Elder Bernard Yates Visits the North Carolina/Virginia Primitve Baptist Convention

The delegates of the North Carolina/Virginia Primitive Baptist Convention was thrilled with the news that Elder Bernard Yates, the newly elected President of the National Primitive Baptist Convention was coming to the state convention to preach the final service on Sunday November 6, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.

The sanctuary of the State building was full as the delegation waited with great anticipation to hear the Word of God from Elder Yates. The pulpit was full of Elders, Preachers, and Pastors. The music was provided by the praise team of the Kings Mountain View Primitive Baptist Church,Westfield North Carolina pastored by Elder J.R. Strickland who is in his 55th year  as pastor of that congregation.       

Elder Timothy Lyons, the Vice President of the State Convention and Pastor Elect of the St John's Chapel Primitive Baptist Church of Charlotte North Carolina introduced Elder Yates in his rhmytic and eloquent manner. And then Elder Doctor Thomas W. Samuels, president of the North Carolina/Virginia State Convention for 35 years, took the podium to raise a love offering for Elder Yates. Following the offering Elder Samuels led the congregation in the hymn, "Father I Stretch my Hands to Thee,"  sang in the distinctive style of North Carolina. One of the unique distinction of the Primitive Baptist Church is the richness of the hymns sang in that region's manner. And Elder T.W. Samuels is a master of Primitive Baptist hymnology with his sonorous baritone voice. In a few moments most of the conventioneers were on their feet singing and giving God praise as a couple of hundreds voices blended in song.  

After much rejoicing and praising the Lord Elder Yates took the podium as the members of the convention stood to give him an enthusiastic greeting. Elder Yates expressed his thanks to the North Carolina/Virginia Convention for their support of him and the convention. He stated, "I recognize that the North Carolina/Virginia State Convention is a force to be reckoned with." Elder Yates announced his text from Galatians 1:10-12. His preaching subject was "The Hurdles of Pleasing People."  

Elder Yates is a dynamic preacher with a unique presentation. He expounded the text and explicated it in a serious and insightful way. He strongly exhorted the congregation to please God as he closed in his thunderous style of preaching that is uniquely Bernard Yates.

Elder Yates deserves the support of this entire convention as we move forward into the destiny that God has set for this branch of the body of Christ. I encourage you to pray for Elder Yates as his success is our success.  

A NEW SEASON IN PRAYER: PRAYER JOURNALING

Most of my Christian Life I have pursued God in prayer, but in 1994 I started a new form of prayer by writing my prayers in a journal. As I was contemplating what to write today I was led to pull out my first journal and share with you where I was in my prayer life seventeen years ago.

I first start journaling in 1994. I was pastoring a church in Beckley West Virginia. Me and my wife Vantoria had been married for three years and our son, Quincy was two years old. That was a challenging season for us on many fronts.

In my journal on August 3, 1994 I praised God for His righteousness and faithfulness.

I asked God to help me trust Him without reservations.

I meditated on Psalms 37:4, "DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND HE SHALL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART."

I wrote these principles to apply to my life that day:

1. Expect God to act on your behalf.
2. Get as close to God as you can.
3. Follow God today.

In those days I kept my prayer journal in a Composition Book purchased at Rite Aid Drugstore. Today I write my journal on my Microsoft Word program on my desktop personal computer. Back then I struggled to write my prayers, now it's as easy as breathing.

I have twenty five volumes of prayers written in the Composition Book and I have twenty volumes on my computer. These journals describe my journey with God for the last seventeen years. In them I have penned my failures and successes. My concerns and fears. I have shared with God on paper my heart and I have written what I have believed Him saying to me.

If you need a new season in your prayer life I recommend prayer journaling, it's worth it.    

Pastor Bernard Boulton, Pastor Gabriel Ojunjobi, Deacon Henry Law, Deaconess Vicky Law.

 I attended a prayer meeting in Lagos Nigeria with my host Pastor Gabriel Ojunjobi to my left, next to him are my two traveling companions, Deacon Henry Law and his wife Deaconess Vicky Law.

I led the congregation in the final  prayer of the meeting. It was an incredible week to prayer journal.

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 ADULT FICTION BLOG

FEATURES

ROSE MCCAULEY

Today we are featuring Rose Mccauley who lives in the beautiful bluegrass region of Kentucky on a farm surrounded by God's creation.. She has been writing for over ten years and has been published in several non-fiction anthologies and devotionals. She is a retired schoolteacher and has been happily married to her sweetheart for over 43 years. She is also the mother to three grown children and their spouses and Mimi to three lovely grandkids.

Rose's website is http://www.rosemccauley.com

Rose blogsite is http://www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com

THE INTERVIEW

1. Rose can you tell us when did you first know that you would be an author? I always liked to make up stories and write, but didn't decide to pursue publication until I retired from teaching 13 years ago.

2. Who are your favorite authors? Whomever I am reading at the time! I just finished three historicals by Kim Vogel Sawyer, a wonderful author!

3. What are your favorite books? I love the Jan Karon books and other series set in small towns like several by Deb Raney.

4. Rose would you share with us your journey to publication? I wrote my first book and took it to the first ACFW conference almost 9 years ago. While there I learned how much I had to learn, so I went home and started studying, taking online classes and reading and writing. I've written four novels and started several others, but just got my first fiction contract last September, and the book comes out in September.

5. What advice do you have for an aspiring author? Join a group like ACFW, read lots of genres and writing books, and keep writing!

6. Have you ever explored interracial themes in your writing? I did have a book rejected once because the heroine was part Indian and the hero was white.

7. What are the keys to success for a writer? Perseverance and prayer.

8. Tell us about your future projects? I am almost ready to submit another anthology proposal with two other authors and then next month plan another proposal. I also have a women's fiction novel I plan to brainstorm with a couple writer friends. Too many ideas to ever stop writing!

