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GET TOGETHER- MAKE IT TASTE GOODCol 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (NKJV)
            A few weeks ago J.J. surprised me. We were eating something and she said that I needed to put some salt on it. She normally cooks with salt in the food. We don’t normally, put salt on our food, but that day we did. When we put it on there it gave it a good taste. I like salty foods like fish and ham. They have a good taste to them. 

            Sometimes our conversations may be seasoned more with bitter weed than they are with a good seasoning. The scriptures have much to say about what comes out of our mouths. We are told in the Scriptures that in our tongues there is either life or death: Pr 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” (NKJV)  

            We need to model our conversations after Jesus. He had this to say about the words that He spoke “Joh 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” When we find ourselves disagreeing with someone politically, or in any other way we can either voice our opinion in a way that brings glory to God, or we can succumb to the temptation of the devil and respond in a way that dishonors the Name of Jesus Christ. We must remember that we are not called to shout people down, call them names, or belittle them. We are called to be salt and light. People who disagree with us should see that there is something different about the way that we talk. 

              When we say things about others, or to others we want to be sure that these words are not wounding words, or damaging words. I know that I am going to Heaven by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. On the other hand when I come to the Lord I don’t want to have a lot of idle words to give account to Him for when I get there : Mt 12:36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.(NKJV)

            Sometimes we really cheer people on who use idle words. We like to say things like “he tells you what he thinks, or she tells it like it is.” When many times it may not be exactly like it is, or what he is thinking may not be right. 

            When the Holy Spirit points out to me that my conversation is not seasoned with salt here are a few things that I do. First, I repent and asked the Lord’s forgiveness. Then I like to pray this passage for myself: 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.”
            
            The Greek term for corrupt in that last passage is sapros, sap-ros’. It means worthless, harmful, and it also means rotten! That leads me back to something J.J. and I watched on T.V. the other night. It was a show about all the top steak houses in the United States. Almost all of them seasoned those steaks with salt no matter what other, or if any other seasoning that they used. Those steaks sure did look good when they were cooking them. I wanted to go cook one right then. On the other hand, have you ever seen road kill on the side of the road, or smelled It as you passed by? There is a big difference in something being rotten and something being seasoned good. In this culture that we live in we all need the Holy Spirit’s help to speak the truth in love. We want to speak in such a way that our conversation is seasoned with salt. When we do, rather than attempting to beat them in an argument, we might just be used to win some people to Christ!
Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we live in a tumultuous time. There are so many ways that we can be tempted to engage in talk that is not seasoned with salt. Please help us today to not let road kill come out of our mouths, but be a people that a wonderful spiritual flavor emanates from when we open our mouths. Let our conversation and communication be seasoned with salt.

In Jesus Name

Amen
  Thanks to all of you who read this and encourage us!

Your Friend/Kinfolk 

Preston

GET TOGETHER- WE ALL NEED DO OVERS

Joh 21:15 ¶ So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

A few weeks ago, I wrote about getting fresh starts. The younger generation likes to use the term “do over”. This week let’s look at someone who got a do over and made the most of the opportunity. I am talking about Peter.
Peter as most of us know failed on the night that the Lord Jesus really needed someone to be there for Him in a big-time way. If you are familiar with the story you know that He denied Jesus three times as Jesus was being put on trial by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Jesus would be nailed to the cross and die for the sins of the world the next day after a night in which he was tortured and mocked all night long. Three times when Jesus needed him the most Peter denied him; Mt 26:75 “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”
I can’t even begin to imagine the demonic assault on his mind that had to take place during the wee hours of the morning and until He saw the resurrected Christ that day at the Sea of Tiberius. In John 21 we see that Jesus has forgiven Peter, restored him, and has now entrusted him with a high calling Joh 21:18 “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” It will cost him his life, but he will be used by the Lord to accomplish great and mighty eternal things in the Kingdom.
I also thought about how the Lord would use Peter on the Day of Pentecost. On that day he stood in the streets of Jerusalem and proclaimed that Jesus Christ was the long awaited Messiah. I am sure that there were many out there that had seen, or heard about his denial on the night before Jesus death. And yet now he is forgiven and filled with the Holy Spirit and preaching that Jesus is the Christ. Three thousand souls were snatched from hell that day! That was a thousand souls saved for every time that Peter had denied the Lord. That tells me what a gracious, good, and merciful God we serve.
Maybe you like me need some do overs from time to time. There is good news for the child of God: Pr 24:16 “For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.” (NKJV) Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ had mercy on a man that had denied him at His most urgent hour. Yesterday’s setbacks are today’s comebacks. The Apostle Paul put it like this “Php 3:12,13 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.”
And like Peter when you get that do over make it count in the Kingdom. Just as in Peter’s day there are souls out there hanging in the balance waiting on you and I to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ . Jesus is speaking the same thing to us that He said to Peter on that day when He was giving him a do over ; “Joh 21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” As we receive His mercy let’s follow Him. When we do, we will never be sorry.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus we come today to thank You for the mercy that You have shown us. We thank You that You are always ready to forgive us and to give us new opportunities to serve You. We pray that just as the Holy Spirit would keep Peter faithful that as we follow You that the Holy Spirit will help us to serve You faithfully as well.
In Jesus Name
Amen

