Press!

Philippians 3:14

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

PRESS!

Being a disciple isn't easy. The word itself is related to the word discipline. Whether used as a term for correction or a term for devotion, the bottom line is being disciplined, or a disciple, requires work.

If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less than you're used to and exercise more than you're used to. Its work.

If you want to be good at an instrument, it requires not only that you practice, but that you practice with perfection in mind. Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect. Its work.

Want to learn a new language? You have to speak it to learn it. Want to run faster? You have to start running and force yourself to go faster. Want to be a better dancer? speaker? husband? wife? They all take concentrated effort. They take discipline. You have to become a disciple of what you want to do.

Its work.

Your life in Christ is no different. When you are born again, you are literally new. Christ births in you a brand new spirit, a spirit like His. But that spirit has to be fed, nurished, exercised, allowed to prosper. And it has to work within a physical body that has carnal feelings and mindsets that have to be overcome by this new spirit of Christ.

In short, its work.

Dear friends, press. Press through to the perfect. Press through to the passion, the design God has placed in you. Press through to your calling. Grab hold of it. Setbacks may in fact happen, but they shouldn't stop your press. Paul reminded us to 'forget those things that are behind.' Forget the gains and the failures and focus on the press. The pressing is where your breakthrough starts. The pressing is what drives your growth.

And that press, like the women who pressed through crowds to get to the Savior, or the centurion and the eunech who pressed through tradition, or Christ Himself who pressed through His humanity to His divinity to create our way back to the Father; that press will only bring you closer to God.

Jesus said 'I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.' (John 14:6). He is the way. The press is the how. At Fellowship, we are ready and willing to show you both The Way and give you the process to do the how. We will work with you while the Lord works on you.

Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Press on!

Correction from last week: I referenced Psalm 131:14 and I should have written 139:14.

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. Feel free to share this message.
Previous Lifeline mailings can also be reached through the church website www.fcchosengeneration.com on the Lifeline link. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com.  You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor

Making Toast with a Teapot

1 Peter 2:9


But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Making Toast with a Teapot

You are a chosen generation. God Himself has CHOSEN you. Think about that for a minute...on second thought, rejoice in that for a minute and then I'll finish...

Back? Ok, what I'm getting at is that if you are on the fence about whether God can use you, get off the fence. YOU'RE CHOSEN. You're here, at this time, where ever you are, on purpose. His intent is sure for you. He's just waiting on you to be available.

All throughout the temple instructions in Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Numbers, vessels are prominent in the duties of the priests. Earthen or pottery vessels were destroyed if they were fouled. Wooden vessels could sometimes be cleaned, at other times were burned. Only metal vessels could be recovered if they were exposed to unclean contents, though the recovery often involved fire and scouring.

What I'm getting at is that these tools had no choice in their employment. They were made for a purpose and if they became polluted or unfit for that purpose, they were destroyed.

You are a different kind of vessel. You have a will. You can choose to be availale or not. This free will doesn't change your purpose, but it does impact your effectiveness.

Can you imagine if your teapot got up one morning and decided it wanted to be a toaster? Sounds ridiculous, but if it had a free will, it could. It wouldn't be a very good toaster, but that's what happens when you make choices against your design.

My pastor brought up Psalm 131:14 yesterday in his sermon. That's the line oft quoted about how we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are hand crafted by God for specific purpose in His kingdom. But, unlike that teapot, we come to Earth equipped with a free will that He will never violate. That means we get to choose what we do, regardless of our designated purpose.

What were you designed for? To show the glory of God. How is that accomplished? By following His will for your life. Not His will for someone else's life, yours.

Will you be a willing vessel, yeilded to the Master's touch and set aside for His purpose? It really is your choice. There are lives depending on you making the right choice. You will never be what you were designed to be away from God's will.

Or will you be a teapot trying to make toast?

Psalm 42:1


As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
(That hunger you feel is your soul panting, longing after God)

Matthew 16:24-28
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
(Jesus made it clear that being His disciple is a choice. The consequences are also clear, but the CHOICE is still yours)

Choose Christ.

