April 2003 — This past weekend I enjoyed a blessed Spring weekend in Nashville in the beautiful hill country of Middle Tennessee, where I was privileged to speak at a two-night gospel conference sponsored by Engedi Ministries. Engedi is a relatively new interdenominational ministry focusing on helping Christians understand the wonder and assurance of their salvation. The name comes from an oasis in the desert near the Dead Sea where a beautiful waterfall provides clear, cool, clean, refreshing water for weary travelers through the desert. Dr. David Lawrence is the principal teacher for Engedi Ministries.
This year’s Engedi conference included Bible messages by four preachers, three of whom pastor churches in Greater Nashville: Jim Bachmann, Covenant Presbyterian Church (“The Need for the Gospel”); Edward Fudge, member Bering Drive Church of Christ, Houston, Texas (“What Is the Gospel?”), Jim Cross, Donelson First Baptist Church (“Proclaiming the Gospel”) and Jerry Hoek, Faith Christian Reformed Church (“The Effects of the Gospel”). The four conference messages are available on audio tape for a donation of $12 to Engedi Ministries, 165 Blair Road, LaVergne, Tennessee 37086.
Engedi Ministries has produced teaching tapes on a variety of subjects, including a 54-lesson set covering the entire history of the Christian Church. These lessons by Dr. Lawrence (whose Ph.D. is in history and who is a Lipscomb University history professor) not only cover the external fortunes and details of church history but also provide insightful analysis of the rises and declines of the gospel of grace through the centuries. I have heard the entire set and profited greatly from it. I commend the Engedi ministry and pray God’s blessings on this biblical Reformation ministry.
It was wonderful to meet many gracEmail subscribers from Tennessee and Kentucky and to see several long-time friends. On Sunday, I visited Woodmont Hills Family of God in Nashville and heard Dr. Rubel Shelly preach, saw several other friends and attended Dr. David Lawrence’s adult Bible class. It is always a pleasure to visit fellow-believers anywhere, this time in lovely Middle Tennessee.
