Author: prestonheadrick13

GET TOGETHER – Encouraging One Another

Ac 9:31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

            A few years ago, one of my mentors in the faith said something in his message when he was ministering at our congregation that really stuck with me. In his message that night he talked about how important that it is to encourage one another in the faith. That night he stressed that the devil would do enough to attempt to discourage us, therefore it is important that we encourage one another in the faith. 

            I would like to thank all of you that encourage us in the faith. I pray that when we send out words of encouragement that we never do this to seek the praises of man, or to flatter you. That would not be in accordance with the scriptures. But I do pray that you are encouraged to continue in your journey with Jesus Christ and to fulfill the destiny and calling that God has for you in your life. 

            It is our prayer that like those churches mentioned in our opening passage that you would have peace in your life and that God would use you to help others to have that peace. It is our prayer that God would use these words to help us all walk in a Holy fear of the Lord. That doesn’t mean that God is sitting up there with His hands full of lightning bolts just waiting to get you with one. It is an abhorrence of sin and the things that grieve the heart of God.  It is a desire not to willfully offend God. It is a desire to bless God. It is not seeking God’s approval to get saved. It is a Holy response to the Father for sending His Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. 

Now let’s get back to talking about encouraging one another in this journey.  The Greek term for edified is oikodomeo,  oy-kod-om-eh’-o. It literally means to build up as to build a house.  Metaphorically it means to found, or establish. It also means to promote Christian growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, and blessedness, as well to grow in wisdom and in piety.

            In this season where most congregations have not met together, I praise God as I have before for all of the creative ways that God has given His servants to get His word out. Many across the Body of Christ have been an encouragement to us. 

            On the other hand, I have thought about what a blessing it is to meet with the Body of Christ and be encouraged by those that we meet with.  One means of this has been through preaching of the word. Another means has been during times of personal ministry when people have ministered to us and others as the Apostle Paul talks about in 1Co 14:3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. (NKJV) And by the way many times people have encouraged us in this way outside of the church building. 

            I will never forget one time a brother in the first congregation that we Pastored spoke a prophetic word of encouragement over me at a critical time in our lives and ministry. It was when the Lord called us to leave that congregation that we loved so much and to come to Christ Community Fellowship, a congregation that we would grow to love as well.  I remember him saying “you are going to be going over yonder.” Well every time that I get on an airplane to go on a ministry trip to another country the Holy Spirit will bring those words that he spoke to me that day.  It is a way that God confirms that I am in His will and that He will not only take care of me, but that He will do great things that only He can get the Glory for. 

             So, as we pray for an awakening and a revival in our nation let us not only walk in peace and the fear of the Lord, but let us be used by God to build one another up. There is not a Christian that if we yield our heart to God that He will not give us words to encourage one another. When we do that not only will the people that we encourage, but we ourselves will walk in the comfort of the Holy Spirit and then the church will be multiplied. 

Let Us Pray

Today Lord help us to yield our tongues and other ways that You have given us to influence others to You. May we speak life and encouragement to other members of the household of faith.  Lord help us not to compromise truth, or to flatter others for an unholy reason, or for self-promotion. But help us to be used to build up Your people for such a time as this and until you reappear or  until You call us home to be with You.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

We love you all. Please pray for the ministry that God has called us to that we will be faithful to Him. That we will glorify Him and not seek to glorify ourselves. 

Your Friend

Kinfolk

Preston 

ion, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness to grow in wisdom and piety

https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/oikodomeo.htmled metaphorically to found, establish to promote growth in Chri

GET TOGETHER- NO NEED FOR A MAKE UP CALL 

Ro 8:38,39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (NKJV)

Yesterday was such a beautiful day here in Hamilton, Alabama.  It was a perfect Spring day to get outside and work in the yard, or your garden. J.J. and I have two small plots that our son-in-law Shaun plowed up for us.  And we are expecting a good crop!

J.J. went outside to get started with the work. I was grading Final exams for the Old Testament class that I teach here at Bevill State Community College.  I told her that when I finished grading the exam that I was currently grading then I would be out there to get started with the project that we were working on. After she went out I realized that another exam had been completed and I felt like I needed to grade that one. Then I got a phone call. Bottom line I was probably about fifteen minutes later getting out there to help than I had originally said that I would be. 

The devil then came with a spirit of condemnation and false guilt.  As we were working, I began to think I have really got to hit a homerun out here today to make up for getting that late start.  I wanted to be sure to get back in J.J.’s favor. The Holy Spirit then spoke to my heart. He said that there was nothing that I could do out there and that there was no need for me to try to do something to make that up to J.J.  He reminded me that J.J. loved me for who that I was and not how I perform.  He then reminded me that is how God loved me. He impressed upon me that there was nothing that I could do, or had to do for God to love me. 

Now before you write me off as a cheap grace person let me say a few other things. When we realize that God’s loves us for who we are it leads us to desire to live a life that is in line with His word.  Certainly, there are times that we know that we have sinned against God and we need to repent and to ask Him for His forgiveness. We do this because out of our love relationship with Him we don’t want any of our actions to grieve Him. In the same way I don’t won’t to ever intentionally hurt J.J. because I love her. We made a commitment to each other. 

When we come to Jesus Christ, we make a commitment to Him. We are the Bride of Christ. When we sin, we ask Him to forgive us and He will. The Bible tells us in  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.”  There are times that I do have to ask J.J. to forgive me for something.  I do this not because she has stopped loving me when I may do something wrong, but because I want our marriage to be pure and holy.  Sometimes I may ask her more than one time to forgive me for the same thing. She always replies I forgave you the first time that you ask me. That is the way that our Heavenly Father is. He forgives us the first time that we ask Him.

So today know that as a child of God that there is nothing that you have to do to make God love you. He loves us. He loved us when we were living in rebellion against Him. He loved us too much to leave us in that rebellious estate. The Gospel of John says it like this Joh 3:16,17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  The Apostle Paul said it like this : Ro 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So today rejoice in the fact that God loves you no matter whether we perform well, or whether we make mistakes and sometimes our performance is not so good.  If you have never repented of your sin and come into a love relationship with Jesus Christ let today be that day.  He loved you enough to die on the cross for your sins. May all who read this experience His love in a great and mighty way. 

Let Us Pray

Lord we thank You that You don’t turn Your love for us on and off like a hydrant. Help us today to respond in a way of gratitude for the love that You have shown us. Help us also to love others as You have loved us. You loved us when we were and sometimes are still hard to love. 

In Jesus Name 

Amen

This garden is bringing back memories of digging potatoes in our garden in Hull camp in Walker County when I was a little boy. I was griping one day about having to work in it. My daddy said son you may have to do this one of these days. Well turned out that he was right! Love you all!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER – THERE IS A REASON THAT IT IS THE BOOK
Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

This is and has been a very different time for Christians. First of all, I want to say praise the Lord for the many creative ways that the Holy Spirit has given Pastors and church leaders to get the Gospel out during this challenging season. Ever since becoming a Christian I have believed that the building is not the church that we the born-again blood bought children of God are the church. And I am in agreement that we don’t go to church we are the church. I am a strong believer in not just being a hearer of the word, but being a doer of the word. I didn’t have to go to Seminary to understand what Jesus was talking about in Mt 28:19,20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
With all of that said perhaps I should have had a subtitle to this message that said (There Are Actually Several Reasons). I can remember on the weekend that I got saved. It was on a Christian Retreat. There was a handout with Bible verses on it. I knew that I didn’t want to ever go back to my old lifestyle again. The passage from Hebrews 10:23-25 stood out to me.
Before I get to that first of all I want to say that when God’s people come together in corporate worship it is showing Him that He is first in our lives. We lay aside everything else to come and worship Him. Jesus answered the woman at the well’s theological question about where to worship Joh 4:23,24″But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Yes, we can worship Him any where we are at. But throughout the Bible God calls us as a people to worship Him corporately as His called-out people. Let’s look at some of the benefits of corporate worship and meeting in small groups.
We get to know one another when we meet together. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works The Greek term for consider here is katanoeo, kat-an-o-eh’-o. It means to observe fully: –behold, consider, discover, perceive. What a blessing it was when I realized that I had brothers and sisters who were human just like I was and that we could share our challenges and victories together. We could pray for one another. We could walk out our journey together. There is a stirring that takes place when we meet together. The King James Bible uses the English word provoke. The Greek term for provoke is paroxusmos. It can mean an incitement to do good. So, when we meet together, we are stirred up and incited to do good unto the Lord, our family, our neighbor, and even our enemies. When we meet together, we stir one another up by ministering to one another.
It has been my experience and I believe that the Scriptures would support this that when God’s people come together in corporate worship with a pure heart that His presence will be magnified. In the churches that I have served we have always prayed for the sick during our services, and ministered to others at the altar for whatever needs that a person may have. The Bible tells us in Le 26:8 “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.” There is power when God ‘s people come together in one accord! There is power to heal! There is power to deliver from demonic oppression! There is power to see the lost get saved!
I love this passage about what takes place when God’s people are together in one accord at a prayer meeting : Ac 4:24 -31 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, “who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.’ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together”to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, “by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” I believe that when we come together in one accord in corporate worship that we can still see God do those things among us and in our culture.
In closing I don’t believe that I would be doing this devotional today if I hadn’t been meeting in corporate worship with God’s people, meeting in small groups and meeting with other Christians in one on one times of confession and encouragement. There have been many temptations that have come my way. There have been many personal challenges and times of discouragement. But praise God for the saints that God has brought into our lives that have stirred us in so many ways. Today let’s all pray for that time that we can get together and shake hands, hug one another, lay hands on the sick, take Holy Communion with our other brothers and sisters in the room with us. And then be ready to go into the world and be the church to a world that needs Jesus Christ so much.
Let Us Pray
Lord this isn’t a complaint. However, it is a request. We ask You today to move in such a way that Your people can gather together again in one place. Forgive us for when we took that for granted. We do thank you for the creative ways that You have given Your servants to serve You and to worship You during this time. But Lord as David wrote in Ps 122:1 ¶ <> I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”(NKJV) There is no other House like Your House. As the sons of Korah sang and wrote in Ps 84:10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.(NKJV) We long to gather together in Your Name as your people to worship You and to love one another. Please Lord would You hasten the day?
In Jesus name
Amen

