I Have Much People in this City!

I walked with Paul this morning and we came to the region of Galatia “and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia” and I wondered, “Why, Lord?” 

Paul’s heart was heavy for the churches as he traveled with the apostles encouraging as he went, but here in Asia he was stopped. Don’t you know the feeling when the Holy Spirit says, “No, Sharon, not now? Do as I say. Leave here and go yonder.”

Paul listened and by a vision saw what to do next. 

Ac 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Bless Luke’s heart! He joins Paul and Jesus and is now going to do a great work through these men as they obey the call to Macedonia. Don’t you just love it when Jesus is right in the middle of your life, so much, you can almost feel his breathing upon your face? I know it sounds scary and I don’t want to appear a saint because if anything, I am the worst of sinners! To be right in the middle of doing what God wants you to do may take you to the cross roads where you have to make a choice:  to go through the trial of your life, or take the easy road. Who wants to suffer? Who wants to do without? Who wants to walk on thorns, small stones, or suffer the pangs of almost drowning? Who wants to be beaten, spit at, kicked and left for dead? None of us! Right smack in the middle of God’s perfect will, you, my friend, might feel some of the awful trials that our dear, precious friends, Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke, felt! So we ask “Why Lord?” or “What next, Lord?”

Just keep reading though! Into Acts 17 and 18 we see a grand stage with our Lord making another entrance of power and we fall down to our knees knowing that the rough road ahead is just a beautiful shining entrance to more souls prepared to enter the haven of rest that Jesus has now offered through His obedient servants. You may be at the very door of someone’s heart that is tender toward the things of God.

Pastor Joe May came to Drs. Inlet and the area of Middleburg, Florida stirring up the congregation of our Church of the Brethren. Many folks loved him but more hated him. He was bold as Paul preaching the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I happened to be attending the church and so desperately sought to be needed by someone who could help me do something worthwhile for God. I didn’t know it at the time, but my short stay with Pastor May and his lovely wife would only be approximately one and a half years. Then, our family would move to Marion County. I walked with Paul this morning as he ministered to the Corinthians. How precious of our Lord to appear to Paul thus confirming his ministry for a while, even a year and a half.

Ac 18:9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace
Ac 18:10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
Ac 18:11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Praise God for Paul and praise God for Joe May! What do I know about Jesus? I know that He cares for even a poor teen-ager who desired to know more about Him and so does He care for YOU. What do I know about Him? I know that He could trust Paul to go through the fiery darts of death and come close to his last breath and NOT give up. Paul, I’m sure was afraid wouldn’t you imagine? I think of my Pastor Joe May and knew that his sweet wife and children often lived with such hard criticism and carried the burden of the people, but they stayed with the call for that time, for so many people including me.

When we place ourselves in the middle of God’s Word where ever we are reading, we have an opportunity to “know” Him. God did not give us His Word for naught. They are not just words on a piece of paper. It is not just history but His Story!  His Words are our words to speak, to live, to breathe, to hear and to write! While getting to know Him this month of November, be thankful above all else that you and I can actually hold a Bible in our hands without it being snatched up by the enemy. Those of you in other countries where you do not have as much liberty as we do here in America, I say:  “Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:  For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city!”

God bless you this November of 2015 as you, my friend, reach out to the people of YOUR city.

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sharon

Weekend Getaway # 44

God is Our Judge

Isaiah 33:22  For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king  he will save us.

Psalms 75:7  But God is the judge:  he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Psalms 96:13  Before the LORD:  for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth:  he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

If we are going to get to know God better, we truly must look at the fact that He is Love.  When we agree that He is the purest form of Love, we can accept the truth that He is also the Judge.  The two qualities are inseparable if you are going to study them.

My childhood pastor recently gave a sermon illustration about God's love for us.  He said that whenever there is a cliff beside a road there will be warning signs to keep cars from falling off the edge.  They aren't there to be oppressive or mean, but rather because all human life is precious, people need to be warned of impending danger.

As I thought about that illustration and how he related it to God's love towards us, I realized how we can be so wrong in our thinking about God.  We view Him as a cold, hardened "divinity" unable to understand our human flaws.  But that could not be any further from the truth!  It is because God is a loving, warm and compassionate God that He is the Righteous Judge that He is!  He can see both sides and has weighed His own love in the balance instead of my sin.  And guess what?  Love does win!

