Changing Ends

When I played high school basketball, we changed ends after halftime.  That is, we no longer shot the ball on the same end in the second half as we did in the first half.  August was our month to change ends in evangelism, not ends of the court but ends of the country.  We moved from western Colorado to western North Carolina, a total of 1,754 miles.

Once we arrived in NC, we enjoyed some wonderful times of fellowship.  First we visited the church of which Sarah and I were members for 15 years.  It was so refreshing to see so many friends again, and to be able to minister there in preaching and music.  From there we went back to Ambassador Baptist College and once again ministered in preaching and music.

After one more meeting here in NC, which closes on Wednesday of this week, we turn west again and head towards Mississippi and home.  We will be there long enough to change out summer clothes for winter ones before we head north again.

As a casual reading of the Book of Acts will reveal, much of the ministry of the evangelist is travel and fellowship with other believers.  Luke writes of how itinerant men strengthened and confirmed the churches.  This has been our ministry, particularly this month.  While the travel has been long, the fellowship has been sweet.

Threefold Cord

When I was in college, Bro. Ron Comfort told those of us who were studying for evangelism, “Men, one of the the greatest things that can happen in your ministry is for a pastor to recommend you to all his friends.  This is something only the Lord can do, but when it happens, it will be a great blessing to your ministry.”

On Tuesday of last week, we had nothing on the schedule.  We had to drift south toward CO from northern WY, and as we came through Thermopolis, I saw a name that rang a bell to me.  Why I remember this name above others, I cannot say, but Pastor Harvey Seidel was listed as the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Thermopolis.  In 1998, when I was traveling in the west representing Ambassador Baptist College where I was enrolled as a student at the time, we were scheduled to be with Pastor Seidel.  If I remember correctly, he had to cancel the meeting for one reason or another.  Despite this cancellation, I remembered his name.

Now, as we drove through town and passed his church, I noticed his name on the sign.  I had to stop in McDonald’s to get Internet access so that I could take care of some things.  After an equipment malfunction, I found myself in a Verizon store and felt led to casually ask about Pastor Seidel.  An old-fashioned phone book provided the right number, and after a couple of phone calls, we obtained permission to park our trailer at First Baptist Church.

What followed was something that only God can do.  As Pastor Seidel and his assistant pastor Nathan Winters spent time with me, the Lord knit our hearts together.  I was asked to preach in the midweek service and God met with us in a special way.  Then, because I had some flexibility in my schedule, Pastor Seidel asked that I preach Sunday morning as well.

After we spent time with the staff and families of First Baptist Church of Thermopolis, the Lord directed Pastor Seidel to write letters of recommendation to many of his pastor friends around the nation, one of whom has already scheduled a meeting.

We stand in awe of how our God can choose our friends for us and work in our behalf through the hearts of His servants.

Many road miles await us in the next few days as we make the transition from West (CO) to East (NC).  We appreciate your prayers.

When God Speaks

“Let me tell you my story,” offered the well-dressed man, his wife at his side in the church auditorium.  If the story included the wonderful way that the Gospel had brought him to salvation, I would be very grateful indeed to hear.  If, on the other hand, it was just another experience of something unusual—an alien encounter, for instance—I would rather not waste my time.  But since I could have no way of knowing whether I would enjoy the story or not until I had heard it, I indicated to the man to proceed.

“I was lying in bed in my house one night when something awakened me at 2:00 in the morning.”  Oh great!  This is not the kind of story that I usually like.  “I got out of bed and began to head downstairs because I saw a light coming from the patio.  When I got midway down the stairs, this feeling came over me and I knew unmistakably that God loved me.”

And?  I waited to hear the part where the story would turn to realization of sin and turning to Christ, but the story was done.  This circumstance alone formed the basis for this man’s assurance of salvation.  In his mind, God spoke to him that night in the most definite way.

Now for my story.  Not about my salvation, but about how God speaks, really speaks, to me.  As I was alone praying one day, I began to reflect with disappointment on my shortcomings, my failures.  There were so many times when I had failed to do what I should have done or done what I should not have done.  In prayer, I began to bring these up to God when He simply shut me down.  If you don’t think that the God of heaven does this from time to time, take another look at the Book of Joshua.  God shut down my prayer because it was His turn to speak.  He reminded me that when I was yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for me, one of the ungodly.  He continued by reminding me that scarcely for a righteous man would one die.  No matter though: I was not righteous.  Yet, peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  Still of no consequence, for I was not good.  But God commendeth His love toward me in that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.  God had spoken, and though the voice was not audible even to me, there could have been nothing more real.

Recently, I have come to call these types of experiences in my life—and yes, there have been others when God spoke definitely to me—Emmaus Road experiences.  The name comes from a location casually mentioned in Luke 24.  Read it.  And start looking for your own Emmaus Road experiences.