Month: January 2018

GET TOGETHER-  DON’T LOOK BACK, KEEP MOVING FORWARD

 

Php 3:12-14 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

The Apostle Paul although a religious man before he met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus had a sinful past. He had been a persecutor of Christians. I love to tell people that God loves to turn His enemies into friends.  Paul would get to write thirteen letters and possibly fourteen letters of the New Testament. The Holy Spirit uses Paul in a great way to expound on the new birth that Jesus had said that we must have if we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He also writes much about how we are forgiven from our past. Here are just a few of those verses  2Co 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Ro 8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Col 2:13 ¶ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” (NKJV)  I like that word all in that last verse. My first-grade teacher Mrs. Gallagher taught me that meant all.  It means all! That is the sum of everything.

The Apostle Paul had to know that he was forgiven. I am sure that the enemy would try to bring up his past as he traveled from village to village, town to town, and continent to continent to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We all have sinned as Paul wrote in Ro 3:23” for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  But Paul also knew that out of the love of God that there was forgiveness for the repentant sinner. Ro 5: 6 -9 ¶ For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Paul knew that he was forgiven.  That is why he could look through the windshield and not through the rearview mirror. Remember the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror. Our future is greater than our past.  Paul said that he was reaching forward. The Greek term here is epekteinomai,  ep-ek-ti’-nom-ahee. Don’t ask me to pronounce it. When I took Greek I got a C- and that was the favor of the Lord. It means to stretch out toward some goal. The Adam Clarke Commentary says it like this “points out the strong exertions made in the race; every muscle and nerve is exerted.”

I think about a football player stretching out to cross the goal line.  When he holds that football out over the pylon. He isn’t concerned if he fumbled the last play, or if last year he didn’t get in the game. He is stretching it out for the goal line.  Today if you are reading this and you have been to the cross of Jesus Christ don’t look back. Run the race. Don’t stop until the race is finished. If you have never surrendered your life to Christ and you like me had a sinful past Jesus is ready to forgive you just as He forgave me, the Apostle Paul and billions of others who have turned to Him.  He has an eternal home in heaven for us as a prize and He also has good things here for us here on earth.  So, keep looking through the windshield. Keep your eyes off the rearview mirror and may we echo what Paul is saying in word and in deed “Php 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

 

Let Us Pray

 

Lord we thank You for the mercy that You have shown to us. We thank You that we are forgiven children of God. If any that are reading this have not come to that place Lord we pray that You bring them to that place. And may we all forget those things that are behind us and move forward to those glorious things that are ahead of us. Lord keep our eyes looking through the windshield, and not at the rearview mirror.

In Jesus Name

Amen

 

Be blessed good friends! We love you and pray God’s best for you.

 

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GET TOGETHER- Rejoicing Beats Fretting!

Lu 11:24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

The first weekend in February I always celebrate my new birth. I was born again on that weekend in 1990. It is also a spiritual Anniversary Celebration for me since I became a part of the Bride of Christ on that weekend. Before that weekend worry was such a part of my life that I often took valium to sleep at night and occasionally mixed it with other things as well. I had bitten my finger nails since my early childhood. The Lord broke that habit off of me when I got saved at the age of forty-one. Now I am not judging you if you are doing either one of those things. However, I pray that what the Lord gives me to write here today will help you to walk free of worry, anxiety, and fretting.

Last week it seemed like I was almost headed back in that direction over several various things. Not that I was considering doing any kind of drugs, or any other bad habit that I formally had. But to be honest it just seemed like it was a lot of little things and I wasn’t trusting God in those matters. Then the Holy Spirit alerted me that I needed to get back to one of my favorite verses in the Bible and it may be one of yours as well. Php 4:6,7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Lord used a Book by Max Lucado Anxious For Nothing to remind me of how to walk in God’s peace and to come back to that place of trusting God with every detail in all situations and circumstances. I have found out in this journey that there are tests and trials that come that will challenge us in greater ways the longer that we walk with the Lord. On the other hand, I have also found out that there are great victories on the other side of those tests and trials.

One thing that Lucado emphasizes in his book that I think is very important is to rejoice in all circumstances the Apostle Paul said it like this Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Yesterday I got one of those little tests. I was planning on going into the Sanctuary and praying and meditating on Philippians 4: 4-8. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of a vision that He had gave me during the night. He had me to go around to the back of one of our buildings here at the church and check one of our faucets. The faucet had been covered. It had not frozen, but it was leaking water. It was also pouring down rain. I tried to get it to stop and I couldn’t. I did several other things to no avail. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the verse “rejoice in the Lord always! Rather than griping, worrying, complaining, fretting, I began to thank God. Another friend many years ago had given me a book based on this verse: 1Th 5:18 : in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Two verses prior to this Paul had once again written about rejoicing always. He said it with a big shout in 1Th 5:16 ¶ Rejoice always!

Well it wasn’t long before the Holy Spirit told me to call Ben Harbor from our church and he came up there and fixed the situation. If I had been complaining and worrying I couldn’t have heard what the Holy Spirit was saying to me.

