Example of the Believer

Eddie Gilliam
1922-2006

“Let no man despise their youth; but be thou an example of the believer in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” I Timothy 4:17

My Dad was such an example of a believer in my own life.  I mention 3 great lessons that I learned from his example.  One, he was ‘Devoted To His Vows’.  The first vow he made was to his Lord and Saviour at the age of 17.  He was saved under the preaching of Boaz Smith in Jenkins, Kentucky.  During a 2-week revival 60 people were swept into the kingdom and my Dad was one of those.  For 67 years he never wavered.  He made a vow to my Mom to be faithful to her at 19 and for 64 years he never wavered from that vow.  What an example of the believer.

The second example I learned from him was ‘His Dedication To His Vision’.  My Dad always had a vision to get the gospel out.  For over 50 years my Dad has done that.  He started 2 ‘Youth for Christ’ ministries and various Bible studies in the public schools in Virginia.  He started a Sunday School for 750 military students at a Military Academy.  He helped start a Baptist Church in Virginia where many were won to Christ.  He worked for years raising money for a Children’s Home.  He passed out about ¾ of a million pieces of gospel literature on the streets of Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Oh, what an example to the believer.

The greatest example my Dad left me was his example of ‘Death To His Vanity’.  My Dad never got discouraged.  He was always the one nurses picked to tend to in the hospital because of his sweet spirit.  He was so kind as my Brother and Sister-in-law so kindly opened their home to the care of his last days.  As my Sister-in-law and Mom had to wait on him he was never unkind but always Christ like.  The Lord so emptied him of his vanity in his last days with diapers and needing to be cleaned.  I remember on one occasion before he was bedridden we were in a restaurant for breakfast.  He had lost so much weight that while standing in the restaurant his pants fell to his ankles.  He never lost his composure or got put out while I pulled them up and tightened his belt. (I was extremely put out)  As all of us watched him slowly die there was so little of Daddy and so much of Christ seen in him.  Oh, what an example he left behind.

Evangelist Tom Gilliam

DECEMBER 28-31 
Hendersonville, NC
East Hendersonville Baptist Church Pastor Carroll Poole

JANUARY 8-11, 2007 
Cocoa, FL
Calvary Baptist Church
Pastor Jay Frazier

JANUARY 14-17 
Springs, TX
Grace Calvary Baptist Church
Pastor Terry Spears

JANUARY 21-24 
Fletcher, NC
Fletcher First Baptist Church
Pastor Roy Waldrup

JANUARY 28-31 
Burlington, NC
Grace Memorial Baptist Church Pastor Ryan Brigman

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