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.  Feel free to share this message.

Previous Lifeline mailings are posted on this blog and can also be reached through the church website www.fcchosengeneration.com on the Lifeline link. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor

A Plea for Faith

I've been looking at the devistation in Japan with keen interest. I have a friend who lives in one of the affected cities. I haven't heard from her. We aren't as close as we once were. Time and distance will do that to a friendship. Language barrier makes it even more taxing. But, here I sit with everything she or her family might need, and I can't get in touch with her.

I didn't know anyone in Port-Au-Prince. I didn't have any people in New Orleans. No friends lost on 9-11 or in the Oklahoma City explosions. But I know someone in Japan, and I want to worry.

But I can't.

I was seaching for scripture today (note, I said "I") to write about how we should be connected to these events. Just because we don't know anyone doesn't mean we should be apathetic about the bombings in Libya or the fires that plagued Russia last summer and may well repeat this year. I (again, I) was feeling very self righteous about my plea for everyone to concentrate on how world-engaged I was.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for correction.

As I looked for the passage in Luke about even sinners love those who love them, but we should love those who don't love us, I was directed to two special places:

Psalm 5:11 (King James Version)
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Romans 8:28 (King James Version)
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Our minister yesterday, Min. Ron Watkins, talked about 'let not your heart be troubled' - the encouraging command Jesus gave His disciples (then and now) about what lay ahead recorded in John 14. I was too pre-occupied to let it sink in until today. Or, inkeeping with the message, it was a planted Word that sprouted today, on time and in place.

The funny thing about faith and favor is that it can only be demonstrated during times and seasons when we shouldn't have it. It's easy to claim faithfulness when all the bills are paid, the kids are well behaved, and you're admired on your job. You can claim it, but that's not really faith.

Faith is facing the 3:00 AM phone call and calling out in Jesus' name that everything will be alright when the evidence is to the contrary. Favor is finding out at 8:00 AM it is.

Faith is walking into a meeting with your boss when they laid off the people to your left and your right. Favor is coming out of that meeting promoted, not fired.

Faith is knowing that the loved one you're praying for really is going to be ok, even when you can't reach them. Favor is getting a phone call from them confirming it, despite the complete lack of cell service.

Faith pleases God. Favor is often the demonstration of that pleasure. Jesus Himself was moved by faith...real faith...not lip-service faith, but crawl on the ground to touch the hem of His robe despite the risk of being stoned, faith. And everyone who came (comes) to Him with that kind of faith leaves whole, healed and renewed.

So, chose to activate faith. You know favor...you're the recipient of it daily, whether you realize it or not. But, loved ones, walk with me in faith. Encourage mine when I need it, and I'll do the same for you. Let's move out of worry, fear and anxiety and walk in faith, joy and expectation. Let's give all to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly, even more than we ask or think...

I worried last night. I worried this morning as I looked at pictures on the news. I'm done worrying. I thank God for each of you and for His favor in my life, in your life and in the lives of all we love and call friends.

John 14:27 (King James Version)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Not my peace, but the very peace of Jesus.

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.  Feel free to share this message.

Previous Lifeline mailings are posted here and can also be reached through the church website www.fcchosengeneration.com on the Lifeline link. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com.  You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor

Distractions

Psalm 63


1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;


2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.


3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.


4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.


5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:


6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.


7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.


8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.


9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Distractions

The phone(s), the emails, the texts. Television, billboards, the radio. The kids, the spouse, new friends, old friends, teachers, family, church folk. Everyone wants your attention and they want it now.

Finding some down time, some quiet time gets harder and harder. I can remember spending hours as a kid alone. I am an only child, and I was a latch-key kid. I lived in a small town where I could explore the woods behind our apartment freely, without fear of, well of anything. I got to spends hours just being along. I could sit outside for hours and just listen to things. Now, seems like the only alone time I get is in the car (and then only if I can't find a good radio station).

Driving in this morning, I was looking at the sunrise and remarking to myself how beautiful the colors were. The Holy Spirit gave me a picture of God painting each new day with careful consideration of color, light, shadow and balance. All for pure enjoyment.

