Practicing the Presence of God

By Evangelist Stephen Piersall

God’s Preservation Ministry,  http://sfprs.org/  

Many of us growing up in school have had the opportunity to “practice” whether it was in sports, homework, etc. Practice makes us much better in doing something. We do many things in our daily lives repeatedly, either at school, work, church, or other activities. It comes right down to it that we are practicing. How much time do you practice with God?

Ouch! Were a few toes stepped on by that comment? C’mon, who practices in churches? The Pastor with his sermon, the choir, and musical director with any band instruments, etc. However, Practicing the Presence of God in your life takes time and work. Are we referring to how often you pray, read your Bible, or tithe, or… NO?!

Practicing the presence of God is an awareness of God that flows through our day the way blood circulates through the body, replacing it with nutrients and oxygen. You need that quiet time each day with God with his conscience that he may be speaking to us. His presence fills our lives, through thoughts, feelings, dreams, activities, and in-between moments.

Practicing God’s presence moves his company beyond church gatherings, before meal graces and study time of the Bible to expand our knowledge of his word. Keeping company with God this way changes tasks such as building familiarity into acts of worship because we know at whose feet, we will sit encircling the rest of our lives. This awareness of God’s presence is a part, of how we delight in God: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4)

If you are interested in continuing this quest, consider yourself an experimenter. As an examiner you are not out to impress anyone or achieve anything difficult, but to explore what it means to enjoy God’s presence. Take it slowly; do not rush for immediate results. This is God’s time; worship him. Reap all the wisdom, discernment, love, forgiveness, giving, etc. that you can. Consider asking God to show you if there are ways you already practice his presence without recognizing it. Perhaps you are sitting at a doctor’s office and just stop and reflect and start to pray for the others around you, the staff, and doctors. Sitting at a red light, and looking around and see other sad faces in other cars, or people walking with their heads down, pray for them all accordingly.

During this past week’s "Spiritual Growth Toolbox” class at church, I learned the following, and I hope you find it of great value to help you to Examine your Presence of God:

1. STILLNESS: Quiet your heart, and listen. In this moment, become present to Jesus.
2. GRATITUDE: Seeing through the lens of thanks, appreciate God’s gifts in each event of the day.
3. REFLECTION: Review your positive and negative feelings. Did you choose Jesus’ way in each situation?
4. JOY & SORROW: Rejoice in a success, or ask forgiveness for sin. If necessary, plan to make amends.
5. HOPE. Move toward expectation. Ask God to shine a light on tomorrow’s path. Resolve to grow.

Imagine what it must have been like for the disciples to ask Jesus to teach them to pray. What motivates you to Practicing the Presence of God in your life?

Actual Amusing Announcements from Church Bulletins

By Stephen Piersall, 

God’s Preservation Ministry http://sfprs.org/

 

• Coming Up—Theological Open House. We discuss thought-provoking topics. Your opinions are hardly welcome.

• All singles are invited to join us Friday at 7 p.m. for the annula Christmas Sing-alone."

• Thursday night – potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

• Remember in prayer the many that are sick of our church and the community.

• For those of you who have children and do not know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

• The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer.

• This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south and north ends at the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

• Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

• Wednesday, the Ladies Liturgy Society will meet. Mrs. Jones will sing "Put Me in My Little Bed" accompanied by the pastor.

• Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become little mothers, please see the minister in his study.

• This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

• The service will close with "Little Drops of Water”. One of the women will start quietly, and the rest of the congregation will join in.

• Next Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet will come forward and get a piece of paper.

• The ladies from the church have cast off clothing of every kind, and they may be seen in the church basement Friday.

• A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

• At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" – come early and listen to our choir practice.

• Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

• Miss Charlene Mason sang, "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

• "Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."

• The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

• Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

• Barbara remains at the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and request's tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.

• The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing "Break Forth into Joy."

• Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. It so ends a friendship that began in their school days.

• Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

• Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

• Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered.

• The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

• The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.

• Low self-esteem  Support Group will meet Thursday. Please use the back door.

• The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

• Weight Watchers will meet at 7:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.

• The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.

• The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight to the audience.

• Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be a soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."

• The music for today's service was all composed by George Friedrich Handel in celebration of the 300th anniversary of his birth.

• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

• The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

• Today's Sermon: HOW MUCH CAN A MAN DRINK? with hymns from a full choir.

• Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to the church secretary.

• Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

• Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

• This evening at 7 pm there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

• Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

• The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."

Actual Announcements from Church Bulletins

By Stephen Piersall, 

God’s Preservation Ministry http://sfprs.org/

 

• Coming Up—Theological Open House. We discuss thought-provoking topics. Your opinions are hardly welcome.

• All singles are invited to join us Friday at 7 p.m. for the annula Christmas Sing-alone."

• Thursday night – potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

• Remember in prayer the many that are sick of our church and the community.

• For those of you who have children and do not know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

• The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer.

• This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south and north ends at the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

• Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

• Wednesday, the Ladies Liturgy Society will meet. Mrs. Jones will sing "Put Me in My Little Bed" accompanied by the pastor.

• Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become little mothers, please see the minister in his study.

• This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

• The service will close with "Little Drops of Water”. One of the women will start quietly, and the rest of the congregation will join in.

• Next Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet will come forward and get a piece of paper.

• The ladies from the church have cast off clothing of every kind, and they may be seen in the church basement Friday.

• A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

• At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" – come early and listen to our choir practice.

• Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

• Miss Charlene Mason sang, "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

• "Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."

• The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

• Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

• Barbara remains at the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and request's tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.

• The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing "Break Forth into Joy."

• Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. It so ends a friendship that began in their school days.

• Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

• Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

• Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered.

• The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

• The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.

• Low self-esteem  Support Group will meet Thursday. Please use the back door.

• The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

• Weight Watchers will meet at 7:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.

• The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.

• The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight to the audience.

• Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be a soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."

• The music for today's service was all composed by George Friedrich Handel in celebration of the 300th anniversary of his birth.

• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

• The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

• Today's Sermon: HOW MUCH CAN A MAN DRINK? with hymns from a full choir.

• Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to the church secretary.

• Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

• Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

• This evening at 7 pm there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

• Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

• The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."

Practicing the Presence of God

By Stephen Piersall, God’s Preservation Ministry,  http://sfprs.org/  

Many of us growing up in school have had the opportunity to “practice” whether it was in sports, homework, etc. Practice makes us much better in doing something. We do many things in our daily lives repeatedly, either at school, work, church, or other activities. It comes right down to it that we are practicing. How much time do you practice with God?

Ouch! Were a few toes stepped on by that comment? C’mon, who practices in churches? The Pastor with his sermon, the choir, and musical director with any band instruments, etc. However, Practicing the Presence of God in your life takes time and work. Are we referring to how often you pray, read your Bible, or tithe, or… NO?!

Practicing the presence of God is an awareness of God that flows through our day the way blood circulates through the body, replacing it with nutrients and oxygen. You need that quiet time each day with God with his conscience that he may be speaking to us. His presence fills our lives, through thoughts, feelings, dreams, activities, and in-between moments.

Practicing God’s presence moves his company beyond church gatherings, before meal graces and study time of the Bible to expand our knowledge of his word. Keeping company with God this way changes tasks such as building familiarity into acts of worship because we know at whose feet, we will sit encircling the rest of our lives. This awareness of God’s presence is a part, of how we delight in God: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4)

If you are interested in continuing this quest, consider yourself an experimenter. As an examiner you are not out to impress anyone or achieve anything difficult, but to explore what it means to enjoy God’s presence. Take it slowly; do not rush for immediate results. This is God’s time; worship him. Reap all the wisdom, discernment, love, forgiveness, giving, etc. that you can. Consider asking God to show you if there are ways you already practice his presence without recognizing it. Perhaps you are sitting at a doctor’s office and just stop and reflect and start to pray for the others around you, the staff, and doctors. Sitting at a red light, and looking around and see other sad faces in other cars, or people walking with their heads down, pray for them all accordingly.

During this past week’s "Spiritual Growth Toolbox” class at church, I learned the following, and I hope you find it of great value to help you to Examine your Presence of God:

1. STILLNESS: Quiet your heart, and listen. In this moment, become present to Jesus.
2. GRATITUDE: Seeing through the lens of thanks, appreciate God’s gifts in each event of the day.
3. REFLECTION: Review your positive and negative feelings. Did you choose Jesus’ way in each situation?
4. JOY & SORROW: Rejoice in a success, or ask forgiveness for sin. If necessary, plan to make amends.
5. HOPE. Move toward expectation. Ask God to shine a light on tomorrow’s path. Resolve to grow.

