Month: August 2017

Get Together    Our  Labor Is Not In Vain

1Co 15:58 ¶ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

 

            This coming weekend is what we here in the United States call Labor Day weekend. Without getting into all of the history of this holiday I will say what it does mean for many of us who live here in the United States now.

            We for the most part see it as the last holiday of the Summer. Some people will be cooking out.  While others will be chilling out. College football will have some great games scheduled for this weekend.  Schools are closed Monday and the  beaches and resort towns will be full should the weather permit.

            In this Get Together I want to focus on our labor as Christians in the Lord. The Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Corinth.   This is a church that Paul has had to do some correcting in.  He has also taught them many Kingdom principles.  Now he is giving them a word of exhortation to encourage them. He assures them that he loves them.

            Now he tells them to be steadfast. He is really emphasizing this. They live in a very sinful, and sensual city. A city that resembles a lot of our culture today. When sensual things are always being made available to you as a Christian you have to make up your mind that you will be steadfast.   The Greek term for steadfast means to be settled, to be immovable. The Greek term here for immovable means not to be shaken in one’s opinions, or beliefs. Never in my life have I seen such an assault on and temptation to Christians to abandon our basic beliefs.

 

            The enemy wants us to quit. He wants us to pack it in. Paul has a good word for all Christians when the enemy comes in that way. He says keep going in an even greater way.  The Greek term for abounding here means to exist in abundance with the consideration of being considerably more than is expected.  So as a Christian we can be thankful that God offers us the opportunities to be involved in His work. And that he gives us opportunities that are considerably greater than what is normally expected.

            Paul tells them that their labor is not in vain in the Lord. The small things that God calls us to be involved in will not be in vain. The tough things that God calls us to will not be in vain. Nothing no matter what it looks like right now that you are doing in the Kingdom will be in vain. That is good news! Don’t let the enemy convince you otherwise. Believe what God has to say about it!

 

Let Us Pray

Lord we thank You that You involve us in Your work. We thank You that none of it will be in vain.  Today let us hear and obey Your voice  and be about Your business.

In Jesus Name

Amen

 

 

 

Have a great rest of the week. Pray for Texas and Louisiana.

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GOOD NEWS
Ps 112:7,8 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
As Christians, the only enemy that we really have is Satan and the demonic forces that are under his control. Those forces will often try to get us to give up. They will also try to wear us down and get us focused on them rather than being focused on the Lord Jesus. One of their chief tactics is fear. The Psalmist has some good advice for those who trust in the Lord in Psalm 112. I am only using two verses, but there is more good news in the rest of this Psalm if you choose to go there and read the rest of it. But for now, let’s look at the good news in these two verses. 
First, as a child of God we do not have to fear bad news. We don’t have to be afraid of evil tidings. When the enemy threatens us, our hearts can be steadfast. When our hearts are set up and firm we know that we can stand firmly as children of God and trust God in every situation no matter how unpleasant that it may be. 
We don’t have to walk in fear. This is a consistent promise throughout the Scriptures. Isa 43:1-3 ¶ “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.” (NKJV). God gave Jesus His only begotten son for our ransom! 2Ti 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
There is also promise for us that we will see our desire upon our enemies. Now remember who our enemies are. They are not people. There is a woman in the Bible that got to see her desire on her enemies. Mr 16:9 ¶ Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. Those demons that had tortured her for so long had to leave. There could have been a spirit of fear in those seven. The Bible doesn’t say, but whatever they were Jesus set her free from the oppression that she was under.

How about you today? Where is the enemy trying to beat you down? Is he telling you that God has left you? Don’t believe that lie. Keep your eyes on Jesus and move forward with the Good News! Don’t let the bad news of the enemy hold you back.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we thank You that we can stand on these promises that you paid for with your own precious blood. Today help us to look through the windshield where the Good News is and not in the rearview mirror at our sins and mistakes of the past. 
In Jesus Name

Amen
Blessings to all of you!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- USE YOUR GOOD LOOKING FEETRo 10:14,15 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Well I am just about to get my strength back after getting back from Guatemala and playing catch up last week. We had an awesome time in Guatemala. Tinsley Gregg became the first person besides J.J. from our congregation to go with me. We entered into the labor of Daniel and Brandi 

McIntyre with Eyes Wide Open Ministries. Their children are also involved in the ministry that they are doing there. We had a powerful time!
While we were there the Lord gave me the blessed opportunity to teach the Pastor’s Seminar. One day I remember using the above passage and I told the Pastors to look at one of their fellow Pastors and tell them that they had some good-looking feet. They looked at me a little weird, laughed and then did it.  
Well we all know that for most of us in the natural our feet aren’t that pleasant to look at. But we are not talking about the natural appearance of our feet here. We are talking about how our feet look once they are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. 
I believe that this passage is not only speaking to Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, but to all Christians that have been born again by our faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
There are people that may not hear unless you tell them. They can’t believe unless they hear. And certainly, preachers and Christian leaders are sent BY God to various places where we are called. But on the other hand, all Christians are sent somewhere. There are some of you reading this that God has sent you to your place of employment. All of have been sent to our families. And there are various other places that God sends us to. It may be the place where you spend your recreational time. It may be the place where you go for coffee. It could be lots of places. 

