On The Way To My Very Own Set Of Pulpits  

    These pages are also designed to inform the Body of Christ of how God moves and encourage the unknowing or / and hesitant not to limit in their mind and life the providential and often mysterious acts of God in their lives.

    So, that is a nice intro to explain this first image in this post – a new church building under construction. I forget in what year, but brother William Ferguson who had come to surrender to Christ felt the tug of God on him to enter the ministry. He did not think he was cut out to be a minister of the Gospel, but God insisted and brother Ferguson agreed.

    He then felt impressed to start an Assembly of God (AOG) church in Grantsville, Maryland. There had been a spiritual hunger of the Christians in that area for a deeper walk with God. They realized their need to be filled to over flowing with Holy Spirit as the disciples were on The Day Of Pentecost. Eventually brother Ferguson established a church on MD 669 in Grantsville and had a pretty hefty congregation. There is much more detail about the establishment of Maranatha AOG in an article in the Pentecostal Evangel entitled Miracle In The Mountains. If you currently run a search on that you will come across a book about something that happened in Georgia. That is not Maranatha AOG in Grantsville, Maryland.

    As the congregation grew, land was purchased across the street and a larger building was constructed, which the lead image in this post shows. Construction was completed in the spring of 1974, and I think it was a day in April or May that the congregation met in the old building one last time and then crossed the road as a group to the new building as they sang The Move Is On.

    The new building had been completed just in time for Dorcas' and I wedding. Well, someone else beat us to having the first wedding in the new building, but ours would be next. We had selected Friday, June 7, as the day. We planned to be in church Sunday morning.

    In image one below you will see part of the crowd that came out that Friday evening. That is a mighty large crowd! Perhaps part of the reason for such a crowd was that a goodly number, of which you see were mostly Mennonite, wanted to see the inside of the new Maranatha AOG building. Probably about 99 percent of the people there were from the Grantsville area. The only ones from my home state of New Jersey (NJ) were my Dad, Aunt Olga (his twin sister), and Robert Wittik. My sister opted not to come (it was over 300 miles / 483km away) and my Mom was in a mental hospital somewhere in NJ.

    The wedding party is seen in image two. From left to right are bride's maid Ellen Probst (cousin to sister Dorcas), maid of honor Leona Maust, Dorcas, me, best man Robert Wittik, and groomsman Arnold Probst. I had to have Wittik for best man. He had put great effort, endurance and time in witnessing the Gospel of Christ to me (please see at least the first set of pages in this series).

Image One	Image Two

    Part of the wedding included a sermon (message) by brother Ferguson. At first I thought it was odd that Dorcas wanted to have a sermon, but she explained that was somewhat standard among Mennonites and many would expect one. Henceforth I thought that was a good idea too. Anyhow, this is why you will see a folding chair resting on a front pew in image 3 below that shows us saying our vows. Dorcas and I were seated as brother Ferguson delivered a message on when Isaac married Rebekah as recorded in Genesis 24. By the way, we wrote our own vows. Jokingly, Dorcas said I should include in the vows that I promise to dump the slop bucket. Her family, who had a farm, had a bucket under their sink where they would place all sorts of unused food material and would then go feed the pigs with it.

    Brother Ferguson also served to us the Lord's Supper and toward the end of the ceremony prayed for us as sister Leona laid hands on Dorcas and brother Bob laid hands on me (image four). Later, when we greeted everyone in the back of the church Dorcas' oldest brother, Paul, shook my hand, gave me a manly peck on the neck and said, Welcome to family. The reception was held at the Grantsville Firehall.

Image Three	Image Four

In the final image (now to your left) left to right are Dorcas' parents Crist and Rhoda Yoder, Dorcas, me, my Dad, and edited into the image is my aunt Olga. As a side note, my Dad and his sister were the first to be born in the United States in my ancestry. Their parents, Paul and Anna Macinta, came to live in the United States in 1912.

    A few weeks after the wedding Dorcas and I would move to Bentleyville Pennsylvania so I could begin to serve as an assistant pastor in the AOG church there. It would be at Bentleyville that we would meet and work with a warlock (a male witch) and I would later receive a very special notice in the mail.

    No problem, thought I, having had experience in grounds keeping and as a clerk in produce department. Though the aroma of rotten potatoes is not the most pleasant, I sought work in the produce department of a store in a city a few miles away which was part of a big chain on the East Coast. Because of what I am about to write, I would like to tell you it was NOT an IGA store. I will keep it nameless. Besides, perhaps they have changed their ways by now.

    My application was accepted and I had let them know, either vocally or in writing, that I would not work on Sundays. Now, I do not recall if it was on my first or second day that I ran into a problem with packaging some of the produce. That store was using styrofoam packaging trays. I was used to the cardboard trays that were used at Shop Rite of Kearny, New Jersey. So, as I started to wrap the styrofoam trays, the corners of the trays would often crack for me. I had to slow down. The department manager did not like that.

    One day, the department manager said to me, Soon, you will be cheating the customer. No, I won't, was my reply. When I went to the breakroom a day or so later there was no one present. There was usually one or two people in there. Not this time. And as I sat on the bench I noticed there was a booklet, a copy of the union agreement opened but face down. So I picked it up as it was and guess what section it was left opened to: Something to the effect that all employees must work on Sundays when required. No, I won't, I thought. This was the second time that, to me, a union was a problem. The first time was before I came to Christ. I had just started working at Shop Rite in Kearny when a week or so later the union, which was part of the Teamsters, went on strike. To this day I just do not like unions.

    Getting back to my job at the Pennsylvania den of thieves, the next day after looking at their union contract the department manager said they were letting go because I was too slow. Yeah, right.

    Back at our apartment when I checked the local paper I saw that there was a job opening at a ham processing plant. I applied, was hired, and went in the next day. I was introduced to my new job which was to infuse hams with water. Was that legal? I guess it was because when one buys a ham today water added is seen on many of the labels. Back then I had not read many labels so I still had to wonder if it was right to do.

    They showed me how to find the proper vain, insert the needle, and infuse the fluid. I tried and tried. One time I hit the wrong spot and the ham was deformed. I cannot remember if I had any success, but I think I quit early that day telling my employer that I was just unable to find the veins.

    I felt horrible as I drove home. I did not blame myself for the grocery store dismissal, but I was feeling really terrible for flubbing this other job. What type of a husband was I?

    When someone surrenders to Christ they begin to walk in His life which is a new life to the disciple. It is a learning process, and one that never ends until we leave this world.

    In my case I had a great propensity for depression, which is something more and heavier than sadness. Low godly self-esteem was another factor. I had to learn not to listen to society. And, regarding passages like 1 Timothy 5:8 I had to learn that God is sovereign and the prime provider.

    A correct step I did take was to pray that I would locate employment. I think it was sister Dorcas that suggested I apply for work where she was employed as a waitress, American Truck Stop Number 1. I forget what I applied for, but I was hired to become a cashier. I never did that before, but I figured I ought to give it a try.

    So, how would this servant of satan treat me once he heard I was a born again Christian and an assistant pastor? Find out in the next post!

    I forget how often I would say anything to anyone when working at the Bentleyville location. I do remember an encounter with their truck and car mechanic. I forget why I, as a cashier, would have to see the mechanic from time to time, but I do recall one time I was in his work area. I had been around him before and this older man had the bad habit of saying, Well, I'll be damned. I truly doubt he knew how bad being damned is. The flames of Hell are one thing, but being forever banned from receiving God's mercy is a most horrendous thought. After hearing him say that phrase a number of times, there came the day I was back in his work area. He was at his workbench bewildered at something and said, I'll be damned. This time, thinking of all the ramifications of damnation we can know about I said, Don't say that. He looked at me a bit surprised and said no more.

    The sad news is that everyone born is predestined for damnation. However, according to John 1:9 everyone gets at least one glimpse of the light of God and, if they receive Christ as King and Savior, they are then taken off of the road to Hell and placed on the Way of Eternal life (John 1:12).

    Our first child was on their way to being physically born. Sister Dorcas and I felt the child was going to be a girl. We settled on the name of Rhoda Christine, naming her after Dorcas' parents, Rhoda and Crist. If it were twin girls, the second one would be Mary Pauline after my parents. Around that time the Lundstroms (see my second Throwback Thursday series) had an album out where their daughter, Londa, sung Jesus Put Me At The Top Of The World, a parody of Your Love Put Me At The Top Of The World. Every time I heard that song I had to think of the possibility we would be having a girl, or two.

    And though pregnant, sister Dorcas kept working as a waitress on the restaurant side of the truck stop. Everything was fine until one day the handle of a pot (the type used in electric coffee makers) broke and she was scalded on her side. Naturally, she had to take a little time off to tend to that. It was then that Neil called on the phone to speak to her.

    As previously mentioned, Neil was a warlock (male witch). He said he had powers to heal. In fact, one female employee of the truckstop said that he healed her. He reminded sister Dorcas about his power and offered to heal her. You very well know that sister Dorcas said no. That is the stand a Christian ought to take. And, after a couple of more days she was just fine by the power of Christ.

    While it is true that God still heals today through Christ, and that SOMETIMES there are some of His disciples that are blessed with the gift of healings (1 Corinthians 12:9*), the Word of God shows it is equally true miracles and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit can be counterfeited by satan (see 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Another aspect comes out as a principle in the Word of God that God will honor His Word and respond to the faith of one in need despite the fact that the messenger of healing and miracles might speak misleadingly in other areas. In other words, just because a probable man or woman of God is being used by God in true miracles and healing we must not take this to mean that God condones everything they say (such as unity of ALL churches or religions, or that God permits divorce or / and divorce and remarriage). Read 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 again – we are to love truth, not miracles, signs, prophecies, and so on.

