Another answer to prayer was our 53 new students for Fairhaven Baptist College. Again, as the pool of future full-time workers is shrinking, we are seeing a better, more serious student enroll. After 29 years in operation, it is a thrill to see so many graduates sprinkled all around the world as pastors, missionaries, and teachers. My son Jeff and I traveled to South Korea and Mongolia in August and saw 10 graduates serving God. We are not the largest school, but a very high percentage of our graduates stay strong and stand for God. What a thrill to have hundreds serving Him!

At times I have been embarrassed by the haughtiness of some pastors. They act like prima donnas; however, the Bible says, "for when I am weak, then am I strong." The Lord's ways are not our ways. We read in Scripture, "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." And, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

Whenever we try to come to any conclusion, we must remember that we are fallen sinful creatures and we don't naturally come to the right answers. For instance, if a church were looking for a pastor, they would no doubt look for an entirely different type of man than Paul described in I Corinthians 1 and II Corinthians 12. We must remember that the weak things confound the mighty, the foolish things the wise, and the things that are nothing bring to naught the things that are.

If a man were to look for someone to pastor Fairhaven Baptist Church, he would look for someone who was a "politician" so as to get along with the community. Because of our schools, the candidate would have to have earned a Ph.D., and with so many teens, of course, he would have to appeal to them. But look whom God chose-a fellow whom fellow fundamentalists think is a bullhead; a fellow who failed two years in grade school for poor deportment, and someone the kids in our community curse.

It takes a nobody for God to do something with. If a man wants to be exalted, let him humble himself. If a man wants to be abased, let him lift himself up and be proud. God says the way up is down. In reading biographies and autobiographies, I have seen humility as the number one prerequisite for success. Hudson Taylor said that when God was ready to evangelize China he looked around to find somebody who was nothing enough, who was weak enough, so that God would get the glory for what was accomplished. Until you become nothing, you will never be anything for God.

Moses was a somebody, raised in Pharaoh's palace, well educated, and so proud that he killed an Egyptian. So God had to make a nobody out of him in order to use him. He sent Moses behind a mountain for 40 years in the desert with no one hearing about him, or knowing whom he was. God was teaching him that he was a nobody. Then God spoke out of a burning bush and told Moses He wanted him to deliver His people from captivity. Seven times Moses said, "I can't, I can't," and God said, "Now I can use you."

Paul was very educated. He was tutored by Gamaliel and spoke more languages than anyone around him. But he had to be blinded and hear God say, "It's hard to kick against the pricks, isn't it, Paul?" He was humbled and said he was the least of the apostles. He said, "Oh, wretched man that I am. I am a nobody."

Then God responded by telling him to write thirteen New Testament books and start churches all around the Mideast. Oh, and Paul says, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." "Rabbis used to come for my counsel, and now they have me stoned. I used to teach some in the Sanhedrin, and now they have me jailed. I used to lead among the leaders of the Jews, and now they scoff at me and spit on me." But, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

I've watched men who, I believe, humbly answered the call to preach, and so God blessed mightily; but to their shame, they forgot where the blessings were coming from and got puffed up.

It is harder to deal with success than failure. We think of Billy Graham or Jerry Falwell changing their stripe from Fundamentalist to "high society men," being lifted up and accepted. The sad thing is that the vast majority of Independent Baptists, blessed mightily of God, have done the same thing. They want to be big shots and be accepted.

Now, by being a nobody, I don't mean to do nothing and be lazy. God wants all Christians to attempt great things for Him-but He wants the glory, not a swelled head. He doesn't want to just hear the words, "God be glorified," He wants us to be nothing in our own sight.

God wanted someone to deliver His people, so He called Gideon. He was such an introvert. He was hiding. He was backward and timid and said he was from the least family in town and the scrawniest of his family. "I can't," he said, "I can't." But God said, "I need you."

When Moody started out as an evangelist, he would gather kids from the streets of Chicago and rent a building; but he didn't feel qualified to teach them, so he hired someone else to do it.

Look at our own salvation. No one can be made righteous before God until he sees himself as a helpless sinner. If I think I'm good enough for heaven, I'll end up in hell. Jesus called the self-righteous, "whited sepulchres," - whitewashed on the outside, but full of dead men's bones on the inside.

Take the matter of prayer. A man has a wonderful answer to prayer, and we think, "He must be great." I have found through experience, though, that the biggest answers to prayer came when I had almost given up.

God has taught me-by hundreds of thousands of dollars coming in cash or bonds "the day after we needed them," or our own academy gaining 90 students the week before we opened the doors-that we could not do it, that I was a nobody, and I better stay that way or He would drop me like a bug on the pavement.

We want everyone to think we are "prayer warriors." We pray, "I've done what I should. I'm a good Christian. I deserve it." No! We will get nowhere that way. We must realize we will go under without His help. "We thought we had faith, but it's giving out." That is what God is looking for. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

When I get to the place where I can't even word my prayers, and I'm so burdened I can't even pray, that's when the Holy Spirit says, "Alright, you just lie there and groan, and I'll make this petition for you."

Paul said, "...when I am weak, then am I strong... therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

You can be a big shot if you want, thinking you can get along fine. I'll admit I am nothing, but, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." After our court case, our ministry was devastated. We wanted God to bless, so among other things we knocked on the door of every house for miles around. Fifty thousand homes were visited until someone answered the door. But only two people made a profession of faith, and not one visited our church out of those approximately 150,000 people. We were defeated, but we kept on working and praying; and the next year God showed Himself, growing our attendance from 200 to 1,100.

In marriage, I thought I had everything figured out. All my plans were set in place, but after six months of marriage, both Sharon and I would have given up if God had allowed us. At that time, we begged God for guidance and blessing, and He has given us a wonderful marriage and family for 39 years.