I am a Preacher.....REALLY??

What are the qualifications to be a "Man of God" a minister, pastor, evangelist...preacher? Are there any?
First of all it depends to whom you are speaking. Are there qualifications? Is there a manual or hand book? It there training?

Our country has many "preachers". That's a general term for someone who is in the business of telling the Gospel story.

Yes, we do have a rule book, it's called a Bible. However here is the first point of compromise with some. The only sure authorized text we have today, the standard bearer, is the King James Bible. The King James Bible is inspired by God, preserved, purified and proven. It was the Bible that was brought over to the "new world" on the Mayflower, and is still the Bible God blesses today.

However we have some today that don't agree with the authorized text. Simple, change it to make it more desirable to your way of thinking. Thus we have many "translations" on the market today.

The result of this: women who are "called" to preach. Yet the King James Bible flatly prohibits that, I Timothy 3:2.
Some being "called" to preach moments after they got saved. I Timothy 3:6
Some deciding they want a different wife, so they divorce the old one and get a new one, I Timothy 3:2, notice it says here the "husband of one wife", it doesn't just say, he should be married.

On and on I could go but you get my point, I think. I believe we all come up with our own set of rules.....don't we?

The church is in a mess today because frankly, I don't believe the average preacher cares about Biblical qualifications or commands from God. I truly believe the average evangelist and some pastors desire today is to have notoriety, live comfortably, and have a big following.

I was told by one "pastor" he preaches 52 meetings a year. An "evangelist" told me, he will go any place they will have him. One evangelist told me while discussing his divorce and remarriage to another mans wife, that he will punch me in the mouth the next time he sees me. I am really looking forward to that!

I am old enough to remember some great men of God that went home years ago. Some of these men I didn't agree with 100% but they did adhere to Biblical qualifications to preach.

Men like Oliver Green, Bob Jones, John R. Rice, John Rawlings, M R Dehann, Leman Strauss, Robert Ketcham, and many others. These were men of God who took a stand against apostasy.  These men believed what Paul wrote to Timothy in II Timothy 4. They believed what Jude wrote and stood unashamedly against the compromise in their day with men like Bishop Pike, Norman Vincent Peal, Billy Graham and others.

Have we turned a corner with the new age of evangelism? Are we making our own rules? Has God changed His views on compromise? Is Big better?

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the "church" today is losing it's power. Yet we have more fellows graduating from Bible colleges then ever before. The Independent Fundamental Baptist movement of which I affiliate myself with is now weaker than the Southern Baptist Association was when John R Rice, Jack Hyles and others left it.

Where do we go from here?

Greenland Boat project need.

      I have the privilege to work with Missionaries Chris and Carole Shull each summer in Greenland. Chris and Carole are missionaries through All Points Baptist Mission, New Philadelphia OH. "allpointsbaptist.com",  Chris has a boat ministry to reach villages with the Gospel. Most of these villages will hear the Gospel message for the very first time.

I am a missionary evangelist working with churches in Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. I have been working with Chris for the past few years in putting this project together. Lord willing I will be leaving the last week of May to start the boat project up again for another summer.

If you would like to have a part in this project with a one time gift to help acquire the airplane tickets. Please send to: River Valley Baptist Church, PO Box 944, Houlton, Maine 04730. Please note it is for the Greenland Boat project.

Is Divorce Acceptable for Christians

                                 

                                                 

One of the most difficult problems a family will ever face is the break up of the home.

Broken homes were a scarcity years ago in the Christian society. Even most liberal denominational preachers preached against it and dealt with it publically, when necessary. However, now it reigns unchecked in many independent fundamental Baptist churches. The pulpit is not even exempt from this horrible tragedy.

Is it permissible in view of Scripture? Does God allow divorce? Does God bless a remarriage? The answers to these questions I believe are clearly given in Scripture with a truthful unbiased study. 

A common Bible study method many use today is called the "law of first mention".  Using this for our study where does God speak about marriage for the first time?

We find this in Genesis chapter two. Before there was a church, before there was a government, there was a home. In Genesis 2:25, After God made a woman, God told Adam, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh".  We are given this same command in Ephesians 5:31.  This is a picture of Christ and His church. As Baptists we preach the security of the believer and yet condone divorce? You can't have it both ways.  In Ephesians 5:25 the husband is told to love his wife as Christ loved the church. There isn't any gray area here!

I believe in the permanency of marriage. William J. Hopewell, former professor of Missions at Baptist Bible Seminary of Clarks Summit in Pennsylvania,  cites eight passages of Scripture to squelch any argument for divorce.  These Scriptures are, Gen.2:24, Mal.2:14-16, Rom.7:2-4, I Cor.7:10, 39, Matt. 19:3-8, Mark 10:1-12 and Luke 16:18.

Many use the "exception clause" in Matt. 19:9 to condone divorce, however a study of Israeli customs will find that this is in reference to the betrothal period of the Jewish marriage.  The only example in Scripture of this clause is found in Matt.1:19. This was before Joseph and Mary had consummated their marriage, and agrees with our Lord's teaching in Matt. 19:4-6. You will not find this clause in Mark 10:1-12 or in Luke 16:18.

We have not exhausted this study, but I would like to give you two more things to think of. First of all in regard to the qualifications of a pastor we are told he must be the husband of one wife,
in I Timothy and again in Titus. Why didn't Paul just say, he must be a married man? Than in Genesis 2:24 we read that the man shall cleave unto his wife and "they" shall be "one" flesh. How can you divide one flesh?

Some years ago the argument was in the "preachers fellowships" if a person was divorced before salvation it was "under the blood." Now, however we have evangelists and pastors who have divorced their wives and remarried and never missed a lick.

Lets take a look at a few verses together, I Peter 4:11, how can God be glorified by divorce? In Ephesians 5:1 we read that we are to be "followers of God" how can we work divorce in to that equation?