    Also, Neil acted very good towards humanity. Once or twice a customer with a family would drive up to the pumps and Neil would pay for their gas. Perhaps Neil thought this good deed would get him to heaven. More so it is a ploy of satan to validate the idea of good people, no matter how far they otherwise indicate they are not a true child of God. Just a few months ago from the date of this post a well-known lesbian that has her own program gave a way thousands of dollars either in cash or material benefit to someone in need. And, of course, that was broadcasted. Some would think, Surely, she is a good person. Chances are that when she dies people will post RIP on social media about her.

    But, in regard to healing, there are various reasons why we are or are not healed by God. In the next post I need to bring us to the state of New Jersey along that line. Word came to me from home.

    * = If you would like more information on the gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12, I have digitalized and posted notes from Brother Hobart Grazier who was our professor in the Greek language at Northeast Bible Institute (now Valley Forge University of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania). You may find that gem at http://sapphirestreams.com/bec/HG1Co12GOHS.html . It may be read in a number of languages by selecting the option needed courtesy of Google Translate.

    Well, OK – I guess. However, at that truck stop the fuel side and restaurant side were combined which meant my cashier's office would include items for sale that included tobacco products. I cringed at the thought of selling that junk, but I did not want to quit and try to find another job. I did not, and still do not, feel it was right for me as a Christian to participate in any commercial activity that would destroy another person's body.

    Though I was on the midnight shift, it might have been something like 10 or 11 PM to 6 or 7 AM, because the restaurant was open for part of the shift and I had to take care of those who paid for their meals. I cannot recall any problem with that except for the one time a trucker was not happy about their meal. He was raising a real big fuss so I decided to call Mr. Cooper Sr. (one of the owners). As I told him about the irrational problem he said for me to walk to the back of the office out of earshot from the trucker. The phone had a long wire (no wireless back then). When I got to the back he asked me to describe the man, and then to ask him to come to the fuel side window and I was to aim the closed circuit TV monitor at the trucker. He then said for me to hand the phone through the window opening to the trucker. The trucker's eyes widened and a slight bit of fear came across his face. He then left without saying a word. Apparently, the owner made him think he could see him at the other end, gave him a few words and, perhaps, a warning.

    Then, there was a time a trucker asked me the name of the town the truck stop was in so he could record it in his logbook. I said, Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. He said I was joking and I told him I was not - this is Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. Quit @!#*^& me!!!, he hollered. I told him again. I think he walked out after that.

    I am even leaving one situation out that was nasty. As you see, I was getting an education I did not get so far, lol! Those who do not know Christ come in different varieties. Sadly, they are spiritually dead and most do not realize it.

    One of my short-termed fuel attendants was a Mormon. He was sure to let me know he did not drink caffeinated beverages. For some reason, though, he did not stay long. Perhaps he might have sensed I would tell him the real Gospel.

    Then there was another fuel attendant who, I guess, could not stand the cold during the winter months. My cashier's office had heat and he wanted to come in for a while. However, one of the strict orders I had from my bosses was not to let ANY fuel attendant in the cashier's office, no matter what. He begged and begged but I would not let him in. I ought to obey my employer in this case. Besides, there was at least one camera recording. There could very well be another camera that I did not know about. Eventually, one night this attendant disappeared from the truck stop while on duty. I paged and paged, but no response. So I called his house and asked if he was there. His mom said no. I said, Well, when he gets home, tell him he is fired.

    I almost fired another one. I was notified by the secretaries and the boss at Truck Stop #1 that there were gasoline shortages showing up. They could tell by the register reading compared with the master pump readings total. I had to take master pump readings NEAR the end of my shift. The gallons lost ALWAYS matched my register totals. However, the readings had to be taken before my shift completely ended. That meant to me that the theft was happening AFTER I took the readings and before I and my attendants punched out. Also, the thefts occurred probably whenever my view was blocked by a vehicle. So I started taking an extra set of readings (which I called shadow readings) and compared them with an additional read out from the register. I just about had nailed now which attendant was doing it. I think all I needed was one more time with this guy on my shift – but, he quit!

    I guess all of that gave me some illustrations for future messages (sermons). As I said, the deal at Bentleyville was that I would preach at least once a month. Good old brother Cecil Price gave me a pointer on that.

    By the way, keep in mind the scar on my finger (see post 4). I wrote left finger but it was a finger on my right hand. Keep it in mind for the first post in May 2022.

    Pictured in this post are my parents standing in their backyard in Kearny taken probably two or three years before my Mom succumbed to lung cancer.

    Bentleyville is not far from Pittsburgh, and I booked a flight with, I believe, U.S. Air to Newark, NJ. Newark is across the Passaic River from Kearny, my hometown where my mother was hospitalized. Years of smoking had taken its toll on her lungs. She quit smoking after coming to Christ but after she noticed the occasional stench from the pig meat processing plant a relative stupidly suggested she start to smoke again (see previous TBT series). She gave in to that suggestion. Next to our own selves, sometimes members of our family are our worse spiritual enemy. Her lung cancer had been noticed while she was in a mental hospital due to complications from menopause. When they began to operate they saw that the cancer had spread and stopped the operation. The doctor said she had a year to live, but she never got there.

    Our first child was due in August so my wife felt it would be best she would not come along. It was my first time (and so far only – lol) trip in a jet and I thought it was pretty good. And, back then, things were pretty safe – no bombs, no unruly passengers, and no drunken or impaired or distracted pilots (I realize that nowadays in most cases what I just wrote about pilots is a rarity, but it does occur). Now, I do not know if it was then, on the way back, or sometime later I did think it would be easy to cause a problem on a flight. For example, certain liquids could be hidden somewhere in one's clothing that when combined could bring about grave problems, even an explosion.

    Compared to most jets today the jet was small. I usually get sick in heights however not in this case since I was surrounded by solid stable stuff (the floor, the seats, the body of the jet). If I can hang on to something stable I am fine. As we neared the end of the flight I looked through the window and saw we were apparently approaching the airport from south to north along New Jersey's east coast because I saw the tops of oil storage tanks a few minutes away from landing.

    I do not recall who picked me up at the airport, and after some time I was driven to West Hudson Hospital, Bergan Avenue in Kearny. Nor to this day do I recall most of the conversation I had with my Mom. But, I do recall the following. I was standing near the foot of her bed. She was having some trouble breathing (she was breathing a level of oxygen at the time). Within a short amount of time she asked,

    She was struggling to breathe and dying, and it was a surprise to me that she noted I had sustained an injury. By this time there were no clots, just a few scars that I felt were beginning to be unnoticeable from even a short distance. I explained to her what happened at the truck stop.

    But think of it. Her physical life was waning away, but she still noticed and cared.

    When it came time for me to leave I am sure I prayed with her and kissed her. I cannot recall too well. But I sure do recall her noticing my scars.

    After a time I took a flight back to Pittsburgh and returned to Bentleyville.

    After two or three weeks our phone rang again. Mom had graduated to the eternal Kingdom of God, not because she was a good person, but because she had made Christ her King and had remained in Him.

    It was back to Kearny for me and among other things I went with a mission. To my knowledge the only one else that was born again in my family and relatives was my Dad. Most likely Uncle Number One would be there. For those who do not know who he was, please read back to the first of these pages in this TBT series, the page titled Throwback Thursday Countdown To The Week Christ Saved Me - And Beyond!

    Except for the beginning and the ending of my night shifts, things were generally slow at American Truck Stop #2 at Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. However, one who is wise tends to stay on the alert because night shifts are an opportune time for robberies to occur.

    At the end of each shift, after I packaged the proceeds, cash register tape, and other records I would send the package down into a chute that went into a safe. Someone, usually one of the owners, would later get the package and bring it to American Truck Stop #1 in Bentleyville where one of two or three secretaries had a mutual office. One of them would go through the package, do the necessary bookkeeping, and prepare deposits for the bank.

    So after closing a shift one morning I went home to get some sleep. Well, I got SOME sleep. Sometime around 10 AM the phone rings. It was one of the secretaries.

 $400.00 is missing from your shift! 

    What? That was not what I figured. I was right on the money. But then it dawned on me. Mr Cooper Sr., one of the owners, told me that part way through my night shifts that I should remove some of the proceeds from the register, put the money in a paper bag, staple it shut, and mark the bag the with date of my shift. He told me where to hide it and that is what I would do. Evidently I forgot to send THAT bag down the chute.

    So I told the secretary it was in a paper bag and told her the location. She then wanted to know why I put the money in the bag and hid it.

    That's what Mr. Cooper told me to do, I said. Evidently they then had someone get the bag and bring it to them. My shift then balanced out very nicely.

    Then, there was the time I was sleeping quite well until someone knocked on our door to let us know our car was hit. We would park our car on the street that went along the north side of the building which sloped downward from west to east. I cannot recall if this happened in winter with snow on the ground. Nevertheless, it got hit.

    When I called the insurance company I told them our car was hit while it was parked. Regardless, they still asked questions like how fast was I going and if the accident occurred at an intersection. It was about two or three times I had to repeat to them, the car was parked. Chances were they were cheated a number of times so they were trying to see if I would change my story. Eventually the police record would suffice them.

    One can work up an appetite with all of this going on. There was a hoagie shop across the street from us which we would resort to from time to time. Sister Dorcas thought she would surprise me by taking a sneak picture of me one day checking on our food (the photograph with this post). I see I was dressed pretty well, but I doubt the picture was taken on a Sunday because even back then I would have some level of displeasure doing unnecessary commerce on a Sunday. And after ruining some good clothing I stopped be dressed that slick every day of the week.

