Paige and Dorothy Patterson’s Retirement Home Built on the Property of Southwestern Seminary

The Patterson Retirement Home

Dr. Paige Patterson and his wife Dorothy, nearing retirement as President and First Lady of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, are having their retirement home built on the seminary property.

The decision by the Executive Committee of Southwestern Theological Seminary's trustees to allow the Pattersons to live out their retirement years on the grounds of SWBTS needs to be questioned by the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention for many reasons.

Before articulating these reasons, let me state that I personally like Paige and Dorothy Patterson. I've found them to be hospital hosts, zealous for evangelism, and filled with humor. It's no secret that I have challenged Dr. Patterson on several fronts, including allowing a practicing Muslim entrance to the Seminary in violation of both the seminary's charter and purpose, firing the finest Hebrew professor in the Southern Baptist Convention "because she was female," and various other issues over the years.

Differing on principles does not equate to disliking the persons.

On many occasions, there have been professors, trustees, students, and graduates of Southwestern Theological Seminary who have contacted me with concerns. I have declined to say or write anything about several issues brought to my attention. This post is written not because I do not wish the Pattersons to live out their golden years in comfort, but rather,  I and many others believe the decision to allow them to live on school property is troublesome on several fronts.

1. The controversial decision to allow the Pattersons to live on SWBTS's campus after retirement has been driven by Dr. Patterson and voted on in secret by the Executive Committee of the seminary's trustees, not during open plenary sessions of all trustees. 

A former chairman of the trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary let it be known that “The retirement home for the Pattersons will not be built on school property during my watch.”

Dr. Patterson waited until that man’s watch ticked out.

Kevin Ueckert, SWBTS Trustee Chairman

Whether the current trustee chairman,  Dr. Kevin Ueckert of FBC Georgetown, Texas, is in favor of the Patterson retirement home being built on school property under his watch,  is a matter open for discussion. However, if the decision was made during an Executive Session by the Executive Committee of the SWBTS trustees, then one would assume the chairman voted "Yes."

On January 31, 2018, I contacted Dr. Ueckert via Messenger and asked him several questions. To date, I've not received any responses to my questions.  The current chairman is a young pastor, a graduate of Southwestern Theological Seminary, and he has a long pastoral career in front of him.

Interestingly, on February 6, 2018, one week after my queries, the Southern Baptist Texan, the Southern Baptists in Texas conservative newsletter, led by Jim Richards, friend to Paige Patterson, posted a long interview with Dr. Paige Patterson where a handful of my questions were answered, raising even more concerns.

The article states that "this vision was planted a long while back by an idea a trustee (had) at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where Patterson was president."

Notice the directional change. The idea began at Southeastern and finds fruition at Southwestern.

What idea was planted at Southeastern? The article continues:

"Phillip Mercer and his wife wanted to build the Pattersons a retirement home – anywhere."

The Patterson retirement home at SWBTS, Ft. Worth, Texas

That retirement home is being built on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Unfortunately, when the trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary voted on building the retirement home over a year ago, the seminary trustees gave the impression that they were approving a $2.5 million dollar Baptist Heritage Center to archive materials, libraries, and collections of famous Southern Baptists, and possibly have rooms to temporarily house a few missionaries on furlough or who were visiting SWBTS. At the time, the trustees either intentionally refused to address and vote on whether the Pattersons should live in the Baptist Heritage Center during open session, or even worse, were never made aware of the true use of the proposed building.

There is no public record of the trustees approving this building as the Patterson's retirement home. The trustees are obligated to report such actions made during their plenary sessions to the Southern Baptist Convention. There has never been a report to the Southern Baptist Convention that this decision to build a retirement home for the Pattersons on school property was made by the trustees.

Interestingly, on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, SBC This Week published an article entitled "Patterson Discusses Retirement Plans" and made this incredible statement (emphasis mine):

"While not announced in the trustee meeting recap, the Southwestern executive committee of the trustee board officially extended an invitation in September 2017 for the Pattersons to reside in the Baptist Heritage Center as its first theologians-in-residence at a time to be determined later."

Let that sink in. Behind closed doors. In Executive Session. No reporting of the decision to the Southern Baptist Convention. Trustee boards are supposed to be transparent.

Someone has rightly said, "We are only as sick as our secrets." Our convention will never be healthy and Kingdom-minded as long as we allow a decision like this to be made behind closed doors. 

Yesterday (February 7, 2018), Baptist Press issued a statement from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary entitled "Conservative Resurgence Archives To Be Housed at New SWBTS Center." 

It seems that since I have begun privately asking questions of leadership, SWBTS is now making public that, indeed, Dr. and Mrs. Patterson will be living out their retirement years on the property of Southwestern Theological Seminary. However, in finally making public this decision which the seminary trustee executive committee made in private, the seminary's public relations department is emphasizing "This will be a Baptist Heritage Center."

No, it's not. It's a retirement home.

If it is truly a Baptist Heritage Center, then the Pattersons would not be living in it.

2. The decision to construct the Patterson retirement home on the property of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary property must be addressed by the Southern Baptist Convention. 

A healthy minority of SWBTS trustees are embarrassed - borderline angry - that the Pattersons have been granted by the trustee executive committee the right to live out their retirement years among facilities paid for by over $372,000,000 Cooperative Program dollars. That's correct. The Southern Baptist Convention has forwarded to Southwestern Theological Seminary over $372 million Cooperative Program dollars since the founding of the seminary. 

The Southern Baptist Convention should have a say whether or not a retirement home for a former president should be built on institutional grounds.  The trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary are accountable to the SBC, not the President of the institution they serve. The President is supposed to work for them; not the other way around.

Can the seminary's trustees make these kinds of decisions without approval of the Southern Baptist Convention? Of course. But as stated above, this decision should have been debated during open forum plenary trustee sessions, should have been voted upon and votes recorded in the minutes, and those minutes should have been reported out to the Southern Baptist Convention in the recap of the trustee plenary sessions.

Institutional trustees answer to the Southern Baptist Convention. When there is transparency and accountability like there is supposed to be at our convention, the process actually works.

This matter should be addressed by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention this June in Dallas, Texas. The secrecy of the decision is troublesome enough, but in the long run, the precedent set by this decision may cause even more, unexpected problems in the future.

3.  Having a former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on the property during the tenure of a new president is unhealthy for the institution on several fronts. 

a. Ask any new pastor if he wants the former pastor officing next door to him?

b. Ask Paige Patterson if he would have wanted Ken Hemphill living on school property when he took over?  There may be some real irony here in that Dr. Ken Hemphill is running for President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and will be voted on this June in Dallas, Texas.

c. Ask any church if they think it would be wise to build a second parsonage for their retiring pastor, next door to the current parsonage which will house the "yet to be named" new pastor?

d. Ask any newly married woman if it's wise for her husband to build a home for his ex-girlfriend next door to the couples' home?

