Well-known television host of
In Search of the Lord's Way
reveals his struggles and triumphs. His father did not understand his
faith: ''If you are going to preach that doctrine, do not come back here
to live.'' He preached anyway. Mack learned early on that taking a
stand ran parallel with persecution.
The depression years, the war years, and the booming economic
years—Mack Lyon worked through them all with an underlying conviction
that the Lord was helping him. He often quipped that 1 Timothy 1:12
should be on his tombstone: ''I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath
enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the
ministry...''
Maybe he could not outpreach other evangelists—but he could
outwork them! He planted churches in Arizona, Australia, New Jersey, and
largely in Oklahoma. Within two years of his coming, most congregations
doubled in size. Some tripled.
My Ebenezer holds instruction for
preachers, delights for historian, and inspiration for Christians. A
wealth of photos tell what words cannot.
Understand the man behind the television screen who preached to
more than 300 million viewers during the course of his 30-plus years of
television work. He could have been a business man, a funeral director,
or a school administrator. But he was called to become a preacher.
Review from Gospel Advocate Magazine:
[My Ebenezer] is
liberally sprinkled with interesting photos of family, acquaintances, and
church buildings where he preached. He also tells how his adopted children were
brought into the family . . .
The technical design of My Ebenezer is
impressive. Although reasonably priced, the book has the layout and appearance
of a much more expensive publication. It is an exceptionally well-bound hard
book with attractively laid-out pages. It also has a helpful index.
Ernest Clevenger. Gospel
Advocate, "Reviews.” (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, March 2014, vol.
156, no. 3) 4.
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Little-known events from My Ebenezer:
* A mysterious teacher engaged a preacher for a
gospel meeting in Mack’s mother’s Sunday school. Providential detail: That
preacher, C. A. Magness, baptized Mack into Christ—August 1934.
* More than once, Mack was told, "You can’t
preach. Give up and seek another job.”
* Mr. Lyon asked, as Mack was leaving for
worship, "Are you serious about this preaching business?” After a very
respectful "yes sir,” his daddy replied, "Then when you get back today, pack
your things and move out.”
* Family embarrassment in Coalgate, Oklahoma:
Mr. Lyon caused a scene by obstructing the bus scheduled to take Mack on the
first leg of his trip to enroll in a Tennessee Christian college.
* Jimmy Swaggart
derided the church of Christ on national television: "By the turn of the
century, not one of them will be left.” For business reasons, station
management soon put Swaggart off the air. Mack Lyon signed for Swaggart’s time slot and began the Search program.
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My Ebenezer is hard to put down. Watch Mack fall in love with a
red-headed teen, Golda Eaton. How did that young couple cope with childless-ness?
How was Golda’s last wish tied to hi
