Seeking To Be Faithful - With Harvey Plett

We sit down with retired minister, teacher, and counsellor Harvey Plett to get specific about what faithfulness to God looks like when it’s tested by feelings and daily choices. We talk Scripture, repentance, spiritual warfare, and the simple habits that keep a Christian life warm instead of slowly going cold. 
 We look at Romans 12:1–2 and Philippians 4:8 as a guideline for what it looks like to be and stay faithful. 

Website

YouTube

Instagram

LinkedIn

Music By: Viacheslav Starostin

Music From: Pixabay

Transcript

Intro

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Hello everybody, welcome back to Faithful Fables, the podcast dedicated to exploring the Christian themes and fantasy stories. Today we have a little bit of a different episode. So I have for a while had this idea of having uh discussing about what it means to be an end to stay faithful. And every skill and we encourage you guys to make this stage. What are we actually encouraging people to do? I think about that first. You know, think things geologically and not just based off of our feelings, things like that. And some of that will come into play in the conversation today. I wanted to kind of introduce him. I will be talking to Harvey Platt. And Harvey Platt is a retired minister, teacher, and counselor. He served at Sandbach Bible College for 45 years in every every position except being a women. It's also had the opportunity to serve not just as local church and church conference, but it's also had the opportunity to speak in countries like Mexico, Police, Paraguay, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Siberia. And when I was reading it, I thought 5050, conversation, my hope and that my prayer is that for everyone listening that they can learn something and that this can be encouraging. Yeah, it's really I think I even learned some stuff as we talked. And so I'm hoping that this can be educational and just inspiring to everyone listening. And so without further ado, here is Harvey Platt.

Harvey's Ministry

SPEAKER_03 3:22

Okay, well, um thank you for doing this. Um you are a retired minister, teacher, and counselor. My first question is what made you want to get into that line of ministry?

SPEAKER_00 3:39

That that is a very good question, and the answer may not be quite satisfactory. I'm not sure that I started off this right away wanting to go into that. I started off with my life when I became a Christian in my teen years and so on, that I was going to serve God with my life, whatever came up.

SPEAKER_03 3:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Whether that would be farming with my dad or or whatever it would be. And uh and then uh the door and the interest uh ch opened and changed so that I I enjoyed uh talking with people, and uh people felt it was helpful. So it sort of was I would say sort of a a natural development that uh because I I I was a social, I like connecting with people.

SPEAKER_03 4:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

And that uh did did that. And so that was sort of a I would say a natural thing.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

In that sense, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:31

When I when I read your bio, you had mentioned uh that at one point your dad had given you uh his blessing basically to to pursue what you wanted. And I'm just wondering how how big was that for you to have that blessing from him?

SPEAKER_00 4:46

That was very big.

SPEAKER_03 4:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

I uh yes, we were uh we were I I forgetting what I was fashing or uh hauling hay, whatever it was.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

And and um I was on the hay rack and he was pushing it up and and I had been to Bible school a year or two and uh and so and he had he had uh he had this dream of wanting to farm with the boys and uh and he sensed that I might not find a coon attraction. And so he that's and then so he responded, and that was well it set me free. I didn't have to worry about and think about well should I do what uh my father wished? Maybe that is God's will for me. But rather I was set free to move uh in that direction.

unknown 5:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:31

Right. No, that does sound like a huge turning point for you for sure.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Yeah, yeah, it was, yeah. It it was uh a good sense of freedom.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

Yeah. And so you had ended up being a professor at SBC. Um well, I guess you had many positions there over I think forty-five years there. Um various positions. Uh what uh subjects did you teach when you were a professor there?

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Oh, I have taught uh for for for that's a a good question, that's a hard one. I've taught almost every course.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

And and in the beginning, she was the school was developing.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

And then and I came in with the training and then with ideas, and then would introduce some courses.

unknown 6:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

I was working with people I brought introduced a guidance program into the school.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

Oh, okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Yeah. And so uh I and also I came in with history, uh studied, and so I'd I'd uh took the Mennonite and church history is what I basically also uh taught.

SPEAKER_03 6:35

Right, those were kind of your strong suits there. Yeah. Um yeah, and so you said that you kind of introduced the uh the counseling course into into the school there. And for your own counseling ministry, with your being social and your desire for that sort of thing, like did that sort of also develop naturally as time went on?

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Yes. It was sort of, yeah. Okay. And then also I decided to move in that direction, so then I I took a course of counseling or I went to uh uh seminars and so on and and uh developed it and uh ultimately yeah, it uh developed who it did, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

Okay, nice. And you had mentioned, I mean you and I have talked about this before, but also in your bio you had mentioned some of uh the things in count your counseling ministries, like your your spa uh battles with spiritual warfare, I guess with other people, and probably for your own as well. Um if you're comfortable sharing, do you have any uh stories or anecdotes from that aspect of the ministry?

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Uh well I uh uh the the free church here in Steinbach invited, I forget the name of the man now who it was, but he he came and he talked about uh the forces of darkness, and I went to the sessions and that opened the door and I I began to uh move into that direction because it sounded good. And then and then I would I would say that uh well one one of the stories that I could tell you is uh there was a there was a uh a person he has a native Indian background and he and had had trial as about eighteen years old and had trouble sleeping.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

There's always bad dreams.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

And so we got together, we prayed, and I in the name of Jesus commanded evil spirits and connectives to leave. They left. Then a day or two later we met and he and I asked him how things were going. He said, I haven't slept as well for years.

SPEAKER_03 8:44

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

So those experiences like that helped me to keep on uh uh working with that. Al also what I did in my counseling, I sort of made it as as a part of part of the thing if at all possible to also uh speak about the spirit evil spirits uh and uh not just do evil spirit, but rather they are part of the total thing. Right I dealt with that as well as with other issues.

SPEAKER_03 9:16

And I'm I'm guessing in a situation like this with that with that eighteen year old that you had helped. Um 'cause I I feel like a lot of people think like when it comes to like praying against forces of darkness and stuff that like maybe you visually see it or hear something happen and like you n visually notice it leave, but I'm guessing that's not always the case where it's necessarily noticeable. Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

And then I d I dealt with that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

Okay, very good. Um one thing on your another thing I should say on your bio that stood out to me, um, you had mentioned you served on the Board of Missions for the EMC conference, mm-hmm and that when your term had expired, there were some people that were happy because of your stance on the women's issue. Um I wanted to ask you what that was all about.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Oh, that I was I have I have always uh been uh on the side that not to ordain women.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

So that uh that that is one one issue that was there.

SPEAKER_03 10:35

That would be like I guess as pastor or or as a minister, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Yeah, ordained as a minister.

SPEAKER_03 10:42

Yeah. Okay. And and I feel like, I mean, from what I've learned growing up and everything that from even from scripture that, you know, we see Paul saying that uh as far as like structure and hierarchy in in a church, that uh woman should not be ahead of man.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:07

And I feel like a lot of people think that's right away is like a sexist thing, but yet the reason Paul gives in Timothy is that it goes um back to creation, that because Adam was created first. And would that be would that be your understanding of that passage?

SPEAKER_00 11:23

Yeah, that's yeah, that's part of it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

It's it's uh it's uh uh it's somewhat of a difficult question at times to answer completely, but but yes, that's part of it, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:33

Right. And I and I guess that's not to say too that that women have no part in church or anything like that either.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Oh no, absolutely no. No, no, no, no, no, no. They bring lots of good gifts in this world. Exactly.

What it Means to be Faithful

SPEAKER_03 11:45

Yeah. Okay, very good. Um what I'd like to know is what does it look like for a Christian to live a faithful life?

SPEAKER_00 11:55

That's that's that's a b big question. And I but I won't give you that uh the full answer. I would say uh it looks uh what it looks like is that the decisions that you make reflect the teaching of the Word of God.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

Right.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

And and I would say if I would take some Bible verses with this, one of the things that uh one of the verses or two verses I would take is from Romans twelve verses one and two, where he says, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, that by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed on you of your mind, that you may prove the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect. And so what you have here is uh to give ourselves to God and live and and sacrifice for Him and and do that which is right, and that is is the spiritual worship and and then also seek to not be conformed to the world. You know, some some things uh in the world are are okay, but some things you don't conform to.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Right.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

I would look at HSU and say, uh, just a minute. This is a difficult passage, this is a difficult, this also takes you in the wrong direction, and so I I don't go there.

SPEAKER_03 13:15

Right. Yeah, I guess if if something would cause you to sin, then obviously you wouldn't do that. Right or you would you would strive to not do that.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Um exactly.

SPEAKER_03 13:32

Right. And obviously, you know, we're not perfect, we're still gonna sin. I I feel like part of being faithful is also living this with this lifestyle of repentance where when we do mess up, we confess it and then we do our best to turn away from that.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Yeah, that's right, exactly. Okay. And here's another verse that gets h helpful. Philippians 4 8.

unknown 13:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever's lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things which you have learnt and received from God. Do.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

And the peace of God will be with you. So those are those are you know that you have to you develop your thinking and do that which is right in harmony with the word of God.

What Happens When we are Not Faithful

SPEAKER_03 14:26

Right. Yeah, and I would assume too that you know we you know on a daily basis we take we take that and we we ask the Holy Spirit like for help. And yeah, something I've been trying to do for myself lately is okay, like, what what do I need to learn from this circumstance or this situation? How can I still honor you in this or or whatever? And even if it's like little things that maybe seem insignificant but could also, you know, be really uh I guess not or significant really. Yeah, yeah. I guess we talked about what it looks like for a Christian to live a faithful life. Um in your estimation, from what you see from scripture, what happens when um a Christian, a true believer, ends up not living a faithful life?

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Well, if he ends up and keeps on living that direction, uh he will for some that will lead him from uh sin to greater sin to more obvious sin and to badness. Uh for others it will be more just a cold kind of thing, and uh not not warm and and not reflecting Christ.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

And and and uh uh it it will uh l lead you really into sin. If you don't uh follow God, you then you're gonna move in the wrong direction.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Right.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

And so the life is going to get b turn turn bad in my mind. It'll t it'll take some time, but that's the direction it goes that you have to really sort of commit yourself to God and and live that way.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Yeah. I guess it's kind of a like a slow turn, like over time.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

I guess that's too why like we mentioned before, like living with that attitude and mindset of repentance where where like you said, like you don't you don't continue down that path of living in sin, like you you turn from it and and um Yeah, you have to just give and you know that that's wrong, then you stop doing it. Right.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

That that's that that's the nature of the Christian life.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

Like it like like uh flipping phrase says what is uh true, what is pure and gracious, those things that glorify God fine. But if it becomes selfish it and so on, then you better uh check out.

How to Stay Faithful

SPEAKER_03 17:01

Right. Yeah, and that obviously I think it goes without saying, but that's obviously difficult to do because our fleshly desires are are often so much stronger than the desire to do the right thing and yeah and do what God calls us to do. And so it's a it's a daily struggle for many people, and um I guess that could kind of actually lead into the next question, which what what can Christians do to stay faithful to God?

SPEAKER_00 17:34

And that is they make a decision.

SPEAKER_03 17:36

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

And honor of doing it is uh every m you could every morning when you start off with the day even before you get up. Father, I thank you that you're giving me a good sleep, and now I commit myself to you that today I will glorify you, guide and direct me, and help me to stay away from the evil and to do the right. Sort of a prayer of commitment.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Right.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

And then move forward. Now that very very consciously decide, that's my life. And that that's what you have to do. You have to make a conscious decision that I'm going to seek to live the Christian life.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

And then some things that may be enjoyable but and not uh necessarily good, you decide, no, I don't think I'll do that. That may be problematic for me.

