Cheer UP! Podcast
Cheer UP! Podcast
Journeying With Silas
What if your toughest trials held the key to someone else's salvation? 🔑 Join us as we explore how Paul and Silas changed lives through adversity. You won't want to miss this! 🎧 https://cheeruppodcast.buzzsprout.com
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Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, kara R Hunt, and with me is the beautiful Sherri Swalwell. How are you doing today, sherri?
Speaker 2:I am doing great and you would never believe it. The sun is so brightly shining in my window right here where we're taping, that I'm looking at sunglasses. It's crazy. I am not doing it either.
Speaker 1:That's when you know it's really good and beautiful. And you're right. I'm sitting here and I'm looking out the window and I'm going. I have to be tied to my computer today. Am I going to be able to make that work? Because it's so gorgeous.
Speaker 1:It is, it is. Am I going to have to close curtains and blinds and shades and not look outside so that I can concentrate and not be? You know, remember when you were in school and the teacher would just drone on and on and on and on and you would just look out the window and be daydreaming? Yes, you know, that's kind of how I feel, like it's like maybe I shouldn't open up the blinds anymore, I should just keep the ones in my writing area closed, because it's very tempting to just want to get up and get out and go do stuff. But no, I have to sit at my computer today and I probably need to be there a couple of hours, so I won't be able to do that, at least not today. But you know, what's awesome is that, prayerfully, we will have many more of these sunny days, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Well, you reminded me when you were talking about having to chain yourself to your desk. Basically, you reminded me way back when, when I was in elementary school, I lived in Pittsburgh, pennsylvania. We lived in the outskirts and the school system there was notorious for striking, being on strike. So like every three years or so there would be a strike, and I remember this one particular year. The strike lasted forever and they wanted to still let us get out in time to enjoy somewhat of a summer. So we had to go to school on a on a Saturday one time, and I just one time, one time, and I remember going and it was. It was like that. I mean, it was beautiful outside and there was only probably like five or seven kids that even showed up.
Speaker 1:I don't?
Speaker 2:um, yeah, and so it was. It just reminded me of that because we all were, I think. We spent the majority of the day outside on recess, so like there was no point in us even being there except for counting it as a school day. But it was so crazy that that reminded me of that. So I'm going to have to ask my parents, um, for if they remember and they can help fill in the details, because I was second grade so my details are not crisp because I was only seven. But yeah, that's what reminded me of that when you said. I'm going to have to shut my blinds and pretend.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, because the elementary school I went to. It was an older building. It was kept up and it was appropriate for an elementary school, but it was definitely an older building. The cool thing about that was that they had huge windows. Why they were tall, you know it was which is, you know, for a kid like me, who they, who, just mine it doesn't take much for the mind to go off into a different place.
Speaker 1:That's way too tempting. You know, while they're sitting up there trying to teach me elementary school stuff and I'm just looking outside, just the what ifs, right, who knows where my mind was. It was probably thinking about a book I probably read earlier that day, just following that story, continuing that story in my brain. But yeah, it just had all these beautiful windows that you could just look out of, and my writing area has a huge picture window, kind of sort of thing there. So I'm like, yeah, I'm going to just keep the shades shut if I hope to get anything done, anything worthwhile done today Isn't there a Bible verse that says something about God won't tempt us beyond what we can handle.
Speaker 2:So keep your faith strong, so you're not tempting yourself.
Speaker 1:I can be strong. It's like, okay, no, I don't want to keep the door shut, you know, and everything else, cause usually I'm the one on sunny days that's throwing up every curtain, every blind, raising every shade. I'm like, let that sun in, you know, and everything else so. But you know what God is good and, like you said, it's just just resist the temptation, I'll be fine.
Speaker 2:Or reward yourself later. Say I'm going to get X number done and then I'm going to go outside.
Speaker 1:That sounds like a plan, right, that sounds like a really good plan. You know, it's just like okay, I'm done, okay, time to go, let's go see what we could do. Well, you know what I forgot the other part of this. The sun is great, and right now, because it isn't in the early afternoon hours yet, it may still be cool, but you know what the sun was. With the sun and with the temperature this week, we may get 90-something degrees. So it may not be. It may look nice but it may not feel nice. Yeah, when we, you know. So it kind of depends on what the weather is like afterwards and I'm going to be like oh, oh, well, that's not saying I can't go out and enjoy it, it's just probably saying I know me, and if it's usually over 90, I kind of back away, I don't think so.
