Story by Rick Vacek
Photos by Gillian Rea
GCU News Bureau
Grand Canyon University students regularly study technology, methodology and terminology.
Monday, they were introduced to a highly persuasive teaching method: Mackey-ology.
That’s the name Terry Mackey uses to describe his pet sayings, such as this beauty during his inaugural talk to Chapel on Monday morning at GCU Arena:
“If God is the beginning and the end, that means He can stand in the beginning, look to the end and tell you at the beginning how it’s going to end because He’s the beginning and the end.
“I think an ‘Amen!’ goes right there. (Crowd applauds.)
“Because you can see down the street, but God can see around the corner and over the horizon.
“It is PRUDENT … for YOU … to PUT … your TRUST … in HIM!”
The Pastor of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, dressed in a stylish, baseball-style black jersey with the church's name in script, clapped his hands as he uttered that last sentence, pausing on the words for emphasis. His oratory fire, like his faith, cannot be extinguished. Nor can his ability to quote Bible passage after Bible passage.
He did just that at the start of his talk, with great effect. First, he quoted Psalm 20:7:
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Then Psalm 34:8:
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.
Then Psalm 91:1-2:
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
And, finally, Solomon’s words in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
“If we cannot trust ourselves, if we cannot trust other people, then who can you trust?” Mackey rhetorically asked his audience. “I’m so glad you asked. You can put your trust in God because He has always been and He will always be trustworthy.”
More teaching: The word “trust” takes on a different meaning in Hebrew, he said. It means to put all of your weight on God:
“Sometimes when you lean totally on God, it seems like you’re going to fall. But I’m here to tell you, looks can be deceiving. … You may slip, you may trip, you may slide, but under the canopy of God’s care, you will never fall. You have to put all you have totally on Him.”
Then another Bible reading, Jude 1:24-25:
To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
And another, Proverbs 16:25:
There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
God’s Word contains God’s ways.
It was time for more Mackey-ology. He went into a relatable discourse about the owner’s manual, which in most cars sits in the glove compartment, never to see the light of day. God has given us an owner’s manual, too, and Mackey has a saying for what happens when it’s not utilized:
“Dusty Bibles can lead to dirty lives.”
That means it should affect how we live our lives, he added, quoting from Joshua 1:8:
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
He then shared a story comedian Kevin Hart has told. Hart was a shoe salesman but wanted to take a shot at comedy, so he asked his mother if she would pay his rent for one year while he tried to make the transition. He promised her he’d find another career if it didn’t work out.
She said she would do it, but on one condition: He had to read the Bible.
At the end of each of the first three months, Hart got a notice that his rent was overdue. He called his mother each time, and she responded the same way: “Did you open the Bible I gave you?”
Finally, he did … and the rent checks for that entire year came tumbling out.
“When you open up the Word of God, whatever you need will come out and will be a blessing to you,” Mackey said. “If you need joy, it will come out. If you need peace, it will come out. If you need love, it will come out.”
But only if you let God direct your path. More Mackey-ology:
“When you let God control your way, when you let God choose your way, then God will clear your way. I know He’ll do it because I’ve experienced it myself.”
And that’s how Mackey-ology fits with the most important lesson of all at GCU – theology.
● Chapel replay.
● Next week: No Chapel (spring break)
****
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