Earlier this year, on a cold morning, I found myself deep in thought (I know, “deep” is a relative term), thoughts which were centered on memories of 52 years ago, being 1974, concerning what was about to bring the most profound change in my life—our lives. I was asking myself this morning the same question I asked the Lord 52 years back: why me?
Why was I learning about the amazing Scriptures in the same Bible I had in my possession for years and had not seen it? The same Bible my father had preached from since before I was born. The same Bible my mom had sent me as soon as I told them I had gotten saved in 1964. Since then, I have read something every week, some more, some less, but never seen these things I now see. I know it is accountable to give the credit to the teacher, believing he knew how to bring these truths to light, etc. I know that. But, why was I seeing its powerful affect on those I showed the things they also had never seen? And why did some get angry? some deny its veracity? some decide they couldn’t any longer be friends with me? Truly a puzzlement. Why did it ill-affect them??
At first, when I asked the Lord these questions it was in a sense of awe that I asked “why do I see these mysteries revealed to the Apostle Paul, notice the differences which churches teach, and then be compelled to show them their error? Why, Lord, do I insist on telling others of your excellency in the revelation of the mystery?
Oh Lord Jesus Christ, “he whose glory makes the heavens shine!” Why me? Because I didn’t know how to ignore the truth? Or, because I was puffed up caused by seeing something these had not seen; was this a pride thing? I would argue these questions out when alone; or sitting reading in study time; or openly talking with my wife, and even in private conversations of prayer: Why, oh why, do I see these things and believe they must be taught? In a few months of studying by rightly dividing the word of truth, I came to the conclusion: go preach and teach what you now know.
I never told anyone for several weeks, but one bible class night I ask Bro. Moore to come to our house for breakfast the next morning. When we had finished eating I told him I believed the Lord wanted me to become a preacher/teacher. He immediately folded his arms, took a step back, and said, “what do you want me to do about that?”….shocked, I said, “Oh, nothing! I just wanted you to know, maybe pray for me!” He said, “Oh, OK.” My wife said, “What took you so long?” My brother Jack, who was there said, “This is not a surprise to me.”
Then as Bro. Moore was leaving, he shook my hand and said, “Well, if I can talk you out of it, I will!” It took me a few seconds, but I said with a smile, “well if you can, you should.” He said, “I know.” and left. That was my first thought of the alone-ness of being a preacher. It is a real characteristic, a singular yet duel comportment of me and the Lord Jesus Christ. Each man who takes on the task has it.
As time went on, after making the grand decision to one day be able to preach and teach what the Lord has said, many obstacles came my way. Our oldest two (sons) had begun high school in a Birmingham suburb, only to be moved again by me. You see, I had this job in Birmingham where eventually I irritated the big boss owner of the country because I would just keep talking about the Lord and His word. Bossman dreamed up a way to have me dismissed from the company and the only real opportunity was to move back to Illinois, once again moving the boys to a different high school. We did however, take back to a school they all 3 had attended a few years earlier in their education; Bismarck, Ill, a small but progressive country town on the North side of Danville. It wasn’t a troublesome move or a troublesome school, just an interruption in the continuation of education for them. For me, it brought challenges which brought out compromises of strange proportions, usually by work time constraints. My Illinois boss decided to run for a seat in congress in which he placed me as the reporter to the SEC and therefore in charge of monies spent and schedules to create. the hardest work I’ve ever done, the longest days and most time away from home—till his unfortunate defeat in his party’s primary. When asked by a reporter to remark on his defeat, his wife said, “It means I just got my husband back.” The same was true for my wife and family: long days and short nights were thankfully over.
Shortly, (May, 1978) we moved back to Alabama to pursue a renewed purpose of preaching and teaching God’s word. At a Bible Camp near Selma, AL in July a pastor of a group called Berean Bible Church of Selma suggested I replace him for he was moving his ministry to join a group in Chicago. The Selma group accepted me as their pastor.
Thanks for reading,
the Elder
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