Gilgal– Full Circle.
I know I haven’t posted in a while, I have used this to log significant events in my life and walk with Christ. I thought today was a good to revisit and post what has been going on. Let me start by saying that my life verse has been Phil. 1:6 “being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you if faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
My first full time pastorate begin in Palestine Texas at Emmanuel Baptist Church back in 1996 My son Daygan was maybe 5 months old. This morning I again am in Palestine Texas we spent our first night at the church parsonage where I have taking the position of Pastor of Trinity Church.
This is crazy for me. How the Lord brings things back around. We tend to think sometimes that the children of Israel we’re doing circles in the wilderness and that we are nothing like them. We are all son’s of Adam and daughters of Eve and all just like the children of Israel. Complaining, griping, never satisfied sinners who are blessed because we are benefactors of of someone else’s blessing and obedience.
Ok let me see If I can stay on point and make sense of all this. Five years ago I resigned from Faith Baptist Church as pastor and thought I would go pursue my dream of doing music professionally. I uprooted my family and moved to Nashville, TN. where I toured the country on a Big 40 ft. Prevost was a member of the Palmetto State Quartet, rubbed shoulders with some big wig’s sang on some big stages and after two years of being on the road hit a big wall. I was never able to sell my home back in Chandler so rather than loose it decided to get off the road and return to east texas. We moved back into our house and for three months sat there with no job no place to go learning to trust the Lord and rest in Him and His provision. Becky started a cleaning business and I was doing different things Sues Chef at Hide-A-Way lake country club. I also started leading worship for Pastor David Gregg in Palestine. We had always wanted to work together.
I have to give a little background here. When I was in palestine around 1998 (I’m guessing) God sent me this great couple, David and Linda Gregg – (I like the name David), he was also a professional fisherman 20 plus years as a B.A.S.S tournament pro angler (I like to fish) and the dude was one of those what ever you need pastor type guys — HE GOT STUFF DONE! After five years at Emmanuel I felt the need (it was really just a selfish want for something different or better — I don’t know) to change and I wen’t to Missouri (Misery) Heart Land Ministry. Some good folks doing some good things for troubled folks but it was the coldest place on earth for me (Physically and Spiritually) I was milking 5000 head of Holstein cows from 7 PM to usually around 4 AM. I also was part of the worship team. But I never was able to see eye to eye for the leadership and after a few disagreements with the Pastor about bible doctrine and 8 days after 9/11 six months later, on our Anniversary we had a U-Hall full heading back to East Texas.
We lived in a two bedroom trailer house with my Mother-in-Law, and drove to palestine everyday to work on a dozer and track hoe. I later started a computer business and was sought out by Hilltop baptist church in Alto, TX to be there pastor. Didn’t take much to say yes. (did I mention i was living with my mother-in-law?) We were in Alto for 5 years and saw God do some cool stuff.
Man I have a hard time focusing — I ‘m like one big run on sentence. When I left Emmanuel I told the church that this guy David Gregg needed to be the pastor. Everyone was like….no way…we don’t this this guy….He has an A.G. background. After interviewing several prospects they finally came back around and David Gregg was the pastor at Emmanuel for 5 years. David then moved to Haslet, TX. where he and his son-in-law built a church there. After some doing a few laps around the mountain the Lord opened up the opportunity for David and Linda to pastor Trinity Church in palestine. They moved into the church parsonage and God began to use them to breath life back into a worn out body. One person of which was me. I was worn out from the Law, from performance based relationship, worn out from people and ministry. I just wasn’t to play my guitar, sing some songs about Jesus and rest. Man I really needed some rest.
So, I have been leading worship at Trinity Church the past 3 years and then out of the blue September 15th 2014 I got a call that changed everything. David Gregg was dead. Silent heart attack. Instantly…Bamm…what a shocker. I was asked to preach the funeral in Palestine and to fill in at the church. (I usually filled in for David G. when he was on an important mission…fishing a tourney…hehe.) I didn’t mind it was fun and the people were glad to have him back after listening to me. So was I…HE WAS MY PASTOR NOW. I was his pastor when he first came to palestine and now He was mine and that’s the way I liked it. He always poked fun and said the reason He was doing this (pastoring) is because of me…I was my fault. Of course everyone knew that He has a divine call from Almighty God on his life.
In the aftermath the church asked me to be the pastor and after very little deliberation I knew the Lord was in it I said yes. I said that it was so clean the Lord was in all this even a “blind man” could “see it”.
Gilgal was the place where Joshua renewed the covenant with the children of Israel and where after 40 years of doing laps in the wilderness, and fear was replaced with faith they crossed over into the promise land. Palestine is my Gilgal…I dont know what lies ahead but I do know that God is good and all He has in store is for Good. I know He is not done with me, nor with Palestine. (Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work is able to complete it….”) He began something in me, here in Palestine, He is not finished…as a matter of fact I think is just about to begin.
After my first night in the parsonage this was my devotional from Joseph Prince
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God is more willing to bless you than you are willing to be blessed! In fact, He is so keen for you to enjoy His abundance that in His mind, giving you over and above what you need is a settled matter.
God has already promised: “I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”
He did not say, “I may give,” which means that it may or may not happen, but He said, “I have given,” which means that it has already happened. It is only a matter of time before your revelation of what you have through the work of Christ brings forth the abundance that He has already blessed you with.
A brother in the United States wrote in to share how he needed to buy a car, but had only half the amount of money needed. He kept calculating and strategizing, but the sums just weren’t adding up. He finally quit trying to make it happen and just rested in the Lord’s love and ability to provide for him. Weeks later, he was able to buy a car that was two years newer than what he had wanted, at exactly the amount that he had!
My friend, expect divine provision in your life because you are already richly blessed in Christ. Jesus took your place of poverty at the cross—“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) In Him, you are poor no more.
So stop looking at the lack in your natural resources. Look to the cross and say, “Because of Jesus’ finished work, I can expect to walk in all of His blessings!”
Thought For The Day
Look to the cross and say, “I am blessed through Jesus.”
It’s Crazy and Awesome at the same time. God is so good, merciful and Patient.
Gilgal means = “a wheel, rolling” A round wheel a full circle. We’ll if this ain’t full circle then the wheel is not round.
Day 1
David Darst