My beloved colleagues in the Gospel of God’s grace, and graduates:
I congratulate you and your families on this remarkable achievement. You will look back upon these days as sacred times when the Lord fulfilled His promises to you as you accepted your first call in your larger vocation of ministry: the call to prepare, to study to show yourselves approved, and to deepen your love of Christ, the Church, the ordinary means of grace, and the Great Commission by being nurtured under the wings of pastor-scholars at RTS Charlotte. A surprising Providence has kept me from being with you. I am weak and unwell, but my spirit soars. My spirit soars for I see in you—many of whom I had the privilege to teach—preachers who will stand between heaven and hell and declare the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ to this generation. My word to you is simple: there are many potential opportunities to do good in this world with the gift of your seminary education. There is no greater singular use than to pour your seminary experience into the narrow channel of preaching. For as it has been said, “if you have been called to preach, never stoop to be a king.” In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mike,
God be with you! I sat with your friend & colleague Scott Redd.
Scott is a dandy! Thanks for sharing that. God bless.
Mike
Dear Michael,
Am thinking of you this Memorial Day as I do my comrades in faith and arms alike. Our prayer from Valley Christian is a full healing for you to return to the front lines (or back to operational sea service as the better analogy may be!). Congrats to RTS on all your graduations. We are sending 160 most outstanding graduates into their next phase of life from Valley Christian, and due I believe to our efforts these past two years, reversed the trend where they have been going in greater and greater numbers to secular (albeit top secular) schools instead of Christian Colleges. Over the last several years, around 20 percent had selected Christian Colleges…this year almost 40 percent! They are headed your way!
In His Grip, Rich
Dear Rich
Your letter means more than I could ever say. God bess you, Sir, and thank you for your service to God and Country.
I think we will be out to speak at Reagan Ranch around September 23 or so. Perhaps we can see you or even try to speak or sing while there. I am going to be unveiling the D. James Kennedy Institute for Christianity and Culture and Fellows Program, as a major initiative of Faith for Living to raise scholarships for those who are committed to a historic Reformed world and life view of the Great Commission and the Cultural Mandate.
More soon. Thanks for writing!
God bless.