If God condones divorce and remarriage, why don't these divorced evangelists advertise that in their brochures?

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

3/15/17 Separation

One HUGE problem we have in out homes today is the lack of separation. Separation: a division, an intervening space, a termination of a relationship.  

Separation has always been something that the Bible taught and God commanded. For example in Exodus 11:7b, "the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel".

In Leviticus 10:10 we read, "and that ye may put a difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean".

The reason we are to be different is described in I Corinthians 6:12, 19&20.

Our homes are to be separate from the world. Early on I was accused by a "Christian" friend of sheltering our children. He said they are like tender plants and when they get out from under your roof they will grow wild. Our oldest is now in his 40's and the youngest is 30 and they are all serving the Lord somewhere in good churches.

One problem in some churches today is lack of separation. I remember the old preachers of yesteryear pounding out with fury the compromise of some well know "religious" leaders of that day. Today, their sons and grandsons have turned the full circle and have once again indorsed the very same thing their elders preached against.  Where did it start? I believe in the home.  Just a thought I had on my heart today.

What is a Christian Home?

Psalms 127 and 128

NO society is stronger than it's homes! The home is foundational and preceded ALL other institutions.

1. In order to have a proper home, the home must center around the Lord.

2. A Christian home is not only where Christ lived but where Christ rules.

3. God describes children three ways in verse 3&4 of chapter 127 in Psalms.

   A. Heritage

   B. Rewards

   C. Arrows.

Heritage, we inherit our children from God. We are trusted with their upbringing. Rewards, They are a sign of God's favor,  and as arrows. Arrows need to be aimed, directed, in order for them to hit the goal.

1. The Christian Home is characterized by Holiness.  In order to have a holy home one must be a Christian, saved, born again, John 3:3-7.

2. The Christian home must be a surrendered home, Rom.12:1,2

3. The Christian home must be a home where there is Harmony, I Cor.11:3, Eph. 5:23-28.

4. A Christian home is where the Father leads in love and the mother is submissive in spirit, Eph.5:24, 25, 28 and the children are obedient, Eph. 6:1-3.

5. The Christian home is not only a place of instruction, Deut. 4:1-9, 6: 6,7, II Tim. 3:14,15.  but a place of discipline, Deut.20:12, Prov. 22:6, Prov. 13:24, 22:15 & 29:15.

If you follow all the instruction given to us in the Bible we will have a home marked by Happiness. Psa. 16:11, 36:7-10 & 90:14-17.

6. The Christian home will be an influential home.  Matt.5:13-15.

Today more than ever we need good Christian Homes. Homes across this country is almost non existent today. With abortion, with men trying to transition into women and women trying to transition into me, the feminization of our boys, this is one sick society.  Christian, please get some intestinal fortitude and take a stand for what's right. Our children's future depends on us.

Family news/ Early March preaching trip

After leaving the house early Friday morning I arrived at Steve and Robins in Rising Sun late in the evening because of heavy traffic and a 32 car pile up on I 81 south of Hazleton PA. We all went to a Nissley get together along with Caleb, Becky and Abi.

The Boys, John and Jim and their families from VA. were there also. There were a lot of Nissleys there, and when one of my cousins Lynn Nissley got everyone's attention, he started the get together off in prayer. I am thankful for the Godly heritage of my family.

I then spent the night in the prophets chamber at the New Freedom Baptist Church in New Freedom PA. and preached all day for Brother Mark Hopkins. It was good to have John, Stacey and boys with us and Jim, Angie and their girls also with us in the morning services. We all went out to eat before they left for home. Then the next day I took my car to the shop where they told me it is dying. The Chevy dealer told me the engine is making  noise that is deep and he wouldn't drive it out of town. He said when a car gets 240,000 miles on it to retire it. I said I think I will however I have to go to Acme PA. and then on to Montreal Canada and than home first.  

Here it is Wednesday and it's Becky's husband Caleb's birthday. Along with Caleb eating cake today is our little Shilo Grace. Shilo is the little daughter of Andy and Josie. She is our little Canadian.

Had a good time presenting the Gospel Boat ministry to the folks at the Mt Zion Community Independent Baptist Church on Tuesday evening and preaching Wednesday night. Lord willing tonight after preaching I will try to get a little sleep before heading to Montreal Canada.

MARRIAGE AND IT'S MEANING

1. Marriage is a Picture of the Relationship between the Believer and Christ.

    Ezk.16:8, 38,  Hosea 2:19 and Ephesians 5:22-32.

2. Notice when Marriage was instituted.

    A. Before sin entered into the human race

    B. Before the earth was cursed

    C. Before man was driven from the Garden of Eden

    D. Before man was alienated from God because of sin

    E. After Adam was unable to find a help meet in the animal kingdom

3. God made a help meet for Adam by subtraction.

    A. God could have just created a woman, but God wanted a help meet that was closer

         than that. The man is not complete without the woman and the woman is not

         complete without the man.  Gen. 2:21-25, Adam recognized the woman is part of

         him. Gen. 2:23, notice also Ephesians 5:28-30.

    B. This "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" carries responsibility, Gen.2:24

    C. The Lord Jesus reaffirms God's law of marriage in Matt.19:1-6, Eph.5:31.

WHAT DOES MARRIAGE TEACH?

   1. Man is born into this world incomplete and deficient.

   2. Man can only find completeness in a wife.

   3. The man and his wife are an invisible unit, one flesh.

WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL TRUTH?

   1. Man is separated from God because of sin.

   2. Man can only find completeness in Christ, Col.2:10

   3. The Believer and Christ form an invisible unit, Eph.5:30

WHAT CONSTITUTES A MARRIAGE?

   1. Although we are told to obey the laws of the land, marriage is more than a legal

       involvement.

