The Faith of Doyle's Parents

Transcribed and edited from Tuesday May 5, 2015 Livestream Broadcast

Doyle Davidson:

1 Corinthians 14:

26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

I want to share some things about my background, the Davidsons, that’s never been talked about by me, others I’m sure did; but I knew it as a small boy. My grandfather, Luther Albert Davidson, a road contractor in the state of Missouri, very successful, high upon the list to get road contracts, highway contracts, to do the dirt work and there were bridge builders that he was a partner with. They were very successful—in 1924 my grandfather was born again, or maybe prior to that; but in 1924 he said, “I can no longer do these road contracts the way I have to do them,” and so he quit. He had 50 head of draft horses and he shut the whole thing down and moved back to southwest Missouri, Jasper County, at Sarcoxie where he lived. His father was a very influential, you might say wealthy, farmer. A fruit farmer, he had 100 acres of strawberries. James Madison [Davidson] had 240 acres of land and he raised cattle and strawberries; he was the president of some fruit growers association [Sarcoxie Gandy Fruit Growers Association] in Jasper County.

When Granddad shut everything down, the depression came in 1932, things really changed. My great-grandfather died in 1911; my grandfather, Luther Albert got his farm and lived there. I don’t know what happened, I never knew, but at some time he moved out of that farm; I never knew why. But he leased large farms, large two-story houses, big barns. His farm was two-story, big red barn; I’d drive by it with Dad. I’d say, “Why’d you all move from there?”

“It was just the thing we did. It was God.”

That just ate this kid up. I thought, “God! Why would you do that? Why would you do that?”

Dad said, “It was our pride. We had to do what God told us.”

Redwood Church has a good reputation for some faith—of my grandfather and my Dad, Elliott Hodge, others. I just never could understand or accept that. This morning I started talking to Terre Brown; things came out of my heart that’s never been talked of; but it was difficult for me, with the ambition as ours, so forth—I had in my heart to not live that way. When I was eighteen, I said, “See ya.”

When I finally submitted myself to God I went through a great time of correction but I certainly attained the prosperity that my family was used to. I did that as a veterinarian. [song: Sojourner]

I’ve got to continue talking about my life that I never talked to anyone about; but this morning God started bringing all these things to the surface and I started talking to my friend, Terre Brown, about it. It’s not easy.

My mother and father were married in 1928; Dorothy, my oldest sister was born in 1929; I was born in 1932 and the depression hit hard. And Dad had faith. We went through the depression and we never lacked, never lacked. Dad had faith, his faith was tried much. It was amazing to watch him.

In 1938 I received Jesus setting on a little gravel pile outside of my mother’s kitchen window. I didn’t want to tell anybody that. I was afraid they’d make me join their church. They had some of the most sanctimonious people in that church. I was shocked to find that the charismatic movement was the same way. Oh, super spiritual, more spiritual than anyone—so holy. My grandfather wasn’t that way; my Dad wasn’t that way and my mother sure wasn’t that way. I had no desire to act like them; but I was afraid I might have to. My dad had a sister and she thought she was the most spiritual thing on earth.

But you know what? I married a woman, Patti—Patricia Tinkle. She rarely went to church. She was self-righteous, sanctimonious as those others I met. I thought it was their religion—no, it was their heart, it’s their heart. Religion is witchcraft. Christianity is not religion. Oh my God, thank you for causing me to bring this forth. You can be a Charismatic and be terrible. You could have gone to Redwood and been just as bad, but you could have been my wife Patti, who never went to church, rarely. She went to the Presbyterian Church because her friends went but her self-righteousness got her in great trouble, big pride, great trouble. She yielded to the wrong spirit in 1984 and brought much affliction on me. I did not know I was going to talk like this; but God is warning some of you:

Don’t think you’re more spiritual than the apostle, don’t think you’re more spiritual than the prophet, after all I set the apostle and prophet in the church first to lay the foundation and you’re to be in subjection to them, saith the Lord.

Amen, thank God.

You know my grandfather Luther Albert Davidson, I’m a replica of him: 5’8’’, 170, he was about 175, I will tell you something, he was stronger than most men; didn’t care how big they were, I’m talking about weight—powerful man; a great heart, a great giver, a man that humbled himself greatly—I’m glad. You know I normally don’t interject education, but I’m quite familiar with genetics. And I know that generally, the second generation is what normally, are like the grandfathers—from him [Luther] that’s me. I’m much like the guy. I’m a Davidson with some Millers crammed right down on top, both successful.

[Song: I Have Returned]

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