Dr. Patterson's friend told him he would build him a retirement home anywhere. 

Anywhere. Last time I checked, anywhere meant anywhere.

Why in the name of the Southern Baptist Convention is it being built on the property of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary? 

4. If a court finds Paige Patterson guilty of conspiring to cover-up a sexual assault, are the Pattersons asked to leave, and are stained glass windows removed?

The Cover Page of the Lawsuit

Last December 27, 2017, Paul Pressler was accused in a lawsuit, filed in Harris County court, of sexually assaulting Gareld Duane Rollins, Jr., beginning in 1979 when Rollins was 14-years-old. The suit alleges decades of molestation and sexual abuse. 

The suit also names Paige Patterson in the lawsuit. Rollins alleges that Paige was knowledgeable of the abuse and helped cover it up. The victim is seeking over $1 million dollars in damages. 

On at least one mission trip overseas, Dr. Patterson and Dorothy Patterson were present with Paul Pressler and young Gareld Rollins. The Texas Monitor is reporting on this case with regularity. 

I have no knowledge of whether or not the claims in the lawsuit have merit, but reading the actual papers filed makes one's stomach turn. 

Suppose that a jury or a judge finds Dr. and Mrs. Patterson guilty of conspiring to cover-up sexual molestation of a minor. Will the Southern Baptist Convention or Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary like having the Pattersons living in their retirement house on school property? 

Again, whether or not the Pattersons are guilty is not the issue. 

One should always be careful before placing stained glass windows of living people in places of worship.

Stains come other ways than just in glass. 

5. The Southern Baptist Convention is constitutionally controlled by the people.

If this home is brought to completion in the fall of 2018, and if the Pattersons move into that home, the Southern Baptist Convention will have nobody to blame but ourselves. 

The trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary are accountable to the convention, which means us.

I want the Patterson's to have their retirement home. I am appreciative of generous, kind Southern Baptist benefactors who desire the Patterson's to have a home of their own during retirement.

That home should not be on the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary school property.

You may contact the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention to obtain the names, address, and contact information for the trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Or, you may write directly using an online form.

More to come.

Trembling at God's Judgment and the Day of Wrath

John Battaglia and his daughters, Liberty and Faith

A man died today. 

Executed by the state. 

His name was John Battaglia, and he died by lethal injection. 

Asked by the executioner if he had any last words, John Battaglia said "No." But then he changed his mind, looked at his ex-wife Mary Jean, and smiled broadly. Then he said, "Well, hi, Mary Jean. I'll see you later." 

Facing imminent death, John Battaglia continued to taunt his ex-wife, the mother of the two small girls he'd shot and killed in cold blood in 2001; a crime John Battaglia celebrated and embraced until the end. 

The executioner injected Battaglia with the drug pentobarbital. 

Battaglia closed his eyes, but a few seconds later opened them, lifted his head, and mockingly asked, "Am I still alive?"

Within minutes the lethal drug took effect. John Battaglia fell asleep and began snoring. Seconds later he stopped breathing. 

John Battaglia died. 

Mr. Battaglia seemed to hold to a view of the afterlife that included two things:

1. He'd see people again.

2. He welcomed his death.

John Battaglia should have trembled.

The Sins of John Battaglia

In 2001, the man executed today was a successful Dallas accountant. However, he was estranged from his wife, Mary Jean. In an attempt to "get back" at his estranged wife, John Battaglia shot and killed their 9-year old and 6-year old daughters, while on the speaker phone with his wife.

According to prosecutors, Battaglia had become angry that Mary Jean had notified police about his harassment of her. John Battaglia used a planned visit with their daughters to act on his anger against his estranged wife.

Mary Jean returned a call from one of her daughters and heard 9-year-old Faith pleading with her father. John Battaglia then put the call on speakerphone so his estranged wife could hear what he was doing to Faith and Liberty, their two little girls.

"No, daddy, please don't, don't do it!" Faith begged.

Mary Jean yelled into the phone for her girls to run, then she heard gunshots.

"Merry ... Christmas," Battaglia told Mary Jean, the words of the holiday greeting derisively divided by an obscenity.

There were more gunshots. Mary Jean called 911.

Faith was shot three times, Liberty five. Hours later, Battaglia was arrested outside at a tattoo shop where he had two large red roses inked on his left arm to commemorate his daughters. It took four officers to subdue him. A fully loaded revolver was found in his truck, and more than a dozen firearms were recovered from his apartment.

The Fear of the Lord for His Wrath against Sin

Today the biblical understanding of God's wrath has fallen on hard times. It's like it is impossible for  God to ever experience righteous anger in the minds of modern millennials. 

While writing this piece I saw on the television monitor the father of a girl that had been sexually abused by Larry Nassar jump over the courtroom railing and charge the sexual predator in anger. 

I understood the father's feelings. 

If you touch my little girl the way Nassar touched over nearly 200 girls, then I might feel the very same emotion that led this father to go after Nassar in anger.

Listen to Jesus:  

"And everyone who commits an offense against one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be profitable for him that a donkey's millstone would be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the depths of the sea." (Matthew 18:6 Aramaic Translation). 

That sounds like an angry Father to me.

It is a common theme for many to argue that God can't be angry because God is love. I like the way my earthly father puts it. "God defines love, but love doesn't define God."

God is more than just love. 

He is just. 

The Just Wrath of God

The apostle Paul writes:

 “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). 

We understand from Paul's words that

1. God’s wrath is proportional to a person's sinfulness (e.g., "you are storing up wrath").

2. God's righteous judgment against sin will be revealed in "a day of wrath."

A wise man named Solomon wrote these words;

“If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”  (Proverbs 24:12). 

J.I. Packer gives a clear and concise summary of God's wrath:

“God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil” (Knowing God, p. 151).

An Unrepentant Sinner Should Tremble Thinking of God's Wrath

"Behold the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked" (Jeremiah 30:23)

"The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. (Nahum 1:2)

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth"  (Romans 1:18)

"From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty" (Revelation 19:15).

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord" (Romans 12:19).

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

The Wicked Will Be Raised from the Dead to Face God's Judgment

Jesus taught that the wicked will be raised from death by the power of God: 

“Marvel not at this: for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment [damnation—KJV]” (John 5:28-29).

The Apostle Paul taught the same thing:

“But this I confess unto you, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets; having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust” (Acts 24:14-15).

