Meeting Transcripts

Opening Remarks

Welcome

We are happy to have you here. Thanks for coming. We appreciate all of you being here.

Resolve

Introduction

Last Friday, a week ago yesterday, the pastors and spouses participated in a survey that I will quickly summarize. I showed two lists of synonyms—one describing stubbornness and the other describing resolve. Then I read one verse related to Nehemiah who faced ridicule, including from Sanballat, Tobiah, and others who wanted him to meet with them in the nearby village and discontinue the building of the wall of Jerusalem. The verse was Nehemiah 6:3, “I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” After reading, I posed the question, “Was he stubborn or did he have resolve?” To answer that question, one needs to determine if there is a fine line between stubbornness and resolve or if there is a wide gap.

I will put the test to all of you with the two lists of synonyms. Here is the first list: Stalwart, Determined, Persevering, and Immovable. The second list is Steadfast, Firm, and Dogged. The question to you is, Which list describes stubbornness, and which describes resolve? Those who think the list to my right describes stubbornness, raise your hands quickly. Don’t think or look around. Now, the ones who think the list on my left describes stubbornness raise your hands. Okay, of the 200 who voted it is about twenty to twenty. You are very non-committal.

The purpose of our survey was to prove that there is a fine line between being stubborn and having resolve. By the way, that list is for stubborn, and this one is for resolve, but you can hardly tell the difference. Perhaps the only difference is that one is holy and the other is carnal. Resolve might be holy stubbornness.  (I did confess a week ago Friday that I was selective in which synonyms I chose for stubborn and did not apply the Biblical definition in that case.)

All of this was to bring us to the point where we can evaluate resolve. What is it? That is what we’ll quickly look at. Also, why do we need it, how do we get it, and how do we keep it?

What is Resolve?

Resolve, in the one sense is all eight of those synonyms. It is having certainty. Debbie provided me with the perfect object lesson this morning. She got ready and asked, “How do I look?” I thought, Terrific. Later she came out with a totally different outfit on and asked, “How is this?” I have learned to give an answer with certainty. I say, “That one. I like that one. That is the one.” So resolve is having certainty.

What else is resolve? It is a determination to respect our commission, our assignment. In our case, God has called us to serve Him in the Apostolic Faith, and we are resolved to do that. We are not wavering; we are not wondering; we do not doubt. In our case it is a resolve to provide an atmosphere and environment where the Latter Rain Gospel is preached and experienced. That is the purpose of our meetings. That has been the purpose for decades. Everything we do is a result of that resolve, that deep commitment to be true to what was passed along to us. We want the next generation to experience what we have and benefit the same way we have. So that is our resolve.

It does not fall on us to redefine the message, to repackage it, or to follow the methods of the world—even the methods of the evangelical world. If God has called them to do what they do, God bless them. We are not going to stand back and doubt them. We are focused on our own purpose, our own resolve that is deep and anchored. We are not bound by what critics call “old ideas.” These ideas are as old as the Bible. The Bible is old. Brother Nolan Roby said last night, and I am not sure if the audience caught it, that if the King James Version was good enough for Paul and Silas, it’s good enough for us. So, we hold Gospel meetings. We are resolved to do that. We don’t need to try to create something different. We don’t need to attempt too hard to make something happen. The Spirit of the Lord has a way of doing that without our aid. Just stick to holding meetings. It works! We are resolved to do that.

The opposite of having that deep resolve is to be restless, to be impetuous, to lack contentment, and to be frustrated. I’m not restless or frustrated; I’m delighted—not just at camp meeting time, but all year long. So that is what resolve is; a deep determination with respect to what God has called us to do. We didn’t call ourselves. Our calling is not of man. If we thought it was of man, we would lack that deep resolve. We believe it is of God. We believe our commission is to continue.

Why Do We Need Resolve?

Just as Nehemiah experienced challenges from the outside—those who mocked him, shook their heads at him—there will be those who will ridicule us. That is why we need that resolve. However, that doesn’t really impact us so much. Those who try to justify themselves reveal a whole lot about themselves without knowing it—they need to be justified. We just do what God has called us to do. We don’t need to make excuses for it. We don’t need to explain it. Oftentimes people resort to demonizing someone else to elevate themselves. We don’t need to dignify some comments with a response. We just remain resolved to what God has called us to do. So, we need resolve because we face challenges from without just as Nehemiah did.