Imagine what it must have been like for the disciples to ask Jesus to teach them to pray. What motivates you to Practicing the Presence of God in your life?

What Special Gift Did You Receive for Christmas?

By Stephen Piersall

Through Jesus Christ You too CAN be saved – 1/12/2013   Stephen Piersall, God’s Preservation Ministry, http://sfprs.org Stop by and look at our new web page :-)

We survived the Y2K and Mayan scare and God has granted us another day to share his love. Our local Church had a goal for 2012 to win over 365 people to Jesus, but we fell short, but that does not discourage us at all. Because of the nearly NEW 300 that occurred, we are rejoicing as they are now going to be entering into Heaven too. What better way to celebrate the New Year 2013 with the same goal and we already have some new Christians early on.

Prior to 12/21/2012 and the Mayan threat heard across the world, were you scared that all would have ended then? Did you already have the opportunity to accept Jesus into your life, and knew if the world did end that you would be going to Heaven? BTW, did you buy Christmas presents for your friends and family? Did you open them before December 21? Ya know, just in case. Of these gifts you bought, were any of these people NOT Christians? Did everybody celebrate 12/25/2012 with presents, partying, and having a large meal with family and friends? We all know the fable of Santa, but did everybody celebrate that day as the birth of Jesus even if they were NOT Christians? Pssst, Let me tell you a secret. Jesus may have been 33 years old when He died, but he was NOT born on Christmas day. According to the experts they claim with our calendar and the old calendar that Jesus would have actually been born somewhere in our early springtime.

Do you want to know the greatest gift I received for Christmas? No, it was not the brand new Rolls Royce or the new house my wife Karen bought me, or the 10 Rolex watches, and …LOL. It was our two grandchildren telling us that they believed in Jesus :-)

Do you still have family and friends who are not Christians and need to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? What if the Mayan, ah never mind, how about what would happen if they were to die today? Not tomorrow, were talking about today! Perhaps on the way home from work, an accident at work, or just had a heart attack and did not make it through the day. Can you live with the guilt that they passed away and you had the chance to get them to accept the Lord Jesus and did not witness to them? Do not wait for tomorrow! At least plant the seed of salvation, and then pray and let God tend to them. If they still refuse, then it is on them. Nevertheless, Jesus spoke many times in the four Gospel’s about getting out and spreading the word of God’s love, patience, and forgiveness of our sins. We all, especially Christians are accountable for our actions to God and we MUST before it is too late, lead the unsaved to accept Jesus in to their lives. It is within the reach of every person on the face of the earth.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He provided salvation for ALL. ”And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw everyone to myself. He said this to indicate how he was going to die” (John 12:32-33). Once a man or woman recognizes the need for salvation and realizes that God has provided for their salvation through Jesus Christ, he or she must go on to embrace it. Next, they must believe that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus carries with it the realization that the penalty for sin and power is provided for man to live a life free from sin.

Thus, man’s relationship to God is reconditioned. “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Bible tells us, “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-11).

Do you understand that you are a sinner, and you believe that Jesus Christ came as the one and only Redeemer of sin? Are you ready to receive God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? If so, believe in Christ, repent of your sins, and commit the rest of your life to Him as Lord. Try this sample prayer or use your own words:

“Father, I know that I have broken your decrees and my sins have separated me from you. I am truthfully sorry, and now I want to turn away from my former sinful life. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I ask Jesus to become my Lord and Savior, to rule and reign in my heart from this day onward. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit to help me conform to your life you have planned and to do your will for the rest of my natural life on earth. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

If you decided to receive Jesus today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment:

·        1. Find a local church where you can worship God.

·        2. Get baptized as commanded by Jesus Christ.

·        3. Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.

·        4. Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.

·        5. Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.

Perhaps the above message does not apply to you because you already have accepted Jesus in to your life. Hallelujah! However, you still can use this message to bring others the path to eternal life and help your local church reach their goals in numbers of newly saved for 2013. Maybe you are a Christian but have backed away of living the life of a Christian. It is never too late to get back in step again. Even if you are a trained Pastor not assigned a church, you still need to fellowship with other Christians and attend and support your local church and worship God. Praise is to God Almighty we can live forever through Christ.