Weekend Getaway # 30

The LORD HE IS GOD!

Psalms 100:1-5 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

I reckon that I have come to the point in my life where I am tired of the liberals (political and spiritual) making me afraid of what I believe.  I am saddened by the position our nation has taken towards the enemies of God and our land’s freedom.  It is appalling to watch our leaders hand over our rights, our children and our future to those who want to destroy it all.  Even sadder, among our churches, those who SHOULD be heralding forth the Light and Salvation are sowing discord, promoting emotionalism, stomping on soapboxes, and scratching itching ears. My question to my peers is where are the people who once believed that the Lord, He is God?

This Psalm is one that many of you are familiar with I am sure.  It is a beautifully written passage that leaves you pumped up by the time you finish the fifth verse.  But we need to be more than just pumped up for the next few minutes.  We need to envelope ourselves in its truths so that we stand on the strong promises and facts in what is said.

Every school, job and establishment I have been involved with over the years has each had a creed.  It was a code of ethics, goals and ideas to be observed that was the essence for which each one stood. 

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines the word Creed as:

1. A brief summary of the articles of Christian faith; a symbol; as the Apostolic creed.

2. That which is believed; any system of principles which are believed or professed; as a political creed.

Psalms 100 is a brief look at what our beliefs or Creed should begin with as a Christian.  Namely, Know ye that the LORD HE IS GOD.  That is talking about Jehovah.  To be exact, Jesus Christ.  He and God are One.  If you can’t agree with that fact, then, my friend, you are off on everything.  Your Saviour was not a separate person from God, He was and is God.  God, Almighty gave Himself for you and me so that we might be saved from our sins.  That is the very essence of why we are believers!  WE have believed on Christ and placed our faith in Him for our eternal salvation in Heaven. 

But it is like we forget WHO it is that we are believing on!  We go and live our lives like He isn’t watching or being made to participate with us as He inhabits us.  We behave as though His hand is shortened and He cannot help us.  We sin as though He does not see.  We carry on as if He is not coming back soon.  Have we spiritual amnesia so badly that we have forgotten that the LORD HE IS GOD?

We are a nation and world full of something called “self made men”.  When the Bible calls us to remember that it is GOD that hath made us and NOT we ourselves.  We get so puffed up that we are the ones who have changed our families, but it was God Who changed us and worked through us. We must get our eyes off of our own wants, views and lusts and get them on the LORD.  Why?  Because He is God and we are His people. 

And even though we are always wandering off, He still considers us His people, the sheep of HIS pasture.  And He is good, His mercy is without end and His Truth endures forever.  Isn't that wonderful to hear?  We can't get too far away from Him....He knows where we are and can call us back!

If we would realize our position in Christ and Who God really is, then we wouldn’t quietly lay down while the enemy triumphs.  We wouldn’t let the homosexual agenda determine what our family watches, listens to and acts like.  If we would take hold of the fact that Jesus Christ, after whom we are called Christians, is God, the Creator and Sustainer of this world, then we would not shiver in our boots every time the liberal left comes calling.  We would take a stand for the Bible.  We would hold it forward as the Sword it is and defend our churches, our beliefs and our lives. 

This world is waxing worse and worse, but that doesn’t mean you and I need to become more fearful and more fearful.  NO!  That should make us more firm than ever in the Truth that Jesus Christ is on His way back, He is going to judge in equity and Righteousness and there is nothing the devil can do about it.  (Psalms 98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.)

Next time you feel scared to show YOUR colors as a Christian, remember, The LORD…HE IS GOD.  Whom shall you fear?  Take advantage of your position as a Child of that King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Eternity awaits and once we are with the Lord, all that is going on down here won’t even matter. 

Want to get to know Him better?  He says to know that He is God.  That means He is All Powerful, All Knowing, and All Present.  He can't leave you, forsake you or deny your rights to His throne.  He is Holy, He is Just and He is Supreme.  He is your Advocate, Your Judge and your Friend.  He will not turn a deaf ear to your pleas and He will never leave you without comfort.  He loves you but cannot agree with your sin because He is Holy and wants us follow after holiness.  He is God.  And boy howdy, what a God.  Come into His presence with singing and get excited about your Lord!  Quit shivering in fear of His enemies!  The Lord....HE IS GOD!

