Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

him and elected him to eternal salvation. God, to carry out. this high and holy purpose, predestinated he should be made to conform to the image of His Son. Then in time that he should be called—that is, through the preaching of the Word and the quickening of the Holy Spirit, he would be brought to repentance and faith. It was no accident on that Sunday afternoon when, as a boy of thirteen, he heard the gospel and was saved. It was God's effectual call which had been predestined in eternity. God, in order to justify Walter, must make a plan in which His divine law would be upheld and Walter made as if he had never sinned. This is justification. The means by which it was accomplished is the cross of Jesus Christ. It was upon the cross that the Lord Jesus, in His own body, suffered the penalty of Walter's sins, thus meeting the requirement of the divine law and justifying him before Almighty God. This has all been done. God has also predestinated Walter's glorification. This is in the future and shall come to pass at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when Walter's body is raised from the dead. Glorification is described when John says:

Paul did not obtain his crown when he died. He did not receive his reward. It is laid up for him. There is a day appointed when he shall receive it. He shall receive it from the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ after his glorification, the resurrection of his body, and it will be based upon the works he did for Christ and in the name of Christ while he lived in the flesh.

YOU SEE—Walter was saved and the riches of grace were all his because Jesus Christ did everything for him which had to be done to bring him into fellowship with God. There was nothing he could do to save himself. He was a hopeless sinner. His good deeds had absolutely nothing to do with the saving of his soul. The work of regeneration, the gift of the Holy Spirit and Heaven are all his as a free gift. This is the foundation that no other man can lay—CHRIST.

six things—gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay and stubble. After his resurrection from the dead, all of his life's work will be "tried by fire"—that is, the Lord is going to examine all that he did and if the things that he did were prompted by the pure motive of love of God, he shall receive a reward for those deeds which stand the test of the judgment. These deeds are represented by the gold, silver, and precious stones, while the ones that are burned and for which he will receive no reward are represented by the hay, wood and stubble.

Walter had some of all of these deeds in his life. He wasn't perfect. However, I do believe his reward will be great because he did the Lord's work, in the Lord's way, for the Lord's glory.

The Bible doesn't tell us much about the reward, but it is just like God's grace that he should save our unworthy souls and then reward us for faithfulness—PRAISE HIS DEAR NAME.

The sum of what I have written is—Walter on August 23, 1939, moved out of his earthly house into the City of God. Immediately his spirit was made perfect and he entered into the presence of God and is now in company with the angels and the redeemed of all ages. He is alive—and inexpressibly happy.

However, his body is sleeping in the grave awaiting the coming of the Lord when it shall be resurrected and the spirit united with it again. Thus he shall be glorified according to the predestination of Almighty God—"To be conformed to the image of His Son."

God did not take Walter out of the earth when he saved him, but for twenty-five years he was spared that he might love and work for the Savior. This life with its deeds will be judged—and if any works abide, Walter shall have a reward in Heaven.

How wonderful is God's goodness, how marvelous His love. My heart praises Him for what He did for my brother, Walter, and will do for any one who will receive His Son as his Savior.

I baptized Walter just after he was saved. Baptism is not the gospel, nor a part of the gospel. It is a picture—a picture of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. He said by his baptism that he believed Christ died for him, was buried and arose from the dead for his justification. It is Christ who saves and while I have prayed that many hearts who are in Christ shall be comforted by the scriptures and the truth in his humble message, I do hope that those who read and are not saved shall exercise that living faith in Christ.

It was this faith that enabled Walter, just as he was dying, to sing every verse of that grand old song:

"Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me."—John 14:1.

If the voice of Walter could speak to me from out the realms of light and life and glory where it dwells today I am sure he would say, "Chester, comfort ye my people. Comfort Bernice, Clarence, my brother, my sisters, my loved ones and friends." I know that human words can not comfort you at a time like this when you are longing for the touch of a vanished hand and the sound of a voice that is stilled. You must get that comfort from the solid rock of the Scripture and beneath the shadow of His wing.

Some people have created a God of wealth and worship at a golden shrine; some have created a God of war and worship at the shrine of force; some have created a God of science and worship at an intellectual shrine, but it is only a God who has been incarnate in the flesh, who has been tempted, who has hungered and thirsted and suffered and wept who can comfort us in times like this.

