Author: Russell Lightner

Tras una caída casi mortal, esposa de pastor aprovecha todas las oportunidades para compartir el evangelio

SE SUPONÍA QUE IBA A SER UN RETIRO TRANQUILO, un tiempo para empezar a buscar el plan de Dios para la próxima etapa de sus vidas. 

Después de 50 años de ministerio a tiempo completo, 21 de ellos en la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Galena Park, el pastor Marcos Ramos y su esposa, Irma, sintieron que era hora de jubilarse. Así que planearon una escapada a Holly Lake Ranch, situado justo al norte de Tyler, el pasado mes de diciembre. 

“Aquí está la cabaña”, dijo Marcos mientras estacionaba el coche de la pareja cerca de la cabaña 51. 

Mientras se instalaban, Irma volvió al coche para buscar algo. De regreso a la cabaña, subió el primer escalón y, en un confuso momento de pánico, dejó escapar un profundo grito antes de caer de espaldas. 

Eso es lo último que recuerda Irma. 

Marcos, al oír el grito de su esposa desde el interior de la cabaña, salió corriendo y la encontró tendida en el suelo. Estaba inconsciente y ensangrentada, pues se había dado un fuerte golpe en la cabeza contra el cemento. 

Irma fue trasladada al hospital más cercano, en Tyler, e ingresada en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. El médico de guardia se sorprendió de que no hubiera sufrido una fractura de cráneo, teniendo en cuenta el fuerte golpe que se había dado en la cabeza. 

Irma Ramos (foto arriba a la derecha) con su familia en un partido de béisbol (aparece a la izquierda). FOTOS COMPARTIDAS

“El cerebro de su esposa está nadando en sangre”, dijo el médico a Marcos. 

Irma había sufrido una hemorragia cerebral potencialmente mortal que necesitaría ser drenada lo antes posible. Si no se aliviaba la presión cerebral, podría haber sufrido lesiones cerebrales permanentes o incluso la muerte. 

Tres días después del accidente, el 12 de diciembre, Irma recobró el conocimiento. Podía moverse y sonreír, pero no podía hablar ni comunicarse. No sabía dónde estaba ni reconocía a las personas que la rodeaban, incluida su familia. Los médicos temían que sufriera una pérdida de memoria a largo plazo y prepararon a la familia para que no volviera a reconocerlos. 

‘Dios la va a sanar’ 

Pero cinco días después del accidente––cinco días de intensas oraciones y suplicas de familiares y amigos que aman a Irma––algo empezó a cambiar. Comenzó a pronunciar palabras cortas. Reconoció a las personas reunidas a su alrededor, incluidos sus nietos, cuyos nombres podía recordar y que se habían unido al coro de oraciones que la rodeaba. 

A pesar de lo alentador de la situación, los médicos no tenían esperanzas de que Irma pudiera recuperarse por completo. A sus familiares les dijeron que probablemente su estado mejoraría, pero no estaban seguros de si sufriría algún tipo de parálisis a largo plazo o pérdida de memoria. 

“Tengo fe en que mi madre se va a recuperar y va a estar bien”, dijo su hijo, Sammy, en respuesta al comprensible escepticismo del médico. “Va a caminar y va a poder hablar porque Dios la va a sanar”. 

“Tienes mucha fe”, le dijo el médico a Sammy. “Eso esperamos”. 

Milagrosamente, sólo dos días después, Irma mejoró lo suficiente como para ser trasladada de cuidados intensivos a cuidados intermedios. Empezó a responder bien a la terapia y a comer por sí sola, sin necesidad de un tubo de alimentación. 

En total, Irma pasó 13 días en el hospital de Tyler. Fueron días de espera e incertidumbre, en los que Dios mostró a la familia que no estaban solos. Los miembros de la familia recuerdan cómo pudieron sentir Su presencia y ver Su divina provisión a través del mar de oraciones y ayuda que les fueron enviadas. 

Mientras estuvo hospitalizada, ayuda económica y personal llegó desde lugares como la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas y la Red de Cuidado Pastoral Lone Star. Amigos y conocidos le llevaron suministros, hermanos y hermanas de las iglesias que pastoreaba Marcos hicieron el largo viaje desde Houston para visitarla y muchos llamaron para dejarle saber a la familia que seguían orando. 

Irma siguió mejorando tanto que, justo antes de Navidad, Dios permitió que ella y Marcos regresaran a Houston para celebrar las fiestas en su ciudad. Fue ingresada en un hospital donde comenzó un proceso de rehabilitación de 14 días. En ese momento seguía luchando con sus capacidades cognitivas, pero al llegar a Houston se produjo otro milagro. 

“Quiero enseñar a la gente lo que he aprendido, tras 50 años de ministerio, sobre la soberanía de Dios, su misericordia y dar testimonio de Su grandeza”

—Irma Ramos Tweet

Era el 23 de diciembre, su primer día en el hospital de rehabilitación. Cuando Marcos estaba sentado en la habitación con su esposa, comenzó a oír la voz de ella, que hablaba con coherencia y claridad, y comenzaron a tener su primera conversación en casi un mes. 

