and opened the top drawer. I was shocked at what I saw.

Inside the drawer lay SIX other pairs of brand-new gloves. SIX!

She laid the pair I had just given her alongside the other six and closed the drawer.

I couldn’t believe it. She was wearing an old, tattered pair of gloves and not using or enjoying any of those new gloves because she just couldn’t. Her mind was STUCK. Her fear of not having enough had led her to hold onto nearly everything too tightly, even if it meant having six brand-new pairs of gloves sitting in a dresser drawer. She had developed a wrong pattern of thinking and acting that was holding her back in life.

Friend, just like that pair of gloves, God wants to give YOU good gifts. He wants to promote you. He wants you to win in life.

So, what’s holding you back?

What behaviors, habits, and old patterns of thinking and acting are holding you back from being the best you can be and living the life God wants for you?

That’s way too intimidating.

I’m too old.

I don’t have enough money.

I’ve made too many mistakes.

I don’t have the right experience to take that on.

Have you said any of those things to yourself? If you’re like most people, you have. Or maybe you’ve been telling yourself that you’re too young, or too shy, or don’t have the talent, or that you just don’t have what it takes.

I’ve been there. Throughout my life, I’ve had all sorts of reasons not to move forward with the things God was calling me to do. In fact, at one time or another, I’ve probably told myself every one of the reasons I just gave you.

But most of those reasons were really just excuses I kept giving myself because I was afraid . Like the elderly woman with the six pairs of brand-new gloves tucked away in a drawer, I was the one holding myself back with my thoughts. I was the one keeping myself from doing what I wanted to do in life. And I was the one keeping myself from doing what God had called me to do.

Friend, is that you?

Of course, we sometimes need to be patient with our aspirations, but most of the time our problem isn’t that we’re trying to move things ahead too quickly but that, at some point, we adapted to cope with negative situations in life and then we parked there, or we got stuck in that rut .

Second Corinthians 10:4-5 say, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

A stronghold is something you’ve believed for so long that it becomes truth in your life. It becomes the truth even if it’s really a lie.

And if you allow yourself to believe a lie, it might as well be the truth.

Because if you believe something is too intimidating, it will be. If you believe you’re too old, or too young, or too inexperienced, then that’s exactly what you’ll project. If you believe you can’t do something, you’re probably not even going to try to do it.

Moses was a perfect example of this. When God called him to become a great leader in Exodus , we see that Moses had allowed himself to believe lies that were clearly holding him back.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” — Exodus 3:11

Who am I that I should take this on, God?… I’m a nobody… I don’t have what it takes .

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, “The Lord did not appear to you”? —Exodus 4:1

Why would they listen to me ?…   No one listens to me… I’m not a leader.

What’s holding you back from the position—the promotion —God is calling you to?

Believe me, friend, Gary and I know what it’s like to face things that are intimidating and seem so much bigger than you. We even know what it’s like to want to run away!

You probably know some of our story, but years ago, Gary and I lived in poverty .

We went to a church that taught us how God loves us and that He has great things planned for our lives, but we weren’t living it. We weren’t experiencing God’s promises in our lives.

We were barely surviving. All seven of us were living in a small, broken-down, 1800s farmhouse, complete with weeds growing through the broken windowpanes. Our cars were broken-down, too—with bent frames, rusted out floorboards, and mileage at more than 200,000 on each of them.

We had also racked up ten maxed out credit cards, three finance company loans at interest rates of 28%, more than $13,000 owed in back taxes, more than $26,000 owed to relatives, and we had judgments and liens filed against us.

We lived like that for NINE very long years!

Gary was sick during those days too. He was anxious and fearful and miserable. Doctors put him on medication to deal with the panic attacks he was having, but that only seemed to make things worse. Fear consumed his life. It even got to the point where he didn’t want to leave the house. You can imagine how well that worked for his sales business and our marriage.

One day, Gary cried out to God in desperation, and God said, “Take the time to learn how my Kingdom operates.”

We started really learning about the Kingdom of God, and, from that point on, our lives drastically changed.

In less than three years from that day, we were completely out of debt. We went on to start several companies and give hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kingdom projects over the years. We can tell you story after story of how our lives were completely transformed after we learned about the principles of the Kingdom of God and how to apply them.

Ever since then, Gary and I have been sharing our story and the stories of others who have come to understand how the Kingdom works and have seen incredible things happen in their lives as a result.

We want the same for YOU; we want YOU to have story after story of how your life has been transformed by the Kingdom! We want to help you win!

That’s where Team Revolution comes in.

What is Team Revolution ?

Team Revolution is a unique partnership program designed specifically to mentor you to freedom and toward success in the areas that are important in your life, like faith, family, marriage, business, and finances.

Friend, Team Revolution isn’t just about helping you take the next step in a career ; we want to help make this the year you win in every area of your life.

What are you waiting for?

Make the decision RIGHT NOW to make this YOUR YEAR.

Join us as a Team Revolution partner.

 

 

By Drenda Keesee 14 Feb, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 59 secs – A stuffed toy laid in the road at the scene of the accident. As we passed, the Lord spoke to me, “ Okay, this is your last warning. Are you going to continue this? You know you are opening the door to the enemy.” Gary and I had had a disagreement just before we had left the house for our family road trip. And there we were six hours in and we’d barely said a word to one another. Six hours. You think driving from Ohio to Tennessee is a long stretch of highway? Try doing it while giving someone the silent treatment. One word: torture. Then we passed the accident. Gary and I both felt the same conviction when we passed it, especially because it clearly involved children. But... pride. We knew what we were doing wasn’t good. (What kind of example is it to your children to ignore each other?) But neither of us wanted to lay down our pride. I kept hearing the voice of the Lord, and I’d think, No, I’m not going to fix this thing, because then I’ll have to talk to him. It was almost a competition to see who could hold our grudge for the longest. But strife is dangerous stuff. What is strife? Drama, conflict, friction, disagreement, bickering, arguing, bad blood, disputes… whichever words you use to describe it, it’s dangerous. Whether it’s between you and your spouse, you and your child, you and a friend, you and a family member, or you and a coworker, you don’t want to let strife remain in your life. The Bible says that where there is strife, there is confusion and there is every evil work (James 3:16). Our small argument between Gary and I had gone unchecked and had escalated, and neither one of us were listening to the voice of the Lord. And there were consequences for our strife and outright disobedience. About an hour after we passed the accident, a car pulled out in front of our vehicle, and we were in what could have been a very serious car accident. I started yelling the name of Jesus, and God supernaturally protected our entire family. Initially, it looked as though there were going to be serious issues. They told us our son’s spleen might rupture. I was pregnant, and the doctors worried that I might lose the baby. Through all of these things, we stood on the Word of God, and we all came out unharmed, including the young preacher’s son who had pulled out in front of us (he was in disobedience at that moment too). Even in the midst of this difficult situation, through our prayers, standing on God’s Word, and our children’s words to the medical personnel, we had opportunities to minister and impact the little county hospital we had to visit. The enemy tried to take us out, but he lost. We were responsible for opening the door to the enemy. But the name of Jesus is more powerful than our mistakes and circumstances, and that is what kept us protected. You MUST stay on guard and not allow strife in your life, with anyone. How? Here are just three quick tips: Bite your tongue. You don’t have to say everything you think. Don’t lash out or give the silent treatment. Work on communicating with others in a healthy way. Repent quickly and forgive quickly. Take responsibility; admit when you’re wrong. Say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness. Don’t hold onto hurts. Forgive as you’ve been forgiven by Jesus.
By Faith Life Now 10 Jan, 2024
Reading Time 4 mins 7 secs – Are you saved? Have you forgotten how that happened? Think about it. Did someone preach hellfire and brimstone to you, or did someone show you they loved you? Did they hand you a Bible and send you on your way, or did they spend some time with you? Did their example make you want to run or make you want what they had? Which of these people are YOU for other people? It’s easy to forget that WE have what the world needs. It’s easy to get focused on ourselves, on our busy lives, and on just doing life and church. It’s very easy to forget what we’re here for. As “The Church,” we’re called to live lives of worship and of service and to show Jesus to others. We were made to glorify God, know Him, be involved with others in the church, and to go out into the lost and dying world, sharing the love of Jesus, and making a difference. I talk about “marketplace ministry” often, because God didn’t create everyone to work and do ministry in a literal church building. No, He created each of us to minister to others in the marketplace—in places like our jobs, our businesses, our neighborhoods, and our schools. Look at Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus is talking to His disciples. He had spent three and a half years investing in their lives, and He had something important to say. He told them to GO and make disciples of all the nations. He told them to reach OUT. That’s the same directive you have as a modern-day disciple of Jesus. That makes a lot of Christians uncomfortable. After all, we’re not all evangelists, right? Studies tell us that only 2-3% of the body of Christ are actually evangelists. And the Bible only mentions it twice. So, most of us aren’t evangelists. But there is a difference between a gift and a role . The gift of an evangelist is a gift from God where you’re anointed to be and do something, but we’re ALL called to fulfill the role of evangelism. So, how do we do it? How do we avoid all the uncomfortable, awkward moments? It’s very simple. You invest your time and you invite . Invest your time in people. Spend time with them. Invite them to have a cookout or get coffee. Invite them to come to church. Invite them to join a small group. Invite them to meet you at the playground with their kids or to bring their kids to VBS at your church. Investing in someone else takes intentionality and effort. We’ve got to invest some time in people’s lives. Sure, cold turkey evangelism works some of the time, but what works ALL of the time is when people find genuine love and concern. Think about it. What might happen if you began to invest in those relationships that you already have and reach the people you already know? What might happen if you started to really pay attention to the people where you live, shop, play, and eat? When was the last time you invited someone to church? When was the last time you sat down with someone that doesn’t go to church and had a coffee and mentioned God? Do you even know anyone who doesn’t go to church? (Are you starting to sweat?) Friend, we HAVE to show people that they matter, and we HAVE to show people that we’re normal. We’re here building families, doing life, and overcoming struggles by the grace of God, and people need to see it. Otherwise, they’re completely entitled to think Christians are weird. Seriously. Most people out there in the world think that we’re nuts. They think we don’t have any answers. There’s usually one quack “Christian” out there at their school, their job, or in their family—somebody that’s crazy, that doesn’t honor God, or love people—and that’s the only example they’ve seen. The world needs to see Jesus. The woman at the well knew this. After she talked to Jesus, she went back to the city and told the men to come and see the man who told her everything she ever did. She told the guys, and they headed to see Jesus. At the same time, the disciples were talking to Jesus. He told the disciples to lift up their eyes and look because the harvest was white right now. It was ready, and He wanted them to stop waiting. Right then, a flood of men with white turbans on their heads was coming out of the city. They were coming to see Jesus. They were the harvest. But they were Samaritans—they didn’t get along with the Jews. The disciples saw them as problems. Who do you see as a problem? See, too often, we’re blind to the harvest. That’s why Jesus said, “ Lift up your eyes. ” Don’t live blind to the harvest, or focused on yourself, or too busy, or just “doing” church. Lift up your eyes. SEE the overlooked, underappreciated, hurting, rejected people around you. And get busy investing and inviting.
By Gary Keesee 12 Dec, 2023
