Lois McPherson Testimony

Sunday, September 24, 2023 PM

Who is God?

John 14:6 (NASB95) Jesus said to him [Thomas], “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Introduction

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

We walk on this earth. We have joy, laughter, love, loss, hardships, darkness and light.

God gives and He takes away.

Yes, God does allow things.

We see this in the book of Job 1:6-22.

Job 1:6–22 (NASB95) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. 13 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

We also see Job’s faithfulness, his endurance, and his love for God.

And because of this, God gave Job a living testimony so others could see and know that He is God.

Like Job, I too have a living testimony.

God has brought me through some really hard things.

But I have learned to say with Job:

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

My Testimony

My life, even though I'm the one living it and have lived it, seems like something out of a movie.

I know that my life and my story are for His glory and I pray I can be a witness to the broken in spirit and broken in heart.

To the ones who don't see the light, I want to give hope.

In Acts 26:16–18 (LSB) [Jesus said to Paul] 16 ‘But rise up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

Like the Apostle Paul, God has given me a mission.

God woke me one night and told me “To Go!” and He showed me myself giving my testimony.

To show His hope, His forgiveness and His love.

I want to do that with this testimony.

I want others to know God.

To know His hope

Like Pastor has taught us:

Biblical hope is... A confident expectation based on solid certainty.

I want others to experience God’s forgiveness like I have.

I especially want them to know His great love.

Like Ephesians 3:17–19 (LSB) says:

so that … you, [are] firmly rooted and grounded in love, 18 [and that you] may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

So, let me share a small glimpse of my life with you.

A Young Child Learns of God

As a young child living in West Virginia, God blessed me by allowing me to attend a small white church on Mud River Mountain.

It was there I learned of a loving God.

That He loved me.

That's all I knew about him and that He had a plan for my life.

1 John 4:16 (LSB) And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

For awhile my entire family attended church.

Life seemed good.

A Family Not In Church

But then the family stopped attending church.

The drinking started again and with it came the abuse, the fear and the pain.

It got worse and worse.

I was an abused child along with my siblings by our father.

Our mother left him and later she left us.

I was 10 years old.

I became homeless.

I was a child out of the hollows of West Virginia to the streets in the South side of Atlanta.

My Later Life

It was in Atlanta that my life became really bad.

I became a drug addict.

A victim of more rapes than I can count.

I had no hope and I attempted suicide many times.

Later I became a mother of four children and wanted to be the best mother but I wasn't.

Instead I went to jails and to prison.

But it was in prison that I learned not just that God loved me but that He had always been with me.

I learned of His forgiveness.

I learned that His plan for my life was to follow Him, to have a personal relationship with Him and to put on my breastplate of armor so I could withstanding what the enemy would still throw at me to destroy me to destroy my relationship with Him.

That’s what the Bible tells us to do:

Ephesians 6:11 (LSB) Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:13–14 (LSB) … take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

I Still Go Through Trials

Even though I learned about God in prison, I have still had to go through hard things.

It is really hard to do but as James says in:

James 1:2–4 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

I have many troubles even since prison…

And then, just 2 years ago, my youngest son, at the age of 36, committed suicide.

But even in my darkness God was there and He made a way for me to use even this tragedy to give Him praise, honor, and glory.

My testimony is that, “God, help me to be able, through all things, to use me as a witness to You.

And God has done that.

He helps me with the promises of:

Hebrews 13:5–6 (LSB) … for [Jesus] Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6 so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

And also the promise of:

Philippians 4:11–13 (NLT) … for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

An Offer

What about you?

As you have heard my testimony …

Maybe you have been through tough things …

You are walking in darkness.

Jessus wants to turn your darkness into light.

You need to learn how to forgive.

My brother who has been in prison more than 40 years learned how to do that and now he has peace.

You need to experience the fullness of God’s love.

You need hope…

Maybe its other things, or all I’ve talked about and more.

I want to make you an offer.

I believe God can help you like He has helped me.

I want to pray for you.

Will you come forward so that I can do that?