I love Atlanta in the springtime, when the Bradford Pears, Flowering Cherry trees and Redbuds all bloom at the same time. The jonquils and hyacynths pop up before we've had our last snowfall. There's a myriad of colors that look even better against a gray, rainy sky. Yet, as a biologist, I know that these colors serve no real purpose as far as the life of the plant is concerned. God made them beautiful simply for our enjoyment.

What's my point? De-distract.

Give yourself some time alone, with the Holy Spirit. Allow yourself the priviledge of being consumed just for a moment by the beauty that surrounds you. It was placed there for your enjoyment and should be taken in every once in a while. How else will you hear when God speaks to you?

Moses had to turn aside and consider the sight of the burning bush. Ezekiel found himself in a desert watching dry bones live again. John was in exile on the isle of Patmos when Heaven and the Lamb were revealed.

The Holy Spirit used David's Psalms to remind us time after time that we have to get away and meditate on God. Remember, your advisary just wants you to take your eye off God. He really doesn't care what you do, so long as you don't do God's will. A distraction is just as good as shifted devotion in his eyes.

Focus. Pull in. Ask, seek, knock. Taste, feel and know. Allow the Holy Spirit to have His way with you by making yourself available to Him.

My pastor makes a keen observation. Your will is yours - the Lord gave it to you. Our Father WON'T violate it, and your advisary CAN'T. So chose to lay yours at your Father's feet.

This Spring, let the new life be yours. We're ready to fill our garden at Fellowship. Won't you come be one of our choice fruits?

1 Kings 19:11-12


11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:


12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Peace.

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. Feel free to share this message.

Previous Lifeline mailings can also be reached through the church website www.fcchosengeneration.com on the Lifeline link. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor

Every Valley

Isa 40:4  
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: valley shall be exalted and every mountain and every hill shall be made low:

Every Valley

I had occasion this week to fly over the rocky mountains on may way to a conference. It was a beautiful day for flying, the skies were clear and I could see out, down and up for miles. I was over Lake Meade when the Holy Spirit dropped this verse in my heart.

Every valley shall be exalted. Even the vast depths of Lake Meade will be made table flat because God said so. In addition to what happens to the earth, the Holy Spirit had me consider my own personal valleys.

I have lived life long enough to have a collection of memories and experiences that I'm not proud of. Bless the Lord, the guilt is gone, but there are some real results, real harvests from seed I am sorry I sowed. Some of it, everyone can see. Some of it is in the valley.

We all have valleys in our lives. They are places that don't always get a lot of light. They are the areas we don't like to deal with because they don't fit real well in our new, born again image of ourselves. Sometimes we visit this characteristics we left in the valley, but we don't drag those things up to the top of the mountain where the light is, cause, you know, the Lord might want us to do something with it.

Loved ones, the Father said EVERY valley would be exalted. That's not just the lowly being lifted, that is also a warning call to those of us who need to clean out our valleys. That thing you try to ignore is the very thing Jesus wants to deal with. He said that He is strong where we are weak. And He loves us. He is ready to work that thing out, lovingly and finally IF we'll let Him.

Your valley will be exalted. The time to start cleaning it out is now. Fill your valley instead with the water of the Word. That way, when the ground comes up, the Word will go out, like water from a dam.

Jesus wants the whole you...not just the you that goes to church.

Peace.

Isa 40:10-11  
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong [hand], and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward [is] with him, and his work before him.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.

What Is Love?

John 15:12-13
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

What is Love?

I had an excellent converstation with some friends a couple weeks ago. Actually, it was Valentine's Day and we were talking about love. The conversation centered around the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemming. We were debating if what was between them was really love. One of my friends made a statement that stuck in my spirit when she said "love is subjective."

Is it? Is love subjective or is it an absolute? That's a hard question when you think about it. Websters' and every other dictionary defines 'love' but is love really left up to the individual to define?

You may not see making dinner as an act of love, but of obligation. But, if you are the recipient of a home cooked meal after you've worked hard all day, it may well be the highest expression of love at that moment.

