Weekend Getaway # 43

Get Your Feet Moving!

Have you ever been made fun of for being a Christian while passing out tracts or speaking to someone about their soul? If you haven’t, then you probably haven’t been doing the work of the Lord for very long. It will happen, eventually. I’m afraid we are approaching the time of the end even here in America where we will witness believers killed for their faith, even today! You and I must pray for spiritual leadership in our United States of America as we suffer more and more persecution.

An elderly lady maybe in her late 80s answered our knock at her door.

“Hi, my name is Sharon Loyd and I’m from Southside Baptist Church right here in Gainesville and I wanted to know if you have a church close by that you are attending?”

Before I could finish the words, this woman started yelling something like, “I’ll have you to know I’m a member of so and so church and it is none of your business what I do!” Then, she slammed the door so hard, I was afraid it was going to come right through and hit us!!  Some of the Blue Angels Volleyball team looked at me and all I could do was put on my fearful smile (oxymoron) and act like I was ok, but deep down I was disturbed by the rudeness of this woman. I don't think she even understood that she answered me anyway.

May I ask you, “Do you lean toward someone who is interested in your soul or the souls of others, or do you slam the door of your heart?”

I then began using this time as a teaching moment to the girls. “Sometimes, people will not listen to your witness, but that doesn’t mean you should stop. The enemy is relentless! If he thought he could tempt Jesus and cause Him to sin, than what in the world does he think he can do with you! Never give up! Just keep on and go to another door. You never know WHO will answer!

Ac 14:19 ¶ And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
Ac 14:20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Ac 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

Paul was stoned for preaching Jesus and now here in our America, we see Christians persecuted for their belief in Christ and His Holy Word but friend, all this should make us stronger in the Lord. Don’t pick up your robe and tuck it under for a fast break down the court of life. NO! Be strong in Christ and get up after being knocked down. Poor Paul was stoned to the point they thought he was dead, but look at verse 20. While they were standing in disbelief, Paul gets up and keeps trucking. Not only did he keep on, he went back and was probably ready for another stoning! Praise the Lord, as many were taught, more were saved. No, my friend, please do not stop witnessing. I see so many churches closing their doors and actually not even meeting like they used to. No! Double up, do more!

My feet have never been the prettiest part of my body but you know what? According to the following scripture, my feet and yours too, can be just BEAUTIFUL! Makes me smile!

Isa 52:7 ¶ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

We have a choice, folks, as we “get to know Him better” and that is...... get your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace OR choose to run from Him to evil which takes you to worse like the shedding of blood, or running to mischief. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need any help in staying in trouble.

Pr 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Pr 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Ps 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

Isn’t that just wonderful? Give those feet to Jesus even if they are ugly, calloused, and like mine just too big, and look at what God can do! He sets them firm right behind Him as He guides us to the next witness, even to a door that may be slammed in your face or to a city where you might just be stoned! My volleyball team kept on witnessing that day and before the summer ended, we had led over 30 people to Christ. Praise the Lord! Get YOUR feet moving!

Until next time, Lord willing.

Sharon

God is paying attention to the details

1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

One day I was checking my children’s clothing before going to church and as I looked over one of them I saw a bleach spot on their shirt.  When I pointed it out I was told, “It doesn’t matter, and no one will see it.”  To which I promptly replied, “I saw it”.  The outfit was changed and I brought this child to my side and taught a lesson on why details matter.

A detail ignored can be disastrous.  It was only a few years ago that a train derailed in Connecticut because of less than an inch difference on the train rails.  Someone had inspected that rail just two days prior to the accident.  I wonder had sufficient action been taken because of this small detail, would the accident have happened.

We see through the Bible over and over that God likes order.  He was specific in His commands to Adam and Eve about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  He was specific in the design of the ark.  He detailed the entire Tabernacle design down to the clothes the priest would wear. Jesus was specific about where to find the foal of the donkey He would ride into Jerusalem.  God is specific about the end times.  He cannot change, so I must acknowledge that my God is a God of order and detail.  He tells us in I Corinthians 14:40 about everything being done decently and in order.....would He tell us to do something He Himself does not do?  

God is paying attention to your life, and if He is a God of details, then why do you doubt His ability to resolve the problems in your life?  Don’t you think He has seen the stack of bills on your counter?  Don’t you think He knows your pay check won’t cover them all?  Don’t you think He knew when your husband lost his job that the bills would begin piling up?  God knows about all of it, and He has said that ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love Him.  No, that may not be much consolation when you try and explain it to the creditors who harass you on the phone, but it doesn’t make it any less true.  God has a plan, a detailed plan.  And guess what?  Even if you were unwise in your spending, God can still help you.  He will show you what to do, so stop trying to fix it by yourself because you will probably end up making a bigger mess anyway.

Listen, each of us has our loads.  Some of us are on the mountain top, some of us are in the valley, but God is in both places with ALL of us.  He doesn’t get confused as to who is whom and He knows my name goes with me and your name goes with you.  He doesn’t need a personal assistant to help Him figure out all our problems.  All you and I have to do is trust Him with the details, then listen to and obey Him when He shows us what to do.

God is a God of details.  Follow His order and plan.  Get your heart detailed out every day by confessing your sins and coming clean with Him and then let HIM guide you through every little thing during the day. 

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri

He Did More than just Wash my Feet!

Terry and I walked into the room of the nursing home where one of our brothers in Christ, Mike Russo was sitting with another Christian, both from our Challengers Sunday School Class.  Brother Russo looked up at us with a big grin and said, “You guys are so good to me!” He became a little weepy as he pronounced his thankfulness to us and others who had stepped in to help the family during their desperate time of need. His wife is on oxygen 24/7 and has other health issues. The list of needs was many, but the point I want to make is this:  Brother Mike rejoices in the Lord continually.

I asked myself a question as our pump stopped today, internet went out and stayed out, and my phone died for a short while: Are you rejoicing, Sharon? Do you trust God? My problems seemed minute compared to Brother Russo’s dilemmas. What kind of character does God require when everything seems to go wrong all at once?

Joh 13:1 ¶ Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Joh 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Joh 13:3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; Joh 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. Joh 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded

What character Jesus exemplified during this time right before His death!! People, I can’t even imagine let alone understand this kind of love Christ had for these men who surrounded Him at the table. Do you get it? Are you able to really see our Lord’s character and great love as He washed their feet? He knew His hour was very close where He would feel human pain from the crucifixion. He loved them to the end! Why is it important to “get to know Him?” ……. Because we DON’T HAVE THAT KIND OF LOVE without Him! You and I can’t do it! We will fail over and over and over except that we think of Jesus’ love for us TO THE END.

Grandpa and Grandma Baxley quietly lead me to a circle of believers and by example showed me how to wash another believer’s feet. In our Church of the Brethren, we practiced the washing of feet but not everyone joined. I didn’t understand but I do today. No one spoke, no one laughed as the pan was passed from one to another. That particular night must have been the night of celebration around Easter. I am not sure. I was very young but I wanted to be there and join the celebration of remembering this time of year. That was the last time I ever washed another believer’s feet but it wasn’t the last time I celebrated such an event. Every time I read this passage from John 13, I stop and celebrate!

Thank you, Jesus, for showing such love and compassion for me in your time of need. Thank you for not complaining about what you had to go through……what you CHOSE to go through! Oh, friend, if we will but praise Him instead of complain to Him and to others every time we stump our toe! 

“He is so good to us!” Isn’t it time we just get out there and do for others and stop our complaining?

Let’s be happy when the pump works and when it DOESN’T work. Let’s rejoice when we are well as much as we pray to be well. As suffering increases so should our praises. Character, just pure sweet, Godly character with whom we have union in Christ can be ours as we practice Jesus' example. He leads us to the circle of believers, picks up our feet, washes them, and pats them dry as His own tears drop on our feet. The next day He did more than just wash their feet; He died for them and He died for me. What a Savior! What a Savior!

Until next time, Lord willing…

Sharon

God Cannot Lie

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God cannot change.  That thought should thrill each of us. 

The God which loved the world so much that He gave Himself to redeem it, STILL loves the world that much. (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:25; John 3:16; Romans 5:8)

So many times we want to put human characteristics on God in order to make Him more understandable.  We want to add to Him something we think is a good thing or remove from Him what we think is a bad thing.  In doing so we are basically saying that He can change, but He can’t!  Perfect is perfect, it can’t get more perfect or it wouldn’t have been perfect to begin with would it?

Getting to know God better doesn’t mean changing Him to fit your life, your desires and your idea of perfection.  Getting to know Him means changing YOU so you can see Him for Who He truly is, and He is perfect.

Last week I was thinking about God and wondering how He views the world right now and it dawned on me, He can’t love it less than He did at the time of Adam and Eve and He can’t love it more.  He can’t get better because He already is the Best.  Remember how He wanted to commune with Adam in the garden?  Well, He still wants that fellowship with you and me today.  Remember how He made a way for Adam to have peace with Him even after sin?  Well, He still wants that for you and me too. 

All the love He has ever felt for you, He still feels.  There is no shadow of turning in Him.  He doesn’t revolve around the world like the Sun, sometimes casting light and warmth and sometimes not.  He is always there, always available, always loving you.  Your sin may cast a shadow, but God doesn’t.  Your wrong perception of Who He is and What He is doing may cause darkness in your thoughts, but God doesn’t.  He doesn’t change. 

Is there something lingering in your heart that you need to take to God and confess?  He will hear you, He will cleanse you.  He can’t go back on His Word.  He doesn’t change.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Is there something you need help with?  He will help you.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Are you weak and lacking in strength?  God isn’t.  He can lift you up.

Psalms 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Don’t be deceived by man or his manipulations in your life and thoughts.  Man will make you doubt God.  Man will make you doubt His calling in your life.  So every time those doubts come creeping up, go back to the Truth of God’s Word about Your God Who cannot change.  Fight the battle in your mind with the knowledge of the One Who created it!

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri

Practice What You Preach, Sister!

A sweet little girl came running to me almost out of breath, said, “Mrs. Loyd the boys are cussing, all of them!” ALL OF THEM? What did that mean? 

EU'PHEMISM, n. Gr. well, and to speak. A representation of good qualities; particularly in rhetoric, a figure in which a harsh or indelicate word or expression is softened, or rather by which a delicate word or expression is substituted for one which is offensive to good manners or to delicate ears.

Dealing with youngsters and their words can be quite interesting, almost comical at times especially when they just “spit it all out” and begin telling on others and their parents. Children will repeat what they hear and most of the time it is during a time of the day when they feel most relaxed like during recess or at lunch. BUT……don’t we do the same? The more comfortable the setting, the more “words” come flowing that maybe, just maybe don’t need to flow. Before long a conversation has moved into criticism, gossip and downright rebellion against an authority in our lives. Oh me, we have ALL been guilty, right?

Too many words will bring too many problems to too many people! Be careful of your words!

The more we take advantage of getting to know our Lord, the more we will know and understand words we use and the ones we should discard from our mouths. I believe the most influential person in my life that helped me the most was Marlene Evans. If Mrs. Evans were alive today, she would turn me on her knee and beat me with a belt for the times I abuse my “words” and spit out a few euphemisms every now and then. I shiver to think of the Lord at my judgment. How are YOU doing?

It is just time to stop and begin thinking more on Godliness and less on the world wouldn’t you agree? I sat in my church during prayer meeting,Wednesday night thinking on the statement my Preacher said, “If we walk in the flesh, we will walk in false doctrine.” What a spiritual truth! I do not want to be tempted to go astray in doctrine, do you? It can happen if we lean toward the flesh. A little leaning will eventually cause us to fall!

Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s brings back memories of a certain kind of music, and you all know what I’m talking about……which is probably more conservative than much of what we hear even in our churches today. The lyrics to those songs will forever be in my memory bank not only because they were allowed in my home, but because I used to sing them. Some of the love songs are really beautiful but the enemy’s desire is to get our minds away from good to bad to worse. Be careful because you and I can be in a mess before we can blink an eye.

