Thank you, Dave Black! I’m humbled, honored, and challenged.
On his “unter blog” (I hope I’m getting that right now), Dave Black mentioned me in a way that humbled me, honored, and challenged me. (See entry #3 from Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 8:31 a.m.)
In that post, he copies a part of a forward that he’s writing for another blogger and fellow coworker with the saints in Ethiopia.
This is what he writes:
I am often asked for advice from pastors and seminarians about how to implement New Testament truth into the life of a local church. I usually refer them to members of their own generation. There are a handful of younger adults who seem to understand the church, our culture, and how to apply biblical truth to both. I expect writers like Eric Carpenter, Alan Knox, Arthur Sido, and Kevin Brown to be people who will help the Christian community find its way forward. These men are precious gifts from God, and their contributions to the church are greatly appreciated by their blog readers. They are engaged, informed, and ready and able to offer well-reasoned and biblical responses to the issues churches face today.
First, I am honored to be included in that company. I’m also humbled that God would choose to use me in the way that Dave mentions. And finally, I’m challenged at the prospect of helping today’s church.
But, I do see that this is how God is using me. I don’t know why, but I recognize it. I pray only that I would not get in his way.
Amen. I agree with Dave Black.
I also cannot help but see the tragedy in this statement: I am often asked for advice from pastors and seminarians about how to implement New Testament truth into the life of a local church…
Yes, I have been challenged and informed by so much of what you write. Keep humbly pursuing the truth!
Hutch and Jeremy,
Thank you for the kind words, and for hanging out and interacting here.
-Alan
Mike, totally agree, sad. The problem of institutionalism.
Geez I hope no one else sees that or I might lose more facebook friends.
Its an interesting world we live in…such a mass media exposure assisting in telegraphing a vital message to so many people all at once…”Read the Bible, therein lies your answer.”
Practically, it becomes much harder, and without those who diligently sound the trumpet of truth to others who are just getting started and learning about a real, live, new testament understanding of the church, many may never find that exposure. But God in his sovereignty has ordained such a thing, and for this, many of us should be grateful.
One of the brother’s in our assembly oft expresses with tears in his eyes that the beauty of God’s plan has saw fit for technology to usher in a new reformation unlike the one of yesteryear, for today many may access the Bible in it’s original languages, learn them, and even reach many others for the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ through this medium.
I couldn’t agree much more..
Alan,
As I’ve sought for sources of encouragement, beyond myself, for those I seek to nurture, and for sources with which I am comfortable are seeking to be truly Biblical, yours and the others you mentioned, along with Dave’s,are such.
Dave makes a strong statement, with which I agree, when he says,”These men are precious gifts from God, and their contributions to the church are greatly appreciated by their blog readers. They are engaged, informed, and ready and able to offer well-reasoned and biblical responses to the issues churches face today.”
I thank God that I found you fellows when I did.
i wish i had the time to write such a response as aussie. I agree with him.
I thank God that I found you fellows when I did….
You are Loved
Brother Frankie
Again, thank you all for your kind words. I pray that God continues to use me (and Arthur and the others) to his glory.
-Alan