January 2,1998
Dear Br. David:
I was just thinking of you recently, so I thought I would write you a short note. Winter has finally descended upon NE Tennesses with cold winds and five inches of snow. Sevilla and I were planning to go to town today, Friday, but we aren’t certain yet that the van is operating because of the poor conditions of the roads. Reminds me of the occassional time you or Darus conldn’t pick us up because of the same reason. I am told that in this country, they have eleven vans and a total of 77 for the seven country area that this service covers. I hope the third van you guys were getting in Cocke country is operating.
Over the last several years of his Presidency, we have observed
Bill Clinton’s appeal to emotion as a means of promoting
his agenda or ingretiating himself with the American public. As
I write to men, I constantly stress the importance of looking
to Christ as the source of all emotional stability, balance, or
control rather then resorting to unbalanced feelings. We approach
Christ through faith, which is simply trusting Him with ourselves,
our problems, our needs, our minds, our bodies, and our relationships.
He understands all about us and knows what is best in all circumstances.
When we believe that His solutions or counsel or wisdom is better
then ours and are willing to follow Him wherever He leads us,
then we have saving faith, a faith that qualifies us to live with
Him throughout eternity.
But how do we acquire faith? Again, the answer is simple, God
has already supplied us with sufficient faith to trust Him. We
need only exercise this faith, for the faith of Christ is ours
already.
Faith is a potent souther of the nerves and emotions. When troubles
perplex the mind or burden the heart, look to Jesus, He loves
and cares for you. He feels your burdens and offers sympathy and
hope. Turn away form human resources or self-dependency, rely
fully upon Christ. However, if you feel that your faith is weak
and you cannot trust Christ, then rely upon the faith of someone
else. Read the scriptures, immerse yourself in them, fortify the
mind and heart with the loving words of the Savior. Begin with
the gospels or the Psalms. Read of Christ’s burden of heart
for His beloved children. When you read of a promise of Christ,
such as John 3:16, insert your name into the verse and read it
as if He were speaking to you personally, then the scriptures
will have greater meaning and relevance. Personalize the words
of Christ, eat them like you would eat a favorite food, make them
a part of your life and being. Fortify yourself with scripture
that you may be enabled to resist the Devil when he tells you
that your case is hopeless. Remind him that Christ died to save
folks such as yourself. When doubt and despair overwhelm you,
look up, rejoice, make a deliberate choice to speak words of hope
and offer prayers of thanksgiving.
Talk faith and you shall have faith, talk doubt and you shall
have doubt, talk courage and you shall be courageous, talk unbelief
and you shall have unbelief. The simple act of saying, “I
believe,” brings belief. We believe what we hear ourselves
say, therefore, talk belief, even if you don’t feel like
believe. Speak as if you trust the lord fully and you shall trust
the Lord for He will never let you down, nor forsake you.
This world is a bark and lonely place at best. There are many
problems that constantly beset each individual. Pain and suffering
are the lot of all humanity, but we need not despair or give up
in hopelessness. We need not suffer depression, fear, anger or
bitterness over our hard lot. Christ suffered more disappointments,
more emotional anguish then you or I will ever be called upon
to endure, yet He never gave way to despair or depression, fear
or anxiety for His faith took firm hold upon His Father, He refused
to doubt, no matter how dark the hour or how disappointing the
prospects seemed. The more severe the trials, the more He clung,
by faith, to the promises of His Father. Think not that Christ
had any advantage that we do not posses. He was beset with the
same trials and emotions that beset us, yet He prevailed through
faith. If, for only a moment, He possessed any advantage that
we do not posses, then He could not be our Savior. Christ understands
emotions. Read Psalm 22. This Psalm describes His emotions when
hanging upon the cross, dying for a world who had apparently rejected
Him. Shut away from His Father’s presence, forsaken by His
disciples, crucified, in extreme physical and emotional torment,
He, nevertheless refused to surrender His faith in His Father’s
love. He went into the grave in full surrender to the will of
His Father and came out a victor. He offers this same saving faith
to you and me. Dear Brother, trust the Lord, for He really is
trustworthy. He cares for you with an everlasting love that will
not let you go. Give yourself to Him for He has already given
Himself to you.
May the Lord inspire you to greater heights and energies of trust
and faith and may you drive safely, your brother in Christ.