Last week a good friend, pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Ralph Ehren, left earth and graduated into heaven and is now in the arms of His Savior and Lord. Ralph, as so many called him, was a retired Pastor when I first met him at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. For several years Ralph led a weekly Bible study class for the men in the Marathon Class at the church. It was an honor to receive from him the story that follows and which he allowed to be published in 2012 in my first book, “Miracles, Prophecy and God’s Other Ways.” - Kenneth R. Kersey
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GOD EMPOWERS THOSE HE CALLS
Dr. Ralph Ehren
“My dad emigrated from Germany to America in 1912 and settled in Houston, Texas. My mother was born in Iowa, and her family of fourteen eventually moved to Houston. This is where my parents met. They married in 1925 and subsequently moved to deep southern Texas in 1930, where my twin brother and I were born.
“During the days of the depression and the dustbowl days of the 1930s our family moved back to Houston, where dad took a job as a driller for a water developer. In 1942 we moved again. This time it was to Booneville, Arkansas.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but God was preparing me. In my early teen years I enrolled in a program sponsored by the Bible Memory Association in Shreveport, Louisiana. I memorized about twenty verses of Scripture each week for twelve weeks in the spring each of the next five years. During those years I memorized about 1,250 Bible verses. This program, unbeknownst to me, became my foundation for the ministry.
“From there I stepped onto the college campus at what today is the University of the Ozarks majoring in history, thinking I would be a teacher for the rest of my life. My college experience was interrupted by two years in the military. I returned to the University of the Ozarks and graduated in 1955. One of the most significant steps along my journey was meeting Betty, who would become my wife in 1953. I began a teaching career that I thought would last me a lifetime. The Lord had other plans.
“One evening after church services my pastor asked me, ‘Ralph, are you sure the Lord is not calling you to be a preacher?’ I had never had that thought in my life and dismissed it as readily as he had suggested it. But over the next year and a half, my subconscious began to work on me until this became a real possibility. However, my wife did not marry a preacher, and so I was not real sure how she would respond to my inclinations. When I could no longer delay the matter, I told her what was going on in my heart and mind. Her response, ’I have wondered when you would recognize this calling!’
“One of the great blessings along the journey of my life was study time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Since I had never thought of Christian ministry as a life vocation, I had not considered the preparation necessary for such a career. Yet, if I was to be a minister of the Gospel, I was encouraged to study at a Seminary. Betty was more than supportive. She worked as a Media Specialist in the public schools while I went to class.
“While at the Seminary, I became pastor of a small church not far from the Seminary. During my time at this church I learned a lot. After six years of study, I graduated from the Seminary. It was time to move out into the world and apply what I had learned. It was another of God’s rich blessings along my life’s journey.
“I assumed my first full-time pastorate in Laramie, Wyoming. Working with people in Wyoming was much different from anything I had experienced. I had never been in Wyoming. Many of our relatives thought we could have settled in China and been closer to home.
“I had not been there long when there was a knock at the office door. Opening the door, I was face to face with a young man whom I had never seen. He identified himself as an insurance salesman. I might say he was very persuasive. I conceded that insurance was a good investment. However, I convinced him that I could not fit the cost into my budget, so this essential would have to be put on hold.
“Then our visit took an entirely new direction. Reflecting upon this visit some months later, I became convinced his appearance was motivated by the Lord Himself. As is evident by the following, this young atheist became one of my best friends in several ways. It was obvious that as much as I might need and even want to buy insurance, I could not afford it. It became equally evident he had another motive for being there.
“This young man asked the question: ‘I notice by the sign on the front of the building that this is a Baptist Church. I know that Baptists don’t drink, smoke, dance or cuss. What do you do?’ It was a serious question! Little did I know where this question would lead.
