Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Our God reigns. Our God reigns. He's on the throne.
He's in session and he's open for business.
[00:00:23] Speaker B: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Line Upon Line Ministries podcast. I'm your host, Mark Williams. I'm not in my normal podcast space today. We've got some things going on. So we're, we're gonna work from the church office on this one, but we'll be back soon, hopefully in the the normal podcast setting on this podcast, of course, if you're listening, you don't care what it looks like at all. So in this podcast today, we've got a couple of wonderful things in store. We will continue and share the the podcast interview with Ms. Oneita Williams from last month as she shares about her husband, brother Bill Williams, and their relationship with David Miller and, and Glenda and Josh, the Miller family over the years. I know you'll enjoy the remainder of that interview. And also we have another classic sermon by brother David Miller From Isaiah, chapter 6 on the holiness of God. So stick around.
Before we get to the main content today, I want to share a quick announcement. My newest booklet, understanding your identity, God's Way, has just been released. This little booklet is based on First Corinthians 6, 9, 11 where Paul talks about a big long list of sins and then he comes to this phrase and such were some of you. As he's speaking to this church in Corinth, he is reminding them of what they once were, but now they have been washed, they've been sanctified, they've been justified.
And so this little booklet I wrote to help people to understand their new identity in Christ. So if you'd like to pick one up, the link will be in the description or in the comments or whatever you're watching or listening to this on.
So would love for you to pick one of those up for yourself if you're helping someone or if you're doing a small group at your church. I wrote this to be helpful in any of those kinds of situations.
Up next, enjoy the remainder of the interview with Ms. Oneita Williams.
[00:02:26] Speaker C: You'd mention, you know, there, there were lots of time, they had a lot of time, Bill and David going out on the road, you know, going out and doing ministry. And, you know, you shared a couple of short stories there, but was there any other stories that you can remember that, that they shared or that that had happened to them that were just really like, you know, funny or was like very serious or, you know, some what were you recall any of the stories of them not right off.
[00:03:04] Speaker D: That just really stands out.
I, you know, as many miles as they traveled, you know, they would sing and they would, you know, talk and argue and, you know, all of this, you know. Yeah.
And, you know, they spent, you know, 24, seven together lots of weeks.
And so, you know, they had a closeness that, you know, really, I don't know that anybody else ever had with David.
[00:03:33] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:03:35] Speaker D: You know, any of the other one that traveled with him.
[00:03:38] Speaker C: Now, did it start out just being on the road every week or did that.
[00:03:42] Speaker D: No, no, no. Not every.
And the weeks they weren't, you know, out traveling. Of course, Bill did things that David needed done, you know, physical things that he couldn't do around the house and around wherever.
[00:03:55] Speaker C: Right. And how long did it take before they were really pretty much gone? Every week at some point or every.
At least.
[00:04:06] Speaker D: Well, they tried not to be gone more than two weeks at a time. Now, sometimes, you know, they would do.
If it was very far, they'd do one and then they do the other one, and then they'd come home. But most of the time, you know, they would come home, you know, be gone a week and come home a week.
Things like that.
[00:04:25] Speaker C: Okay.
Trying to get a. You know, at some point, I think I remember David sharing.
And this was, you know, a few years before, you know, he even really slowed down. He had already mentioned he had preached it some 5,000 times or 10, you know, something ridiculous. But I was curious if that.
If that happened later on or if that was even part of, you know, his time with Bill.
Were they. Were they gone all the time? Was there. They were gone quite all over the country and all over.
[00:05:01] Speaker D: Well, after, you know, he finally resigned from association. And he was able to do that. Yes. You know, it picked up where they traveled quite a bit.
[00:05:09] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:05:10] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:05:11] Speaker C: So pretty much full time.
[00:05:13] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:05:13] Speaker C: There on the road.
Preaching anywhere and everywhere.
[00:05:17] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:05:18] Speaker C: I mean,
[00:05:20] Speaker D: they went from coast to coast. Wow.
Up north.
New England.
[00:05:27] Speaker C: Really?
[00:05:27] Speaker D: Oh, yeah.
[00:05:28] Speaker C: Got up there.
He. He is, you know, has been. Has said he could preach anywhere, Right.
[00:05:37] Speaker D: Yeah. And he did. It didn't matter if there was 10 or if there was 10,000, you know.
[00:05:43] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:05:43] Speaker D: He would preach to him and he'd preach just with the same enthusiasm as he would if he was preaching to 10 people.
[00:05:50] Speaker C: Yeah. No matter who was there.
[00:05:52] Speaker D: Right. And they, you know, he's talking about him, Bill, you know, when they were working on the house down in.
Well, I lost the name of the place where the cabin was.
[00:06:06] Speaker C: Oh, the Duck Hill.
[00:06:08] Speaker A: Duck Hill.
[00:06:09] Speaker D: When they Working down there in Duck Hill, they would argue a lot because they would think it needed to be done one way and they would think Bill would think it needed to be done another way. And of course, David was always there supervising. So you couldn't just do what you wanted to do.
[00:06:25] Speaker C: You know, you got to pass that through.
[00:06:27] Speaker D: David. Yeah, that's right.
[00:06:29] Speaker C: Now, obviously, you got to know David and Glenda closely. You've already mentioned your friendship, you know, close.
Close relationship with them.
[00:06:42] Speaker D: What was.
[00:06:43] Speaker C: You know, so a lot of people who watch this or who listen to this or who have. Who have started or who were introduced even to David through.
Through the new stuff we've been doing online and YouTube, I mean, we get people all the time, like, who is this guy?
So a lot of people, even though, you know, David's been around for. Was around for a long time, and Bill, you know, you guys were a long, long, long time, there's still people that have no idea who he was. Right.
So from your perspective, what was David like as a person?
I mean, just away from the pulpit, away from that kind of stuff. Like, what was David like?
[00:07:23] Speaker D: Okay, I don't know if you've covered this somewhere else, but, you know, David was born and raised down in Mississippi.
And he was born. One arm. One arm was always shorter than the other.
He was born like that. And he's. His mother and daddy divorced.
I don't know. David wasn't too old, I don't think.
And his mother went to work up in New York somewhere. She worked. I can't remember now what type of work. She did something in the medical, but I can't remember what it was.
And she worked up there. And a lot of times, David, this was. Of course. I think he was a teenager, was, you know, there by himself.
[00:08:09] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:08:09] Speaker D: You know, and then in.
His dad moved somehow. He moved to Scotland, Arkansas. And I can't remember why, how he got there. But anyway, his dad was in Scotland, Arkansas, and that's where he and Glenda's dad was pastoring there. And. And that's where they met, was in Scotland, Arkansas.
And then David went to work. I mean, David was called a pastor church there in Botkenberg.
[00:08:40] Speaker C: Botkenberg.
[00:08:40] Speaker D: Botkenberg, I believe it was.
I believe that's where he pastored anywhere. That's where they were when they first.
[00:08:48] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah.
I'm curious from your perspective, how. What he was like when he wasn't doing ministry.
[00:08:56] Speaker D: Well, he could be as honored as he could be sometimes, you know.
Okay.
I mean, seriously. Sure. He I mean, he would now, you never did have to wonder where David stood on anything.
[00:09:09] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:09:10] Speaker D: You know, and of course he. And he liked to joke a lot, like to tease.
[00:09:17] Speaker C: And he didn't tease you, did he?
[00:09:19] Speaker D: Oh, yes, and he would fuss at me just like he would Bill and, you know, one of his sisters. But he.
I mean, when people would see David, I guess, in the pulpit and hear him preaching, they'd just think, you know, uh huh. But you know, he was just as ordinary and just as honorary as any young man would ever be.
And he loved to tease and kids loved him because, you know, he'd tell jokes and, you know, do silly stuff with them and you know, they would always. At camp, you know, the kids would always just come up and, you know, just do things that would get him started, you know, and he'd just carry on with them like he was one of them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Camps were always fun time,
[00:10:18] Speaker C: so he was a likable guy away from the pulpit.
[00:10:23] Speaker D: A lot of people were scared of him and I don't know why, because, I mean, I think because of his posture, because of his disease, I mean, because he had to do what he had to.
He came across sometimes as being superior, I guess you would say.
But that was not David, you know,
[00:10:45] Speaker C: and, you know, by the way, he had to carry himself.
[00:10:47] Speaker D: Right, right. And, you know, he could talk to a doorpost, you know, and so, you know, bashful was not in his vocabulary, you know, he could talk to a doorpost and you know, and he was always concerned about other people in their.
I mean, wanting to know, you know, about them, about their lives and, and things like that. You know, he was, he was a very good conversationalist, I guess you'd say, genuinely. Yes, yes, yes. Not just do it just out of.
Because he felt like he had to. I mean, it was just he actually cared, you know, and he'd always want to know how he could pray for them, you know, so.
[00:11:38] Speaker C: So he was the same kind of person in the pulpit as he was in, in real life, but he was also just a regular guy, is what you say.
[00:11:48] Speaker D: Yeah, he's a big jokester. Yeah.
He didn't joke in the pulpit.
[00:11:52] Speaker C: No. Well, he sometimes. Well, not, not in a way that was, you know, minimized the word or anything like that. Know, always made a good.
[00:12:01] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, yeah.
But he'd usually do that before he'd start his. Right, get everybody, get everybody relaxed where he'd start his sermon.
[00:12:10] Speaker C: So they'd listen, lean in and listen.
[00:12:13] Speaker D: Well, and the fact you know, that he memorized so much. You know, people were just in awe of that, you know, and that got their attention, you know, right off.
[00:12:23] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, that definitely was a skill that. That catches your attention. It's not one that, I mean, I don't have that. That's not something that I've cultivated as a preacher, and I know most preachers.
[00:12:39] Speaker D: Yeah, but you weren't in his situation. You know, he had to.
[00:12:42] Speaker C: Right.
[00:12:42] Speaker D: You know, because he couldn't carry the word to the pulpit, open it, you know, to where it was now. Right. At first, when he was still, when you could pick, you know, get him to the podium, he did have it open, you know, a lot. But then later, after, when he couldn't do all that and he was sitting in his chair, he memorized.
[00:13:04] Speaker C: So, I mean, by necessity.
[00:13:06] Speaker D: Right.
[00:13:07] Speaker C: But also, I mean, what a.
What. What a better thing to give time to than to try to memorize and hold God's word in my heart like that.
You know, clearly that was one of those things that, you know, in, you know, in 1990, when he had to be put in a wheelchair and he couldn't. He couldn't hold the Bible open anymore. He could have just been like, well, I guess I'm done throwing the towel. I guess I can't be a preacher anymore. I can't open my Bible. I can't read my notes or whatever it is.
But clearly, that's not the approach he took.
[00:13:42] Speaker D: Well, that wasn't his nature and not his nature. That was not his nature. He. He was determined he was going to continue.
And whatever it took, he was going to do
[00:13:56] Speaker C: obviously made a big impact because he obeyed the Lord and did what God had called him to do, regardless of how he felt or how he was physically or how he.
The cards he was dealt, if you want to say that, and he played
[00:14:14] Speaker D: them and he was determined to figure out if there's something he wanted to do.
He figured out some way to do it.
Just like hunting. He hunted up until, you know, the very end almost, because that was something he loved.
And he figured out a way he could do it. I mean, he. I don't remember what all he did, but just the trigger thing was very sensitive.
And, you know, he.
[00:14:41] Speaker C: Like a little tube on it.
[00:14:43] Speaker D: Yeah.
He could blow or something.
Yeah. And, you know, that's just determination. You know, I mean, most people, when they got to that point, they just give up, feel sorry for themselves and sit back and, you know, whine. David did some whining, but he didn't Give up. You know, he kept pushing. Anything he wanted to do, he pushed to do it.
[00:15:10] Speaker C: Yeah, that. I mean, you're. You're one of many that have shared that, you know, that. That kind of determination that David has.
But it's always such a.
An encouragement, you know, something to look up to, you know, just an example for. For all of us as Christians to go, whatever, regardless your situation is.
[00:15:40] Speaker D: Right. And those, Those that has been instilled in his son, too.
[00:15:44] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:15:45] Speaker D: Because, you know, even, you know, you know, he's in the same situation his dad was in, in a lot of ways. You know, he's got the determination his dad had to. To do whatever he can do.
[00:16:00] Speaker C: So he passed that on to Josh.
[00:16:03] Speaker D: He did.
[00:16:04] Speaker C: Didn't let Josh just wallow in it and give up. Well, Josh wouldn't have done that anyway
[00:16:10] Speaker D: because that was instilled in. He was born with that. Yeah.
[00:16:13] Speaker C: He grew up in that. So.
[00:16:14] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:16:16] Speaker C: Yeah. And now, you know, Josh has.
Is doing all the same things. If he wants to do it, he doesn't figure out how to do it.
[00:16:26] Speaker D: But then back to, you know, their. His mother, you know, Glenda, you know, she, you know, was such a sweet, caring and, you know, whatever they wanted to do, she. Whatever she had to do to help them do it, she did, you know, never complained, you know, so it wasn't
[00:16:46] Speaker C: that he just did it by himself.
[00:16:48] Speaker D: Oh, no, no. Neither one of them, you know, after, you know, and Josh do all his, you know, when he got to where, you know, he, you know, Glenda waited on him.
[00:16:57] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:16:58] Speaker D: Cared for him just like she did David.
[00:17:02] Speaker C: Yeah.
Caring woman.
[00:17:04] Speaker D: Yes, she was. She was. There's been many, many stars in her crown.
[00:17:10] Speaker C: I. I didn't. When we moved here, you know, she had already.
[00:17:14] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:17:15] Speaker C: Started to. To.
And so I don't even think she really knew who I was long enough. But, you know, I can recall, you know, just. Even. Even as she was just a sweet, encouraging woman, clearly cared about people even in those final.
So those final days and she's in the hospital, she's. She's singing Amazing Grace with us and all those kinds of things. So if. If that was a.
Anything like what she was the rest of her life, she was a. She was a special woman as well.
[00:17:49] Speaker D: She was. She. Now, she had her moments, you know,
[00:17:52] Speaker C: but, you know, she was on like
[00:17:54] Speaker D: she could be, but, you know, the general public never saw that.
[00:18:00] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:18:01] Speaker D: I mean, really. Yeah, of course I did, you know, because I was with her a lot and we did a lot of Things that other people wouldn't have had to do together, you know.
[00:18:11] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:18:12] Speaker D: Because we were left to do it for each other.
[00:18:15] Speaker C: Right, right. So that really.
[00:18:18] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:18:18] Speaker C: Solidified Yalls relationship for sure. Going back to brother Bill thinking through all his years of ministry, you know, because his ministry didn't end when.
When he stopped working with David and that's when he retired from. From that particular. But. But he. He started icp.
[00:18:43] Speaker D: He started working.
[00:18:44] Speaker C: Working with the International Church Planners. Right, right. So what did that. That part of his life and ministry look like?
[00:18:51] Speaker D: Oh, goodness.
All right. So he started working with International Church Planners and sort of just a helper at first because there was someone else leading the ministry and there was an associate. When the associate left pretty quick after Bill started, I think. And then.
Then the guy who was leading it moved overseas. And so that left Bill with the ministry.
And we got off to a rough start.
But anyway, it built up and, you know, as, you know, he. He was able to lead ministries in Ecuador. We had a facility there and we go several times a year and train pastors and.
And do medical missions out in the field.
[00:19:48] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:19:48] Speaker D: And we worked with a man called Lucas, Pastor Lucas.
And anyway, and we had a doctor down there, Dr. Manuel, that we worked with, and he spoke very fluent English.
And so he, you know, got the places to minister to. And we go out into those mountains sometimes. We didn't know if we was going to get there, get back dirt roads
[00:20:13] Speaker C: up the side of the mountain.
[00:20:14] Speaker D: Oh, goodness. And one time we were in one place and whoever the. They were rioting and they blocked off the way for us to get out. So anyway, we had to pack up all of our medical things and go a back road, which I didn't. And we ended up walking part of the way and they. The little Ecuadorians ended up having to carry rocks and things to put on these little creeks so we. The bus could get across and we didn't know if we'd ever get back home. And Tommy and Phyllis were back at the center, you know, cooking.
And of course we were late, you know, had no way of communication, so they didn't know where in the world we were or what was happening to us. But anyway, we finally got back after several hours, but that was quite an experience.
And.
[00:21:04] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:21:05] Speaker D: You know, and down there, you know, sometimes they would invite you into their villages and to do medical work and do ministry. And then after you got there, sometimes they decided that wasn't what they wanted. They wanted the medical part because they wanted that, but they didn't really want the ministry.
And so sometimes we just have to pack up and, you know, leave and go to another place. But, you know, the Lord really blessed that work there in Ecuador and then started to work in Kenya. And I'm trying to remember how the guy in Kenya found out. But anyway, and Bill always liked to go first and, you know, scope out what, you know, the ministry and just what they wanted and.
But he wasn't.
George wanted him to come then and bring some pastors and teach his. His people, you know.
So Bill finally gave up. He took two people with him and they.
They did minister and they went back several times. You know, as you know, they finally did a. Did schooling there and trained several pastors in Kenya and then in South Africa.
Not sure how he got that. Got introduced to South Africa, but Hoppy and Hoppy Poland. And we went down there and he went down and helped.
Worked with pastors several times. And then we took a group and went down there and built a.
Hoppy had orphanages and so we built the sixth one. Well, we didn't reel all the rest of them, but the sixth one. And we took a building crew and went down there and they built that. And we had a Bible school during the, you know, after the kids got out of school. We had a big Bible school there at the. There was a church there along with where the orphanages were.
And so we did a Bible school there. And then Bill and Benny did a.
[00:23:27] Speaker C: Benny Foster did
[00:23:30] Speaker D: training for pastors in the morning while we were doing.
But we didn't do Bible school till afternoon after the kids get out of school.
[00:23:39] Speaker C: Right.
[00:23:41] Speaker D: And then.
And we had like 200 kids when a few days.
And we were doing like a Bible school type thing with them. Yeah, yeah. It was quite the material that we had taken to, you know, that we were going to do. It was. We had throw it out the window after the first day and improvise and do it, do new stuff. But, you know, and that's why you do it on the mission field. You know, you can plan and plan and plan and then when you get there, what you had planned is not what the Lord wants you to do when you got there.
And so we, we had to.
[00:24:18] Speaker C: Had to change it up.
[00:24:19] Speaker D: Had to change it up on the. That's right. That's right.
But when you have 200 kids, you know, you're doing something right.
[00:24:26] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bill's ministry in. In missions was still strongly, you know, not just evangelistic, but. But his aim was to. To be Training pastors to be.
Preparing men to. To preach and teach expository preaching.
[00:24:49] Speaker D: That was. His main goal was to, you know, train pastors, you know, because, you know, you can't be there.
[00:24:55] Speaker B: Right.
[00:24:55] Speaker D: You know, 365 days a year, you know, and so the main. His main goal was to train pastors, you know, in the way that they should be trained, taught, you know, and what. So they could teach their own people.
[00:25:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:25:07] Speaker D: Speak their language, you know.
[00:25:09] Speaker C: So while here at Tumbling Shoals, David put together the Expository Preaching Conference to try to train local, you know, and even some national pastors from across the country year after year after year.
And I'm sure Bill had helped with. With some of those conferences as well.
[00:25:29] Speaker D: We helped with all of them.
[00:25:30] Speaker C: Yeah. For all of them.
[00:25:31] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:25:31] Speaker C: You met her.
[00:25:32] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:25:33] Speaker C: So. So he was involved here, but he was even involved around the world trying to do the same.
That's just cool to me.
Just the impact, the influence that a small little church in the middle of Arkansas has, not just on us and even Arkansas, but the nation and even around the world, sharing the gospel and training up pastors to be able to preach the word and teach the word and lead congregations.
It's not lost on me how incredible God is in working through David and Bill in those ways.
I'm encouraged. I'm listening to you about these stories,
[00:26:23] Speaker D: and when you think about David and Bill and how they were, where they were born, how they were raised, you know, who would ever think that they would have been able to travel and do and reach as many people in their lifetime?
[00:26:39] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:26:40] Speaker D: You know, it just. It blows my mind when I think about.
[00:26:44] Speaker C: Is kind of mind blowing to see how God uses.
Uses somebody like that. Uses somebody just too.
[00:26:50] Speaker D: Old country boys.
Yep.
[00:26:54] Speaker C: And. And. And now I, you know, go to different conferences like SBC or something, and, you know, I'll have Tumbling Scholes church on my name tag or whatever. Like David Miller.
Yep. That's. That's the church.
[00:27:10] Speaker D: And, you know, he was always proud to tell where he was from. You know, everybody knew, you know, where he was.
[00:27:16] Speaker C: That Expository Preaching Conference in particular was where was a huge impact on so many.
I think it was something like 1500 preachers that had been trained over those. Those years here for free.
[00:27:32] Speaker D: Right.
[00:27:33] Speaker C: Paid them to come and. Or paid to make.
[00:27:36] Speaker D: Pay the expenses while they were here
[00:27:38] Speaker C: and take care of them and feed them and give them a stay and give them a whole library of books that they would do.
[00:27:46] Speaker D: Exactly.
[00:27:47] Speaker C: And all of that, just such a huge impact from such a small, small little place.
As much as David was a part of it, Bill was a part of it, this church was a part of it.
It's just amazing to see how the Lord uses that.
So IPC Bill's ministry later on in life continued not just going out and preaching, but recognizing the need that.
Yeah, I can't just preach everywhere. We gotta. We gotta teach others how to do this.
[00:28:17] Speaker D: Right.
[00:28:17] Speaker C: And so there's. So there's pastors in Kenya and there's pastors in South Africa and there's pastors in Ecuador that are. That are doing the work because of the influence from.
[00:28:30] Speaker D: Right.
[00:28:31] Speaker C: From Bill Williams.
[00:28:32] Speaker D: Well, for ICP and people who.
[00:28:34] Speaker C: And people who've gone there to train. So. So, man, that's just again, mind blowing
[00:28:41] Speaker D: to think two old country boys were used of God like that.
[00:28:47] Speaker C: Now, when did ICP transfer over?
When did he leave ICP, retire from that work?
[00:28:58] Speaker D: He finally retired in 2019.
[00:29:02] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:29:03] Speaker D: That was after he'd had his transplant.
[00:29:05] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:29:06] Speaker D: And you know, he could. He could, you know, he knew he wasn't going to be able to go back and do what he.
[00:29:11] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:12] Speaker D: Had done, so that's when he turned it over.
[00:29:15] Speaker C: Okay. And then he passed away the next year.
[00:29:18] Speaker D: Is that correct? Okay. In May of 20th, 2020.
[00:29:23] Speaker C: Was it Covid related or was it.
[00:29:26] Speaker D: No, you know, you had the lung transplant and then he contract, contacted a fungus and they. All. The kind of. All the medication that they did, trying to kill that out is what really got him.
[00:29:49] Speaker C: Amen. But, you know, even still, six years later, after his, after his passing, couple years after brother David's passing, you know, the influence that they left is still very much alive. I mean, I'm literally sitting in an office that's Bill Williams Ministry center building.
That's the kind of impact he had just on our own little church. And we'll be forever grateful for that work that he did. So before I ask this last question, do you have any other stories or insights about. About David or Bill or Glenda or anything that you wanted to share? Was there anything on your mind that you wanted to.
[00:30:29] Speaker D: Not really, except we just had a very unique, you know, relationship and one that, you know, not many couples get to experience in their lifetime.
[00:30:40] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:30:42] Speaker D: I mean, we've done everything from the grossest things to the.
You know, I don't want to.
[00:30:47] Speaker C: I don't want to hear those stories.
[00:30:48] Speaker D: No, you don't. No, you don't.
[00:30:51] Speaker C: I can imagine with. With having to take care of, you know, somebody pretty much completely.
[00:30:57] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:30:58] Speaker C: But have all kinds of problems there and then as well.
[00:31:01] Speaker D: And then Glenda and I, we both had some surgeries that we, you know, that you wouldn't ask just anyone to help you take care of, you know.
[00:31:09] Speaker C: Yeah. That kind of stuff.
[00:31:11] Speaker D: And so, you know, just a real closeness. Yeah.
We'd laugh and she's.
She'd say, you know, no, not everybody would do this for me.
And I would do the same. Not everybody would do this for me, you know. Yeah. And.
[00:31:29] Speaker C: And you're grateful to have each other.
[00:31:31] Speaker D: Yeah, we were. We were. Yeah. And there was times, you know, when they were out traveling and everything that we. We needed each other's help, you know.
[00:31:39] Speaker C: Sure, sure.
[00:31:41] Speaker D: And just, you know, that friendship was just.
And like I said, you know, when we first met in 75, they just came to highway to do a.
He came to do a meeting, I think it was. And we just. We had them in our home for a meal and the girls just really, you know. Of course, David would always pick at kids, you know, that was one of his favorite things to do. And the girls were young and he'd pick at them, you know, and they just.
We just all hit it off. Just.
[00:32:12] Speaker C: They just took to them.
[00:32:13] Speaker D: It was just of the Lord, you know.
[00:32:14] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah.
Well, my last question here is. Is really just like a. It's. It's a three parter, sort of, but just kind of.
Just to sum up, I want to ask you, just generally speaking, thinking about Bill and David and Glenda, what have I not asked you, or what do you think that needs to be remembered about each of these people that we haven't discussed or maybe we have discussed, but you just want to highlight again, if you could remember one thing about Bill, what do you want people to remember?
[00:32:57] Speaker D: I mean, Bill was the most genuine Christian, you know, that. I mean, in all aspects of his life, you know, that I've ever known.
[00:33:11] Speaker C: Wonderful to have him as a husband then.
[00:33:12] Speaker D: Yes, it was.
[00:33:14] Speaker C: What about David?
[00:33:16] Speaker D: David. David was genuine, too. David, you know, sometimes I'd want to pinch his head off, you know, but, you know, he. He stuck to his word. He preached the word and, you know, he was. He was who he was.
[00:33:31] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:33:31] Speaker D: And what you saw is what you. What you got.
[00:33:33] Speaker C: There you go.
[00:33:35] Speaker D: And he didn't apologize for anything, you know.
[00:33:38] Speaker C: Yeah, well, not that he didn't.
[00:33:41] Speaker D: Well, I mean, in preaching the word, you know. Yeah. He didn't.
[00:33:45] Speaker C: Apologetic preaching.
[00:33:46] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:33:47] Speaker C: Good.
[00:33:48] Speaker D: Now, he was honoring as he could be sometimes, but, you know, Lord forgave him for that.
[00:33:52] Speaker C: There you go.
[00:33:53] Speaker D: And sometimes you had to.
[00:33:55] Speaker C: Yeah.
What about Ms. Glenda? Anything we. One. One thing we need to remember about her. You want. You want remembered about Ms. Glenda?
[00:34:07] Speaker D: She was just sweet and reliable.
That may take her a while to get it done, but she was, you know, she's. She's sweet and she.
She loved everybody, and she'd give anybody a chance, you know.
[00:34:27] Speaker C: Very good.
Well, I appreciate your time. I mean, it's always a joy to. To sit down and think about David and. And his relationships and different things. And obviously, you guys had such a close connection to David and Glenda that I.
Man, I really appreciate you sharing these things, and I know that the people that are listening are going to really, really appreciate it as well. Just to get to know David a little more, but also to get to be introduced to Bill as well. Such a big part of David's life that we need to be. That needs to be remembered as well. And so appreciate your time today. Thank you very much.
[00:35:07] Speaker D: Well, you're welcome.
[00:35:10] Speaker B: And now another classic sermon from brother David Miller. This 1 from Isaiah 6 on the holiness of God that he preached at the True Church conference years ago. Enjoy.
[00:35:24] Speaker A: Turn, please, to the Old Testament, Book of Isaiah, chapter six.
Isaiah, chapter six.
And I shall preach tonight about the holiness of our God.
I have not preached often about the holiness of God.
I suppose it is because of my inability to fully comprehend the absolute moral perfection and impeccability of our God, and because of my inability to communicate what little I have comprehended about his holiness.
Have you found the passage?
Let's begin at verse 1:1.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims.
Each one had six wings.
With twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.
And the post of the doors moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, woe is me, for I am undone.
For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.
For mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.
And he laid it upon my mouth and said, lo, this hath touched thy Lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
Then said I, here am I.
Send me.
I shall preach my sermon tonight around three headings.
First, I shall talk about the historical circumstances.
It was in the year that King Uzziah died.
Isn't that a novel approach
[00:38:48] Speaker D: for a
[00:38:48] Speaker A: point in a sermon?
The historical circumstances.
It was in the year that King Uzziah died.
Secondly, I want you to see the holy confrontation.
Isaiah saw the Lord.
And thirdly, I will talk about this heartfelt commitment.
Here am I.
Send me.
Now, by way of the historical circumstances, I remind you that Uzziah had been a good king.
Much of the hopes of the nation of Israel rested in Uzziah.
He had been a leper in the latter years of his life.
A stark contrast is obvious in the text.
Earthly kings die, but King Jesus still lives on.
Isaiah had been a statesman and a prophet during the administration of Uzziah.
The death of a king is often a dark and dangerous time in the life of a nation.
Consequently, the ministry of Isaiah would be crucial during these days.
Consequently, God appears to Isaiah and gives him this vision.
It is intended to encourage him and to strengthen his hand in the work.
Now I might point out for you that some of the scholars suggest that it is here in Isaiah chapter 6 that Isaiah is converted and called to preach.
I respond to that by suggesting that perhaps they should read chapters one through five before coming to such conclusions.
Let me speak to you for a moment regarding who it was that Isaiah saw.
He did not see Jehovah.
God the Father, we are told in the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 18.
No man hath seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him in John chapter 12.
After quoting a lengthy passage from Isaiah chapter 6.
In verse 41 we have this statement. Thus said Jesus when he saw his glory.
Or thus said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him.
Isaiah saw a pre incarnate vision of Jesus Christ in all of his glory.
Now I could spend more time talking about the historical circumstances, but I want us to spend most of our time talking about this holy confrontation.
Isaiah saw the Lord.
I have divided this portion of the sermon under two headings. First, I want you to see the true character of God.
And then I want to talk about the terrible condition of Isaiah.
I cannot think of anything that is needed more in our day than A fresh vision of the true character of the God of the Bible.
The revisionists in our day have constructed a God that the Bible knows nothing about.
I want you to see two items here.
I want you to see those items relating to the power of God.
He is the Lord hosts. And then I want you to see those items relating to his purity.
He is the Lord of holiness.
Now, in case I lose some of you prematurely, I want to give you five items pertaining to the power of the Lord.
First, I want you to see his remarkable transcendence.
He is high and lifted up.
Number two, I want you to see the resplendent temple of the Lord. Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple.
Number three, I want you to see the royal throne of the Lord. He is seated on the throne.
Number four, I want you to see the regal train of the Lord. His train filled the temple.
And number five, I want you to see the resounding terror of the Lord. The post of the doors moved at the voice of him that cried, Are you interested in such things?
Are you interested to know these things about our God?
Daniel said, the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.
Now, regarding his remarkable transcendence, we do not mean to imply that the God of the Bible is a God afar off and not a God close at hand.
We do, however, mean to say that he is a big God. God.
He's high and he's lifted up. He transcends all human comprehension.
He transcends all of time and space.
I mean, if you could board an intergalactic spacecraft and travel back into time, you could never travel far enough.
But what the God of the Bible would be beyond that.
I mean, if you traveled back to the dawn of creation, you would not have gone back far enough.
God would be beyond that.
If you traveled back to a time when the unnavigated ether of endless space had never been disturbed by the brush of an angel's wings, you would not have gone back far enough.
Our God is a transcendent God.
But now I want you to see the resplendent temple of God. Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple.
I would remind you that on one occasion, God said to Solomon, the heaven nor the heaven of heavens can contain me.
And yet, this remarkably transcendent God has been pleased to dwell with men on earth.
And for those of us who are the redeemed, this same transcendent God has taken up his residence in us as the temples of the living God.
Isaiah saw him in the temple. I would remind you, there's a temple in heaven. It served as a pattern for the temple on earth.
Now, about half of the scholars suggest that Isaiah saw the Lord in the earthly temper temple.
But the other half of the scholars agree with me.
He saw him in the heavenly temple.
Now I want you to see him seated upon the throne.
Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. And I ask you this question.
Why shouldn't he be on a throne? He is King Jesus after all.
In the book of Hebrews, chapter one, verse three, we are told when he had by himself purged our sin, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.
In that same chapter, verse 13, we are told that God his father said to him, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Let me tell you something about this man sitting the throne.
He is not wringing his hand.
He is not shaking his head in bewilderment. He is not scurrying around, jockeying around, trying to come up with a contingency plan.
He ruleth in the army of heaven and on earth. None can stay his hand nor say unto him, what doest thou?
Let me remind you that the fall of Adam and the depravity of man have not caught him off guard.
Let me tell you that Mohammed and Islam and Al Qaeda and Boko Haram and Isis are well within the view of him who sits on the throne. And one of these days, with one wisp of his breath, he's going to consign the devil and the demons and all of their disciples to the bottomless pits of hell. Our God reigns. Our God reigns.
He's on the throne.
He's in session and he's open for business.
That's the God of the Bible.
He's not a grandfatherly type, sitting in a rocking chair with waiting for you to come by to demand something of him. He's Lord of lords and King of kings. That's why the church gathers on the Lord's day morning to sing songs like this. Oh, worship the King all glorious above and gratefully sing his wonderful love. He's on the throne.
Number four. Let me say something about the regal train of the Lord. You are aware that Oriental kings wore long flowing robes. The train was that part of the robe which flowed behind and along the ground.
It was a mark of distinction, of nobility. It speaks of the glory and the splendor of the King. And I would remind you that there is coming a day when the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God like the waters that cover the sea.
And then let me say something about the resounding terror of the Lord. The post of the doors moved at the voice of him that cried. The old preacher Matthew Henry asked this question, shall the post of the doors be moved at the voice of the Lord? And the church sits still.
Let us rise up and march to the beat of his drum.
This is the character of our God. Let us proclaim him.
But now let me say something to you regarding these items that relate to his purity.
He's the Lord of holiness.
Two things.
One, the song of the angels, and two, the sanctifying altar.
Now, I thought about calling this the seraphic antiphoni, but I wasn't exactly sure what that meant.
So I'm going to stick with the song of the angels.
Did you hear them singing Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.
I have wondered if perhaps. Perhaps the angels themselves are trinitarian in their theology.
Could it be that one of them says, holy art thou, Father, and another holy is the Lord Jesus.
And another holy is the Spirit of God.
Nonetheless, they joined in, singing this great song.
I can hear an angel playing on a harp with golden strings.
Soon my Lord will come and take me to a land where angels sing.
Listen, one of these days you and I are going to join the angels in chorus singing Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.
But now let me call your attention to the sanctifying altar.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongue from off the altar. I tell you, beloved, on our best day, in our finest moment, when we come into the near presence of the Holy God, we are going to be more grateful then than ever before that he has provided an altar that sanctifies.
This is the true character of God.
Put that aside now, and let me speak to you regarding the terrible condition of Isaiah.
Two things.
One, his plight and two, his purging.
Then said I, woe is me, for I am undone.
For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.
Isaiah is not confessing that he has used profanity.
He is not confessing that he has been vulgar.
What Isaiah is confessing is that in the depths of his heart the very essence of his being is sinful. And now he has come into the presence of a holy God, and he feels his unworthiness.
He feels the weight and the burden and the indictment of his sin. And I'll tell you, this is the response of every true believer when we come into the present of a holy God.
Now, I've wondered what might have happened if Leading Lights of our day had had this vision.
I imagine that the Toronto crowd would have gotten down on their hands and knees and barked in the spirit like a dog.
I imagine the Tulsa Cross crowd would have said, hot dog. We're going to raise more than 8 million this time.
Benny Hinn would have slain the angels in the spirit, but not Isaiah. He cries out, woe is me, for I am undone. I tell you, it amazes me that a Baptist preacher could strut sitting down.
What we need is a fresh vision of the true character of God and to sense our own unworthiness and inadequacy.
Before him then flew one of the seraphims unto me with a live coal in his hand. And he laid it upon my mouth and said, lo, this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged. Hallelujah for sins forgiven. Hallelujah for the doctrine of expiation. Our Lord our Substitute has carried our sins into the regions of the unknown and remembers them against us no more. My sins are gone.
My sins are gone.
But now let me come to speak for a moment regarding this heartfelt commitment.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us?
Then said I.
Here am I.
Send me.
Two things are requisite for those who would speak for the Lord. Number one, he ought to know something about the true character of God.
Now I'm all about ordaining men who display and give evidence of a calling from God.
I think it is proper and good for the church to lay their hands upon them and formally, properly commission them to preach the gospel. But I want to tell you before we do that we ought to preach them. We ought to see to it that they know something about the true character of God. And they ought to be able to give testimony that they have heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us?
I close my sermon now in the words of the grand song.
I dreamed of a city called Glory so bright and so fair.
When I entered the gates to the city the angels all met me there.
They led me from mansion to mansion and oh, the sights that I saw.
But I said, I want to see Jesus he's the one who died for all.
Then I bowed on my knees and cried, holy, holy, holy. I clapped my hands and sang, glory, glory, to the Son of God.
I clapped my hands and sang Glory, glory to the Son of God.
[01:02:43] Speaker B: Thank you so much for watching this episode. As always, check out our website and social media. If you need to contact me, you can email me at line upon lineministriesmail.com love to help you any way that I can.
God bless you as you continue to study and minister God's word.
[01:03:01] Speaker C: Line upon line.
