Adventures in Faith – SHM

Sam’s Story

James Dill — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 19:30:22 +0000

A few years ago a Christian composer wrote the lyrics to the song “He Knows My Name”. The words grab for our attention, shouting with affirmation that God really does care! At some time, most of us have or will experience a season where we are spiritually down, but when we let these words become a part of us, we will move through each day with a better feeling towards our self.

It was Saturday in East Los Angeles; I was 34 years old and life was good. I was in my office placing the finishing touches on Sunday’s sermon when, unannounced, my dear friend Sam walked in. Sam was our faithful bus driver who for 20 years picked up small children throughout a drug-infested area of East Los Angeles. Each Sunday he and his female assistant would go out armed with washcloths, soap, donuts and orange juice, prepared for almost any circumstance. For Sam, this was more than a responsibility; it was his passion.

This morning, however, it seemed Sam had lost his zeal. Without greeting, he said, “Pastor, God no longer cares for me. I’ve given Him my life and He’s offered back nothing in return. My wife is an invalid, and for me to just be here I had to pay someone to sit with her. On Sundays, when I do my bus route, I pay a sitter to stay with her. I’ve lived this way for over 20 years and I’m Just tired!” Sam started crying and, between tears, he said, “I won’t be here tomorrow; you’ll have to get another driver.”

I was silent for a moment, then asked, “Where are you going Sam?” He started crying, again saying, “I have no idea, but I’m out of here.” As he was leaving, I asked when he thought he would return. He replied, “I don’t know” and was gone. This was truly a sad moment for both of us. I was witnessing how satan, during a weak moment, can manipulate our minds.

I had just read a similar situation take place in the Bible about a man named Elijah, who was on Mount Carmel. He had just called fire down from heaven but, in a moment’s time, he caved under the circumstances and ran away from the greatest victory in his life. The interesting thing about both stories was that God had already prepared their replacements.

Sunday came and passed almost without incident. The bus picked up the children and delivered them home safely. Overall, the day went smoothly. This never ceases to amaze me! Over and again, I’ve watched as God’s plan advances, even when conditions seem almost impossible.

So, I’ve come to this conclusion: Great churches may crumble, and strong leaders might stumble, but Gods plan will succeed! This should not be taken personally, but as a reminder that we need God much more than He needs us!

Two days had passed and there was no sign of Sam. His wife said she had not heard from him since leaving. Then Tuesday morning came; my office door swung open and there stood Sam. Almost shouting, he said, “God loves me, pastor! Can we talk?” I had been agonizing over him for almost three days and he wanted to know if I had time to speak!

From there, he began to unfold “a God story” of how much God loves and cares for each of us. He began saying, “Pastor, when I left Saturday, it was the lowest time of my life. I left without any sense of direction, driving until around 1 am. I was getting low on gasoline, so I pulled into the first station I saw open. I was so confused, I didn’t even know what city I was in. When the station’s attendant came out, I asked him to fill it up.

As he was cleaning my windshield, I noticed that his eyes stayed fixed on me. When I started to pay, he asked, “Sir, is your name Samuel ————?” I responded it was. The young man started crying, sharing his story. “When I was six years old my parents moved to East Los Angeles. I didn’t know anyone my age, so my friends became the children I met on the Sunday School bus you drove. Every Sunday the bus would pick me up offering orange juice and donuts. One Sunday I asked Jesus into my heart. I didn’t understand everything, but I knew it was the right thing for me to do. From that day forward my life changed. Today I’m married, with two wonderful children, and I serve as a bi-vocational pastor in this city.”

Coincidental? I don’t think so. Sam had traveled approximately 225 miles to the community of Tehachapi. There, he randomly stopped at a station where the attendant accepted Jesus Christ’s at the age of six because Sam picked him up on a church bus in East Los Angeles! Also, without his awareness, this young pastor was being used by God to help direct his old mentor back to his passion of busing small children to church in East Los Angeles!

The next time you’re feeling down, ask God to bring to your remembrance the extreme measures Jesus took to make Sam feel significant again!

James Dill
February 1, 2019

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Play Ball!

James Dill — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 20:00:59 +0000

PLAY BALL! Here I am! It’s the bottom of the 9th and I’m at bat. The pitcher is the best closer in the league and, lately, I haven’t been doing well. I’m batting just above 150 and the coach tells me to pinch hit. To make matters worse, I was booed when my name was called over the PA system.

So, here I stand, awaiting the inevitable. Then comes the dreaded pitch, right over the plate! “Strike one” the umpire cries. People are starting to exit the ballpark. The pitcher looks closely at the catcher’s sign, shakes it off and, with an air of confidence, throws the second pitch. It too is a fastball. It came across the plate so fast I couldn’t take a swing. “Strike two” the umpire cries.

Groans are now coming from the dugout. They’re picking up their gear and are looking towards the locker room. The pitcher, now completely in control, looks at the catcher, who gives him a sign but, again, he shakes it off. Then, suddenly, I realize he’s going to throw the same pitch again; a fastball, right down the center!

In that moment, control changes hands. I now know his plan and wait for his pitch. He winds up and throws and when he does I simply place my bat in front of the ball’s trajectory course and bam! I connect! The ball soars higher and higher until it goes out of the park. A walk-off home run and we win!

The bottom line is I figured him out. Do you know that you can figure satan out? Yes, you can! The next time your standing in the batter’s box with three balls and two strikes, think! What noticeable pattern has your adversary shown? He knows if you’re a sucker for an inside fastball, curveball or a slider. The good news is, he only has so many pitches in his arsenal. And, if your patient, you can figure them out.

Do you want to hit a home run? Do you want to get on base? You can! Have you ever wondered why God called you to the plate in the first place? The answer is simple. He believes in you. Please trust me; there will come a time when your divine Mentor will call you once again to the plate. When he does, accept his invitation. Then do all you can to discern the enemy’s strategies. When you do this, it will amaze you how fast your batting average will increase.

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, he who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you”

James Dill
January 25, 2019

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I will never forget.

James Dill — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 08:27:32 +0000

I will never forget November 24, 1960. Linda and I had just completed our third semester at seminary when someone knocked on our door. To our surprise, it was an official from our denomination. We asked him in and, within a few minutes, he asked if we would consider accepting a small church in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. He said the church was worshipping in an old school house and that there was a parsonage; however, it wasn’t furnished. We found out later the previous pastor had burned the furniture for firewood.

He also informed us that the church’s total income was seventeen dollars a week, and that, should we accept these conditions, we would be responsible for our moving expenses. Being 22 years old, eager and naive, we accepted the challenge, launching into the great unknown without a clue of what we were about to face.

Our first Sunday was wonderful! As I was leaving that morning, I was singing under my breath “Oh, this is like heaven to me”. For the younger generation’s benefit, this was a song we sang years ago in church.

The following Sunday we were again treated like royalty, being invited to join some wonderful and godly saints at their home for lunch. Because we were expecting our first child, the ladies of the church graciously volunteered to prepare and serve supper for a solid week! Wow, I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

Then, something went terribly wrong. Suddenly, it seemed like no one liked us! For no apparent reason, the lady who was over the church’s prayer team came to our home, saying, “What I am going to tell you is directly from God. Get out of town! If you don’t, we will starve you out and if that doesn’t work, my husband is going to whip you like you’ve never been whipped before.” Then, as she was leaving, she said “And we’re not paying for your baby that’s coming!” I wish she had been straight forward, so I could have better understood.

After prayer, but no pastoral experience or someone to share my dilemma, we decided to stay. Then, everything she had prophesied began to happen. Yes, everything, even regarding her husband attempting to do me harm. When he tried, I chose to walk away. The good news was, during all the turmoil, our small church was growing! Each Sunday the building was packed with children and young people.

Because our church was located five miles from the city, and most of the parents were not believers, we would make several trips picking them up and bringing them home. One morning, with no forewarning, the car’s engine died. Because we had no funds to repair it, the children would no longer be picked up. Unfortunately, the church began to die.

I did everything possible to find employment. The challenge was the only jobs available were in the lumber industry and if you didn’t have experience, they wouldn’t hire you. From then on it was necessary for me to hitch a ride to church on Sundays.

One afternoon, as I was out visiting, a person walked onto the sidewalk and introduced himself as a deacon from the Baptist church. He said “Preacher, I see you walking. Don’t you have a car?” I explained my circumstances about my car. He paused a few seconds saying “Maybe I can help. I have a forklift engine in my garage and believe it could possibly work. That is if you don’t mind if we can’t put your hood back on. The engine might be too big for it to close.” My answer was no problem! Within three weeks my car was running again. It didn’t have a hood, but it could really move!

During this same time period, our food pantry was running low. But, whenever we place God in charge, He covers all the bases. One morning, around ten o’clock, a lady I only knew as Sister Mary came to our door. She lived with her son in a house made of cardboard, pitched with tar and a dirt floor.

When I opened the door she said, “Brother Dill, can you and sister Dill come over for supper tonight?” Without hesitation, I told her yes, and asked what time. When we walked in, we saw more food than we had seen in quite a while.

After we prayed, we ate and ate and ate! After the meal, Sister Mary said “Brother Dill, God spoke to me last night and told me what was going on and that I’m supposed to take care of you and sister Dill. So, from now on, as long as you are here, you won’t go hungry.”

Then saying, “When I go to the store, I go to the dented can section. They are placed in one cart and the labels are removed so I don’t know what I’m getting. Sometimes it’s tuna and sometimes it’s vegetables. I usually buy a pound of hamburger. From now on I’m going to pick up one can for myself and one can for the Dills and a pound of hamburger for both of us until I run out of money.” Sister Mary honored her word until the day we moved.

It never ceases to amaze me the amazing people God places in our lives. I am confident that God has a special place in heaven for Sister Mary and the Baptist deacon. For Linda and I, they represented the purest form of Christianity. So, until we meet again, thank you, Sister Mary. Thank you, Baptist deacon. Someday we will have the pleasure of thanking you personally.

This was an extremely challenging time at the onset of our ministry. Some of it was our own fault, but much of it was because we didn’t have a mentor to guide us. Later, because of these experiences, and the guidance of a mentor, we were able to move forward with God’s call for our lives.

When seasons like this occur, some may question if they were in God’s will at all or wonder if it was a waste of time? Not on your life!
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

A few weeks before we moved, two small children showed up on our doorsteps. They asked “Mr, are you a preacher” to which I replied that I was. “Well, me and my brother would like to go to church. Can you take us?” The next morning they were waiting on our front steps and, with their parents’ consent, we took them to church. Somewhere during the church service, they accepted Jesus into their hearts! Several weeks later we moved.

25 years passed and I was pastoring in Tyler when I received a phone call from the oldest boy! He began to tell me about how after we left, both he and his brother became members of the church. He continued saying that when he was 20 and his brother 18, they both surrendered to preach the Gospel and that he was now pastoring a thriving congregation in that city! A few weeks later, he flew out to Tyler where we rejoiced together in the faith, encouraging one another in how Romans 8:28 had come to fruition in our lives.

God uses failures, and sinners, but He can’t use quitters, so I encourage you to never lose sight of the shore in the midst of the storm.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The Lord’s loving kindnesses never changes; His compassion never fails. They are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness!”

James Dill
January 14, 2019

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