   2. It is more than a physical union, I Cor.6:15,16

   3. Marriage is a covenant (this is important and we will deal with the matter of divorce

       later) between two people, Prov.2:17,  Malachi 2:14

When two people hold hands and repeat their marriage vows, that is teaching a Spiritual truth.

A person is saved when they repent of their sins and receives the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, John1:12 

Marriage and the Home, Gen.2:18-25

The institution of marriage is not a casual one. The study of marriage, family and the home is the most fundamental and basic institution in society. The founding of the home preceded human government and the founding of the church. This is because the home is basic or fundamental.

Today, there is a lot of effort to improve government and the church, but not much "good" emphasis on the improvement of the home.

Today it is imperative that we bring our homes in line using Biblical perspectives.

The home is of Diving origin. It is not a man made institution. To have the home operate properly they must conform to Biblical standards and practices. The humanistic philosophy of today's society has no place in the operation of the home. In fact it is detrimental and is designed to destroy a Biblical home. God has been very careful to describe the roles of every member of the family through His Word. To disregard His pattern, practices and principles for the home will result in chaos and destruction.  This will result in defeat of the home and be realized in the church and in our governments. This we are seeing so clearly today through the "bathroom rule" same sex marriages and endorsement of our government of transgenderism and of course abortion. .

Never have I seen such an attack on the Biblical home. We have always possessed  our fallen human nature but it has never expressed itself in so many visible sins. We have never seen in our lifetime such as consecrated effort to destroy the home. Some today are advocating doing away with the home and marriage altogether. I will be writing from time to time about marriage and the home. Not everything I write is original with me. In fact I don't have an original bone in my body.

I get a little perturbed with some writing about Biblical homes and marriages today when their own home and marriages are in shambles. You don't have to go through a divorce to be able to preach on marriage and divorce. One doesn't have to lose their children to the world to be an expert on the home. Yet many today are doing that very thing, in fact some are using their failed marriages and homes as credentials.  By the Lords help I will try to be a help to you and show Biblically how to have a Godly Christ honoring home.

This is a booklet I wrote about my wife many years ago. I have given copies of this out all over the country.   This is Susie on our wedding day, April 24, 1971.

“FOREVER YOUNG”
On a brisk October afternoon in the Atkins garage in Sunnyburn Pennsylvania, I stood fumbling with the comb in my pocket. I waited patiently as Howard Atkins smiled and slowly faced me wiping his hands on the orange grease rag he always kept in his hip pocket. I was there to ask him to entrust his oldest daughter to me for the rest of my life.

Later that evening while sitting on the front porch of the Atkins residence, I looked into the eyes of the girl I had grown to love more then life itself and asked Susie Atkins to be my wife.

On April 24, 1971 Susie and I were married. Little did we know what the Lord had in store for us in the next 43 years.

This Is Susie’s Story

Susan Lamae Atkins born March 27, 1949, the oldest of four children to Howard and Sarah Atkins. Susie attended various schools during her young years due to her father being a career man in the United States Air Force. While still a very young girl Susie’s father would take her and her sister Mary to Sunday school at a Bible Presbyterian Church. It was there Susie gave her heart to the Lord Jesus Christ and asked Christ to be her Savior and received the guarantee of eternal life with her Savior in Heaven.

After marriage Susie and I attended the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Brogue Pennsylvania. That statement has a lot of meaning for Susie and me. You see Susie and I discussed where to go to church after we were married. The only stipulation she made was “I’ll go to the Baptist church with you but I’ll never be a Baptist”. However after attending the Mt. Zion Baptist Church for only a short time Susie was baptized scripturally and we joined the church. Many times over the years Susie would comment that some of the best friends she ever had in her life were in that church. It was there I surrendered my life to serve the Lord Jesus. I’ll never forget that night. There was a missionary speaking and during the invitation I went forward to the alter and surrendered my life to the Lord. I felt someone slip in beside me and put their arm around me, it was Susie. With tears in her eyes she told me wherever God wanted me to go or do she wanted me to know she would be right by my side. As years have gone by I only realize what that has meant to me. I have seen many men leave the work of the Lord because of no support from their wife. Susie never questioned God’s will for our lives, she only encouraged me many times to keep on keeping on.

A number of years later Susie and I left the Mt. Zion Baptist Church and joined the New Freedom Baptist Church in New Freedom PA. It was at The New Freedom Baptist Church I was ordained and sent out from. Susie would always call Dr. Mark Hopkins “her Pastor”.
During those years at New Freedom I attended the Maranatha Bible Institute in Elkton MD. For income I worked some for my father on the farm and also did some janitorial work at the New Freedom Baptist Church and Christian school. Many nights Susie would help me clean the bathrooms and mop and wax the floors. Many times she remarked that some day God will bless us for cleaning these bathrooms.
In those days there was not much money in the Nissley household. Many times Susie would “make do” one of her favorite expressions. One example is her famous breakfast. Susie would make pancakes for the kids from flour and water and a little sugar. They were flat and heavy and all we could afford. Most times all the kids would put on them was margarine. However to this day our kids want moms pan cakes for breakfast. They will not eat the fluffy high stack in the restaurant.
Week days would find Susie cooking breakfast at 5am each morning. She would than get the kids ready for school and go with me on the 50 minute ride to the New Freedom Baptist Church where she helped at the Christian School. She stayed at the school while I traveled each day to the Bible institute at Elkton MD.
When I returned from Maryland in the afternoon I would do my bus run and than the cleaning of the school. Many nights Susie would prepare our supper of sandwiches and help the kids with home work while still at the school. We would not get home until late at night and yet she never complained and never missed Wednesday night prayer meeting.

Before we were married, at her parents request we went to the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. to talk to a doctor about Susie’s health. We were told by a doctor because of a history of Ventricular Tachycardia Susie would never have any children. Ventricular Tachycardia is a term for a dangerously fast rhythm in the lower two chambers of the heart. It is reported that thousands die each week with this condition. Susie was to take medication for the rest of her life. On the way home from the hospital Susie said “we will see about that, God might have other plans.” She was so right.


On June 29, 1973 our first son was born. Destined to be spoiled John Daniel Nissley was not only our first child but the first Grand baby on both sides of the family. However it was not long before James Robert, or Jim Bob as he was called was born. When our third baby came along I was called into the delivery room by a nurse and saw a beaming Susie holding a little pink bundle in her arms she exclaimed “I’ve got my little girl” which we named Carole Ann. Than Stevie came, not a Jr. mind you but a Stephen Eugene after Susie’s side of the family. There was a small reprieve as Susie said until the second litter came. That all started with Andrew Randall and then Rebekah Sue and Timothy Allen and last but surely not least our blue eyed blond Rachael Marie. Mixed up in the middle of all of that was three miscarriages. Susie always said some day we will be together with all 11 children. You see not only did we have a large family but it truly was a miracle family.
Susie lived James 4:2,3 ….ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Susie prayed for everything. She prayed for our food she prayed for our finances she prayed for our clothing and she prayed for our kids, and God answered her prayers! Let me give you some examples of how Susie lived her life.

One Sunday morning as we were leaving the New Freedom Baptist Church Pastor Hopkins very discretely handed me a check. He told me someone in the church gave some money to him for our family and wanted to remain anonymous so he wrote a check from the church. On the way home Susie asked how much money I received that morning. I was taken back because she didn’t see the pastor hand me anything. I wanted to surprise her when we got home. I said “Susie how did you know I was handed a check”? Her answer, “I know we needed money so I prayed that God would give us some this morning”. The check was for $400.00.

One Saturday morning I told Susie we were going to Red Lion to buy shoes for the two oldest boys. I was not going to take them to church with holes in their sneakers. Susie told me that God was going to give the boys shoes and that I should have faith to trust Him. I told her sometimes God wants us to put feet to our prayers and God helps those who help themselves. She insisted I not spend money we didn’t have for shoes because God would provide. Against her wishes I went to town and bought two pairs of shoes. The very next day, Sunday morning we were walking into church when a lady approached us with a box under her arm. She said God spoke to my heart this week and I bought your boys each a new pair of shoes.

On the way to school one morning Susie drove our old station wagon herself with the kids as I had gone early that morning. She hit a patch of ice and the car spun around side ways and the rear wheels went into the ditch hitting a culvert pipe. When the wheels hit the pipe it knocked out the transmission and rear end. We had absolutely no way to replace the car at that time. Susie cried and I tried to explain to her we would borrow the money to buy another car. She knew that was not possible. On the way home from school that evening in a borrowed car she said she would pray for a car. That very night we received a phone call from Mrs. Hugh King, a lady that listened to my radio broadcast each week. Mrs. King said the Lord impressed on her heart that we had a need. Susie told her yes we do, we need a car. She said she would pray for us that the Lord would meet our need. Three days later Mr. King called me and told me to go to a Runkles garage and there was a car for us. There I was handed the keys to a two year old one owner Ford station wagon. The car was paid for including tax and tags and full of gas.

Years ago one of Susie’s friends, “Putter” Weeks told me, I never saw anyone like Susie. She would pray for a loaf of bread and get it.
I could give you many more examples of her faith however the best example of her prayers would be the children. God has blessed us with eight children. A few years ago I was in a local truck stop where a couple of our boys worked from time to time pumping fuel and the owner made a comment I’ll never forget. He said, Steve you sure have good kids. My comment was to thank him and than told him it didn’t come natural. This gave me a good chance to witness to him of the truths of God’s Word as it relates to child rearing and the importance of eternal salvation.

Susie and I both realized children are born into this world in sin. God has entrusted their lives into our keeping in this world. God has given us a guide book to use for their training. Susie used her King James Bible every day as the reference to rearing the children. Susie would get upset many times with some of her friends discipline practices such as sitting their children in the corner for a “time out” or depriving them of TV or missing supper. While our children were still very young I remember Susie asking her brother Howard to make her a paddle for a school project which we still have today.

Susie agonized in prayer for hours while the boys were looking for their life partner. We lived in Northern Maine so any contact with the opposite sex was by phone or mail. You can be assured their mother was close by during any phone conversation or for letter writing help as she prided herself to be the world’s greatest speller.

God blessed our family and answered mom’s prayers with four of the very best daughters in law and one son in law you could have prayed for. We now not only have five more in our family but they have multiplied and now we have twelve grandchildren.

Over the years we moved a few times. Our first home was a log home I built for my bride in 1971 in the woods of York County Pennsylvania. This home had three bedrooms a dining room a huge living room with shag carpet with a huge deck out back. It was Susie’s dream house. Every time there was a special meeting Susie wanted to cook for the evangelist and show them her log home with the big stone fire place in the living room. I always looked forward to the “Thanksgiving dinners” she cooked when there was a special meeting.
I was called by God to start a church in PA. and we started the Faith Baptist Church in Felton.
About eight years after we were able to establish the church in Felton PA. and buy our own building I felt the Lord call me to Staunton VA. I was called to the Faith Baptist Church there. We sold our log home and bought a big old house in Buffalo Gap VA. We were back on the Little North Mountain and Susie loved it. Every evening her and I would walk about two miles down the gravel road past our house and discuss things that happened during the day. Those walks are some of my best memories.
After we were in the Faith Baptist Church for almost two years God tested her faith once again.


