Month: November 2019

GET TOGETHER – Stay On The Journey

Ge 29:1 ¶ So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. (NKJV

The Journey

Ge 29:1 ¶ So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. (NKJV)

This past Thursday evening J.J. and I left Hamilton headed to Charleston South Carolina. Our son Jake coaches basketball at Missouri State University. They were playing in a tournament there. So, our journey had a destination and a purpose for us going there.

As we were driving, I thought about how much that our journey with the Lord Jesus Christ has similarities to our journeys that we take either when we are driving, flying, walking, or any other way that we might be on a journey.

There can be unexpected blessings on our journey. We stopped to eat at the Green Top Café in Jasper. I saw one of my former customers that I had not seen in years. That was a real blessing for me. I also saw an old friend that I had known since my teen age years and that was a blessing.

When we got into Birmingham the traffic slowed down a good bit. Sometimes in our journey with the Lord there are times that we have to be patient and stand on His word as the Psalmist says in Ps 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! (NKJV)

The Lord blessed us with going through Atlanta without any real problems, or slowdowns. That reminded me of God’s promise in Isa 45:2 ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.”

There were too many for me to list them all here, but here is one that when it happened it was when the Lord spoke to me about this. J.J. was getting sleepy. We had planned to spend the night on the other side of Atlanta. Well when I saw the sign for the Hampton Inn, I read the sign wrong and missed the exit. Thankfully there was another Hampton in Thomson Georgia about fifty miles further on down the road. Boy was that an answered prayer! It actually turned out to be better for us. We got to sleep a little bit later the next morning. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Ro 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (NKJV)

I thought about Jacob’s journey. He certainly had some blessings and some challenges. He had a powerful encounter with God at Bethel. He would find the woman that he loved named Rachel. He would experience deception and disappointment as his Father-Law Laban trick him into marrying Leah. He would have to work for Laban for seven more years in order to marry Rachel the woman that he loved. He got a new name at Peniel where he wrestled with God. There were many other challenges and blessings in Jacob’s life. Many of the challenges were due to him having wrong motives at times. Some were as a result of the sins of others. But as we read the Scriptures as challenging as life was for him he would finish his journey. When God revealed Himself to Moses He revealed Himself in this way: Ex 3:6 “Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.”

Today on your journey you may have made some wrong turns. Jesus Christ desires to help you to get back on the right road on your journey. You may be a little tired from your journey. Jesus made a promise for those who are tired from life’s journey Mt 11:28 -30″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. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”(NKJV) When you journey with Him you will always end up at the right destination and fulfill the purpose that He has for your life.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus what a blessing it is to travel with you. Today please meet all that read this and help us all to arrive at our eternal destination and fulfill the purpose for which You created us.

In Jesus Name

Amen

On behalf of J.J. and all of our family: Happy Thanksgiving! We love you all!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

(This week I am a little pressed on time. I felt like I was to share this one with you from a few years ago. I believe that it is as true today as it was then.)

Get Together# 175

Joh 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (NKJV)

Two weeks ago the girl who I would guess is in her early twenties shared with me at the Bible Study that I was leading at a ministry for women that she was having withdrawals from heroin. She could hardly hold her head up and it was her first week at the Christ centered residential ministry for women who are trying to be set free of addictions and other destructive behaviors. She was from up north and I am sure that she was also struggling with making the psychological adjustment to listening to a group of southerners talk as her body was experiencing the torture of these horrific pains that these withdrawals bring.

We prayed for her that day. And I am sure that the congregation that supports the ministry that she is currently receiving ministry at prayed as well. Last week when I went back this young lady who the week before had not been able to hold her head up gave a praise report that God had delivered her from the desire to do heroin and that He had also taken away the withdrawal symptoms.

The natural world will tell us that we have to be addicts. The natural world will tell us that there are certain sickness and disease that there are no cures for. But praise God we serve a God who works in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus does not tremble at the name of Heroin. Heroin trembles at the name of Jesus. JESUS does not tremble at the Name of Cancer or Hepatitis C or Hepatitis B. They tremble at the Name of JESUS. Last week a young man from another Christ centered ministry testified at our congregation of being healed from Hepatitis B by the Lord JESUS Christ.

Today we are in a society that is in a natural mess. Men and women are attempting to fix a lot of problems that only God can fix. Men and women would love to fix the problems without involving God. I have good news for you. God wants to be involved. God wants to heal our nation. God wants to free us from sickness. God wants to free us from a drug scourged society. You may be tired of hearing this passage, but here it goes again “2Ch 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

The same God that delivered this young girl from her heroin addiction is ready to deliver America from her sin addiction. The same God that healed that young man of his sickness is ready to heal America. Armies can’t heal America, politicians can’t heal America, Slot Machines can’t heal America, but the Lord Jesus Christ can. How do I know? Well He has healed me. He has delivered me. I am also seeing Him at work everyday in impossible situations. I saw Him make a way for family that comes to our Recovery Ministry to have a place to live. I saw Him move upon a thirteen-year-old girl after the service this week and save her soul from hell. Here these words from Jesus in Mr 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Yesterday I went to visit a new born baby. He looked so good and his parents and both sets of proud grandparents who love the Lord are all overflowing in thankfulness for him.