Well if Paul could write words like this from prisons and endure what he endured and walk in victory surely in the assignments that the Lord is giving us we can to. By the way another important part of not worrying is to be meditating and thinking on the good stuff rather than all the bad that is out there. Paul said it like this : Php 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.”

Back to our verse at the top. Lu 11:24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ As I tell the people at the drug and alcohol ministry where I minister sometimes. I don’t won’t my condition to be seven times worse than it was before I met Jesus and got set free. If we apply these principles in Philippians 4:4-8 I believe that we can walk in that peace that Jesus has promised us no matter the circumstance, or situation. Jesus said it like this. Joh 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus today so fill us with Your Holy Spirit that rejoicing comes so automatic to us and that worry, fear, griping, and complaining have no place in our lives.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Love you all!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- UNITY AND THE PRESENCEOF GOD

Ps 133:1-3 ¶ <<A Song of Ascents. Of David.>> Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-Life forevermore.

Have you ever been in a place, or with a group of people and it was so good that you just didn’t want to leave there? I have on several occasions. One place is our home. I really sense the presence of God in our home in a special way. At the place where our congregation meets I really discern the presence of God. There have been numerous retreats that I have worked on and a lot of other places where God’s presence has been felt in a very special way.

Now let me say this we know that God is omnipresent so through the Holy Spirit God is everywhere. With that said there are those times that the Holy Spirit let’s you know that He is at work and that He is pleased and is making Himself known that we are in His presence. I believe that He really desires for it to be that way all the time and everywhere that we are. He wants it to be that way in our homes, our work place, schools, and everywhere that God’s people are.

A key ingredient for that to happen is unity. Where there is unity it is a pleasure and a blessing to serve the Lord. It is not only good, but it is pleasant and delightful. It is like oil upon the head. That oil figuratively describes the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The anointing oil was olive oil with sweet cinnamon, calamus, and myrrh. In that part of the world in those days it was customary to pour out the oil on the head in such an extravagant way that every limb of the person would be touched by the oil.

I believe that the Lord wants to pour out His Holy Spirit on His people in a way that not only every limb is touched, but every part of the Body. That is one reason why unity is so important and why the adversary works so hard to promote discord among God’s people.

On the Day of Pentecost they were all in one accord :

“Ac 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Ac 2:1 ¶ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Ac 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking “bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.”

They weren’t there pointing out each other’s faults, or arguing about who would get the best seat anymore. They were in one accord, walking in obedience and expecting. Then the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. May all of us pray for unity in the congregation where we serve, in our homes, and in the Body of Christ. There is a promise when we do. God commands the blessing life forever more. He will make His presence known.

Let Us Pray

Lord today help us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. We believe that where there is unity, and love for one another that You will show up and do great and mighty things.

In Jesus Name

Amen

It has been very cold in Hamilton, Alabama this week.

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- LOOK AND LISTEN TO THE FATHER

Joh 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (NKJV)

The other night our son-in-law Shaun called us and told us that our seven-year-old grandson Judah had killed a deer. As Shaun was describing in detail how he had shot twice at the deer. He then said that he wasn’t sure that Judah had hit the deer. After this he then went into detail about how they found the deer and other things concerning this deer that I can’t remember at this time. I think the deer was an 8 pointer.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that in this age of kids getting distracted and people thinking that they can’t listen anymore I noticed that he was looking at his daddy and taking in every detail that Shaun was saying. Yesterday when I picked Judah up he began to tell me things about deer hunting in such detail that I was just outright impressed. By the way I am not a hunter. But I was so impressed that this child could so vividly give me a short course on deer hunting.

Now I think that there are a couple of lessons in that for all of us. First, parents your children will listen to what you say, and they will repeat it. They will also mimic what you do and what you say. Judah practically sounded like Shaun when I picked him up from school yesterday. I knew without a doubt where that he had gotten his information.

What a blessing it is for us as Christians to know that we have a Heavenly Father who is giving out Kingdom information. Jesus was always looking at what the Father was doing while He was on the earth. He sits at the right hand of the Father now. Jesus knows the Father’s will for all of us in our lives and in every other way.

That means through the Holy Spirit we can know what the Father’s will for our lives is. Jesus always listened to the Father and knew the Father’s will. Joh 5:30 “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” (NKJV)

So as Jesus is our great and faithful High Priest he will reveal the Father’s will for our lives. He came to do the Father’s will. Joh 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (NKJV) He also came so that we could do the Father’s will. As Judah listened so intently to what his earthly Father was saying if we will listen to the Holy Spirit He will communicate what Jesus is saying to us. Joh 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Then as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit we can do the will of the Father in our lives as well.

Think about what I just said. Judah used a high-powered rifle to take that deer down. When we listen to the Holy Spirit he will give us the power that will help us to take down every adversary that has already been defeated that tries to hinder us from doing the Father’s will.

Let Us Pray

Lord today we want to be good listeners. We want to hear what the Father is saying to you concerning us through the Holy Spirit. Help us to listen. Help us to walk in the power to fulfill the will of the Father in our lives.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Let 2018 be a year that you can look back on and say that the Father’s will was done in my life this year.

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

Daniel Fast and Prayer 2018- BECOMING WHO CHRIST HAS CALLED US TO BE

For the last several years along with many others in the Body of Christ our congregation has participated in a Fast that we call the Daniel Fast during the month of January. This year we will begin with the Evening Meal on Sunday January 7th and conclude with lunch on Saturday  January 27th.

Would you  commit  to  participating in this fast? Personally, during this time, I refrain from eating meats, sweets, and bread. If you cannot fast due to some health issue, or some other reason here are some things that I or others have fasted in the past: television, a ball game, or ballgames, Facebook, or some other activity that you enjoy.

I believe that when we do this that we are putting spiritual deposits in Heaven’s Bank. I believe that we can draw on these deposits through out the year. God will honor this!

Different people will be leading prayer meetings at on different days and different times during the fast. On Saturday’s during the fast we will have a prayer meeting at 8: A.M.  the first two Saturday’s and the last Saturday we will gather at 11: A.M. when we break the fast.

When we first came here I felt like the LORD wanted me to pray and to declare Ephesians 4 over the congregation each day Each day during these 21 days there will be a verse, or verses from this chapter. Would you read it, meditate on it, pray and declare as the Holy Spirit gives you direction during these 21 days?

In Jesus Name

Brother Preston

Prayer Meetings

Sundays  5 :P. M.  Donnie McCoy

Monday 7:A.M.  June Taylor

Wednesday 6:A.M. Brother Preston

Thursday   6:P..M.  Paul Roberts

Fridays     9:A.M.   Tonya Haney

Saturday 8:A.M.  Brother Preston

Scripture Meditations

Sunday January 7th   Eph 4:1 ¶ I,2 therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

Monday January 8th Eph 4:3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Tuesday January 9th Eph 4:4,5 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

Wednesday January 10th Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Thursday January 11th Eph 4:7-10 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended” –what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Friday January 12th Eph 4:11,12 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Saturday January 13th Eph 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Sunday January 14th Eph 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

Monday January 15th Eph 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ—

Tuesday January 16th Eph 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Wednesday January 17th Eph 4:17 ¶ This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

Thursday January 18th Eph 4:18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Friday January 19th Eph 4:19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Saturday January 20th Eph 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ,  if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesu that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

Sunday January 21st Eph 4:22,23 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Monday January 22nd Eph 4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Tuesday January 23rd Eph 4:25-27 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Wednesday January 24th Eph 4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Thursday January 25th 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.

Friday January 26th Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Saturday January 27th Eph 4:31,32 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

GET TOGETHER- OVERCOME THE FREEZE

Lu 3:16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Joh 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

(NKJV)

In Hamilton, Alabama like much of the south and a large segment of our nation it has been very cold the last week. We have had temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit some nights and several nights in the teens.

One thing that I wanted to be sure of during this time was to make sure that our pipes at the church and the ones at our house didn’t freeze up. A very wise man that has gone to be with the Lord told me one time that when the temperature got to 18 degrees to be sure that you left the heat on at least 60 degrees and to leave the water running, not just dripping, but running. Certainly, at our house the temperature was warmer than 60, and at the church I kicked it up to 65 a couple of nights. I wanted to be sure that the pipes in our baptistry didn’t freeze up. So far that has all worked well.

Now from a spiritual point how can we keep from freezing up spiritually? Well one thing just as in the church building and in our house, we want to be sure that there is plenty of heat there. The heat that we want working in us is the fire of the Holy Spirit. That is the fire that Jesus baptizes us with. If we want the heat on in our houses, or other buildings we must be sure that the heat is turned on.

If we want the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must have a life of prayer. If we want the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must be a people who worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. If we want the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must be people that gather with other Christians in corporate worship. If we want the fire of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, we must be people who are willing to give. Fires burn out where there is no stirring. Fires go out where there is no air. We need the wind of the Holy Spirit to bring forth the fire of the Holy Spirit.

If we don’t want to freeze up spiritually we need that living water flowing out of our belly that keeps our spiritual pipes from freezing up. When that water is flowing through us others are drawn to Jesus Christ. When that water is flowing through us we are ready to minister to the people that God is calling us to minister to.

Let me ask you something? How are you spiritually today? Would you say that you are on fire for God, or are you froze up? Perhaps you need a little thawing out. Begin to praise Him. Begin to see prayer as a blessing rather than drudgery. Continue, or reconnect with a congregation in Spirit filled corporate worship. Spend time in His word. Perhaps you are already doing these things. Then rejoice that your spiritual pipes are not frozen and ask the Lord to continually fill you with the Fire of the Holy Spirit and God will use you to help others in the thawing out process.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we thank You for baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Lord today may all who read this experience that precious baptism that You promised. May all of us be so on fire for you that cold, dull, dry boring religion could never stop up our spiritual pipes again.

In Jesus Name

Amen

I have gotten the heater going strong in my office right now. I don’t want to freeze naturally, or spiritually.

Your friend/Kinfolk

Preston