Christian Family Services Ministry

6-23-2022 – Continue On Prayer:

At this time a student came from Harding Graduate School trying to get students to go to Harding Graduate School. I told him absolutely not I was not interested. He proceeded to tell me about this famous Dr. Lewis. Lewis has two doctorate one from Harvard and the other from Hebrew Union. A genius. I do not care I do not want to be anywhere near the school, or him or Tennessee. Lord, I will not do it. The student even bragged how he got to eat dinner with Dr. Lewis one evening. Your wasting your breath go talk to Paul the missionary from the Philippines I have no interest moreover as for Dr. Lewis, I wish him the best but we will never meet.

Mother said ask the Lord. Now this is the problem the Lord tells you to do something, what choice do you have? I know why others don’t ask, out of sight out of mind.

So come September Mary, Tim and I headed to Harding, very reluctantly. The first morning I get to chapel early. No one is there, and no one knew me. I walk into the chapel looked at the back benched check the number of steps to the back exit, two steps on one side and three on the other. I sat on the one that was only 2 steps from the exit door. I would be out of that chapel with the amen. I did not want to meet anyone, know anyone, talk to anyone, just hide.

Service was fairly short, they said amen and I was out the back exit. I had gotten a dozen steps and I heard a voice say “Jerry”. I kept walking for two reasons. I hated my name always had and rarely answered to it. The second no one knew me, so they were not calling me. The voice said again Jerry. I turned and there was this short little man in the middle of the aisle, and he said to me I am Dr. Lewis, I need to talk to you. Of all the people that I did not want to talk to and how did he know my name?

I said yes sir walked in his office and saw my folder open on his desk. Wonderful I thought he read up on me, they know I do not belong here. He knows I was in the military and that is not popular right now. (Viet Nam had just ended) I will be going home, thank the Lord I never wanted to be here. Told you Lord I do not belong here. He picked up my folder and said I notice you made straight A’s in Hebrew and Greek, I need someone to work with my Hebrew class and teach it and grade paper when I am not here. LORD THIS IS NOT FUNNY!! I should have never ask the Lord what would be on that test. The school pays well. Here I sit in a tent in the State Park without a job or money for housing. What choice do I have?

The 3 years at Harding was the most difficult, trying, years of my life up to then. I will not say anything further about it.

By now you know how important prayer is before one makes a decision. I told you prayer makes things harder, not easier. But have I mention what terrible mistake one makes if they do not ask?

I had been seeking a church as a minister for a couple of months. I graduated. But still no job. I had to find a place to go. I received a call from a little town Rector Arkansas would I come and try out. so, Mary and I went. After services the elder met with me and said they want to hire me. I did not ask the Lord. I needed a job. I said yes. I got home and the phone rang and there was a college wanting me to come and talk to them about a Bible Chair Ministry. My heart sank. I had to say I could not come I had just accepted a position elsewhere. I hung up; Lord I know I should have asked you. The answer yes you should have.

I discovered just how terrible, backing biting, cruel, and liars Christians could be. We were there 3 months. On a Wednesday evening the elder came up and said there was some problems. I said what do you want me to do quit. He said yes, The next day the elder came up and I guess wanting to whitewash the matter. I made him tell me why? He said the woman next door accused me of making obscene phone calls to her. What? Of all the things I had done or considered doing phone calls was never one of them. Remember, Exhorter hate telephones, they want to talk to people face to face. Confronting the woman, she told the elder it was me, since I used the term ‘you know’ a lot. I investigated talk to the police chief found out the calls had been going on months before I got there. They gave me the date of the call, and I pointed out I was 800 miles away in another city doing a wedding. They did not care they just wanted me gone. I took a polygraph, innocent, nope I was guilty they wanted me gone. So, we sat in the house next to the church while I looked for a job. The members called me names and wanted me out of there. Rumors spread to Harding about my supposed phone calls. Found out later even the president of Harding was telling other teachers about what I had done. We finally took a church in Oklahoman. But it was much too late. I was sick of people who called themselves Christian. Within a year I quite the ministry altogether. All of this the consequences of not inquiring of the Lord.

I quit. Stopped going to church, stopped praying. The Lord most certainly would have his hands full getting me back.