Staying Focused!

Staying focused is a real challenge these days! There are so many things that are working against us and that seek to draw us away from our goal.

When Nehemiah was working on the wall he had to stay focused. He received an invitation to come down from the wall but he refused. He said;

"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?"

But the distracters were persistent; four times they sent a message urging Nehemiah to come down and meet with them and each time they received the same answer. Nehemiah said "NO" to their request to meet at Ono!

Distractions can come from any direction at any given time but we must stay focused.

We have to make up our minds what our top priority is; we must be determined!

The work of God is a great work! It is a great work to set the captives free, to heal the sick and to minister to the poor.

It is a great work to preach the gospel and to see the lives of men and women changed by the power of God and His Word.

There is opposition to the work of God that He has called us to do.

1 Corinthians 16:9
“A great and effectual door of ministry is opened to me, but there are many adversaries.”

We have an enemy who wants to stop the work of God so he works to hinder us and to discourage us. He wants to prevent us from fulfilling the call of God.

Many times where there is a great door of opportunity in ministry, there is also great opposition.

If Nehemiah had come down from the wall and stopped God’s work he would have never finished; that is the enemy’s goal, to hinder and distort the truth.

We have to stay focused!

Church Life!

Church life is actually the only life I've ever known; I can't imagine living without the church. The church family is special and it is a privilege and an honor to be involved in the lives of those in the church family.

There is a kindred spirit and fellowship developed in the church over the years that the world can't understand or comprehend. The very fact that we are indeed "brothers" and "sisters" in Christ creates a wonderful bond.

We laugh together and we cry together because we are of the same spirit and body.

2 Corinthians 4:13 a

"We having the same spirit of faith"

Romans 12:5

"So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

The burden of ministry never goes away and you never feel adequate in helping others.

Numbers 4:47 b

"The service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation"

We face many challenges in the church today because people are facing things that they never dreamed they would ever face. Divorce, sickness, disease, job loss, relationship problems and caring for aging parents are all issues facing everyone from the pulpit to the pew.

The responsibility to care for the flock and protect the flock as a pastor is overwhelming to say the least. We face attacks from within and from without!

The enemy is always on the prowl and he will use whatever means to get at the shepherd and the flock, especially in times of such great vulnerability.

I am encouraged from the Word of God that Jesus is coming soon; yes I'm still a believer in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church! I believe that the demonic attacks are increasing just as the turmoil in nature represents birth-pains. The closer we get to the coming of the Lord the more intense the pains are going to be.

Fasten your seat-belts and get a good grip on your faith because we are living in perilous times. Don't be shocked or surprised by what you see or hear. Don't be caught off guard by the attacks of the enemy.

1 Peter 4:12 (CEV)

"Dear friends, don't be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire."

Jesus warned that because of the spread of iniquity that the love of many would grow cold. People will hate you without a cause even those of your own family; brothers against brothers, parents against children and children against parents.

There are seducing spirits, doctrines of devils and a departure from the faith. While some are forsaking the ancient landmarks others are embracing the attitudes and lifestyles of the world.

Needless to say, the one thing that we need to know is that everything is alright between us and God.

2 Peter 1:10

"Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall"

Time Flies!

I didn't realize that it had been so long since I had last written; boy, time really does fly!

God has been so good to me and my family; I stand amazed at His incredible mercy, love and grace. The Psalmist rejoiced that God loaded him up with benefits everyday. David couldn't write the songs fast enough to praise God for all His blessings.

We rejoiced in the fact that God blessed us with our very first grandson in Alex. Then along came a second in Logan; I must tell you it is great having a couple of boys around after living with three females for all these years. But there's always room for another female and God blessed us with Skylar; she is adorable with double dimples. Our family has grown and I pray that it doesn't stop growing; grand-kids are truly grand!

I'm so very proud of my girls; they have turned into wonderful wives and mothers. They have had a great role model in their mother, to teach and train them to be that way.

There have been many things said about preacher's kids (PK'S) in a negative way but I want to set the record straight. Not all preacher's kids have gone astray because of what they have experienced through church life. Some of the greatest hurts you will ever experience is in the church. The church is usually where you let your guard down and become more vulnerable because of the love that exists between church families. Our family has not been immune to attacks; as the Apostle Paul said, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Although our marks and scars are not physical they are still very real. There are not many pastors that have their children involved in ministry especially after they leave home. Abby and Beth are still in the church working for the Lord. Abby loves kids and who knew that God would place here in the children's ministry to use that gift of love for children. Beth has a magnetic personality and people seem drawn to her; especially young people. She serves as a great mentor and communicator leading the youth.

I love my wife Gayle; I don't know where I would be today without her! She can juggle so many different things at one time and I don't know how she does it.

Psalm 127:3 (ESV)

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward."

Proverbs 17:6 (ESV)

"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers."

Proverbs 18:22 (ESV)

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the LORD."

SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!

The storks have been flying around our family lately; that's for sure!

January 2009 brought us a precious little boy by the name of Alex; he is all boy and our first grandchild! Alex is such a delight and we have learned that grand-parenting can be very tiring. It is so exciting to see him discovering everything for the first time.



December 2009 brought us another delightful little boy by the name of Logan; Alex is going to be an adventurer but Logan is going to be a philosopher. Logan is very observant and laid back and it is not difficult to get a smile out of him; that's the Brackett in him!

Well, now we are waiting on stork # 3! Logan is about to get a little sister named Skylar sometime around the end of October. I can't begin to imagine what it is going to be like around the Brackett house come Christmas time; well for that matter, any time!

We are so blessed!

I am so proud of my daughters; they have become great mothers. I never had to worry about that because they have had a great role model in their own mother; she's the best!

