Remembering Dr John MacArthur

 Brief Biography of Dr. John MacArthur by Iain H. Murray, 2011

Many years ago, my father encouraged me to become a prayer partner for the Grace to You ministry.  I promptly wrote a letter with a request to join.  Each month, a letter from Dr. MacArthur was mailed to me.  I loved reading those letters and looked forward to them each month.  There was always an offer for a free resource, such as a sermon or book. My agreement, as a partner, was to pray for the ministry and the pastor. I cheerfully and gratefully did this every single month for decades. Then I would send away for the offer.  Because of this, I have several sermons on CD and many books.

One year, my brother and his wife sent me a gift of a MacArthur study Bible. It was beautifully bound with our family name engraved on the cover. I was delighted.  In my household, whenever I had a question or wondered about a passage of Scripture, I would say, "let's see what John MacArthur says about this," or I would look up what Matthew Henry (from the 1700's) had to say.  I consulted the two commentaries to help me understand and to find reassurance. 

My father, the son of a revival minister, (and brother of a preacher) was a long-time supporter of Dr. MacArthur. I inherited some of his old cassette tapes.  I will share a picture of one of the tapes. This will help to show you how long the sermon ministry of Grace to You has been a blessing.

Sermon by Dr. John MacArthur, on Cassette tape, from 1981.

I always found Dr. MacArthur's voice and sermons to be comforting and helpful. He was bold in his warnings and often sent a wake-up call to us about what was going on around us. This was incredibly helpful.  When there was a problem, a worry, or a concern, many of us would look to preachers like him for help and reassurance.  There are very few dedicated men of God (in the spotlight) in our times.  He was one of them.

The sermon ministry later modernized to include sermons on CDs. I would often listen to these on a CD player I kept in the kitchen. I would bake and cook and sweep while the sermon was playing. How grateful I was for the privilege of hearing sermons in this way, at any time, instead of just once a week at our local church. 

Commemorative CD of his first sermon at Grace to You Church, 1969. 

I believe many of us are spiritually starved. Yet, there are so many resources to help us along the way. There are lights on our path to heaven, to guide and encourage.  Pastors like John MacArthur are some of those helpers. 

Sermon on CD from 2015. 

In his biography, written in 2011, the richness of John's spiritual heritage is incredible to read. His father and grandfather were faithful servants of the Lord. They were preachers who guided their congregations and their families.  It is instructive to read of the environment in which John was brought up. It is a helpful and inspiring book. 

I am so thankful for the life-work of this servant of God. I am also thankful for his family and church who supported and encouraged him.  Their faithfulness helped John to do his work.   

This very week, Pastor MacArthur has gone home to his eternal reward in Heaven.  While this is a great loss for us here, it is a gain for Heaven. Yet, because of the behind-the-scenes work of so many, his books and sermons will remain, encouraging us for years to come. I am very grateful.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

A Tribute - Remembering Dr. Charles Stanley.

Old Fashioned Living - Retirement Planning for the Poor.

Taking Care of the Family - A Covered Bridge and Graceful Living in Rural Vermont. 

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