YOU and GOD

I want in this blog to visit with you personally—one on one, as it were—without any formal agenda, and to open my heart and mind to those of you who have followed, and are following, my journey in these recent years. I will share my thoughts in general on several different “fronts” of my (Ellen included, of course) life in this current phase of “old age.”

1. Resignations. One of the most difficult tasks I have had to do the past few months has been to resign from the various Christian ministry boards that I have been privileged to serve on during the course of my ministry. They include Baptist World Mission (45 years), Slavic Baptist Mission (30-plus years), Grace Today Ministry (Lew Hunter) since its inception, and most recently Shepherd’s Bethel Ministry (30 plus years). I hope I did not leave any out. It has been most gratifying to rub elbows with missionaries and administrators through the years. Shepherd’s Bethel, home to hundreds of missionaries who are on deputation or furlough, has had an incredible story that you would have to see to believe. Mike and Susan Weiss have been His servants in leading Shepherd’s Bethel, and in the earliest years of their ministry at West Baden Springs, they invited me to serve on the board. So I have had a front-row seat. I wrote a blog about this good work and would be happy to forward you a copy upon request. I have resigned from every one of these good ministry boards. I think you can understand that doing so has been a very emotional time of my life.

2. “You and God.” In the spring of 2020, while we were dealing as a nation with the Covid pandemic, I felt led to begin writing this bi-weekly blog, “You and God.” I have now authored more than 700 of these posts, covering about every germane subject that believers would be interested in. It has been a very gratifying ministry and has given me the opportunity to exercise and sharpen some writing skills God has graciously blessed me with. I have not done this alone: our son, a writer by profession, has been an excellent proofreader; and our daughter, Sandy, a marketing specialist by profession, has been the “publisher,” dressing each blog up with neat artwork, then getting each one to Mail Chimp. Ellen has been an invaluable help on this end, too. A generous individual has paid Mail Chimp’s $13 monthly fee for their services since this work began six years ago. BUT, unless the Lord leads otherwise, the last installment of “You and God” will come on December 31. The deadlines, my 24-hour issues with health, my mind (which works slower than ever and is often not trustworthy—I blame it on medications), are just a few of the considerations. These blogs will continue to be available, however. In fact, you can pull up any one of them on your smartphone with the following steps: At the end of any “You and God” email, click the “Read in browser” button and the blog will reappear. Scroll down and you will find the months of each year the blogs were posted; when you click on any month, a list of the blogs for that month will appear. I will put this ministry to bed with considerable chagrin, but it is time to do so.

3. Thompson Road Baptist Church Ministry. I am not withdrawing from every ministry opportunity. TRBC’s pastor, Joel Stevens, has been very gracious in asking me to fill the pulpit at times in his absence (mostly Wednesdays), but most recently I have had to tell him I just did not feel up to it. I am teaching a Sunday School class for the hearing impaired, and I meet regularly every Tuesday morning (probably for 20 years or so) with about a dozen men for a book reading/discussion. It has been an especially delightful hour each Tuesday morning, and I am grateful for the privilege of meeting with these men for the enrichment of reading. But, by far, the most productive and important ministry that Ellen and I have now is the ministry of prayer. I am limited in my ability to make personal visits, but we have a prayer list and pray earnestly every day for people far and near—and, of course, we rejoice in many answers to those prayers. I look back now and remember so many shut-ins that I visited when pastoring who said, “Pastor, I can’t do anything but pray.” Some of them felt discouraged that they could not do more. I always assured them that their prayers were the most important thing they could offer. Now I am the one who says, “About all I can do is pray….”

4. I am running out of space for this “Off the Cuff” blog. That is why I put (1) after the title. I will do another one soon, I hope, and will bring you up to date on what is going on with Ellen and myself heath-wise. So, stay tuned for “Off the Cuff” (2).

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Th. 5:18)

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (II Tim. 2:3)

Tomorrow is Veterans Day in the USA, and it is our privilege to be able to tip our hats to all the brave men and women who have served or are serving in our armed forces. We are not ashamed that a tear wells up in our eyes when we see our noble veterans arriving home from a tour of duty, being greeted by hugging loved ones. It moves us to tears to see a child running full-speed ahead and jumping into the arms of her soldier father or mother who has come home from months of serving bravely in our nation’s foreign military expeditions.

Freedoms that we sometimes smugly enjoy in the calm and cool of our temperature-controlled worship services here, week after week, are gained and maintained at enormous cost. Men and women who were barely considered adults, age-wise, have spilled the precious treasure of their life’s blood on some foreign soil, defending freedom’s noble cause. And, an incalculable host of supporting personnel, who have made it possible for the armed men and women to fight the wars, are due our heartfelt admiration today and every day. And we include the wives, sweethearts, brothers and sisters—and mothers and fathers—in that army of supporters who watch and wait and pray until the war is over or the tour is complete. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you on Veterans Day!

Speaking of veterans: Paul, the Apostle, wrote to Timothy that as believers we should endure hardness, as a soldier of Jesus Christ. He speaks of a “good soldier.” I think of the hymn that reads: “A call for loyal soldiers comes to one and all; soldiers for the conflict, will you heed the call? Will you answer quickly, with a ready cheer, will you be enlisted as a volunteer?” (“As a Volunteer,” W.S. Brown, 1907)

Whether one is a good soldier fighting in Uncle Sam’s army or a good soldier of the Cross, I believe all good soldiers share some qualities in common. He or she:

1. Endures the hardness of submission, submitting the heart, mind, and body. For the soldier of the cross, Jesus is the Captain of our salvation, and we bring into captivity every thought to Him, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices: “Am I a soldier of the Cross, a follower of the Lamb, and should I fear to own His cause or blush to speak His name? Sure I must fight if I would reign; increase my courage Lord.” (Isaac Watts)

2. Endures the hardness of sacrifice, sacrifice of time, treasure, and talent. A soldier recognizes the battle as an opportunity for victory.

3. Endures the hardness of separation: separation at times from the comfort of loved ones and/or of one’s motherland, cf. I Sam. 30:6.

4. Endures the hardness of suffering—physical, emotional, spiritual.

5. Endures the hardness of solitude—loneliness, darkness, loss. All of Christ’s disciples (excluding Judas, a devil from the beginning who is in a separate category) suffered loneliness and, at times, solitude. Read how they died.

6. Endures the hardness of “single-mindedness.” He or she has one thing foremost on the mind: “I want to please my Commander.” He or she is single-minded in motivation (“this one thing I do….), single-minded in mind-set (“Duty, Honor, Country—Douglas MacArthur), single-minded in mannerisms, with disciplined purpose and precision; and single-minded in mission: “I press toward the mark….”

So, again, to all soldiers of our Country and soldiers of the Cross: Happy Veterans Day! A “tip of the hat” hardly does it; more correctly, a salute from the heart. We love and appreciate all of you for enduring hardness in submission, sacrifice, separation, suffering, solitude, and singleness of mind! God bless you each and every one!

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (II Tim. 2:3)

Our Tuesday morning Book Read group was recently challenged by an author to think of some of the people in their lives who have influenced them, memorably, for the good. Well, as I gave it some thought, the list immediately became very, very long. But it was an interesting journey through the years, past to present, and I will share with you some of the “influencers” whose lives, in some way, are etched upon the memory of my mind. I will mention a few by name and purposely conceal the identity of others:

• Pastor Day, first pastor, led me to Christ and with his hand on my head when I was too young to give it a second thought, called me his preacher boy;
• Grandma S who, in her own way, did the same;
• Principal W, whose even-handed way with elementary school children left its mark on my mind;
• Miss Flamme—8^th grade English teacher whose love for language has not escaped me;
• Miss Sharp—old maid music teacher, co-worker with Miss Flamme, who made an indelible impression on a junior-high student who understood nothing about music but could appreciate a person totally dedicated to, and in love with, her profession;
• Mrs. James, Student Council advisor who infected a high-school junior with principles of leadership that made his love for basketball and football wane;
• Pastor Knauss, married to the “ideal” pastor’s wife, Nellie; through their sincerity and love of people and ministry, both cast a spell on a young man—heading at that time to study law—that has not yet escaped him;
• TK, a friend who shared a burden for ministry at a crucial time in my life, and whose friendship, common interests, and goals have impacted my life past and present;
• Richard Rupp, pulpit-speech teacher at Bob Jones University, whose personality, authenticity, and preaching affected this preacher boy for good—indelibly;
• Bob Jones, Sr., who in later years sometimes repeated himself in the course of a message, but whose life and labors and love for God permanently shaped young people, including myself, for good, for life;
• Marvin Beshears, father-in-law, embodiment of godliness, who pastored the same Carolina church for half a century while receiving an annual stipend or salary of $0 dollars; and whose life, totally consumed with pleasing God, impacted countless souls in northwestern North Carolina;
• Theodore Slutz, a Dad who wasn’t six feet tall but—to this kid and this man—was a giant in humility, servanthood, consistency, and loving devotion to his wife of 71 years;
• RVC, seminary president and local church pastor, a unique individual totally sold out to Christ and His Word (Isa. 8:20), who never saw a fight with a modernist that he hesitated to engage in, and whose life of ministry left its mark on anyone with whom he had to do;
• HH, teacher par excellence, whose infectious approach to Bible teaching was, well, infectious;
• JDP, a co-worker with HH whose 50 years of plain exposition of scripture—no frills, just expo—impacted class after class with a method of explaining scripture that was unquestionably flawless, faithful, and fixed;
• Phil Shuler, who had all the flash and frills, so to speak, but whose life-long ministry of faithful evangelism—with a heart especially for smaller churches, which he purposely carved out 12 weeks a year to minister to, at his own expense—found a corner in this pastor’s heart that has the word “Love,” in the purest sense of the word, written over it;
• Jerry S, Joe M, Gary G, and many other faithful evangelists—I loved them and will never forget them;
• Henry D, a deacon whose hand was like the Grand Canyon and whose smile as wide as the Mississippi, and whose heart like an apostle’s—a quiet force for the faith who was a friend, loyal and lasting, to his pastor;
• Monroe P, mission board executive, who dealt with the serious matters of eternity in a way that was compelling, but whose sense of humor and lack of condescension drew most anyone with whom he had to do closer to himself, yes, but more so—closer to the Savior;
• LDH, friend to any pastor committed to serving Christ, lover of ministry and ministers, trophy of God’s grace, still living at 91 and still ever, with his dear wife, on our minds;
• LW and CW, husband and wife who have been on the front lines of church planting missions for more than 60 years, still living amongst and loving the people whom they have led to Christ and discipled in obedience to His great commission;
• EMS—the prettiest, smartest, kindest “first lady” ever—who has been my companion,  counsellor, comforter, and godly encourager for 61 years now and counting, and whose identity I am obviously not attempting to conceal!

A complete list? Not at all. I could add many more contemporaries, but for the sake of not embarrassing you, I will not (at least for now) so much as publish your initials. But you know who you are; believe me, I hold you in the highest esteem. And if God has been pleased to have done anything lasting and worthwhile for His Kingdom’s sake through my ministering, it is because of a cadre of tireless, selfless, dedicated, and devoted laborers whom I simply call “fellow workers.” Thank you all so very much. Each of you has your own “niche” in the above list—I can see it even if others cannot. “Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (I Cor. 15:58)

An Italian envoy floated into a Stockholm port on an official visit and, observing a stately, ornate building at water’s edge, assumed they had found the palace whereupon they announced their arrival with a 21-gun salute.  One can only imagine the embarrassment when the visitors were informed that they were docked in front of what was actually an old folks’ home whose occupants were scared half out of their wits by this over the top greeting the Italians had incorrectly issued!

Well, nothing like pulling all the stops out!  We have a tendency at times to do that; whether it’s a hobby, a habit or a tenaciously held pet conviction that we’ve taken a stand on and declared to all, “Here I stand, I can do no less!”

New Testament Christianity is a life characterized by balance, at least, it ought to be.  Paul, writing his epistle to Titus, in chapter two gives specific instructions to older men, older women and younger men and women as to how they could live a “sober” life which was at any stage in life, balanced.  Too often, though, adherents of the “faith once delivered to the saints” grab hold of a truth, and blowing it all out of proportion by isolating it, elevating it and emphasizing it to the neglect of all other truth, become heretical in  their disproportionate application of a tenaciously held conviction.

For instance, God has promised to provide our needs “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19).  The health and wealth prosperity gospel adherents have blown that verse and many others out of proportion and out of context to preach that God intends all believers to be perpetually healthy and wealthy.  That is heresy.

Or, in another vein, most of my readers will identify as “dispensationalists,” that is, as students of Scripture who have concluded that God has dealt with people of faith through the ages past, present and (He will yet) future on the basis of differing responsibilities and varying levels of accountability depending on the truth revealed to people living at different times under different levels of unfolded revelation given.  Case in point, “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) New Testament believers do not live under the law (Mosaic) but under grace and therefore, we are free to eat differently, dress differently and we are not obligated to bring the animal sacrifices, etc. that those who were living in the old dispensation were commanded to bring.  So, in our day, there are those who take the teachings of dispensationalism and expand them to what has become known as “ultra-dispensationalism.”  These folks hold that the Great Commission given in Matt. 28:18-20 and baptism by immersion and other views commonly taught by sound Bible teachers do not apply to the church today.  They hold tenaciously to these aberrations of doctrine to the point that they are heretics; not heretics in the sense of denying the Bible but heretics in that they have misapplied truth or disproportionately held to a truth to the extent that their views are heretical.

We sometimes aim our guns and come out with a “big 21-gun” salute at the wrong place and wrong time, even in a doctrinal sense!

Here is a test you can give yourself: (1) Do you emphasize one doctrine disproportionately to the neglect of the whole counsel of God?  (2)  Do you have a “pet doctrine” that you constantly contend with others about, making it a test of fellowship?  (3)  Is your spirit right with others with whom you disagree on matters over which good men differ as to interpretation and application;  (4)  Do you conclude that God cannot bless or use others who have taken a stance that differs with your position on certain doctrinal issues?

Stephen Olford observed that a truth pushed can become an emphasis; pushed further it can become an extreme and pushed to the max it can become an error.  Heresy is not a belief that would necessarily involve denying the Word of God; it can be a Biblical teaching/truth blown out of proportion to the extent that it is a divisive test of faith or fellowship that it never should have become.

“Believe as I believe, no more, no less.

That I am right, and no one else confess; 

Feel as I feel, think as I think;

Eat what I eat and drink what I drink;

Look as I look, do always as I do;

And, then, and only then, I’ll fellowship with you.”

                (Unknown)

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

“Let not your good be evil spoken of:  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:16,17)