Jack Burd’s Letter (originally sent April 16, 2000)
July 7, 2008
Dear Friends,
Addendum to the original TFTW: A part of this story that I left out when this was originally written was that Jack Burd taught my father the truth. We lived across the street from the Burd family when I was a little boy. The Burd family and my family were very similar in that both couples were in their late 30s/early 40s. Both families had young children. I was nine years old when this letter was written. My mother became ill with cancer and was given long odds at survival. My father suddenly became very interested in religion. The two most influential people in my father’s life were his Methodist pastor at the church he attended and our neighbor, Jack Burd. My father would ask both of them for advice. Per my father, Jack knew his Bible much better than the professionally- trained clergyman. My father was baptized a few years before Jack died. Our thanks to Sis. Jean Burd for allowing us to share Jack’s letter with a larger audience.
On January 4, 1971, a forty-two year old man sat in a hospital room and awaited news from the doctors as to whether he was going to live or die. A successful bank executive with a wife and three young children, his thoughts were drawn to the word of God and the duty of Christ’s brethren.
The letter which he wrote that day is as follows:
Awake, Brethren! Awake! Our prayer is that, through our present personal adversity, we might be able to arouse the brotherhood to Spiritual Awakening. That we might arouse the brethren as we have been personally so stimulated that “When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” (Lk. 21:31) That “Today” is the day of Salvation (Heb. 3:13). And above all, to rally the Brotherhood to a Great and Final Proclamation of the Glorious Gospel Message to the world about us, Jew and Gentile, that will comprise the generation that will witness the Lord’s Return.
The Lord warns the brethren as Twentieth Century Watchmen today as did Ezekiel centuries ago, “Son of Man, I have made thee a Watchmen to the House of Israel – “If thou warn the wicked, thou hast delivered thy soul.” “And thou givest him not warning – his blood will I require at thy hand” (Ezk. 3:17-21)! We are the last day watchman to the House of Israel. My Brethren, Awake! Awake to the opportunity and task before us to sound the alarm to a World about to perish for lack of spiritual understanding. We are the “light of the world” – let us not hide our light under a bushel!
Awake, Brethren! Awake! The “Logos” recently noted that in one trip to England that Brother Thomas held 149 public lectures. We today are indebted to his work in the Truth! How much proclamation of the Truth do you believe Brother Thomas would be involved in today with the signs of the Times we see! My present illness has served as a great spiritual awakening realizing my time and that of all the brethren may be very short. In the following observations made recently from my hospital bed awaiting the decision of the doctors, I only desire to share with you, untouched from my actual notes, the spiritual thoughts that I hope will arouse the Brotherhood to a Great Spiritual Awakening!
Thoughts in the hospital – Today, January 4, 1971, dawns as a day of Judgment for me with an assembly of doctors scheduled for this afternoon to decide, as it were, my fate. For about 3 months now I have recognized a change in my physical condition, and the past month since having the x-rays at Dr. Frederick’s office, I was fully aware of the great possibility of serious illness. Having had a case of pneumonia (possibly related to my condition) it provided an excellent cover to avoid worrying you, Jean, the children, and friends needlessly if final test results were to prove negative.
Well, today is the Day of Judgment in a mortal sense as I sit here and wait the decision of the doctors concerning the great mass seen in past weeks on my right lung. Is it serious, necessitating major surgery, and if so, will surgery provide any lasting relief? These have been the thoughts passing through my mind – how glad I am that I have been able to spare the family of this concern these past few weeks!
But as I sit here, this day of decision reminds me of a greater day of Decision – A Greater Day of Judgment – not far off – The Judgment Seat of Christ. And how I now can think of how it will be in that day when Christ calls us and decides – Do I live, or Do I die. As today, there is little one can do to change the decision of the Great Judge the day he appears at the Judgment Seat – such can only be done prior to Christ’s Judgment by a zealous life in the Truth and through daily prayers for forgiveness through Christ to our Heavenly Father each day of our lives until the Master calls. Thus, we cannot wait until the day of Christ’s Judgment to add to our record, for the records will be complete, and all the cry for mercy will be to no avail at that day. Christ’s day of Judgment is equally close at hand, even at the door! We who remain alive must strive to improve our record upon which His final verdict will be predicated.
Here I sit today – it has been a rewarding spiritual experience to be confined with such a tremendous pressure of a probable very adverse decision to be made by the doctors today. While I may fear his announcement, it has made me to very much conscious of that great final decision at the Judgment Seat of Christ should I not survive an operation or find myself hopelessly ill – for if I succumb to death, my next waking moment will be when Jesus calls me from the ground to pass the final and greater verdict – Life Forever, or Death Forever! Somehow, the cares of this life have become so unimportant – what loan we might make in business, what car we might drive – we are aware like never before that service to God is the only course that matters. We look back on our years in the Truth and realize how very failing I have been. I can only desire that God will grant unto me additional time to work in his vineyard; my everyday prayer that I with Jean, the children, and our brethren might all remain alive until the coming of the Lord becomes more earnest indeed at this time. Oh, to have a few more days before the night cometh if I should sleep before Christ comes!
Attendance yesterday at meeting with a one and a half hour reprieve from the hospital was indeed one of the most important events in my spiritual life – the opportunity to fellowship with God and Christ and those of like precious faith was most urgent to me before I was to possibly endure a most serious and dangerous operation from where I might never again join around the Table of the Lord, I fear. For I fear my illness is one unto death, (but) may it be the Lord’s will that I may be spared. As the believers in Ephesus were moved to tears when they said their good-byes to the Apostle Paul, so tears frequently entered my eyes realizing this may be the last time for me in assembly with brethren – and fearing most greatly that I would not be among those who will fellowship with the Master (at) the marriage supper of the Lamb. Yes, with tears in my eyes I partook, maybe for the last time ever, even for ever (if denied an entrance into God’s Kingdom), of the bread and the wine, being so thankful for being assembled that Sunday morning. Only if I could so feel each Sunday if the Lord spares me for a few more months, zealously looking to fellowship with brethren. If I am given additional time, then I may work diligently in the Lord’s vineyard until the day I fall asleep to await the Master’s Call. May I labor to bring up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, may I love my family and love the brethren and work together for their salvation. May the Lord be merciful to me, I pray.
Regardless, the great day of Judgment is now at hand and the more important verdict is pending before us all – What will be His verdict? For me? For each of the family? For each of the Brethren?
The doctor is at the door! The verdict is as to Hezekiah of old “set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live.” May the Lord through the prayers of the saints choose to spare me as he did Hezekiah, and if not, may I always be able to say as Jesus, “not my will but thine be done.”
In the Hope of Israel,
Jack W. Burd
Brother Jack died a few months after this letter was penned. His family, both spiritual and natural, live on as a testimony to his faith and love of the Truth.
Have a great week,
Due to the demands of Bible school season, I will be taking a brief four week break from the TFTW. In the meantime, I will share with you some TFTW classics. Enjoy!
Comments»
Bro. Kyle, Thanks for this rememberance of a dear brother. I was 13 years old when when I first heard Bro Jack speak at Kentucky Bible School in Evansville, Indiana in July 1965, and the sorrow I felt when I heard of his death a few years later. I barely remember how he looked but do remember how much he was loved by all. I have more clear memories of his brother, who was a physician, Bro Paul, as we saw him at bible schools for many years after Bro Jack’s untimely death. I enjoyed thinking of that bible school again and all the other brothers and sisters from my memory who are now asleep. Thanks for the memories.