As I write this, the day outside is cool and bright, with all the trees in their vivid fall colors. The brisk feeling of this time of year is special, and I continue to enjoy the change of the seasons each year.
Lord willing, I will be with the brothers and sisters in Valrico, Florida in a gospel meeting, November 12-15. Although I have never been to Valrico before, I have known several of their members when they lived in other places, so I am looking forward to our time together. I plan to do a series of lessons tied to the theme of the book I am currently writing, entitled Walking in Christ. This will be the first presentation of these lessons. I always feel bad for those who have to hear the first presentation of any of my lessons (before I’ve been able to work out the kinks), but somebody has to be the guinea pig, and with this series, it looks like that will be the church in Valrico.
I want to tell you this month about something that I feel you would want to know. As many of you are aware, I was diagnosed some time ago with Major Depressive Disorder. Over the past several months, this has grown so much worse that it has come close to paralyzing me with emotional pain. So I made the decision last month to re-enter counseling. I will be receiving help from a psychiatrist, the psychiatrist’s nurse practitioner, and also a clinical psychologist who is on the staff. My first round of appointments has taken place, and these people have shown a great deal of compassion and helpfulness. I hope you will pray for them as they try to help me.
My main concern is not that I’m receiving treatment for a mental illness, but that it will, in the minds of some people, discredit my writing. When I write, for example, about the passion with which we should long for heaven, people often try to find some “yes but” that will allow them to disregard the teaching. If I ever get to write Going Home, in which I will mount a frontal assault on the “here and now” mentality of modern religious culture, a certain number of people will wave it aside by saying, “That’s just Gary’s depression talking.”
Be that as it may, however, I intend to keep preaching what is true, whether people disregard it or not. It is a fact that the circumstances of my life, along with the pain generated by those circumstances, make me long for the eternal, heavenly relationship with God that was always the primary focus of the gospel in the New Testament. But you can’t disprove the gospel by pointing out that somebody has a personal reason for wanting it to be true. The only question that matters is this: Is it true or not? So as I write, I shall, with the Lord’s help, keep on writing what is in the Scriptures and trust that the Lord will see to it that it ends up in the hands of those who will be open to it.
I will try to update you now and then as to my health, both physical and emotional. Whatever may happen, your prayers will be the most important part of the process. Please pray that I will keep fighting (1 Timothy 6:12).
Each night during my extended prayer time, I continue to thank God for each of you who support me. Some of you have been doing this for many years, and with each of these years, I have grown to have a deeper love for you. Thank you for not only saying “be ye warmed and filled,” but for actually helping me continue in the Lord’s work.
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
WRITING GOALS
Pray with me that I will be given the ability to finish these works
- Walking in Christ — Book 6 in the WordPoints Daybook Series. Target: November 2025.
- Going Home — Book 7 in the WordPoints Daybook Series. Target: November 2028.
- Seeking God in the Psalms — a 52-lesson study — theme for each week, studies for Monday-Friday.
- Ecclesiastes — a full-scale commentary on the text of Ecclesiastes.
- Encountering Christ — what the Scriptures teach about Jesus Christ . . . and why we should believe it.