“He told me much about himself. I needed to respond to him. He had literally grown up on the sidewalks of New York. He said he had never been inside a church of any kind until he was in the military service. And, the only reason he went then was because that’s what his buddies did on Sunday. So rather than stay by himself he went with them. He had no ideas at all about church, its meaning or its mission. But he was curious, and I was glad to help. We visited for about four hours that afternoon.
“The next Sunday he was in church with his wife and four small, well-behaved children. They sat in the second pew. On Monday morning my friend came by the office to ask me questions about the previous morning’s message. I was very impressed with his obvious attention in the service as he quoted me almost verbatim over and over asking ‘what did you mean by these statements?’ I patiently discussed each of his concerns.
“The next day he was back again. He surely had been thinking about what he had heard but had not understood. So we talked again. On Wednesday he was in my office again pursuing the meaning of my sermon…and again on Thursday. The next Sunday he and his family were again in their pew near the front of the Sanctuary. He listened intently. I know he did because the next morning he was in my office again asking me more questions about what I had said. He had a tremendous memory and quoted me repeatedly. I was impressed with his interest and ability.
“This pattern repeated itself for the next twelve months. Let me say, I had promised the Lord that I would be faithful to His Word as I understood it so long as I preached. I also became quickly aware that I needed to be very careful in speaking for the Lord because I would be challenged and have to explain myself regularly. My friend was never belligerent or argumentative, only curious. It was rather easy to talk with him because from the very beginning he seemed genuinely interested in what he was hearing.
“About six months into sermonizing each week, I preached a sermon on the topic of heaven and eternal life. I planned to speak on the subject of hell and judgment the following week. True-to-form, my friend dropped by early Monday morning. He asked, ‘Do you really believe what you said in your sermon yesterday?’ I replied, ‘Yes, when I am in the pulpit I do not speak for myself but for the Lord, and I try to be as careful as I can to reflect His mind to the people.’
“His response was, ‘You seem to have a reasonable amount of intelligence, but I don’t see how anyone could believe what you were saying.’ I asked, ‘What do you think happens to a person when he dies?’ Response: ‘Oh, it’s like going to sleep. You just drift off into unconsciousness and never wake up.’ Then I asked, ‘Have you ever died?’ With a funny look on his face he said, ‘Not that I know of.’ So I showed him that his conclusion was one of faith not fact. He did not know what he believed to be a fact; he only believed what he thought he knew. As you might guess, this led to a lengthy and interesting conversation.
“I’m grateful that this atheist, who became my friend, was placed in my path early in my ministry. He taught me many good lessons that have served me well throughout my ministry. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was the fact that at least some people do listen to the sermon. My responsibility to the Lord coupled with the fact that some are listening impressed upon me the necessity of diligent preparation and much prayer. Furthermore, the eternal destiny of some people rests upon their hearing a word from the Lord about the facts of life. And, I was His spokesman. This is an awesome and very serious responsibility.
“I subsequently became pastor in Casper, Wyoming. My friend often found himself in Casper on business, and he would frequently come by. Many times we would have coffee and visit. On one such visit, he told he was going to get drunk that night. I said, ‘Do you not remember how sick you get when you drink?’ My response was based on earlier experiences when he would be bed-ridden in total seclusion for about four days when he had over-imbibed. His response to my question was ‘Yes, but think of the fun I am going to have before I get sick!!’
“Throwing his words back at him, I said, ‘That’s sick! You seem to have a reasonable amount of intelligence, but I don’t know how any person in his right mind can do to himself what you say you will do knowing what happens.’ He just smiled!
“My friend and I got up from the table. We shook hands and walked out the door and parted ways. I never saw him again. I have often wondered about him, where he is, what he is doing. Most of all I wondered if the seed that had been planted in his heart took root. Maybe the seed took root in the hearts of his family--I just don’t know.
“What I do know is that has God promised: ‘So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11).
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Next time we meet we will learn more about how God, in “One of His Other Ways” guided and led Ralph as he continued to serve the Lord and spread His Word.
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If you have a story or testimony that you think might bless others,
I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.
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