Letter to Pastors

January 4, 2010

Dear Pastors:

As I write you these lines from Brownsburg, Indiana, where my mother-in-law lived for many years, I wanted to tell you a bit about "MAMMER!" I met this lady shortly after having met her daughter those many, many years ago. And, like a lot of people, Mammer didn’t like me up front.

Bob Macy, who played football at Broad Ripple High School, Indianapolis, and then was a Four Year Starter at Fullback for Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, loved "Mammer’s comment" to the woman whom I then married, Jo Ann, 49 years ago.

Mammer was making Christmas Cookies. She was working in powdered sugar. She had on a dark blouse and dark skirt. She exclaimed to my sweetheart, "Look at him! He’s swaggering sitting still." Bob says, "That takes some practice to do that!"

Well, you all know the story, Jo and I were married. She got saved, then over 2 years later I trusted the LORD as my personal Saviour.
Mammer gave testimony to my wife that she had trusted the LORD at the First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Indiana when she was about 15 or 16 years old.

Mammer deserved "hell" just like her daughter deserves hell, and just like her son-in-law deserves hell. But, God in his goodness and God in his Grace, reached down all those many years ago, 75 years or so ago, and SAVED HER.

At about 12:15 AM Monday morning of this week Angels came and escorted Mammer’s soul through the realm up above to where she will be "now," "Forever in the presence of the LORD." Mammer has already met my Mama and my Mama’s sister Betty, who prayed for our whole family to be saved. My Mama went to heaven in September 1998.

In my Mama’s case, in Mammer’s case, the sin question had to be dealt with! But, Thank God, the REDEEMER TOOK CARE OF ALL THAT!

Job 19:21, "Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. "

My Redeemer Lives. My Mama’s Redeemer Lives! My Mother in Law, Mammer, her Redeemer Lives. Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

Back there my sinner friend, at the First Baptist Church of Shelbyville, Indiana, those some 75 years ago, when Mammer [she was only called Dorothy then,] bowed her knee and trusted the LORD, her sins were washed as white as Snow in the Blood of the Crucified One.

At the time of Death, the Born Again Child of God, ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, Jew or Gentile, can and will find great solace in the Word of the Living God!

Psalms 23:1,"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. "

Ps 121:1, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
[Like the Psalmist, ole JAV will "lift up his eyes unto the hills" which cometh his help. Ole JAV’s help is the LORD, plain as the nose on your face in the very next verse.]
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

Ps 125:1, "They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever."

Ps 126:1, "When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. "

I don’t know that I have told you much about Mammer. I have told you a bit about HER GOD! And, the Lord Willing, this coming Thursday, in front of our eldest son John, our 3rd Son Tom [our Pastor] [and his youngest, Esther Von - whom Melissa calls "Grandpa in a Dress"] and our youngest son Paul, my wife, and all her kin, I shall tell them about the greatness of Mammer’s Redeemer, whom, if they only see themselves as "hell deserving sinners" and petition God Almighty for HIS GRACE, he will extend it to them just as he did Noah, just as he did Abraham, and just as he did for Mammer some 75 years ago.

This will be, if my count is correct, the 1,270th time I have stood before a group of people and preached someone’s funeral. Pray for me especially at 10:00 AM, Indianapolis, Indiana time Thursday morning! [I just wish I could round up a bag-piper before Thursday morning, I would have him play for mammer’s funeral!]
　
JIM VINEYARD
YEDIDIM OF ISRAEL