The Apostle John taught the same thing:

“The sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works” (Rev. 20:13).

Jesus was very clear about what unrepentant sinners were to fear:

“And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

Again, 

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

The term “resurrection” is translated from the Greek word anastasis. It is derived from two roots — ana, “up,” and histemi, “to cause to stand.”

Resurrection is the rising up of that which has been laid down. The body that dies and is laid to rest (or burned, drowned, etc.) will be caused to stand up again.

The Bible teaches that the resurrected body will be a different essence (1 Corinthians 15:42) of the individual's presence.

The seed (e.g., "body") is planted in the ground. The plant that rises (e.g. "the resurrected body") is from the seed, but different than the seed. 
Two points are important to keep in mind.

1. First, each body will retain its own individuality (“each seed a body of its own” — 1 Cor. 15:38).

2. There will be an identity continuum between the old body and the new body and the individual's surroundings. In other words, in the resurrection, there will be a continuation of physical life. Resurrected people aren't angels or demons. Resurrected people are people

The Resurrection of the Wicked To Judgment Is Something To Be Feared

Back to John Battaglia and his execution.

He shouldn't have been smiling. He should have been trembling.

He shouldn't have welcomed death. He should have feared it deeply.

"For it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

I believe the Bible clearly teaches that the wicked do not live forever. I also believe the Bible clearly teaches that at the end of God's judgment against the wicked there is death again (e.g., "The second death.").

However, I believe the Bible teaches that the wicked should tremble...tremble...tremble... at the coming Judgement.

Why do I not tremble?

Because I trust in God's amazing love for sinners who repent and come to faith in Jesus the Anointed One

This is the Good News:

 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

 Charles Wesley speaks for me:

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Saviour’s blood?

Died he for me, who caused his pain!

For me, who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be

That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

You should have trembled, John Battaglia. You should have trembled.

The Life and Legacy of Enid's Marvella Belle Bayh

Marvella Belle Bayh

"It came to me - even if we were to live to be a hundred years old - that life is really short. Therefore, it is important to enjoy life and not rush so fast. Take time to smell the roses." Marvella Bayh

President Jimmy Carter and Vice-President Walter Mondale walked slowly out the front doors of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  President Carter had just finished his eulogy of 46-year-old Marvella Bayh of Enid, Oklahoma, the first Presidential eulogy ever given in the National Cathedral.

Marvella's widowed husband, Indiana Senator Birch Bayh,  remained inside with the couple's only son, 23-year-old Evan Bayh while the other funeral guests filed out of the service.

Across the street photographers and cameramen aimed their lenses at the cathedral's doors to catch a glimpse of the dignitaries who had honored Marvella with their tributes at the funeral memorial.

Behind the President and Vice-President walked Lady Bird Johnson,  The former First Lady's tribute to Marvella moved many to tears. President Johnson had died suddenly of a massive heart attack just six years earlier, and Lady Bird spoke knowingly and emotionally of the pain involved in losing a loved one from premature death. The Bayh family had been frequent dinner guests of President Johnson and Lady Bird during the Johnsons' tenure in the White House.

Next out the doors came  Senator Ted Kennedy. The Senator from Massachusetts had often told people that Evan and Marvella Bayh had saved his life. The Bayhs were the Senator's guests in a small plane that crashed while flying to a political fundraiser on June 19, 1964. Senator Bayh was the keynote speaker for the fundraiser on behalf of Senator Kennedy. The plane crash killed the pilot and an aide and had it not been for the heroic actions of the Bayhs, the crash would most likely have killed Senator Kennedy too.  Senator Bayh and Marvella were also injured in the crash, but Senator Bayh dragged an unconscious Kennedy from the burning plane while Marvella sought help from a nearby farmhouse.

Dozens of U.S. senators and representatives, federal judges, and Carter administration employees filed out next. Many, from both sides of the aisle, were personal friends with the Bayhs. Following the politicians walked evangelist Oral Roberts who had brought the message from Scripture. Next to Mr. Roberts was Pat Boone, who had sung Marvella's favorite gospel hymn "Where Could I Go But to the Lord" during the service.

After about 10 minutes, Senator Birch Baye and his son Evan Baye came out of the cathedral, holding red roses.

The date was Friday, April 27, 1979.

Nine Years Earlier

Scene of the homicide/suicide in Enid, Oklahoma

The Enid police officer policeman opened the front door of the little home at 2024 West Oklahoma in Enid, Oklahoma on a cool Wednesday morning, April 1, 1970.

The officer discovered what he'd been told he would find. Delbert Hern, 60, was reclining in his chair, dead, with a 32-caliber gun still lodged in his hand.

On the floor lay Mr. Hern's 35-year-old deceased wife. She'd been shot once in the head.  Police would later say she'd been shot and killed while lighting a cigarette.

The Enid police had been called to the home by Kermit Wood, a man who rented the apartment behind the Hern home. Mr. Wood had stopped by the Hern house to pay his rent. That's when he discovered the bodies and called the police.

Garfield County Assistant District Attorney Norman A. Lamb would later tell reporters that the deaths were "an apparent murder and suicide."

Mr. Delbert Hern was the father of Marvella Belle (née Hern) Bayh, the wife of Indiana Senator Birch Bayh, the man many considered to be the frontrunner for the 1972 Democratic Presidential nomination to challenge Republican President Richard Nixon. Delbert Hern had remarried after Marvella's mother, Bernetta, died in April 1964, her death the culmination of years fighting debilitating physical illnesses. Those in the Enid community who knew Mr. Hern, saw him begin to struggle with alcohol after the death of Bernetta. The woman he'd shot and killed before turning the gun on himself was twenty-five years younger than he, and they'd not been married long.

Senator Bayh and Marvella were in Monte Carlo, Monaco when news of the tragic deaths reached them. Marvella flew from Europe to Oklahoma to take care of her father's and step-mother's funeral arrangements.

One week later, Marvella Belle Bayh gave the eulogy for her father. Those present at the service remarked at the poise and eloquence of the only child of Delbert Hern. Marvella, full of emotion, shared the love she had for her alcoholic father, encouraging people to remember who Delbert was, not who the abuse of alcohol had led him to become.

Long-time Enid newspaper writer and historian Phil Brown once remarked to me, "Marvella's words at her father's funeral composed the most moving funeral eulogy I've ever heard."

Less than nine years later, Marvella Belle Bayh would die after a courageous battle with breast cancer, leading to many more eloquent words spoken by others at her funeral.

Marvella Bayh may be the most famous woman from Enid, Oklahoma that a younger generation of Oklahomans has never heard about. I hope to change that in this post.