    I did not always sleep in the mornings. On certain days when I did not have to work a night shift I would sleep during regular sleeping hours. However, there was one night my sleep was interrupted for a very good and very important reason. I even broke a law that night!

    Things were going fine and they stayed spiritually fine, especially for Dad. He remained firm in the faith despite Moms plummet into mental depression and in her dying with lung cancer. Mom died about two-and-a-half months before our first son, Tim, was born.

    I kept praying that Dad would not lose heart, abandon Christ. and shipwreck his faith, that he would choose the Body Of Christ (Church) and not a bar, or even six-packs of beer.

    We asked him to visit us just after Tim was born. I was hoping the birth of our first son would lighten in someway any heaviness he might have had in regard to Mom's death. And, he did make the 300 mile / 483 km or more trip.

    I cannot remember how many days he stayed, but it seems to me, because of his work schedule it was only two or part of a night more.

    Dad was somewhat of an introvert. He would not speak much. And while I thought he might, on his own, pick up Tim and hold him, he did not. Perhaps he had done that elsewhere and was reprimanded. I do not know. Anyhow, as the day marched on I encouraged him to hold Tim. He did, and I was able to get the picture, a copy of which is with this post. Hopefully that was somewhat healing for him.

    Like I said, Dad stayed only a day or two and then he had to return to work in New Jersey. Work is good therapy too. All of this is far better than medications and alcohol. And I encourage all who read this to stay away from the drugs and money a government like the United States Of America might offer you when you are in mental turmoil. It is far better to work than to be on Social Security Disability for mental depression or anything else.

    Years later I would come across a photograph or two that showed Dad made a trip down south sometime after my Mom died. The former Merchant Marine had at least one boat trip, and I get the impression from the other image that is attached that it might have been Florida. As far as I know, he would not have enough money for places like Bermuda or the Virgin Islands. At any rate, this is the photograph I used for the background of Brother Pete's Oasis Of Hope, which was originally placed on Geocities.com back in the 1990s. Geocities was destroyed not too many years after Yahoo! bought it. I had to move it a couple of more times after that, and I thank God that Neocities.com came along and now my Oasis is a Neocities.

    But note what my Dad did. In the attempt of easing his mind he chose to take a cruise or other kind of boat trip, where he would be on the ocean (or a gulf) that God created. Evidently he enjoyed the sight of the palm trees. He had placed himself where he chose to follow Philippians 4:8 (ASV), Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

    Certain things are kept secret by God because when a true child of God goes through a very difficult time God's inner working within them is between them and God alone. I often have to wonder what Jacob's son Joseph grappled with while he was forgotten about in prison for around two years. Was he fighting off hatred toward his brothers who sold him into Egypt? Or, perhaps any hatred was crystallized so it would be crushed by the Holy Spirit when he saw the hand of God in his life and that it was actually God who had sent him there to preserve many people alive. And, how often did he have to fight off the temptation to give up on God as satan (never capitalized if I can get away with it) recounted all the bad things God had let happen to him, the worst of which was to be forgotten in prison?

    I would say such times and circumstances are when pearls are formed in true Christians life. Do not cast your pearls before swine or give that which is holy to the dogs. (Please listen or view the message Guard Your Pearls, and the links that point you to those recordings in audio or video may be found at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M2 .

    In a few weeks it would be our turn to visit, both the saved and unsaved out East.

    Why would this be a major flip? Those that have read the first set of posts titled, Throwback Thursday Countdown To The Week Christ Saved Me, would know. But for those who have not, here is a brief summary:

    But over thirty days later I surrendered my life to God through Jesus Christ. Exactly a month later I sensed God calling me to the Gospel ministry. I applied to NBI in May 1970 and was accepted the following month. By the grace of God I was at the school that fall.

    So, here was this letter in the mail. I was eligible for a degree. I needed only three more credits. Great!

    However, an element of displeasure rose up because the course I would be required to take would be Contemporary Theology. Theology! Why could it not be something focused on the Holy Bible itself? I would have been delighted had the course been about the transmission of the Biblical text down through the years.

    Nonetheless, I agreed and sent the requested payment in. A few weeks later the textbook came along with a schedule of various requirements. The textbook, the title page of which is pictured with this post, was Modern Christian Thought by James C. Livingston. I was not even going to post a picture, but when I located the book for this post I saw what I had written on the title page, and a number of other things I had written in the book.

    As you can see from the first picture, I had a great disdain for the material. Yes, I now know I incorrectly placed the apostrophe in the word wouldn't. For those needing to use aural software, here is what I wrote on the title page: I wouldn't call some of this Christian. I also wrote down below, This was my textbook to get my degree.

    I am glad I looked at the book in preparation for this post. If you count the illustrations it is over 500 pages and I see I evidently had read the entire thing. I underlined numerous times. I also see when I probably had to go to the NBC campus for a week of class. Last week I could not remember when, probably because I hated the course so much that I forgot what all I had to do (except for the term paper). Evidently I had to send something, maybe a summary, to NBC at least three times before the class session in January 1976. I had written must be at NBC in the list of chapters for the due dates, December 9 and 19 1975. The final deadline was January 9, 1976, but at the very end of the book at the epilogue (which I see I had actually read) I wrote complete for January 2, 1976.

    I guess I got it done early because I wanted to get it over. There were a host of contemporary theological thinkers and schools of thought throughout the book. Some of the scores (if not over a hundred) thinkers I had to read about were Soren Kierkegaard, Charles Darwin, Descartes, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

    I could not wait to get the whole book completely read. At one point I began to number the pages countdown style to the final agonizing page. I had a little fun though, as you can see with the second picture in this post that shows the first page of the final chapter, featuring an illustration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. At the top of the page I wrote The last mile! At the bottom of the illustration of Bonhoeffer I wrote Cutey, and off to the one side of him I wrote I'm sweet.

    It looks like for our term paper we were given five possible topics we could write about, viz., 1. The Demythological Principle; 2. Neo-Thomism; 3. Evolution; 4.Vatican II, and 5. The Ecumenical Movement. Well, because I had really wanted to study about the Holy Bible and not theological thought I chose the first one and wrote the paper on the topic of Rudolph Bultmann's advancement of the demythological principle of the Holy Scriptures.

    Back then all I had was a typewriter, white-out, and carbon paper. There were no word processors at the time, or if they did exist I sure could not afford one. The reading, the studying, typing was all done while I was an assistant pastor, worked as a cashier at a truck stop, and helped to take care of our first son.

    Yes folks. I know how to burp a baby, play with one, feed one (except for lactation), and put one to sleep. And, believe it or not, I have changed many a diaper – and washed some out for reuse. Yes, they were cloth diapers.

    So sometime in January 1976 I rode out to NBC in Green Lane, Pennsylvania for a week of classes. That is all I remember. I had so much disdain for the course I do not remember who the instructor was, which classroom we used, where I stayed, or even if I attended the school's chapel services (which would have been the main treat).

    Sister Dorcas and Tim stayed at her parents' home on Grassy Cabin Farm in Grantsville, Maryland. Pictured in the final photograph are her parents, Crist and Rhoda Yoder and, of course, Tim.

    A few months later during the summer a large envelope from NBC had arrived. It was my degree: Bachelors Of Science in Bible. I thought we would have to travel back out to the school for some type of ceremony, but they simply sent the document. Well, fine with me.

    I first went to NBI in 1970 with never thinking it would become a college. I went there figuring I will never be a scientist, but found out in hermeneutics class God would make me one of His scientist after the professor on the first day of class said, Hermeneutics is a science. I would graduate from NBI with only a diploma, but would possess a college degree two years later.

    So there – another flip for my life from God, and a major one at that! God, through Christ, is able to flip any life for His honor and glory. Through the finished work of Christ He has taken the lives of murderers, thieves, child abusers, drug addicts, drug dealers and a whole lot more and has, in His tender mercies, changed their lives to give them real life and Eternal Life. He will do it for you if you let Him.

    As it is written in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

    There was nothing morally or spiritually wrong about his plan, which he told the church about. Nevertheless, as head of the church's bus ministry I could see some problems, mainly during the winter months in that mountainous area.

    So, I had deep disagreement within me about the move. I do not remember if I told him my concerns or not. Knowing how I was back then, I probably did not tell him.

    I also knew that whenever any pastor has an idea for a project, most likely not everyone in the church is going to agree. Now, that would place me on the side of those who would disagree, if there had been any.

    Add to this the fact that I was still a new person in the Assembly of God (AOG) ministerial system. Seeming like I was part of a faction at Bentleyville might hinder any progress I could make in the future.

    While there are times one must openly take an opposing stand against something going on in a church (especially if there is something doctrinally or morally wrong), something like this is usually not the case. I decided to resign as assistant pastor.

    But, what next? I figured I was still a little new to try for my own pastorate and, naturally, I did not think we should just stay in Bentleyville. We would have to find a place to live and work. The quickest and easiest thing was . . . , to be announced in the next post. However, rest assured the remaining years until I would get my very own pulpit would definitely include direct teaching by the Holy Spirit.

    Of all things, I became, what was called back then, an orderly which I thought was a very amusing title for myself. The GMH handbook for employees stated that ... each person was made in the image of God, …, a Biblical truth that underscored the fact that a disciple of Christ ought to consider working at the facility a ministry.

    It was made clear to me that from time to time I would have to work weekends, which included Sundays. I saw no problems with working on Sundays for a job like that. The Holy Scriptures indicate such work was permissible (Luke 13:15, and 14:5). This would hold true for a number of other jobs such as, but not limited to, nurses, doctors, employees needed in hospitals and similar facilities, police, and military. Orderlies were also on call all of the time, especially for the midnight shifts. Orderlies would be called upon from time to time to help female nurse's aides (orderlies were eventually re-titled nurse's aides) with the lady residents they were taking care of.

    I was trained by the main orderly, Marvin Yoder. As you can imagine, there were scores if not hundreds of things to learn. If I had to assist a resident to stand up I was to put one of my feet in front of theirs to prevent them slipping. One has to be very careful in assisting the elderly: some have fragile bones and skin. When moving a resident from or to a wheel chair, put the chair's brakes on and stick your foot by a front wheel for stability. And, we had one male resident everyone had to watch out for! More on him in a later post!

    Naturally we had to learn to make beds. They had to be done a certain way. After practicing a few times I was put to the test by the then Director Of Nursing, Mrs. Hilt. I was called into a vacant room with an unmade bed and was told by her to make a bed. I did, making sure it was up to GMH specifications. After I finished she stared at it for about five seconds then said, That is pretty good. She then tore the whole thing apart. Do it again, she said, and walked away!

? ! 😕 ! ?

    For the next three and some years, GMH would be a place where I would learn a number of helpful things for my future ministry, as well as some sermon (message) illustrations, both good and bad.

    But for the next couple of posts I want to stick with GMH, and for the next post I want to tell you about some positive examples some of these senior citizens displayed.

    Somewhere I had heard that LPN (Licensed Practicing Nurse) could be construed as little pudgy nurse so, just for fun, one day I mentioned that to a couple of nurses. They then asked me, So what does RN stand for? Rough and nutty, was my reply, and I think an RN was there when I said that 😂. However, after orderlies were retitled as nurses aides all I could think of that NA meant at the end of my name was Peter Macinta, Nothing At All.  😄

    And when you are at the bottom of the medical ladder all you can do is look up. On a serious note, though, in actuality LPNs and RNs have a lot more knowledge, experience and responsibility. Whether they know it or not, they are models for those below them. A nurse's aide only knows so much. And God soon showed me lessons in regard to being in a position of authority and leadership.

    One time when I was working one of the female residents had a medical emergency, perhaps a stroke. When someone reported it to the charge nurse on that shift the nurse appeared to be a bit nervous. She grabbed a manual and hastily flipped through it to find the protocol for that medical emergency. That made ME nervous!

    A few weeks later I was working when a different nurse was in charge. At that time her name was Rachel Tice. I happened to be in the area of the nurse's station when another medical emergency occurred with another female resident. Upon hearing of it, nurse Tice was calm, consulted no book, and immediately went to the location. As I continued to observe her I saw that her composure spoke of sureness and she was able to readily help the resident.

    I was still in the early ages of the walk in Christ and had to learn to be concerned but not worry, and be calm and not nervous. Unknown to me, many wild and even weird situations were ahead of me in the ministry and when I would become a pastor.

    But the lessons taught by the decorum of sister Tice, a fellow Christian, are applicable to every disciple of Christ. You know the Savior, but also know the written Word of God (in a good translation, that aims to be truly literal-- not some of the loads of trash that currently plague us).

    A few years back I was reading some posts in a Facebook group I belong to, those who were exposed to the same good (or maybe better) ministerial education I was, when I was taken aback by post from an individual apparently shocked and bewildered by society's steep downward trends in recent years.

    He asked what was going on in the world. I thought, You do not know? Why are you bewildered? Why ask that question? Have you not read the Holy Bible and, if you have, why were you surprised?

    At the time of writing this post, the world was edging toward the time of Great Tribulation. We have had lots of trouble since the fall of Adam, but the worst is yet to come.

    Oh, I know some have been saying that for centuries, but two events in the 1940s are harbingers of Armageddon to come, viz., the establishment of the United Nations and the state of Israel. Consider well Joel 3:2  I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. 

    Since 1948, events have occurred that lay the groundwork for the prophetic passages regarding the end of the Gentile Age and The Time Of Jacob's trouble to occur. Occurrence of such events are increasing in frequency. A real powerful one was the establishment of the Abraham accords. Also in recent years (per the date of this post) were the various governments around the world on most if not all levels responding to the Covid-19 pandemic which, whether they know it or not, trained them on how to control their citizens for when The Beast (aka Antichrist) arises. Such preparatory events are increasing not only in frequency, but also in intensity. With that, keep in mind that the birth pains passages of the Holy Bible in regard to the end of this present age.

    While it is shocking, if we are Christ's and know The Book we ought not wonder why there is same-sex marriage, why some people care to mutilate themselves to be the other gender, and why there is spiritual child abuse in that realm.

    There are many more topics I can point to, but I need to bring up a very current situation: prophets! We are now loaded with so-called prophets of God, teachers, and apostles. If you have been swayed by recent false prophecies, particularly in the realm of politics, I would say you are in grave spiritual peril. YOU, yes YOU, might just find yourself believing a lie (a major one) as recorded in 2 Thessalonians 2. Some of your number embrace unity within Christendom (note the quotation marks) no matter what sin or false teaching is tolerated.

    Going back to the topic of prophets, while there are true prophets of God, we are overwhelmed with false ones as well as teachers and apostles. Consider well Revelation 16:13 to 16 :   And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.  

    Consider very well verse 15. It will do well for some who name the Name of Christ to get their mind and heart out of the prophets and politics and get into His presence along with His written Word. If you really know the Lord then really know His Book.

    For those that will, please listen to my message on Revelation 16:15 at https://archive.org/details/revelation1615theapocalypticblessingwithgravewarning .

    Enough! Let me get jolly in the next post!

    Before he was beheaded, the Apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit wrote some final instructions and encouragement to a young pastor (bishop) named Timothy, who could very well eventually suffer the same fate. Early in the last epistle (letter) to Timothy that is known to exist he wrote, . . . God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

    I was fearful of many things before I came to Christ. If you read back to my first TBT you will see I was raised Roman Catholic, and while there are some who enjoy various elements of it, to me there were a few spooky things. This was especially so in funeral masses. I remember reciting with the others the phrase, May perpetual light shine upon them (the departed person). In my young mind I pictured them lying dead in their casket with a light forever beaming on them. And when the Ave Maria was sung in Latin, (of which I had no idea of what the words meant), there was a phrase in there that made me think of a giant insect with a stinger injecting the dead person with something and sometimes making them squirm. Shows like the Twilight Zone and Outer Limits sort of helped to shape my mind to consider the possibility of the very weird and very scary.

    A goodly chunk of fears was banished from my mind when I surrendered to Christ but, like all other disciples, I had to learn to bring my mind under the control of the Holy Spirit. This has been ongoing training for me. Satan enjoys presenting us with fear, and the nightmares I am about to mention turned into an early training session for me to be less fearful, and that there IS demonic activity that disciples must stand against.

    The focus of nightmares was my Mom. My parents did not surrender to Christ until a year after I did. Now, with no offense meant to my Mom, for seventeen years, though she was a loving parent, she was overbearing and domineering at times in our immediate family. Relatives, friends, and acquaintances outside our immediate family would definitely describe her as kind, sweet, caring and many other positive terms. Add to this the fact that she would often seem to be sad and depressed.

    My parents made “a hundred and eighty degree turn” when they surrendered to Christ, but they also had to grow in Christ. Sadly, Mom was pestered with menopause just after I went off to Holy Bible Institute. She eventually went to a psychiatric hospital and, after a time, she developed pneumonia. An x-ray showed another problem: a tumor on her lungs that was later determined to be lung cancer. She went to be with the Lord in May 1975.

    I was relieved to see that she had remained in Christ despite her battles and departed from this world still clinging to Christ (and not Mary). And for over five years, my mind felt relief -- until the nightmares occurred.

    I started dreaming of my mother in a casket. Thankfully, I can no longer remember the details, but after a short time she started moving. After a couple of these dreams, she then started talking, and elements of my mind thought, Oh, no! She is being overbearing again! Of course, none of this made me feel good.

    During my awake hours, considering what the entirety of the Holy Bible says about such things, I figured this could NOT be my mother. For example, disciples who depart from this world are present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). And, though Hebrews 12:1 states we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, it refers back to Hebrews 11 where the brief accounts of the spiritually victorious ones of the Old Testament are recorded, and these accounts witness for or against us in our Christian walk (if we are truly saved).

    A few weeks went by and another nightmare occurred, but now she was talking and about getting out of her casket. In my dream I yelled something like . . .

    From that time, I have not been bothered by such nightmares.

    I was not rude and disrespectful to my mother (after all, it was not her), but I was angry at the demonic spirit that was stirring up the negative elements in my mind. I meant what I said: Go away!

    Looking back, for me that was a primer for effectual prayer and, eventually, spiritual warfare. I was not into spiritual warfare at that time and thought it was something not necessary for New Testament Christians. I would find out differently in less than ten years, especially when a demonic force would attack one of our sons.

    OK, back to fun in the next post when I was attackedby nature and a law of physics.

    The trailers were nearby Goodwill. All I had to do was take a short walk and I was at work! If the roads were ever covered with snow again a snowmobile would most likely be unnecessary for me to get there. No chance of me being catapulted from the vehicle and getting stuck in snow. However, I would soon be stuck elsewhere.

    I do not remember why I wanted to do it, but I think there had been some type of problem on the roof that encouraged me to get a ladder and check things out.

    I always sort of liked heights, but then there is the other side to the coin. I cannot prove it, and some (not all) theologians would say no, but I have had a sneaking suspicion that my mama, even before she came to Christ, prayed really hard to God that I would avoid climbing. There are some that say God does not honor the prayers of the unsaved, but I think, based upon Holy Scripture and observation, that He does honor certain prayers of those who are not redeemed in Christ.

    I have a feeling that my mama, who had been the nervous type, became really concerned when I, as a young child, took great interest in mountain climbers I saw on TV. I thought it was pretty cool they could take breaks on short ledges and just be in various odd places on a mountain.

    Around that time there had been some sort of small quarry or an outcropping of rock in Jersey City and I think it was located near Baldwin Ave. I know it was a short drive from cousins that used to live across from the old Margaret Hague Hospital. If I recall correctly, it seems my Dad had stopped there so I could do some rock collecting and I got the idea I would like to climb that short hunk of rock which might have been around 18 to 20 feet (5.4 to 6.0 meters) at that time. Mom was along. After that, I do not remember going by there again unless it was only one time. I think mama prayed really hard that her baby boy would not venture into rock or mountain climbing -- and told my Dad not to have me even see that hunk of rock again.

    I think that because even though I thought I would have no problem getting on top of our trailer in Grantsville, I did encounter a problem. The roof was slightly arched and once I was on it I had an oozy, queasy feeling. I was too afraid to find the ladder to get off. And, to add to my misery, there was some type of bees nest nearby. I hollered for sister Dorcas for help and she contacted Goodwill which contacted one of their maintenance workers. Well, either it took some time to get him or he was busy or both, but I was stuck on that roof for over an hour.

    When he finally came, he gave vocal instructions for me of where to back over to the ladder. When I had enough guts to start hanging a foot down to locate a rung he took a hold of my foot to guide it -- but I froze up again. Nevertheless, he soon guided me down.

    Once inside the trailer I thought of how being sick of the height was one thing, and then on top of that I was pestered by bees. Not too many of us enjoy being pestered, but pestering comes to us in many ways. And, during those years in Grantsville there was a specific group of religious pests I would frequently encounter. However, by His grace God trained me to keep recognizing His voice by the Holy Spirit.

    This man had been attending a Mennonite or Amish Mennonite church. If I remember correctly, he had desired an ongoing Bible study from that church but for some reason they were unable or unwilling to provide him with one. Lo and behold, there eventually came a knock on his door and, sure enough, they were JWs. When they found out he wanted a Bible study they were very glad to oblige. He was too soon convinced of some of their teachings.

    I forget who asked me, but I was asked to go and speak with him. I forget what I said to him, but I did ask him to read what Walter Martin had written about the Watchtower Society in his book titled The Kingdom Of The Cults. In that book, brother Martin points out the history and doctrines of the major cults of the 20th century. Charles Taze Russell of the 1800s played a religious role that eventually led to the forming of the Watchtower Bible And Tract Society. He was taken to court over some issues over the sale of what was called Miracle Wheat. In regard to being a pastor he was asked if he knew Greek and he claimed he did. However, he failed in identifying certain Greek letters when asked to do so in court.

    When asked about Russell, some of today's JWs will distance themselves from him, but I recently saw in a relatively current Watchtower Society handbook that they still give a lot of credit to Russell.

    Anyhow, I was hoping that what brother Martin had presented about the JWs would convince our friend to stop meeting with them. However, when I came to retrieve my book I saw that our friend had written a long response on the inside cover of it and included Ecclesiastes 12:12, of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. That was hypocritical for him to quote that verse because he already had some JW books and magazines in his possession.

    On that point, in recent years as I have attempted to witness to some JWs on the Internet I asked them to lay aside their JW books and other literature and just read the Holy Bible. I do not know if any of them ever accepted the challenge, but I did hear that some JWs had done that and within two or three years they were convince that the Watchtower Society was wrong.

    Now, getting back to the 1970s in Grantsville, I do not know for sure if it was our friend or not, but a JW convert who owned land across from Maranatha Assembly of God donated their land to the Watchtower Society. Soon, there was a Kingdom Hall across the way from Maranatha.

    Brother Ferguson was not pleased with that, nor were some members and attendees of Maranatha. He soon had a sign erected in the church field, facing it toward the new Kingdom Hall. On the sign were the words I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it from Matthew 16:18.

    Though it seemed our friend was hopelessly entrapped in the Watchtower Society, we kept praying for him. I am pleased to report that, after a number of decades, the man left the Watchtower Society and surrendered his life to God through Jesus Christ. He has since graduated from this life and has entered the Kingdom of God! Are you a Christian that has an unsaved relative or friend? Keep praying for them and continue to witness to them as directed by the Holy Spirit. Never give up.

    Being directed by the Holy Spirit is extremely important. For many of us it takes time to learn to know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us, especially in a specific way -- directing us to take action. It is very important to learn this, especially if you are called to the Gospel ministry. And, one day after work I received an alert from Him.

    I still can remember one senior lady at the nursing home where I worked who was coming out of her room but then paused in the doorway. She had a bewildered look upon her face. When I looked at her, immediately I had to think of the old King James Version (KJV) term, confusion of face. It only occurs in two places in the KJV, viz., Ezra 9:7 and Daniel 9:8. In my early days ministering I would use what I had seen at the nursing home whenever I referred to either passage. However, years later I found out that the Hebrew ought to be correctly translated as shame of face.

    The lady was not ashamed, though, and only confused. A female nurse's aide soon came by to assist her. The senior lady would seem fine once she had her medication.

    Most, if not all, of the residents of Goodwill Mennonite Nursing Home were on medication. If you have read the first in my Throwback Thursdays series you would have seen that as a very young tyke I aspired to be a scientist. Because of a scientific breakthrough I was one of millions of children who was vaccinated against polio. I also had the three doses of the vaccine in sugar cube form. That is somewhat more favorable than the needle. 😁

    It seems like many more medications were developed in the 1960s. A common one used at the nursing home I worked at was Thorazine. At least two of the men under my charge were given that medication. The one man was the polio victim I mentioned earlier in this current series. He had some powerful arms and you would not want to be around him when he was agitated.

    The other was the man who wanted a lawyer after I washed his head. At one point a nurse in charge gave me the information to read on Thorazine, especially the side effects. Since an aide worked more closely with the residents in their care it was good for the aide to know the drug facts. I was a bit surprised at the side effects and quipped, Are we trying to help this guy or hurt him?

    Sadly, this is true of many medications, and once I got to my very own set of pulpits I would see more sorry things about medications. Not all medication is bad or iffy, but I would later choose a slightly different path for my own healthcare. In 2011 I would deliver a message to one of my congregations regarding Biblical Insights Into Medicine. If you would like, you may listen to it by clicking the link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M123 .

    And there came a day when I might have needed some medical attention at the nursing home. God willing, I will write about that in the next post.

    So, another child was on the way for sister Dorcas and I. We already had a son, so would this be a daughter? I do not think ultrasound was developed to the point at that time where you could see your child's gender, and God knew we would be fine with whatever He chose. However, naturally we were hoping for a healthy child.

    And, from what I gather, my Dad was remaining spiritually healthy, making the correct choices in regard to getting married again. As you read 1 Corinthians 7 you will see that since my Mom had passed on into the Kingdom my Dad was free to marry again. However, I caution every Christian in that position to carefully consider 1 Corinthians 7:26, 29-31 in the light of our current times, especially in regard to the return of Christ.

    After my Mom died I had to wonder if Dad would consider getting married again and, if so, if he would go about the process the correct way. It sure looks like he did, because I have a picture of him with another lady he did not marry. In the picture it looks like he was escorting her somewhere and as I look at her image there is something about her that signals to me she might not have been right with the Lord. And, Dad is looking at her in a way that appears to me that he preferred not to be with her.

    Dad kept going to church. At some point, somewhere, he met Phyllis, a Christian widow. They eventually married. For some reason we did not attend their wedding. It might have happened after the birth of our second child or when we were in the process of moving. Anyhow, when we eventually met her she seemed to be somewhat spiritually sharp.

    To the left is a picture of my Dad and Phyllis. As you see there is an ashtray on the table. Neither of them smoked (Dad quit smoking after coming to Christ) but, if I recall correctly, some of Phyllis' relatives smoked. And, my sister was still smoking at that time.

    I have jumped a few years with this gap filler but I felt I should write about it now. Also, I ought to note that some events in this series might be out of sequence.

    For the next post let us go to Maranatha Assembly Of God where we would attend church, and I would get additional training, until I got my first very own pulpit.

    This was not so with the Assemblies of God (AOG) in the 1970s. I wrote about that in a previous post in this series.

    In the 1970s I was a licensed minister of the Gospel with the (AOG). If I recall correctly, at that time they required their licensed ministers to preach at least twelve times a year. That requirement was easily fulfilled when I was an assistant pastor at Bentleyviille, Pennsylvania. But now we were in Grantsville, Maryland and attending at the church we were married in, and I was not an assistant there. I sensed that preaching opportunities would be very rare at the church because they frequently had outside guest speakers.

    So, what could be done about this? Yes, one could stand on street corners and preach, but there are not a goodly number of corners in Grantsville and, after all, this introvert was shy. I have since learned one must be directed by the Holy Spirit and when that occurs God overcomes the shyness. I had herd, I mean heard that at least one preacher had preached to cows and there certainly was cows in Grantsville, but I did not care for any of the locals to drop a net on me.

    What sister Dorcas and I did was to be one of the groups that would go to the nursing home to do a program for any residents that would attend. Our program consisted of doing a sermon in song. Let God pick the topic and have those that attended sing an appropriate hymn after each point or, perhaps, we would sing a duet. It was also a way to keep my piano playing from getting any rustier. I had trouble reading music, but if I knew the song I could usually pick out the chords and play by ear.

    At Maranatha, sister Dorcas and I were asked to be Sunday School teachers. I was assigned, I think, to the middlers boy's group. I forget what ages that was for, but I really enjoyed teaching that class— until I was removed as a teacher. Why? God willing that will be in the next post.

    The Assemblies Of God (AOG), and a host of other fellowships, did not play games like that. And even though you might be ordained by God for the ministry of the Gospel of Christ, the AOG and many others did not grant you an awesome mountable piece of paper emblazoned with the word ordained until it was evident to them you were ordained by God.

    In the mid-1970s I held a license with the Potomac District Of The AOG. That district consists mainly of Maryland with goodly chunks of Virginia and West Virginia, along with a smattering of some AOG churches in Pennsylvania. Each district is divided into sections.

    The section I was in had a sectional meeting usually on one Monday each month. I think it started with a late afternoon service. Then there was a dinner which was followed by a sectional youth rally, aka a Christ's Ambassador's (CA) rally. If you had read the second TBT series you will recall a CA rally was the second church meeting I attended after coming to Christ.

    While it was not required that a minister attend any of these meetings, it was still a blessing to attend one. It was also good so the presbyter of your section, and other ministers, could get to know you.

    Soon after we had moved to Grantsville Pastor Ferguson invited me to travel with him to these meetings which would be held at any of the churches of the section. Cumberland, Maryland had two or three AOG churches and there was another one to the north near Hyndman, Pennsylvania called Bedford Valley AOG. Not far from Cumberland and to the west there was Frostburg and Lonaconing.

    While it was not like the metropolitan area I grew up in, there was still plenty of traffic in these areas-- perhaps just enough to tamper with the patience of some preachers, including Pastor Ferguson. We were heading to a sectional meeting either going through Frostburg, LaVale, or Cumberland when we had to pause for a red light. When it turned green we could not go ahead because the driver in the vehicle in front us did not promptly respond. At that point brother Ferguson quipped, Come on fellow! It's only going to change to one shade of green.

    The picture in my mind of a driver waiting at a green light for another shade of green hit me as hilarious and I burst out with laughter. That, in turn, amused Pastor Ferguson. Anyhow, the chap ahead of us, who did not hear brother Ferguson, finally realized it was green and moved on. However, every now and then, when I can use a good chuckle, I will say that to myself when someone does not move on a green light.

    Another funny thing that Pastor Ferguson did one time was to keep a Grantsville snowball in his refrigerator freezer. Being higher in elevation than LaVale, Cumberland or Ridgely (West Virginia), Grantsville usually had more snow than most of the locations we would go to for sectional meetings. As a result, at the beginning of spring a couple of ministers would joke with brother Ferguson about Grantsville having snow. So, one year, he brought a snowball when we went to a sectional meeting in March or April. The moment someone would ask, Hey Bill, got any snow up there?, he would let them know with a little toss. However, no one said a thing about snow so he discretely tossed it somewhere in the parking lot.

    Though these meetings occurred almost every month, there was one meeting a year called the sectional council where the officers for the section would be elected for the coming year. Little did I know that my little ministry would be added to.

    One year while we lived in Grantsville the meteorologists were expecting a snow storm mid-winter --and we were expecting our second child. Lo and behold! Both came to pass!

    If I remember correctly, sister Dorcas somewhat felt the need to go to the hospital before the brunt of the storm came by. I say somewhat because there was no great urgent need at the time to head to the hospital —just subtle signs now and then. But then, there was that common knowledge that, in most cases, things happen more quickly after the first child is born. So, on that evening we thought it might be a very good idea to start heading to the hospital.

    Though the hospital was less than a half hour away, the roads to get there were loaded with ups and downs and plenty of curves —and the snow was beginning to fall. So, it was a very good idea to head to the hospital even though our second child might not be born for hours later.

    That is what it seemed like once we got there late that night, so the doctor said he would go home until the nursing staff called. There was no problem with that because he did not live too far away and most people that live in that mountainous region know how to drive in the snow. They also keep their vehicles snow storm ready.

    The staff had a pleasant surprise for me. Unlike the other hospital that kept me away from sister Dorcas, gave me no updates, and made me wait over six hours to find out we had a son, this hospital said I could be with her. I just had to stand on the other side of the delivery room and wear a mask when the baby was born.

    As I recall, an hour passed by with nothing much happening. But somewhere near the two-hour mark things began to happen fast. The staff rushed her to the delivery room. Within a few minutes a nurse picked up the phone and told the doctor the crown is showing.

    He was on the way, but our second child beat him to it. In the hustle and bustle of the moment I had forgotten to put on my mask —or I was waiting for someone to tell me to put it on. So I asked if I should put it on and I was told it was not necessary now.

    It was another boy, and we named him Samuel Robert. According Gesenius, the name Samuel can mean heard of God, although it may also be understood as His (God's) name is El.

    If you have read the first TBT series, Countdown To The Week Christ Saved Me, you will know very, very, very well why we chose Robert for the second name. It was in honor of Robert (Bob) Wittik who was led by the Holy Spirit to keep witnessing about Christ to me, and who remained active to win many more to Christ.

    Like me, Bob Wittik was born in the early 1950s, not even an entire decade after the United Nations was formed and only a handful of years after Israel was placed back on the map after being scattered throughout the world for well over 1,800 years. Now you literally have the two factors needed to fulfill the Holy Bible prophecies related to Armageddon. Sometime in the 1950s or 1960s Bob surrendered his life to Christ, studied the Word of God, and developed a desire to win others to Christ.

    Much has happened since the 1940s to set the stage for the return of Christ at Armageddon. Some things are quite subtle, and a few are immense. However, unless you personally know Christ (have surrendered to Him) and have read the Holy Bible, such things might mean nothing to you. That was how I was in 1967 without Christ and having only a slight interest in the Holy Bible. But, a big event occurred in June 1967 when Israel captured The Temple Mount, but permitted the two mosques to remain and let Muslims worship there. That meant nothing to me, but it ensured the conditions for Revelation 11, and I am sure that real Christians in 1967 were bristling with excitement and a fervor to bring others to Christ. So, about two years later God used Bob Wittik as a main way among many ways to reach me.

    In less than a half decade before this post at least two big things have occurred, viz., The Abraham Accords (which Israel has agreed to) and the worldwide COVID-19 crisis. I bristled when I heard about the Abraham Accords. Even the name of that agreement, in the light of numerous Holy Bible prophecies, ought to perk up any true Christian.

    In regard to the COVID-19 crisis, with much of the world gripped by fear almost every government experimented on how to control their citizens. This, in turn, messed up the economies of many nations, and many nations are trying to economically fix things while at the same time fighting off ever-emerging strains of the coronavirus (more fear). Financial pits have developed in the effort to fix economies. Now consider the words of Isaiah 24:17-18, part of what is called Isaiah's Little Apocalypse: Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are on you, O inhabitant of the earth. 18 And it shall come to pass, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that comes up out of the middle of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. Keep in mind that Jesus Christ also said a snare is coming (Luke 21:35).

    I am not saying that the mentioned sequence involving COVID-19 is the beginning of the fulfillment of Isaiah 24:17-18 but, if it is not, it sure has trained the world to follow that downward path. I have a message on Isaiah 24:17-18 and the links for you to hear or view that message are at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M175 .

    Hey, COVID-19 and The Abraham Accords were two big things, but you know other things are happening too: Russia and Ukraine, United States and China, North Korea showing its muscles. I can go on, but that is not a main point of these posts.

    Just keep in mind that the world is in a lot of birth pains. Now, with the Abraham Accords in mind and in regard to Israel, consider well 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

    Indeed, the world is very stormy. Nevertheless, there is blessing available to anyone, absolutely anyone, if they turn their back to sin and self and truly make Jesus Christ, The Son Of The Living God, the King of their life.

    It happened in a field of my in-law's Garrett County dairy farm when my sons and I wanted to have a bit of fun after getting some kites. With no trees or utility lines, the field was an ideal place for kite flying - except for what we called the cow pies.

    There was ample wind that day and our kites were up in no time, rising high. As usual during that time of my life I had many problems on my mind, but spending time with the boys was fun and relaxing.

    As the kite I had soared high, for an experiment I decided to let go of the string for a short time. I noticed the kite went a bit higher at first, then plummeted toward the ground. When I grabbed the string, it soared back up.

Then God said,

See?

As long as there was tension the kite flew.

I want you to soar too.

    From then on I have had a different outlook on stress. God wants us to use it as a tool. Perhaps we brought on the stress because of our actions (or our non-action). In this case the primary things we must do are to ask God to forgive us and determine that by His grace we will do His will, not ours.

    When stress is the result of a situation we did not create and / or had little or no control over it can be a tool to point us toward trusting God more and developing the meekness of Christ within. And, I could add a few more things.

    In later years, when I would get my very own pulpits, there would be times I would teach about stress by mentioning the objects -- any objects that we can see around us. Everything that we sense and use has come about by some type of stress. After all, the computer, tablet, phone, or any other device on which you are reading this post simply did not come out of thin air. Just think of all of the metal in your device. It had to be mined, purified, shaped and so on. The plastics and glass came about, in part, by heat and molding.

    We came by stress. Just ask any mom!

    But I usually phrase it this way: Any useful object we have or see came about by stress. God desires to make us useful for His purposes.

    If we do not have Christ as Savior and King, most times stress will make us sick, and it might even kill us. And, if you live in the United States, the government or / and medical system will be very glad to medicate you— which actually comes with hidden price tags like dependence and bondage.

    But, if we are really in Christ we can soar. Fast forwarding to the most recent decades, I worked for a newspaper in the early 2000s. I will tell you right now, and this is probably true of all media work, you do not have just one deadline each day. You have numerous ones. And by God's grace He had shaped me to the point where I thought it was a challenge to beat the deadlines.

