Prevailing Prayer

This past week has been filled with conversations. Conversations about the powerful service with Dr. Billy Kim and conversations filled with concerns over our nation!

Dr. Kim reminded us that prayer indeed does change things.  The Korean people became desperate during the war for their survival in 1950.  They prayed for South Korea to survive and to be a free people.

They are still praying after the great prayer revival of the 70s, 80s, and 90s for God to keep them free and to save their families.

We must revisit our walk with the Lord and our personal prayer life.  The Bible states that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!

Prevailing Prayer is the price for seeing God step into our world!

Samuel Chadwick wrote:

“There is no power like that of prevailing prayer—

of Abraham pleading for Sodom,

Jacob wrestling at the midnight hour,

Moses standing in the breach,

Hannah intoxicated with sorrow,

David heartbroken with remorse and grief.”

This is the prayer that prevails!  Our families need a spiritual renewal, our churches need revival and our nation needs restoration!

May we pray together for God to grant us this burden to pray.

“Will thou not revive us again?”

Pastor Ralph

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50 Years Together

In September, 1965, I was in Nashville, Tennessee attending Trevecca Nazarene College.  While sitting on a wall in front of the Post Office, I spotted this pretty girl walking out of the building.  Her name was Muzette Thaxton and ten months later she became my wife.

On July 1st, 1966, we were married and have spent the past 50 years loving each other and serving the Lord.

The years have been filled with mixed emotions, just like your life.  We have had ups and downs, and tears of laughter and sadness.  Good times and tough times, but through it all we had the Lord and each other!

God has given us three children, one son-in-law, two daughters-in-law, nine wonderful grandchildren and one granddaughter-in-law!

Our lives have been built around ministry and missions.  Teen bus trips, teen camps, Sunday School class outings, church picnics, men’s outings, ladies’ conferences, homecoming, mission conference, TBC planning conference, children’s camp, Vacation Bible School, mission trips, television programs, Christmas programs, Easter dramas, tent meetings, and study tours to the Holy Land.  We have had 50 years of marriage to each other and to the work of the Lord!  How blessed we are!

Today we celebrate a marriage mile marker and look forward to our future together and with our family and friends.

The Bible teaches to give honor to the one that deserves the honor. (Romans 13:7)

I want you to join with me today to honor Muzette, the love of my life.  She is the one who has been faithful these 50 years, not only as a partner in marriage, but a true help-mate in life and ministry!

Muzette, I love you!  Happy 50th Anniversary!  I honor you today for your love for the Lord, me, our children and our grandchildren!

Yours forever,

Ralph

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Hearts Touched

Our hearts were touched last Sunday with the presence of the Lord! It seemed there was a special hand of God upon each service.

The Lord touched our hearts for giving in both the morning and evening services.  That giving heart is a Christ-like heart.

In the morning service we gave for the persecuted Christians in Pakistan and in the evening we gave to help bury a young mother.

Many of you have read in the paper and seen on television the story of Candace Pickens.  Candace and her unborn child were murdered last week.  Her family reached out to us to see if we could help during this tragedy.  When we met Sunday night and explained the need, Trinity helped to provide a funeral for this mother, only 23 years old, and her baby.  Candace’s son, Zacchaeus, was also shot.  At the writing of this article, he is still fighting for his life in Mission Hospital.

Our faith and testimony is much more than our time on campus or in a church service.  It is what we are every day.  It is our life in front of our families and friends.  Our faith is to be “salt” and “light” to a hurting world.

The family of this young mother and her baby need to see the love of Christ in a cruel and brutal world.  There are people that love the Lord and love God’s children.

Thank you for giving!  Thank you for loving people.  Thank you for being faithful to Jesus in our home town!

You are loved,

Pastor and Muzette

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Fellowship and Friendship

Last week I spoke with a person who said, “I don’t have any friends.”  As we talked together I realized this person was missing “fellowship” in their life.

I reminded them of the importance of being a part of a church family.  When you walk in the door you can feel the love and welcome!  This is my church, I am a member, or, I want to be a member of this church.  Welcome to the FELLOWSHIP of Trinity Baptist.

There is a bond, a spirit of unity, when we sing together, fellowship together, pray together, study the word together and celebrate that we are a family in Jesus.  Your soul and spirit need the FELLOWSHIP of our church.  As we worship and work together we can make and grow friendships with other like-minded people.

Maybe you serve in the nursery or work as an usher or sing in the choir.  There are any number of places like a Sunday School Class, Ladies Ministry, or a workday at church that give you opportunity to make a friend.

A common interest of serving in a local fellowship has brought you together.  A desire to serve the Lord and grow spiritually gives you that common bond that can lead to friendship.

Muzette and I can testify that we met friends here at Trinity forty years ago with whom we have remained friends for a lifetime, with the joy of serving Jesus together!

You are loved,

Pastor and Muzette

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Working Together

The Lord God was talking to the people of Israel. The words of our Lord are recorded in Haggai Chapter 2,

“…And be strong, all ye people of the Land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:”

The House of Worship for the people in the Old Testament was the Temple.  In our lives today Jesus has moved the Temple inside of every believer.  We all come together to worship at our church.  This local church is our house of worship.

As in days past, the people still meet to worship and to work, both working on the House of God and doing works for our Lord.

Mark 13:34 records Jesus using a parable to illustrate our service to Him for this generation.  “A man taking a far journey,” leaves his estate, house and finances in the care of his servants.  Jesus notes the authority that is given to represent Him, and the work to be done until He returns.

What a wonderful week at Trinity!  Thank you for working and serving at the National Day of Prayer as our church and others gathered in downtown Asheville to pray.

Our Ladies’ Ministry has labored in prayer, meeting this week to pray for our church, our children, our city and country.  Some stayed until 9:30 PM, just to pray!

Men and women labored together this week to host a fundraiser for our church, working to repair and reclaim areas of overgrowth and to clean and to beautify our campus.  Others cooked and prepared meals for the scores of volunteers who worked together at the House of Worship.

Thank you for your service to our Lord!

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