“¿Dónde estamos? preguntó Irma. 

“En el hospital”, respondió Marcos. 

“¿Estás enfermo?” respondió Irma, extrañada. 

“Tú eres la enferma”, dijo Marcos. 

Marcos empezó a explicar todo lo que había pasado. Su vuelta al auto para buscar algo. Su grito. La difícil travesía hasta llegar al hospital. Las agotadoras horas de espera, los médicos y enfermeras entrando y saliendo de la habitación, las oraciones… todo. 

Irma no recordaba nada. 

Ella permaneció en el hospital de rehabilitación hasta el 5 de enero, cuando los médicos le dieron el visto bueno para volver a casa y continuar con su terapia. Tras haber empezado a recuperar la mayor parte de sus facultades mentales, compartió continuamente el testimonio de lo que Dios había hecho en su vida con todo el personal médico que la atendía. Estaban asombrados de ver lo mucho que había progresado. 

“La misericordia y el amor de Dios están siempre con nosotros, así que cada vez que vayas a pasar por una prueba, cada vez que pases por un sufrimiento, sigue confiando en el Señor.”

—Marcos Ramos Tweet

Una nueva misión 

“Ahora aprovecho cualquier oportunidad para compartir mi testimonio”, dice Irma. “Quiero enseñar a la gente lo que he aprendido, tras 50 años de ministerio, sobre la soberanía de Dios, su misericordia y dar testimonio de Su grandeza”. 

Uno de esos testimonios ocurrió en febrero en la Conferencia Apoderados celebrada junto con la Conferencia anual Empower de la SBTC. Durante el evento, Irma conoció a una mujer que trabajaba en el mantenimiento de la iglesia anfitriona de la conferencia. 

Empezaron a hablar. Irma le explicó lo que estaba ocurriendo en la conferencia. La mujer compartió que, aunque su hijo, un seguidor de Cristo, la había invitado a la iglesia con frecuencia, ella personalmente aún no había tomado la decisión de seguir a Jesús. Aprovechando la oportunidad, Irma compartió el Evangelio con la mujer y la invitó a entregar su vida a Jesús allí mismo. Pero la mujer dijo que no estaba lista. 

Al día siguiente, Irma volvió a verla. “¿Estás lista?” le preguntó Irma. Esta vez, la mujer dijo que sí y oró para recibir a Cristo en ese instante. Irma la puso en contacto con un pastor para hacer un seguimiento. 

Seis meses después de que se retiraron a los bosques del este de Texas en busca de dirección para los próximos pasos de sus vidas, Dios ha concedido a Irma y Marcos una respuesta. Ellos están comenzando un ministerio hispano en la Iglesia Bautista Clay Road en Houston, ofreciendo clases de inglés como segundo idioma, visitando hogares del área y proveyendo ayuda comunitaria a aquellos que lo necesitan. Recientemente, Clay Road celebró un evento para la comunidad el Domingo de Resurrección donde Marcos predicó en inglés y en español. Irma está ministrando activamente a las esposas de pastores a través de la Red de Cuidado Pastoral Lone Star que ministró a su familia durante su recuperación. 

“La misericordia y el amor de Dios están siempre con nosotros”, dijo Marcos, “así que cada vez que vayas a pasar por una prueba, cada vez que pases por un sufrimiento, sigue confiando en el Señor, mantén tus ojos en Jesús, porque Él obra todo para bien”. 

Abundance Mindset

As his presidential term comes to an end, Bart Barber sees more on the horizon for Southern Baptists—more cooperation, more giving, and more people coming to know Jesus

Editor’s note: Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, will wrap up his two terms of service as president of the Southern Baptist Convention this month. At the end of a whirlwind two years, Barber spoke briefly with the Southern Baptist Texan about the impact his time as president has had on him personally and his prayer for the future of the SBC.

What are some of the exciting things you’re seeing God doing among Southern Baptist churches?

Bart Barber: Even while some other statistical indicators have gone in the other direction, baptisms have been higher recently. Across our nation, I’m encountering Southern Baptists who are deliberately and enthusiastically focused on evangelism. They are discovering that our culture is more open to the gospel than naysayers understand. A hedonistic world is not serving people well. So many of them know they need something else.

We are sharing the gospel. We are improving our churches’ approach to sexual abuse prevention and response. There’s a great attitude across the convention. We are less influenced by social media than we were a few years back. I’m always encouraged by the brotherly love and missional focus that is so evident among Southern Baptists.

How has being SBC president impacted you personally?

Barber: The more prominence any of us experiences, the more prominently our weaknesses will be put on display for others to see. If we are blessed, it will also allow us to see those flaws and weaknesses ourselves. That has been my experience over the past two years. Each of those moments has given me the opportunity to step into the refiner’s fire and burn away some of the dross. I’m very thankful for that. Also, I’ve grown to love more people and to love some people more dearly. I’ve seen our church do better than ever before in reaching our community and seen it do so with less of my time and attention than it has had in 25 years, which has helped me to see that God can work here without me.

What are you praying God would do in the SBC over the months and years to come?

Barber: For two years, I’ve prayed pretty regularly, “God, don’t let me do any foolish thing today that hurts the Southern Baptist Convention.” He has answered that prayer most days. I expect that I will pray it for the next guy regularly, too. I’m praying for God to renew in our hearts a commitment to cooperation, resulting in more money given through the Cooperative Program and more people called into missions and into local church ministry.

God knows who you are, and so do we

You probably didn’t know Sue Barrett. 

She would flutter around Trinity Baptist Church in Amarillo lighting up every space her feet touched. An encouraging word here. A kind smile and a hug there.

But when Sue’s name came across my desk a couple of months ago, it wasn’t because of any of those things. I learned those things afterward. Sue passed away on April 11 at the age of 89. On the exact day of her homegoing, she marked her 66th year not only as a member of her church, but as the teacher of the church’s 3- and 4-year-olds.  

Sixty-six years. 

Though she had no formal teacher training, Sue was adept at finding creative ways to teach the Bible to children. In a world that can feel tall and intimidating to little ones, Sue was a warm, safe place. She would sing happy birthday to them and send cards home telling them they were missed when they didn’t make it to church. She would frequently tell the children she loved them.

Because of that, said Melissa Raleigh, Trinity’s children’s director the past eight years, children—one generation after the next—became easily attached to her. “She just made them feel very, very special,” Raleigh said. “She was that way for her church family, as well.”

Sue was also politely stubborn. She drove her car until the very end and, when inclement weather would sweep into Amarillo, church staff had to beg her not to try to drive in. “She was just one of those people who was going to be there every time the doors were open,” Raleigh said.

No, you probably didn’t know Sue Barrett, but chances are, there’s someone like Sue in your church. Those men or women are precious to your church and they are certainly precious to the kingdom of God. They often do things nobody else wants to do and exhibit a faithfulness that is equal parts convicting and inspiring. The Sue in your church makes you say things like, “If they can do that at that age, then surely I can do that, too.”

You may even be the Sue in your church. One of the great things about the Sue in your church is that she doesn’t even know she’s the Sue, doesn’t want to be recognized as the Sue, and would probably be embarrassed to be recognized as such. The Sue in your church doesn’t want glory. She doesn’t hang around 3-year-olds for the glamour of it and she doesn’t do it for recognition. She just goes about her business, slowly and steadily, week after week, for the glory of God.

My intent here is not to exalt Sue—though her service is worthy of recognition. It’s to remind us to appreciate, both in our prayers and in words of gratitude, the meek servants—the quiet and unassumingly strong servants—God has placed in our churches. Their faithfulness should be a reminder of His faithfulness to provide us with all we need to achieve His purposes.

Those purposes are always eternal—so that others may know Jesus, and so that we may all one day stand before our Lord and hear the words I know Sue heard on April 11:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

3 Essential Leadership Lessons from Jesus

JESUS PROMISED HIS DISCIPLES thrones in which to judge the 12 tribes of Israel, and almost immediately, they started itching to get in them. In their excitement, they mistakenly told their friends and family. 

Just moments after Jesus predicted His trial, flogging, and crucifixion, the mother of James and John made her ambitious pitch for their promotions. She probably was not there when He predicted His death to the 12, yet her timing is horrible. As she grapples at Jesus’ feet for the top two thrones for her boys, His answer is directed entirely to James and John. The others are fuming, perhaps because the Zebedee boys beat them to the punch. 

In that moment, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach these future church leaders about servanthood and humility: “But Jesus called them over and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them’” (Matthew 20:25).

I see three essential leadership lessons here: 

1. Deal with problems as they arise 

Although this lesson was not overtly stated when Jesus called them together, it was clearly modeled in this teachable moment. Like cancer, conflict can grow and kill, especially when competition is a factor. Early detection is important and early surgery is imperative (Matthew 18:15). 

Imagine a world where pastors prefer collaboration over competition, clap for each other instead of clapping back at each other, build each other up publicly instead of tearing each other down privately, seek the interest of others first instead of themselves. There is no world in which every pastor agrees on every issue. However, Jesus made it crystal clear that His leaders should act distinguishably different than the power-grabbing Gentiles. 

2. Be a leader, not a lord 

Kingdom business should not be handled like secular business. Jesus describes us as children, not lords—slaves, not masters. When Martin Luther defended himself before the Roman church, a history-making moment known today as the Diet of Worms, the German monk stood alone, unintimidated and resolute. Just before Luther’s audience with the Pope, the cardinals, and the emperor, a friend moved alongside the maverick monk and asked, “Brother Martin, are you afraid?” Luther’s classic response was, “Greater than the Pope and all his cardinals, I fear most that great pope, self.” Ministry leaders can be the most dangerous people in the church. Our disposition determines whether we are a danger to God’s kingdom or Satan’s. 

3. Serve others before yourself 

“It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28). 

Jesus put a quick end to their juvenile game of thrones. So should we. Pastoring is all about giving and serving, not lording and posturing. We are called to build other people up, which only works if we assume the posture of a slave. You and I should set the tone in our church, association, state convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention by grabbing a basin and a towel instead of a scepter and a throne. 

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). 

On three-year anniversary of crash, pastor has new lease on life, new perspective for ministry

Repaired & Renewed

Curiosity brought the man to Main Street Baptist Church in Grand Saline one Sunday back in 2022. Though he didn’t attend the church, the man was intrigued by its interim pastor, Mark Moore.

“Are you the Mark Moore who was in the wreck?” the man asked. 

When Moore replied in the affirmative, the man shrugged. “I own the wrecking yard where your car was towed,” he said. “I can’t believe anyone lived through that. I heard you were over here and I had to come see for myself.”

The fact Moore was not only alive but preaching following the devastating June 17, 2021, four-car accident near the tiny East Texas town of Ben Wheeler remains a testament to God’s grace and Moore’s determination three years later.

“I can’t believe anyone lived through that. I heard you were over here and I had to come see for myself.”

—owner of wrecking yard Tweet

A life-changing trauma

Moore’s was the third vehicle in a pileup that left him trapped, the driver’s side of his crew cab pickup crushed and crumpled like aluminum foil. 

Moore said he remembers nothing about the accident and its immediate aftermath. He discovered that the first people on the scene were a couple coming from Canton, an emergency medical technician named Patrick Baldauf and his wife, Mindy, a nurse. It was Mindy who first noticed Moore hidden by his truck’s deployed airbag.

When volunteer firefighters arrived on the scene, Patrick guided them in cutting Moore out of the wreck safely before he was life-flighted to an area hospital.

“If it wasn’t for Patrick, I would have lost my right foot,” Moore said. “He held my head for 45 minutes till the helicopter arrived.”

Meanwhile, Mindy called Moore’s wife, Elaine, to tell her of the accident. Later, Moore puzzled over how Mindy knew his wife’s contact information. “You told it to me,” Mindy explained.

“I don’t remember anything,” he said. About the first thing he does recall is being in the hospital and awakening after being in a coma for seven days to see Elaine standing over him.

“Mark, you’re going to be OK … and we are going to be found faithful to God throughout this new journey we are on,”  Elaine said, alluding to the surgeries, rehab, and recovery to follow.

Moore publicly thanked Patrick and Mindy Baldauf at a volunteer fire department banquet. The Baldaufs were first on the scene following his accident.

A long journey back

Moore has since endured seven surgeries related to the wreck. After two of his surgeries—one in Tyler and the other in Dallas in July 2022—his rehab seemed smooth until he began experiencing severe pain in his right ankle.

Doctors discovered his right talus, the small bone in his ankle supporting the entire joint, had died due to lack of blood flow. In December 2023, Moore underwent a complete ankle and talus replacement procedure and spent the next three months getting around with the help of a knee scooter. He began rehab on the ankle this past March and is seeing encouraging improvement.

 “I never thought I would walk like this again,” he said.

It’s been one of many blessings the Moores have experienced.

A few months before the wreck, Moore had moved from a longtime pastorate at Lakeside Baptist Church in Canton to a part-time position at The Bridge Fellowship in nearby Martin’s Mill. The Bridge continued to pay his salary even though he was out of commission for several months, Moore said. 

By 2022, Moore was serving in the interim position at Main Street in Grand Saline. From there, Cross City Church in Euless invited him to join its staff as minister to senior adults. When he learned a seventh surgery loomed, Moore offered to withdraw his name from consideration for the position. His request was denied. 

“We hired you,” he was told. “You’re family.”

The move from East Texas to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex was natural for Mark, a self-proclaimed “city boy” who nonetheless joyfully pastored Lakeside for 31 years. The Moores found a home in Arlington, only 10 minutes from Cross City and just 18 miles from their son and his family in Irving. They don’t have to travel on any major highways to access church or family. Driving on busy thoroughfares, Moore admits, still leaves him a little jumpy.

Another blessing? The November after the wreck, the Moores attended the volunteer fire department banquet in Noonday to express their thanks. The Baldaufs were also invited, and Moore was able to publicly convey his gratitude. The two couples remain in contact today.

Mark and Elaine also keep up with Jennifer Lanfrey, the woman in one of the other vehicles involved in the wreck.

“These are lifelong friendships,” Moore said, noting that he and Jennifer had prayed for each other over the course of their recoveries.

Moore, who thought he might never walk normally and without pain again, enjoys a Rangers baseball game with his son and family. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“I tell people I’ve had seven surgeries. In the Bible, seven means complete. I am taking God at His word that I am through with surgeries.”

—Mark Moore Tweet

A newfound perspective

Moore said the accident has changed him for the better in many ways—especially in how he ministers to people.

“Today, when I make hospital visits, I remember what it’s like to be in the bed,” Moore said. 

The wreck has improved his bedside manner, he explained. “I’ve always been a tenderhearted guy. It didn’t take much for me to feel mercy. But that wreck has helped me every time I am with people. Everybody has been through something.”

He still expresses amazement that now, with his artificial ankle constructed of cobalt on a 3D printer, he is able to walk without pain.

“I am so grateful,” he said. 

His job duties at Cross City vary widely, including a bit of preaching to ministering to senior adults to taking his turn manning the church playscape on days it is open as an afternoon outreach to the public.

“I tell people I’ve had seven surgeries. In the Bible, seven means complete,” Moore said with a chuckle. “I am taking God at His word that I am through with surgeries.”

God brought Larry Wheeler to nothing so He could introduce him to everything he ever wanted

Larry Wheeler can personally testify to the highs and lows life can bring. 

He didn’t have much growing up, he says, which motivated him to go straight to work in the oil fields after graduating high school. In those fields, he found hard work, long days, and eventually, a six-figure income. He drove $80,000 trucks—sometimes buying more than one in a year—and had enough money to give his family the life he envisioned.

A life of plenty. The high life.

Though his job paid well, it exacted a high cost in return. Larry often spent weeks at a time away in the fields—a hard fact of life for a new family with a young child. The distance in miles was matched by an emotional void that opened between him and his wife, Mary. Years of infidelity followed.

A sinkhole began to hollow Larry out from the inside, devouring not only the life he had worked so hard to build, but his soul. Looking to fill the emptiness, he spent faster than he could earn. He used alcohol and drugs to numb the painful darkness enveloping his heart and mind. 

Financial problems inevitably arrived. He was going to lose his house. He was going to lose his trucks. His family was floundering. He felt like everything was slipping away—and now, as he sat at home alone one night, thoughts of ending his own life entered his mind.

It was the lowest of the lows. 

“That was the moment I realized that as much as I tried to control everything, I didn’t have control of anything,” Larry said. “That was actually the night I was going to end it all. I came to the point of crying out—in the middle of the night—to God.” 

Having survived a restless night, Larry opened his eyes the next day not realizing God was about to respond to his cries for help. It started with a phone call.

Larry Wheeler, pictured on the left with his wife, Mary, and their two sons, Tripp (in hat) and Tuff, sought satisfaction in the wrong things until God got his attention. (At Right) Wheeler, left, is seen with Judd Frazier, who baptized him. SUBMITTED PHOTO

‘It was almost like God was telling me to do it’

It was April 2021 and Charles Wheeler woke up on a mission. No, he woke up with a burden. Easter Sunday was about a week away, so he picked up his phone and, one by one over the next 15 minutes, called each of his three adult children—all of whom were distant from the Lord. 

The conversations were short, stern, and to the point.

“I don’t ask much of you, and I’ve never tried to interfere with your life,” he said to his son, Larry. “But I’m not askin’—you need to be in church for Easter.”

“All right, whatever,” Larry responded.

End of call. 

The conversation caught Larry off guard. It felt random, out of nowhere, he thought, but was it? When Larry looked inside the church growing up, all he saw was a gathering of people he couldn’t relate to. But over the years, he recalled several encounters he felt God used to remind him of His presence. A couple years ago, Larry was completely unscathed after pulling a man out of a fully engulfed house fire. Several years before that, he had a spiritual conversation with a man he was buying a horse trailer from. 

“Do you go to church?” the man asked.

“No sir,” Larry replied, “I don’t need church.”

“Well, maybe that’s true,” the man said, “but who’s to say the church don’t need you?”

Those memories came flooding back after the phone call from his father.

“I think my dad telling me I needed to be at church made me realize, ‘OK, you need to quit being so hard-headed and just do it,’” Larry said. “Here I was the night before asking God to help me, so when my dad said it, it was almost like God was telling me to do it.”

Two days later, Mary came home after the couple’s latest separation.

“Hey,” Larry said to her, “we gotta be at church this Sunday.”

“I realized that as much as I tried to control everything, I didn’t have control of anything. That was actually the night I was going to end it all. I came to the point of crying out—in the middle of the night—to God.”

—larry wheeler Tweet

‘Are you Charlie’s son?’

Judd Frazier was having the kind of morning every pastor can relate to. The details, he says, don’t matter much now, but let’s just say it was a tough morning. Getting your heart and head right to deliver a sermon on those kinds of mornings is difficult enough; when they fall on Easter Sunday, the pressure can feel overwhelming. 

Even so, Frazier said knew he needed to be faithful to preach the gospel to all those who would gather that morning at First Baptist Church in Fruitvale. Among those expected in attendance was Larry Wheeler—a man for whom Frazier and Charles, one of the church’s deacons, had prayed many times.  

Sure enough, Larry and Mary walked in before the service and took a seat near Charles. Frazier proceeded to preach his passage from 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures ….”

When Frazier finished, he felt like his sermon didn’t connect. Once the invitation began, he sat down and began praying: “Lord, I butchered this. I’m so sorry.” When he opened his eyes and looked up, he was surprised: Larry was at the altar, doubled over on both knees and weeping uncontrollably.

Frazier shot up from his seat and knelt down next to Larry. 

“Are you Charlie’s son?” Frazier asked. Larry shook his head in the affirmative. 

“Larry, we’ve been praying for you by name for a couple of weeks,” Frazier continued. “Brother, you need to give your life to Jesus.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Larry sobbed, “but I know I need that because I don’t have what you just [preached] about. My life is a mess and I can’t fix it anymore.”

Larry surrendered his life to Jesus that day and was baptized the next month. Mary—who had made a profession of faith earlier in life before struggling in her faith—recommitted her life to the Lord, as well, and she and Larry began a process of healing and forgiveness that continues to this day. 

In the months that followed, Frazier and Larry would meet weekly, studying the Bible and talking about how Jesus can overcome any obstacle in the lives of His followers. It’s not a perfect life, Larry says, but an abundant one.

A life of plenty. The high life.

“My life, it’s been up and down, but man, I’ve just steadily been climbing up,” Larry said. “It’s like Jesus is slowly pulling me out of a pit, and I just give Him all the glory for that. His love is real. His grace—when He says, ‘My grace is sufficient’—it is.”

“My life, it’s been up and down, but man, I’ve just steadily been climbing up. It’s like Jesus is slowly pulling me out of a pit, and I just give Him all the glory for that.”

—Larry Wheeler Tweet

Man on fire

Frazier was at his home on a Friday night not too long ago when a pipe burst. A city employee arrived after hours with his wife to assess the damage, and the three eventually struck up a conversation. Before long, the city employee’s wife realized she recognized Frazier.

“Wait, are you Larry Wheeler’s pastor?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” he said with a bemused chuckle, “but how do you know Larry?”

“Well, I work at a bank in Van, and he has come in and evangelized almost everybody in the lobby several times. He’s asked every one of us in the bank if we’re saved and about our testimonies. He shares the gospel with people every time he comes in there.”

A few weeks later, Frazier had just pulled into a drive thru for a late-night bite after church on a Wednesday when his phone rang. It was after 10 p.m., and the name on the caller ID was one he quickly recognized: Larry Wheeler.

These are the kinds of after-hours calls that can make a pastor’s heart skip a beat, and Frazier’s was no different. “Uh oh,” he thought. “I wonder what’s wrong.”

When Frazier answered, he was greeted by Wheeler’s voice, full of excitement. “Pastor, I just called you to let you know I just led someone to the Lord,” Wheeler said. 

“He was so excited,” Frazier recalled. “That man is just on fire for the Lord.”

5 minutes with Steve Ramirez

At age 33, Steve Ramirez walked into Immanuel Baptist Church Fort Stockton for the first time and, within a few months, accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Later, he began helping teach an adult Sunday school class and became a deacon. He served as the church’s youth minister and eventually became the pastor, a position he has held the past 16 years. Ramirez also serves on the executive board of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. He and his wife, Becky, have three children and four granddaughters.

What is something you’ve been able to celebrate at Immanuel Baptist Church Fort Stockton recently? 

After COVID, attendance dropped and remained low for quite a long time. We wondered if things would get back to the way they were. Now, as many have made their way back, we have also been blessed to have many newcomers join us, which is very encouraging. But it’s just as encouraging to see the hunger for God and His Word and the love that is shown to God and to one another, and the unity within the church and with God. 

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your ministry lately?

As a bivocational pastor who works seven days a week, time has always been a challenge: making sure I have my time with my Lord in prayer, time to read His Word, time with family, time with work, and everything else in between. Trying to balance everything out is a challenge, but God is good and always makes it work out.

What is a lesson you’ve learned to this point in your ministry you know you’ll never forget?  

Staying in a close relationship with the Lord is the most important thing. There are always going to be challenges, problems, and different situations that come up in the ministry, but we need to stay focused and not forget what we are called to do. Keep the main thing, the main thing. Stay close to God with much prayer and listen to His guidance in all matters.

What is one thing you’d like to see God do specifically at your church this year?

This year and every year, my main desire is that everyone who walks into IBC who does not know the Lord would come to know Him. That we all be prepared to meet Him when that day comes. That we all may have an urgency to let others know about salvation through Christ, for without Him we have nothing. 

How can other churches of the SBTC be praying for you?

I ask for discernment to be able to hear the Lord clearly. For wisdom and courage to fulfill what He has called me to do. To be able to lead the beautiful people of IBC, that we all may become more and more like Christ. To God be the glory!

A celebration on earth and in heaven

The room was full, buzzing with excitement over a celebration about to take place at First Baptist Church in Malakoff.

Casey Perry—a retired pastor, longtime friend and supporter of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and FBC Malakoff member—slowly made his way down into the baptistry to kick off the celebration. Then, one by one, a line of his great-great-nieces and nephews—six total and ranging in age from eight to 13—stepped down into the water.

All six had recently made professions of faith and wanted to be baptized not only together, but by “Uncle Casey.” So, under the water they went: first Annie, then Peyton, Tatum, Jaxtyn, Levi, and finally, Gunnar. “For we are buried with Him in baptism,” Uncle Casey said each time, “and arise to walk in newness of life.”

Just a day earlier, a different room at the church was full and buzzing with excitement over a different kind of celebration—a party honoring Perry’s 90th birthday. Nearly 100 family and friends gathered in the church’s children’s building to honor a man who has faithfully continued to serve the Lord into his ninth decade of life. That’s what brought Perry’s great-great-nieces and nephews to town, traveling not only from the Dallas area, but from Lubbock and Colorado to get there. 

Perry said he was grateful for the birthday party and thrilled to have the opportunity to baptize his six young family members. “It was a great experience,” he said.

Quite a way to celebrate a 90th birthday, huh, Casey? 

“Well yeah,” Perry said affirmatively, “I guarantee it!”

After nearly fatal fall, pastor’s wife is taking advantage of every gospel opportunity

It was supposed to be a peaceful retreat, a time to begin seeking God’s plan for the next season of their lives.

After 50 years of full-time ministry—21 spent at First Baptist Church in Galena Park—Pastor Marcos Ramos and his wife, Irma, decided it was time to retire. So they planned a getaway to Holly Lake Ranch, located just north of Tyler, last December.

“Here’s the cabin,” Marcos said as he pulled the couple’s car into a parking space near Cabin 51.

As they were settling into their accommodations, Irma went back to the car to look for something. On her way back to the cabin, she climbed the first step and, in a confusing moment of panic, let out a deep cry before falling backward. 

That’s the last thing Irma remembers. 

Marcos, hearing his wife’s cry, rushed outside and found her lying on the ground. She was unconscious and bloody, having suffered a severe blow to the head on the concrete. 

Irma was rushed to the nearest hospital in Tyler and admitted into the intensive care unit. The doctor on duty was surprised she had not suffered a skull fracture considering how hard a blow she had taken to the head.

“Your wife’s brain is full of blood,” the doctor told Marcos.

Irma had suffered a potentially life-threatening brain bleed that would need to be drained as soon as possible. Failure to relieve the pressure on her brain could have left her with permanent brain damage or even caused death.

Three days after her accident, on Dec. 12, Irma regained consciousness. She could move and smile, but she was unable to speak or communicate. She did not know where she was or recognize any of the people around her—including family. Doctors feared she could suffer long-term memory loss, and they prepared the family for the possibility she might never recognize them again.

Irma Ramos (seen with her husband, Marcos, at top right) had scores of people praying for her—including members of her family, pictured in the three photographs to the right. God answered the family's prayers and Irma has experienced a recovery that she gladly shares with others. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

‘God is going to heal her’

But five days after the accident—five days bathed in desperate, pleading prayer from family and friends who loved Irma—something began to change. She began to speak short words. She recognized the people gathered around her, including her grandchildren, whose names she could recall and who had joined the chorus of prayer surrounding her. 

As encouraging as this was, doctors were not hopeful Irma would be able to fully recover. Family members were told she would likely see some improvement in her condition, but they were unsure if she would suffer from some form of long-term paralysis or memory loss.

“I have faith that my mom is going to be restored and she’s going to be fine,” her son, Sammy, said in response to the doctor’s cautious prognosis. “She’s going to walk and she’s going to be able to talk because God is going to heal her.”

“You have a lot of faith,” the doctor said to Sammy. “We hope so.”

Miraculously, just two days later, Irma improved enough to be transferred from intensive care to intermediate care. She began responding well to therapy and eating on her own, no longer requiring a feeding tube. 

All told, Irma spent 13 days in the hospital in Tyler. Those were days of waiting and uncertainty, but God showed the family they were not alone. Family members recall how they could feel His presence and see His divine provision through the waves of prayer and help being sent their way.

“She’s going to walk and she’s going to be able to talk because God is going to heal her.”

—Sammy Ramos Tweet

While she was hospitalized, financial assistance and in-kind help poured in from places including the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and the Lone Star Pastor Care Network. Friends and acquaintances brought her supplies, brothers and sisters from the churches Marcos pastored made the long trip from Houston to visit, and many called to let the family know they were continuing to pray. 

Irma improved so much that, just before Christmas, God allowed her and Marcos to return to Houston to celebrate the holiday in their city. She was admitted to a different hospital where she began a 14-day rehabilitation process. She was still struggling with cognitive abilities at this point, but upon arriving in Houston, another miracle occurred. 

It was Dec. 23, their first day at the rehab hospital. As Marcos sat in the room with his wife, he began to hear her voice speaking coherently and clearly as they began to have their first conversation in almost a month.

“Where are we?” Irma asked.

“In the hospital,” Marcos replied.

“Are you sick?” Irma responded, sounding puzzled.

“You are the sick one,” Marcos said.

He then began to explain everything that had happened. Her trip back to the car to look for something. Her scream. The mad dash to the hospital. The grueling hours of waiting, the doctors and nurses coming in and out of the room, the prayer … all of it.

Irma remembered none of it.

She remained at the rehab hospital until Jan. 5, when doctors finally cleared her to return home to continue her therapy. Having now started to recover most of her mental faculties, Irma continually shared the testimony of what God had done in her life with all the medical personnel tending to her. They were amazed to see how much she had progressed.

“I want to teach people what I have learned after 50 years of ministry about God’s sovereignty, His mercy, and testify to His greatness.”

—Irma Ramos Tweet

A new assignment

“Now I take every opportunity to share my testimony,” Irma said. “I want to teach people what I have learned after 50 years of ministry about God’s sovereignty, His mercy, and testify to His greatness.”

One such instance happened in February at the Apoderados event held in conjunction with the SBTC’s annual Empower Conference. During the event, Irma met a woman who was a maintenance worker at the church hosting Apoderados. 

They began to talk. Irma explained what was happening at the conference. The woman shared that, although her son—a follower of Christ—had invited her to church often, she personally had not yet made the decision to follow Jesus. Seizing on the opportunity, Irma shared the gospel with the woman and invited her to give her life to Jesus right then and there. But the woman said she was not ready.

The next day, Irma saw the woman again. “Are you ready?” Irma asked. This time, the woman said she was and prayed to receive Christ. Irma then connected her with a pastor for follow-up. 

Six months after they retreated to the woods of East Texas to seek guidance for the next steps of their lives, God has granted Irma and Marcos an answer. They are starting a Hispanic ministry at Clay Road Baptist Church in Houston, offering English as a second language classes, visiting area homes, and providing community outreach to those in need. Clay Road recently held a community outreach on Easter Sunday where Marcos preached in English and Spanish. Irma is actively ministering to pastors’ wives through the Lone Star Pastor Care Network that ministered to her family during her recovery. 

“God’s mercy and love are always with us,” Marcos said, “so whenever you go through a trial, whenever you go through suffering, keep trusting in the Lord and keep your eyes on Jesus because He works all things for good.”

The God who heals

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” —James 5:14

O

n April 21, at both our church campuses, we had services asking for the Lord’s healing. You read that correctly. We obeyed James 5:13 and invited people to come forward during the time of invitation. We anointed many with oil and prayed for healing in Jesus’ name. The response was like I had never seen. Many lined up in the aisles patiently awaiting their turn to be anointed and prayed over. It was an intense and beautiful time in the Lord. We prayed in faith, asking God to heal bodies, minds, marriages, and homes. 

The need is great. People are struggling in every way you can imagine. We need churches that resemble hospitals more than hotels. Churches that have a battleship mentality and not a cruise ship approach to ministry. Satan has unleashed a violent surge of attacks all over the world. The only hope for this broken world is the body of Christ—His church—loving and ministering to others in Jesus’ name and by His power.

My text for the message that day was Exodus 15:22-27, and the title was “Jehovah Rophe—the LORD Who Heals.” The first time God reveals Himself as the LORD who heals is Exodus 15:26. It is a powerful and assuring truth in Scripture that God is the Great Physician who heals supernaturally. We may be suspicious of human healers, but not of God’s supernatural ability to heal those who are hurting and sick. 

"God is sovereign and He decides who will be healed. Our responsibility is to pray and trust in Him. Just as more people are saved when we witness, more people are healed when we pray."

Danny Forshee Tweet

There are two erroneous extremes that must be avoided when dealing with the subject of healing. One, we should not say God never heals. That is a statement of unbelief. God is the God who heals, as evidenced in the Bible. Many of you, like me, have seen God do the miraculous and heal the sick.  

The second extreme we must avoid is saying God always heals and that we simply must have faith. This is as equally untrue as saying God never heals. I have known people who loved God just as much as you and I and had as much faith or more and God chose not to heal. The apostle Paul, who I believe is the greatest Christian who ever lived, prayed and asked God to heal him three times and God said no (2 Corinthians 12:8).

God is sovereign and He decides who will be healed. Our responsibility is to pray and trust in Him. Just as more people are saved when we witness, more people are healed when we pray. Perhaps you are suffering and need healing from the Lord. God loves you and has the power to heal you. If He chooses not to answer in the way you think He should, rest assured, He has a plan and He is in control. Romans 8:28—offering the truth that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose–is still in the Bible. 

I am praying for you that whatever your need is, be it physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial, marital, or anything else, that you would go to God in prayer. Also, consider what James teaches and ask the elders of your church to anoint you with oil and pray for you.  

Praise Jehovah Rophe, for He is the God who heals!