So, maybe love is even beyond subjection, but can be conditional too. See, it can get really complicated if you start analyzing it too much.

So I asked the Holy Spirit, what is love? The Word defines greater love, it tells us how Jesus define's love (John 14:15 - keep my commandments, John 21 16-17 - feed my sheep), and even gives a whole chapter on what love in action looks like (I Corinthians 11).

So, what is love?

Love denies self in the preference of others. The others may be closely related or completely unknown, but its a forward moving thing. In it's purest form, it is that which is done solely for the benefit of someone else.

You can define love by a personal standard. You can limit it to just how you feel towards the people close to you and everything in your daily life can be just fine.

But, if you hunger for the real, pure essence of love, I challenge you to define it by the standard Jesus set through His life. Can you love enough to keep His commandments? Can you love enough to feed His sheep, not yours? Can you love enough to deny your own desires and plans in order to enhance the life of those around you? The ones who love you and the ones who do not?

There is love, there is greater love and then there is SO love.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Maybe you don't subscribe to this email. Maybe you receive if from someone who's been trying to get you to go to church. Maybe you're one of my friends on Facebook who do not believe in Christ as the Son of God. Perhaps you read this message and choose to think I and the person who sent this to you, are just a couple of crazy fanatics who need to get a real world view of life. And that's just fine.

Love is subjective. So, I subject my love for you to Christ. I choose to love according to His standard.

There is no greater love than the love of Christ because He laid down His life for friends. There is no real life outside of Christ. Everything else is just a counterfiet. Everything else is a poor imitation of the real and the true essense and expression of love. This is the love I want for you. And this is the love I'll keep preaching about and writing about and sharing as long as I have breath available.

Do you know Him? Oh, taste! You'll see that the Lord is good.

You already know Him? Then show Him how much. Feed His sheep.

Looking for a pasture to work? Look around. Need some sheep feeding instructions? Come to Fellowship. We hold classes weekly.

I John 3:1, 16-18
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Love.

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.
Feel free to share this message.


Previous Lifeline mailings can also be reached through the church website www.fcchosengeneration.com on the Lifeline link. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com.

You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!
455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238
Alton Watkins, Pastor

Who's After Your Heart?

Acts 13:22


And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Who's After Your Heart?

Ah, it's Valentine's Day. The office is full of candy and flowers. Different people are walking around wearing red and sharing cheerful greetings. It's actually one of my favorite holidays. What's not to like? Chocolate! Flowers! People in good moods, talking about love!



And with all this excitement about hearts, the Holy Spirit made it clear that even in this commercial holiday, it still comes back to Jesus.



David was not only a descendant of Christ, but a forerunner. He was not a perfect man. He stole a man's wife. When he was old, they put a young woman in his bed to make sure he was dying. No, he wasn't Jesus, but they held a similar character trait...they were both after the heart of God.



How did they demonstrate this longing? They sought to do the Father's will in its entirity...the things they should do and the things they shouldn't.



What a testimony! What a compliment! To be known to God, the Creator of all things as someone who is after His heart! That's an amazing thing and a blessing that you cannot earn. It has to be given. You can strive to work for someone's affection, but THEY have to be the one to acknowlege it as sincere.



Sound like a bad love story. I encourage you to look around. There is Someone of pure heart, with motivations only to your benefit Who is longing for you. Yes, dear ones, Jesus, the very Son of God, His Beloved is seeking your heart. And what He wants to do with your heart is even more amazing. He wants to give your back to your Father, your Creator, your very Source.



He doesn't have flowers for you. There's no candy. No, His gifts are more precious...His very blood. His entire life and everything He had available in an earthly body. He gave all He had, for your heart.



He's after your heart. Are you after His?



Romans 10:6-9

6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.



For Valentine's Day, I pray that you received the very love of Christ.



Evg. Stephanie Robinson



Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.
Feel free to share this message.


Previous Lifeline mailings can also be reached through the church website www.fcchosengeneration.com on the Lifeline link.

For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com.
You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.


Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor