What I thought about on the way to Augusta

Monday we went to Augusta, and as I was driving, for some reason I began thinking about all the schools I attended after high school and what is especially associated with each one.

I was saved in March of 1973 in Nashville, TN, in my senior year of high school. I graduated in June of that same year. I literally had one life goal while I was in high school – graduate. And since I made no real effort toward that goal, I was surprised I made it!

I had made no plans for college so I had no where to go come fall. But when fall came I started taking night classes at the University of Tennessee at Nashville. I had been to one, maybe two classes when I was hit by a car one night riding home from a friend’s house! I got confused on the neighborhood roads so I went back to McGavock Pike, a main road. As soon as did I was hit. I was pretty much laid up all that fall.

As I was recovering I discovered that my next door neighbor attended the University of Tennessee at Martin. In January of 1974, in a bad snowstorm, off I went to Martin to major in Pre-Forestry. This meant that after 2 years at UTM I would then transfer to UT Knoxville. I wasn’t excited about that, but there I was. That first quarter (UTM had quarters instead of semesters) I really grew in the Lord, discovered that Forestry wasn’t going to work, and felt called to the ministry. Oh yeah, I also met Mary! Actually, I met her in the first class. Well, we didn’t actually meet, but I did pick up her pencil. A couple of days later we formally met and pretty quickly developed a relationship. We went home for the summer – Mary to work at a camp and me to pump gas. I returned for the Fall quarter, but we got engaged and planned on getting married in 1975 so I dropped out to get a job (and because I didn't think Pre-Forestry was a helpful degree for the ministry).

Friday June 13, 1975 we were married. Mary continued her studies in nursing school and I was working at Sonic Drive-In.

Sometime in 1975 or 76 I started attending Mid-Continent Baptist Bible College in Mayfield, KY. It was a 45 minute drive from Martin to Mayfield, straight up Hwy 45. Might’ve been quicker using the Purchase Parkway, but that was a toll road and Hwy 45 was free! Two things stand out about Mid-Continent Baptist Bible College. First, the President of the school. I don’t remember his name, but he was the oldest person I had ever seen! When I introduced us I said we were up from Martin. No more than five minutes into the interview he asked, “How long have you been in Mayfield?” I couldn’t help myself, I answered, “About twenty minutes.” He didn’t laugh but I still got in! Second, the school itself. It was a Landmark Baptist school. What is a Landmark Baptist? Well, simply put, John was the first Baptist; Jesus walked 60 miles for Baptist baptism; the Apostles were Baptist preachers; the church in Jerusalem was the first Baptist church; give a man a new heart and an open Bible and he will be a Baptist. Yeah. No kidding.

Mary graduated UTM in June of 1976 and we moved to Memphis, TN. Mary went to work at Methodist Hospital and that fall I began attending Mid-South Bible College. MSBC was an old line dispensational school. I referred to it as "Scofield Tech" (because if you had a Scofield Reference Bible you knew exactly what they taught; the ‘New’ Scofield Reference Bible was referred to as “the Bible with the unauthorized changes and additions”) and "Dallas JR" (referring to Dallas Theological Seminary). As much as I wrestled with their anti-charismatic bias I will have to say I received a good theological foundation, at least compared to other Bible college grads I spoke with.

In 1978 our first daughter was born so Mary quit work to stay home with her and I went to work full time as a custodian at Audubon Park Baptist Church & School. My schooling slowed down considerably as I was only able to take night classes and a class during my lunch break. I still remember eating Vienna sausage sandwiches in the car on the way to class.

One day, after a year or year and a half of this, I can still picture where I was at work when I realized how close I was to graduating, but that it would require taking classes from other schools in addition to my work at Mid-South Bible College. It was clearly the Lord speaking to me, it was almost like a vision, it was so clear. I also knew at that moment that History of Western Civilization I & II was the biggest hurdle, since MSBC only offered it every other year and the upcoming year was the off year.

So that summer I went to summer school at Memphis State University. That was a trip!! History of Western Civilization I was a breeze, but History of Western Civ II was a different story. I have to admit that I did not learn how to study until that summer course in my senior year! It was at this time that I began riding my bicycle to school. That was in the summer and that fall and winter I also rode the bike to Bible College. A long ride, in Memphis traffic!

I also began taking correspondence courses from Fort Wayne Bible College. Yes, I said correspondence. In those days there was no online presence as there was no online, so all assignments were mailed in, then you had to wait for the response by mail to let you know how you did. Can’t remember all the courses I took by correspondence, just The Gospel According to John. All of this while still taking classes at MSBC. And working full time.

Finally, in 1981 I graduated from Mid-South Bible College with a B.A. in Pastoral Ministries. Oh yeah, I graduated Magna Cum Laude. I certainly did not see that coming!! Our second daughter was born that fall and shortly after her birth I became pastor of Brent Alliance Church in Pensacola, FL.

In 1984 we moved to Macon, GA and I became pastor of First Alliance Church. In 1987 we moved to York, SC so I could pastor Bible Covenant Community Church. Not long after moving to York I began correspondence courses from Luther Rice Seminary. Still correspondence courses but I moved up in the world – I bought a Word Processor. A what? Everybody knows this is an app on a computer (or phone), but computers were rare in those days. The church had an electric typewriter, but I had none; so I bought a Word Processor, sort of a mix between a typewriter and a computer. Alas, the school was mostly focused on critical matters, “Write a paper proving Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles” and such. That was of no interest to me. I did write a few papers that were very profitable and edifying but I also got several responses that said something like, “This is good work but please refrain from writing on topics without prior approval.” Ha! What I got the most from wasn’t approved and what was approved I got nothing out of . . . this wasn’t working so I threw in the towel.