The disciples could not understand the Master's talk about His approaching death. We can not understand the death of our loved ones. Abraham could not understand at first when he was told to offer his son, Isaac. There are many things

that we must take by faith and not let our hearts be troubled even though we can not understand them.

Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you." I used to wonder why it was that the Bible was not more specific in its description of Heaven. This does not trouble me any more because I know that if Heaven were described in all its beauty our finite minds would not be able to grasp it, but Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. It is not a ready made place like a custom made suit of clothes; not just a standard style place for the soul to dwell in, but a place prepared for each of us. Jesus is preparing a place that is best suited for each of our changed natures. Our individuality will not be lost in Heaven and the place that He is preparing for each Christian will be exactly suited to him or her.

c. Because of Doubt as to Companionship in This House. Our hearts should not be troubled because of any doubt as to the nature of the companionship we will have in this home. In this life we long for congenial companions. We are assured from the lips of Jesus Himself that where He is, there shall we be also. Regardless of the place or the nature of Heaven, it will be a place of bliss and happiness because there we will have the companionship of our Savior.

d. Because of Doubt as to the Way to This Home. Our hearts should not be troubled because of any doubts about the way that leads to this home. If we are driving along a highway that is strange to us and we do not see any road markers, we begin to feel uneasy and wonder if we are on the right road. Jesus said, "I am the way, if you trust Me, believe in Me, have faith in Me, you are on the way that leads to the Heavenly Home." Road markers are on this heavenly highway and you can read them by faith. Jesus and loved ones have

traveled this road. Yes, if we know Him, we know the way, because He is the way.

I am sure if Walter could speak to us with audible voice today, he would say, "To depart and be with Christ is far better." He was sorry to leave his loved ones and his friends. He would liked to have tarried to preach the Gospel and carry on his work of evangelism and teaching but after all it would be selfish for us to want him to tarry here when he could depart and be with the Master.

Faith does not require great knowledge or education. It is one thing we can claim and hold to when other things begin to slip away. Men and women who have lived an active life dread the approach of that day when people will begin to say, "He or she is slipping." But there need be no slipping, there need be no going back so far as faith is concerned, for faith is one thing that can and will, if we make use of the means of grace, grow stronger, sweeter and more comforting with the passing of the years.

In Revelation we read, "There was no more sea." The sea is a symbol of mystery. As there is something mysterious about the restless, moving, surging, moaning, disturbing, destroying sea, so there is something disturbing about the mystery of things that surround us, but the day is coming when there will be no more mystery; there will be no more sea; "We shall know as we are known."

Sometimes when we go places we are not sure what kind of reception we will get, but we know the reception we will receive in this home for Jesus Himself will receive us.

belief has never comforted a single heart, stopped a single cry of anguish, wiped away a single tear or given hope to a single dying soul. Why then should a soul cling to unbelief, which only sinks us in despair, when we may have the door of Heaven itself unlocked and thrown wide open to us by faith? "Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled," does not mean to rest in an untroubled state because of presumptuous ignorance. It is an untroubled state with the fullest knowledge. Jesus is the way and the truth, and truth is knowledge of the truest kind. In Him is fullness of everything, beautiful, holy and comforting.

This verse links Jesus and God and places equal stress on each one of them. Belief in one is not complete without belief in the other because both are one. Or we might say that there can be no real, vital saving faith in one which does not embrace faith in the other.

If I knew the heart of Walter Walker he would not want me to close these remarks today without making some appeal to those who are out of Christ. You will notice that the verse from Isaiah reads, "Comfort ye my people." It does not say anything about comforting those who are not God's people. I do not know any way that you can comfort people who are out of Christ at a time like this. If you are troubled today and you are out of Christ, you will have to come to Jesus in faith, seeking His saving power before you can be comforted.

Again, let me say to God's people, "Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me." These comforting words fall upon the ear with the tenderness of a lover's whisper, yet there is blended with their sweetness divine Majesty.

At the early age of thirty-seven, Pastor Walter Walker of the Providence Baptist Church, Woodlake, near Stamping Ground, Ky., passed on to a rich reward on Wednesday, August 23, at 6:05 A. M., at the Good Samaritan Hospital at Lexington, Ky. Pastor Walker was stricken while holding a series of meetings in an abandoned Methodist church at Buena Vista, in Garrard County. From there he was taken to Lexington, where he underwent an operation. He wms apparently recovering when at 2:11 A. M. he suffered a collapse and lasted only a few hours.

Walter was ordained by the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church on November 27, 1924, at the age of twenty-one. His first pastorate was with the Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Shelby County. Later he became pastor of the Ferguson Baptist Church, Somerset. From there he went to the Mt. Freedom Baptist Church, Wilmore. Then he accepted the call to the Grace Baptist Church, Newport. He next went to the historic Boones Creek Baptist Church, at Athens, Fayette County, Ky. Then he went to the Providence Baptist Church, Woodlake, Franklin County, where his untimely death ended a pastorate of less than a year, and thus ended a brief, but glorious ministry.

The body was taken to the home of his brother, Pastor Clarence Walker, in Lexington, where hundreds of people, from far and near, went to view his remains, and to weep with his loved ones who mourned his passing.

The funeral was conducted at the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church. Never has the writer or any one else who was there seen anything to equal the tribute paid to this fallen prince, this minister of the blessed Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The time for the funeral was on Friday, August 25, at 2:30 P. M. At 12:30 people began gathering at the church, and by

1:30 the large auditorium—balcony and all—was filled. The assembly rooms in the Sunday school building were filled, the basement was filled, and hundreds could not even get inside at all. When the casket was opened for forty-nine minutes people filed by, to view his remains, and hundreds who had not been to the home passed by for their last look. Surely there were no less than 3,000 people present.

That mighty man of God and prince among preachers, Dr. M. P. Hunt, was in charge of the funeral, and was assisted by Brother David Friedley, pastor of the Cedar Creek Baptist Church, and a member of the Providence Church, and Judge Chester D. Adams, who brought a wonderful message from John 14. The singing was under the direction of Brother Lloyd Mahanes, of the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church.

There were present fifty-two ministers and deacons who acted as honorary pallbearers. Surely this was a worthy tribute of respect to this fine young man. Walter was worthy of such tribute. No man among Kentucky Baptists could have received or been more worthy of such a tribute. Walter was not only a good pastor, but from the very start he showed evidence of having the gift of an evangelist. He has held meetings in every section of the State. He has spoken in Bible Conferences and at meetings of associations. He delighted in going to out-of-the-way places to hold meetings.

"CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESS" Two or three things contributed to his success as a minister. First, he never lost sight of the fact that he was a sinner, saved by grace. He did not doubt that he had had a real genuine experience of grace, and wherever he went, people were convinced that he had had such experience. Second, he never lost sight of the fact that he had had a call from God to preach His Word. People were convinced that this was true. No one could doubt that he was saved and that he was genuinely called of God to preach.

where, without Christ, are lost. Fourth, he never lost sight of the fact that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not only a divine institution, but the only divine organization set for proclaiming the glorious Gospel to the salvation of souls. Thousands were converted under his ministry. Fifth, he never lost sight of the fact that Jesus was preparing a home in Heaven for him. This home in Heaven was more real to him than his earthly home.

What a joy must have been his when he went to sleep here, and awoke over there, where awaited his coming many of his loved ones, and many who had been saved under his ministry!

Our sympathy goes out to his loving companion. Bernice was a real helpmeet to him. She found pleasure always in helping him. She seemed to have only one desire in life, and that was to mother their three children, and to help Walter in his work. Not long ago Walter said to the writer: "Bernice has been a good wife, and a good mother to the children." What greater tribute could any minister pay to his companion?

Our sympathy goes out to Clarence. As I write this, the day after the funeral, Clarence is on his way to the North, where he has to go every year at this time to escape the ravage of hay fever. How he loved Walter! and how Walter loved him! As Brother Hunt so truthfully said, Clarence has been more than a brother to Walter—he has been a father to him. He took the place of a father in the flesh, and was also a father in the ministry to him.

Then our hearts go out in sympathy to the good people of the Providence Church in the loss of their pastor. Walter has been much in our humble home, and for the last few months I have lived within two and a half miles of his home. The people of Providence loved him as did all of the people in this section.