Speaker 1:You know, because I'm just kind of like, oh, I would, but, and I know they say sweating is healthy for you, it cleans your body of toxins, but I really don't like sweating right now. Right, it's like I really don't like sweating right now. So you know what? I just go to grab a book right now. So you know what? I'm just going to grab a book and finish reading, you know. So, um, and for all of you who have tuned in, thank you so much for joining us again on the Cheer Up podcast, thank you. If you're new to the to, to to the podcast, we want to thank you and and say welcome and thank you for joining us. And, for those of you who are not, thank you for coming back. We just so enjoy all of the different listeners that we see the different countries, the different cities, the different states, sometimes people from different continents. So we just want you guys to know we see you, we know you're there, we know you're here and we just want to say thank you so much. If you are being blessed by the Churro Podcast, please share it on whatever platform you're listening to, whether it's Apple, iheart, spotify Just if you can download, like and or subscribe and or share and that just really helps us in the algorithm on those platforms. So when someone just types in, you know, inspirational podcast or joy or something like that, that it will or they want something to cheer them up and that will help us put us up higher in the algorithm. So we appreciate you guys doing that and thank you so much, put us up higher in the algorithm. So we appreciate you guys doing that and thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Today we are going this episode, we are going to continue what we've been doing the past couple of months the topics of biblical figures, and last week we did Timothy and before that we did like Paul and Barnabas and things like that. You really, really, really, really can't talk about any of those guys without talking about Silas S-I-L-A-S. Silas in the New Testament, and that's what Sherry's going to bring to this episode today. So I'm so excited to hear about Silas. Sherry, what did you want to? I just realized your names. They're kind of like a tongue twister Silas, sherry, sherry, Silas.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, they kind of are. I really like the name Silas. I like nicknames too, so I'd probably call him Si. I probably wouldn't call him Silas, but I like that name. But there are my.
Speaker 2:One of my kids had a friend named Silas. So I think that's another reason why I like it, because every time I hear Silas and I think his name was spelled differently but pronounced the same so I think of him. So that's kind of cool when you get to associate it with something good. But anyway, silas, there's a story or an event that I want to talk about. But anyway, silas, there's a story or an event that I want to talk about. But before I talk about that, I figured I should probably explain a little bit who Silas is for people who don't know and to be honest, I really didn't know much about Silas myself, except that he was a missionary along with Paul. He went with Paul and did missionary work preaching the gospel, but I didn't really know who he was. So I looked him up and some of the information that I found out about him was that he was known as Silvanus. So Silas was just like a nickname and he was a teacher in the church of Jerusalem. He was also considered a faithful brother of Paul, a Hellenistic Jew but a Roman citizen. Paul, a Hellenistic Jew but a Roman citizen. So he, he obviously knew his stuff. He obviously knew what he was talking about. He was a Jew, just like Saul slash Paul was, which is kind of cool. So they both had that background and he there was something I read that said that they thought that he well, I want to read this part because I think this is really cool. It says Silas was a great example of someone who used his gifts to serve the Lord and others with all his heart. The apostle called him faithful and he was known as one to encourage and strengthen the brothers. Multitudes in the early church were blessed by Silas, and Paul and Peter were heartened by his faithful companionship. He was a brother born for adversity.
Speaker 2:So the story, the event that I want to highlight is the one in Acts, and I believe that we've talked about this before when we were talking about Paul, but it's just important to highlight and so I'm going to read it right from the Bible. It's Acts 16, 16 through 24. Well, actually, nope, I'm going to go longer than that. I think it goes till 40.
Speaker 2:So now, it happened as we went to prayer that a certain slave girl, possessed with a spirit of divination, met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and us and cried out saying these men are the servants of the most high God who proclaim to us the way of salvation. And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. But when her master saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace, to the authorities, and they brought them to the magistrates and said these men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. Then the multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them, paul and Silas, to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them, paul and Silas, to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them, paul and Silas, into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely, having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stop.
Speaker 2:But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundation of the prison was shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loose. And the keeper of the prison, awakening from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called to the loud voice saying do yourself no harm, for we are all here. Then he called for a light, ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, and he brought them out and said sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said believe on the Lord, jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house, and he took them the same hour of that night and washed their stripes, and immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now, when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them and he rejoiced, having believed in god, with all his household.
Speaker 2:And when it was day, the magistrate sent the officer saying let those men go. So the keeper of the prison reported these words to paul, saying the magistrates have sent to, let you go Now. Therefore depart and go in peace. But Paul said to them they have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison and now they want to put us out secretly. No, indeed, let them come themselves and get us out. And the officers told these words to the magistrates and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out and asked them to depart from the city. So they went out of the city and entered the house of Lydia and when they had seen the brethren they encouraged them and departed.
Speaker 2:There is so much depth to those less than 40 sentences. So it starts out that Paul and Silas are in a Roman city. So they're not even preaching to Jews, they're preaching to Romans, the Gentiles, and they're preaching day in and day out. And this girl but it's not really the girl, it's the demon inside the girl is haunting them and mocking them and making their life miserable, basically being that annoying rat that's following them around and, um, annoying them. And so, finally, paul gets fed up and he's like I command you, in the name of jesus christ, to get out. They knew it wasn't the girl, they knew it was a demon.
Speaker 1:And so they took care of it.
Speaker 2:They didn't ask jesus to take care of it, they didn't pray to the holy spirit to take care of it. They knew they had the authority in the holy spirit, in jesus christ, to take care of it themselves. So he's like I have a problem, I'm going to take care of it. It's done, let's move on. Well, the city wasn't, or the master the gypsy master of this slave girl.
Speaker 2:When they found out that the demon was gone and therefore their moneymaking was gone, they got mad. And so they had Paul and Silas not just thrown into prison, but beaten and thrown into prison like long. And so I think of Silas and I think that he's kind of like just you know, paul was like hey, do you want to go on this missions trip with me? And Silas was like yeah, sure, buddy, why not? And now he finds himself beaten and thrown into prison alongside Paul, alongside Paul. Now, I'm sure that he pretty much had the idea that this could happen, just like if we choose to go on a road trip with somebody, we know that if you know, you could get into an accident, the car could break down, there could be all kinds of side adventures to the main adventure. So I'm sure that he had an idea that.
Speaker 2:You know it's not going to be all cakes and cookies, but so they get thrown into prison and then, instead of seeing it as bad or seeing themselves as victim or talking about woe, is me. You know this is horrible. Why did this have to happen to me? God, you need to save us. Blah, blah, blah. They rejoiced and sang hymns and praised during the difficulties while they were in prison, and it was because of that response, it was because of their singing and choosing to praise and thank God before they saw the answer, that the jailer then saw a difference in them, asked about that difference and became a believer himself. Not just and that's one of the things that I love about God I'm interrupting my own self, but I always know that God is in the blessing, when he blesses both parties of the exchange, which was the ultimate goal and the ultimate mission of Paul and Silas, because they were there in that city preaching the gospel.
Speaker 2:So, exactly what they wanted to have happen happened. And it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't been put in jail and basically been in the neighborhood of this jailer, because if they weren't in the jail, the jailer would have probably never had any contact or interaction with them and he would still be going to hell. But no, god said you need this. This jailer has a heart for me. This jailer wants to become a believer. His heart will soften, but I need you guys to get it wet with water. And so that's what they did, and they, they didn't. They didn't take it lightly, and I think that a lot of times when kids go on mission trips and so forth, I think that they're prepared for the inevitable. They're prepared for the hard, but you know what? Sometimes we need to be prepared for that hard in our daily, everyday life. So when I wake up in the morning, I need to be prepared that God could put me in jail, and by putting me in jail I mean he could put me in a situation where he wants Mary to have an encounter with me, or, sorry, to have an encounter with him. And in order for Mary to have the encounter with him, I need to have an encounter with Mary, because he knows that I'm obedient and that I'm willing to get into the trenches if I need to in order for Mary to be open and hear about him. So that could mean an unexpected doctor's appointment, that could mean a hospital stay, that could mean going to the principal's office for something with my child, that could mean all kinds of things. But when we wake up in the morning and we have an agenda that says okay, god, I'm holding my agenda loosely and I'm ready and willing and able to do whatever it is that you want me to do, then that makes us in the perfect position, in the perfect spot for God to be able to use us for his will, to bring whoever it is that he wants into the kingdom. Because only God knows what it's going to take for each of us to give our life to him, what each of us need that encouragement or that conversation or whatever and say to God that you love us all so much that you're willing to meet us where we are, that we can come to a place of repentance and then believe in you, but then carry it on and share that love and that faith and that message to those that we love as well, to have it continually set in motion and to pay it forward. So I think that's one Well them being willing and obedient is one of the lessons that I take from Paul and Silas that I truly love about them.
Speaker 2:But the other one that God has been speaking to me about for years and I'm finally getting, and that is, even if God's blessing is couched or bookended by what looks like a trial or a tragedy or a journey that I don't want to be on, god wants me to thank him ahead of time, and I'm not thanking him for the trial, but I'm thanking him for the, for knowing that I can trust him and knowing that he's got not only my back but he's got a blessing in place.
Speaker 2:So I had something happen a couple of weeks ago Well, a couple months ago, I guess, actually and I had a choice I could sit there and I could worry, and that was my first gut reaction. But God reminded me of all these people that we've been studying throughout the year, and God reminded me about Paul and Silas and thanking him in the prison, and I said okay, god, I said I asked you a month ago to take things out of my life that were not your best yes for me. I didn't think you were going to take this out of my life, like I legit thought this was part of the best yes and that I was good with that. But, god, you're showing me that this is not the best yes that you have for me and you're taking this out.
Speaker 2:So I'm going to choose to thank you, I'm going to praise you and I'm going to get excited, because if you're taking stuff out of my life, god, then you're making room for whatever it is that you want to put in in its place, and that's going to be even better. So I thanked him almost immediately after I. I literally only worried for like less than 30 seconds and I chose to thank him instead. And I'll tell you what. Within five minutes, he showed me a glimpse of what he was doing in my life and a glimpse of why he was doing it in my life. And he didn't have to do that. He did not have to show me. That was all, because I believe that he wanted to. He wanted to I don't want to say reward my obedience, but he wanted to show me what happens when we do obey. And I have not been more happy and more peaceful. And he showed me just so many things. Like I absolutely loved what he took away. Like I absolutely loved what he took away. So he showed me also that I never would have willingly given it up because I loved it so much, but he showed me that I needed to let it go in, but I hope that you hear the heart behind it. And that is one person's awful job, like one person that wakes up and dreads doing whatever it is that they're doing. And I don't want to name a job, because I think all jobs are great and have a purpose. But we'll just say Joe Schmo, or we'll go back to Mary.
Speaker 2:Mary wakes up every day and she's like God, I just don't want to do X. I just I don't know why you have me in this season, why I have to do X. And then you have Tom on the other end of the well, okay, so let me rephrase this. I'm gonna do it. I am gonna name jobs. All jobs are perfect.
Speaker 2:So Mary wakes up and she's a waitress, no, she's a um, she's a busboy. And so Mary wakes up and she's like God, I just don't want to be a busboy anymore. I'm just so sorry. I I, you know, appreciate that you are giving me a job to pay for the needs that I have in my family, but I hate being a busboy. God, I hate being a busboy.
Speaker 2:And then you have Tom on the other end of the town and he's waking up and he's going God, I would love to be a bus boy. I have to. I'm a cook right now and I hate being a cook. I burn everything. Cooking is just not my forte. I really, really, really want to be a bus boy, but you know that.
Speaker 2:And so Mary becomes a cook, tom becomes the bus boy, and the point of what this person was trying to say that I think I'm still massacring is that God knows your sweet spot and God knows what's best for you. And so when God opens up the door, it opens up the opportunity for you to leave being a busboy and go be a cook, and he's then going to bless somebody else to take over the job that is not the best fit for you. So God blesses everybody in the mix when he's a part of it. So your busboy job that you can't wait to get rid of, is an answer to somebody else's prayer, because the busboy job is exactly what they've been wanting. So does that even remotely make sense, tara? Because I'm so afraid that I massacred that.
Speaker 1:Oh it does, Because what we dislike is someone else's love, right, and sometimes we find ourselves in positions that God may not have okayed. You know, mary may have taken a job because her family needed the funds, and that was a job that was available. But God could have been like well, if you had just trusted me just a little bit longer, I would have given you the job that you really wanted, you know. And so sometimes that can be the case too. Meanwhile there's that other person who's waiting for that job. They're just waiting for that job. They're just waiting for that job opening and they're just like you know what, lord, I hope today a position opens up, because that is really what I want to be able to do, and God is perfect with that. Like I say, he knows our sweet spots, he knows what we will be better at and he doesn't. And I know there are some Christians who would disagree vehemently with what I'm about to say, but God does not want us miserable, I don't think we're any good to him, miserable, you know horrible testimony.
Speaker 2:Think of what well yes, I don't mean to interrupt you, but that goes right back to say that I when I was reading about Silas. If Paul and Silas had been miserable in the prison, the jailer would have never taken notice of them praising and thanking God and he never would have been saved. So keep going. But that goes right along with what you're saying. God does not want us miserable, right?
Speaker 1:And who does that benefit? If you are miserable, because you're just absolutely, you're dragging in the morning, you're upset, your blood pressure gets high, you're stressed, you're yelling at your kids and your wife or your husband, you know your co-workers are saying good morning and you're just grr. You know everything and your whole day, and all that takes a toll on your body, your mental health, your emotional health, and all of that eventually starts to take part on your physical health. So now you're not only miserable, but you're miserable and sick, right, right, you know. And so he doesn't want us angry, he wants us full of joy.
Speaker 1:The scriptures talk about that over and over and over again. And how easy. As you were reading that scripture again, I'm going oh, my word. They were beaten by rods in the streets, in public. Everyone saw them getting beat. They were not just physically hurt, their ego was probably hurt, you know, and everything else. And who knows, maybe the crowd was cheering them on. And so here they are getting beat. Then they're getting in front of everybody, probably even people who looked up to them, you know, friends of theirs who you know just couldn't do anything for them at the time, and everything else. And here they are getting beaten like rabid dogs, you know, by rods that had to sting and hurt, and it's in public, in front of everyone. Then they drag you and toss you in prison and you're thinking, god, that's what we're supposed to do.
Speaker 1:Because how easy would it have been to be just mad, even if you weren't mad at God, you know, mad at the people who were beating you in the streets. You know, like I can't say. I may not have had a few choice words. I may have been arguing with God as he was trying to minister to me and saying that's okay, daughter, just forgive them, and I'm like what. You want me to forgive them? Did you not see what they just did? Look at my back, you know, like it's ripped open, you know, and I could see me wasting precious time while the Lord is just like no, just listen. I need you to start thanking me, praising me and everything else, because, like you said, the things we go through are never about us, right?
Speaker 1:Right they are about someone else. And there was this jailer who was this close, right, like you say, he was something the Lord must have already been working in his heart because he was so close, must have already been working at his heart because he was so close. And Paul and Silas were the perfect examples for him to look at, monitor, study, scan their faces, see how they reacted once they were thrown in jail. They didn't threaten to riot, they didn't threaten to beat everybody up, they didn't threaten to bring the place down. They sat, they praised. They didn't threaten to bring the place down. They sat, they praised, they thanked God. And what happened? Freedom. They were set free and in the process, a jailer was brought closer to God. That's how he works.
Speaker 1:And if we're sitting back miserable and crying and weeping you know about what just happened to us we are not only denying ourselves of a future blessing, but you're denying someone else of one. And it's just amazing to me how God works. It's like, yes, this happened, but you know, just let me see your heart and you just continue to praise and thank him, and the whole time you have no idea that he's making things happen to where you're going to be released, right, you know, but you're so busy just moping and groaning and mumbling that you can't see, you're denying yourself the blessing that he had in store for you because you're just so, we're so in our feelings or we just can't believe that those people did that to us. We're so embarrassed, we're so humiliated and God's like you just don't. You just see the small picture. I got bigger plans, you know, and so sometimes and that's a sacrifice, that was a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving that Paul and Silas was doing, Because you know they had to be in pain.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Physical pain is what I mean. They had to be in physical pain. So absolutely, I agree. I understood everything you were trying to say. Sorry to go off on such a long rant.
Speaker 2:No, no, it's perfect, and you know? The other thing about that is just because you're like they were human beings too. They felt like God said okay, you're on my mission, so therefore, everything that happens to you is going to be supernatural, and you won't feel the pain of the flogging and you won't feel hunger and you won't feel you know, discouragement. They felt annoyance, Like it says right there in the thing. Paul was annoyed, so he turned around and he said get out of her, because you're driving me nuts, Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know. So I mean they were fully, fully human beings. God doesn't give you supernatural strength just because you go on a missions trip, but God does give you supernatural tolerance sometimes, or supernatural Like. We all have that ability to get that power from God is what I guess. What I'm trying to say when we wake up in the morning, we have a choice is that when we wake up in the morning we have a choice. We can say Holy Spirit, fill us, use us, speak through me today so that when we go to open our mouth, when we're annoyed, we can either check ourselves and say okay, holy Spirit, I asked you to do the speaking.
Speaker 2:I know what I'm going to say if my mouth opens and I speak right, this second, but that's not what I want. I want your will and I speak right, this second, but that's not what I want. I want your will and I want to speak your thing. So when I sat there and I had that opportunity, I could either praise God or I could worry, and I chose to praise him, not having a clue what in the heck that meant. I didn't know where the next breath was or where the next paycheck was or where the next anything was. But because I had a heart for God and because I had a desire to do it his way, and because he's been talking to me about choosing to praise him for years now, and I'm finally at the point where I'm like, oh, he's giving me practice, he's letting me practice this. I get to choose.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm going to choose wisely. I love that one. I don't know, it's some TV show and I don't watch enough TV to remember, but it's you have a choice, choose wisely, type of a thing, and I don't remember what it is, but it's the truth. Like that's the way that we need to live our lives. We have a choice. We can choose wisely.
Speaker 2:We all of us influence somebody. Whether you're a parent and you influence a child at home multiple times a day. Whether you're an employer or an employee, you influence coworkers or employees multiple times a day. Even just as a driver on the road, you influence young drivers, old drivers, multiple times a day. Even just as a driver on the road, you influence young drivers, old drivers multiple times a day. We, every action and interaction that we have with others, we have the opportunity or we are. We are ultimately influencing somebody else. So who do we want seen through us? Do we want Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, long suffering seeing through us, or do we want our flesh seeing through us, through?
Speaker 1:me.
Speaker 2:I want people to see you, Jesus. I don't want them to see me.
Speaker 2:And when I say that, I'm not saying that I am Jesus. I'm saying I want Jesus's reactions and Jesus's responses to be the first response that I want. I want that to be my go-to response. I want that to be my default button and the only way that that can be true, the only way that I could sit and praise in a prison or thank God for losing a job or whatever, whatever is when I'm saturated in his word and when I, I read stories that build my faith because God tells us, and then when you build upon his words in and of yourself. So, for example, I read the story of Paul and Silas. So I have that in the back of my head.
Speaker 2:Well, then I read in the Bible where it says God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Then I read the part in the Bible where it says that God is faithful. So I can pray back to God and say God, in your word you said that you were the same yesterday, today and forever. Okay, and then you also tell me Paul and Silas sat there and praised you in the prison and they got out. You, you let them escape, you gave them the opportunity to get out without any other consequences. Yes, they were beaten with a rod, but you protected them and then you ended up going and comforting them and ministering to them through Lydia.
Speaker 2:Well, god, you're the same yesterday, today and forever. So I may have to go through a flogging of some kind, but you are going to take care of me. I am choosing to praise you, I'm choosing to have the same response Paul and Silas had, because I know that that's the right response that I should have and I can trust you with the right answer. When I do it the right way, you will get the right answer. Now, I don't know what that answer is. It might be different than Paul and Silas is, but I know that you have the answer because you're the same yesterday, today and forever. God wants us to have these conversations with him.
Speaker 2:God wants us to be bold. God wants us to grow our relationship with him, and the best way to do that is when we saturate ourselves with his word, so that we know what his word is, so we can pray it back to him. We know these different stories. I always pray to him about Esther too. I'm like God. You took care of Esther. You're going to take care of me. God. Hang the Haman's that are in my life. God, help me to be bold and courageous like Esther is. Help me to be available and to be ready for such a time as this. Or, you took care of Moses.
Speaker 2:You spoke through Moses when he had to speak to Pharaoh, and my favorite verse is Exodus 14, 13, and 14. I said it before, but I'll say it again I used to walk around my house every single day and I took my Bible out with me until I had it memorized and I would pray this prayer I said. Moses said to the people do not be afraid, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today, the Egyptians whom you see today and I listed every single problem that we had you will never see again, the Lord will fight for you.
Speaker 2:You only need to be still. And I would say, god, you said that you're going to fight for me. I only need to be still, and so would say God, you said that you're going to fight for me. You're only, or I only need to be still. And so I said to him, point blank I said God, we need a new roof. God, we need new siding. God, we need help with it. And we need help with that. And lo and behold, on my birthday one day, we had a horrific hail storm and out of that hail storm we got two new to us cars not brand new cars, but two new to us cars because our cars were totaled and we got new siding and a new roof.
Speaker 2:Don't tell me that God can't do what he promises to do. When we pray it back to him and we trust him and believe, did it take a couple years for it to happen? Absolutely, but you know what it was in God's perfect timing. We didn't need it before then. He gave it to us right when we needed it. And if you think I'm the only one, I'm not.
Speaker 2:I have friends that tell me God gave this for me.
Speaker 2:I had another friend who said to me that she won a $3,000 or she run a contest on a radio station and it was like $3,000 and it was exactly what they needed in order to pay their bills that month because of different extenuating circumstances.
Speaker 2:So don't tell me that God can't, because everything in the Bible tells us that God can, and so we may be in, we may have to spend our time in the jail, but I don't think that Paul and Silas even cared about the fact that they were flogged and they were beaten when they had the opportunity to win or not win, but lead the jailer to Christ, and not just the jailer but his entire family. I'll tell you what those injuries that they were still dealing with physically, that went on the wayside when they saw the blessings that they were given. And it is a blessing to be able to be used by God and it is a blessing, like we talked about last week, to have made pancakes every single Monday night so that little kids could come with us to church and hear about God's word. And it was a blessing that we may hate pancakes for the rest of our lives, but you know what?
Speaker 2:I don't care, because we were able to share God's love the way that he asked us to in that season. And then that brings me to the last point that I want to make is that when we are in God's presence and when we are living in a surrendered way to him presence, and when we are living in a surrendered way to him, it is exciting and I think that's kind of I don't want to put words in Silas' mouth, but I kind of think that might be how Silas felt that I am given this opportunity, I am, I am able to be part of this bigger plan and bring it on, whatever it is that you, you want me to to through God, I'm willing to walk through it for the greater good. Because they all had that mindset of Christ, of the heavenly mindset that this world is temporary. But you know the last part that I absolutely love Tara, and that is that God is truth, that I absolutely love Tara, and that is that God is truth. And Paul knew that better, I think, than so many others, because he was like uh-uh, he's not going to just make us disappear quietly. No, you blog specifically, you can publicly apologize. I don't think that that's un-Christlike. I think that's more Christlike than saying okay, you can just let me, you know you let me out of jail. I'm just going to be grateful for that. No, paul knew, he knew the law, he knew what was right, what was wrong, what was up, what was down, and he wasn't going to let them get away with it. And that's the other thing that I absolutely love about Jesus going to let them get away with it. And that's the other thing that I absolutely love about Jesus when we listen to and when we read about him in the word.
Speaker 2:Jesus told everybody what he was going to do ahead of time. He didn't go around in secret. He didn't like pretend, oh, I'm not going to tell people, but I'm going to blast them in three days, I'm going to reveal this in three days, or I'm going to do this in three days. No, jesus didn't do that. He's like in three days, I'm going to be telling this, this and this. This is what's going to go down unless you repent ahead of time. You have the opportunity to repent. It's your choice. Choose wisely. And I just I love that about him.
Speaker 2:I'm not that bold, but I'm learning, I'm trying, because I want to be like Jesus, and so I really think that, even though Paul and Silas might not have known exactly what was going to go down ahead of time, I think they knew something would go down, because when you serve Jesus there's always excitement. Sometimes the excitement brings pain, but the excitement always brings blessing thing. And oh, I'm glad I didn't live back then, kara, because I'm not as bold as Paul was, but I'm learning how to be bold in my neighborhood and in my fear. And when you're doing it according to the Holy Spirit and you're doing it the way that the Holy Spirit guides or with the Holy Spirit's guidance, it's just I love seeing how he works.
Speaker 2:And I you're going to need to shut me up because I'm going to keep talking about Silas, because I get so excited when we're talking about God's word. It's a living breathing and it teaches us so much and I just want to keep going. So I hope you guys are excited about so much and I just want to keep going. So I hope you guys are excited about Silas and Paul and and all of their adventures. And I'm not even adventurous type in that regard, but man, oh man, I just get so excited because God, just when we obey and just give him free reign. The things that God can do, the places we can go according to Dr Seuss, the things that God will do, is so much better than the places that Dr Seuss wanted to take you, and that is all that I want to say.
Speaker 1:Well, I think you've said it all, sherry. It's. It's all about surrender, right? It's all about surrendering surrendering our pride, surrendering our hurt, surrendering even our physical pain, like you were talking about with Paul and Silas. All because you're trusting the God and you're knowing, you're thanking God, because you trust that, like a good, good father, that none of this is going to be wasted, that you may not know what the plans are, but he knows, and if we just sit back and just focus on him, that he's going to take care of the rest. That's all I wanted to add.
Speaker 2:Amen. So Jesus tells us again, like I just said a couple minutes ago, he doesn't mince words and he doesn't hide things from anybody, but he tells us in John 30, verse 16, 33, these things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace In the world. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. He may tell us how it is and what's up ahead, but he also says I have the plan and I have peace and I will give that to you. That is my promise, and that I have experienced that peace in some of the worst trials in my life. And I'll tell you what. There's nothing like it. I was talking to somebody just the other day and they felt that same piece. They're like I don't understand why God gave me peace in this situation. I should have been a wreck, I should have been, you know, upset and worried, and I wasn't. I just had this peace. And I said you know what I said I did too, and I said there's nothing like it is there. And they were like no, they had to agree with me. They're like there's nothing like it. And once you have experienced that peace, there's no going back. But you've never experienced that peace and you're a believer, you're a child of God, I want to encourage you to ask him to give you that peace, to let you experience that, Because once you do, there is no going back. And I there are times in my life where I'm like, okay, God, you know that piece that you gave me the other day, I want it again. Would you give it to me again? And sometimes you have to pray through it, and sometimes it takes a little while. Um, but God is so faithful to give it to us and it's part of his promise, and we can pray his promises back to him, knowing completely and fully in confidence that he will answer, because that's what God does.
Speaker 2:So if you are not a believer, if you are not a child of God, if you are not his son or daughter and after what we talked about today, you want to become one I don't want to let this opportunity go. So I want to explain that all it is is a surrender, like Carol was saying, that when we confess with our mouth and believe that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, it says we will be saved. So it's not a prayer. It's not words that save us, it's our heart. It's having that heart posture of having God come into our life and saying I surrender my life to you.
Speaker 2:So if that's something that you want to do today, then I invite you to pray this prayer with me as I pray it. Oh heavenly father, I come to you in Jesus' name. I believe you died on the cross and that you rose again and you're seated on the throne. Jesus, forgive me for all that I've done wrong and I choose to forgive all others. Come into my life today and forever. I am yours In Jesus' name. Amen.
Speaker 2:If you prayed that prayer with us today, I just want to say welcome to the family. We encourage you to join a bible believing church. You can look into the membership as well if that's something that you want to have a community of believers alongside you. If you don't have a church by you that you want to attend regularly, head over to Kara's website, karahrhuntcom, and she will, or you can find out all the latest and greatest that's going on with her. We also would encourage you to email us at cheeruppodcasts at gmailcom and let us know that you made this important decision. We are so, so grateful and happy for you and we want to come alongside you as you continue your journey with God and I also want to.
Speaker 2:If you don't want to tell the whole group and not just Tara and I, then head over to Cheer Up Podcast on Facebook and let us know over there and we will be more than happy to celebrate with you there as well. You can head over to my website if you want to and check out the different things that are there the different books, the different memberships, the podcast link, which you're already on the podcast, so you don't need that. But if you ever need it in the in the future, you can head over to either Kara's website or mine and get the link there. Um, a YouTube channel, all kinds of things, um.
Speaker 2:But if you're interested and I want to say um, but I think I covered all of those things, I'm just I I can't get over how excited, or I can't stress enough how excited I am to talk about the truth of the Bible and to just share all the different things that Kara and I are learning, and we just want to give an excitement to you as you continue to grow and learn in your journey with God as well. So next week we're going to talk about Aquila and Priscilla and I'm really excited to talk about them as well. I don't know as much about them as I did, so I'm excited to dive in and I mean I don't know as much about them as I thought I did, but I'm excited to dive in and see.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't know as much about them as I thought I did, but I'm excited to dive in and just see what God wants to teach us about Aquila and Priscilla. So, until then, have a great rest of your day, have a great rest of your week and we will talk to you next Wednesday, thank you.