2Sa 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.  

1.      Our words could open a door to the enemy and cause us to blaspheme, appearing as an enemy of Christ. Don’t give the enemy any room to move around and multiply his evil tongue by using our tongues!

Ro 16:17 ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

2.      Get out of there! Don’t look back, but run forward. God will lead you to truth!

Ro 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

3.      Get in control of your mind. Get away from them before you are snatched away by false doctrine.

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

4.      You know the Word of God! Get into it! Search it out and don’t be fooled. Make up your mind to stay with truth. Don’t be deceived! If you hang around it, you catch the smell of it and before long you are hooked. If you are “hooked” and read this, get “unhooked” by applying the Word of God. Mt 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

5.      Get in Truth! The Word of God is Truth and will expose untruth. Think in terms of scripture. Speak scripture. Live scripture. Become scripture.

The euphemisms children use are our euphemisms, aren’t they? They have enough to contend with because of the world’s influence wouldn’t you agree? Words like dang it, OMG, Oh my gosh, darn it, crap, heck, etc. don’t really seem that bad but they are! May our children hear uplifting words as we “lift up” the name of Jesus. We desire for them to remember us for our good and not for our worldly speech.

Ok, Sharon…..practice what you preach, sister!!! Until next time, Lord willing!

Sharon

Weekend Getaway # 42

God Cares

Psalms 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

Psalms 100:3 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.

My husband and I have four children.  Two girls and two boys.  Each pregnancy was different, each labor was different, and each child is different.  I have one child who is a natural born leader, confident and fearless.  I have one that is a deep thinker who must find order and logic in something for it to make sense.  I have one that is moody and pensive but loves strongly and without prejudice.  And I have another that is sensitive, caring and emotional.  Now, do you think I know all of these things about my four children and weigh their personalities in the balance to see whether or not I truly love them?  Of course not.  It wouldn’t even cross my mind!  They are my babies and I would stand in the line of fire in front of each one to protect them from harm.  If they need something, I do my dead level best to provide it.  And when they want to talk, I drop everything and I listen.

One of my children loves to tell every little detail of the dream they had the night before.  I cannot count the times that I have stood in the kitchen with my coffee while listening to the crazy happenings that occurred in this child’s dreams.  I have made my bladder scream at me, let my coffee turn cold and the laundry stall in order to let this particular child talk their dream out.  Why?  Does it change the world?  No.  Do these dreams mean anything?  No.  I listen because of one simple fact.  I love my kid.  I am interested in the smallest detail of their life. 

I want to get across one thought today.  God cares about you.  He knows your stitches itch and are painful.  He cares that your dog(s) are not feeling well and He knows it is bothering you.  He is concerned with your inability to function because of a headache, menstrual cramps, pre-menopause or menopause.  He knows you haven’t told anyone you lost a baby last year.  He knows you and your husband aren’t in sync like you used to be.  He cares about the fact you want new windows or new carpet.  He saw you sigh as you broke that glass in the sink leaving you with only 3 now that match and it is your turn to host the family for the holidays.  He heard you cry the other day when someone at church hurt your feelings.  He wants to help you work through the deception you felt in a relationship.  He cares about how long you stared out the window wondering what you are going to do now.  Name it, He knows and He cares.   He is observing and He loves you so much that He wants to help you as you assimilate it all in your life for good and His glory.

You are God’s child.  You are His pride and joy.  Talk to Him.  Realize He is listening.  He hasn’t slammed a door in your face and contrary to popular sayings, Heaven cannot turn brass to your prayers!  I know they seem to bounce off the ceiling because you can’t see a change in your current situation, but God is in charge and controlling every little last detail.  Can’t you trust Him?

Don’t give up my friend.  Don’t lose hope.  You are precious to the Lord and maybe you can’t “feel” that you are in His lap and embraced by His arms, but you are.  God cares.

Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri