Shamgar was the third Judge of Israel whose heroic actions led to peace in Israel for an unspecified period of time. He is mentioned in only two verses in Scripture.
Ten years ago, at the time they came, he planned to stay 5 years, Lord willing, and then retire at NORMAL retirement age. It was all part of his plan and he had planned well. Nothing about their ministry here would be normal. Immediately after coming to Balboa Baptist, the church voted on expanding into an additional Bible Study space, kitchen, and a large multi-purpose room – essentially doubling the square footage of the church and to take on a multi-million-dollar debt. At the time, the Village was not growing, and the average member's age was that of their parents. The vote to proceed? Less than overwhelming. Under normal circumstances, moving forward wouldn’t have made sense.
This is my final column. I’m retiring. In 50 years of ministry, one verse has been an anchor. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).