If you look at chapter 5, you will see that Nehemiah also faced challenges from within. Not everyone will be delighted with us, even within our own organization. But even the most convincing or persuasive argument given to justify one’s contrary view only reveals that there is a contrary view. So, we have a resolve, and that’s what guides us.

Those who have resolve, have a certain contentment. Also, there is a certain appreciation for God’s people, for the heart they have to put themselves into the work of the Lord. There is a satisfaction as well. We thank the Lord for everyone who comes to camp meeting, and for those who help to make it an overwhelming success. Also, for those who plug along throughout the year when there is not a camp meeting environment. There is not a camp meeting environment all year long here, either. We heard in the testimony of one sister that she waited forty years to come to Portland. Well, Portland is not Heaven. If our sister lived in Portland, she would quickly conclude that this is not Heaven. We don’t claim that it is. We have people in our church, and where you have people, you have challenges. Don’t overstate the challenges, by the way. They actually help us. We don’t benefit by having the same personalities and the same views of life. We do, however, walk together in unity.

I had an experience, without disclosing the details, a few months ago following a special event in Portland. Someone emailed me who had taken exception to the way certain things were done, and they were very specific and really, very abrasive. They spun off into a number of areas unrelated to what supposedly was the real issue. I must say, it took me back a little bit. It was quickly discernible that the real issue wasn’t what was being brought up; it was all this other stuff. I pondered it for a while and finally replied to the one specific area that was supposedly the purpose of the email. I found something in there that I could agree with and said that with respect to thus and so, I agreed wholeheartedly. With regard to the other matters, I wrote that it was interesting how I would receive a variety of perspectives from faithful people on completely opposite ends of the spectrum—sometimes within the same hour. I wrote that because within that same hour I had received an email applauding what was done. The individual emailed back saying, “I knew you would understand,” which made me smile. Later, that same party motioned to me after a meeting and apologized for having written what they did—all those things that I didn’t address. The important thing to remember in this is that your voice and my voice are one voice. I won’t be guided by one voice unless it is obviously the Voice of the Lord coming through God’s people. Sometimes well-meaning people forget that we are one voice. Don’t forget that.

Getting back to our resolve, we need it because we will face challenges from without, and because we will face challenges from within. So, let’s make sure we have that resolve.

How Do We Get Resolve?

Resolve comes from God. We got saved and God called us into the Apostolic Faith, but that doesn’t mean resolve automatically came. If I am saved and understand what this great work is all about and how God has called us to it, I still need to study. Resolve does come from God, but secondarily, it comes from study. We study the Bible. Obviously, the Bible is our primary textbook, but we also study and learn about us, about the Apostolic Faith. We are not ashamed to declare that. However, we don’t worship our history or our predecessors. To be honest, I can’t call Sister Florence Crawford “Mother Crawford.” It is cultural, I think. I know in India they call Sister Deanna Moen “Mom.” Also, when Debbie and I travel, some groups call her “Mom.” I bring this up only to illustrate the point that we don’t deify our predecessors or those who we currently serve with. We are all human, and we serve with fellow humans. We don’t want our children to be disillusioned when they hear an unwise word or see an unkind action. It will happen, so don’t attach too much weight to any one event or person.

So how do we get resolve? It comes from Heaven, but we also study. We have a unique opportunity in our generation of ministers to not only study the Minister’s Manual, but to help develop it, and make it more expansive. We have been posting segments on the Minister Resources Page of our website for editorial comment. We are taking a break from that project right now, but in a couple more weeks, we will resume with weekly online postings. Study these, and you will learn about what you’re called to. By the way, when editorial comments come in, we review them at some point, and they are very, very helpful. Please take advantage of this opportunity. As ministers, we are self-starters. We would not have been called to preach the Gospel if we weren’t. Continue to devote yourselves to study, and God will bless you for it. 

How Do We Keep Resolve?

Keep doing what you were doing when the call came to preach the Gospel. If you are married to a preacher, keep doing what you were doing when your spouse was called to preach the Gospel. Your spouse would not have been asked to preach the Gospel if he or she was not married to someone reasonably faithful and loyal. That is what we were. We were loyal to our pastor. No pastor would ask a disloyal worker to begin preaching the Gospel. The pastor saw something in you and in me and was willing to take the risk. Not everyone who starts keeps going. It is a fact of life. There have been collapses along the way. That may make us more cautious, but we continue to recognize a call from God. It is the responsibility of the new minister to be faithful to that call. It is not as much the responsibility of the one who acknowledged that call existed. So, keep doing what you were doing. You were consistent in meetings and showing interest in the work of God. You were a prayerful person. Keep doing that for the rest of your life whether in camp meeting time, times of revival, or the routine of the year. That is where the value is, in the person who plugs along all year and doesn’t need highs. They serve God because they have a resolve that this is of God.

