Bold in Christ: History Catches up to Me

This was originally posted at calvarytraining.org.  I want to share the article here and then what has come as a result of it.  –Wade Ogletree

When Chuck Smith learned that his former associate pastor, Lonnie Frisbee, had died of Aids, he said, “Samson–a man who knew the powerful anointing of God’s light. What could have been . . . a man who never experienced the ultimate of the potential. I often wondered what could have been.”

Chuck Smith took bold risks on people.  Last night’s tribute made me keenly aware of this and helped me to understand so much.  Many of the attacks on Pastor Chuck from his critics stem from this, that he took chances on people.

When I first wrote this article, I put Lonnie Frisbee in that category, but I don’t think that was fair.  I’m learning that history is different than many of suppose.  Hopefully, that will become clear in future articles.  Frisbee would play an important role in both the early Calvary Chapel movement and in the hyper-Charismatic Vineyard movement.  He overcame his struggle with homosexuality too late, though, and eventually it killed him.

At Pastor Chuck’s Memorial, we were told about how Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa cut a $150,000 check as a down payment for the building that would become Greg Laurie’s church, Harvest Christian Fellowship.  Pastor Greg was nineteen years old at the time.

I place this at 1973.  Pastor Chuck and Lonnie Frisbee parted ways in 1971.

Pastor Chuck’s willingness to take chances on people is amazing.

I could weep, for there are so few like him.

And now, what has happened since this was first published at calvarytraining.org.

It began with a discussion at the Facebook Group, Praying for Chuck Smith.  A disagreement arose between someone who had red an article about Lonnie Frisbee and thought his memory should be ignored and people who had actually known the man.  The article in question has reported the content of the movie, Lonnie Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher.  One participant in the discussion mentioned that she was in the movie and that the final product was not a fair or accurate portrayal.

That individual was Judy Meston.  I arranged to have a phone interview with her, and we talked for 90 minutes as she recounted her friendship with Lonnie Frisbee and the early days in the Jesus Movement and Calvary Chapel.  I have transcribed that interview into a coherent article, and she is sending me a collection of photographs from the era.  I am eagerly anticipating publishing this story.

But is doesn’t stop there.  This also opened the door to talk to others, including a member of the band “Mustard Seed Faith” and the creator of the children’s worship series “Psalty”.  In these coming interviews, I plan to gather more stories and details about the history of Calvary Chapel and the Jesus Movement, creating a written, oral history (if you will).

If you were there, I’d like to talk to you, too.  You can find me at calvarytraining.org.

God Bless

Related articles

• In Memory of Chuck Smith (calvarytraining.org)

The Necktie of Purpose: A poem

Here is a poem I think you find that stretches  you out a wee bit!

HUNGER!

My hunger for prayer is 

not to be my religious ritual

I crave a relationship with

Yeshua ben Yahweh

I yearn for colloquy 

mouth to mouth with

the Great I AM!

I pine to huddle on

my Messiah’s chest

to attend the symphony

 Heart Beat of Immanuel! 

I am famished to

cast my eyes upon the eyes 

of the Bright and Morning Star

revealed Glory and Grace!

Malnourished my will melts away

to feast on the banquet

of the Bread of Life

the Will of my Abba Father!

AMEN.

Yeshua’s Face

I have touched Yeshua’s face

I am held tight in His embrace

held suspended in Love

from Heaven’s Throne above

cascading down as a dove

****

I have touched Yeshua’s face

I am held tight in His embrace

free from sin’s drudge

pulled out earthly sludge

made complete by Yeshua’s love

 ****

prayers ascending to Heaven’s Throne above

answers cascading down as a dove

Yes I have touched Yeshua’s face

HIS DESIRE!

Come Ben-Adam

to the burning bush

 Yeled come.

Without your shoes come

the ground is Holy Ben-Adam.

My Yeled come and see

I AM that I AM.

Come Ben-Adam

to the mountain

Yeled come.

Where there is great thunders,

massive lighting, in the thickest of cloud

are trumpet blasts.

Without your shoes come 

the ground is Holy Ben-Adam.

Come My Yeled and know

I AM that I AM.

Come Ben-Adam

to the cross

Yeled come.

Where sin’s ransom’s debt

is paid in full.

Without your shoes come

the ground is Holy Ben-Adam.

Come My Yeled and receive 

Yeshua Ben Yahweh

I AM that I AM.

Come Ben-Adam

to the empty tomb

Yeled come.

Without your shoes come

the ground is Holy Ben-Adam.

Come My Yeled to life eternal with

Yeshua Ben Yahweh

I Am that I AM.

After eighteen months of blogging this post is my 100th post! I wish to bless everyone who reads and follows Men of One Accord and say I love you. Thank-you so much for the Love of Christ you have given to me. God Bless every one of you, Amen.

In Memory of Chuck Smith

Pastor Chuck, Thank-you for your service. It was through Your ministry that I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as savior. I will miss you, James

ACORNS?

Someone once said, “Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.” That I find is a mystery to be pondered for sure. 

Still yet I find an even greater mystery for pondering: So numberless are the acorns born each year yet all do fall. Countless acorns are gathered by the beasts of the trees, the beasts of field, and the birds of the air. Acorns unnumbered that are carried away and then, they are no more.

Still yet are the untold acorns that fall to the ground and are never to be found. These lost untold acorns die, rot, and then return to dust of the earth from which they came.

Still yet there are the numbering of acorns that fall to the ground, that do not enter the earth, and yet still they die. In the spring when the rains come these acorns sprout up with new life and push upward to the heavens. Yet when the sun beats down on them in the summer drought, they wither, and death wins. For they are the numbered that have no root deep into the earth. For these numbered did not feed upon the nutrients of the earth nor have they drank fully of the water of life. For these who are the counted also die and return to dust of the earth from which they came.

Still yet are the acorns, the few, that fall to the ground, enter the earth and die. When the spring rain comes these few rise up with new life, and push upward to the heavens as their roots dig downward deep into the earth. Yet when the sun beats down, in the summer drought they do not wither. These few filled with new life have roots dug down deep into the earth to feed upon nutrients of the earth and drink freely of the water of life. As years upon years past, storms come, flood waters rise and fall, yet the years of drought pass by, these few with new life keep growing on. Massive oaks they have become producing much fruit and always growing upward till their purpose has been made full. Then they also die and return to the dust of the earth from which they came. 

 Still yet I find this to be a mystery: So is it also the same with a man?