Letters    

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

Dear E. H.                                                                                                      August 31, 1993

     ...I am convinced much of the apparent weakness of the church is due to the slight treatment we give to prayer. It is easier to trust our efforts than it is to prostrate ourselves before the Lord, and to call Him into the battle.

ON PERSECUTION

Dear J. S.                                                                                                    September 8, 1987

     ...Perhaps it will sound a bit bigoted, but it is historically accurate that Baptists have never been a persecuting people. Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Anglicans who came out of the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation clung to the Roman Catholic teaching concerning Church and State, and it is much to be lamented that while there have been some excellent Christian men in these denominations, they nevertheless retained the doctrine of the persecutor even when they settled in this country. May the God of all grace be gracious unto you.

ON SUFFERING FOR DOING RIGHT: TO AN EXPELLED PASTOR

Dear G. C.                                                                                                      March 26, 1990

      Your letter was a real bombshell to me. I weep with you, brother. ...We will pray for you and ask the Lord to make these difficult days times of refreshing. No man is without fault, but even when we seek to do the will of God, Satan loves to come with an extra load of guilt for us. If Scripture teaches anything, it teaches that when we suffer for doing what is right, we will be rewarded—not here, but there; not now, but then. If He who knows us intimately did not know we could bear such trials, He would not put us through them. God is faithful.

ON RESPECTING BRETHREN WITH WHOM WE DISAGREE

Dear H. L.                                                                                                 September 19, 1983

     Your letter was most kind, and I appreciated it very much. Thank you for your frankness, and I certainly will consider you as both a friend and brother. It grieves me greatly that often brethren who will sit down together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb cannot entertain mutual respect for one another when there is a disagreement of the nature such as is between us. I appreciate you greatly. Please, if you come through our area and are able to stop, please do so. It would be so good to see you again. Perhaps we could have a meal together. Until then, may the Lord honor you as I know you seek to honor Him.

TO A DISCOURAGED PASTOR

Dear W. T.                                                                                                        January 4, 1993

      It has come to my attention that you have offered a tentative resignation to your church. May a friend and brother in Christ offer some thoughts? Certainly I would not presume to tell you what to do, but would only ask that you consider a few things.

      First, it seems your desire to initiate some programs have not met with much zeal. Now, you are discouraged. All God's servants battle with that. So did Elijah. We are human. We get tired and sometimes feel we are in a rut. Things get old to us. While it is true the Lord may want you to move on, it may also be true that the Lord would have you remain to "hold the fort," or to use a more Scriptural term, "to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints."

      God uses men differently. While some attract large numbers of hearers, others may influence multitudes by taking up the pen. But, who is to say how great an influence we may have on this vile world by the influence we have on one child, or the peace we may be instrumental in bringing to one dying saint.

     Throughout history, whenever people have turned away from the Lord and gone into apostasy, the work of the Lord suffered. Churches do not flourish, and the work of God does not prosper in those times when the hearts of men wax cold. Certainly, there is not a man anywhere who could deny these are such days.

     The brethren there need strong leadership such as you can give. They need a man faithful with the Scriptures who will "stand in the gap." I cannot fault you for being discouraged because I am very prone to melancholia, but I would only entreat you to "test the spirits" to be sure what the will of the Lord is.

     I love you in Christ, and will pray for the Lord's will to be done. "May God Smile On You" —Bach

OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

Dear J. M. and L. H.                                                                                     October 7, 1986

     I write in order that in future printings of the 4th grade history book you may give consideration to correcting a significant error. On page 34, Sir Francis Drake is referred to as a "pirate," and Queen Elizabeth I is portrayed as encouraging the plunder of Spanish ships. Spain was perhaps the Pope's chief ally, and was the inventor of "the Holy Office of the Inquisition." The word "pirate" conjures up in the mind the thought of a murderous cutthroat. To refer to Sir Francis in this manner is a grievous error, first, because Spain came to the defense of the Pope and agreed to war against England. The Pope in turn gave Philip the English throne, and proclaimed him the "Defender of the Christian faith."

      On January 24, 1579, Sir Francis Drake made a temporary landing on the coast of what is now California. His chaplain, Rev. Frances Fletcher conducted the first Protestant worship service there, and in essence claimed the new territory for the Church of England. It is also known that Sir Francis Drake carried Bibles, Prayerbooks, and Foxe's Book of Martyrs in the holds of his ships. He also enforced regular worship services aboard his ship.

     While Sir Francis was a "privateer" operating with the sanction of his government, he was not a "pirate," and Queen Elizabeth stood in defense of the faith against the tyranny of Rome.

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