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri

Eve Ran the STOP Sign.

I keep a laminated colored STOP sign in my office as a visual when counseling young people. It’s about a foot wide, big enough to hold in front of my face. It seems to do the trick, at least for a while, in helping students to learn to just “STOP” before reacting.  Of course you and I as adults know that the Holy Spirit can be called on as our STOP sign but the young crowd sometimes need a visual to get to the truth.  It can be a long process for some, while others do OK with it.

Eve, the first woman, never stopped long enough at the STOP sign.  She slowed down and almost made it, but because of her slow motion reaction to Satan she fell prey to the slam dunk of the evil one which changed everything for her AND her husband. We don’t know if she had been playing around at this STOP sign before because the Bible only gives us this record, BUT the fact remains, God had already given her the breaks to STOP…..but she didn’t.

Ge 3:1-6 ¶ Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.   

Eve could have TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF GOD’S WORD AS THE ONLY TRUTH THAT SHE NEEDED, BUT SHE DIDN’T! Why? I don’t know! A thousand times I have asked this and yet, I do the same! Do you? Taking ADVANTAGE of the truth of God’s Word KEEPS US in His Word, but NOT taking advantage of His Word takes us right outside of His truth. 

There we are standing in the middle of oncoming traffic..... or in the river wailing our arms fighting the waves.....or at the mountain top tilted downward ready to end our own lives.....or slumped over in the valley, the muck ready to cover us up with stink……..There we are WITH the most powerful Words ever written, heard and said. They are ours for the speaking. They are ours to believe! They are ours TO LIVE and keep on living in TRUTH!!!!  

We are guilty….more guilty….than Eve, folks.  We have MORE Words, written Words, than Eve had. I know, I know, you have said it as I have said more than once, “Well, if I had Jesus or God literally walking beside me every day, I wouldn’t question anything! I would just obey. It was easier for Eve because she had God walking with her in the garden.”  

Really? Let's just be honest.

Just recently I was sharing some school information and asked the man, “So, you worship Buddha?”

“Yes, I do. My family worships Buddha, too.”

“Sir, you do understand that your son will hear every day that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father? You realize that he could be convicted of believing a lie, in a false god, such as Buddha and then will have the opportunity to repent of that sin and become a Christian?”

“Yes, I do. It is ok. Jesus was a good man.”

“No sir, Jesus is God and came in the form of a man to this earth for you, your son and for the rest of the world.”

“Yes, I do believe, but Buddha……..” And then, off he went into a false hope, a lie, and has kept partaking of the rotten fruit of a dead tree destined for Hell!

I was not getting to where I wanted to go, but the Holy Spirit stopped me. I knew it, but in my last attempt, I sat there and just stared at this man as he stared back and I felt as if the serpent himself had slivered into the garden and once again presented a lie. 

Frustrated, I wanted to hold up my STOP sign to this man, his wife, and his precious son but it was time to move over and allow the Holy Spirit to continue the job ahead. I looked at the precious little boy and knew he would hear the truth very soon not only by his teacher, but through missionaries who speak in our school, through our cafeteria supervisor who takes a personal interest in ALL children, through our Main Office as they smile and slip the Words of Jesus to the children, through our Pastor as He walks the halls of our school encouraging the children, through music class as they sing songs of Christ, through their Library time listening to puppets acting as Biblical characters, through Physical Education class while exercising and quoting scripture, through art class as they paint, draw pictures of God’s earth,  and through me who at ANY time of ANY day can call the little ones to my office, offer a piece of candy or cookie and ask, “Well, how is your day?”

Whatever your temptation, STOP and consider the following:

Lord, I don’t want to stop but know that I should.

Lord, I’m calling on you to strengthen me to do what is right and NOT what I want to do.

Lord, I now accept your strength to do the right thing.

Lord, thank you for STOPPING ME!

It's not just another counseling session, folks, it is all about God in you who gives you the power of His Word to walk away from the lying spirit of our enemy!!!

Until next time, Lord willing.

Sharon

Follow that which is good!