As I prayed for this new born child only hours out of his Mothers womb where God had been fashioning him for nine months Ps 139:13 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”(NKJV) I felt the Holy Spirit really impress upon me to pray for the culture that this child will grow up in should the Lord not return first. Today I challenge you begin to pray for our country. Pray that the Holy Spirit of God would bring revival to our nation. Pray that once again America would have a Holy fear of God. When we do we can rejoice that God will protect us “Pr 16:7 ¶ When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Also today believe for God to do the miraculous in all of those things that seem to trouble you. Remember that He is a Healer and a Deliverer. Nothing is to hard for Him. Remember the words that He spoke to the prophet Jeremiah “Jer 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

LET US PRAY

Lord Jesus we need you in so many ways. Lord today we pray that You will turn this nation to you. Deliver us from our addiction to sin. Deliver us from the withdrawals that come from leaving those lifestyles. Give us the grace to walk in Your power. We thank You that You are the Healer, the Deliverer, and the Restorer that we as individuals and this nation need.

IN JESUS NAME

Amen

Thanks for letting me share these words with you all today. Be encouraged and walk by faith believing that God is going to bring revival to this nation.

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- HE LOVES US ENOUGH TO CHANGE US

Ro 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)

A few years ago, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to my heart. Yes, as we have heard God does love us unconditionally. He also loves us too much to leave us in our sinful condition. He does not love me anymore now than when He did when I was living in rebellion against Him. I will not go into what all was involved when I was living in rebellion here. I will just say that it was gross sin. I praise God that although He loved me then as much as He does now that He loved me too much to leave me in the sinful lifestyle that I was living.

We were all born with a sinful nature due to the sin of our first parents Adam and Eve. 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (NKJV) That sinful nature may manifest in us in similar ways and in different ways. Some of us have may have had a bent towards certain sins that others may not have had and vice versa. There is good news for all of us. No matter what sinful lifestyles that we may have been living in there is a Deliverer. His Name is Jesus.

There is more good news! When we repent of our sins and come to salvation by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit indwells us 1Co 3:16 ¶ “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Now He is ready to go to work rooting those old sinful desires out of us. He is ready to go to work bringing transformation in our lives.

Before we came to Christ, we were subject to the world system that is opposed to the Gospel fashioning our lives. The world will tell us that things that are contrary to a Biblical lifestyle are ok. The values of the world are subjective and they are always changing. The values that God has for us are objective and God desires to change us. The Greek term for transformed is metamorphoo, It means to change into another form.

Today in our culture people are being convinced that some of the ways that their sinful nature manifest is something to be celebrated. When really there is something greater to be celebrated. It is that through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit we can be transformed from our old sinful behaviors and lifestyles and be remade in the Image of God.

My prayer for all of us that is that we will allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives from the day that we accept Christ until the day that we go home to be with Christ. That He will work in such a way that He will take us from glory to glory. The Apostle Paul said it like this in 2Co 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”(NKJV) Don’t miss God’s best for you by accepting what the world says is to be celebrated in contrast to something that God desires to remove from our lives. He desires to give us something much much better. Remember He loves us unconditionally. But He also loves us to much to leave us in a sinful condition.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we thank You for saving our souls. We thank You for the Blessed Holy Spirit. Thank You that Your blood has positioned us to be your children. We thank You that now the Holy Spirit is conditioning us in a wonderful way and that as we are being transformed more into Your image every day.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Love you all!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER-    Come As a Little Child

Mr 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

This past Sunday morning as I was preaching at  a congregation in our local community something in my opinion very special took place.  I was preaching from 2 Cor 1:20  “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”  And from Ps 103:1 -5<<A Psalm of David.>> Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases  Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

The title of the message was Positioned For The Promises. In the message I stressed how those promises were secured for us as New Covenant believers, and followers of Jesus Christ. He paid for them with His precious Holy Blood!  The forgiveness of our sins, our past sinful lives being forgiven and redeemed. And that  how that God renews our youth.  That Jesus Christ the Incarnate  God in His  atoning death  has provided healing for our bodies, mind, and spirit.  

At the end of the message as the church was singing an invitation hymn someone came running to the Altar with a gigantic look of expectancy on her face. It was our four-year-old granddaughter Eden. She asked for prayer for someone. At first, I could not hear her so I prayed for her.  After the music finished, she came back again and told me what she wanted prayer for. It was for healing for someone. 

To me this was an example of the type of faith that Jesus is talking about when He is talking about coming as a little child. Eden hasn’t read any books that say that Jesus doesn’t heal anymore, or that attempt to explain away the miraculous. She believes that Jesus is still in the healing and prayer answering business.

My prayer for myself and all of us is that no matter what may have happened in our journey to dampen, or dim that childlike faith in us.  Is that through the word of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit that we once again will pray expectantly.   That we once again will pray and believe as a little child.  And that once again as Eden came running expectantly to that altar that we will run expectantly to God with childlike faith.

 

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus renew in us that child like faith that expects the miraculous. Renew in us that child like faith that helps us to walk in victory and not in defeat. Help us get in Your word. Help us to believe in Your Word.   We trust that through the power of the Holy Spirit that You will do it!

In Jesus Name

Amen

 

Let God arise and His enemies be scattered !

 

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston