“Has Anyone ever Rescued you, Figuratively or Literally?”

Recently, someone asked me the question, “Has anyone ever rescued you, figuratively or literally?” Below was my answer.

I had served God as a Senior Pastor for 33 years with an undercurrent of trying to earn His favor. I performed for the affirmation of God. It has only been the last 18 years that I’ve learned to live in that favor. I have learned that God doesn’t need us to serve Him to attain His love or affection. He wants us to serve Him out of the love and affection He already holds for us in His heart. As in the words of Wayne Jacobsen, my Lord brought me to the place where I realized that even if I never preached another sermon, never counseled another person, nor ever led someone to Christ again, He is still delighted in me as His child.

Back in the early 2000’s I was going through a season of working harder for God but feeling emptier spiritually. It was a journey that ended in discouragement, frustration, emotional exhaustion, and sinful decisions. The result was I resigned the church I had been privileged to pastor for almost 26 years. For me, it was the heart break of heart breaks. In one weekend, what I had worked so hard for came crashing down in shame and failure. I thought anything relating to ministry was over and I would soon become the faint memory of having once been a pastor and leader of a local church.

God had a different plan. In my spiritual failure, He immediately sent special people in my pathway to help me to heal from my journey of brokenness to experience restoration. I shall forever be grateful for them. I have listed them below.

My sweet wife Betty.

My three children, and their spouses.

David Jernigan of the Gideons

Dr. Johnny Hunt and the staff of the City of Refuge at First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia

Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., Thomas Road Baptist Church and Chancellor of Liberty University.

The Trueface Team, principally John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, Bill Thrall and Steen Hudson

Mike Pogue and Chuck Donneberg from the Trueface Tuesday Morning Bible Study in Lynchburg, Va.

Multitudes of special friends and associates who gave, made calls, and wrote letters, always encouraging me and praying for me during these difficult days of restoration.

I’m reminded of Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)17 The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
    He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

T.A. Powell, Sr., April 23, 2022