An old timer wrote: "My friend, you may think to live very well without Christ, but death will be unbearable without him. You are confident and secure at present, but death will destroy your confidence. Your tree is fair and strong now; but when the wind comes, if your root is not in the Rock of Ages, down your tree must come forever. You may think these worldly pleasures and ways of flesh are so good; but when your years increase and you reach the bottom of this poisoned bowl, they will be as bitter as wormwood; and worse than gall shall be the daintiest of your drinks."
When I read this, I gave thanks to our Lord for delivering us from "this body of death through our Lord Jesus Christ," and old age and death are no longer to be feared but desired; that death is no longer the loss of life and joy, but the gain of eternal life and glory. While we mourn the temporary absence of our dear loved ones whom the Lord has been pleased to take to glory, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope; for we know, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his people" (Psa. 116:15), and leaving this world and going to be with Christ is the greatest blessing of all the blessings!
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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