“Precious (important and no light matter) in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (His loving ones).” Psalms 116:15 (AMP)
I realized yesterday how out of step I am with my Lord, I resisted God because my old friend died. Not just any friend, but a faithful servant of God. He cared for me when I was still classed a kid. He mentored me when I was just a “church kid,” not a brother in Christ. He hauled us around when we were the goofy youth group with his push button Dodge. Then he got creative and used an old hearse to take us all over.
In the summer before my senior year of high school, I worked and scraped together all the money I could, to buy my own first car. He helped me fix it, paint it, and reupholster the seats. He wasted a lot of time on me.
When he and DeeDee got married I watched and learned from their example. When the Lord my God, gave me eternal life, they were there with us in small group Bible studies and prayer groups, seeking God together with the rest of us. Weekly we invaded their house, excited about Jesus, and confused about what God was telling us in His Word. I know we wore them out!
The week that God began a “mass personal call” for me to be a preacher Mike was there to guide me. I will never forget the confusion I had with the Lord. I realized how ungrateful I was that I barely thanked him for giving me eternal life. I wrestled and struggled with God every step of the way at first and finally stopped to thank Him. I only prayed secretly asking the Lord to show me how I could show Him I was grateful, and I was less than six months old in the faith. The curious thing was, for the days that I prayed this prayer everyone at work, Campus Life, and others around me began a chorus of “Are you a preacher?” or “Are you going to be a preacher?” In conversations with the lost, kids from the high schools or college, in fact, these words kept flooding from people all around me. It was strange, nobody says this!
Not smart enough to see it was my answer, I rushed to Mike’s house on the next Bible study night and poured out this crazy story with the words, “I think God’s is trying to tell me something…” Mike let me go on for a little bit, and calmly looked me in the eye and said, “I know, I have felt that God is calling you be a preacher since January (1972). Goosebumps! It freaked me out and I laughed in unbelief. But he was right, and no one again ever spoke the words “Are you going to be a preacher?”
Through those early years we fought the good fight together, spreading the gospel throughout Muskegon. We served together at Ninth Street Baptist Church and The Mustard Seed Coffee House. I met Cheryl at the coffee house and she joined the action! Then we formed Revival Fellowship, Revival Bookstore and Publishing, and so much more. We showed Christian movies everywhere, including Pere Marquette beach, juvenile detention centers, the old movie theater Dr. DeWald let us use, and anywhere people would let us. We served at Orchard View Congregational Church and traveled to Wisconsin on mission to the Indian Reservations. God was faithful and worked powerfully in our lives and in so many others.
Even though we moved to Florida in 1985, whenever we saw each other or talked, the kinship, the fellowship was never broken. I think I understand the Bible describing life as being so short, it is like a quick breeze and it ends. My thoughts and memories flood me today as if all these things happened yesterday, not between 30 - 50 years ago.
Today I sadly say goodbye, but I will see you in heaven. Thanks Mike for being more than a friend for so many years.
Randy Bell