Surround yourselves, as we tell newly married couples, with others who will encourage you. Do that in the ministry. If you bump up against someone who tends to drag you down, you must pray that God will help that one to rally, but you also can’t join them. You can’t even be a facilitator to their behavior. Do your best to encourage and inspire them, but don’t be like the mountain climbers who are roped together. That system is designed to be a safety net for someone who slips and falls—the rest in the line are to hold that one steady. In some cases, though, the one who falls drags the rest of them down. If you operate like that in life, the outcome won’t be good. Ask God to help you inspire others while not being dragged down; protect yourself.

How do you keep resolve? Remember that one victory doesn’t win the war. Nor does one setback have to end up in defeat. The victories will come, and the setbacks will come. We don’t put too much stock in the victories or in the setbacks. Those are highs and lows. Over a lifetime, we want to be in the middle somewhere, unaffected because we have resolve. We like the victories, and we dislike the setbacks, but neither should affect that resolve. We have a commission from God, and we are going to stick with it. That is how you keep it.

Maintain Resolve

Rhoda wouldn’t budge when they told her it couldn’t be Peter at the door. They said, “Thou art mad,” yet “she constantly affirmed.” She was resolved. Perhaps a better example was Paul’s resolve to Festus when he said, “Paul, thou art beside thyself. Much learning hath made thee mad.” Paul took a deep breath and said, “I’m not mad, most noble Festus. I speak forth the words of truth and soberness.” I believe we have, in this great work, the words of truth and soberness. We love the Gospel, we love camp meeting, and we love the rest of the year, too. It is great when there are hundreds around us, and also when there is a dozen or two around us. The number doesn’t impact us because we have resolve; God has called us.

Note to Pastors

We appreciate the fact that all of you are here today, and that in two weeks all of you will be back at your stations. Keep doing what you’ve been doing, and may the Lord give you many victories in the days ahead.

Determining Who Will Preach

I always have a certain amount of travail at camp meeting time because there are more preachers than meetings. I want every preacher to feel deeply appreciated because you are, but we don’t ask someone to preach just so they will feel deeply appreciated. We approach the question prayerfully, looking to God for an answer, and hope the one appointed is the person the Lord has chosen for the hour. Still, there are too many of us to have everyone preach. That doesn’t mean you are not appreciated. We appreciate your being here. In coming to camp meeting, we get to know each other better.

Inviting Guest Preachers

I was thinking as Brother Rolland Deler of Haiti and Brother Michael Anthony of the Eastern Caribbean preached that some of the pastors from the states might want to invite them to their branch churches. If you want to ask a pastor from outside your district to come to your branch church, please check with me first. I will probably say no. Brother Michael has plenty to do where he is, and Brother Rolland, who also pastors the church in St. Maarten, leaves on the 27^th to resume construction on the newest church. These pastors need to be home. We all need to be home, or our people will think that we are not interested in them. The Portland congregation knows that when I am not home it is because duty calls. I have a different situation, so don’t apply my standard to your standard. I was partly teasing about saying no, but in all seriousness, don’t ask a pastor from outside your district to come to your branch church and hold meetings without checking with me first.

Traveling

In terms of within your district, I believe every pastor knows to be measured in how often they are gone. Obviously, we appreciate those who are here for camp meeting. We need you to be here. It’s the foundation of our worldwide work. As for attending the March special meetings in Portland, I will leave that up to the pastors. However, some know, because they have asked, that if they have been gone too much already, my advice is to stay in their home church. It is important to convey to your local congregation your burden for them. Debbie and I do travel a bit, and we write about it while we are gone, but I don’t say much about it when we get back home. The congregation doesn’t hear much about it. This is because my heart is at home; it is in Portland. I want the Portland saints to know that and to feel that, and I have no doubt that they do because it is the truth.

Closing Remarks

We thank you for coming today. We hope you are having a good camp meeting. We appreciate the Spirit of the Lord that has been in the meetings, around the altars, and in the testimonies. We have heard of great victories, and it certainly has been encouraging. Hopefully, it will sustain us until we meet again at camp meeting or in the azure above, whatever the case may be. Let’s stand and we will be dismissed.