First off tonight I want to say, I am dedicating this Blog, to Mr. Jim Lyon. Jim went home to be with the Lord 2 nights ago, at the age of 87. Jim Lyon was a family man who loved Jesus and showed it in every thing I saw him do, in the short amount of time I knew him. I feel privileged to have been able to know Mr. Lyon and to call him not only a friend, but a Brother in Christ. Jim, you will be missed tremendously, not just at Grace, but in my heart, and the heart of many who knew you. Rest easy in the arms of Jesus now my brother, your fight is over here on Earth, you have carried the torch well, and have passed it on to the next generation. May we carry that torch as high as you, and be worthy of being the torch bearer. Without a doubt you ave already heard the words of the Master saying "Jim, welcome home thou good and faithful servant, Welcome home!!!" God speed my Brother see you in Glory some day, keep my seat warm for me.
Mr. James Joel Lyon Sr.
July 28, 1924 - January 11, 2012
I am sitting here tonight, at my study desk and it's quiet here in the house. Angie and Becca have retired for the evening, Nemo our 4 legged son, has joined them, and for at least the moment, our bird Pepper, has decided to be quiet while sitting on her perch. The dryer has stopped, and the washer is not running. Yes it's definitely a quiet evening here in the Roy household. The loudest noise in the house at the moment, is the clicking of the keys as I type.But you know what, it's nice and peaceful, and it allows a man to sit back, relax and enjoy the quiet time with the Lord. So I have been looking at different scriptures and trying to figure out, what it is that God wants me to write about. I have struggled since the Christmas blog on what to write about next, and for a few weeks now, every time I sat down to do the blog, it was like there was a wall up and I was running head first into it at 100 miles an hour. So sitting here tonight, I had that same feeling, so I just sat here and reflected on what has been going on in my life and my families life. I started thinking about a brother in Christ that went home this week to be with the Lord at the age of 87 years, and the things he must have seen in his life and all of a sudden BAM!!!! It was like the Lord took a sledge hammer and hit me square in the face and said, HELLO, MCFLY,....Reflect on what you have seen. Reflect on where you have been. Reflect on how I called you out those many years ago. Reflect, reflect, reflect. So here goes..
As I thought about the things Mr. Lyon had seen in his 87 year, I thought back on my own life. I especially thought back on the last few years. How I had changed, and how things that I never thought would ever have a snowballs chance in the fiery furnace would happen. Brothers and Sister's I am here to tell yo u, that's one tough snowball. Three years ago, if someone had walked up to me and told me I would be writing a Christian blog pretty much every week, I would have told them they had lost their mind. Yet, here I am writing one. If someone had walked up to me and said Bill, you are going to be a licensed minister one day , I would have asked them what they had been smoking.Yet, on February 19th, 2012 that will become a reality. If someone had called me up and said that I would be taking ministry courses from Liberty University, I would have told them they needed to see a shrink. But alas, I am doing just that. You see, the plans that God had for me, and the plans that I had for myself, were on two totally opposite roads not to long ago.
Those roads were never supposed to meet, by my plans, but you know what. When God makes a plan and sets it in motion, you might as well pull over and change course, because if you don't, you will be miserable inside. My road included me continuing to do exactly what I wanted and by no means included the ministry.God's road, was the exact opposite. Now, I should have known better because a little over 20 years ago, God called me to preach, and that fact scared me so bad, that like Moses and many other great men of God, my initial response was WHAT, ME? LORD HAVE YOU GOT THE RIGHT GUY? ME, MR. I AM SO FULL OF SIN THAT TO GET IT ALL OUT WOULD FILL UP TEXAS STADIUM? And when I realized he was actually talking to me, I ran. I ran so far that it has taken me approximately 22 years to get back to this point.
During those 22 years , my running cost me family, friends, finances and perosnal happiness for many years. But when God allowed me to start the road back to this point, he did so by reminding me that his plans, had been set in motion, a whole lot earlier than mine. You see in Jeremiah 1:4, God tells Jeremiah "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the Nations". In my case it was like I heard him say "OK Bill, you can continue to run but before you were ever created by me, I knew everything there was to know about you. And knowing how you are and would be, I decided that you would be my mouthpiece. You would be a minister of the Gospel and at my appointed time, not yours, you will go out and tell others about what the Lord has done. You will be my mouthpiece to a dark and dreary world. You will be a beacon for those in need. You will be the lighthouse for those who are lost and wandering in the fog, looking for that something more that only I can give". Now I have to tell you, at times just reflecting on where I have been and where I am, is overwhelming, but after a little prayer and conversation with the Lord, and everything falls into place.
In reflecting over the last year of writing these blogs, I have seen how my style of writing has changed and grown, as my walk with God has grown and changed. My first Blog, was about 2 paragraphs, and I was scared to death to write it. Again , who was I to be writing a Christian blog. Me who never wrote a thing in his life unless it was a paper for school, and we all know that was a long time ago. I looked back at some of them tonight and there is one called Spontaneous Sinner Combustion, and I thought, what was I thinking. I mean, I know where I was headed but boy did I take a wild ride to get there lol. But in that I saw growth. You see, I still have no idea what I am doing, but at least now, if I sit down to write something, I am not going to write it if I don't feel Jesus is in it 100%.
I was also looking back and where my family and I had come in our service to the Lord. A year ago, we were both sitting on a pew taking up space. Now I teach Sunday School and help out with the youth. For approximately one year my wife and I were basically running the youth group. Now she has her Prayer Shawl Ministry she is doing, my daughter is actually trying to make hats for children in the hospital with cancer (and it was all her idea praise the Lord) and here I am Doing Children's sermon's, helping out with announcements, getting ready to preach and become a licensed Minister of the Gospel. I mean a lot has changed in mine and my families life. but you know what, none of it would never had happened, if we had not finally surrendered to Jesus, and said "use me Lord, let your kingdom be glorified by my actions. Let others see the work of the spirit in me, and when they look at me let them not see me, but let them see you oh Lord".
As I reflect on where my family has been and where we are now, one thought crosses my mind. That question is " what's next for us Lord, what's next?" We are about to embark on a new chapter in our lives. A chapter that I pray will glorify the Lord in every way possible. But most of all, I want this new chapter, if it were to have a title, be called "the Go Ye Chapter", for all I want to do is serve my Saviour and preach his holy word, so that others may feel what I feel, and that the kingdom of God would advance. I pray that whenever I am privileged enough to stand in a pulpit, no matter where that may be, that every word out of my mouth would glorify Jesus, and help to draw others to him, for his kingdom. I pray for a revival like no other. I pray for a revival to break out in our great nation and for it to touch the hearts and lives of so many, that once again, America would actually become One Nation Under God once again. I pray for you my brother's and sister's, that if God has called you to the ministry, that you would not be like me or Moses or Jeremiah and not ask the question ME? I pray that you would be willing to open you hearts and lives up to him now, before it is to late.
Good night all and God bless. May the hand of the Lord rest upon you keeping you safe, until we meet again, whether that be here or in Glory.Night all
In Christ's Love,
Bill Roy
Once again Goodbye Dear Brother, You Shall Be Greatly Missed
July 28, 1924 - January 11, 2012
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