In my opinion, Oklahomans, especially people from Enid, should remember and honor this remarkable woman.

The Early Years

Marvella Hern was born February 14, 1933, in Enid, Oklahoma to Delbert Hern and Bernett E. (née Monson) Hern. Marvella's mom had complications during pregnancy and delivery, and after she gave birth to her daughter that she named Marvella Belle Hern, Bernett Hern suffered complications that led to years of physical disability, and the inability to bear any additional children.

Marvella Hern at Girl's State (Oklahoma)

But Marvella Belle thrived as an only child.

Her father, Delbert Hern, was a successful farmer near Lahoma, Oklahoma, a little town just southwest of Enid. He chaired the Garfield County Democratic party, raised cattle and wheat, and doted on his only daughter.

After the family relocated to a home in Enid when Marvella was a teenager, she attended Enid High School, becoming the first female to be elected President of the Enid High School student body.

In 1949, the fall of her junior year at EHS, Marvella Hern was elected Girls' Nation President. Marvella met with President Harry Truman in Washington, D.C.  and she traveled to many different states, representing Girls' Nation.

Marvella returned to Enid in time for her senior year of high school, graduating in the spring of 1950.

In 1951, during her spring freshman semester at Oklahoma State University,  Marvella Hern entered the Oklahoma Farm Bureau's extemporaneous speaking championship.

Marvella swept through state competition and found herself in the Farm Bureau national championship speaking finals against an older college student from Purdue University, a boxing champion named Birch Bayh (pronounced "bye"). Bayh, a farmer’s son and Ag major in his senior year at Purdue, first met the OSU freshman beauty during the national speech contest's finals. Birch offered Marvella a seat, and she would later tell people he gave her the corny line, “Oklahoma, come on over and join Indiana.”

Birch Bayh always said,  "It was just plain old love at first sight.”

Marvella won the national championship after a head-to-head challenge against Birch, who would go home after the contest and tell his parents:

"I didn't win, but I do expect to win the girl who did." 

He did.

Marriage and Politics

After a brief courtship, Birch Baye and the Enid, Oklahoma girl married on August 24. 1952.

Birch and Marvella moved to the Bayh family farm near Terre Haute, Indiana, and Birch tried his hand at farming. Marvella transferred her credits and began attending Indiana State University part-time while supporting her husband's farming venture.

Marvella was the guiding force in her husband's life.

It was Marvella who urged Birch to run for the Indiana Legislature in 1954, to go to law school at Indiana University and to run for the Senate in 1962. In the Senate race, Birch Bayh defeated the longtime incumbent, Homer Capehart, in what was termed a political upset. Many credited Marvella for the victory. She often was the main speaker on the stump trail, and people were giving her standing ovations after making the case why Indiana voters should vote for her husband. 

Speaking didn't come as easily for Marvella as it did in college.

Marvella Bayh suffered traumatic injuries in a car accident in 1954 while the couple traveled to Enid, Oklahoma, to visit Marvella's parents. The Terre Haute Tribune reported on the crash:

Birch E. Bayh Jr., 26 years old, and his wife, Marvella, 21 years old, are patients at a Lebanon, Missouri hospital as the result of a two-car crash near that city Thursday night (February 18, 1954). Bayh is reported to have suffered cuts and bruises and Mrs Bayh serious chest and head injuries. Bayh was said to have been driving over the top of a hill when the two cars collided. He and his wife were on their way to Enid, Oklahoma, to visit Mrs. Bayh's parents.

Marvella would suffer from double-vision for the rest of her life because of the accident, but through perseverance, she managed to graduate from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1960 with a degree in education. 

Senator Birch Bayh, Marvella Bayh, and son Evan Bayh

After Birch Bayh won his Senate race in 1962 and moved to Washington, D.C., Marvella Baye became a sensation in the nation's capital. She was called "The Jackie of Indiana." The Bayhs enjoyed company with President Kennedy and First Lady Jackie, and the social columns of the newspapers identified Marvella as "the most intelligent and most beautiful woman in Washington."

Katherine Graham the first female publisher of  a major American newspaper, the Washington Post, would write in her memoirs:

"There is a great deal that I liked about Marvella Bayh. Marvella, who was more than ten years younger than I, came to Washington at the beginning of 1963, just after her young husband, Birch Bayh, was first elected to the Senate as a Democrat from Indiana. She experienced Washington in the 1960's as 'a wife of...', just as I did before Phil's death and my own going to work. Marvella worked just as hard as Birch to settle in -- doing everything from buying and furnishing a house, making a home for their son, Evan, while her husband flew back and forth to his home state nearly every weekend, and keeping up with all of the issues that it was so necessary to understand."

On June 19, 1964, Senator and Mrs. Bayh were in the aforementioned plane crash with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts. 

In late 1964, Marvella was named "Indiana Woman of the Year" by the Indianapolis chapter of Theta Sigma Xi. A year later, she was chosen one of the "Outstanding Young Women of the Nation."

The citizens of Enid, Oklahoma recognized Marvella with the "Pride of the Plainsmen Award" in 1967.

Marvella's husband, Senator Birch Bayh, became Chairman of the Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments. In that role, Birch Bayh authored two constitutional amendments, the only person other than a Founding Father to author two amendments to the United States Constitution. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment establishes procedures for an orderly transition of power in the case of the death, disability, or resignation of the President of the United States. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 throughout the United States.

Tragedy Strikes

In 1971, just six months after speaking at the her father's funeral, Marvella Bayh was diagnosed with breast cancer. Birch Bayh dropped his campaign for the 1972 Democratic Presidential nomination to be with his wife during her recovery from breast surgery.

After a successful surgery and treatment, Marvella's cancer went into remission. Marvella Bayh became the nation's spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. 

People Magazine would write in 1979:

"Until 1971 Marvella Bayh was known principally as Indiana Sen. Birch Bayh’s wife, a blond beauty and connoisseur of politics with intense ambitions—for her husband. After the removal of a cancerous breast that year, she turned away from politics and devoted the rest of her life to traveling around the country for the Cancer Society. As medical philanthropist Mary Lasker observed: “Of all the women who are public figures and have had cancer, Marvella was the only one who went out and campaigned against it.”

Marvella Bayh and Birch Bayh

From 1972 through 1978, Marvella Bayh gave nearly 200 speeches across the nation, countless interviews, and stood before Americans as the face of courage in the fight against cancer.

In late 1978, her cancer came back.

Marvella Bayh told an interviewer for the Washington Post about her reactions to receiving the news that she had cancer again and that this time that cancer would take her life:

"When they told me there was treatment but no cure at this time, I dropped to my knees. Two things from out of my past, when I went to church as a child, came back to me. Number one, 'Where can I go but to the Lord?' and Number two, 'I am weak but He is strong." 

Marvella Bayh continued with the interviewer:

"When life comes down to basics, really how little control we all have over our own lives.' And it also came to me how, even if we live to be 100, how really short life here is. And therefore, it's important to enjoy it and not rush so fast and take time to smell the roses . . ."

Marvella son, Evan Bayh,  would go on to become Governor of Indiana and U.S. Senator from Indiana. Like his father Birch, Evan would run for the Democratic nomination of President of the United States.

The petite, blond girl from Enid who could move audiences with her eloquent speeches must not be forgotten, especially by those of us who live in Enid, Oklahoma.

I don't know if Evan Bayh will ever read this post. But if he, his father Birch, or his kids ever do, I want them to know that at least one current Enid resident understands what the Bayh family has known for decades about Marvella Belle (née Hern) Bayh.

She was one remarkable Okie.

Postscript: If you would like more information about Marvella's life, you can purchase her autobiography called Marvella: A Personal Journey. 

"So Will I (100 Billion X)" - An Amazing Acoustic Version by the Worship Team of Emmanuel Enid

I am blessed to work and worship with some talented volunteers and staff at Emmanuel Enid, Oklahoma. This song, an acoustic version of Hillsong United's "So Will I," is a powerful example of the gifts and talents of the people at Emmanuel Enid. This is from our third Sunday morning REFUGE service on January 21, 2018.

Christ Fulfilled the Law, So Stop Trusting In Law

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20).

The Law and the Prophets.

Everything in the Old Testament is either called Law (the Pentateuch) or the Prophets (the rest of the writings of the Old Testament). 

If you have a hard time understanding how the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures are called by Jesus "the Law and the Prophets," I point out what the premiere Hebrew writer of the New Testament declared in his writing to the Hebrews: 

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, has in these last days spoken to us in His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2 NAS). 

The last days referred to by the writer of Hebrews are the last days of Hebrew Temple worship (AD 30 to AD 70) and not the last days of the world.

"Christ is the end of the law for everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4).

The brilliant beauty of the Person and work of Jesus Christ is seen more clearly through understanding Jesus' - and our - proper relation to the Old Testament.

Jesus is called the Word of God incarnate (John 1:14), which means "God's Word took on flesh."

Acoute auton! (Greek: "Hear Him!")

Listen to Jesus. Hear God.

This is why the writer of Hebrews states that Jesus is the sum and consummated substance - God's final Word -  to this world.

That means, if you look to the Law or the Prophets (eg. "the Old Testament") for your view of how to operate and run your church, your family, your business, or your life, then you will find yourself with the same problem the scribes and the Pharisees had in Jesus' day. They made their living based on following the Law, but they miserably failed in life, covering it all up by their self-righteousness and judgmental attitude toward others.

Jesus Christ and obeying HIS WORDS are your only hope of living a fulfilling life.

Here's why.

1. All the Old Testament writings - not some, but all - are about the Person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "Moses wrote of Me" (John 5:46)

"If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” (John 5:46)

If you are going to believe the writings of Moses, then you are must believe in Christ and listen to Him. You begin by trusting Him for your righteousness before God, and not your obedience to any Law (Philippians 3:7-11). 

Then you read and do what Jesus said (Matthew 7:24). 

2. The Old Testament Scriptures are only understood correctly when the believer looks to Jesus Christ and the work that HE has accomplished in FULFILLING the Law.

“The meaning of all the Scriptures is unlocked by the death and resurrection of Jesus” (Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 54).

3. When Jesus taught others the Old Testament, He taught them of Himself.

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18)

4. "Heaven and earth" is the Old Testament way of describing the conditional covenant God made with Israel, choosing Israel out of all the nations of the world through whom God would reveal His Word.

When God called the Hebrews as His own people He said, "I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say, 'You are My people'" (Isaiah 51:16). Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is called "heaven and earth."

God gave Israel the Law and He "shook the earth," that is He shook the people of Israel.The writer of Hebrews says, "His voice shook the earth then (Mt. Sinai) ..." (Hebrews 12:26). The Hebrews heard God speak at Sinai and they trembled. His voice (the Law) was holiness and pure justice.

God spoke to Israel in the Old Testament and He spoke to heaven and earth. "Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth" (Deuteronomy 32:1). "Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the Lord speaks, 'Sons have I reared and brought up, but they have revolted against Me'" (Isaiah 1:2). 

5. The Law and the Prophets are perfectly fulfilled in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, so "the heavens and earth" have passed away, but the words of Christ remain. 

The Old has gone. The New has come. 

Throughout the Old Testament, the Prophets said that God's covenant with Israel would one day be replaced with God's new agreement with all the nations of the world.  God's covenant with Israel (found in the Law and the Prophets) revolved around the Temple, the Temple rituals, the Temple sacrifices, and the Temple priesthood. 

This Temple of the Covenant was in Jerusalem. Do you remember how Jesus prophesied the Temple's destruction? (Look at Matthew 24:1-3). Jesus predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in a generation. The prophecy of Jesus came to pass in A.D. 70.

Heaven and earth passed away. God's covenant with Israel came to an end. 

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away," said Christ (Matthew 24:35).

The great theologian John Owen (AD 1616-1683) writes in his commentary on II Peter 3:13 about the "new heavens and earth" that God creates after the destruction of the old "heavens and earth"

 "I affirm that the heavens and earth here intended in this prophecy of Peter, the coming of the Lord, the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, mentioned in the destruction of that heaven and earth, do all of them relate, not to the last and final judgment of the world, but to that utter desolation and destruction that was to be made of the Judaical church and state."

The reasons Owen gives that the destruction of the Old Covenant Temple worship is the destruction of "heavens and earth" and the gospel age is the age of the "new heavens in earth" are then given:

1. Because whatever is here mentioned was to have its peculiar influence on the men of that generation, and
2. Peter tells them, that after the destruction and judgment that he speaks of (vers. 7-13), ” We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,’ etc. They had this expectation. But what is that promise? Where may we find it? Why, we have it in the very words and letter, Isa. lxv. 17. Now, when shall this be that God shall create these new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness? Saith Peter, ” It shall be after the coming of the Lord, after that judgment and destruction of ungodly men, who obey not the gospel, that I foretell.” But now it is evident from this place of Isaiah 66:21-22 that this is a prophecy of Gospel times only; and that the planting of these new heavens is nothing but the creation of Gospel ordinances to endure forever. The same thing is so expressed Hebrews 12:26-28.

6. The Person of Moses was the Lawgiver of the Old Covenant, but Christ is the ultimate and Supreme Lawgiver, far superior to Moses. 

The Royal Law Jesus gives is "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34). 

If it is objected that the Royal Law is "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" (James 2:8), I respond: 

"You can't love yourself until you comprehend God's love for you in Jesus Christ; for self-love is only eternal when based on the acceptance and comprehension of the eternal love of God (Jeremiah 31:3). Only when you comprehend His love can you love others in the manner He loves you and in the fullness of the love you have for yourself."

I find it an axiom of human behavior that self-love without the love of God is self-destructive. 

But the love of God transforms.

You can't murder if you don't hate your enemies.

You can't steal if you're only interested in giving.

You can't slander others when you speak words of grace.

You can't commit adultery when you love your wife like Christ loves you.

And on, and on, and on.

There's no 'relaxing'  of any moral code in the New Agreement. The righteousness of Christ's people far exceeds that of the Pharisees. 

Yet, no believer in Jesus Christ is looking to his or her obedience to any law for God's blessings. 

No. We look to Christ, who fulfilled the Law in our stead. 

"For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Corinthians 1:20).

"Yes," says God, "to everything that is good for you."  No conditions. Or rather, all the conditions of God's mercies, benevolent providence, and daily grace are met in Christ. 

7. The establishment of state government is never the Kingdom of God; for God's Kingdom is seen through His reign (the King's dominion) in the hearts of His people.

Christ's Kingdom transcends national, political, and geographical boundaries. 

Yes, we are called to obey government authorities, but state government is not the Kingdom of Christ. 

The state is grounded in God, but it is never expressive of Christ's immediate rule. 

Romans 13:1, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

John 18:36, “My [Jesus’s] kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting.”

Application:

1. If you look to Old Testament Law for your righteousness, you will never rest in the gift of Christ's righteousness which God gives you by faith in Jesus Christ.

2. The Old Testament Law and Prophets focused on external obedience, but faith in Christ during this Kingdom gospel age will circumcise (cut and change) the heart of a sinner. 

3. The believer in Christ won't murder because the believer doesn't hate his enemies, slander his friends, or live in an attitude of contempt. Likewise, every moral commandment in the Old Testament is far superceded by the internal work of Christ's grace in His people during this Kingdom age.

 4. Since "the last days" mentioned in Scripture are the last days of Temple worship, all external forms of worship that miss what it means to worship Christ "in spirit and in truth" will lead you back to bondage to the law, be it Mosaic law, church law, or priestly law.

5. You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.

Postscript: Ladies, if you are kept in bondage by the teaching of "the inherent authority of males," or if you are stifled in serving the Kingdom through your Spirit-giftings by church leaders who focus on Law, then I would suggest you find a place where Christ is held supreme, and the only authority for the church is His final and ultimate Word which endures forever. 

Hear Him!

An "Audacious and Astounding" Traditional Trap

I have spent the last few days researching three various topics of interest for Christians. My research has delved into the nature of hell, the dating of the book of Revelation, and the equality of men and women.

You might be thinking to yourself, "What? Do those topics even matter?"

Yes; they do. I'll tell you why. In reverse order, your marriage, your hope for a better world, and your concept of the nature of God are all affected by your take on these three topics.

Christians who believe the Bible disagree on all three issues.

I personally see the Bible teaching that only those "in Christ" receive the gift of immortality (not every person),  only those "in Christ" are the people of God (Jews or Gentiles), and that everyone "in Christ" is a spiritual equal under the authority of Jesus Christ (there is no inherent spiritual authority of males over females).

But the purpose of this post is not to convince you of my position on any of these three biblical issues. I'd just like to make an observation after listening to hours of Christian debate.

When you hear another person say...

"The church for 20 centuries has taught (such and such).... and for you to claim that the Bible teaches something else is audacious (to me), astounding (to me), and arrogant (of you)."

.... you can expect a weak argument is forthcoming from that person.

Traditional views on difficult biblical doctrines are never necessarily wrong because they are traditional.

But traditionalists who've accepted traditional views are often surprised by other Christians who can articulate from Scripture a differing viewpoint.

As a result, traditionalists may be unprepared to defend from Scripture what they've been taught to believe.

In such situations, a traditionalist will often resort to a sudden expression of incredible surprise rather than a sound exegesis of inspired Scripture. 

You should be very unimpressed what then happens.

Our commitment is to the inspired word of God, not to the traditions of men.

We must never waiver from what we see the Scriptures to teach; even when we come under the verbal assaults of recognized church traditionalists and scholars.

"Moses wrote of Me," Jesus said in John 5:46.

Our concern should be to speak and write in such a way that people are pointed to Jesus Christ through our faithful declarations of inspired Scripture.

When the "audacious and astounding" traditional trap is sprung, know that the Truth is very possibly beginning to prevail.

The Gift of Prosperity Can Be Wrapped In Problems

There is a promise from God in Jeremiah 29:11 that is often quoted by Christians and nearly just as often misinterpreted.

God says: "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Sadly, we sometimes pluck verses from their context and don't fully grasp the meaning of the text.

For example, if you claim Jeremiah 29:11 as a promise that God is about to change your circumstances for the better, then you have wrongly understood God's promise.

When was God's promise given? To whom was God speaking? What occurred to cause God to make this promise? When you ask and answer these questions of context, you'll discover that God is actually telling His people that He is NOT going to change their circumstances, but:

Though I may not take away your problems, I will give you the grace to bloom and prosper where I plant you.

That's the meaning of God's promise in Jeremiah 29:11.

"Bloom where you are planted" (Jeremiah 29:5) is an ancient biblical phrase that has its roots in the context God's promise to prosper His people in Jeremiah 29:11.

Let me show you.

Jeremiah was a prophet to God's people during a very difficult time. In 612 B.C. a wicked and brutal empire took control of the world. The Babylonians (sometimes called the Chaldeans in the Bible) defeated the ancient Assyrians and the Egyptians and took the stage as world conquerors.

Shortly after conquering the Assyrians, the evil Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,  launched the first of his three attacks against Jerusalem and God's people (609/608 B.C. then 597 B.C. and finally 586 B.C.)

Each successive attack during this 21-year time period was more brutal than the previous one, ending in 586 B.C. with the destruction of the Jewish Temple and the desolation of the entire city of Jerusalem.

It was during Nebuchadnezzar's first aggressive move against Jerusalem (609/608 B.C.) that Daniel, his three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), and other Jewish leaders were taken captive. A decade later (597 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar came back to Jerusalem to get more Jewish artisans and craftsmen to help the Babylonian Empire build better roads, erect stronger walls, and create greater weapons. Nebuchadnezzar didn't take all the Jews into captivity.

More Jews remained in Jerusalem after 597 B.C. than were taken to Babylon as prisoners. One of those who remained in Jerusalem after 597 B.C. was the prophet, Jeremiah. The prophet began placing a yoke around his neck proclaiming to God's people that the Babylonian captivity would last "until the seventy years for Babylon have expired" (Jeremiah 29:10 NAS).

In 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar made his third and final advance on Jerusalem and destroyed the city and took the majority of God's people back to Babylon as captives. This is what the Bible calls "The Babylonian Exile."

Jeremiah the prophet kept telling God's people that their problems would continue until seven decades had passed. 

The seventy years of problems God's people had with the Babylonians began in 609  B.C. and would only come to an end in October 539 B.C. when the Persian King Cyrus invaded Babylon and conquered the Babylonians and freed the Jews.

Think about that for a moment. For 70 years the Jews would be subjugated by the wicked kings of Babylon.

That's a long time for God's people to be held in Babylonian captivity.

The United States war in Iraq has lasted a little over 15 years. Can you imagine having your husband, son or other loved one in Iraq without having the ability to see him or hear from him for decades?

Or reverse the role. How would you like to be a young Jewish artisan or servant in the Babylonian Empire like Daniel and his friends, only to hear in a letter from Jeremiah that your captivity will only end after Babylon's 70-year world reign comes to an end?

More than a few Jews didn't like hearing Jeremiah's proclamations of long captivity (Jeremiah 25:1-14).

One such Jew was a priest and false prophet named Hananiah. He mocked Jeremiah's prophecy (see Jeremiah 28), ripped the wooden yoke off Jeremiah's neck, and told the people that "God told me the captivity would last just two more years" (Jeremiah 28:3).

The Jews in Jerusalem began believing the false promise that God would change their circumstances soon.

It was at this time that God had Jeremiah send "a letter" to the captives in Babylon. That letter is what we know as Jeremiah 29. God knew that the false hope of a quick release from their bad circumstances would make its way to His people held captive in Babylon. So God speaks to His people through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:4-10 and declares:

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce (i.e. "bloom where you are planted").' 

Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. 

 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,' declares the Lord. For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place (Jerusalem)."

God is telling His people that - contrary to the testimony of the Jewish false prophets - the captivity will NOT be short, but their problems as prisoners of war in Babylon will go on for a full 70 years. Go ahead and bloom where you are planted. Have prosperity in the midst of your problems.

It is only after God tells His people to rest where they are (Babylon), and to pray for their wicked masters, and to be at peace in the environment that God has placed them in, that God gives His people the Jeremiah 29:11 promise:

"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

I'd like to ask you a question. Which prophecy inspires more hope? Is it Hananiah's false prophecy of captivity for less than two years? Or is it Jeremiah's prophecy to "bloom where you are planted" and experience a long captivity of 70 years?

False prophecies about quick changes in circumstances are much more compelling. We want God to take away our problems. But God always has a greater purpose, and His promise is that He will prosper us through our problems. 

Babylon would last as an empire for 70 years. Jeremiah knew this, for God told him (see both Jeremiah 25:1-14 and Jeremiah 29:10). That means when Jeremiah sent his letter to the Jews in Babylon in 597 B.C. the Jews still had an additional fifty-eight years of captivity left. 58 more years of captivity versus 2 more years of captivity.

Hananiah's false prophecy of problems going away quickly sounds better and makes everyone feel better. But God's promise for prosperity in Jeremiah 29:11 is about prospering in the midst of your problems because you know God has a greater purpose, and your problems are part of that purpose.

You exist for God's purposes, not your personal pleasures. And though God's purposes for our lives are always best and good for His greater purpose, they are not all the time comfortable and pleasurable for personal pleasure. Don't waste your sorrows. God is good, and He's told us to bloom where He's planted us, for His glory and for our good.

The common trap laid for us by our enemy is the one where we measure our personal prosperity by how quickly God changes our environment for the better. It would be wise for all of us to stop assessing God's favor in this manner.

God's purposes are much broader than our individual lives. That doesn't mean God doesn't care about me or you, for He does. He gave each of us His only Son.

To "bloom where you are planted," is to trust that God knows the bigger picture and is at work on a grander scale, fulfilling a greater purpose that we can't even understand right now.

So any measurement of my personal prosperity or God's favor for me must always be independent of my current circumstances. God is at work even when I can't see it.

And what God is doing is much grander, much more glorious.

One of the men who heeded Jeremiah's words to "bloom where you are planted" was the prophet, Daniel. We know that Daniel often read Jeremiah's letters while he was in Babylonian captivity (see Daniel 9:2).

Daniel listened and obeyed God's instructions in Jeremiah 29:11. He bloomed where God planted him. He prospered in the midst of problems.

Daniel built a house. He planted a garden for his produce. He prayed for the wicked kings of Babylon. He lived in peace. He was present at the king's palace during October 539 B.C. -- exactly 70 years after Babylon had become a world empire - when the hand of God wrote on the wall "Mene, mene, tekel upharsin."

That very night in October 539 B.C. God's justice was executed against the Babylonians and the Babylonian Empire came to an end.

God had led His servant Cyrus, King of Persia, to divert the Euphrates River and the Persian army crawled under the great walls of Babylon on a dry river bed and took the city as their own. God's purpose for Babylon was over.

Daniel never left Persia to go back to Jerusalem, even though Cyrus allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple and their city.

Daniel's tomb is in Susa (Iran), the ancient capital of Persia (modern Iran). Because the Persians loved Daniel's ability to "foresee the future," they deemed him the greatest "magi" of all.

The Persians revered Daniel, kept his scrolls in Persia and studied them at their universities. The magi in the east came to understand through reading Daniel's scroll (the book of Daniel), that a great King - a King above all Kings - would be born among the Jews.

Five hundred years after Daniel's death, magi from the ancient Babylonian and Persian Empire lands (i.g. "magi from the east") came to Jerusalem and asked Herod:

"Where is He who is born King of the Jews" (Matthew 2:2) 

The magi eventually sought Jesus because Daniel bloomed where he was planted.

I propose that if you find yourself in a difficult situation that God seems in no hurry to change, and if you learn like the ancient Jews to "bloom where you are planted," there will come a day when those around you will come looking for your King.

That's your greater purpose.

Note: This article is an excerpt from Wade's book Radically New.

Col. Norman A. Lamb, I'll See You Soon My Friend

Norman Lamb at Normandy, France

Today I will officiate the funeral of my long-time friend, Norman Lamb.