One Wednesday night during prayer meeting two disgruntled church members brought a band of dissidents into the building with a lock smith and two armed Staunton Police officers. These two young fellows walked in with a petition signed by all the people with them, some in that church building for the very first time, and voted both the pastor and the congregation out of the church. The locks were changed and I was told by one of the policeman to remove all my things or they would be confiscated by the new group. We left that night; however as the pastor I still had all the church books and records.
A few days later after dark the two young fellows that caused all the trouble came to our house. Only Susie and the kids were home at the time and they tried to break into the house to get the books. Susie was able to keep them out until a neighbor came and scared them off. One of the fellows fired a shot at the house and promised they would run us out of town.
One evening I came home from the construction job I was forced to take to find Susie crying. She told me the young fellow that was causing the trouble had found her and the kids in town and blocked them in the parking place for over an hour while sitting in his truck watching them.

In all of this Susie kept her testimony and still helped to encourage me not to take matters into my own hands. Susie said God will bless us for our faithfulness and reward us for not losing control. Susie knew inside me I was stripping the gears. I did not know at the time but Susie had some friends she confided in and over the years some of them have told me how Susie helped them and prayed for then even while she was in this time of trial and tribulation.

I am grateful for the friendship of Dr. Terry Basham and his wife Kathy as they stood along side of us during this crisis in our lives. Their friendship meant a lot to Susie and she still remarks about Kathy when she reads the letters Kathy sends to her.

I mentioned all of this for one reason. Through all of this time of trial no money and hard ship Susie stood with me and never faltered for a second. I’ve often wondered how many other preachers’ wives would have abounded this ship in the middle of the storms.

We stayed in VA. For about five years and tried to get another work started. However we were under constant opposition from the people that moved into the old church building. We looked to the Lord for guidance to maybe go somewhere else.

One evening while as a family we were sitting in the living room the phone rang. Carole Ann answered it and handed it to me saying there is a man on there that talks funny. It was a call from Maine. There was a small church in Maine that needed help, they wanted to know if we would come and help them. After hanging up the phone I walked into the living room. Susie had all the kids sitting around her on the floor and she asked me “where are we going”. After prayer together we knew we were Maine bound.


Putting our house up for sale we left for Maine and arrived the first Saturday in March. Susie’s Daffodils were getting ready to bloom in VA. But in Maine it was 10 below with 3 feet of snow on the ground.

The person I talked to on the phone told me of a beautiful church building with an apartment in the basement. We were told of a new kitchen a living room area with exposed beams and a full private bath. What we got was somewhat different. The basement was a cement floor basement down fifteen steps. There were classrooms on each side of a wide hallway. The exposed beams were the upstairs floor joists. The private bath was a utility room with a bath tub on one side with a pump in front of it so you could pump the water up and out of the basement when you were finished your bath. The kitchen had ¼ inch ply wood cabinets with the doors nailed shut to keep them from warping.
As the boys and I unpacked the truck I heard something in one of the class rooms. When I looked in the door I saw Susie and our oldest daughter Carole Ann in each others arms crying. I closed the door and went into another room and asked God if I had made a mistake. I asked God if He would let us go back to VA. He seemed to impress me that if I had the money we could go back. I looked in my wallet and found I didn’t have enough money to get out of town much less a thousand miles.

Our first Sunday we had five people in attendance. We had the man and his wife who had called us and Frank and Sheila Young and their son Todd. Frank and Sheila are still two of our greatest supporters some fifteen years later.

In the days following, Susie put carpet on the floor in the hallway that the church folks bought for us. She hung pictures on the wall. And fixed up her kitchen and before you knew it the basement was home.

We only lived in the basement a short time before we started to look for a place to rent. Money was short because we only had a few folks in church and we were still making a big house payment in VA. The day came when we had a buyer for our home in VA. The person had gone to the bank and found out how much we owed on the house and offered us that amount. We didn’t want to take their offer because it would mean we would lose our down payment of $25,000.00 we had from the house I built in PA. Susie and I prayed about it and we felt God would have us burn all the VA. bridges behind us and took their offer.

One day in Maine Susie dialed the local Real Estate broker concerning a rental property we were interested in. She told the girls by her side that she had to be business like because after all she was the new preacher’s wife in the community.
In her best professional voice she made her request known to the Real Estates answering machine. Just before hanging up very professional like in her best pastor’s wife voice gave the answering machine our number. However the number she read off to the machine was written on a slip of paper in her hand….and it was the brokers own number. When she hung up she realized what she did and they all burst out in laughter. Composing herself and quieting down the girls she dialed the number again.
This time after getting herself together and acting very professional, apologized for the mistake blaming it on being new to the area and not yet knowing her own phone number. She once again read the number very slowly and glancing at Carole who was almost hysterical realized what she had done. She had read “their” number to them again. This time she said in her own Susie voice while laughing as hard as she could “you can figure it out just call the new preacher in town” and hung up.

It was Susie’s desire to see that when the kids left home they were all in good Independent Fundamental Bible preaching Separated Baptist Churches.
She had become a Baptist!
Susie prayed constantly for the boys and their wives to be faithful to church and support their pastor.
Susie loved camp meeting. When we would go to a camp meeting she would always make me fill up the gas tank before we drove on the grounds. She knew we would probably give everything else in the offering. On one occasion while receiving a special offering and we had given everything we had. I saw her raise her hand for an usher and with tears in her eyes took off her diamond ring and gave it to the usher for the camp meeting expenses. A number of people redeemed it back for her but they saw Susie’s heart.

Susie loved to sing. She never thought she could sing very well but that didn’t matter to her she wanted to do something for the Lord. She started Carole Ann off at a very young age on the piano. Andy was given a harmonica. Andy in turn taught the four youngest kids to play instruments and now they have all become very accomplished with their music.

On April 24 1996 Susie and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. The church had a special get together for us and gave us among many nice gifts a money tree.

The lord had truly blessed me with a faithful wife! I am reminded of Sarah, Abraham’s wife in Genesis chapter 12. You notice God called Abraham out from his father’s house and from his kindred unto a land that God said He would show him. Abraham obeyed but notice Sarah went also and God never spoke a word to her in this chapter. God had given me a Sarah.

Sometime around the middle of March of 1999 Susie developed what we thought was a chest cold. She was not one to go to doctors and the only time spent in the hospital in her married life was to give birth to one of our children.
She awoke me late in the night and said she was having trouble breathing. She said she wanted me to call a doctor. That bothered me because that was out of character for her. I called a doctor friend and he told me to come to the office in the morning and he would see what he could do. Susie then went down to the living room and sat on a chair where she could breathe better. I asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital. She replied morning would be fine and than told me she was scared.
She said she was having a fast heart beat for some time now but didn’t want to tell anyone because they normally went away.

In the morning Susie and I left the kids to their own keeping and I took her to the doctor. The doctor referred her to the hospital in Houlton for an EKG. The emergency room doctor in Holton looked very concerned when he read the EKG. He told us what we already knew, it was Ventricular Tachycardia. The VT was causing her lungs to fill up with fluid and he had to do something quick! They shocked Susie three times without any success in slowing her heart rate.
The doctor told me she had to go to Bangor immediately. She was placed in an ambulance and started on her 100 mile trip to the Eastern Maine Medical Center.

I called Frank Young and asked him to bring the kids to the truck stop at Sherman and told him what was going on. The next few days were to change our life completely.

Upon arrival at Bangor Susie was given huge doses of medication to hopefully bring her heart rate to her normal rate. Instead of the medicine slowing her heart it made her sick and than she went into a coma.

The doctor and the emergency room head nurse approached me with the news that Susie might not make it through the night. They asked me if we had other children and that I should call them home. John and Jim owned the Nissley Brothers Construction Company in Virginia. Young Steve was working for them. Carole Ann was in Bible College at the Maryland Baptist Bible College in Elkton Maryland.
They were all on the way to the hospital along with John’s wife Stacey and family and Jim’s wife Angie and their children.

Susie survived the night and was able to see the kids the next day. Later that morning I was called to a meeting with the hospitals cardiology team and was told the only way Susie would survive was a heart transplant. They recommended a hospital in Boston Massachusetts. She was to be flown that day for the operation. After arriving in Boston Susie went through a battery of tests and we were told of a procedure they perfected at that hospital that would fix her heart without a transplant. The doctor would insert a tiny wire into her heart and shock it back to the right path. I was told Susie would leave the hospital the next day on the road to recovery.
Our son Steve stayed with me while the rest of the kids went back to Maine due to the high cost of the motels in Boston. I was told the procedure would take about four hours. Steve and I were in the waiting room when we heard a sound I will never get out of my mind. Over the hospital intercom sounded the urgent words, CODE BLUE CATH LAB, CODE BLUE CATH LAB. The wire that was shocking Susie’s heart had punctured the heart wall and her heart stopped. She was rushed to the operating room for open heart surgery to repair the puncture. Susie was given CPR during the entire time and I was told they believe she will recover completely. The next time I saw my wife she was on complete life support due to what I was told was a large dose of sedative given to her quickly. Our son Steve and I were told that Susie would regain consciousness in twelve to twenty four hours. That was not to be.

After thirty six hours and no sign of improvement Susie was put through a battery of tests. I was asked to meet with a team of cardiologist and neurologist to discuss Susie’s future. I called Dr. Ed Nelson to come from Pennsylvania to be with me in the meeting. Ed is my brother in law, married to my oldest sister, Sue. Ed and Sue helped me get through that very hard meeting. We were told by the doctors that Susie had very little brain activity. I was shown the pictures and saw the gray area in her brain that they called dead area. We were told Susie would never regain consciousness and that we should determine how aggressive we wanted to be with her care and let them know Monday morning. I looked at Ed and he said, Steve they want to know if you want to pull the plug and take Susie off of life support.

The next day was Sunday and we were in Maine in our church, all of us, except Susie. We didn’t have much of a service that Sunday most of the time was spent in prayer. Many of the folks were on the floor all over the building praying for a miracle. I don’t recall preaching. That Sunday evening our family had a long discussion about “how aggressive” we should be concerning mom. We determined to go back to Boston and tell the doctors that we are not going to pull any plugs.

Monday morning found myself and our oldest daughter Carole Ann getting off the elevator to the intensive care center to a shouting nurse at the end of the hall. Susie’s nurse, a lady from England named Susan was watching for us. She shouted Steve come quick! I didn’t know what to expect when I ran into my wife’s room. The nurse opened all the blinds in the room and the sun streamed into the room. Then she got on the bed and straddled Susie and shouted to her, Susie, look out the window! Very slowly my wife turned her head toward the window. No Camp meeting any where ever had as much emotion as was in that room that morning. Susie WAS going home with us!

March 27,1999 Susie turned 50. She “celebrated” her birthday by leaving Boston for Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor Maine. She did not know however where she was or that it was her birthday. Susie spent the best part of the next 5 months in that hospital.

Every day the kids that were with us in Maine and I would drive the 80 miles to Bangor to see mom, even Sundays after church in the morning and before church that evening. Many folks came to sit with us in the intensive care waiting room. Some days the kids would take their instruments and play and sing. There was another fellow there who was visiting his wife who to was close to death. Between visiting hours we would all sing songs to the other people there in the sometimes crowded room. It became almost like a camp meeting. We would sing a while then cry then sing some more. It got to the place people would come to the intensive care waiting room to get in on the time of inspiration. It was a prefect time to be a witness for the Lord Jesus.

There were many phone calls from all over the country. I remember one from Jerusalem from Terry and Kathy Basham who were on a tour when they heard of Susie. One of our dearest friends, preacher Willy Walton and his wife Sharon drove up to the hospital just to pray with me. I remember our friends Bro. Doug Sehorne and his wife Vicky driving up to the hospital from Oakland Maryland to pray with us. Each of these preachers would bring us some money to help us, and help us it did.

Only eternity will reveal to us what the result was of the prayers of God’s people during those days. We were so grateful for the many people that would come to the hospital with a paper bag with money in it that they collected in their church for us. I remember one preacher coming into the waiting room and walking up to me with tears in his eyes as he told me how God impressed on their church to take an offering for us. If it wasn’t for those folks we would have never been able to get through that time.

Slowly by slowly we saw Susie improve. Some days she would show great strides toward improvement and was even taken out of intensive care. Then something would happen and back in intensive care she would go. I remember getting a call one night after 12. The head nurse told me Susie had taken a turn for the worse and it might be a good idea to come to the hospital. I drove the 80 miles from house to Bangor in record breaking time!

I remember the day the therapist and the doctors wanted to have a talk with the family. We had become hospital hard by this time and knew what they were thinking. We were at the hospital every day Susie was there. We had an inkling they wanted to put her in a physical therapy center. The kids sat me down the night before the meeting and told me they wanted to bring mom home. Susie was barely conscious at that time. The kids made me promise that no matter what the doctor said mom was coming home with us.
Well, the kids were right and there was an argument and the Nissley’s won the battle. As we were leaving the hospital one of the therapists told me that we were making a mistake. She said we would never be able to take care of Susie because she would be bed ridden the rest of her life. However after hours and hours of prayer and hard work by our girls mom is not bedridden any more. Susie gets up every morning with help and can now speak and eat. She has a very limited memory but she is home with us. Though she doesn’t realize who she is and who we are, we do. Susie is still mom and she is still my wife.

April 24, 1971, I made a vow before my wife and my God. Standing before a preacher by the name of Rev. Broker, I heard these words. “Before the Omniscient God, and in the presence of these witnesses, wilt thou Stephen John. Nissley take Susan Lamae Atkins to be thy wedded wife? Wilt thou love and comfort her, honor and keep her, and in joy and sorrow, preserve with her this bond, holy and unbroken, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, or God by death shall separate you?” I remember saying to my bride, I do.

As we read in Eph. 5:21-32,

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

As Christians we are not promised that our “walk with Christ” will be all peaches and cream. We are told that in the “world ye shall have tribulation” but God said, “be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” We have the assurance that what God said, what He has promised He will fulfill.

God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:2 that 12:2 “I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”

Things didn’t look very promising however, we read in Exodus 1:13,14,
And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
Did God fulfill His promise to Abraham? Yes, as a matter of fact while the Children of Israel were in slavery making bricks God was training a deliverer, and isn’t it ironic, God did it right under Pharaoh’s nose in his own house by his own daughter! Now, look at the nation of Israel, a super power in the world allied with the United States of America.

We have many examples in Scripture we can relate to where we see the promises of God being fulfilled. Such as, Mat 26:61 where the chief priests and elders had sought false witness against Christ and they said, “This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.” When the Lord Jesus was crucified I would imagine the disciples were devastated. Even after the resurrection there were those on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 that doubted and were troubled. I believe they doubted even the account of the women seeing angels. Their doubts were taken away however when they invited the very knowledgeable stranger back for supper and He brake bread and they saw the nail prints in the hands of the resurrected Saviour.


God has told us that when we encounter hard times to trust His promises, Eph.1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”

I need a wife, our children need a mother but God has told us in Phil.4:19 that He “shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” In Philippians we see that the Lord Jesus should be our life 1:10, our mind 2:5, our goal 3:14 and our strength 4:13.

Dear reader life has its bumps in the road. God has told us that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” in IITim.3:12. We can expect hard times to come along. One of my favorite true stories I tell is about a song leader I had one time in a church that I pastored. Coming to me one Sunday he told me he and his family were leaving our church. His reason was that God had spoke to him while fixing a flat tire on the way to work and told him to leave our church because he hasn’t had a flat tire for 12 years. If I looked dumbfounded it was because I was! My first thought was, it sure didn’t take much to stop this fellow. I don’t know the outcome of his decision because I lost all contact with him over the years, but I almost guarantee his family has paid a price for his lack of faith.

I remember Dr. Harold Sightler preaching, “Can God” from Psa.78:19 and the congregation at Tabernacle Baptist Church shouting back, “GOD CAN!” I wonder how many of us really believe, GOD CAN?

If God can save us, Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If God can keep us, Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. And Jude vs. 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, can God supply our needs?

God supplied the needs of the Children of Israel in the wilderness,
Deut. 2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.

God supplied the food for Elijah,
1Ki 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

God supplied a need for one of the prophets widow in IIKings 4,
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, there is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

God supplied a very generous meal for the multitude that followed Christ, in Mt.14,
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

There will be trials in our lives. People are hurting everywhere. Some people turn to alcohol, some to the psychiatrist and even some to suicide. However as Christians we have treasures of goodness and blessings Psa. 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Or Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

I walked into the house one day and Susie was nowhere to be found. I thought the only place she could be is upstairs. I went to look and as I got to the top of the stairs I heard her crying. I looked in our room and there she was spread over the bed praying and crying. One of the things I heard her say through her tears was “oh God give our kids good mates.” I backed out of the room as I felt I was on holy ground.

God honored Susie’s request. Our oldest son, John and his wife Stacey have three sons. They are members of Old Paths Baptist Church in Buffalo Gap VA.. Jim and his wife Angie have four daughters. They are members of Victory Baptist Church in Staunton VA. Carole Ann and her husband Chris Shull and their five children (three girls and two boy), are missionaries to Ilulissat Greenland. Steve and his wife Robin and their four children, one son and three daughters live in Rising Sun Maryland. Steve pastors Mercy Missionary Baptist Church. Andrew and his wife Josie and their four boys and little girl live in Limestone New Brunswick Canada. Andrew is the pastor of River Valley Baptist Church in Woodstock. Rebekah and Caleb and daughter Abi live in Cecilton Maryland where Caleb assist his dad at the River City Baptist Church, Rachael and Adam live in Debec New Brunswick Canada where Adam assists Andrew with the children ministry. Tim is still home with me and preaches out when called on. We are members of the River Valley Baptist Church. Most of the kids are musically inclined and play and sing every Sunday. I remember Susie standing the kids on the platform at church and singing with them. The kids often comment about how mom started them out singing.

Yes, reader God will bless you even IN your hard time. Paul asked God to let him have some relief from his affliction, 2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
God’s response, 2Co 12:9 And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God blessed Paul and God blessed Susie and my friend God will bless you if you turn the control of your life over to Him.

When I wrote this, I see my wife of over 35 years lying on the couch in our living room. Susie can not even get up without help. Mentallly Susie is like a young girl. I have made the comment to others that Susie is not like she was nor is she like she will be some day. Susie is like a young girl now and when the Lord returns for His bride she will be changed. Her mortal body will put on immortality and she will be “FOREVER YOUNG.”


Phi 1:20,21 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

            The Lord took Susie home to be with Him on August 10, 2014. I am longing for the day we read about

            in I Thess.4:13-18!

We just received a fresh 32 inches of snow on top of the two feet we had, but like they say up here, It's winter!

I have been travelling some since fall trying to get folks interested in coming to these areas as missionaries. Not many folks get excited about cold weather.

The church in Woodstock is doing very well. Visitation goes on even in below "0" weather, the Sunday afternoon Sunday School is on the rebound again with about 20 to 25 in attendance. Nursing home ministry is well attended. However there are a number of churches in the north, that are in need of a pastor.

I feel compelled to write a little something that is on my heart as a missionary. I am 67 years old and have been in the Lords work since the Lord called me back in the middle 70"s. My wife and I have always held to strong Biblical convictions concerning dress, marriage, the home, and the church, Salvation, Separation and Service and so forth.

In Luke's Gospel chapter 8 we read in verse 5 where a sower went out to sow his seed. Here is where most of us start when we preach this parable.  However, being born and raised on a farm I realize there is a lot of preparation before there is a planting.

During my younger years with my dad on the farm, growing 100's and 100's of acres of corn,  I was taught valuable lessons.

My dad loved to plant the corn, that was his part, I would have the truck at the edge of the field loaded with fertilizer, seed corn, insecticide and so forth. Dad would back the big planter up to the truck and I would "load the planter".  After it was all loaded, dad would start planting. My work was virtually finished. You see, after the seed was in the ground, there was nothing more I could do,  as in I Cor. 3:6,7. 

To prepare ground for planting requires a lot of work. Plowing the ground, working it down to have a seed bed to plant in, picking rocks and so forth. Then the time comes when you have to go to the bank and make preparations to buy seed, fertilizer, fuel for equipment and parts that may be needed for the planting.  All this has to be accomplished before you "sow the seed".

Money is a constant concern of most missionary pastors up in this country. Most I know are living on a shoe string financially.

I realize much of what we do in the period of preparation is manifested in the portions produced., however one needs to realize the amount of work that goes into preparation doesn't always manifest itself outwardly for many years. Perhaps not even in ones lifetime!

I guess, what I'm trying to say in a nice way is that when you "preach the Word" as Paul admonished young Timothy in II Timothy 4:2 and rebuke, reprove and exhort, that it doesn't always result in large crowds.  One preacher that came up from NC. after he was here for a number of years said, "I thought I would be running 400 by this time". He took a small church when he came here around 10 years ago, and praise the Lord he still has most of the people he had when he came.

Our son Andrew is the pastor of River Valley Baptist Church in Woodstock New Brunswick Canada. The population of Woodstock is 5,254. Andy is running a fairly consistent 35 in attendance all day Sunday. This comes through a consistent visitation program, no matter how cold it gets and pampering some of the folks to keep them faithful. When you compare the church with the towns population, the River Valley Baptist Church isn't doing too bad.

There is a small group meeting in Jackman Maine. The population of Jackman is 862. One fellow came to Jackman recently with his family, from a fairly large church down south and stayed almost a year. One reason I believe is that there was no shouting like they were used to, no large congregation and little money. In fact one chandelier in their home church cost more then the whole garage re-modeling project to make a church building in Maine. Bottom line is, it is easy for these young fellows to get discouraged.

Our son in law and daughter have been in Greenland for 10 years. Three or four of those years they lived in a one room house with no bathroom. They used a 5 gallon bucket for a toilet. Through hard work and visits and encouraging times as well as discouraging times they are now averaging in the 20's. Pretty good for a town of 5000 people who never the Gospel until ten years ago.

In the 25 years I have lived in Northern Maine, I have seen many preachers come and go. Please pray with us that the Lord will send laborers to this field that will be encouraged to stay. There is a desperate need right now for a pastor in Limestone Maine. There is a church in Rivier-du-Loup Quebec Canada seeking a good man, as well as Topsfield Maine. These churches had good solid men that preached fearlessly, and are looking for the same thing now.

Prayer Request: 

1. Laborers to Maine, the Canadian Maritime and Greenland.

2. Money for my ticket to get to Ilulissat Greenland in May and for expenses this summer. Some have given toward this need and it is so appreciated.

3. The finances to purchase a new building for the River Valley Baptist Church.

4. Andrew Nissley, pastor of the River Valley Baptist is in desperate need of a van. Andy and Josie have five children and the van they have is in really bad condition. Pray God does a miracle here and provides a newer van for this preacher.

Thank you so much for your financial support and prayers for this preacher!