“I've seen him slip money to bums on the street
Who told him they hungered for something to eat;
And though I remarked, “They'll spend it on drink,”
He'd say, “Maybe so, but I would hate to think
That fellow was hungry, and I passed him by;
I'd rather be fooled many times by a lie,
Than to wonder if one of them I wouldn't feed,
Had told me the truth and was really in need.”
I am really impressed with the principle set forth in this poem. I know that what we support is important and using some wisdom in giving the limited resources that we have is important. But what men do with what we give and the results produced by our gifts are not nearly so important as our willingness to share what God had put in our hands and giving it not to gratify our desires but for the glory of our God and out of gratitude for his goodness to us. How could we not help those in need when we have such an abundance? I would like to be remembered as a generous person who found truly that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” It is not too late to begin.
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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