I first met Norman in the 1980's when I served as Chairman of the Christian Life Committee for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Norman was an Oklahoma state Senator, floor minority leader, and held the distinction of being voted "most popular Senator" by his peers.

Norman and I became friends.

Many who didn't really know him thought him sometimes bombastic and overbearing. Those of us who grew to love him understood his personality - though larger than life - was nothing in size compared to his heart.

Norman was voted by Emmanuel Enid to be on the Pastor Search Committee in 1992 to look for a new pastor. It was Norman who recommended me to his fellow committee members. I came to Enid as a direct result of my friendship with Norman. I knew little about Enid, but I knew Norman Lamb.

One of my favorite stories about Norman was an event that occurred in 1993. Our staff was in Dallas, Texas on a staff retreat, and we went to a local store to purchase gifts for our wives before coming back to Enid. We had discussed in our staff meeting that morning how it seemed everyone knew Norman Lamb. I decided to play a practical joke on my fellow pastors.

While they were looking for gifts for their wives, I went to the young lady who was at the checkout counter. "Miss, in a moment some men will be coming to the checkout counter. They are my friends. I'm going to casually mention the name Norman Lamb, and I want you to act like you know him."

The young lady looked at me and said, "You mean Norman Lamb of Enid, Oklahoma?"

The joke was on me. That young lady and her husband knew Norman Lamb and it only confirmed to me that Norman had friends all over the United States.

Norman and Son, Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb

He was a colonel in the United States Army Reserves. He was an Oklahoma state senator. As a young attorney, Norman served in the Oklahoma County municipal courts. He became a prosecutor and an assistant D.A. in Garfield County.  He would later become the Oklahoma Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, appointed by Gov. Frank Keating, but would serve under several Oklahoma governors and spend more years on the Oklahoma state government cabinet (17 years) than any single person in the history of Oklahoma.

Norman loved people.

He taught the largest Sunday School class at Emmanuel for years. I can't tell you the number of times that Norman and the "Blonde Bomber" (Norman's affectionate name for his wife Belva) hosted people at their home.  I still picture Norman handing out $100 bills to strangers on Christmas Eve, watching as people fell to the curb in tears at the generosity of a complete stranger.

One day Norman picked up a man with car trouble. Norman wound up giving the man a car.

There were times my friendship with Norman hit some rocky roads. A year after I came as pastor, I led the church to change the church constitution, which tied "the sale and use of alcoholic beverages" to church discipline. I explained to the church that drunkenness was a sin according to the Bible, but not the use of alcoholic beverages. I asked them to change the standards of conduct as listed in the constitution to abstinence from drunkenness.

Norman came to my office and told me that if he'd known I was going to do that, he never would have recommended me to Emmanuel. I explained to Norman that it was my fault for not noticing this provision in the constitution, and I understood his feelings, but my conscience was bound to Scripture, not the pleasures of a friend. It rankled Norman that the church voted over 95% to change the constitution, but I think he appreciated the fact I lived by my convictions which I perceived as biblical, even if he disagreed.

By the way, Norman Lamb's grandmother was the President of the Oklahoma Temperance Movement and friends with Carrie Amelia Nation. I appreciated Norman's conviction on this issue.

Col. Lamb reading about Col. Vance

On another occasion in the late 1990's, I was preaching through the book of Romans. We had come to Romans 9 and I was dealing with the very difficult text on the doctrine of God's sovereign election of sinners to salvation. Norman came to my office, sat down, and said, "Wade, I think it's time you stopped preaching on the election." I explained to Norman that I had about four more messages from Romans 9. He offered that he didn't like the series in Romans, and wished I would finish the entire series quickly.

"Norman," I said, "I've got about another year and a half in the book of Romans." He told me he might not attend the services. I explained that since he was the church, everywhere he went he represented Christ, and if he chose not to attend, that was his prerogative, and I appreciated the fact he came to talk to me.

For a while, Norman taught his Sunday School class and left, not staying for church services. When I finished Romans, he was back.

And our friendship grew.

The thing I appreciate about Norman Lamb is that he didn't have to agree with you to be your friend.

In the climate in which we live, both in the church and in the political world, people are drawing lines in the sand - often helped by social media - saying, "Unless you talk like I and believe like I, unless you do everything like I do and affirm all I affirm and disavow all I disavow, we cannot be friends."

Norman Lamb never said that to anyone.

For the past 15 years, until Norman's health declined a couple of years ago, Norman and I traveled to Oklahoma University football games together.

Try walking with an Oklahoma Baptist preacher and an Oklahoma Republican politician through a throng of 90,000 people. It sometimes took us over an hour to get to our seats. We knew so many people, and Norman and I love talking with people and hearing their stories.

Wade and Norman, OU Game 2011

It was through Norman I became friends with Jakie Sandefer. We'd go to Jakie's house in Norman, Oklahoma and eat pre-game tailgate food and fellowship with all the great football players of the past as well as many of the University of Oklahoma coaches, both past, and present.

In 2013 Norman and I traveled to England and Europe. This United States Army Colonel and former Secretary of Veteran's Affairs had never been to the WWII battlefields in Europe. I took him to Normandy. We went to Churchill's Museum in London. We saw the sites.

And we met the people.

Everywhere we went we made friends. One of the leading liberal politicians in England is also named Norman Lamb. You should have seen the conversation at the House of Commons between the Lambs. One was actually a lion, the other a lamb (I bet you can guess which one).

Dinner in Paris, France, 2013

From the United States federal marshalls who rode on the plane with us, to the stewardesses, the museum archivists at St. Paul's, the American Cemetery in Normandy, and Buckingham Palace, to the limo drivers and hotel clerks, Norman A. Lamb made new friends.

Norman A. Lamb was a star football player at Enid High School and a starting quarterback for Cameron University before he broke his back his sophomore year.

He went on to become Bud Wilkinson's inside man at the athletic dorm, reporting to the legendary coach on any problems occurring in the dorm.

Norman Lamb was not a perfect man.

Nobody is.

But when Norman would lead out in prayer, it would be to "The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," for Norman understood that his salvation was tied to the Father's love, the Son's sacrifice, and the Spirit's work.

I've lost many friends to death over the past couple of years. Many close friends.

When we put Norman Lamb's body into the ground in about an hour, I will say goodbye to another very close friend.

But I look forward to the day of renewed fellowship with them all.

For death is not the end; it's only a transition to eternity.

To Norman's wife, Belva, daughters Kim and Fawn and their respective families, and to his son Todd, and Todd's family, our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Norman loved each of you and was proud of you.

Goodbye, Col. Norman A. Lamb.

I'll see you soon my friend.