Blessings to all of you! May His Grace abound toward you!
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston

GET TOGETHER- HE DOES CARE AND HE WILL HANDLE IT

1Pe 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (NKJV)

I remember when I first heard about this verse. I don’t think that I had even read the whole book of 1 Peter at that time. It was early in my Christian Journey. I was still working in our family business at the time. A good friend who used to stop by and eat with us at the time gave the verse to me.
At that time, we weren’t sure what our primary calling in the Kingdom was. We were trying to serve the Lord and be His witness where we were. That wasn’t always easy. Sometimes you hurt when you had to let an employee go that needed a job. They could have violated a trust, or have been tardy, or had unexcused absences. That wasn’t always easy. It could have been another time when a customer wasn’t satisfied with the product that they had purchased. Or it could have been when you needed to make some necessary changes that were going to involve and affect others.
Also as parents trying to raise children there were often challenges that could bring you some concern. So, what I am trying to say is that in life there are lots of things that require our attention and they are not always so pleasant.
I used to handle things like that with drugs and alcohol. But after I came to Christ I found a better way. It is to cast those things upon Him. Sometimes as Christians although we may not go back to previous means of coping such as drunkenness, drug abuse, and certain other destructive sinful behaviors, we may resort to worrying and getting stressed out over things that are challenges in life.
The Greek term for casting here is epirrhipto, ep-ir-hrip’-to. It means to stop worrying and trust. It also means to throw or hurl something onto something else. Yesterday morning the Holy Spirit gave me this word about something. I prayed and did exactly what the scripture said to do. This morning I woke up and this came back to my mind. And by faith I had to say no I cast that upon the Lord yesterday. It takes a lot of wasted energy to go pick something back up that is heavy up from where that you have thrown it down to. Then when you pick it back up and start to carry it again it will be so heavy that it will beat you down.
The Greek term for care is merimna, mer’-im-nah. It means a feeling of apprehension or distress in view of possible danger, or misfortune. It also means worry, or anxiety. Five times in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus talks about worry. Here is one of the verses: Mt 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
So today let me ask you a question. Is there something that is causing you anxiety? Cast it upon Him. He is more than big enough to handle it. He carried a heavy wooden cross to Calvary and died for you and me so that we could have access to cast our care upon Him. He did it because He cares for us and loves us. So today let Him be God. Cast the big things and the small things upon Him. He loves you and He is more than enough to handle it.

Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus please forgive us when we try to play God and not trust You to take care of the things that rob us of our peace. Today Lord we pray for faith to arise in us so that we will cast our big cares upon you, our small cares upon you, and all of our cares upon you.
In Jesus Name
Amen

You pray for me that I won’t go back and pick up what I have cast upon Him and I will do the same for you.
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston

GET TOGETHER- LIFT ONE, ENCOURAGE ONE, AND SHARE WITH ONE
Joh 8:4 -12 “They said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
            One day in December as I was on my way to Jasper a van passed me on the Interstate. On the van was the name of the company Lift One. The first three numbers for the telephone number on the van were 855. I felt like the Holy Spirit wanted to speak something to me from what I was seeing on the back of the van. I felt like He gave me something to challenge our congregation to do in the coming year. Perhaps it will be a good challenge for all of you who read this. 

            The number eight can be the number that signifies new beginnings in Hebrew numbers and entering covenant relationship with God. Also, the number 55 always reminds me of Isaiah 55. In that chapter, there is an invitation for us to experience a new beginning turning from a life out of the will of God into a good life in the will of God. Isa 55:1 -3¶ “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you-The sure mercies of David.”
            The woman that was caught in adultery had something missing in her life. She had tried to fill what was missing with an adulterous relationship. All of us in some way have tried to fulfill what was missing in our lives in some way. It may or may not have been through sexual sin. It may have been in a lot of ways. And all the ways are certainly too numerous to name here. The Bible tells us in Ro 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

            On the other hand some of us like I was at one time may believe that our sins are to bad and that there is no way that they can be forgiven. That is why I love this passage so much. A woman who is deserving of death according to the law(although they were also supposed to bring the man there as well) is pardoned by our Lord Jesus Christ the sinless Son of God, the Incarnate God.