Thanks to all of you who have stirred and continue to stir J.J. and I in the Lord! We love you all
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston

GET TOGETHER- IN EVERYTHING THANK HIM

1Th 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I first met my good friend and Brother in Christ Jackie Isom in 1991.  We were working on a Christian retreat. We were both pretty new Christians.   Jackie gave me a book by Merlin Carruthers.  Jackie was one of the Founding Elders at Christ Community Fellowship. He has been in Heaven since 2016. He bought hundreds of copies of this book and gave them out to many to help them in their journey with the Lord. 

The name of the book was Prison to Praise. Merlin got saved in Prison. He went on to become a faithful Chaplain in the US Army.  He also served in ministry after that. In the book he talked about how we are supposed to give thanks in all situations.  This morning as I was driving into town the Holy Spirit brought the passage from 1 Thessalonians by me. I thought about how for all of us how this has been a very different and challenging time.  Some of us have had some major things happen in our lives as a result of this pandemic.  Love ones have passed away and funerals had to be kept to a minimum of the closest relatives at best.   Some people have experienced major financial loss. And for all of us we have had to make a lot of adjustments that can sometimes be somewhat irritating. On the other hand, for some of us there has been more time with family during this season.  

            I don’t believe that God sent the virus. I do believe that He has used it in a lot of different ways in different peoples lives.  I do believe that it is His will that we thank Him in all situations. 

             So today I am going to thank Him that I can allow Him to use me to send this message. I am going to thank Him that I know that no matter what happens that I am going to live in Heaven with Him one day. I am going to thank Him that according to His word in Eph 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”   I am going to thank Him that according to Ro 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Thank Him because He will not leave you! Thank Him because He is mightier than a jillion pandemics! Thank Him because when we are in the fire just like He was with Daniel He will be in the fire with us!  I feel like preaching!!   I thank him for my family! I thank Him for saving me from Hell! I thank Him that I have a car to drive! I thank Him that we have heat! There isn’t enough time for me to thank Him for all of the things that I could thank Him for in this devotional.  I thank Him that He is on the throne. I thank Him that He will have the final say in everything!

So as Paul writes in 1Th 5:16 ¶ Rejoice always.  We can shout Hallelujah during this time! We can rejoice because God is for us and if God be for us who ,or what can be against us. We can do this because Paul also tells us in this chapter in  v.17 pray without ceasing.

            Sometime  today just begin to thank Him ! It will have a big effect on you and what is going on in the spirit realm.   I called sister Judy to see if it was ok to use Jackie’s name in this devotional. She assured me that it was and then shared with me that today was his birthday. What a blessing to know that someone can be in Heaven and God still be using them here on earth.    I believe that as we give thanks in this situation that God will use us while we are still here on earth, and after we are gone to be with Jesus as well.

