Cindy K

Cheryl,

I’ve been praying and praying for you as you prepare the video on the Trinity, but I will also pray specifically about this disappointing situation with Matt Slick, too.

I downloaded this old sermon of Walter Martin’s from the late ’70s when he spoke at Lee College (where about half of my Spiritual fathers came from).  http://spiritwatch.org/cultrise79.ram

As I listened to this wonderful sermon, not quite 40 minutes into the download, Dr. Martin talks about how he met and spoke with Rocky Marciano, the heavyweight champion of years gone by.  I was overwhelmed and started to cry as he talked about what Rocky had to say to him and I could think about nothing but you as he told this story.

Rocky apparently had very short arms.  If he swung at someone, they had to be close enough for him to get in one good punch, and he could knock them out.  But he had to take a lot of hits in the process, because he had to wait to get close enough to be able to make that one solid punch.  Dr. Martin said that this was an excellent analogy for the Christian life.  We have the goods.  All we need is that one, good shot, and we can win.

Matt is certainly not the enemy.  We all belong to Christ and we are on the same side of the battle, so it is the deception that holds him that you fight against.  And I don’t even see this all as a disagreement over gender at the root of this but the fact that Matt (as many like him) choose to deal harshly and cruelly with their brethren who disagree over intramural doctrine.   We should afford one another liberty under the bonds of the Holy Spirit and of love, not ridicule, strife and insult.

As I listened to this today, I was just overwhelmed with how I identified you with Rocky.  You have what it takes to pierce through this deception and all the miserable cruelty with God’s love, power, Spirit and truth.  There’s no doubt in my heart that you have the Living God, sound doctrine and a spirit of love behind your punch, whatever it is that you’re doing.  And you’ve been given an opportunity to face the same type of petty behavior and attitude that has taken over the very groups that I used to support.  In that sense, you’re in there fighting for me and for all of us who have watched this cruel arrogance invade the Church that is supposed to be known by our love for one another, not all of this adversarial stuff that has become commonplace among those who hold to Slick’s belief system.

So I hope that this encourages you today — maybe there’s something else in that message for you to hear as well.  But I’m just going to focus on you making one stand for truth and love in Christ Jesus against this commonplace cruelty for which so many areas of the Church are now known.  I don’t think you have to “throw a lot of punches” but you need only make one good stand to pierce through all of this junk.  Like Rocky Marciano, you’re getting close enough to take your appointed stand against this principality or power or whatever this happens to be — a light piercing through the darkness.  You only need one good shot.  And I have confidience now but will pray that you will have it when you go to pierce through this.  You’re not goint to miss.

Know you’re loved and be encouraged.  I don’t know what to expect for an outcome from this encounter with Matt, but you’re definitely going to hit the mark.  I believe and feel strong and sure of it.   Just like Walter Martin said we will do as Christians.