    CHRISTMAS BELLES OF GEORGIA

SURPRISED BY LIFE -AND LOVE -AT CHRISTMAS

Four letters are mailed from Monticello, a small antebellum town in Georgia. Sisters once, now heirs to a historic plantation, each young women must come to terms with the circumstances of her birth...

When she learns in a letter she's adopted, Holly feels betrayed by her parents- and she books a flight out of Missouri immediately. Will she ever be able to love again?

Raised in a wealthy, loveless home, Carol rushes to Monticello from college in Atlanta when she receives her letter. She's searching for family, but finds instead a boy she once mistreated. Will he remember her?...forgive her?

In one year, Starr has lost her parents, boyfriend, and job, so she's sure her letter is more bad news. When the attorney flies to California to offer proof, Starr takes a second look-at the message and the man.    

Noelle always knew that she was adopted-and she always loved the foremen on her father's Texas ranch too. But he's so distant...perhaps a trip to Georgia is the break in life that she needs.

Will the sisters receive a traditional Christmas gift...of love.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD

On Wednesday's I am sharing with you a message that I preached either at the New Mine Creek Church located at 1525 Malmaison Road Blairs Va, http://www.facebook.com/newminecreek  or another place where I had the privilege of preaching God's Word. I pray that today's Word will give you focus and faith to believe God for the impossible in your life.

Romans 10;17, "FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD." What you believe is what you speak. What you speak is what you experience.

JEREMIAH 33:3 "SHOW ME THE WAY"

Jeremiah was in prison for delivering an unpopular message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. But God was in prison with Jeremiah. And God spoke to Jeremiah in that prison cell.

Sometimes God will come into our lives to deliver you from a bad situation and sometimes God will come to deliver you in a bad situation. Many times in life God will not take you out of a situation but rather He will give you His Word in the midst of that situation. I believe that's what God did for Jeremiah.

See what God did for Jeremiah:

1. God gave Jeremiah an invitation: "CALL ME." God is inviting Jeremiah to pray. Jeremiah is in an intense place. Jeremiah is in prison because of his ministry. And God invites Jeremiah to pray. The word call means to make a specific request for a specific response.

I love this principle of prayer: Pray specifically and expect what you pray for. When your situation is critical you need to pray for God's intervention in a specific way and watch God move on your behalf. 

2. God gave Jeremiah an assurance: "I WILL ANSWER YOU." God said to Jeremiah, when you call me Jeremiah I will reply to your petition. God's answer follows our initiative to call Him first. Rest assured that when you pray God will get back to you. If He doesn't get back to you right away wait for His call. Expect God to call you back.

3. God gave Jeremiah the method of His return call: "I WILL SHOW YOU GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS WHICH YOU DON'T KNOW." God said to Jeremiah that when I answer you my answer is going to be what I show you. God said to Jeremiah that I'm going to give you a vision. I'm going to show you something that you've never seen before.

When God gives you a vision He shows you things that you've never experienced before. He shows you things that are beyond your current circumstances.

God shows you things that will exceed your current state of living. He shows you things that you have never done.

If you are at a crossroad in your life and you don't which way to go then ask God to show you the way. God loves showing the way that you should walk in and He loves leading us the way He knows is best for us.  You see another word for way is life. God shows you a vision so that you will know what kind of life He wants you to live.

God gives you the vision for your life and then God says this is the way to go and accomplish what I've shown you.   

When God shows you what you've never done before He wants you to do what you've never done before.

Make a decision in this brand new month to Ask God to show you the way, wait for His answer and see what He is showing you. And then DO IT! 

WEDNESDAY WORD

ST MATT 11;12 "TAKE IT BY FORCE"

The kingdom of God suffers violence and the violence take it by force. For many years I avoided this verse because I didn't understand what Jesus was saying. My understanding of the kingdom of God couldn't associate this kingdom of love, peace, and goodwill with violence. Violence is negative and everything about the kingdom of God is positive.

Violence creates death and the kingdom creates life. I couldn't understand the correlation of violence and God's domain because I'd seen the effects of violence growing up in Cleveland, in the Hough community. And so I struggled with this concept. I struggled to comprehend these words, "The violent take it by force."

But one day illumination shined in my misunderstanding as I was reading a teaching article written by Pastor Jack Hayford. Pastor Hayford helped me to understand that the violence that Jesus was talking about was spiritual violence which is totally different from natural violence. Spiritual violence refers to energetically pursuing what God says is yours.

Spiritual violence is pressing through difficulties to gain what belongs to you. It is rising above obstacles to conquer what is trying to conquer you. It is overcoming pressures to declare victory.

Those who want to possess the kingdom of God, which is the benefits and possessions that God says is yours, have to violently pursue it because they are forces trying to keep you from possessing what is yours. The violence that you must engage in is not against the kingdom but it is against those spiritual forces who are trying to keep you out of the kingdom. 

Ephesians 6: 12 says, "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD BUT

 AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES." Natural violence is against people, spiritual violence is spiritual beings who desire to keep us from experiencing the kingdom of God and the abundant life that Jesus has promised us.          

Spiritual violence is an attitude that says no matter what I will never give up until I possess what belongs to me. 

This type of violence is expressed in prayer.

It is expressed in using the spiritual resources at our disposals; truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the Word of God to establish ourselves.

It is knowing how to bind what is holding you back and how to loose opportunities that will bless you.

It is knowing how to decree what God says will be established in your life.

It is recognizing the boundaries that God has set in your life and operating in those boundaries.

Fight the devil, the flesh and the world and take what God says is yours!

TAKE IT BY FORCE!