MIAMI (FBC)—Jessica Rogers, 28, nearly wrecked her car on the way to the Women’s Winter Gathering held at Wayside Baptist Church in Miami, Jan. 8.

Though she had only recently come to know Christ, Rogers said she was aware of the spiritual warfare that nearly kept her from this opportunity for spiritual growth.

“The devil will distract you any way he can,” she said. “Today he was trying to keep me from being (spiritually) fed.”

Worshipping alongside 124 women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds was an experience of “Christian sisterhood” Rogers noted cannot be accomplished on her own at home.

“The fellowship here is filled with the Spirit,” Rogers said of the Miami gathering. The meeting was the first of three one-day events highlighting the theme, “Amazed in His Presence,” based on Hebrews 11:3.

The scriptural truths of the Matthew 10:16 message delivered by keynote speaker Olivia Cloud gave Rogers added insight to her morning’s near-disaster. The message elaborated on the Biblical parallel of Christians as sheep among wolves.

“Salvation is free, but discipleship is costly,” Cloud, director of publishing for the Sunday School Board of the National Baptist Convention, told the women.

“People think joining a church means you will have a wonderful life, but the truth is as soon as one starts truly living for God, things get difficult.”

Cloud used biblical examples of the cost of discipleship to remind the women of their Christian commitment.

Comparing persecutors of the early church, Pharisees and other “wolves” of biblical times with the symbolic “wolves” of today, she identified depression, substance abuse, and “Gospel haters” as modern tools used in spiritual warfare to enslave and deceive God’s children.

When Jesus sent His disciples to share the message of salvation He knew they were entering an unfriendly world, Cloud assured the women. She encouraged them to take comfort in the promise of Christ’s company through the journey despite the difficult path.

“You will have problems, but He will be with you. He will protect and provide,” she said.

Suggesting there is a greater advantage to being with Christ while among wolves than in an ideal scenario without Him, Cloud challenged the women to stand firm in their faith.

She discussed the journey of the Christian life, comparing periods of waiting on God’s deliverance to an ellipsis, the punctuation mark indicating a pause or a jump from one topic to another.

“The ellipsis of life is the part of our faith journey where you are waiting,” she said. “God has taught me that living in the ellipsis is a time to get our attention and learn to trust Him.”

Comfort Chevannes, 30, a member of Christway Baptist Church, Miramar, attended the gathering for the first time. She said she enjoyed the honesty of the keynote speaker.

“The issues that Olivia Cloud addressed touched on the realities of life,” Chevannes said. “She reminded us (God is) our source, of the importance in sharing our experiences with others, and how to deal with the issues we face as Christian women.”

Lynda Bell, a member of New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Homestead, found the break-out times to be equally helpful. “The speakers grabbed me and took me right into the presence of God,” said Bells, Homestead vice-mayor.

As a wife, mother and politician, the opportunity to fuel her faith through this event was a blessing she said she is anxious to share.

“It is good to walk away so refreshed and recharged and (spiritually) healthy enough to turn around and be a blessing to others. The things you learn here compel you to take the scriptures you receive and look deeper into how the Word affects every walk of life.”

Break-out sessions featured topics on entering into God’s presence, daily Bible reading, knowing one’s belief and planning a mission trip.

The topics were carefully planned, said Linda Miniard, associate director of the Women’s Missions and Ministries Department.

During the planning stages of the Women’s Winter Gatherings, the state women’s ministries advisory council, the women on missions leadership team and the African-American women’s leadership team came together and prayed over topics to incorporate into the one-day events, Miniard explained.

“The session topics are relevant because they are God-driven and not a matter of personal preference,” she said.

The gatherings are planned at the beginning of the year to “offer all women in Florida Baptist churches a time of renewal and personal refreshment as they begin the new year,” Miniard added.

Other Women’s Winter Gatherings are scheduled for Jan. 22 at First Baptist Church, Niceville, and Jan. 29 at Skycrest Baptist Church in Clearwater.

Registration cost is $25. For more information or to register to attend a gathering, call 800-226-8584, ext. 3140, or e-mail abush@flbaptist.org.