Hi all! I'm Judi - pleased to meet you! (11 views)
From:  judi (JUDITH2124)    7/28/2003 5:26 pm  
To:  ALL    
 
  669.1  
 

Hello! 

I think it's about time I gave my testimony! Please check my profile also, as I let myself "all hang out" there! 

I am Judi Smith, wife of Pastor Mike Smith. Mike and I were led to Jesus, the Christ - our Savior - by the guiding hand of GOD, our beloved Father. We were living in a 10x65' trailer in a small rural town where sidewalk spitting was the main attraction! We had a furnace that was lit by dropping a lit rag into it. Talk about being blessed with the rain falling on the just and the unjust! It was a miracle we survived every time we did this foolish thing! 

One day, even that attempt at lighting it failed, and we were forced to call the only furnace man in the area. Roger came and fixed our furnace, and even though he had some difficulty, he never once raised his voice in frustration, nor used language unfit for any lady's ears. I was so impressed that I asked him how he could be so patient, and he told me that our Lord gave that gift to him. 

Now, I was a "closet" Christian at that time, having been raised in Methodist and Community Churches. I would bring out the Bible now and then, attempt to read it like a novel, and would become frustrated and give up. I learned from my Mom to get my message for the day by just opening the Bible and putting my finger blindly on any passage and read it. gurk. 

I had been divorced from my first husband because his Mother and his psychologist told him I could not help him fight his "dragons" - we had been married only two and a half years - I was 26 when we married, still a virgin - and when we parted I was still a virgin until I was thirty. A Catholic nun told me that I was not an adultress, as my marriage had never been consummated. This was the extent of my religious knowledge. 

I was raised in a family where swearing was a matter of course, although I had been told my Grandfather (who died before I ever met him) had been a Methodist preacher. I met my now hubby (married almost thirty years) through my parents. We were married in 1974, after living together for a year. When we lived in Hines, this was in 1978. 

Back to Roger - I told him he must meet my husband! Roger was delighted at my invitation, and on the following Tuesday night (yes, visitation night! Soul winning night!) came over with his delightful wife and we talked for hours. Roger dared Mike to come to church the following Sunday. 

Now Mike was working for the school district, and on his lunch breaks would listen to the radio program emanating from a Nazarene church. So his curiousity was definitely piqued. He would come home and tell me about what he had heard on the radio. Then when Roger came over, it pretty much made us eager to hear more. 

We went to church that Sunday, and Roger spoke directly to our hearts with GOD'S Word. We hit the altar hard. I, realizing that I truly was an adultress, having remarried - and Mike was hit even harder than I - he had never truly heard the Word of GOD before in his life! 

Repentance hit immediately. We both realized that we were desperate sinners in need of the salvation that only comes through Jesus, the Christ. We knew that we needed Him to reunite us with our Father. We knew we needed to be born from above. We were eager to trust HIS Holy Spirit to lead us into GOD'S truths. We were baptized within one week of each other - full immersion. We had long talks with Roger about what it meant to truly follow Christ. 

We met a wonderful couple totally devoted to our Lord, who, walking by were arrested by our car's bumper sticker which read "I'd rather be with Jesus". They walked with us almost daily through GOD'S Word. We are still close to this day. They eventually moved upstate - where they became members of an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church. 

Mike and I ran a group home for abused teenage girls. After the youngest came after me with a butter knife because she could not get to the locked drawer of sharp knives, we moved to rejoin our friends. We soon became very involved in the "inner circle" at the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church - where Mike was chosen to be an Associate Pastor. We were so in love with being with the Pastor, and so prideful at being in his "inner circle". We learned an awful lot about pride. Unfortunately. 

We studied with this Pastor for almost a year (separate from our many Church activities - we had a bus ministry, and we both taught Sunday School. We had no idea about what Sabbath rest was!) We didn't even have the opportunity to hear the Pastor's message. We, with our Pastor's blessing, started our church back in the original town in which we had found our Lord. We were able to get our membership up to thirty, and then we lost most of them to major cities where they hoped to recoup their losses from the terrible flooding that overflowed their ranches and grasslands. 

The terrible flooding that came when the summer run-off from the nearby mountains finally hit caused most of the ranchers to move away. Their lands were so immersed in water - they become famous for waterfowl. Over 100,000 acres of once quite usable land was now under water. Unfortunately, this little town was built on a lakebed. gurk. 

Humility is the key to Godliness. Godliness consists of more than three points and a poem, and singing the first, second and fourth stanzas from our hymnals. Godliness also consist of more than whether or not our coiffure is just so, or whether the Pastor's pants crease is perfect. We decided that following men instead of GOD was detrimental to our Spiritual health and growth. 

We loved our Pastor and would have followed him to the ends of the earth, as Mike was his Associate Pastor, and more than that - a devoted friend. We are believers who truly are dedicated to Christ, and not to a mega-church body who follows a man. 

To be led by someone who truly did not practice what he preached is extremely devastating. My husband is a true man of GOD - not someone who, because he has formed a church, calls himself a Pastor, free to do as he pleases with members of his congregation. 

Mike had pastored our church - following our Pastor's verbal and written precepts - but not his behavior. We trust GOD and not man. But something was terribly wrong - following the precepts of men versus following their examples? Too much confusion there. Being an Independent Fundamental KJV Baptist is not a terrible thing to be at all. Being a follower of a man not fully yielded to Christ is. 

I loved being an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist: "Baptist born and Baptist bred, and when I die I'll be Baptist dead! If I weren't a Baptist, what would I be? Ashamed!" - wife of the Associate Pastor of a Baptist Pastor who ran against the Incumbent for the U.S. Senate. My husband was also his Research Manager. This gentleman won 43% of the popular vote. After losing the election, his spiritual life spiraled downward. The new Pastor of the church we belonged to took the church in an extremely militant direction. 

We were told to cut up our Driver's Licenses, Marriage Licenses, refuse to pay taxes - we did this for four years. (I cut up my Driver's License, but stopped driving! But I refused to destroy my Marriage License.) Then, while having devotions, the Holy Spirit smacked us in our consciences with: 

KJV Romans 13:1 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is 
good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, 
be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." 

Four years of not paying taxes. We contacted the IRS. They contacted us back. We made payments of $50 per month to the IRS, and $25 to the State - and after three years, the IRS contacted us again and said that we weren't even touching the interest monies due. Mike was on SSI - and that only covered the rent at the time. Thank GOD I was working, but money was very tight. We wound up filing a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, making payments to the IRS and the State for three more years. Finally they said they were satisfied. Praise GOD! This is what came from listening to men, and not to GOD. A very hard lesson to learn, but one we will never forget. 

We soon left, as the new Pastor made us feel most unwelcome because we had helped the prior with his Senatorial campaign. We now home church - and are available to any and all who desire to have worship and study in their homes or in ours. 

Life gets a little lonely sometimes. My hubby has Rheumatoid Arthritis and Post Parkinson's Syndrome, which severely limits our getting out. We spend most of our time studying GOD'S Word. Mike writes ebooks and shares them free with anyone who has a heart to read them. Other than my "spamming", we do not force ourselves on anyone. With our physical conditions, we do what we feel led to do by YHWH - if only from the computer. 

We are childless, so it would appear that all my postings are in a motherly tone! Forgive this old gal - I just have a heart wanting to embrace the whole world. You need love? Need a shoulder? I have two very extremely comfy padded shoulders to put your head on! I write poetry. I would be delighted to share any of it with you...from praises to our Lord, to ditties about dogs and cats! 

Every extra penny we had from when I was able to work was spent on Bibles and related works. We have Walton's Polyglott (aka The London Polyglott), written in 1655. We also have Theodore Beza's edition, 1590. I cite this to show you that we are not frivolous. We live in a two bedroom, one bath bungalow with our Collie (who is very spoiled by yours truly!). We are simple people who love our Lord dearly, and our desire is only to please HIM. 

We are not a big research organization, and have no desire to become so. Our research focusses on Biblical truth vs Biblical error. If you have any questions or anything at all you want to tell us, we are very reachable - I have provided both of our email addresses in my original posts. 

Again, we loved being Independent Fundamentalist Baptists. We loved being noticed as special people beloved of GOD. We had no problems taking novice Christians door knocking and telling people of their salvation experience with all the eagerness of not knowing what GOD'S purity and righteousness is. After browbeating people into accepting Christ - if they didn't become members after a few more visitations, we left them wandering in their own little confusion that we brought to them. 

It wasn't until we actually saw someone totally break down, repentant and heartbroken over his sins - that we saw what was lacking in our Christianity. Formalism and cliches are not what works to further the Kingdom of GOD - true repentance and life change are. We are not born again to sin again and again and again - putting GOD and HIS Son to an open shame! 

My hubby and I are now Sabbath keepers - when the sun goes down on Friday night, my feet go up in my recliner (with the rest of me!) - I let Marie Callendar's lasagna do its thing in the microwave! REST!! There is nothing sweeter. And no, we don't keep the Sabbath legalistically - this is a day we devote to GOD for HIS wondrous works and for sending us Jesus. Going to church on Sunday or any other day of the week is fine - we just want to "tithe" our time to GOD on HIS special day of the week. Exodus 16 cinched this for me, even before the 10 Commandments were inscribed by the finger of GOD on Mt. Sinai, HIS Sabbath Command was already in effect! Interesting read, Chapter 16! 

11 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. 13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man 
according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. 
21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and 
told Moses. 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30 So the people rested on the seventh day." 

I could go on and on! I just want to say that something is terribly wrong when men choose to follow men rather than Christ. 

In HIS Grip, 

judi 





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Edited 8/2/2003 7:30:58 PM ET by JUDITH2124 

From:  David (DavidABrown)    7/28/2003 6:04 pm  
To:  judi (JUDITH2124)    (2 of 3)  
 
  669.2 in reply to 669.1  
 
Hi Judith,

 

Thank you for sharing the wonderful Testimony of both you and your husband!

 

It causes me to be all the more eager to be gathered together to God in His heavenly kingdom where we can meet and rejoice face to face in the presence of Jesus whos love for us is beyond compare.

 

Keep up the Good Fellowship!

 

God Bless You,
Your Brother in Jesus Christ,
David A. Brown

 

 



David A. Brown
Basic Christian: Forum
www.BasicChristian.org

 
  
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   From:  judi (JUDITH2124)    7/28/2003 6:23 pm  
To:  David (DavidABrown)    (3 of 3)  
 
  669.3 in reply to 669.2  
 
Thank you David, for your warm and heartening welcome! 
In HIS Grip! 

judi
 
  
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