The first thing that came to my mind, based only on the behavior and not on 
any knowledge of the person, was that perhaps he got involved in something 
he thought at first was a Christian ministry but which turned out to be a 
cult of some kind.  I hope I'm wrong, but that's where my mind went.  Do you 
know his wife well enough to express your concern?  Or can you email the 
friend and check up?  But if the Lord isn't leading you to do so, perhaps 
it's not the right thing to do.  But the fact that it's on your mind enough 
to write to the list about him may be the Lord's leading.

Peggy
http://kernsac.livejournal.com/
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 7:21 PM
Subject: What Would You Think?


> This is a true story.  My best friend told me about three years ago, he
> lives in another state, that based upon what his church was giving him to 
> do
> as far as ministry expansion was concerned, he wouldn't be able to talk to
> me as often.  I wasn't certain what that meant because we had only been
> talking about once or twice every two years at that time.  When we did 
> call
> each other, after a year, or more had passed, we would often talk for 
> hours.
> A couple of days would pass, and one of us would call again and we would
> talk for hours once again.  Then another year, sometimes two, would go by,
> and we wouldn't talk at all by phone.  Once and awhile we would exchange
> emails but otherwise, it was quiet between extended periods of time.  When
> he told me three years ago that he would be working on a special project 
> for
> his church and that he wouldn't be able to call like he used to, even back
> then, knowing what the project was, I couldn't understand why he was 
> telling
> me he wouldn't be able to talk as often when we weren't talking all that
> often in the first place.  No, I have not called him in three years 
> either.
> Why?  Because he said he would be busy and when I have thought, and 
> prayed,
> for him, I have not felt the Lord telling me to call.  On top of that, I
> have emailed him probably a half a dozen times, and once, I got a reply, 
> but
> it was very short, like a single sentence and had no information 
> concerning
> what he was doing, his family, the ministry, or anything of a personal
> nature.  His message simply acknowledged he got my message.  That was
> perhaps a year ago.  Now, what would you think by this point?  This man 
> and
> I have been closest of friends since bible college days when we were
> roommates.  We did everything together.  We even traveled together and
> preached in churches together for a couple of years back in the seventies.
> We have always kept in touch and spent hundreds of hours on the phone
> talking about the Lord.  He is one of the most faithful men of God I know
> and He has the gift of evangelism and probably wins more people to Christ
> than anybody I personally know.  It is natural for him.  So, without 
> knowing
> the ministry he was asked by his church to do, what's your best guess 
> about
> this situation?  We used to call each other and discuss personal things we
> were facing.  Now, for three years, nothing.  Dead.  No, if he were dead,
> his wife would call me.  So, it has really confused me to think about it
> because it just isn't like this friend of mine who is a pastor.  It seems
> very mysterious to me for some reason.  Why would you tell your best 
> friend,
> someone you only speak to once or twice every other year, that you 
> wouldn't
> be able to talk as much because your life was going to be taken up by the
> new ministry you were in.  What, by the way, do you think we always talked
> about during those hours on the phone?  Jesus.  We talked about nothing 
> but
> Jesus, the ministry, winning people to Christ, theology, the Holy Spirit,
> and never about anything else.  Jesus is what my friend and I have slept,
> dreamed, eaten, and talked and walked about our entire lives.  It is all 
> we
> cared about period.  Even when we traveled, we talked hour after hour 
> about
> the Lord and His Word.  Like I said, it is very strange but I feel no
> leading to make contact.  Any ideas?
>
> Phil.
>
>
> He's ready when you are.
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
>