For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. believed: or, trusted - 2 Timothy 1:12
A number of well-meaning people (I suppose they mean well) have put a lot of emphasis on when a person is saved. They insist that one should be able to pinpoint the time and place when they were delivered from darkness to the kingdom of God's dear Son.
Some may be able, like the apostle Paul, to recall a Damascus road experience. Others, like the apostle Peter, may recall a more drawn out process; the initial meeting and first confessions, but then struggles to learn, impulsive claims, even doubts and denials. But all these things led up to a love feast at the sea of Tiberias where he exclaimed, "Lord, you know that I love you."
But whether the conversion is short and memorable or long and eventful, the goal of faith and seeking should always and only be “to win Christ and be found in him; to know him and the power of his resurrection."
The time, the place, or even the experience itself, all fade into the background in the presence of our blessed Lord! I'm more interested in who you know more than when you met him!
About Henry Mahan
Henry T. Mahan was born in Birmingham, Alabama in August 1926. He joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served as a signalman on an L.S.T. in the Pacific during World War II. In 1946, he married his wife Doris, and the Lord blessed them with four children.
At the age of 21, he entered the pastoral ministry and gained broad experience as a pastor, teacher, conference speaker, and evangelist. In 1950, through the preaching of evangelist Rolfe Barnard, God was pleased to establish Henry in sovereign free grace teaching. At that time, he was serving as an assistant pastor at Pollard Baptist Church (off of Blackburn ave.) in Ashland, Kentucky.
In 1955, Thirteenth Street Baptist Church was formed in Ashland, Kentucky, and Henry was called to be its pastor. He faithfully served that congregation for more than 50 years, continuing in the same message throughout his ministry. His preaching was centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified, in full accord with the Scriptures. He consistently proclaimed God’s sovereign purpose in salvation and the glory of Christ in redeeming sinners through His blood and righteousness.
Henry T. Mahan also traveled widely, preaching in conferences and churches across the United States and beyond. His ministry was marked by a clear and unwavering emphasis on Christ, not the preacher, but the One preached. Those who heard him recognized that his sermons honored the Savior and exalted the name of the Lord Jesus Christ above all.
Henry T. Mahan served as pastor and teacher of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky for over half a century. His life and ministry were devoted to proclaiming the sovereign grace of God and directing sinners to the finished work of Christ. He entered into the presence of the Lord in 2019, leaving behind a lasting testimony to the gospel he faithfully preached.
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