Reading Time 3 mins 51 secs – When was the last time you failed at something? Was it something small or something big? Was it fun? Of course, it wasn’t. Failure is never fun. Here’s the thing: it’s not just a cliché to say you can always learn from failure. It’s true. In fact, having a proper understanding of failure is vital to your success. I’m sure you’re familiar with the Honda Corporation. Honda has a proper understanding of failure. I read that their engineers spend 95% of their time studying their failures—why the lawn mower wouldn’t start the first time or why the gas mileage is higher on their new car model than on the old one. Why? Because they know that their success lies in those failures. You have to look at failures the same way. We’re all going to make mistakes. Most of us come into God’s Kingdom, and we don’t know how to live life, so we fail. And the enemy loves to pervert our failures. He wants us to hesitate in moving forward, so he tries to get us to rehearse our failures over and over again, or he paints a vivid picture of the risks. He tells us that our failures are permanent. And, all too often, we believe him. Then, we stop. We don’t move forward because we’re afraid we’ll fail again. Or the enemy has another tactic—blaming the failure on God . That’s one of his favorites. Why? Because it makes us question God. The enemy used this tactic on Joshua. In Joshua 1, Moses died and God put Joshua in charge. Joshua led the people to Jericho, and the walls came down. Things were working just like God had said… until chapter 7. That’s where failure happened. There was a guy named Achan in chapter 7. Achan had stolen some of the spoils from battle, and Joshua had no clue. Unaware of Achan’s failure to follow God’s instructions, Joshua sent men on to the next battle at Ai only to see his men killed. Everyone has a chapter 7. We’ve all had those moments when we begin to follow Christ, and something happens that doesn’t match the picture, or the promise, in the Bible or what we know God has said. And if we don’t understand how to deal with failure, those moments may make us lose our courage. We might hesitate, or we might set up camp and never try again, or we might just try to run back to Egypt. So, we have to understand failure and how to deal with it. Joshua had to learn. At first, like we all do, Joshua reacted . The enemy’s plan to have him blame God worked. Joshua questioned God. Ever done that before? Ever blamed God or questioned Him? We all have. But God wasn’t having it. He told Joshua to GET UP! See, people say that they wish Jesus would just show up. Trust me, you DON’T want that. Jesus isn’t going to show up and say, “Let’s have a group hug.” When the disciples freaked out that they were going to drown in the storm at sea, Jesus didn’t get up and coddle and comfort them. No, Jesus said, “Where is your faith?” In the same way, He’s probably not going to baby you if you experience failure. He’s going to say, “GET UP! Have you not read MY WORD? I already paid the price!” He will correct you. That’s exactly what God did to Joshua. He told him to get up . Then, He told Joshua exactly what had happened. See, the failure wasn’t just on Achan’s part. It was also on Joshua’s. Joshua hadn’t sought instruction from God before he engaged Ai. If he had, God could have told him about Achan before they went to battle. Instead, Joshua just assumed . You can NEVER assume things in the Kingdom. You can’t do anything based on your past victories. The enemy is already wise to them, and he’s already changed strategies. You don’t have to fail. If you go to God first, failure doesn’t have to happen. But even if you do fail, there are steps you can take to overcome the failure and move forward: 1. Ask God what happened. If the Word says it, it’s God’s will. There are a lot of variables—things like unbelief and wrong expectations—that mess with the heart and can short-circuit faith. If it didn’t happen, you need to ask God why. 2. Pinpoint the short circuit. Know who, what, why, when, where, and how so it doesn’t happen again. 3. Ask God how to fix it. 4. Get the plan from Him on how to restore the loss. 5. GET UP and take action. Sure, you’ll probably feel afraid. Ignore your feelings. God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. You will have to be too. You can feel afraid, but don’t act like it. Remember, if you’re not doing the hardest thing in your life, you’re not growing. God has already prepared a way for you to go and succeed in a big way. Be confident and let the Holy Spirit teach you, train you, and reveal unique strategies to you. Keep your vision in front of your face. Write it down! Believe it’s possible; otherwise, you’re destined to stay right where you are. God wants to advance His Kingdom in the earth through you. He’s depending on you to overcome failure and take territory for Him.
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