1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

When I was a teenager I once earned the title, "Cut-down Queen" because of my quick sarcasm.  I had a mouth on me and my tongue was only bridled when I was at home near my parents.  I let people know what I thought of them and there wasn't anything a kid could say to me that I didn't have a sarcastic come back in response.  It created a terrible habit in me that I found hard to break once I got saved.  Even now, if I said or wrote half the mean things that run through my mind on occasion I doubt I would have a friend left in this world.  So imagine when someone wrongs me what my first response wants to be.  I'll give you a hint, it isn't forgiveness.  It is more along the lines of revenge or clobbering.

Last week I had a really bad day where I was fighting this particular area of this sinful nature of mine and I decided it would be best to just be alone and pray.  If I couldn't pray, I could at least keep my tongue from inflicting harm!  Out of the blue a friend from Brooklyn messages me to tell me what an encouragement I am to her.  I looked at my phone and chuckled, thinking, "if she only knew how rotten I truly am!"  We spent the next bit of the evening talking and sharing our shortcomings and both appreciated the "realness" of the other.  No one is perfect and it felt good to know I was not alone in my plight. 

God wants us to follow after "that which is good" so I believe as He saw me struggling to follow after what was right, He prompted my New Yorker friend to help me escape my temptation to brood over my sins.  His justice and love overcome every time and we should take advantage of it and allow Him to work in our lives. 

There is a man in the Bible who took advantage of God's justice, not for himself, but for a large group of people who had wronged him.  His name was Aaron.  Look at what the Bible tells about him.

Numbers 16:41-50 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD. And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

The day before all this happened a man named Korah and his followers and family all died because they didn't take holiness seriously and had allowed pride to make them wag their tongues against Moses and Aaron.  You would think the surviving people who had witnessed Korah's death would have turned their faces towards God and been in a penitent mood. Instead, they must have hardened their hearts because they rise up against Moses and Aaron and blame them for what has happened.  Moses knows God is about to kill all of them if he doesn't act fast, so he tells Aaron to run and make atonement for the people.  Now, if I had been Aaron, I wonder if I would have said, "No way, these people are too stupid for their own good, let them all go to the boogie man!"  Thankfully, Aaron followed after that which is good and he RAN to make atonement and puts his own life at risk by running into the midst of all those people who were dying and God stays the plague.  Wow.  This was a man who put his own selfish flesh aside for others.

So, as God is teaching me (again) to never render evil for evil, I decided to write about it.  Maybe by my shortcomings and Aaron's wonderful example of doing right, you will be encouraged to put a bridle on your own tongue.  When someone says something or does something that makes you want to return the favor, just know how rotten you will feel after because you didn't obey the Lord.  He wants us to take advantage of His justice which is perfect and if someone really did hurt us, God will take care of it.  And if it was all in our head, then He will take care of US. 

The moment we let that bitter spirit rule, we are in disobedience to God.  It doesn't matter what the other person has done.  God is very clear on what we are to do.  Don't believe me?  Then read the following verses (if your pride will let you) and make up your own mind.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Have you been despitefully used?  Pray for and love them.....these words are in red because YOUR Saviour taught them!

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. He commands us to love our neighbor...not just those in the house next door, but those we are in contact with in our lives daily.  We all want to tout our love for Him because we are against homosexuality and abortion, but do we love that person in our lives that is against us in some way or has hurt one of our own children?  We can't pick and choose when to love or obey.  It has to be all the time.  (VERY hard for this mama bear, but not impossible) 

Psalms 119:80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri

Lord, if Thou wilt.

Have you ever prayed, “Lord, if you will, you could heal me of this cancer, or

*Lord, if you will, you could meet this mortgage payment, or

 *Lord, if you will you could bring these two people, separated from each other back together before it is too late, or

*Lord if you will you could bless my business so that I could pay my bills and support more missionaries, or Lord if you will…….(you fill it in!)

The leper in Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-44 and then also in Luke 5:12-14 took advantage of a moment of faith to say to Jesus, “Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” What a picture of saving grace AND instant healing!

If you read beginning in Matthew 5 and continue to the story of the leper, you gain an instruction book on how to live.  Ever wonder what to do…..GO TO THE BOOK! Everything you and I need to know about what to do is pretty much covered in Matthew 5-7.  It is amazing! I started listing all the subjects Jesus was covering and just started laughing. He knew exactly what to say, how much to say and covered everything!

Jesus, you are something else! I cannot compare with you. I cannot counsel without your Word. You have it ALL written down for easy access. 

If we will just pick it up and place our eyes upon the Words, and then believe with our hearts to take action about the matter. Why do we not do this? Do you understand just how strong the evil one is in our life? It’s just too dangerous to play around on the edge. Where in the world did the leper come from? Was he a part of the many crowds Jesus spoke to? I doubt it, simply because he was a leper; he was not accepted in the crowd.

Mt 8:1 ¶ When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
Mt 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mt 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Mt 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

The leper had enough faith to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, and he also had enough faith to believe that Jesus could heal him BUT he didn’t know if he would.  You and I are so much like the leper, wouldn’t you agree? We came to Him, believed that He could take our rotten sins on His sinless body, die for us and come back to the earth from the grave, but we are not sure if He will answer us in a time of great need, whatever that need is. Folks that is another reason we must read, study and practice the scriptures. It will not only increase our faith, but will give us examples to go by, to look to, to believe in when doubt surrounds us with fear to the point we don’t even know how to pray.

The leper’s words were simple. Don’t you imagine the leper had for a long time felt hopeless, useless, and miserable to himself and to others?  But, this was his hour wasn’t it? He took advantage of this moment in history and it literally changed his whole world, and so can it yours and mine.

“Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst…….”  Why not seek His face about this matter you face. Has it already been covered in Matthew 5-7? Is what you are asking in the circle of God’s allowance? Does it seem to be impossible? Will Jesus get all the glory and not YOU? Is this for personal gain or God’s gain? Why are you asking Him for this matter?  Our Preacher has said a few times just recently that God’s voice to us should be so familiar, even more familiar than our spouses’ voice. Isn’t that good? Are you close to Him like that? Are you able to feel His breath upon your face as you talk to Him? Do you reach up and touch Him? Do you stand and openly praise Him and thank Him for ALL things?

The leper bowed down and worshiped Jesus. He gave recognition to Jesus. So must we.  Jesus put forth His hand and touched him, and so can He touch you and me, friend. He wants to hear from us. He wants us to want Him.

So, what is it that you need? Ask “Lord, what do YOU need from me?”  Are you willing to obey Him? Then friend, what are you waiting on? Take advantage of this moment.  

 

The leper was healed immediately AS JESUS TOUCHED HIM. Jesus gave him specific instructions once the healing took place. Did the leper obey? No. Because of his excitement of being healed, he went and broadcast it which caused Jesus to not be able to enter into the cities as He needed to.  Jesus always has a plan before, during and after whatever He does in our lives and if we are to give Him the glory, we must obey. I must confess that I probably would have done the same thing as this leper did.  He took off running not only with his legs but with his mouth! He could not contain himself.  

God’s plan is perfect. We don’t need to add to it, or subtract from it. We just need to slide right into it!

Until next time, Lord willing…

Sharon

Hard to Recall

John 14:25-26 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Lately our 15 year old son, Sam, has been pelting us with questions from the book of Revelation.  Mark is guiding him in his search for the truth about the Rapture and Tribulation, but allowing Sam to question and put the pieces together on his own by comparing Scripture with Scripture.  I am fascinated by his mind and the way it is trying to make sense of God and His Word. 

But last evening as I listened to Mark and Sam go back and forth about end time events, it made me wonder why all Christians don't believe the same about certain things if we all read the same Bible and have the same Holy Spirit residing in us.  I voiced this to Mark and he said something very interesting.  He said, "Jesus said the Holy Spirit would bring all things to our remembrance, but it is hard to recall something you have never read or learned.  Information has to connect with information."  Basically saying, a lot of people don't read the Bible, much less, study It.

I thought about that during the night and I am afraid he is correct.  We generally seek more information to formulate our political views than we do to understand our views of the Bible.  We take preachers and authors at their word quicker than we take God at His.  Scary isn't it?  But it is true.

John 14 was taking place in the Upper Room just before the events that make our salvation from hell possible.  But John wasn't writing all this down as he listened to Jesus say they would not be left as orphans in this world but a Comforter was coming.  No, John wrote this many years later as an old man as the Holy Spirit brought it all to his remembrance.  I wonder how he felt as he remembered Jesus' face as He said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Every disciple in that room was listening to Jesus Christ leave His Peace with them.  Every disciple listened to Jesus tell them to not be troubled.  What a kind and very compassionate Saviour we have!  He took this time with His disciples to express words and comfort knowing their hearts were going to be sorrowing in just a little while. 

But, did they take advantage of Christ's words?  Or did His speech fall on tired and weary ears?

You and I are trying to get to know Him (God) better this year.  But if we don't read what He has said, then we can't gain comfort from His teachings.  If we don't take advantage of His Word and all that He did and said, then we are failing to know Him better.  He still sits on the shelf of our hearts instead of being someone we lean on and rely on moment by moment.

Let's allow His Word to penetrate our thinking so that He can call It to remembrance when we need it.  Let's continue to try and get to know Him better every day because He is not going to tarry forever.  He will be back for us and we ought to know a little about Him before we meet Him in the air!

Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri

Weekend Getaway # 29

It's Your Day, Lydia!

July 24, 1958, seven of us stepped into Grandpa's pool to be baptized three times forward and not one time backward. I was saved in the Church of the Brethren where three time forward was the norm. Although our church did not teach eternal security, I did! I can't explain it, but I never doubted my salvation. Today, I celebrate my salvation over 58 years ago. I'm not sure the exact date I was born again, but I do remember the moment the Holy Spirit touched me on that Sunday and I went forward to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.  It was MY day when as Lydia in Acts16, “attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.” Not too long after that I was baptized or “dunked” as the Brethren called it. It didn’t matter to me folks, because Jesus was my way to heaven, not baptism.

Ac 16:13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Ac 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Ac 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Lydia, what a woman! Do you understand that she was the first convert in Europe? Every time I read the Bible through I am reminded of this dear friend in Christ and I owe my life to her. Our roots, most of us here in this United States of America, are in the continent of Europe from which Paul received the Macedonian call. What if he had not taken advantage of that time and decided to travel somewhere else instead of Europe? But he didn’t. He obeyed as difficult as it would be to travel all those miles with Silas and then with Luke and Timothy.  Folks, for us to hop on a plane and fly over to any part of Europe is simple compared to what God’s men went through during that time. 

Lydia this is your day! There she is on a Sabbath with a group of other women down by the river, praying.  I can picture it, can’t you? Now, Paul comes with his faithful men. Paul, a Roman citizen himself, took advantage of going to the large city of Philippi which was that part of Macedonia, and according to the scriptures, a colony.  A colony meant that it had been settled by certain Roman citizens from Italy.  Paul was smart and had a plan but this small detour to the riverside paved the way for you and for me! Lydia this was your day, but it was ours as well!

Before that July 24^th when we were all baptized, I had some of my friends and relatives say to me, “I’ll get saved, but not yet.  I’m just not ready.”  Do you understand that we do not decide when we get saved? We must take advantage of that moment when the Word is presented and the Holy Spirit speaks. It is the Spirit of God who moves us to receive Jesus Christ. He draws us to Him. Oh, I fear it is too late for many folks as they have said, “No, not today but maybe tomorrow.”  Aren’t you glad Lydia said, “Yes!” whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul? 

Lydia this is your day but also the day of your household! We are not told if she was married and had children, but we are told that her household was saved and baptized as well.  She had some means about herself for we are told that she invited Paul and the others to abide in her home. She was a seller of purple and probably a successful business woman.  Well, Lydia, this has certainly been your day, your household’s day and mine as well. Thank you for taking advantage of the preaching of Paul and paving the way for the rest of us.  We will get to thank her personally, one day, don’t you know? 

I try to identify with Paul and can to some degree, but because I am woman, it is more difficult. But Lydia, this is your day!  Any woman can identify with Lydia, a hard working woman, a praying woman, wanting to do the will of the Father.  

I smile thinking of that first convert as I was the first convert in my own family.  The precious nuggets God gives us from His Word are to be treasured, pulled out, and looked upon as they give us strength to keep on keeping on.  Don’t forget to thank God for this day, for Lydia, for your salvation on whatever day it was!

Celebrate that day! I surely am today, because, Sharon, this is your day!

 Ps 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sharon