God is not an old bearded man upstairs.  He is not a calloused hard faced man in long black robes just waiting to hammer down the gavel and pronounce the death sentence on you either.  God is Righteous.  That means He can't go too soft and He can't go too hard, He will be perfect in His judgement every single time.  As you became His child you were pronounced adopted, free rich, powerful, and loved by the Judge of Judges.  He didn't condemn you, and your sins could no longer condemn you because the Lord God has given you eternity with Him instead.  That's it.  It is final.  You can't change it, no one can.

And it is that love that the Judge shows that will constantly present itself in your life through His care that sometimes come in the form of warnings.  He will care for you in your sorrows; He will bind your broken heart and soothe your hurts.  But He will also sound the alarm when danger is near. Danger to your salvation?  NO!  But danger to the JOY of your salvation.  Anything that threatens to rob you of that personal relationship you have with Him is subject to the Judge blowing the whistle and pointing out the harm it can cause.

Are you viewing God as an angry man holding an anvil over your little head?  He isn't.  He is holding YOU in the palm of His hand!  By His Righteousness He will do all He will do in perfection and for His glory.  Let Him rule your life, no one can do it better.  Serve Him as your Lord.  Walk in His judgments and allow Him to protect you from potential harm.  If something looks good and the Lord tells you "NO!", listen to Him.  He is the Perfect Judge and He will not withhold good from you.

Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri

Let's just start over.

What a great day in the Lord when a lost soul comes to Jesus! Never would I dream to hear of so many people who tell me that they don’t go to church for whatever reason, but the one that just rips my heart out is this: “I have failed so miserably; surely if there is a God, He will not hear me ever again, ‘cause I just can’t do it!” Oh my soul, friend, you are the one He delights to strengthen and to help. He longs for you to lift your face and look up into His eyes and see His smile. We ALL have sinned and come short of God’s glory. None of us deserve His way of salvation, but He still offers it today just like He has for everyone before us. Look Up!

My beloved friend who lives in Heaven now, John R. Rice said and I quote, “People who try, do more than those who do not try. People who resolve do more than those who do not resolve. And however much you have failed in the past, the coming of the new year or of some special time of refreshing or conviction from God is an ideal time to start over again to live for God and to be what God wants you to be.”

And you know what…..you may not can go back to college at your age, or be the pastor or pastor’s wife you once dreamed of becoming, or a missionary in a foreign field, or WHATEVER…..but bless God YOU can be the best you can be, RIGHT NOW! Just get started…..again, my friend….just get started.

A young man ran into my office without knocking and said, “Mrs. Loyd, I remembered! I remembered!”

Looking up from my phone conversation with a parent I gave him the evil eye, but he walked over to my desk and placed his agenda before my eyes to show me that he remembered to write his assignments down AND to come and see me after school. I smiled but turned on the evil eye to remind him it was rude to just run into my place thinking he could just stop the world for his sorry self!!!  Isn’t that the way we think sometimes of people who constantly fail over and over?

But….like a good Principal, (I feel like the good neighbor of State Farm) I congratulated him on “remembering” because he has been told for too long that he has a memory problem when in reality he has a “character” problem which needed Jesus’ attention! He was so proud of himself that I hesitated to ask him the rest of the story.

“Did you remember to brush your teeth and make your bed this morning?”

“Yes, I made my bed, well, I folded my blanket. I didn’t brush my teeth but look at them. They don’t look too bad.”

 “That is not the issue, son. Do you want to have a mouth like mine and be missing several teeth, never to bite another apple in your life?”

“No mam!” He smiled and I said, “Give me your hand.” I wrote a “B” and a “P” in red on the top of his hand and continued with, “Now, the “B” is for Bible reading AND BRUSH your teeth. The “P” is for prayer. Tomorrow, let’s see if you can get up, make your bed, brush your teeth, read your Bible and Pray! Now Mr. BP man, get out of here and go for it!" He left happy that he had remembered. I saw his belt loops but no belt and just chuckled to myself and thought about calling him back to say that the “B” also stood for no belt but then again I didn’t want to push my luck!

                                               “He just has to get started with what he can do for right now.”

Folks, this is a true story….just happened but it is very typical of us as Christians, isn’t it? Bless that boy’s heart and bless YOUR heart as you get started doing something more for our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are several examples in the Bible of people who got a second chance or just plainly, “started over.”

1.       Jonah

Jon 3:1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
Jon 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

God gave Jonah another shot at doing what he should have done the first time. Maybe, you and I don’t have a second shot at something He has already commanded us to do, but we can offer ourselves to Him for a brand new start. He will use you! Because of Jonah’s second chance, Nineveh got her second chance! Goodness, friend, think about it. If you and I just sit back and feel sorry for ourselves there may be someone or someplace which needs a second chance as well. Just get up, and get started doing something God has burdened your heart to do. If you need guidance, ask for it. If you need a friend to help you, ask that friend, but don’t hesitate or you will conveniently forget just like my little fellow in our school. For too long he has believed that something was wrong with him, but it was just a matter of redirecting his “want to” and giving him an opportunity to see that he could remember.

Samson got a new start and it ended quickly, but what he did with God’s second chance was more than anyone would have dreamed possible.

2.      Samson

Jg 16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

The last example is one all of us can relate to and that is

3.      The Prodigal son.

Lu 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! Lu 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

So, here we are. We have sinned against the Living God! He still forgives and He still loves giving His people “second chances.” Hurry up because you may just forget!

Until next time, Lord willing

Sharon

God is Our Freedom

Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

During our lives we are unfortunately going to sin.  We don’t want to displease God, but every one of us fights the old man and the flesh.  Sometimes we lose.  When those failures come it is easy to want to give in to some wrong thinking from the enemy.  Satan would have us believe that we are no longer worthy of all that Christ has done for us, including our salvation.  But since we were NEVER worthy, we shouldn’t fall for the devil’s deception.  All that Christ has done for us was because of His love and not because our goodness. 

We have already discussed in recent weeks that God cannot lie and He cannot change. Just because we flub up in our spiritual walk is no reason for us to throw up our hands and give up!  Rather it is the perfect time to remember that we have been freed by God and in that freedom, there is NO CONDEMNATION!  What a perfectly wonderful thought!

You and I can claim those new mercies each and every morning from the Lord God Himself.  And I urge you to claim them and think on them early in the morning because pretty soon in your day, someone is going to come along and make you feel as though God should have never saved you!  They will throw up your past (even your yesterday) in your face and make you feel as though they are perfect and you are terrible, but please remember, “all have come short of the glory of God”.  ALL.  Even that self righteous self appointed Harriet Olsen in your life!  When they come with their nose lifted high in the air to remind you that you have not always walked a straight line, just smile, let them say there peace and quote Romans 8:1 in your head.  You are free from the sins of your past, present and future.  They are forgiven, and they are forgotten.  You confess each day what you have erred in and then walk after the beautiful Spirit of God.  It is in that walk you will find how easy it is to forgive the “harriets”.  (If you have never watched Little House on the Prairie, this reference will be totally lost on you) 

God has freed us from the enslavement of sin.  God has freed us from the shackles of wrong thinking.  God has freed us from failure!  Walk in that freedom!  If you trip, open your eyes, His hand is extended towards you and He will help you up!  We need to walk in that Spirit and not turn away from the life of freedom we have in Him!  When someone wants to point to something that God says is behind you, don’t even begin to crank your neck around to look.  All that waits for you in the past is only what will hinder you from going forward in the future.  Why waste your time. 

Is there someone who constantly reminds you of the “old” you?  Pray for them.  I believe that is a form of persecution from the devil that can only be defeated in the confines of our prayer closet.  Ask God to keep them at a distance and bind their jaws like the lions in the den with Daniel.  Keep the Word of God and the Freedom written therein at your side so that you can combat the good fight and always remember that you are freed from being a failure!  Now go forward in the Lord and succeed!

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri

Behold, I Send an Angel.

Sometimes while reading the Old Testament, I like to place myself with the people back then and imagine with God’s help, what they felt and what choices I would have made. The one danger for me in doing this is, I must be careful of the timing of God’s Word to a people BEFORE Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and the leaving of His Holy Spirit to us as believers. Reading and studying God’s Word of course keeps everything in perspective and helps me as I “rightly divide the Word of God.” Does that make sense?  

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth 

In Exodus 22 I found Sharon (myself) in such a time as this as I wandered around again with God’s people, feeling their hurt but listening to the promises of His upcoming blessings. You see, we are so blessed, friend. We already know the end!! Hallelujah! The people in Exodus 22 even though Christ had not yet come, were also blessed because in verse 20 it says:

Ex 23:20-22 ¶ Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

Did you notice the capitalization of Angel? Hmnnnn…..who is that Sharon? (or put your name)? God gives us enough to know that His name was IN HIM. He was appointed by God for this particular task. This Angel’s mission was to keep them in the way and to take them to the place designated by God. But there came some specific conditions of such a blessing. They were to obey his voice, not provoke him and to remember that he was not to pardon their transgressions. A continued blessing followed and that being he would be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries. My goodness, isn’t it wonderful to walk with Jesus knowing that every step is directed by God even in the presence of the enemies of God? 

We have the same promises of God because of Jesus and what He did on the cross. We have the same promises as we pick up the Book and read them daily! They are ours to share if only we obey every Word as it is written. Sheri and I are praying that more women will have made a decision this year to pick up the Bible to read, to study, to obey and “get to know HIM better." As December ends, so will our blog, “Let’s Get to Know Him” but the beginning of so much more is right at our front door wouldn’t you agree?

Consider the following as you walk with Him today, struggling as you may with questions that have no immediate answer, with sickness that seems to have no quick cure, with relationships that seem to sour the longer you leave it sitting:

1.       He cares, He really cares. 1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Claim that promise today!
  
2.      Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Pray, ask, thank…..and remember His watch care over the children of Israel. It will strengthen you.

3.      Lu 12:29-30 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. Don’t doubt the Word of God because as you doubt, you may step away from faith which leads in another direction. In order to stay on a clear path, you must obey the Lord 100%. The enemy doesn’t wink at our unbelief….oh no! He sets his eyes on us and uses us, especially those of us in leadership, to cause others to stumble and fall. To God that we would grab this simple truth of obeying and trusting!

      Terry and I left the nursing home this morning encouraged as we visited one of our friends recuperating from a fall. Do you know what his strongest desire is as he leaves the nursing home? To get back in church and stand in front of the congregation and say, “Are you stupid? Don’t you know that our Preacher is preaching the truth? Don’t you want to go to heaven and stay out of hell?” Terry and I just chuckled at his bluntness.  When trouble comes we look at things differently, don’t we? The Angel was offering the people a way to keep trouble from taking over their lives, but eventually they turned their noses up to God.

We do the same thing, don't we? Like always, here comes more TROUBLE….. and God had to remind them of who they were and what must be done to continue the journey. I feel like my friend this morning as I ask the question, “Are you stupid, Sharon?"

Until next time, Lord willing…

Sharon

God is our Hiding Place

Psalms 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

When I was a little girl I loved inventing imaginary worlds where I would go and play.  I had a spot by the back shed where if I were to jump, I entered another realm and could be anyone I wanted to be. Sometimes my sister and I would get Mom’s red electric blanket and use it as a tent on the front porch.  We would hold up the edges with clay flower pots (and we broke more than a few!) Stephanie and I would pretend we were in a ship and there was a big whale in the water as we adventured along.  When I didn’t have anyone to play with I would hang upside down from the pear tree by my swing set and dream of someone coming by to ask me to be in the Olympics as a gymnast.  I would twirl and spin from the branches as if I was Nadia Comaneci herself.  Other times, I would stand and sing the Old Rugged Cross to the cows in the pasture between our house and my grandma’s as if I was the great George Beverly Shea in hopes that the Reverend Billy Graham would invite me to sing in his Crusades.  But, my favorite place to go and hide was up under the counter in the bathroom.  Mama had it covered with a curtain and since I was a small thing, I could fit quite nicely and hide.  I loved scaring my sister or mom as they walked by, but mostly I just felt safe there in my own little hiding place.

When I read Psalms 71:3, I am comforted by the fact that I can CONTINUALLY resort in the hiding place I have in God.  I can go there in the mornings as I read and pray.  I can return later and dwell in His presence after a trial or two (or three) and the best part is, it isn’t make believe.  I don’t have to hope He will shelter me, I know that He will.  I don’t have to do anything to gain entrance, I can just run to Him and hide.  There is no cost, no need to bring anything and no check out time.  Day or night, night or day, I am welcome in His presence. 

God isn’t tired from what is going on in the world.  He hasn’t grown old and sickly.  He is in control of what is happening in the Middle East and arranging events on our small little planet as the time draws near for His return.  He has heard all the private “closed door” conversations up on Capitol Hill and seen the House and Senate debate over issues that change the way America is headed.  He sees the lonely and starving in every 3^rd world country and calls and sends missionaries to every corner of this world, yet He is still very available for you and me to run into His presence and resort there.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

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

If you are God’s child, you have a 24/7 pass to come into His presence.  One of these days when we are with Him face to face we are going to realize the time we wasted at Starbucks with a friend instead of with our Greatest Friend in prayer.  We will see Him as He truly is and we will wonder why we didn’t resort into our Hiding Place more often.

Over the coming weeks as we draw this year’s journey to a close, I am going shine a spotlight on the person of God so that you and I can think on Who it is that we are developing this relationship with together.  Today take with you the thought that He is your Hiding Place and you and run and hide there in His presence as much as you need.  You are welcome there, just scoot over and make room for me too!

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri