The Un-Triumphant Return of Tony Evans by Daniel Whyte III, President of Gospel Light Society International
Pictured: On July 11, 2025, Tony Evans speaks at The Family Leader Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. (Video screengrab)
- A Broken Return: Why Tony Evans’ Reappearance Falls Short
- More Than a Sermon: The Cost of Silence in Tony Evans’ Comeback
- The Un-Triumphant Return of Tony Evans
- Tony Evans’ Public Silence and the Path to True Restoration
- Beyond the Pulpit: A Critical Look at Tony Evans’ Ministry in Limbo
- Why Dr. Tony Evans’ return to the “pulpit” does not feel triumphant for him or anybody else
- Dr. Tony Evans did the right thing by taking an extended leave from the ministry due to sin. However, he did the wrong thing by not confessing that sin and allowing God and his worldwide church audience to decide whether or not he should return. That decision is up to God and the church—not only the local church but, in his case, the universal church—and not just to him.
While Dr. Tony Evans was right to take a long leave from the ministry after his sin, he was wrong to not confess it. The decision to return should have been left to God and the universal church, not just to himself.
- Full Disclosure: Daniel Whyte III has stated multiple times that Dr. Tony Evans has done something for Whyte, his ministry, and his family that Whyte believes is unprecedented in the history of the church. Although Dr. Evans and Whyte have never met personally, God touched Dr. Evans’ heart to provide support for Whyte’s ministry and family, allowing Whyte to remain full-time in preaching the Gospel and the Word of God. This support was initiated by Dr. Evans; Whyte never requested it, and they have never spoken on the phone or exchanged emails. For this reason, Whyte has nothing but deep respect, honor, Christian love, and gratitude for Dr. Evans and his nearly 20 years of behind-the-scenes support.
Despite this, Whyte maintains that the way Dr. Evans has handled this serious matter, as well as the way other Dallas Theological Seminary graduates have handled their scandals, is wrong and will ultimately fail. Whyte offers four reasons why Dr. Evans’ return to the pulpit does not feel triumphant for him or for anyone who loves, honors, and respects him:
- Lack of Public Confession: Dr. Tony Evans has not publicly confessed or divulged the sin he committed. As he well knows, the Bible states, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Without public confession and a turning away from the sin, there can be no true prosperity or restoration.
- A Political Platform, Not a Preaching Venue: The Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, is a conservative political conference, not a conference for preaching the Gospel and the Word of God. This is a departure from the type of ministry Dr. Evans has historically excelled in.
- From Pastor to “Motivational Speaker”: From what Whyte has gathered, Dr. Evans appears to be taking a route similar to that of T.D. Jakes, shifting from his divine calling as an evangelist, prophet, and pastor to a “motivational speaker.” Whyte believes Dr. Evans is aware of this distinction, as both men shared the same Bible-believing mentor, Dr. John McNeal, Jr. It is possible that God has told Dr. Evans he can no longer speak for Him, or perhaps Dr. Evans has made that decision himself. It is also possible that his church board of elders, who may be aware of the sin, have told him he can no longer represent the Lord and the church in the same capacity. It may be a combination of all three possibilities; at this point, only God and Dr. Evans know for sure.
- Institutional Silence: It is notable that both the Oak Cliff Bible Church spokesperson and the Urban Alternative spokesperson have no comment regarding Dr. Evans’ public speaking. This silence is unusual and raises significant questions about the nature of his return.
Is Tony Evans really back in the ministry?
The Dallas megachurch pastor who stepped away from pastoral ministry last year due to unspecified past “sin” returned to preaching last month for a politically conservative conference in Iowa.
In June 2024, Tony Evans, 75, stated that he committed a sin many years ago that wasn’t criminal, but lacked “righteous judgment in my actions.” Announcing he needed to hold himself to the same standard as he’s required for others, he stepped down from leading Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, the church he founded and led for more than 40 years.
For the past year, Oak Cliff has remained quiet on the details or timeline of the restoration process that Evans was allegedly undergoing and whether he will return to preaching there.
Then on July 11, Evans spoke at the FAMiLY Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, sponsored by Iowa-based The FAMiLY Leader, a conservative Christian public policy group. Pastors and politicians spoke at the conference, with Evans as one of the headliners.
FAMiLY Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on July 11, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Facebook)
Although he’d been a past speaker at the summit, Evans joked in his speech that FAMiLY Leader CEO Bob Vander Plaats was hesitant to invite him back this year because Evans wasn’t “ready.” He then kidded that his readiness was related to whether or not he had had enough practice being a dynamic speaker.
Evans said he then offered Bob sample CDs of his sermons, but it wasn’t enough.
He finally offered, “Bob, I’ll come for free.”
Evans joked that Vander Platts said, “Now you’re ready.”
Vander Platts introduced Evans as a “dear friend” and someone who has cared about challenging men to be better husbands, fathers, and men of integrity.
“He is just a champion of the Gospel,” Vander Platts said. “He’s a champion of the family. He’s known all over the country and internationally. He has leaders’ ears, and they listen to him.”
The audience applauded as Evans took the stage.
The Roys Report (TRR) asked Oak Cliff spokesperson Lauren Stewart whether Evans has or will be returning to Oak Cliff to pastor or preach, and whether the church knew of or approved him to preach at the summit. She said the church has no comment.
TRR also reached out to the FAMiLY Leader to ask if they know the nature of Evans’ past sin and whether he has finished a restoration process. They didn’t immediately respond.
TRR also reached out to the spokesperson for Evans’ radio ministry Urban Alternative for comment but received no immediate response. Urban Alternative regularly posts archived sermons of Evans on its website.
At the conference in July, he preached about the importance of the church using the Great Commission to engage the world and culture without becoming part of conflicts. He likened this role to referees on a football field. Evans used to be the chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys, a role his son, Jonathan, a former NFL football player, now holds.
“I want you to disciple the culture,” he said. “Our job is to create a constituency of people. . . who understand that they are to reach up to heaven with their feet firmly planted in history so that the culture gets to see what the kingdom of God looks like when his representatives are on the field.”
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A Broken Return: Why Tony Evans’ Reappearance Falls Short
- Full Disclosure: I feel it’s important to state my relationship with Dr. Tony Evans up front. For almost 20 years, Dr. Evans has supported me, my ministry, and my family in numerous ways, even though we have never met in person. I did not ask for this support; it was a blessing from God through him that has allowed me to continue preaching the Gospel full-time. I have nothing but the utmost respect, honor, and gratitude for him.
Despite this personal connection, I believe the way Dr. Evans has handled this serious matter is wrong. It is part of a troubling pattern I have observed with other graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary who have faced similar scandals. His return to public speaking does not feel triumphant, for him or for anyone else who respects him. Here are four reasons why.
1. The Lack of Public Confession Dr. Evans has not publicly confessed or revealed the sin he committed. The Bible clearly states in Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” True restoration cannot begin without first admitting to and forsaking one’s sin.
2. A Political Stage, Not a Preaching Platform Dr. Evans’ first public speaking engagement is at The Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, a conservative political conference. For a man so known for preaching the Gospel and the Word of God, this is a surprising choice. This isn’t a setting for the type of ministry he is called to.
3. From Pastor to “Motivational Speaker” I’m concerned that Dr. Evans is taking the same route as T.D. Jakes, shifting from being a called pastor and prophet to a motivational speaker. I believe Dr. Evans knows better, as he and I shared the same mentor, Dr. John McNeal, Jr. It is possible that God has told him he cannot speak for Him anymore, or perhaps his church board of elders has told him he can no longer represent the Lord and the church in the same capacity. It may also be a personal decision. Only God and Dr. Evans know the full truth.
4. The Silence from His Organizations It is telling that the official spokespersons for both Oak Cliff Bible Church and The Urban Alternative have no comment regarding Dr. Evans’ public speaking. This silence speaks volumes and raises more questions than it answers.
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DANIEL WHYTE III WAS HONORED BY BEING NAMED ONE OF THE 17 MOST NOTABLE ALUMNI IN THE HISTORY OF THE 134-YEAR-OLD TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AND ONE OF THE 69 MOST NOTABLE ALUMNI IN THE HISTORY OF THE 53-YEAR-OLD LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.
DANIEL WHYTE III HOLDS THE FOLLOWING DEGREES FROM THESE UNIVERSITIES:
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY (D.Min. IN PROGRESS) LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY / LYNCHBURG, VA
MASTER OF THEOLOGY (Th.M.) / LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY / LYNCHBURG, VA
MASTER OF DIVINITY (M.Div.) / LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY / LYNCHBURG, VA
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN RELIGION, B.A. / TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY / FORT WORTH, TEXAS
BACHELOR OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES / BETHANY DIVINITY COLLEGE AND SEMINARY / DOTHAN, ALABAMA / HONORS: SUMMA CUM LAUDE
DANIEL WHYTE III WAS ALSO HONORED TO SIT WITH PRESIDENTS AND WORLD LEADERS BY BEING INVITED BY THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION TO ATTEND THE HOMEGOING OF DR. BILLY GRAHAM.
HE IS THE ESSENCE NATIONAL BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF “LETTERS TO YOUNG BLACK MEN” AND AMAZON BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF “LETTERS TO YOUNG BLACK WOMEN” (AFRICAN-AMERICAN CATEGORY.) HE HAS AUTHORED OVER 100 BOOKS.
HE IS ALSO THE FOUNDER, PRESIDENT, AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE 20-YEAR-OLD BLACKCHRISTIANNEWS.COM (BCNN1.COM), WHICH HAS IMPACTED EVERY DENOMINATION IN THE EVANGELICAL AND CHRISTIAN WORLD AND HAS IMPACTED PRESIDENTS, THE US GOVERNMENT, AND GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD ALONG WITH IMPACTING THE PUBLIC SQUARE. BLACKCHRISTIANNEWS.COM HAS BEEN NAMED THE #1 BLACK CHRISTIAN WEBSITE AND BLOG IN THE WORLD 4 YEARS RUNNING BY THE INDEPENDENT FEEDSPOT AND IS ON THE TOP 60 CHRISTIAN NEWS SITES LIST IN THE WORLD — RED, YELLOW, BLACK, OR WHITE.
HE HAS PREACHED THE GOSPEL AND THE WORD OF GOD IN PERSON ACROSS AMERICA AND IN OVER 24 COUNTRIES TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. HE HAS PREACHED THE GOSPEL AND THE WORD OF GOD PROBABLY MORE TIMES THAN ANY MAN IN HISTORY TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WITH THE HELP OF THE INTERNET AS HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL AND THE WORD OF GOD NEARLY EVERY DAY FOR OVER 8 YEARS, LIVE AND ON-DEMAND MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY TO THIS VERY DAY. “CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,” “EXILED ON THE ISLE OF PATMOS,” AND “PREACHING THE GOSPEL BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY” FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND JESUS CHRIST.
DANIEL WHYTE III IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE OVER-40-YEAR-OLD GOSPEL LIGHT EVANGELISTIC SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL AND THE OVER-37-YEAR-OLD GOSPEL LIGHT HOUSE OF PRAYER INTERNATIONAL. HE IS KNOWN WORLDWIDE AS THE PROPHET WHO PREDICTED THE CORONAVIRUS PLAGUE FOR OVER 10 YEARS BEFORE IT HIT IN RECORDED PREACHING AND WRITING. GOD ALSO LED HIM TO GUIDE THOUSANDS THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS PLAGUE THAT KILLED OVER 20 MILLION PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE SINS IN THE JUDAS-LAODICEAN CHURCH.
DANIEL WHYTE III’S GREATEST BLESSING IN THIS LIFE IS HIS QUIVER FULL OF 10 CHILDREN — DANIELLA (DANNI), DANIEL IV, DANITA EVANGELINE, DANAE MARY-LOUISE, DANIQUA GRACE, DANYEL EZEKIEL, DANYELLE ELIZABETH BREEDLOVE, DANIELLE TEKEELA, DURAN-DANIEL AND THE FIRST DANIEL IV (DECEASED AND IN HEAVEN WITH THE LORD), ALONG WITH GRAND-CHILDREN AND GREAT GRAND-CHILDREN.
DANIEL WHYTE III HAS BEEN UNBLISSFULLY BUT SEXUALLY SATISFYINGLY MARRIED TO HIS FIRST AND ONLY WIFE, MERIQUA WHYTE OF CHRISTIANA, JAMAICA, FOR OVER 37 YEARS SINCE DECEMBER 19, 1987. JESUS CHRIST SAID: “AND A MAN’S FOES SHALL BE THEY OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.” EVEN THOUGH MANY EVANGELICALS, CHARISMATICS, AND PROTESTANTS TRY TO ACT LIKE THESE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST ARE NOT A REALITY IN OUR MODERN CHRISTIANITY, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE SATANIC-DRIVEN PROSPERITY GOSPEL, OVER-POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY, WHICH IS A LIE, AND IS NOT BASED IN REALITY OR BIBLICAL TRUTH. HOWEVER, THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST ARE TRUE FOR EVERY PERSON WHO PREACHES THE GOSPEL AND THE OUTCOMES OF THE GOSPEL, WHICH IS A CHANGED LIFE AND OPPOSITION, THEREFORE TO FAMILY, LUKEWARM CHRISTIANS, LAODICEAN-JUDAS PASTORS AND CHURCHES, THE WORLD, AND THE DEVIL. THIS IS A REALITY, YES, IN OUR PRESENT EVIL WORLD.
WHILE DANIEL WHYTE III THOROUGHLY ENJOYS HIS MARRIED LIFE BECAUSE HE DID NOT ALLOW HIS WIFE TO HAVE HER WAY AT ANY POINT AND WAS AND IS SOLIDLY AND BIBLICALLY, THE HEAD OF HIS HOUSEHOLD THROUGHOUT THE MARRIAGE, WHO HAS OFTEN TIMES QUOTED JOSHUA “AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE’RE GOING TO SERVE THE LORD” “UP IN HERE!” AND BECAUSE HIS WIFE NEVER FAILED IN THE VERY IMPORTANT AREA OF SEX, WHICH HE GOT MARRIED FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE TO AVOID SINNING AGAINST GOD. HE HAS ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE PRIVILEGE AND JOY OF RAISING HIS CHILDREN IN THE LORD VIRTUALLY BY HIMSELF AND SERVING THE LORD WITH THEM EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIVES, FROM THE TIME THEY WERE BORN UNTIL THEY GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, BECAME ADULTS, AND MOVED ON AS GROWN PEOPLE.
HOWEVER, HIS WIFE MERIQUA WHYTE MOTIVATED BY SATAN, PHAROAH-STYLE PRIDE MIXED WITH THE WELL-KNOWN FEMALE JAMAICAN-STYLE PRIDE, STUBBORNNESS, REBELLIOUSNESS AND WITCHCRAFT HAS BEEN HIS GREATEST JUDAS ENEMY IN THE WORLD AND HAS BEEN WHAT PAUL SPOKE OF — A “MESSENGER OF SATAN” AND A “THORN IN THE FLESH.” AMAZINGLY AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD, GOD HAS USED THAT SATANIC EVIL OPPOSITION TO SPUR DANIEL WHYTE III ON TO PREACH THE GOSPEL PROBABLY MORE TIMES THAN ANY MAN ON RECORD, AND GOD HAS HONORED HIM BECAUSE HE DID NOT “HEARKEN TO THE VOICE OF HIS WIFE.” WHYTE TELLS OTHER CHRISTIAN MEN TO ONLY HEARKEN TO THE VOICE OF GOD AND JESUS CHRIST — NOT TO THEIR WIVES, AS SO MANY THOUSANDS OF CHURCH MEN AND OTHER MEN HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY PASTORS AND OTHER OLDER MEN DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS. REMEMBER WE ARE IN THIS WORLDWIDE MULTI-GENERATIONAL MESS BECAUSE ADAM HEARKENED TO THE VOICE OF HIS WIFE AND NOT TO THE VOICE OF GOD.
DANIEL WHYTE III TOLD HIS WIFE MERIQUA WHYTE BEFORE THEY GOT MARRIED THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO FAMILY LIFE AS HER PARENTS DID IT FOR THEIR MARRIED LIFE WAS HELLACIOUS AND ENDED IN DIVORCE, AS DID SOME OF HER OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE AUNT SHE WAS LIVING WITH. HE ALSO TOLD HIS WIFE WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO FAMILY LIFE AS HIS PARENTS DID IT BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO HELLACIOUS AND OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE HIS MOTHER WAS THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD, NOT HIS FATHER, BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, THEY NEVER GOT A DIVORCE. WHYTE TOLD HIS WIFE BEFORE THEY GOT MARRIED THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IT GOD’S WAY ACCORDING TO EPHESIANS CHAPTERS 5 AND 6 OR NO WAY AT ALL. AND THEN HE ASKED HIS WIFE ARE YOU WILLING TO DO MARRIAGE GOD’S WAY ACCORDING TO EPHESIANS CHAPTERS 5 AND 6, AND SHE SAID YES. AND WHYTE TOLD HER BEFORE THEY GOT MARRIED THAT IF SHE DOES NOT LIVE UP TO HER END OF THE DEAL, ALL BETS ARE OFF!
BECAUSE DANIEL WHYTE III’S WIFE MERIQUA WHYTE WAS SO PROUD, UNSUBMISSIVE, STUBBORN, AND REBELLIOUS AFTER THEY GOT MARRIED, GOD LED HIM TO READ EPHESIANS CHAPTERS 5 AND 6 EVERY DAY IN THEIR FAMILY DEVOTIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR MARRIAGE. IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE MARRIAGE DANIEL WHYTE III ALSO GAVE HIS WIFE A LIST OF VERSES FOR WOMEN FROM THE WORD OF GOD FOR HER TO READ, WHICH SHE STILL READS TO THIS DAY. HE ALSO BOUGHT HER MANY BOOKS TO READ TO HELP HER BE THE WIFE GOD WANTED HER TO BE.
WHYTE REALIZED EARLY IN THE MARRIAGE THAT HIS WIFE WAS NOT A BORN-AGAIN-SAVED PERSON EVEN THOUGH SHE LIED AND SAID SHE WAS BEFORE THEY GOT MARRIED. AFTER OVER 37 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, SHE IS STILL NOT SAVED NEVER BEARING ANY FRUIT OF A SAVED PERSON TO THE POINT OF NOT EVEN WANTING TO TELL HER CHILDREN “I LOVE YOU” AND NOT WANTING TO HUG THEM WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE CHILDREN EVEN AFTER HER HUSBAND TOLD HER TO DO SO. SHE ALSO HATED THE DAILY FAMILY DEVOTIONS THAT HER HUSBAND LED AND TRIED TO HINDER THEM. SHE ALSO DEMONICALLY HATED AND TRIED TO HINDER EVERY GOSPEL PREACHING SERVICE TO THIS VERY DAY.
HOWEVER, ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THEY ARE STILL MARRIED AND DESPITE THE DEVIL CONSTANTLY WORKING THROUGH HIS WIFE TO TRY TO HINDER HIM FROM PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD, HE IS STILL PREACHING THE GOSPEL AND THE WORD OF GOD LIVE AND ON-DEMAND THAT REACHES OVER 148,800 PEOPLE PER MONTH WITH OVER 21,000 UNIQUE VIEWS PER MONTH REACHING 149 COUNTRIES PREACHING THE GOSPEL AND THE WORD OF GOD IN 2 TO 3 SERVICES A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK. GLORY BE TO GOD!
Mrs. Meriqua Whyte, the Wife of Daniel Whyte III, Gave him the Best Father’s Day Gift Ever About 10 Years Ago When She Unexpectedly and Voluntarily Apologized for the First Time to Him and Their 7 Children for Not Being the Wife, Mother, and Christian Example of the Woman She Should Have Been Over the Past 37 Years of Marriage
by Meriqua Whyte
Here’s what Mrs. Meriqua Whyte wrote ten years ago after verbally apologizing to the entire family on Father’s Day right before church service:
Over thirty years of marriage. Over Thirty years of ups and downs. Over Thirty years of trying to make it a personal thing between my husband and me. Thankfully, he did not allow me to do that and kept telling me it was between God and me—over thirty years of acting on my feelings and not on what the Bible says. Over Thirty years of refusing to obey God’s simple command to a wife — to be obedient to your husband in all things. Over Thirty years of disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, lying, and dishonesty, all rooted in pride. Over Thirty years of simply not choosing to mature as a Christian.
God has been dealing with me for over thirty years now about changing my attitude and behavior as a wife, which has manifested itself in disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, lying, dishonesty, having an ungodly attitude and spirit, and simply not being the wife, mother, or example of a Christian woman that I should have been down through the years. (By the way, for those of you who may be thinking that my disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, lying, and dishonesty have resulted in adultery, I will say here that I have never committed any adultery or had sex with another man besides my husband, Daniel Whyte III since I have been born.)
God kept telling me I needed to stop my rebellious and stubborn behavior, apologize to my husband and children, and get my heart right with him, my husband, and my children. He sent others my way to tell me how to behave:
- My husband, but I didn’t want to hear it from him
- Other Christian women speakers
- Other preachers
- Books and other materials, but I would not take heed
I knew what to do, but I chose not to do it. The devil had me thinking and believing, as he is having a lot of wives and mothers thinking and believing, that your relationship with your husband and how you respond to your husband, be it positive or negative, will not affect your relationship with your children and your relationship with God. I say without hesitation that this is one of the devil’s lies, and sad to say, many wives and mothers are falling for this lie.
Another lie of the devil that Christian wives are falling for is that you can still have a strong relationship with God without being submissive to your husband. Lie! Lie! Lie! There is no truth to this. I know because I have experienced this and am still experiencing this as I am going through this breaking process, which is not happening overnight.
Even throughout my years of rebelliousness, stubbornness, and pride, I still kept praying the prayer I used to pray daily before I got married, “Lord, make me be exactly what You want me to be. Lord, break, make, and mold me into what you want me to be.” Well, God took that prayer seriously, and once you accept Him, He will begin the breaking process. It’s up to us how long that breaking process will take. For me, sad to say, it has taken over 30 years, and the breaking is not complete. In what way is God breaking me down right now? Well, our children have grown up; the three oldest have gone through and are still going through college and have gotten their degrees, and some are working on their second, third, and fourth degrees and are launching their careers and moving out. God slapped me into reality and truly intensified the breaking process. My husband told me before our first child was born and repeatedly while the children were young that my job was to love our children and make positive memories with them and that if I did that, I would have a wonderful relationship with them in time to come as adults. Well, I disobeyed God and my husband, who did not let up on his duties. And he has a wonderful relationship with our children, even the girls, and I don’t. However, God led me to break the day before Father’s Day finally, and while I was helping my husband get dressed to preach, I asked him if I could apologize to him and the entire family. That’s the first time I ever did that on my own. Throughout the years, he has always told me that I need to get my heart right with God, him, and my children; otherwise, I will never have the joy and peace of the Lord in my life. However, I kept on lying and denying that I was the problem.
Here is what I said to my husband and children on Saturday afternoon, June 17, 2017, the day before Father’s Day. My husband told the entire family that this was the best Father’s Day gift I have ever given to him:
“Daddy, children, I apologize for not being the wife, mother, and example of a Christian woman I should have been down through the years. I have shown nothing but pride, disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, and a bad attitude and spirit toward God and my husband in front of you. My disobedience and rebelliousness have caused much unnecessary unrest and upheaval in the family. As my husband told me, things could have gone much better if I had obeyed God’s word from the beginning. Please accept my apology, and I am asking you to forgive me.”
The diminishing of peace and joy in my life down through the years I brought on myself. Not having a proper relationship with God, my husband, and my children, I brought on myself—all because I chose the disobedient route. My number one desire is to live a life of peace—peace with God, my husband, and my children. I have learned that peace will not come as long as I live in disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, and pride.
I will end this with two notes: (1) Happy Father’s Day to my husband: you have been a great husband and Father. (2) Happy Children’s Day to my children: You all have been great children. I have no complaints whatsoever against my husband and, of course, children; you have never been at fault. My bad behavior is all on me, and I’m sorry I put you through this. May God bless your lives, and I love you.
BELOW IS THE PASSAGE IN THE BIBLE THAT DANIEL WHYTE III READ IN THEIR FAMILY DEVOTIONS EVERY DAY FOR DECADES — EPHESIANS 5:22 – 6:20 THAT COVERS THE BIBLICAL DUTIES OF THE HUSBAND, THE WIFE, AND THE CHILDREN, AND IT INCLUDES HOW TO FIGHT AGAINST THE DEVIL WHO IS SEEKING TO DESTROY THE FAMILY:
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
IF YOU WERE TO DIE TODAY, WHERE WOULD YOU GO: HEAVEN OR HELL? IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED” FOR JESUS CHRIST SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT WORDS EVER SPOKEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WHEN HE SAID, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.” READ FURTHER RIGHT HERE:
THE BIG QUESTION
GOSPEL LIGHT MINUTE X #447 WITH DANIEL WHYTE III
GOSPEL LIGHT MINUTE X #447 WITH DANIEL WHYTE III
This is the “Chief of sinners,” Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with the Gospel Light Minute X Podcast #447 titled, “The Big Question” I’m here to remind you of what the Bible says, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” like you and me.
“HAVE YOU BEEN BORN AGAIN?”
The question is not “Have you joined a church?” or “Are you trying to do your best?” or “Do you have religion?” but “Are you twice-born?” Jesus Christ said in John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.
We enter the physical world by birth. Spiritual life likewise is entered with a birth. We become members of a human family by birth; we become members of the family of God by birth, by being “born again.” There is no other way to get into the human family except by birth, and there is no other way to get into God’s family except by the new birth. Neither education, nor cultivation, nor reformation, nor “turning over a new leaf,” will accomplish this. What is needed is not a new “leaf” but a new “life”! “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
The question is not “Have you joined a church?” or “Are you trying to do your best?” or “Do you have religion?” but “Are you twice-born?” Jesus Christ said in John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.
We enter the physical world by birth. Spiritual life likewise is entered with a birth. We become members of a human family by birth; we become members of the family of God by birth, by being “born again.” There is no other way to get into the human family except by birth, and there is no other way to get into God’s family except by the new birth. Neither education, nor cultivation, nor reformation, nor “turning over a new leaf,” will accomplish this. What is needed is not a new “leaf” but a new “life”! “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
A New Nature Needed
By physical birth we become partakers of human nature; by being born again we become “partakers of the divine nature”. A Christian is the product of a divine “begetting”. The second birth is not an improvement of the old nature; it is the imparting of an entirely new nature. The old nature is hopelessly corrupt and incapable of ever being made fit for His presence. The new birth requires a creative act of the Holy Spirit. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature”.
By physical birth we become partakers of human nature; by being born again we become “partakers of the divine nature”. A Christian is the product of a divine “begetting”. The second birth is not an improvement of the old nature; it is the imparting of an entirely new nature. The old nature is hopelessly corrupt and incapable of ever being made fit for His presence. The new birth requires a creative act of the Holy Spirit. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature”.
Not “Trying” But “Trusting”
“Trying to follow Christ” is not Christianity. Christianity is not imitation of Christ, it is the indwelling of Christ. Christianity is not trying to do anything. It is trusting Christ Who has done it all! He has “finished the work” and there is nothing left to do but simply to receive and trust Him. He shed His precious blood on the cross and the work is all done once and forever! Cease trying and begin trusting! Believers will progressively become more and more like Christ, but by His power, not their own.
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”. The Bible says in 1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God”. The Bible states in John 1:12,13, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.
You are born again, you become a Christian by trusting a Person—receiving a Person. The very moment you do this, the Lord Jesus Christ comes in and life begins!
Simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”. The Bible says in 1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God”. The Bible states in John 1:12,13, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.
You are born again, you become a Christian by trusting a Person—receiving a Person. The very moment you do this, the Lord Jesus Christ comes in and life begins!
What Is Meant By “Believe”?
To “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” means more than simply believing the historic facts concerning Him. Intellectual belief about Christ is not sufficient. The belief that brings salvation must be “with the heart,” that is, with the whole being. This belief also includes repentance: “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”. The Bible states in Acts 17:30, “God … now commandeth all men every where to repent”.
To “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” means more than simply believing the historic facts concerning Him. Intellectual belief about Christ is not sufficient. The belief that brings salvation must be “with the heart,” that is, with the whole being. This belief also includes repentance: “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”. The Bible states in Acts 17:30, “God … now commandeth all men every where to repent”.
The faith which saves, then, includes the necessity to repent, and to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord, to rest upon Him alone for salvation. It means to trust Him so utterly and completely that, if He should fail, there would be no hope at all!
May I Know That I Am Born Again?
This is an important question. We know that we are born again by the testimony of God’s Word. God says in John 5:24, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as explained by God’s Word? If so, then you are saved, you are “born again,” you have “passed from death unto life.” God says so! Take God at His Word, and go on your way rejoicing!
This is an important question. We know that we are born again by the testimony of God’s Word. God says in John 5:24, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as explained by God’s Word? If so, then you are saved, you are “born again,” you have “passed from death unto life.” God says so! Take God at His Word, and go on your way rejoicing!
One Final Word
You may “belong to a church,” you may be “trying to do the best you can,” you may be “striving to live right.” Your outward life may be the model of moral correctness, and you may be looked up to, honored, revered, and respected. Yet, if you have not been “born again” you are just as lost as if you had never heard of Christ. Yes, you may teach in the Sunday school, read the Bible, sing, shout, “feel happy,” and all the rest—but if you have never been “born again” you are still in your sins and a stranger to the Lord Jesus Christ!.
You may “belong to a church,” you may be “trying to do the best you can,” you may be “striving to live right.” Your outward life may be the model of moral correctness, and you may be looked up to, honored, revered, and respected. Yet, if you have not been “born again” you are just as lost as if you had never heard of Christ. Yes, you may teach in the Sunday school, read the Bible, sing, shout, “feel happy,” and all the rest—but if you have never been “born again” you are still in your sins and a stranger to the Lord Jesus Christ!.
If you want to be saved from the wrath to come and from an eternity in Hell, and if you believe that Jesus Christ suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead and you are willing to trust Jesus Christ with all of your heart so you can go to Heaven, please pray with me what is called the sinner’s prayer: Holy Father God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I admit that I have sinned against You and that I have broken Your Ten Commandments. I have lied before. I have stolen things before. I have lusted after people and things before. I have dishonored and disobeyed my parents. I have taken Your holy Name in vain. For Jesus Christ’s sake, please have mercy and grace upon my soul and forgive me of all of my sins, my failures, and my faults. As I now believe in Your Holy Son the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that He suffered, bled, and died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to repent of my sins past. Help me to turn from my old, evil life and follow You in the new life. For it is in Your Name I pray. Amen.
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