That was the end of my formal schooling. I’ve read a lot since then, but nothing for a grade. Anyway, that’s what I thought about on the way to Augusta: After high school I went to  . . . schools.

The power of a testimony

We went up to Tennessee this past weekend and Sunday we attended Johnson City Alliance Church. I could write about the worship and the brethren there we knew, but I want to focus on something else.

A part of their worship time is called “Kiddie Korner”. They invite all the children to come to the front of the auditorium for a teaching on their level. Since the pastor was planning to teach James 4:4-10, the passage for the children was from verse 7, Submit yourselves therefore to God. The sister who was teaching the children focused on the word submit. She explained the meaning of submit and had an interesting visual illustration. Near the beginning of her teaching she gave each child a piece of candy, at some point during her explanation of submit she asked who was willing to give up their piece of candy. I think every child but one surrendered their piece of candy. Then at the end she gave the children who had surrendered their candy something bigger, better, or more - I couldn’t see, but it was clearly a better thing than that original piece of candy. Then I heard her say, “Oh, now she wants to give up her candy!” Oh I was so hoping she would say the right thing now…and she did: “It’s never too late to submit God.” Oh, Amen!!

Right there was the power of a testimony. When this little girl saw what happened for those who trusted the teacher and surrendered their candy, she was willing to do the same.

So what am I saying?

We ought to teach and preach about salvation through faith in Jesus, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer, joy unspeakable and full of glory, peace that passes understanding, healing, full surrender, and more! There’s power in the Word, in the promises, and people will be led into life and life more abundant through such teaching. But, if all we do is preach/teach it then we run the risk of this becoming mere theology, a doctrine to give mental assent to and nothing more. Ah, but when a brother or sister stands up and says, “I heard about how Jesus saves sinners, and when I believed in him he saved me!” I’m telling you there’s power in that!

Man, this is like signs following. It’s good to teach about the baptism with the Spirit, what it is and how to receive it. There’s power in teaching the Word. But, next week when a brother comes to the meeting and says, “I just want to let y’all know, last week he told us about this baptism with the Spirit; well, I went home and sought Jesus, and he filled me with the Holy Spirit. It’s real, man, praise Jesus!” There’s power in that too!!

This is true for all of the Word: prayer, joy, peace, victory. Folks need to hear the full gospel of Christ, that’s the only way their going to know about and enter into their inheritance. There is power in the Word, in the promises, and in the faith that claims them. Amen! Hallelujah! But there is also power in testifying.

This pretty much describes the book of Psalms. They are songs of testimony. Very few of them (if any) are doctrinal treatises. No, they are songs of fear, doubt, trouble, tribulation, struggles, and how God rescued the psalmist. That’s why they’re so popular: “Hey, I’m going through the same type of struggle and he found victory!” Just one Psalm will suffice:

Psalm 34
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.  
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.  
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.  
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.  
7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.  
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

David is simply sharing his testimony, I cried and the Lord heard. Hallelujah!

I believe churches should encourage testifying, and offer opportunities for the brethren to testify. Do you have a testimony? When you have the opportunity, you should share your testimony. There is power in a testimony.

Is it really good news?

The gospel is good news, but not all the news is good. This past Sunday our New Testament reading was from Acts 17 (16-34) which includes this portion:

18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

According to verse 18, he preached Jesus and the resurrection in the synagogue and in the market place. We are not told what he said but based on his other sermons in the book of Acts I think it is safe to say that (at the least) it was: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross, and was raised from the dead. Then in 22-31 we have his sermon on Mars Hill. So where is the part that's not good?

He had to have told them that Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried. That is not good news. Crucifixion was a horrible death. His message begins thus, "Christ has come and they killed him. Jesus is the Christ and he was crucified." It actually sounds like the gospel ends before it begins. But God takes this terrible beginning and turns it into good news:

+ Jesus died for us, for our sins, that he might deliver us from sin. Now that is good news!

+ Jesus was raised from the dead. He is the living One! He now offers us forgiveness and life. That is also good news!

From his sermon we glean two other not so pleasant parts of the Gospel.

First he makes it clear, God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Repentance is something that many contemporary preachers ignore. Why? Because it's negative, it sounds like I'm telling you you're doing something wrong and you need to change. Well, that's exactly what it means. Repent means to change your mind, change the way you think. And in this sermon Paul tells the Athenians their ideas of God are wrong.

The city was wholly given to idolatry and he declares, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven [sculpted] by art and man's device. He explains that God is the creator, sustainer, provider; He doesn’t need us, we need Him. Everywhere the Gentiles were idolaters, so he very clearly proclaims, God commands all men everywhere to repent. That is, change the way you think about God; turn away from your idols to the true and living God.

John the Baptist preached repentance. Jesus, Peter, and Paul preached it as well. It is as necessary today as it was back then. And even though it sounds negative (no one appreciates being told they are wrong), repentance has positive results. It is linked to forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 5:31), life, (Acts 11:18), and salvation (2 Cor 7.10). And that is good news!

Second, Paul mentions something else that is largely overlooked by modern preachers, God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness. In fact, this is why we are urged to repent - judgement is coming and we are not ready for that Day. This is most definitely not a happy thought. Surely this can’t be good news. Ah, but this is why Jesus came and died on the cross, that he might save us from and prepare us for this Day. By his death on the cross we can be forgiven our sins, we can be justified or declared righteous before God. His resurrection is living proof of this. And that is good news!

The gospel is good news, even though not all of it sounds good. It is the good news of salvation, of forgiveness, of justification, of restoration to God, of life – all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You can be saved if you will repent and believe in Jesus. That is good news!

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.