"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in His way" (Psa. 37:23). This was the answer I received when I asked a faithful minister of the gospel if he had a favorite verse of Scripture that had served as a motto for life.

From his youth, he has studied the Bible and knows it as few do. His love for Christ is unquestionable, his faith in God's word unmoveable, and his loyalty to the church unfaltering.

He possesses that which must be the foundation for any successful minister: a life consecrated to Christ, a thorough knowledge of the Bible, and the ability to make an acceptable presentation of its message.

He is not a great orator, neither an entertainer, but the better you know him, the more you will be moved by his messages. He is a humble, sincere, prayerful ambassador for the King, whose steps he is endeavoring to follow.

It can be said of him, as Hawthorne speaks of Ernest, in "The Great Stone Face"_"His words have power, because they accord with his thoughts, and his thoughts have reality and depth, because they harmonize with the life that he has always lived. It is not mere breath that this preacher utters. They are the words of life, because a life of good deeds and holy love is melted into them."

We, who have had the opportunity to listen to his sermons and study with him the words of life, are thankful for this wonderful privilege. You too can share some of his knowledge in What Doth The Lord Require of Thee? and Partakers of the Benefit by Loren N. Raines. Brother Raines has and is helping many to follow in the steps of the Lord.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 23, p. 723
December 6, 1984