A Work of Righteousness - 1988

My Mercy Will Not Depart

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. I Thessalonians 4:13

Continuing a Good Work . We continued with the mission in McKinney. In February we leased a church building on Wilcox Road, which was further south of the original location and in a better part of town. We had a separate building off the sanctuary that we used for the food pantry. We fed around two hundred families a week. We also held church services there on Sunday afternoons along with the services in Plano, I did both.

In August we closed the mission in McKinney but began renovating the West Side of the Plano Church to reopen the mission there.

COD. I ordered over $40,000 of Sony equipment for our television ministry. It was to ship to me COD (Cash On Delivery). The first shipment arrived unexpectedly two weeks early. It came with the COD of almost $18,000. I had to look in three accounts and add them in together, but God is always faithful and there was enough to pay for all of it.

Adding the Second Year of Bible Training School. Frankly after teaching several years of the Bible Training School I saw the need for more time to teach God’s people. As I prayed about this the Lord said to go on with the second year. We began the second year in the fall, meeting in the morning while the first year school continued to meet in the evenings. Sixty-one enrolled for that first class. We taught from the books of Hebrews, I and II Peter, The Epistles of John, and Galatians. I also taught “Jesus the Man,” and “There is a War.”

God’s Mercy on Jim Clark. Jim Clark was one of our piano players and had been for about four years. Jim was a well-known and liked manager of Mervyn’s department store. He had talked to me sometime before about his homosexual problems. In late October Jim asked to talk with me after bible school was over. He and I sat down on the ledge of the northeast corner of building. Jim talked to me about his sin. He said, “Doyle, no place has ever been able to help me and if there is any help it’s got to come through you.” He continued, “If God doesn’t deliver me I’m going back to San Francisco and I’ll certainly go to hell.” I prayed for the Lord to intervene into Jim’s life. That Friday he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with AIDS. He never had a chance to sin again. He was in the hospital for about a week to ten days and I visited him every day. The last day I was in his room he couldn’t talk, but he pointed to a tablet and I handed it to him with a pen. He wrote, “I am not afraid, I am ready to go home.” That night he passed away.

Jim Clark

People came from New York, California, and Florida to Jim’s funeral. His family came from Illinois. His father asked me, “Did he make a full confession?” I replied, “Yes, sir!” I was asked to do his funeral of course, but God was most certainly dealing with my heart. I asked God, “What am I going to say?” He answered, “Tell them where he’s at! I replied, “Well, where is he?” God said, “Turn to Hebrews 12 and I’ll show you.” And I did, Hebrews 12: 22, 23:

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

I stepped up to the pulpit. The sanctuary was full of sad faces, many were standing along the walls, slumped down, looking dejected. I began sharing how Jim Clark had a sin that he couldn’t overcome, and I spoke what he had told me before he went to the hospital and how God forgave him and set him free and shared the last words that he had written to me. As I continued to speak those people in that sanctuary began to sit up and look at me. The looks on their faces became pleasant and pleased. Afterward the district manager of Mervyns came up to me and said, “Pastor, many of us came here today with heavy hearts, and your words comforted us and made us very happy to know where Jim Clark is.” This was probably one of the most difficult sermons that I had to deliver because of all the demonic activity that was in this sanctuary but as I spoke those satanic forces began to recede. It turned out to be one of the most joyful messages I have ever delivered. I thank God for his word that his mercy would never depart from this house because I had obeyed him because I know where Jim Clark is at; he is with the Lord.

James R Clark, 1947-1988, an inspiration to all that knew him.

More years of "A Work of Righteousness:"

1980               1989               1998               2007
1981               1990               1999               2008
1982               1991               2000               2009
1983               1992               2001               2010
1984               1993               2002               2011
1985               1994               2003               2012
1986               1995               2004               2013
1987               1996               2005               2014
1988               1997               2006

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