For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
-Hebrews 12:6
I need correction in my life. I don’t always like it, but I need it. Correction when accepted, leads to life. Without correction , or when I reject correction, leads to my peril.
For the longest time I saw correction and discipline as a threat. It meant that I had to acknowledge I wasn’t perfect and that anyone that corrected me would know that too. That seemed unbearable.
The blessing of discipline is that is brings me to a place of vulnerability that births redirection.
If it wasn’t for that word spoken to me, or that Word of God speaking to me, I would be stuck on the road of peril. But because of God’s great love for me, He disciplines me. And when I’m blessed enough to have friends who correct me, they are loving me enough to lead me back on the path of righteousness.
My ability to receive correction will ultimately determine my life’s direction.
The church at Corinth in Paul’s first letter was a jacked up church if there ever was one. From sexual immorality, incest, division, suing each other, marriage misconceptions, clothing, and men not acting like men and women not acting like women; this church has its issues.
At the end of this letter, Paul makes a charge to the men of the Church at Corinth.
1. Be Watchful
2. Stand Firm in Faith
3. Act Like Men
4. Be Strong
5. Let all that you do be done in love.
I’m convicted through this scripture that if men lead their lives in this manner many issues of the day would become resolved with the Gospel.
WATCHFUL
grēgoreō- to keep awake. The word here in the Greek implies that we are called to STAY AWAKE by. Vigilance is key to victory. The unwatched field will always be vulnerable for scavenging. The same is true in the spiritual.
If I don’t stay watchful over my life, my walk with Christ, and my family, then vulnerabilities will continue to compromise the promises of God for my life.
This reminds me of the proverb that states “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man”( Proverbs 6:10-11).
STAND FIRM
I’m order to stand firm there must be substance and confidence in what I am digging my heels into. Perhaps the reason we don’t stand firm, is because we don’t labor in the word and prayer like we should. I’ll never be able to stand firm in a faith I know nothing about. I’ll never know God’s will if I don’t even crack open His word.
Act Like Men
Jesus is the epitome of what a man is. Yes, the Scriptural portrayal and revelation of Jesus Christ is the model of Biblical masculinity. Masculinity is GOOD and healthy for the body of Christ. Be a lover of God. Be faithful to your covenant relationship with Him. Serve Him! Follow His teachings. BE.A.MAN.
Be Strong
It is impossible to be strong on our own. No matter how many weights you can sling around the gym, there is a strength that can only come from God. This is the strength that allows us to endure sufferings and hardships. This is also the strength that keeps our eyes open when we feel our spiritual eye lids are heavy and we are tired. Be strong.
Do it in LOVE
Lastly, men are called to do all things in love. Masculinity minus love is toxic masculinity. Alertness or staying awake without love is to be controlling. Standing firm without love is simply being on the moral high road.
However, when we walk in love and do all things in love, we are walking as Jesus did. We are modeling His example and standard for living here on earth.
The church is waiting for men to be men. So let’s be it.
What a blessed weekend we were able to have in the Lord’s House. Friday and Saturday were two days of being intentional with our relationships with our young brothers and sisters and the WORD of GOD. This ministry would not have happened without a KOINONIA effort, and that’s exactly what took place. THANK YOU!
Parents, below is a link that takes you to the study we started this weekend. Will you partner with your child through discipleship and help them gain the Father’s heart by watching these videos? We have gone over the first four videos together already, you will pick up in session 5.
There are 15 days until school starts, and what better way to prepare our families for the year, than, going through a book of the Bible together to receive Jesus’ truth for us. There are 10 sessions left, this can easily and intentionally be done :).
Below is the link to download the app, as well as the direct link to the study. If you are having trouble, try the QR code below to make an account with Right Now Media. It’s a free tool we offer our kingdom partners here at Anothen Church. Enjoy seeing Jesus move in your homes as you pursue His heart together.
Construction at LPA had begun! We are so thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ to have this burden removed from them. The demolition process has begun, and because of this, we are going to move across the street to the Cotton Hall for worship this upcoming Sunday and the next few months while construction begins.
With the reception of this good news today we will be moving all of our ministry belongings for Sunday morning services tomorrow. If you are able to help that will be an incredible blessing. If you’re not able to help or you just need a good day of rest, we understand that and support that and encourage that. ZERO PRESSURE.
For those who are able to help Pastor Nate will be there at 4 PM tomorrow to begin moving and setting up the new worship environment and ministry spaces. Thank you in advance to any and all who are able to help.
We looking forward to worshiping with everybody this Sunday at 10:30 AM at 117 Carolina Crossing Dr. We will meet in the Cotton Hall, which is the old clubhouse for the golf course right across the street. Signs will be made available for you to see and know where to go.
On Monday June 6, 2022 at 5:30pm we will have an AKiDZ Pool party. All AKiDZ and parents are invited to come fellowship with one another. Pizza and drinks will be provided.
If you are coming, please bring a lawn chair to sit to ensure seating is available available for everyone :). We are excited for a time of Koinonia at the Dixon’s home tomorrow evening. We are so thankful for their generosity and hospitality in opening their pool to the church family.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Pastor Nate.
Often times at night, when Steph, and the kids are soundly asleep, I slip downstairs and sit at the kitchen table. I still myself in the silence of the house. I interlock my fingers in my hands and place them against my forehead and I begin to pray. I close my eyes and begin speaking to the LORD.
I usually begin just talking with Him as I have my head bowed down in reverence towards Him. I share my heart, feelings, spend a lot of of time confessing sin and asking for freedom and resolve to overcome it, complain about stuff, ask for His vision and heart, etc.
Today though, as I was praying I kept having a vision of a bird appear as I prayed. I won’t say how it appeared, as I know visions freak most Christian’s out as it is. I’m unsure as to why we do that, but, that is neither here nor there. Squirrel 🐿.
This vision continually became more and more vivid to the point where I stopped my communication with God and simply looked deeply and drank in His communication to me. This bird would continuously be painted on a white canvas. And then another one would be painted on top of it. This happened numerous times in this vision. The most deep peace gently rested on me as I sat with my head bowed at the kitchen table. And then, it was gone.
I opened my eyes, looked at the ceiling and thought to myself , “huh.” I began to Google different greenish birds. Nothing showed up. I eventually typed in a sequence of words searching for the bird I saw painted in a vision, and BOOM. THERE. IT. WAS. The bird I had been seeing was the Broad-Billed Hummingbird. Exact detail and everything.
So, I begin searching for hummingbirds in Scripture, as I always go to the WORD of GOD with any vision or message I believe I have heard or seen from the LORD. NO HUMMINGBIRDS to be found. I then seek out an Answers in Genesis article that speaks on the uniqueness of Hummingbirds, and then, the word of the Lord began to flow to smoothly and intentionally.
Below are a few of the takeaways from what I heard. Hope it encourages you.
Sight
The answers in Genesis article immediately began to speak loudly and distinctly. Below is the first paragraph that grabbed my attention. ⬇️
“While humans have three color cones in the retina sensitive to red, green, and blue light, birds have a fourth color cone that can detect ultraviolet light. A research team trained wild hummingbirds to perform a series of experiments that revealed that the tiny birds also see combination colors like ultraviolet+green and ultraviolet+red.”( https://answersingenesis.org/birds/hummingbird-eyes-see-colors-we-cant-imagine/ ).
There is a vision that only Jesus Christ can give. And He does this with the Father’s permission through the Holy Spirit, our Helper (John 14). This is the vision that is available to children of God.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:2
Paul says this man was caught up into the third heaven. Above our air we breathe; the cosmos seen and unseen, into the dwelling place of God. A place of intimate vision and fellowship was made available.
This was a sight that could not be perceived though ordinary terrestrial eye sight nor through religious hallucinations manipulated by the hand and sorcery of man. This was a vivid God encounter.
This verse came to mind when hearing about how the Hummingbird has a fourth color tone in their eye sight. They can see things we can’t as humans, because our eyes don’t work as theirs do. This is true for children of God.
We are given a new level of vision when we come to salvation in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:18). This is not given to us in a place of superiority but in the seat of sonship we receive through our adoption in Christ Jesus. Christians see the world differently.
The LORD impressed on my heart the imminent need for His Bride to not look with her earthly eyes, rather, with their anointed eyes that have been made available in our covenant with Christ Jesus. Our sight will determine our flight, but, not sight as the world perceives: meaning we walk by faith not sight. Faith is our new vision.
Reproductive Thoughts
The next thing that grabbed my spirit with this Hummingbird in particular that I saw was the way that it created life. The Broad-Tailed Hummingbird lives in altitudes that are 10,000 feet above sea leaves. They reside in the mountain. In short, they take refuge in the Rock. The Rock is their dwelling place. This is the terrain in which life is reproduced. The same is true in the spirit.
As the Hummingbird makes it’s life in high altitudes, so to does the believer do in the spirit. Where Christ is seated is where we are focused. We don’t seek to see things from the perspective of earth; rather, the perspective of our King High Priest.
It is in Him and Him alone that we find new life. Life and life abundantly. This is our breading grounds for life, thoughts, victory, and hope. Where He is seated, that is where we may seek and see.
These are just a a few of the humble takeaways from this vision I feel lead to share. I pray this encourages you, and stirs your spirit in the righteousness of Christ.
We live in a “me-centric” day and age. We have over 4 social media platforms where we can post content of ourselves, or share content that others have published for public consumption. The fact that there are over 4 platforms and many people not only have the platforms but actively use ALL platforms points to a tragic cultural spiritual crisis we are living in. We are living in the midst of a narcissist pandemic.
Whether people will admit it or not, many are living for the affirmation of the “likes” and “hearts” of others. The problem with an affirmation based life style is that you end up living before an audience of many instead of an audience of one. Churches are not immune from this pandemic either. We do something good, we post about it, tell the entire world how holy we are, and then await the emoji affirmation we deserve…YIKES..
Some will argue, “we are posting to give God glory!” I don’t doubt some are. But if a tree is known by its fruit, its not hard to see the tapestry of rotten decaying trees lining the streets of Christian Suburbia.
Jesus gives us a loving harbinger of living our lives in this manner, particularly, when it comes to our walk with Him. He tells us to not practice our righteousness before others to so that they may think we are holy or super apostles. But to walk before Him. Live for His audience, The religious affirmation of man is petty, pious, and pathetic. There is no source of holiness in that affirmation.
Live for an audience of One. Live for rewards only He can give. Live for the pleasure of Jesus Christ, not internet trolls and Facebook and Tik Tok amen corners. His yes and amen is the one we are living for and need.
With gas prices rising, we are going yield to a prompting from the LORD.
We will meet at 10:30AM at the Carolina Crossing Church location. We will pray and then disperse with seed in hand to bless people with gas assistance.
We will be cleaning on the evening of May 18, 2022 at 6:00pm. If you are able to serve, please email Pastor Nate.Pray for those traveling this weekend to encounter the LORD at the ARK encounter. Those are aren’t traveling are invited to come serve at Boyd Hill at 10:30am. The Church Has Left the Building Weekend is a weekend when we intentionally worship through missions. To participate locally, email Pastor Nate. Pn@aclife.tv.
If you are interested in playing softball, sign up in the church lobby or contact Logan Boyd or Pastor Nate.
If you want to be a Kingdom Partner at Anothen Church, the next step to take is Anothen 101. This is an hour and 1:15 lunch/tutorial of what we are about and how we go about obeying Jesus together. Email Pastor Nate to sign up. PN@aclife.tv
Here is a run down what is happening this week and the weeks to come at Anothen Church.
York Road Elementary School 4/28
This Thursday at York Road Elementary School we will be serving the children and staff snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy, and doing ty dye t shirts. We will be serving from 9:15-11:30. If you want to serve, please contact Pastor Nate. Pn@aclife.tv. Please communicate before Wednesday the 27th at noon.
Bethel Men’s Shelter 5/6
We will be serving the men of Bethel Shelters May 6th. 6pm-8pm. If you want to serve in any capacity, please contact Anita or John Barrett. Johnbarrett79@gmail.com. abarrett49@gmail.com
York Road Elementary 5/6
We will be serving snow cones at the end of school at 2:15. If you want to coke serve, please contact Pastor Nate. Pn@aclife.tv
Ark Encounter May 13-15
If you have not yet paid or made arrangements for payment for the ark encounter trip, please get with Jenn Boyd ASAP.
Nate Staton 