Last evening we had a wonderful celebration of God’s faithfulness for 75 years in the work of RBC Ministries at Frederick Meijer Gardens. Once again we got to hear the wonderful story of “Doc DeHaan,” M. R. DeHaan, and how God brought life out of near death, and blessing out of failure. It is a most encouraging story, reminding us that weakness and brokenness are necessary, or at least seem to me to be necessary prerequisites to God’s work. The theme was “Psalms 40:3 – Many will see what He has done and BE AMAZED, they will put their trust in the Lord.”
I wish I could recall the name of the lady who shared what God is doing in the present, but truly amazing stories of how God is using his word through RBC Ministries to bring people to Christ who sometimes are on the brink of destruction.
And I love the vision God has given to Rick DeHaan and others for the future. Rick shared on that, and it is indeed interesting even if a bit troubling for the likes of us who work in the printing part for “Our Daily Bread,” etc. “The Times They (certainly) Are a-Changin.” Rick is a most humble man, son of Richard DeHaan and grandson of M. R. DeHaan. One whom God has now set apart to lead the work.
My favorite part was when Rick’s brother, Mart DeHaan, former president, and still very active in the ministry, shared the story of the past, it’s beginnings. How M. R. DeHaan had two serious heart attacks, reacted badly to the medication, committed his life to the Lord, and came out of the hospital a different man. But after divisions at two churches he started, the last being Calvary Undenominational Church, he thought his ministry days were over. But God used his wonderful teaching gift on the radio beginning in 1938 on CKLW in Windsor, Ontario. From that began what today is a world-wide ministry committed to sharing God’s life changing wisdom for everyone in the world. It was interesting to to hear of Richard’s story, the father of Mart and Rick, whom I had the pleasure of meeting before the Lord took him home. The sharp divide between his father M. R. and himself over a TV ministry he wanted to take on, and how Richard came to know God in a new way in his brokenness in Florida over two years before reconciliation and the launch of “Day of Discovery.”
Both Rick and Mart model well what is needed for God’s work. Being cast on God with all humility and weakness, faithful in and through God’s faithfulness in Christ. I realize I fit right in. I am broken as well and live usually in perpetual weakness of one sort or another. God is good and amazing in his work of love, including us as co-workers with him in and through Jesus by the Spirit together for the world.
Jesus community 