            Sometimes as Christians we all may be like the Pharisees. We get ready to stone some people. We want to stone those who have been caught in their sin. When really it is an opportunity for us to show Christ to them. Jesus told the Pharisees that any of them that were without sin could cast the first stone. None of them could cast a stone. They were testing Jesus. Sometimes when we offer mercy people will test us. They may think that we are to soft, or that we are condoning sin. 

            Jesus was not condoning the woman’s sin. He was pointing her to a better life. He doesn’t tell her “honey just don’t get caught the next time.” He forgives her and He tells her to go and sin no more. I want to think that He was pointing her to a life that was fulfilling. A life that Isaiah describes in this way : Isa 55:12,13 “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
            As He did with the woman caught in adultery He stands ready to forgive and grant eternal life and life and life more abundantly here on earth. No matter what your sin is He is ready to forgive you of that sin. He also is able to deliver us from those sinful lifestyles. And when we catch ourselves becoming like the Pharisees He is willing to make us more like Him.  

 That day when the Pharisees were testing Him. He lifted one and He encouraged one. And from what the scriptures tell us about Jesus prayer life I am sure that He had started that day praying for those that He would encounter that day. So today my prayer for all of us is that we will Lift one, pray for one, and share with one. It works!
Let us Pray 

Lord Jesus we thank you that You forgive the most regrettable sins that we have ever committed. Today help us to pray for those who don’t know you. Help us to encourage all, and give us a desire to share the Gospel with those who need it so badly. 
In Jesus Name

Amen
LIFT ONE -BY PRAYING, ENCOURAGING, AND SHARING

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- Praise God For Fresh Starts
Isa 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
I promise that this will not be a message about failures to keep New Year’s resolutions. But hopefully it will be a word of encouragement for all of us as we go into the New Year. As a matter of fact, the other day I was praying that our congregation would be a place for people who need another chance no. For those who feel like they have blown every chance that they had. I can remember when that is what I thought about my own life. That there was no chance that I could serve God ,or be saved. I my sins were to many and that they were to bad.

I am thankful that as the New Year comes that we do get to look forward to a new year with new opportunities. I am always excited about the new things that God has in store for His people. So, I consider the beginning of the calendar year to be a time for a fresh start in a lot of ways. One of the blessings of being a Christian at age 67 is that you can still get to do new things and still experience a fresh start.

I remember in January 1990 when I needed a fresh start. I was going to quit smoking that day. I had tried several times in the past. We had some good friends come over that day to watch our favorite college football team play. These were wonderful godly friends. Well the first half didn’t start out so well. At the time I was smoking two and one half packs of Vantage cigarettes a day. I would have normally gone through about a quarter of a back the way that the first half started out. I can remember J.J. had cooked some pecans in the oven and I think that every time that I wanted a cigarette that I reached for one of those pecans. I was thinking that our guests were probably thinking that I was a pretty rude host by the way that I was gulping them down and not offering anyone else any.

Well I survived the game. Our team eventually came back and won. And I went a month without smoking. I had gone that long before. I then went on a Christian Retreat the first weekend in February. It was at this retreat that I gave my life to Jesus Christ. It was now time for an eternal fresh start. While I was at the retreat the Holy Spirit took my desire to ever go back to nicotine away. This Sunday will mark twenty seven years ago since I have smoked a cigarette.

Since that first weekend in February there have been more fresh starts than I can remember. There have been some days that I feel like I may have blown it as a Christian, as a Pastor, as a husband, as a dad, as a brother, as a son, as a friend and in many other ways. But Praise God that He is the God of fresh starts!
He promises us that He will be with us in the wilderness. Perhaps today you feel like you are in the wilderness. He promises that He will make a way. The way that He makes could be a fresh start by not letting yesterday’s mistakes and shortcomings hold you back from what God desires to do in your life and how that He wants to use you. Your fresh start could be making a decision to let Him deliver you from a habit or addiction that is robbing you of the life that God wants you to live.

I have a feeling that all of us need a fresh start at some time at various times in our lives. If you read the Scriptures He is always giving fresh starts to people whether they be old, young, or in between . Where and how do you need a fresh start? God is ready to give you one today? You don’t have to wait until Sunday. Go ahead and let Him show you and help you get ready for what He has in store for you in 2017.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus I remember one a prayer that I saw right after I gave my heart to You. It said I come to you O God of second chances. Lord I pray for those who need that second, third, fifteenth, or one hundredth chance that today will be a time of fresh starts for them. And Holy Spirit blow on us in a way that each day we start out fresh on every assignment that You have given us. Thank You Jesus for fresh starts.

In Jesus Name

Amen
HAVE A HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston