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Short Story-Death Spiral At 8000 Ft

Sermons from the Past and Present

Eldoret, Kenya
2010

About the Book...

"There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God..." Psalm 46:4

A Foreword

A river flows as many tributaries flow into it. These smaller bodies of water converge together to produce a rushing river. Dr. Ben Bates has demonstrated this very principle in his memoir, From Despair to Victory.
Dr Bates demonstrates great gifts of gratitude and recall in his exciting life story.
Beginning with humble beginnings and difficult times seems to always ready us for the long-run. Someone well said, "Life is not to be gulped ~ it is to be sipped." This enables us to enjoy the journey. No one comprehends this like a man of God. Bates does not bemoan his humble beginnings; he allows this "tributary" to become one part of the river of his life. His meager beginnings were not a trial but a testimony.
So many people make so many contributions to our lives. However, no one makes a greater contribution than the preacher's wife. She becomes the counselor, disciplinarian, homemaker, "buffer zone," and loving critic ~ sometimes wrapped in an apron, and other times Sunday's best, but always on display. The attitude of the minister's wife constitutes the most significant and longest running "tributaries" into the man called of God. My observation about Dr Ben, without Bettie, is that perhaps neither his life nor his ministry would have lasted 60 years!
Another "tributary" making the river of our life is the friends we make and the impact they have in shaping our lives. After family, friends shape us most. Charles and Judy Hill, Greg and Barbara Walcott, "Doc" Dishner, and various pastors all helped to form the valleys and peaks of Ben Bates' life and ministry. Gratitude for these friends breathes on every page.
There is no question that when you read this compelling story, you will look over your shoulder and remember many of those who helped form your life and ministry. When you do, let the words of Psalm 46:4 bless you, "There is a river, the streams where of shall make glad the city of God..."(KJV). Ben Bates is one of the "rivers" that blesses God.

Dr John Sullivan,
Executive Director-Treasurer
Florida Baptist Convention

"Answering the call of God on my life in 1948 to be His servant turned my world "right side up." The next sixty years of serving God across America; pastoring churches in California, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee, and ministering abroad in England, Portugal, the continent of Africa, and witnessing the hand of God in and upon my life in a way that is next to impossible to describe is what my book is all about." ~ Dr Benjamin Bates

Click here for a brief peek at some of the exciting stories found in the book