It's one of the many blessings that God has given to us.

Proverbs 17:6

"Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE!

December 4, 2009 at 4:41 pm little Logan Cleveland Salsedo was born. Logan is our second grand-baby and the second grand-baby born this year; talk about doubling your pleasure! Logan has a full head of hair and weighs 8.2 lbs and is 20 inches long. He is the son of our oldest daughter Abigail and her husband Troy.

This has been a very, very busy year! Our first grand-baby, Alex, was born a month early on January 5th and boy did he bring a rapid change into our lives.
We finally completed our new sanctuary after four years of planning and dealing with all the aggravations that go along with building these days. We had our first service on May 10th which was Mother's Day. It was so exciting and emotionally overwhelming to finally get into our building. We had the dedication of our new building on August 9th, which was the anniversary of the Matthews Church of God celebrating 55 years of ministry. The church was packed with members, friends, and former pastors. Our State Administrative Bishop, Jerry Chitwood, preached the morning service. We were able to have dinner in our newly renovated fellowship hall; formerly our sanctuary.

I must confess that I am having a hard time trying to relax; I feel that I have aged a great deal in the last two years. I lost a father and brother and gained two grandsons. I've had to deal with burials, births, buildings and budgets. We have had a number of church members that have had their own crises to deal with from the death of family members to surgery. The weekly toll of sermon preparation, visitation, counseling along with family responsibilities is a heavy load to bear.
But I am so thankful to have the Matthews Church of God as my church family! I don't know of another congregation that I would want to be sharing my life with during these momentous times. I can't say enough about the love, care and support that our church provides.

I am thankful that I serve a God who is all knowing and before we ever face anything He has already prepared a place and a people for us.

Two grandsons have doubled our pleasure but when I think about it our pleasure is multiplied with all the wonderful friends we have. God just keeps blessing and blessing!

Psalm 68:19

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation."

REFRESHING!

Incredible; I guess that's the word that first comes to mind. It has been awhile since my last blog.So much has happened and is happening and it finally seems like things are slowing down somewhat. How refreshing!

First of all Gayle and I are brand new grandparents and boy is it fun! Alexander Edward Baker was born January 5, 2009 and he has had our undivided attention ever since. Alex is now almost eight months old and it is such a joy to see him smile. He loves to eat and you don't have to wonder when that is; he will definitely let you know.
It has been a long time since we've had a little one. I had my first experience in changing a pamper; I didn't have a clue whether big bird was supposed to be on the front or back; well, which ever way it was supposed to be I didn't get it right. They make them that way for a reason as I found out the hard way. We love Alex!

Then...we learned that our oldest daughter Abby is expecting in December; another boy! It looks like the empty nest didn't stay empty for long! What a great Christmas this will be; in fact I've already starting celebrating Christmas!

Finally...our new sanctuary is complete and we moved in on Mother's Day. I can't tell you how that feels because words can't describe it. We had our big dedication day on August 9, 2009 and the house was filled to capacity.
I am still in awe at what God has done; it doesn't seem real. I know I am somewhat biased but it has to be one of the most beautiful sanctuaries around. Even though the building is beautiful; nothing compares to our wonderful congregation. The members and friends of the Matthews Church of God are by far the best group of people that any pastor could ask for. I love our people!!!

"I'M SO DIZZY!"

"WOW!" That's one word that I've been using a lot lately. It is a word that is used to express surprise, admiration, wonder, or pleasure.

Life is filled with a lot of 'WOWS'.
When I watch the progress of our new sanctuary being built I continually find myself saying, "Wow". When I see our congregation working so well together I say, "Wow". When people are hurting and in need of help and I see our church rally behind them, I say, "Wow". When the Spirit of God moves in our services and people start coming to the altar out of their own volition, I say, "Wow". When Beth, our daughter, informed us that she was pregnant, I said, "Wow", I'm going to be a "Grandpa". Everyday there seems to be another "Wow".

In the midst of all the "wows" of life do you ever get the feeling that you are like the guy that missed his stop and jumped off a moving bus? You are doing everything in your power to keep from falling down, but your legs can't keep up. The centrifugal force is too overwhelming for you keep your balance.

"BALANCE", now that's another great word; it means: EQUILIBRIUM, POISE, STEADINESS, STABILITY. It would be wonderful to be able to get our balance and stop reeling to and fro.

Do you ever have trouble keeping your balance? We often talk about the "Good Old Days" when life was much simpler, or at least much slower.
We are definitely in the "jet-age" and the "space-age" when everything comes zooming right at us! Our day is described with words such as: Multi-tasking, Headline News, Instant or Text Messaging, Cell Phones, Voice Mail, Broadband Internet for Instant Information, Fast Cars and Fast Food.

We are running so fast until we've lost sight of things that really matter. Our bodies are at risk from all the stress. Our frazzled minds have lost the ability to think at all.

A psychologist in Las Vegas recently did an experiment in which he gave 2,000 people bleepers and told them to write down exactly what was in their heads when the bleepers went off.

One woman thought about Christmas tree decorations. Another spent the whole day silently repeating to herself the names of two snacks - Twinkies and Granola.

It is so easy to lose our balance in such hectic times. "We" need to do more than just slow down; we need to stop and reassess our priorities.
There are so many things clamoring for our attention and we can get caught up in all the activities of life until we miss out on what is really important. We can be just as sincere and busy as Martha was when she was laboring in the kitchen. Yet how insignificant was that in comparison to being able to sit at the feet of Jesus.

"We" don't sit enough at the feet of Jesus! Sitting at the feet of Jesus will help us to keep balance in our lives. We will be able to say, "WOW" as we stand in awe of His presence.