      

The good news is that we have The Good News! We see so much bad news that it appears that there is no hope for humanity. There is a Hope. His Name is Jesus Christ! Tit 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (NKJV) 
One of the things that challenges me when I go to Guatemala is the commitment level of the Christians there. For them the most important thing going on in their lives is getting the Gospel out. I realize that we live in a different culture. On the other hand no matter what culture that we live in our commitment level should be no lower than those Christians in any other country. So sometime today why not take some time to let the Holy Spirit speak to you about how and where that He wants those good-looking feet that you have to serve Him in the Kingdom. Somebody around you is needing to call on Him. Somebody around you is needing to hear about Him. Somebody around you is needing to believe in Him. Ask Him where He wants to send those good-looking feet. He does have somewhere for you to go . Ps 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.”
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus Lamb of God forgive us for being hesitant to tell others the Good News about Your plan to save us from our sins, heal us from sickness and so many more things that You do for your children. Today give us the words to say to those who need to hear about you.

In Jesus Name

Amen
      

                       Now tell yourself. Self you sure do have some good looking feet!
                        Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

Thanks to all of you who prayed for our trip to Guatemala last week. It was a very fruitful trip. What an honor to get to serve with Brandi and Daniel McIntyre with Eyes Wide Open Ministries in El Morral ,Guatemala. They truly have an awesome Christ centered, Spirit filled ,accountable Ministry there. I am still trying to let the Lord renew my strength today. So with that said here is another Get Together that I did a few years ago. I pray that it is a help to you in this season that we live in. 
Get Together Your Father Wants to Talk To You
Joh 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Be encouraged, I have some good news for you! Did you know that God speaks to people today? There are several ways that God speaks to people. He speaks to them through His Holy Word. He speaks to them through other Christians. He speaks in visions and dreams. Some people that I know and trust have testified that they have heard God speak in an audible voice. I have not, but I don’t believe that it is impossible, because the Scriptures tell us that with God nothing is impossible. He also speaks through that small still voice; “Isa 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

At one time in my life I would have thought this was way out there somewhere. I remember the first time that someone told me that God had spoken to them about something. A friend of ours by the name of Leslie Glover told me one time that the Lord had told her that I was to attend a three day weekend called the Walk to Emmaus. I thought Leslie was crazy and dodged her at church for several weeks. Finally I went and I realized that God does speak to people and I began to hear the Lord speak as well. That weekend I was born again and life has never been the same.

It is God’s desire to commune with His children. The following passage from the Book of Genesis records how when God created Adam and Eve they had perfect communion with God, but they lost that perfect communion. God desires to restore that communion with those He has created. Are you walking in communion with the Lord and hearing His voice? Read this passage and see if there are any principles there that will help you to walk in communion with God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. I also have listed some principles from the passage that I believe would help us all to walk in communion with the Lord moment by moment and day by day as He desires.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

“but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'”

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. “And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:1-13 NKJV).
• The enemy came to interrupt communion with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there are any ways that the enemy has interrupted communion with God in your life.

• The enemy calls God a liar and begins to undermine Eve’s trust in God. Have you allowed the enemy to undermine your trust in God? God wants to restore your trust in Him.

• She falls into a trap that all sin flows out of Ge 3:6 ¶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise,

Lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life are the three categories that all sin falls under. Is the enemy trying to trap you in any of these areas? Ask the Lord to empower you with the Holy Spirit to resist “Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. See also 1 Peter 5:8-9

• Shame now enters humanity. Are you operating out of a shame based lifestyle or mindset? I once did. There is good news!!!! Look to Jesus Ps 34:5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.

• Rather than desiring fellowship with God, they began to flee from God’s presence. Rather than fearing God, they become afraid of God. Do you desire fellowship with God, or are you fleeing from His presence?. Do you fear God or are you afraid of God? There is a difference. You don’t have to be afraid of God “Mt 11:28-29 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

• They now become excuse makers rather than accepting personal responsibility. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Our society has taken on an excuse maker mentality. How about you? Are you an excuse maker, or do you accept personal responsibility before God for your actions? David was honest with God. Guess what God forgave him. Ps 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Stand on His word. Be honest with God receive His forgiveness 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Again be encouraged that you have a Heavenly Father who desires to be with you no matter where you are. He desires to speak to you and commune with you. Today rejoice knowing that Your Heavenly Father loves you that much.
Let us pray:

Father we thank You that You are a good God. We thank You that when our first parents sinned you made a way for fellowship to be restored. Father we thank you today that You have made the way for us to have communion with you according to Ro 5:11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Teach us to hear your voice. Give us the desire to obey Your voice. Empower us to walk in your ways.

                                                                                IN JESUS NAME

                                                                                Amen

Be Blessed 

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston