Showing posts with label Heroes. Show all posts

My wife returned from a few days with her parents with the news that Elisabeth Elliot died today. The inspirational life and story of this giant in Christian faith is one that challenges us all to greater commitment. Perhaps it is the tragic story about the loss of her first husband which spurred her on to greater faith and subsequently has challenged many Christians to live their lives for the purpose of God’s glory. In any case, we must be grateful for the years and inspiration that were granted to us for her life and we can rejoice that she has now joined her lost Jim in worshiping at the feet of the Savior.

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

As our leadership conference was drawing to a close--on the final morning--the man leading morning devotion brought to my attention that yet another of my heroes in faith was gone (and I missed it).

It was about 20 years ago that I was able to meet T.W. Hunt in person. He made time for me--a young minister starting out. I recall that he promised to pray for me (after praying with me that day) and have no doubt that he did so as he approached the throne of God. What I recall from that encounter most of all was the tangible presence of Jesus Christ as we talked for just a few moments.

Few are the people who really bring you into the presence of God, T.W. Hunt was one of them. I am better to have simply met him for a moment.

https://www.baptiststandard.com/news/texas/17302-obituaries-t-w-hunt-robin-feistel

I learned this evening that another of my faith heroes has gone on to his reward. (http://www.baptiststandard.com/news/texas/15034-baptist-historian-and-professor-leon-mcbeth-dies)

One of the highlights of my seminary education was learning Christian and Baptist History under one who wrote the book (literally). Leon McBeth made studying the dusty old annals of Baptist History fun somehow. The year that his extensive The Baptist Heritage (which he lovingly referred to as "the doorstop") was published, was the year I had Baptist History. Delays in printing caused us to receive our copies of the book which was to be our text for the class six weeks into the semester. Undaunting, Dr. McBeth was kind enough to sign my copy anyway.

Yet another hero who will be missed (by me anyway).

We pray for the close friends and family of General Norman Schwarzkopf, military commander in Desert Storm.

Let us not forget the generals:

I read today where another of my professor/mentors has entered into the presence of the One he loved most on this Earth. Sadly, we say good-bye to Dr. Fish--one of the most authentic witnesses I have had the pleasure to know. (Read the story here.)

If evangelism is a passion, Roy Fish knew this passion well.

#13: I'm thankful for mentors.

Those people who invest their time and their lives to help you become a better you. The best of these are mentors unaware. Aside from my real-life Dad (who is one of my constant mentors even today), my two best mentors and heroes in both ministry and faith have gone on to be with our Savior. I'll name them here: CT Perkins and W. A. "Bill" Solesbee. Neither of these men would take credit for molding me into the person I am today (or maybe they would rather not take the blame), but their unassuming commitment to faith and to sharing Jesus--the time they spent with me when I was still a student--continues to challenge me today to be a better me for the Glory of God.

If you have mentors--thank them. If you see others who need one on one time to be more than they are--mentor them.

Today we say good-bye to one of my faith heroes. Avery Willis lost his hard battle with cancer early this morning. Why is he a hero? Because he was always a friend--to his family and close relations, to fellow Christ followers, and to people he met on the street.

He gave us MasterLife along with the challenge to live our faith in our everyday life. Celebrate life today, because that's what Avery stood for--celebrating life.

I know that at this moment he is hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward."

My prayers go out to Shirley and the children, and I celebrate with them this life that was lived to the fullest for the glory of God.

I've said it before, and I think it bears repeating~~We need heroes. We need to have people that pave the way for us, that we look up to, and that we can emulate as we trek along this earth. I've introduced you to a couple of my heroes in the past. Today I got to rub elbows with another of my heroes because I'm at the RHMA Small Town Pastors' Conference, and Calvin Miller has been the keynote speaker as well as a session leader.

Why is Miller one of my heroes? Because he has done most of the things that I'd like to do. He has planted churches, has served those churches as pastor, has written books (make that, books that others want to buy), and he has remained real in all of this.

I also owe a lot in my life--not just my ministry--to Miller. Indirectly, he is responsible for the circumstances through which I met the blushing bride. He was the inspirational speaker over ten years ago at the missions emphasis week at Glorietta Baptist Conference Center in New Mexico where I decided to become an international missionary. Had I not made that decision, I would never have met my beautiful wife on the second day of missionary orientation two years later.

So, get you a hero. Don't worship them, but do be grateful for their presence in your life.

You Are Cyclops

Dedicated and responsible, you will always remain loyal to your cause. You are a commanding leader - after all, you can kill someone just by looking at them. Power: force beams from your eyes

As I introduced this series last week, I introduced my ultimate hero—Jesus Christ. As I prepare to close this Passion Week study of heroes, I’d like to introduce you to two gentlemen, two mentors, two friends, who were examples, colleagues, and friends all rolled into one.

C. T. Perkins was a retired preacher when I met him. He came to Mount Pleasant Baptist Church as Interim Pastor shortly after I became the music director there. C.T. was one of those old-time preachers who believed that the Bible was the place to find the answers to all our questions. He believed in education—as evident in the fact that he met his wife, Mary, when they were both students at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He loved the church—evident in his active participation in his own local church whenever he was not serving as a supply preacher, revivalist, or interim pastor during his 30-something years of retirement (following a lengthy career as a local church pastor). He loved people—exemplified in his down-home humor that found its way into sermons and conversations alike. He loved Jesus. I recall the last visit I had with C.T. before he died. He wore a belt around his chest keeping one arm tied to his side. He told me that it helped keep him from raising that arm and causing problems with the pacemaker that kept his heart going. Then he said, “You know, I did something the other day that I’ve never done before.” In answer when I asked what that was, C.T. replied, “I preached on my 84th birthday!”

W.A. “Bill” Solesbee was the pastor with whom I worked during my seminary days. I have often lamented that Bill was not the finest of orators. His sermon delivery style was more of a stroll down the garden path with many stops and side trips along the way. At the same time, he was one of the most Christian believer I think I have ever had the privilege of encountering—and I got to work closely with him for two years. Bill loved people, he loved the Bible, he loved the Lord, and he loved being the pastor of Edgemont Park Baptist Church. Bro. Bill (as he was affectionately known) had spent many years on the mission field in the Philippines, and then returned to the USA where he spent 20 years in the pulpit of EPBC. Of all the witnesses I know, none has been so natural at sharing Jesus and the Gospel message in a simple conversation as Bill. He saw the world through the eyes of Jesus. He constantly, genuinely opened his faith to a world that needed Jesus in a way that could never be described as pushy or preachy, but presented in sincere love.

These are heroes that I would love to emulate. Who are yours? Share your story.

Today, I would like to honor actually two groups—the temporal and the spiritual.

A heartfelt salute goes out to those men and women who have dedicated their lives to the cause of patriotism. We have military stationed at home and abroad that work daily to protect those “certain unalienable Rights” which were endowed by our Creator. We gladly live in a nation that bases its freedoms on the ideology that men can disagree with governmental decisions and make that disagreement known—broadcasting it venomously to all who will listen. I believe, however, that we ought to offer our heartfelt support to our military personnel wherever they may serve. They are heroes with a capital HEART. We should be thankful to God and to these people that they are on the job protecting our American ideals whenever they serve.

On the other side of the coin, serving around the world are people who take their relationship with Christ so seriously, that they have surrendered their lives, their careers, even their families, to the spread of the gospel. These people are known as missionaries. They carry the message of Jesus Christ to the world around them, whether it is at the corner store in Backwater, North Carolina, or at an outpost in the Zambizi desert. We as a church have romanticized missionary work to the point of placing missionary personnel on a pedestal picturing them as demigods. The reality is that missionaries are simply heroes—ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The difference between missionaries and ordinary believers is that they live to advance the Kingdom of God.

One group protects our Constitutional freedom.

The other advances our freedom in Christ.

When emergencies happen there are those who rise to the occasion. Many are from the medical profession—doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians. A recent incident at our church pointed to another group that often goes unnoticed, unrewarded for professionalism and efficiency. These are the members of the volunteer fire departments that service many of the smaller and more rural communities in our country. Among these brave members of the community are the first responders. Those trained in emergency first aid and beyond to lower the event of death at accidents, fires, and medical emergencies. I salute those who volunteer their time and obtain the training to bridge the gap between 9-1-1 call and ambulance arrival.

Have you been on the receiving end of the expertise and professionalism of one of these stand-out groups? Say thanks here with a comment.

Note: This week is known as Passion Week. It is the week we pause to focus specifically on the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. It culminates in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It seems appropriate that we should look at heroes this week. I introduced the topic in my last post, and hope that you will be able to find some heroes of your own or think of those who have inspired you in the past. Христос воскрес! Воистино воскрес!

With the ever-growing number of comic book heroes around us, and the modern practice of turning them into more human than hero, it is difficult to find a good comic book hero to fill the shoes of “my hero.” At one point I go back to the definition of a hero – someone who goes beyond the ordinary. In that case you can’t choose Superman who is in reality an alien, nor Spider-man or the Hulk who received their powers as the result of a radioactive accident. The only hero who fills the bill is the Batman. Turning to vigilante justice to clean up the crime in Gotham City, the Batman gets his superpowers as a result of the estate to which he is heir. He develops himself and takes advantage of gizmos and technology, all carried around on his trusty utility belt. If I return to my childhood, I find there men like Aquaman and Green Lantern. I think I enjoyed Green Lantern most because he had the cool ring which held his power.

So many heroes, no way to choose. So I decided to speak about what makes comic book heroes really heroes. With the help of Stan Lee, I learned that a hero is a hero because of their desire to save lives, right wrongs, and live uprightly. A true superhero is honest, trustworthy, determined, and caring. He looks for ways to right wrongs without even harming the enemy (the super villain) if it can be helped. As the old Superman television program put it, he stands for “truth, justice, and the American way!” What do we learn from comic book heroes?

• To stand up for what is right—no matter what.



• To always take the best road.



• To use our strengths for the betterment of our world.



• To always leave the world a better place than we found it.

I like to think that the heroes of my childhood don’t belong in the darkside comic books that have developed since the 1980s. Instead, the search for truth and goodness wins out always—and so I give you Green Lantern.

Now, whose your comic book hero? And why?

There is a fascinating new show on TV that has just finished its first season. The show is called Heroes and is about people who seem ordinary but have extraordinary abilities. In life we need heroes. Not the superhero types that abound in comic books (excuse me, graphic novels), but the real life, everyday, simple people who do things way beyond the normal.

Looking through the Bible we have heroes of our faith--men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; prophets such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Elijah; and faithful leaders we remember as Paul, Peter, and John.

One of my heroes died this week. W.A. "Bill" Solesbee died on Tuesday, but his legacy is sure. This simple preacher and former missionary was a man whose influence will be felt for years, and throughout the world. Bro. Bill (as he was affectionately known) was one of the first pastors that I had the privelege of serving with. He was a man of faith and little more. He lived what he said, and was concerned for every person he encountered.

I recall being with him as he stopped in to the convenience store for a gallon of milk. He shared his smile and his faith with the attendant without distracting her from her job or allowing her to misuse her boss' time. Once I visited Bill in his home long after our ministries took us in separate directions. He had been "retired" for several years. his ailing wife was at Death's doorstep. He shared with me that he had been concerned that he was no longer of any use to the Kingdom any more. Those who knew Bill will know how wrong he had been. He had even prayed that unless God had more work for him, he could go ahead and die to cease to be a burden to his loved ones. In the next two weeks, the Lord opened Bill's eyes to no fewer than eleven people with whom he had been able to share his faith, with several accepting Christ as their personal savior and others rededicating their lives to God. "I guess," he told me, "that God is still working through me."

I pray that everyone has a mentor like Bill Solesbee. I pray that I may be such an influence on some who walk and work alongside of me.

Do you have heroes? What makes them heroes? For me, Bill Solesbee is a hero because of the extraordinary way he lived his ordinary life.