    After loosing that job I applied the tools of deadlines to my own ministry. So, by the direction of the Holy Spirit I have a number of self-imposed deadlines (as directed by God) each day and throughout the week. I find it helps to keep the mind sharp.

    Getting back to the 1970s, that kite flying lesson from Jesus was something I really needed. I would say all pastors of the Gospel of Christ get hit with stress quite often. Sometimes they ask for it and sometimes they do not. Anyway, in the next post I want to write about something that God would use in part to open my eyes more to the supernatural workings around us. However, my eye opening would occur when I got my first and, especially, second pulpit which, God willing, will be covered in the fifth and final Throwback Thursdays series.

    That was not much of a criticism. However, a little heavier criticism came from an older minister at one point in regard to my handling the funds that were received. As a sectional youth leader I would deposit the offering into a checking account in the name of the youth department of the section. Funds were disbursed for honorarium and travel expense of any speaker, and I think a points award at the end of the sectional year, and perhaps a few other things.

    I forget what he was complaining about, but nonetheless before the next meeting I typed up a balance sheet, made numerous copies of it, and passed them out at the next ministers meeting. I kept the extra copies for many years. This is still my practice when it comes to finances and a few other things.

    I figured both the request that I SMILE and the challenge about finances were little things to get me ready for bigger criticism that would come when I became a pastor. Criticism happens to most ministers. One just has to learn by the Holy Spirit how to handle it, and make Holy Bible-based corrections if need be.

    But, ministers are to expect such things from time to time. I figured it was just a little training. However, sometimes one just has to wonder if some people might need some growing to do for themselves before they evaluate others. If you read back to the previous TBT series you will see I really had to wonder about some of the instructors at Northeast Bible Institute (later named Northeast Bible College). That wondering continued when I was a sectional youth leader.

    There came a time when I was supposed to be at some type of regional youth convention being held at the school's new campus in Valley Forge. After arriving there, I started looking around for some of the instructors I had been under. I found one at his office and popped in.

    I forget what I replied, but I once again had to wonder if he and a few others really believed in the power of God and what the Holy Bible said on many points. What was this man thinking, Once a spiritual dwarf always a spiritual dwarf?

    It is so important to know what the Holy Bible says and learn from it, and learn by observation, how God can change the weakest person for His honor and glory.

    And one thing AOG had in order to get young people into the Holy Bible was Bible Quizzing. As sectional youth leader, I had to conduct those contests in our section. I feel that was one of the greatest things that the AOG could do.

    A book of the Holy Bible would be selected by the AOG Youth headquarters. Contest rules, practice questions, and more were mailed out to participating churches. At that time, only the King James Version (KJV) was used. All answers had to be verbatim to the KJV text.

    Questions were tiered as 10, 20, and 30 points. Let us say the book of choice was Romans. A 10-point question might be something like, To be carnally minded is what? The answer would be death (Romans 8:6). A 20-point question might be What is the kingdom of God? The reply would be righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. In the Holy Ghost would have to be contained in the response. A 30-point question would be much more involved.

    The winners of the sectional contest would advance to the district level. Advancement continued to the national level.

    In this post is an image of some of the youth group from Maranatha AOG that participated in the sectional Bible Quiz. I forget when and where it was taken, but it appears it was chilly and windy at the time. Clear in the back is Arnold Probst, who was the coach for this team. Since the official questions were not mailed out until a week or so before the contest, I helped train the Maranatha team with some questions I created.

    And, there was even more I had to do as sectional leader. I had to be a counselor at the Potomac District Youth Camp. There I would run into challenges, a disappointment, and a surprise.

We want you to coach first base for our team.

    My eyes widened. When I was younger I was one of the boys who usually got picked last or next to last for playing any sport with my peers. I still remember the day when I attempted to catch a pop fly and my right eye caught it instead of my mitt, and so that pop fly popped out a lens from my glasses. I was terrible at throwing and my hands and fingers seemed too buttery to catch anything.

    The only great thing I ever did in sports, that I can recall, was the one time in football the quarterback on one of my teams got tired of me (who always played center) not being covered by the opposing team (they figured I would not get the ball) and that defender assisted his teammates in covering our receivers. So in one huddle the quarterback told the team to act like they were all set to get the ball but he would hand the ball to me instead (and, my eyes REALLY widened when I heard THAT plan). You can read the whole account in my first TBT series, Throwback Thursday Countdown To The Week Christ Saved Me - And Beyond!

    So, I politely objected to the young person, telling him I was not any good at sports and would not know what I was doing.

    However, he politely and strongly insisted, and proceeded to instruct me on how to coach first base.

    Well, I agreed, but I kept on thinking I will mess things up. My team is going to lose.

    The game started and I think that for the first time or so, since his turn to bat did not come up, he mentored me. And, oddly enough, I was getting the hang of it.

    I remember at one point in the game I think the batter had hit the ball in such a way that the other team was having problems, but I do remember I excitedly told the guy on first base, Run! Run!

    That might have been the ninth inning because I was very excited. Regardless, our team scored a number of runs and ...

    With shouts of victory the guys on my team headed towards me, hoisted me up, and paraded me around! To this day I thank God that there was no supersized container of Gatorade to baptize me with!

    And a number on the team signed the baseball that was used and gave it to me. Perhaps, by some slim chance, someone reading this was on that team. So I have photographed the areas of the baseball and placed them in this post. After almost fifty years the writing is faded, but maybe someone might just recognize their name, or the name of someone they know.

    I think God used some of those young people to reinforce in my mind and heart that, upon true repentance and faith in Christ, God's Kingdom will accept all underdogs, klutzes, failures, and the like, and turn them into more than conquerors for His glory.

    In the future, once I got my very own pulpits, God would nudge me to nudge underdogs, klutzes, failures, and the like into some type of service for Him. In fact, there was at least one cringe worthy moment when one brother attempted to help after a church service but, God willing, we will get to that in the next and somewhat final TBT that starts around February or March 2023.

    Back to Grantsville for the next post where I will mention a really big blessing for Goodwill Mennonite Home For The Aged.

    That is how it was at Goodwill MENNONITE Home, and many people are very aware that Mennonites, as well as Amish and Amish-Mennonites, can come up with some tasty dishes. If I recall correctly, the perk of investigating the refrigerator was only for late second shift and midnight shift, since the kitchen was active during first shift and early second shift.

    There were no third shifts for male nurses' aides at the time, but I did work second shift most of the time. And, you know it, I would head toward the kitchen at break time.

    But then, there is always God and the principles of fasting and self-control. While every disciple of Christ might not be able to fast, every disciple needs the principle of self-control, especially those called to ministry as a pastor.

    So, just like when God nudged me to go to missionary prayers when I was in Holy Bible school, years later I would get another nudge from God at the nursing home. This time it would be to forsake the refrigerator at break time and spend the time worshiping and praising God.

    This nudge came to me after the nursing home had installed elevators and made other renovations. So, at break time I headed down the hall but instead of heading toward the kitchen I turned right toward the elevators. I was not sure as to where I should go, but then I spied a door that seemed to open to some type of closet. Upon opening the door I saw that the small room housed live electrical gadgets. Maintenance personnel were less likely to need that room during the second shift so I thought it could be a doable option.

    Wait! Am I telling you how spiritual I am? No. Again, a purpose of these TBT series is to encourage all disciples of Christ to desire a deeper walk in Christ, to grow spiritually, to trample the idea it is fine just to meander through life depending on a point in time where one prayed The Sinner's Prayer while not living that prayer every second of one's life.

    I entered that closet, closed the door, and realized there was only so much room in there. Being a bit clumsy I would have to be careful. Additionally, being Pentecostal, I would also have to be careful if I got blessed. Part of the chorus of the Pentecostal Gospel song Old Time Power is, ♫ Lord, send us the power just now. ♬ However, I sure did not want that power in the form of electricity ⚡.

    When I was in the closet I began to worship God. Somehow I had learned of the good idea to worship God as seen in Revelation 4:8, declaring Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!, repeating that verse (since it is repeated in the third heaven) as led by the Holy Spirit, but meditating upon it and meaning it, for Christ told us not to pray in vain repetition (Matthew 6:7).

    As I did so, I sensed the presence of God. This was a needful positive impression on my mind in order for God to make a young skeptical minister understand there is a spiritual realm far more real and active than what I thought it was. I was still shallow on that point at that time, but the days drew near that God would permit me to pastor a church and eventually draw me into things like spiritual warfare. That will come up in my fifth Throwback Thursday series.

    In the meantime I tried and tried to accrue as much ministerial experience as I should.

    We were probably driving from, or toward, Cumberland, Maryland when we thought it would be good to pray about another couple, Arnold and Ellen Probst, who were on a longer travel, perhaps heading northward to see his relatives. If I recall correctly, we knew that he was having some type of trouble with the tires on his car. So, as I led in prayer I asked that they would have traveling mercies. Thinking about the tires on his car I then prayed something like, "please do not let Arnold have a blowout."

    Just then sister Dorcas let out a squeal and began laughing uncontrollably!

"What!? What's so funny?," I asked.

    It took a few seconds for her to stop laughing and then she explained that sometimes chickens have "blowouts" when laying eggs. Immediately the insane imagery of what I had just prayed came to mind and I started laughing too. After that, I was more careful about what terms and phrases to use in prayer.

    Then, there was a time on the same road, either coming or going, when we were not praying, but had the radio on tuned to a local FM station, WFRB. I am not sure why we had it on, because unless it is a Christian or news station, I do not have a car radio on while driving, at least not in recent decades.

    Perhaps I had it on to check the weather because there were a few snowflakes in the air. Nevertheless, as we traveled along the station began to play a musical selection — chickens clucking to the tune of "In The Mood." Within about thirty seconds I was laughing so hard that I had to slow down and pull over. If you would like to hear it, here is a link to "In The Mood" by The Hen House Five Plus Two: https://youtu.be/9qNmMui3VNs . There are slightly different mixes to that selection, but the link I have provided sounds a lot like of what I recall about it.

    Beaking, I mean, speaking of chickens, some people are afraid to drive through a hustling bustling state like New Jersey. Sometime before I got my very own pulpit we headed out there to visit my Dad and Stepmother, and we got another good laugh on the way — after a big shock.

    Back then the process was to discover what churches needed a pastor and then find out how to contact that church. Most times if the Assembly of God Church was sovereign one could contact them directly. Otherwise, a usual channel would be the Presbyter of the Section, or even the District Office, in which a church was located. The minister in search of a church would then send their resumé. The church, if interested, would then arrange a date when the minister could come and "try out" for the church.

Washington, NC

    While I cannot remember every place where we "tried out" or "candidated," it does seem to me that one of my first efforts did not involve a pastorate, but a Youth Minister position at Washington, North Carolina. To get there, we headed into southeast Virginia. It was along some of those roads where I saw types of houses that I felt were quaint and interesting, a picture of one, of which, I have placed in this post.

    We probably drove by or through The Great Dismal Swamp, and I think it was also during that trip that we drove over to Nag's Head before, or after, being at Washington. I really liked the ocean and thought it would be quite interesting to drive along a strip of land with water on both sides. "The kid that enjoyed the beaches" was still inside of me and I thought it would be great to start a church in the area.

    We eventually turned around and headed to Washington, and after some time we were on a long, nearly deserted road. I did whatever was needed at the church and learned a song that was new to me, In The City Where The Lamb Is The Light. We returned home and after a time I found out I was not elected as a youth pastor.

Nassawadox, Virginia

   Another travel involved candidating at a church in Nassawadox on Virginia's Eastern Shore. With this post is a picture of a hospital at Nassawadox. While we ministered there I sensed from God that we ought not to pastor there. I do not know if I withdrew my name from consideration or if they voted "no," but that was not the church for us at that time.

Friendsville and Bel Air, Maryland

   At one point, the Assembly of God Church at Friendsville, Maryland was available. We tried out there but were not elected. Additionally, a series of accusations were levied at me by a deacon to the sectional presbyter which were all untrue. To this day I do not know if the deacon had something against me, or confused me with another minister, or maybe his mind snapped.

   Another place I recall was Bel Air, Maryland. After one service a deacon asked what I thought about the Charistmatics. In my mind at that time there was no difference, or not much difference, between Charistmatics or Pentecostals. I thought of them as a group of new Pentecostals but I often got the impression that they did not want to be associated with the, uh, "traditional" Pentecostals. Most Biblically grounded Pentecostal that I know of realize there is "spiritual wildfire," that things go on that are really not of God. Regardless, my reply to him was, "They need more teaching."

   I got the impression he did not like that response. Too bad. Did he think he was beyond Biblical teaching? What did he want for a pastor, a "figurehead"? I also probably got negative points for backing into a mailbox. That is fine. I am sure God did not want us there.

   As a side point, if you want Biblical information on the Pentecostal experience God has help me to gather the Biblical facts together for anyone that wants them at https://sapphirestreams.com/bec/bec18HS2.html .

Flintstone, Maryland

   As I recall, a few years before we actually started serving at Flintstone Assembly Of God, we tried out for the position in the later 1970s. We had lunch with someone at their house after the morning service and then rested in the parsonage (which was attached to the church building) that afternoon. We ministered in the evening service and then returned to Grantsville which was just under an hour away. We were not elected but, unknown to us and to them, we would be their pastor years later. God willing, you will read about some very interesting occurrences at Flintstone in the next (and somewhat final) Throwback Thursday series which begins a few weeks away. Oh, my! There is one account of the loving mighty providence of God I want to tell you about.

   And, that is one reason why I am writing all of these accounts. This is NOT an autobiography, but I want to have people realize there is a spirit realm with spiritual realities. This is one among a number of other reasons why I take the time each week to post these accounts. The real Christian life is not boring. It is active. It is lively. It is blessed. But there are also challenges and dangers. God willing, I will write about one in the next post.

    Regardless of what fellowship one is with one needs to hear from God. Based upon the book of The Acts Of The Apostles and other portions of Holy Scripture God is to direct one's ministry. For the "other hand," if one is working under a fellowship then they must work in cooperation with that fellowship. Sometimes the directives from a fellowship can be baffling, as in the case where in earlier years I had written to the Appalachian District of the AOG expressing my interest in starting a church somewhere in their district. I was hoping they would give me some suggestions as where to start a church, but they wanted me to first move to their district and then look for a place to start a church. That would mean move to that district then move again when we found a place to start a church. That made no sense.

    But I believe it was later in the 1970s that we had traveled out to New Jersey for some reason during which time an AOG minister asked me to meet with some Gypsy Christians that were considering starting an AOG church. Sister Dorcas and I were taken to some apartment complex somewhere to meet with a few of them somewhat unannounced. I could sensed that they were not expecting us but most (the ones we immediately saw) were glad to see us. So we were all seated and as the host minister shared his ideas my eyes caught some movement in a kitchen off to the left and I was a bit shocked to see the back of a naked woman as she headed to another room and shut the door behind her.

    I mention that to get you ready for my next (and sort of final) Throwback Thursdays series. In over forty years of ministry I have seen and heard things worse than that, some of which I will definitely not mention. And it is not to be thought that my mention of the naked woman is any reflection upon Gypsies. The minister brought us there somewhat unannounced.

    Regardless, as we sat there and conversed I felt in my spirit that starting an AOG church for Gypsies in New Jersey would not fit me. I preferred a church where I would be able to minister to all ethnic groups.

    Anyhow, back at home I would look at maps that had Maryland and Virginia and checking the Potomac District's handbook to see where there were churches in order to locate areas that needed churches. When it came to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the Virginia counties on the Delmarva Peninsula there were not all that many AOG churches. The bigger cities or towns like Easton, Cambridge, and Ocean City did not have any AOG churches. So, on the road we went to see what we could see. Besides, the idea of starting a church closer to the Atlantic Ocean was appealing to me, and just about any location would put each of us halfway between our respective home towns.

    When we came to Easton I thought that would be a great place to start a church. Nevertheless, we traveled further along East US 50. Next place would be Cambridge. At that time the bridge over the Choptank River was a drawbridge and only two lanes. Another bridge that was higher and had four lanes would be built later and is seen on the left of picture in this post of old US 50. The middle of the old bridge would be removed and the remaining two sections reconditioned as fishing areas. Attached to this post is an image of the Cambridge fishing section. However, both sections are now closed to the public and the old bridge is to be torn down.

    But, back in the late 1970s we had to go over the two lane drawbridge. As we did so we saw the sides of the bridge had numerous "people of color" fishing (yes, people were permitted to fish along the sides of the bridge even though it was part of US 50). I felt fear. It was about a decade before this that the United States had gone through a series of civil rights riots. Cambridge, Maryland, had been a real "hot spot," especially in regard to H. Rap Brown (please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_riot_of_1967 for more information). Some of the "people of color" on the bridge did not look too happy. On my part, as mentioned in the previous series, I and a sister in Christ were mugged in Newark, NJ by four "men" "of color." And, one thing I failed to mention was one year I came back from Bible School by bus and was to be picked up in Newark by my Dad. While I was waiting, about three "men" "of color" were walking along the street, spied me standing by a wall, and began to angle their walk in my direction. I held still, but just as they drew near, I leaned even closer to the wall and "sucked in" my stomach. They missed brushing against me and I am sure if they did make contact with me they would want to fight. So with these experiences and some of the angry faces dotting the drawbridge I was scared, and immediately crossed Cambridge off my list of possibilities.

    I preferred Easton, but traveled on toward the Atlantic shoreline. Salisbury had an AOG church. I do not remember if we ventured to the end of US 50 but we did go through Pocomoke City (it also had an AOG church) and on to the Virginia counties below the Maryland line. Cool! Water on either side. I tried to get a picture of the ocean but the one place had a "no trespassing" sign. I think the body of water you see in the back ground of the "no trespassing" is the Atlantic Ocean. However, another picture I have for this post faintly shows the Chesapeake Bay Bridge – Tunnel system in the distance so that picture had to be taken on the bay side of peninsula. Also, I think we did visit the old NASA Wallops Island station, but back then there was not much action going on and the current NASA Wallops station is really built up.

    Back to Granstville we went. I either wrote or called the Potomac District office to ask permission to start an AOG church in Easton. The District Superintendent at that time told me I "was too inexperienced." Along with being disappointed, my blood pressure probably went up.

    What? Inexperienced? Read back through this current series and you will see I had a goodly chunk of experience. Not only that, it was a variety ministries I was involved in. Plus, I had a variety of ministries while studying at Northeast Bible Institute. I said out loud (but probably not to the Superintendent),

"I have enough experience to choke a horse."

    Well, fine. Not a very big horse, though. Regardless, I had some experience.

    Easton could have used an AOG church. I did not get permission to go, but something else happened at Easton "under the nose" of the District which, God willing, you will read about in the next Throwback Thursdays series.

    Anyhow, at some point in the late 1970s the phone rang, and at the other end was brother George Beavers, Presbyter of the Piedmont Section of the North Carolina District of the AOG.

    Come back next week to read what he said.