Let us pray

Lord I must confess that there have been sometimes during this pandemic that I have griped and complained more than I have thanked You. Lord please forgive me and help me and all that read this to give you thanks during this time of trial and challenge. Help us to be a light in a dark season and always giving You thanks!

In Jesus Name

Amen

We give Him thanks for all of you!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- HE GUIDES AND HE PROVIDES
Ps 105:40 The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. (NKJV) Mt 6:24-34 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; “and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Yesterday I saw on the internet where a meat packing company was warning that there could be a shortage of meat soon. This morning when J.J. and I were having our quiet time I told her about reading the article on the internet. Just about the time that I said it I happened to look outside from our sunroom window and there were three quail there. There are always some birds out there because we feed them. But this was the first time that there have been quail there in a long time. And by the way wild birds are my favorite pets!
I immediately thought about how God provided Israel with quail when they were griping and complaining in the wilderness. Although their motive was wrong God still provided for them. When I saw the quail this morning I felt like the Holy Spirit was giving us an assurance that God will always provide for us in season and out of season.
There are many other times when we are there in our sun room that when we watch the redbirds, bluebirds, and other kinds of birds that the Holy Spirit brings Jesus words in the passage that I posted from Matthew to my attention. Yesterday morning while I was in our car, I was listening to a sermon by a preacher on the radio. He mentioned in the sermon that we need to be reading the headlines from Heaven during this time. I thought about that today. The headlines that we are listening to from the media can get very discouraging. But if we look to the headlines from Heaven we will see that there is a God that loves us. We will see that there is a God that will be with us at all times. We will see that there is a God that will provide for us.
Israel asked and He gave. For us as born-again children of God we are under a better covenant than they were. He says in Mt 7:7 ¶ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. This morning the Holy Spirit reminded me that they don’t call Him Jehovah – Jireh for nothing. He is the Provider! The Apostle Paul said it like this in Php 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.(NKJV)
At least five times in this passage from Matthew He tells us not to worry. I believe that the answer to this is found in Mt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. So in this uncertain time are you worrying, or trusting? Are you seeking peace through God ,or in some other way? If we abide, He will provide. I can remember someone telling me right after we had surrendered to the call to the Pastorate that where He guides, He provides. I think that we could say with certainty and the scripture would certainly support it, that for those that He guides He will provide. Today during this uncertain time trust the One that has never failed to provide for His people. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you! He said it and He meant it. Heaven’s bank is backing up every word that He said.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus we praise You that You are a great and faithful High Priest. Father we praise You and thank you that You provide. We thank You that there is never any lack to those who trust You. By the power of the Holy Spirit help us to trust You as our Provider during this uncertain time and all the time.
In Jesus Name
Amen
We love you all! I am going to stand in for you right now and hug myself Aas a token of mine and J.J.’s love for you all!
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston

Get Together- Don’t Take It For Granted

Mt 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. Heb 10:19 –22 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

            The Holy Spirit brough a memory back to me when God really answered a prayer quick for me. It was in the Spring of 2002.  I was on Interstate 65 on my way home from Asbury Seminary. I was just outside of Franklin Kentucky a town right on the Tennessee -Kentucky border when I had a flat  on the right rear tire of my green Chevy S-10 pickup.

            I had never changed a flat on that model pick up before. When I got up under the truck, I was using all my strength and limited mechanical knowledge to get the spare tire to come down. It wouldn’t budge. I tried to call J.J. back in Alabama. She is mechanically savvy. But she was at Bible Study and  I couldn’t reach her. I remember praying Lord if you have a servant out here on this highway would you please send them by here. I got back under the truck and started trying to pull the tire down again. It wasn’t long before I heard a voice saying, “you aren’t getting anywhere are you.” I almost went through the truck! I jumped out from under the truck and there stood a Mennonite man ready to help me. He said put your tire tool in that slot right behind the tag and you can lower it down.  He helped me change the tire and then he followed me to Wal- Mart where I bought a new tire.

            This Friday is the day that we Christians refer to as Good Friday. I used to wonder how that day could be called good when our Lord Jesus suffered such a horrible, tortuous death on the cross at Calvary. We know that it is good because we can now be forgiven and delivered from our sinful pasts. We know that it was good because He would rise from the dead on the third day.   Now that was a prayer that was answered quick.  I raise God that we can call on our Heavenly father and times like that. 

            Let’s look at another reason that we can call it good. Before the veil of the temple was torn into only the High Priest could go into the holy of holies one time a year on the Day of Atonement.  Now we as believers in Jesus Christ have access to the throne room at any time all the time. Praise God that through the shedding of the perfect Blood of Jesus Christ we have access to our great and faithful High Priest. We have that access when things are going well. We have that access when we find ourselves in trouble, or a challenging situation. We can truly experience what the Old Testament Prophet wrote in Jer 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

            So, on this week as we reflect on our Lord’s suffering for us. As we celebrate His Resurrection from the dead. And as we live at a time of so much uncertainty. Let us take advantage of that glorious privilege that our Lord Jesus paid the price for us to have when He suffered, bled, and died on Calvary’s cross.  No matter how big, or how small your concern may be. our great and faithful High Priest is always there for us.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we thank You that you suffered and died for the forgiveness of our sins. We thank You that You suffered and died for us to have access to Your Holy Throne. We pray that we will never take that privilege for granted. Holy Spirit of God prompt us to use this privilege often not only in this time of great concern, but until the day that You return for us Your children.

In Jesus Name

Amen

J.J. and I are praying for all of you. We love you all so much!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE TIME THAT WE LIVE IN
Matthew 24 :3-12 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.”For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. “All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Well here is another one that I really was resisting writing, but I believe that the Holy Spirit is leading me to write this.

First of all, I am not an end times expert. I have had the privilege of reading, or hearing different sincere Christians share their views concerning the return of the Lord. Some are people with post tribulation views. Some are sincere Christians with pre tribulation views. And all can give you a good scriptural argument for their view. So, I take none of that lightly. I am not here to enter in to a debate over any of those views. There is one thing for sure that all of these would agree on and I would certainly agree is that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return for His people to live with Him forever and ever.

What we are experiencing right now with this virus came on us unexpected and unprepared. It has shaken society and culture all over the world. I don’t want to come across as a hypocrite, because I love sports, our son is a coach, and most of our family has been involved in sports in some way most of our lives. But in this situation where we have seen big time sporting events cancelled could not God be speaking to us to give Him priority over these and some other things? No not for one minute do I believe that God sent the Coronavirus. But I do believe that it is a good time to allow the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts concerning those things that we consider most important in our lives.

Now with that said when I look at this passage there are several things that really get my attention. First of all be careful that you are not deceived by false prophets, or false teachers during this season. Or, by false Christs. Throughout history there have been some who proclaimed that they are the Messiah. 1Jo 4:3 “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” One day there will be one last false Christ. He will deceive multitudes. He is going to look good. He is going to appear to solve all of the things that are wrong in the world. 2Th 2:8,9 And then the lawless one will revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.”

There are currently wars going on all over the world today. There were over 10,000 combat related deaths around the world last year. We also know of the tensions between our nation and Iran, Communist China, and several Islamic terrorist groups. There are famines in and the potential for more famine in several parts of the world.
Jesus spoke about pestilence. The Greek term for pestilence in this passage is loimos, loy’-mos. It means a plague, or the disease. I think that this world wide pandemic would certainly fall into that category.

One more thing before I get to the conclusion. I know that many will say well there have been wars, and rumors of war throughout history. Many will say that there have been various plagues, earthquakes at various times throughout history. Well we are told that there will be scoffers in the last days. 2Pe 3:3,4 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” I have actually one more thing before the conclusion. First of all, we are living at a time where lawlessness definitely abounds. Watch the news and read the Scriptures and you will get the point.

You may be saying well Preston what are you trying to say through all of this. First of all I am not saying that I know when Jesus will return. Mt 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. I do believe that I would be negligent as a Christian, and as an evangelist to not tell people that we need to be ready every day to meet the Lord. My eschatological position is to be ready every day and you will be ready on that day.
As I read Matthew 24 I believe that the Holy Spirit is saying to me that just as this caught many unprepared. Be sure that you are not caught unprepared, on the day the Lord returns. And don’t be caught unprepared the day that you pass from this life. Whether someone is post tribulation, or pretribulation I receive you as my brother and sister in Christ. All true Christians believe that our Lord will come back for His people who remain alive on the earth. He will bring those who have gone before us with Him. When He returns may He find us advancing His Kingdom here on the earth.

Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus we thank You that You have told us to be aware of the things that are going on in the world at the nearness of Your return. We don’t know when You are coming back. We are paying attention to many of the things that are mentioned in the Word of God preceding Your return. Help us today to use our time in a way that brings others into Your Kingdom. We long for the day that we touch Your nail scarred hands. Until that time may we be about what You have called us to do.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Remember : Be ready everyday and you will be ready on the day!
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston

GET TOGETHER – DRINK SOMETHING NEW TODAY!
Isa 43:19,20 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. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. Re 21:5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”(NKJV)

With so much going on and so many unexpected changes in our lives I am trying very hard to be sure that I am hearing from the Lord correctly about what to share with you today. Hopefully this will be a word that encourages you no matter where you may be. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have been born again, I pray that it will help you to walk faithfully with Him in this time of the unexpected. If you are not a follower of His I pray that in some way that God would reveal Himself to you in such a way that you would surrender your life to Him.

Fifty years ago, today I rode through Hamilton, Alabama for the first time in my life. I was with fifteen other men from Dora and Cordova. We were in the National Guard and we were on a Trailways bus headed for Fort Leonard Wood Missouri. I had slipped some whiskey in my bag and I was drunk by the time we got to Eldridge, Al. I am not bragging about my sin. But what I do want to tell you is that God can take the vilest sinner and use them for His glory and His purpose.

About an hour ago I just left a family that is going through a very tough time. While I was there the presence and grace of God was there in a very special way. The Holy Spirit began to remind me of some others times here in Hamilton that some people have been through some tough times and that God worked through those times in a great and mighty way.

If you would have told me fifty years ago today that I would be living in Hamilton, Alabama and preaching I would have in my drunken stupor laughed my head off. I think about the number fifty in the Bible. Fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church. Peter who had denied Jesus three times the night before He died on the cross was used to bring three thousand souls into the Kingdom. God was doing a new thing in his life. He gave Peter one thousand souls for every time that he had denied him. That is grace!

The Good news for us is that the Holy Spirit is with us all of the time. As we go through this time of unexpected things taking place so much in our world it is an opportunity to grow closer to God. Sadly, when people often go through unexpected traumatic things in their lives they often run from God. Sometimes people turn to drugs, alcohol, sexual sin, or some other way to attempt to cope with the challenges and changes that they are facing in their lives.

Isaiah tells us that God will do a new thing in our lives. He will do this when we turn from our old sinful ways and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. He tells us that we don’t have to fear when we go through the wilderness, or the dessert in life. He says that all of the beast of the field honors the name of the Lord. The Corona Virus fears the Name of the Lord. All of the things that are happening as a result of this situation are not bigger than God. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, He invites you to come today and let Him lead you through this dessert that is filled with jackals and other beasts.

He makes streams in the dessert. If I had known that fifty years ago today, I would have been drinking from His fountain rather than the pint of whiskey that I was drinking from. So today as a believer in Jesus Christ know that the same Holy Spirit that Peter was filled with on the Day of Pentecost is there for you. He is there to lead you. He is there to do a new thing in your life. Let Him do it and you will never regret it.
Let Us Pray

Lord we know that these are uncertain times. We know that You are a God of certainty when other things seem uncertain. Today Lord give strength to your people as you do a new thing in our lives. Lord for any that read this that aren’t saved I pray today that the Holy Spirit would lead them to that place of surrender and that You would do a new thing in their lives.
In Jesus Name
Amen
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior feel free to message me if you would like to accept His mercy, and be born again by faith in His shed blood. He will make all things new in your life!

Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston

GET TOGETHER- HIS PROMISES F0R HIS CHILDREN

Isa 54:1-3 “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD.”Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes .For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. Heb 8:6 ¶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. (NKJV)

Praise the Lord that in Hebrews we are told that we as born-again believers in Jesus Christ have a new and better covenant than the Old Covenant. On the other hand, I believe that scripture supports that we do inherit the promises of the Old Covenant and that they are absorbed into the New Covenant. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” With that said let’s look at some of them in Isaiah Chapter 54 that I believe that we as believers in Jesus Christ can grab and hold on to. 

To be Barren in this day was to be looked down upon. God’s people had been in captivity in Babylon. When a people or a nation rebels against God it leads to judgment. God in His great love and mercy desires that His people repent of their sins and return to Him. When we do, we can expect God to have mercy upon us. We can also know that He is a God of restoration.  Isaiah 53 is prophetic in pointing us and all who will believe to the Messiah Jesus Christ who came into the world to redeem lost humanity.  I believe that the promises that were given in Isaiah 54 for God’s people at that time are for the believer in Christ today. Let’s look at some of them.

Our children will be taught by the Lord and they will have peace in their lives. Isa 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. There may be times that the devil will try to get us to doubt this. But we must teach our children about the Lord. No matter what the circumstances look like by faith we have to believe that God will bring about this in their lives. 

God will establish us in a right relationship with Him and with others. Isa 54:14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we are established in Him. 2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.(NKJV)

We will be far from fear and oppression.   We don’t have to be afraid of Satan and the demonic forces hat serve him.  He has given us the victory.  He didn’t promise that those forces wouldn’t come against us. But He has promised us that for our sakes, because He loves us that they will not succeed. Remember this that when Jesus died on the cross that He defeated all of the powers of Hell! We are told in  Col 2:14,15 “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Time doesn’t permit me to write about all those promises in Isiah 54.  But today I will leave you with this one. And no matter what Hell or life is bringing against you know that you can stand on God’s word and His faithfulness to you when the battle is raging.  Isa 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.”(NKJV)

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we thank You that in your death and resurrection that You have given us great promises. We thank You that You are faithful to what You have promised. We pray that our response to You will be one of faithfulness. May every person that reads this grow in confidence and faith and walk in the victory that You have provided for us.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Love you all! Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

GET TOGETHER- He Paid A Price For Our Healing

Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (NKJV)

Recently as I was showing the Passion of Christ to a group of young people, I was reminded again of what a price that Jesus paid for our healing. The scene in that movie where our Lord is being scourged is long and it is very unpleasant to watch. 

I don’t know about you, but there have been times when I have watched that movie that the voice of the enemy would come and try to say that is Hollywood making that up. It really wasn’t that bad.  When I hear that voice, I rebuke it and renounce it. 

One day I was listening to a very solid Biblical scholar on the radio. The question was posed to him concerning how the movie portrayed Jesus suffering at the hands of the Romans who scourged Him. He said that it was worse than the movie portrayed it. He then gave a very informed explanation of what all was involved when the Romans scourged a prisoner.  With that said let’s look at that last clause in this verse for what Jesus accomplished for us when the Romans scourged Him before they nailed Him to the cross and pierced His side. Time will not permit me to look at it all.

He paid the price for our healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I praise God for the many times that I have experienced healing in my body. I praise God that J.J. and I have not only experienced physical healing in our own bodies, but we have seen God heal many other people as well.  Jesus paid the price and Jesus does the healing. 

I don’t have the answer to why sometimes people that we pray for get healed in this life and others in Heaven.  All I know is that I believe that we are to contend for those and for ourselves who need healing until the Lord heals that person here on earth, or calls them home.  And going home is never second place. 

I also believe that Jesus paid the price for our emotional healing. In Luke 4:18 Jesus is quoted in the NKJV of the Bible saying that “He has come to heal the brokenhearted.”  He fulfills this prophecy in Isa 61:1 ¶ “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”(NKJV) The Greek term for heal in Luke 4:18 is iaomai,  ee-ah’-om-ahee. It means to cure, to heal, to make whole.  The Hebrew term in Isaiah 61:1 is  shabar,  shaw-bar’. It means to be crushed, broken ,or shattered. 

Most of us have experienced, or will experience some type of heart break in our lives. Sometimes we may feel totally crushed. Life may appear dark and hopeless to us. There is good news! Jesus is here to heal the brokenhearted. He is here to restore us to a healthy emotional condition. 

 Last but not least He paid the price to heal us from our sin sick spiritual condition. He did that at after He had been beaten, tortured and forced to carry His own cross to Mount Calvary. He hung on the cross so that we could be made whole: Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV)   Praise God that eternal life begins at the moment  we come to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.   We are healed spiritually. We no longer are dead, but we have been made alive! We are assured of this in Eph 2:4,5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

            So today no matter if it is physical, healing, emotional healing, or spiritual healing. Believe that Jesus the Messiah has come to bring healing to us in all three of those areas. I will leave you with the verse that we started off with, plus the one that precedes it. Isa 53:4,5 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.  Meditate on it,  declare it , believe it and stand on it.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we thank You for the mighty price that You paid for our healing. By the power of the Holy Spirit help us to stand on your word and contend for all who need healing, whether it be physical, spiritual, or emotional.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Love you all!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston