PART 4 - THE TAMPA TIMES, AND PUBLIC PRAISE



Photo compliments of Sandra
Copyright 2011

Greetings -

The scriptures are from the King James Bible.

This is Part 4.  Here is the link to Part 3
http://lioneaglesoar.blogspot.com/2011/03/part-3-tampa-times.html

Last parts from Part 3 - THE TAMPA TIMES:

I had no idea how I would find someplace to live in seven days. GOD knew, and I trusted Him.

Proverbs 3:5, 6

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

PART 4 BEGINS:

Before I continue with the living arrangement drama, here is more about my house mates.  Below, from Part 1, is a repeated list of the house mates that were there when I moved in.

- Rita (house manager) and her boyfriend Richard - Black

- Emma - a Jamaican Seventh Day Adventist - Black

- Claude - a Christian who also worked as the maintenance man - Black

- Lee - an older biker type - Caucasian - alcohol addicted, and if I remember correctly, an atheist

- Pedro - Hispanic - alcohol addicted

Here is an excerpt from Part 3 - THE TAMPA TIMES that has some relevance in this part:

He told me that Rita, and some of the other house residents had complained to him about my Christianity and requested that he evict me.  He informed me that he had told them that "Ms. Hicks pays her rent" and that he didn't have a problem with me being there.  Of course, we cannot believe everything that we are told, but our Lord gave me a witness in my spirit that Bob spoke the truth about the complaints about my Christianity.  Also, I had received some "vibes" to that effect from some of the residents.  Secret agent Christianity doesn't appeal to me nor does it appeal when Christians disrespect others with self-righteous "zeal," such as when so-called Christians protest with signs that display demeaning things about the lifestyle choices of others.  We are to love the sinners but hate the sins.  That is Holy Bible truth.

Also, Bob had told me that Rita and Richard had called me crazy.  I was known for public praise, and to some that is perceived as crazy.  Previously, I published a post about my public praise actions.  I will re-post that immediately below this post.  On numerous occasions, our Lord has allowed my public praise to bear fruit for His glory, as is evidenced in my PUBLIC PRAISE post.  For the record, I confess that I am crazy - crazy about GOD.  In the Bible, they falsely accused JESUS of having a devil - John 8:48.   Truth walkers in the kingdom of GOD know that being called foul names comes with the "territory."  I consider it a compliment - further affirmation that we are truth walkers, SON dwellers, and SON warriors.  Once when I lived in a shelter, one of the residents called me an irritating m.f.  I laughed and said to her, "Thank you for the compliment."  A few minutes later she came back and apologized, which I graciously accepted. 

Years ago, during one of the Olympic seasons, one of the American swimmers who had won a gold medal told an interviewer how, when she was younger, she was taunted and teased when she trained. The interviewer asked her, now that she had a gold medal, what she wanted to say to those who had mistreated her back in her early days of training.  Her calm response was, "Thank you."  When she said that, it struck me profoundly.  Years later when I think about her response, I am again struck with admiration for what she said.

Excerpt from Part 3 - THE TAMPA TIMES:

Sometime later, Bob told Rita, Richard, and Claude, who all worked for him, to move to another one of his houses.  Rita shared with me that she was uncomfortable about the request.  They all moved.

What follows is some about my house mates:

- Richard and Rita continued to come to the boarding house occasionally.  One day Richard came there to use the washer and dryer.  He knocked on the door to my room.  He looked concerned as he informed me that they had job jeopardy issues.  He was apologetic about calling me crazy, and expressed that he knew that I was a true Christian.  We talked for a lengthy time and my heart went out to him and Rita for their job jeopardy issues.  I prayed for them.

I don't know all of the details...Bob fired Richard and Rita and soon after, he issued them an eviction notice.  They came to me quite concerned.  By then, I had my unemployment compensation.  Our Lord led me to give them funds and food on several occasions.  One day, Rita came to me to ask that I sign a document of some sort against Bob for running an illegal boarding house.  Our Lord told me not to sign the document and He gave me a scripture to support not signing it.  I forgot what the scripture was but it was something about not being yoked with unbelievers in that pursuit.  Yes, Bob was wrong but I was not to put my signature on that document - said GOD.  Richard understood about my decision.  Rita was angry.  My allegiance is to our Lord - above all else.

Again, I don't know all of the details but I do know that Rita and Richard reported Bob to the authorities for operating an unlicensed boarding house.  Mercer, who moved in about a week before the seven day vacate notices, told me one day a government worker came to the house, and questioned him about the living arrangements there.  I believe that that is why Bob gave us very short notice to move.  He knew that he was busted and needed us out of there before the authorities closed in on his shady deal.   

It is not something that I desired but it is interesting that Rita and Richard had complained to Bob about me and requested that he evict me.  Our Lord allowed them to be fired, and to be evicted.  And then they came to me for help, which I graciously provided.  That is Bible truth to love and help our enemies, as our Lord leads.

People often don't believe that our Lord will judge them when they oppose His faithful children.  His Word says in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:..."

- Pedro was frequently absent from his job because of his alcoholism.  He got fired, and moved in with his mother.

- As I mentioned in an earlier post, Lee and I came to like one another and shared some interesting and helpful conversations.

- Seventh Day Adventist Emma and I shared a lot about our Lord and she would come to my room and we would read the Bible together.  She had, months before, returned to our Lord after living with a man.  We helped each other learn more about our Lord until she did a combination of betrayal moves relative to me.  After our Lord informed me that it had reached a point of enough, she got an unexpected "lion" visit.  

- "Christian" Claude and I began on a good note.  There was an unsettling, though, about him.  Then Lee told me that before I moved in, he and Claude had had some sort of disagreement.  He stated that Claude threatened to harm or kill him - I cannot recall which it was.  What?!  The Lord witnessed to my spirit that Lee was telling the truth.  I had been attending church with Claude.  As I mentioned, there was some unsettling about Claude.  Lee's information added to that.  Well, the real Claude came out on me one day and he angrily got in my face close enough to kiss me.  When he did, I had no fear.  I clearly heard our Lord speak to me in my spirit.  The Lord said to me, "Don't move."  I believe that Claude was surprised that he couldn't back me down because I didn't move or show any fear.  Well, me and Claude went "toe to toe," so to speak.  He moved.

To be continued...

Sandra

Written Saturday March 19, 2011

Copyright 2011

Please continue below to read PUBLIC PRAISE.



Photo compliments of Sandra
Copyright 2011


This is PUBLIC PRAISE that was originally posted on November 6, 2010:

Greetings -

For the past few years, I have been prone to engage in public praise of our Lord.  A lot of people praise the Lord in church and sing and dance to the Lord in church, as well as in their homes.  Well, I sometimes also praise the Lord in public when I am walking down the street, in parks, in stores... By that I don't mean "nutty" or "spooky" conduct.  Below are a few examples:

When I lived in Tampa, FL:

One evening, I was walking to a destination and got "lost."  Before I realized it, I had walked more than an hour out of my way!  (I am a walker and do it often in excess of 45 minutes).  Anyhow, the Lord had reasons for my "lost" condition.  As I walked back to re-group, the Lord told me to praise Him out loud.  I did so for more than 15 minutes and I kept on praising Him out loud.  The next thing I knew, a car drove by and the man inside the car yelled, "Worthy is His name."  I was like, Lord, is he for real or someone trying to lure me?  Just then, the car pulled in front of me into a driveway and stopped - I stopped, and a woman, Tabitha, got out on the passenger side and said that she was reclined in her seat - she heard me - and the Lord told her to get up.  The man said that he had heard me praising the Lord and he stated that the way I was praising Him, he knew that I was serious about GOD (in essence, that is what he said).  They were a Christian married couple.  They gave me a ride home and invited me to their church, which I attended.  Tabitha and I began a rich friendship.  We met because I was walking down the street praising the Lord.

Another evening, I was walking down the street praising the Lord, and a man on a bicycle said to me, "No you're not walking down the street praising the Lord?!"  He engaged me.  I smelled alcohol on his breath - no matter - the Lord had me to demonstrate HIS love.   The man shared with me that he was a Jew; he spoke some about the Lord.  He began to cry.  We prayed together.  Again, we met because I was walking down the street praising the Lord.

One day, I walked in Wal-Mart praising the Lord.  A man heard me and engaged me.  He informed me that he was a Christian teacher.  He and I spoke for a few minutes and right in the front area of Wal-Mart, we prayed out loud.  Again, we met because I came in Wal-Mart praising the Lord.

Another day, I stood in front of Walgreens "preaching" the Word.  A man came out and said, "Preach that Word, sister!"  Later that week, I went to a Wendy's to get a meal.  A woman that worked there invited me to her church.  I went and the man that had seen me at Walgreens is a member of that church.  He came up to me and reminded me that he seen me in front of the Walgreens "preaching."  He had told the Sunday school class about this lady that he had seen up at Walgreens "preaching."  The pastor's wife admiringly said to me that he had mentioned it in Sunday school.

I would walk up and down the street on the block where I lived proclaiming the gospel.  One day I "stationed" myself on the corner near a gas station and proclaimed the gospel.

Here in DC:

One day, I stood in a highly traveled area with my gospel CD playing through my earphones.  I commenced to dance to the Lord right there.  Some teen-agers about to board a bus were laughing.  I was laughing and dancing to the Lord!  No shame or hesitation.

I have determined that I am NOT going to do all of my praising and dancing before the Lord at home or in church.  Much else is being done in public...so certainly praise, worship, and dance to the glory of GOD have a public "place."

I identify with David in 2 Samuel 6:14, "And David danced before the Lord with all his might;..." 

2 Samuel 6:16

...Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

Sandra's comments:  David was outside in public dancing...

It is my inclination to be most attracted to the most radical personalities in the Bible such as John the Baptist...they are the style that the Lord has me engineered to be - in some aspects.

Note: Now, of course, I am NOT going to be in government buildings or in business settings and break out in praise, worship and dance.  But if I am walking down the street, in the park, in stores,...I am prone to publicly praise the most high GOD whose air we breathe.

Second Note: Certainly, we are unique and have different styles - what works for some does not work for all.  May we all give GOD glory in how He leads us - individually and collectively.

Sandra

November 6, 2010

Copyright 2010