Second Conference Post

The Rembrandt Shop - The Departure of the Shunammite Woman 1640

While I’m not going to repeat all of conference notes, I do want to cover some of the “Be Our Guest” notes about hospitality. Take time to read II Kings 4 to learn about her. If you find it interesting, move ahead to II Kings 8, where we learn more about this hospitable lady, whom the Bible describes as “great”:

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. (2 Kings 4:8-10 KJV)

Not all of us have the means to build “a little chamber” and furnish it for a traveling preacher – but wouldn’t it be nice? That is hospitality above our cultural level. But, we do invite people into our homes – unless we live in CHAOS!!!

That’s an acronym. One I’ve used as the full statement when I believed my house was a mess (and it often is – to me) and I simply Couldn’t Have Anyone Over. It’s a Syndrome.  Yep, that CHAOS. Mrs. Terrie Chappell gave us that acronym, but I recognized the syndrome.

For Christian women, if we don’t believe we live up to Proverbs 31, we simply can’t have anyone over until everything is picked up, put in the right place, cleaned, polished, decorated correctly – but that’s ridiculous, isn’t it? We respond to invitations and assure the lady of the house that having the dog food bowls in the kitchen aren’t a problem. We kiss the child with the chocolate-covered face and love them before and after the chocolate is wiped away.

I am reminded of a missionary I heard speak in North Carolina in 1960. She and her husband ministered to migrants who made the trip from south to north picking the ripened fields along the way. She and her husband had served their ministry a short while before a migrant family asked them to join them in their evening meal. It was a huge step, and she was not expecting the same lifestyle she lived.

The differences between their lifestyles were much more than the mismatched, cracked dinnerware. That was made evident when the lady opened a can of dog food instead of a can of hash, heated it on a wood fire and shared with her family and the visitors.  Yes, our missionary ate the same meal as those in her ministry.

Tell me, is our personal CHAOS similar to this situation? Are you concerned about being an example in a mission conference? If so – and even your home truly is chaos – would you deprive someone of being a blessing to you. Would you deprive them of receiving a blessing, too?

Hospitality isn’t even showing our very best. It is accepting people into our home in the same manner Jesus accepts us into His kingdom. The thief on the cross simply asked to be remembered – and Jesus accompanied him to Paradise. When Jesus is our daily companion as Savior, let us open our homes as we have opened our hearts. What better place to share Him with people who wish to spend time with us?

Conference March 11, 2017

Joshua Baptist Church, Joshua, Texas

The beautiful graphic is a bit misleading – we were there in the early morning light, having left our First Baptist Church of Cottondale at 6:00 am for the slightly over an hour’s drive on Saturday, March 11. Please feel free to visit both churches if you are in the Fort Worth area.

Conference theme was:        

Which was appropriate, based on:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:14-17 KJV)

It was a day filled with fellowship, food, service and learning opportunities. While we left at six, it was after five before we returned home, and I know I could have stayed a bit longer.

Breakfast was ready for us at 8:00, Welcome and instructions at 8:45; Main Session at 10:00 with three split Sessions (plus an awesome lunch) from 11:00-2:30 with another Main Session lasting until 3:30. Each of the Sessions offered life lessons with royalty themes – and I’ll be posting some of my thoughts in coming blogs. May not be the same received from other attendees, but these I found applicable for me.

Among the papers in binders prepared for each attendee was a map. It is so helpful for the first timers to have a map of what to expect and where rooms are to be found.

Another page were the Session Leaders:

• Mrs. Terrie Chappell – Clicking on her name will lead you to the “About” page of her blog. Click on the menu and you’ll find information on her books, too.
• Mrs. Danielle Mordh – Also a pastor’s wife, she is involved in a number of educational ministries.
• Mrs. Kristine Sisson – A graduate of Lancaster Baptist School and West Coasts Baptist College, she and her husband serve in the youth department.
• Ms. Martha Johnson – Martha has severed as a lay Biblical counselor for twenty-eight years. She maintains a counseling practice at Victory Baptist Church in Weatherford, Texas (and I’ve attended several conferences over the years to her wisdom-filled application of biblical teachings.)

The opening session, “Be Our Guest” – Creating an inviting home – covered the principle of hospitality. I must tell you, those principles were well displayed by the Joshua Baptist Church members.

First, the conference was for ladies, so no gentlemen in the auditorium or sessions, but they were there – serving. They served our breakfast, our breaks and our lunch. And, they did it with smiles of welcome and answers for any questions we might have. With so many women (last count I heard there were over 350), the men gave up three of their restrooms in the church. Making certain of the cleanliness (the whole church was spotless!), the signs “Men” were replaced with “Today these facilities are for women’s convenience” and it was appreciated. Lunch was plated and waiting for us as we filed into their Fellowship Hall.

That, my dear readers, is hospitable!!! And, hospitality is biblical:

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. (Romans 12:13 KJV)

Use hospitality one to another without grudging. (1 Peter 4:9 KJV)

But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; (Titus 1:8 KJV)

Dale Evans Rogers made this verse among the most popular and filled with love:

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2 KJV)

Now – I need to set aside time to share more with you about this conference that was such a blessing to me and others. Tomorrow’s blog will begin the sharing.