Dear Lakeside,

So many of our people find creative ways to share the Word of God with the world. It is such a blessing to see our fellow believers express their faith not only in speech and song, but also in art and books. Let us focus on that last group of witnesses for a second. You may not realize it, but several of your fellow church members are accomplished Christian authors, including our Senior Pastor, as well as Larry Ashlock, Karen Bullock, Tan Flippin, Brad Humphrey, Beau Senyard, and others.

The remainder of this week’s newsletter contains a Foreword written for a new book by Ed Dittrich, a longtime member of Lakeside. I share it to encourage you to humbly use whatever gifts God gives you for his glory—Whether that be in oral speech, edifying music, visual art, or the written word.

Foreword

“A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Usually, when the theologian deals with the doctrine of divine providence, the mind goes immediately to the large issues of human history—the rise and fall of nations, cultures, and empires. However, in this powerfully moving book, Ed Dittrich, quite by accident, reminds us that divine providence deals with the daily actions and eternal destinies of individual human beings, too. Yes, the universally sovereign God is concerned with the “boundaries” of nations (Acts 17:26), but he is also deeply concerned with every human “heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

Expecting the Unexpected is the profound spiritual autobiography of a Christian who took both the inspired Word of God and the providential guidance of God seriously. Because of his faithfulness to obey the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, our Lord chose to deploy this layman in powerful ways. Through consistent discipline in his daily life, through his weekly efforts at various evangelistic ministries, and through special mission trips, he ended up being used by God to change the course of many, many precious souls of many ages, nations, and situations.

The pastor who reads these “Chronicles of an Evangelist” will rejoice to learn that much more goodness is happening in the pew than one might expect from a mere surface glance over an average congregation. The layman who reads these chronicles will be encouraged to see how a life of prayer, evangelism, and general obedience to the Lord’s commands can bring such abundant personal joy. The scholar who consults these chronicles will learn that the strength of the Christian religion is not determined by the books of professional theologians, nor by the sermons of the professional ministers, but by the personal faith of the people of God.

During my decade-long research into the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, reflected in two theses, one written at Duke University and one written at Oxford University, and in various books and articles, I was entranced to read of both the well-known minister and the little known laypeople who set out to follow Jesus Christ in carrying their cross, in attempting to live their lives with integrity, and in making a huge impact on all who encountered them. I think here of the fourteenth-century Welsh layman, Walter Brut, who believed the gospel of Jesus Christ applied to every man and woman. I also think of the sixteenth-century English scholar, William Tyndale, who suffered the ultimate price of death for daring to put the Word of God into the English language, so that every plowboy and maid could learn Scripture. I also think of the many thousands of evangelical Anabaptist men and women, who surrendered their lives to hear, believe, and share Holy Scripture.

Finally, I think of you, my brother or sister in Christ, present or future. If you are not a believer, I pray Ed Dittrich’s testimony will draw you to see Jesus, to believe in him as Lord with your own heart, and to confess him as the resurrected Lord with your own mouth. If you are a follower of Christ, I pray Ed Dittrich’s testimony will inspire you to forget the cares and concerns of this world for just a moment and to consider the eternal destiny of your family members, your neighbors, your colleagues, or the persons you encounter by chance daily. May you be inspired to share the good news of Jesus Christ. And once you have shared that gospel of Christ’s death for sinners and resurrection for salvation, may you know the incredible joy that comes with helping someone make the most important decision of their lives.

Our sovereign Lord God, please bless this book and the readers of this book and bless the author and his helpers for having written, edited, and disseminated it. Bless them all with the comforting presence of your Holy Spirit and for the glory of your eternally begotten Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Malcolm B. Yarnell

Teaching Pastor