Month: November 2016

GET TOGETHER- HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (THE FAR COUNTRY SURE DOES STINK)
Lu 15:13-19 “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

“But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. “Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. “And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, “and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”‘
             I will never forget the first time that the Holy Spirit spoke to me through this passage. I was on a Christian Retreat. When the Preacher that was reading this passage as a meditation was reading it I could truly hear the voice of God saying come back home boy. That day I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. That day I knew that I was no longer in the far country, but was welcomed into the Father’s House.

            Some of you reading this can remember when Jesus Christ changed your life. You remember what it was like to know that your sins were washed away and that you would no longer be living a sinful lifestyle. You were welcomed into the Kingdom of God by a Heavenly Father who loves you. 

            Some of you reading this are still in the far country. I have been there. It sounds good at first. Sexual relationships with no commitment. Partying several nights, a week. Drugs that make you feel good for a little while, before they begin to grab a hold of you. The far country sounded like the cool place to be for the prodigal son in the Parable in Luke 15. It wouldn’t turn out to be quite as grand as he thought that it would be. 

 The far country began to stink for the prodigal son. Actually it was the pig pen that began to stink. His money had run out. The people that he thought were his friends weren’t his friends anymore. That is the way that it goes in the far country. The devil may offer you a penthouse in the far country. He may even let you live in it and enjoy it for a little while. We know that there is pleasure in sin for a season. But then comes eviction from the penthouse and wallowing in the pig-pen. There is always a consequence to those sexual relationships outside of marriage between a man and a woman. You can see the consequences all over our nation. The drug use begins to take more and more of your money. Then you begin to feel less and less like working. When you go to the night clubs suddenly that person you thought was crazy about you is crazy about someone else.  

Christmas can be a real lonely time when you are in the far country. It seems like everyone else has someone that loves them. I remember the Christmas nights when either the nightclubs were closed or they had only a few other lonely patrons.  

Thank the Lord Jesus for deliverance from those lonely nights in the pig pen.

            The Bible tells us that this young man came to Himself. Here at Christ Community Fellowship we are praying for prodigals to come home for Christmas. If you are a prodigal the Lord Jesus wants you to know that He loves you and that He desires you to come out of the pig pen and return to the Father’s House. If you have a prodigal that you would like for us to pray for PM me or some of our people on Facebook and we will pray for them. You can also email me at pastorccf60@gmail.com .

            We are believing that God is going to bring the prodigals home. Not only did the Prodigal Son come to himself, but he also came to a place of repentance. He repented of his sin and he also made a decision to return to his Father’s house willing to take the lowest place. 

            If you are a prodigal ready to repent of your sin the Father stands ready to welcome you home. God loves you! If you my good friend are already at the Father’s house will you join us in praying for the prodigals to come home for Christmas. It will be the best party that they have ever attended. We will look at that next week as we pray for and expect the prodigals to be home for Christmas.
Let Us Pray

Father there are some of us reading this that only by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ were we delivered from the pig pen. Thank You so much! There are others who are still out there today. Lord we believe that time is short. We ask You today to bring them home by Christmas. Lord may they tire of smelling the pig pen. Give each a heart of repentance and help us to lovingly welcome them back in to your House.

In Jesus Name

Amen
Even a tough day at Daddy’s House is better than the best day in the big pen.

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- PRAY FOR REVIVAL 
Ec 3:1-11 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?

I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end
 It was a bright November day much like today. That day being Friday November 22nd 1963. We were taking a Civics test in Mr. Auxford’s Ninth Grade Civics class at Dora High School when the sound came over the intercom for all of the teachers to come to the office. I guess it was about ten minutes later when Mr. Auxford came back. He told us to tear our papers up. We were in the basement classroom and there were windows in the classroom. At first I thought that he might have been looking in the window to see if someone was cheating. He then told us that the President has been shot. I will never forget that moment in time.

We were dismissed from school early that day, but for those of us who rode the bus we had to wait for the buses to go to the elementary school and come back to get us. I walked down the hill and across the street to get a haircut at Mr. Bobo’s Barber Shop. I was sitting in the barber’s chair when the voice came over the small brown electric radio in the corner of the barber shop saying that President John Fitzgerald Kennedy had just died from the wounds that he received from an assassin’s bullet. 

  The nation went into a period of national mourning. The college football games and most pro games were cancelled that weekend. All our extracurricular activities at school were cancelled for several days All of the TV stations devoted their coverage to this time of National Mourning. I pray that our nation never has to endure another day like that again in its history. 

The first time that I ever heard the passage from Ecclesiastes was when we were watching the President’s Funeral on Television. I can still see the Catholic Priest reading the scripture as the President’s wife Jacqueline Kennedy and her two young children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Junior looked on at his grave in Arlington National Cemetery. 

   Our nation needs prayer in a big-time way. My hope for our nation is not in a political leader. My hope is in Jesus Christ. I pray for all of us today that we would pray for this nation to turn to Jesus Christ. My prayer is that the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will win people to Christ. That the Holy Spirit of God will help us not try to beat people, but be used to win them. 

One of my favorite verses in that passage is verse 11 ¶ “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” There is no pain, setback, or issue in our lives, or in this nation that God cannot turn the tables on the evil one and work for His glory, and our good and make it beautiful. 

He has given men and women a desire to live forever. He has put eternity in our hearts. There is only one way that a person can do that and that is through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

So, as we look to this Thanksgiving weekend. Give God thanks that we live in this country. Also, pray for the Holy Spirit to bring revival and awakening to this nation. Pray for those that disagree with you. Pray for those that blatantly hate you. And remember that He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus as we look forward to this Thanksgiving weekend we are thankful for the times that You have brought this nation through national tragedy. As Christians we pray today that those who might despise us would see Your love in us in such a powerful way that they would know that You are alive and at work right here on planet earth. We pray protection today for our current President and all of our elected officials as well as for the President Elect and all of the officials that will be taking office all across this nation in all political parties as well as Independents. Protect this nation so that the Kingdom of God can be advanced here and abroad through Your people.

In Jesus Name

Amen

 
Have a great Thanksgiving! 

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- DO GOOD!
Ga 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (NKJV)

Last week as I was working on the Get Together I had no idea what would happen late last Tuesday Night. Our dear friend, brother and Elder at this congregation Jackie Isom went home to be with Jesus. Many good words have been said about Brother Jackie since that night. As I went around town I heard people across the social strata talk about good things that he had done for them. And as I watched the people in our congregation come together last week this verse just kept coming to me. They were doing good to those in the household of faith who were hurting. Our people ministered to Sister Judy and her family. And our people also ministered to one another during this time. I am so thankful for this Body of believers. 

The Holy Spirit has been stressing to me about how we need to value our relationships with one another. We should value our relationships with our family, our congregation, our friends, other Christians and those that we are praying for to become Christians.

            The Greek term here for opportunity is Kairos. It means a favorable opportunity or occasion in view of propitious circumstances. That means circumstances that are likely to produce good results. That means as Christians that even in the most challenging times that we face the Lord gives us an opportunity to step up and to be instruments of His love and grace.

            We are called to do good to all men and women when we have the opportunity. Jesus spoke about this in Mt 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, in asmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

And then as Paul wrote to the Galatians we are to do good to those who are of the household of faith. The Greek term for household is oikeios. It means one who belongs to a particular household, or extended family. So when we use the words church family we are not just using some catchy phrase to market our brand, but we are talking about a blood bought Holy Spirit empowered people who love one another, care for one another, laugh together, cry together, pray together, suffer and go through hardships together. If you have a church family I pray that this will help you to grow closer to your church family. If you don’t have one you are welcome at Christ Community Fellowship 1685 Bexar Avenue West in Hamilton, Alabama. We are expecting God to do great and mighty things, and we desire to do good to all men and women, but especially those of the household of faith!
Let Us Pray

Lord today we pray not just for us, but for every congregation where blood bought, born again Spirit indwelt people gather. We pray that we will all do good to all men, women, and children and especially those of the household of faith. Thank you Lord Jesus for how I have seen you do it here and also in Christians in other houses as well.

In Jesus Name

            Amen
Jesus is Lord today! Jesus will be Lord tomorrow! Jesus is Lord forever and ever! Hallelujah! Amen!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- Grace For the Tongue 

 

Jas 4:11 ¶ Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (NKJV)

 

Thank God for the Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has saved those who come to Him by faith in His precious Holy Blood. For the last two years, I have done some type spiritual discipline concerning the tongue. One was a forty-day tongue fast devotional, and another was a devotional entitled Thirty Days To Tame the Tongue.

 I haven’t done one this year and I have noticed that sometimes we can take some liberties with our tongue that aren’t scriptural just because we believe that we have been saved by grace and that God will understand it. Sometimes we use prayer requests as an excuse for gossip. Sometimes we may feel like some people are so far away from God that we have been given the right to speak slanderous, or insulting words about them in some way. We may even sometimes say things about others that would hinder us from developing a relationship with them that could lead them to Christ.

I am thankful for Christians that were polite, loving and didn’t speak evil of me when I was at a time in my life where they would have had a lot of ammunition. Even when we must stand up for what we believe we are to speak in love and not speak as the world that would disagree with us would speak.

The Greek term James uses for evil is katalaleo, kat-al-al-eh’-o. It means slander. It also means to speak against. I know that James is primarily talking about not speaking evil against a brother or sister in Christ. But in 1Pe 2:1 ¶ “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking” (NKJV). We are told to lay aside all evil speaking. The Greek term here for evil speaking is katalalia, kat-al-al-ee’-ah. It means not only to slander, but also to insult. And he is saying to put all evil speaking away.

So, as Christians yes we are to speak the truth in love. But also, we are to be different. We are to put away gossip, slander, and insults. Paul wrote to the church at Colossae: Col 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one”. (NKJV) He also had this to say in Eph 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Grace to speak the truth in love. If you will pray for me that I will grow in this way. I will do the same for you. The Holy Spirit has shown me that He wants to help with this. If He shows us that He wants to help He will if we will let Him.

 

 

Let Us Pray

 Lord Jesus today make our tongues different than the tongues of the world. Remove the poison of bitterness, wrath, evil speaking, accuser of the brethren, faultfinding, gossip, slander, insults, and haughtiness. Replace it with streams of living water that flow out of our belly. Replace words of death with words of life. Replace cursing with blessing. Fill us so much with the Holy Spirit that all of it has to come out and only You can come in!

 

In Jesus Name

Amen

 

Love you all! I believe God is going to do a good work in all of us.

In Jesus Name

Amen