SPEAKER_03 18:19

Right. And I think I think that's too where our conscious conscience can help us. Well, oh yeah, and like, you know, e if something's a little bit uncomfortable, then okay, maybe we should assess like why do I feel uncomfortable with this.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 18:36

Is this a good thing or not, sort of thing. Yeah, and I I like what you say about uh you know deciding daily to do it because I think even you know with love something like love, like loving a partner or something, like it's it's something you have to decide and choose to do every day. That's right. Regardless. I think a big thing too is it's the choice to do that regardless of how we feel about it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

The feeling the feelings the feelings don't decide you do you may you may feel good about something's bad, but if it's bad and it's bad, don't do it.

SPEAKER_03 19:20

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

Yeah, because I know conscious decisions to do the right.

SPEAKER_03 19:25

Yeah. And I know there's times too where we we might not feel like you know, living for God or doing this thing or this good thing or doing the right thing. We might not feel like it, but yet it's still the right thing to do, right? To that's right, do it anyway. I I think of sometimes the idea of let's say even you know, singing worship songs on Sunday morning, we might not feel like it, but yet God is we uh you know, it's our it's the right thing to do to worship him anyways.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

Yeah, that's that's right. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's that's right thinking, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:09

Yeah. Well, so I guess to sum it all up, living a faithful life for God is just to to set your mind on him and the good things and that we should be thinking about. And then yeah, it's just that choice to to keep in that mindset and to keep in even asking him to align our wills with his and so that we can we can live for him in that way.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Yeah, and that he will show you and that he will guide you and that you're open to him and that you're asking the spirit to guide you and and and to help you.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:45

And and it's uh it says that the Christian life is a decision to live according to what the Bible teaches, pr the principles.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

And that's how how you are a Christian. It's not automatic, it's a very conscious decision to to follow the truth here.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

Yeah. And that's and I think from from reading your even reading your bio that you sent me, um and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like you know, your your journey is kind of proof that when we're faithful to God's calling, that he will open doors for us and give us opportunities to serve him uh in ways that we might not have even thought.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

That's right. That's exactly obedience leads to new paths. Yeah, absolutely. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 21:36

Yeah. And and trusted God in those things as well.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

And of course, not everyone. But but it's it's interesting to think about like, you know, if I'm if I'm faithful with Allah, you know, w what will I what what w who knows what I'll get from it, right?

SPEAKER_00 22:13

And Exactly. Yeah. No, you seek to be faithful day by day. And sometimes that's a difficult because there's so much to to do, but you do that. And that that is what uh helps you in your Christian life.

SPEAKER_03 22:27

Right. Well I think that covers it.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Okay. I think it's has it do you think it has been helpful?

SPEAKER_03 22:34

I think this has been very helpful, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Okay. Yeah, well uh good. Then feel free to call again if you wanted to talk about issues.

SPEAKER_03 22:41

Absolutely. Absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:45

Thank you. I appreciate the time.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

Hey, no problem. No no problem. That is uh part of being Christians to help one another.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

And if this helps a little bit of my experience, I've ha lived longer than you. Praise the Lord. Let's hear here it is.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

And it gives me also a sense of peace. Hey, here's a chance you could help it you did good.

SPEAKER_03 23:06

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:08

And then and then yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 23:10

And that and I do appreciate it so much. You've uh you've helped me a lot over the years, and this is another way of of doing that. So I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 23:19

Well, that's good. Praise the Lord.

SPEAKER_03 23:20

Yeah, amen. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

Okay, can I have a short prayer?

SPEAKER_03 23:25

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Father, it's been good to talk to Lorne. I thank you for him, his commitment to you, and I pray that as he and as I decide to follow you every day, that you're going to bless and guide and direct us and help us sense where we should say no to and where we should say yes to. I pray against the forces of darkness that will seek to lead us astray. And I just pray that I will sense when to say no one so no one will as well. And then, Father, your Holy Spirit lives in us, we're his temple, and we I pray that I I will commit myself and he will to to live obediently to it, and that you will use us in a powerful way to bless the people around us and to help us as we have opportunities to serve you, that we will be able to do so. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

Amen. Thank you, Harvey.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

You're welcome.