Ed Young, a legacy of sharing his personal walk through bible study with us all

Ed Young has been a courageous unwavering fundamentalist head pastor and teacher of the Bible at 2nd Baptist Church of Houston for 46 years. I've attended many bible studies with Ed Young that ministered to me and taught me to dig deeper far beyond religious dogma into world history, other cultures, geological history, physics and even other religions and belief systems.

Never a "feel good" teacher of false doctrine, like so many mega charges, Ed Young simply taught the Bible and encouraged each person to grow a personal relationship with the Lord God Creator of the Universe through the Holy Spirit...that still quiet ever present voice of God. He taught people to "be still and listen" and hear the voice of the living God above all else.

One spring morning in the late 1990's, from the pulpit, Ed was clearly fighting allergies like the rest of us that weekend. The flower arrangement donated by a church member that morning contained an array possibly 50 Tiger Lillies, a flower whose pollen is a toxic allergen to some and Ed was one of them. Sneezing, wheezing and watery eyed, Ed fought his way through the sermon to complete it the message, prayers for deliverance and the "alter call" for those that felt moved to change their lives and dedicate themselves to learning more to come forward and the church members would help them find the right bible study groups that might be a good match.

Then as he was wrapping up, he apologized for his sneezing, watery eyes, snot and coughing and explained his severe allergies to the Tiger Lilly in particular. He thanked the family repeatedly that had donated that floral arrangement as their deceased mother, who he knew well and adored, who had been a Gardner and grower of Tiger Lillies.

Then, in a moment of extreme humor and humility, he begged and plead that no one ever donate Tiger Lillies for the Sunday floral arrangement ever again, but, for her it was worth suffering. We were all both in tears and laughter. A week later, we were all still in laughter about it with one pastor stating that it was Ed's kryptonite.

Young taught against "tribalism" and "group think" as having NO basis in a fruitful life with peace in our individual spirits. Ed identified the dangers and flat out destruction of idolizing or worshiping pastors, politicians, actors, performers, pop artists as cult leaders and certain road to disaster, misery, disappointment and failure. He rightly pointed out that all men including himself are sinners and fall short of model of Jesus the Christ. And many who "turn away from God" or are "turned off by religion" did so inside due to the certain failure of this failed ideology of "person worship" which is a idolatry.

Legalism was another area Pastor Ed identified as path to failure comparing the more than 1 million laws, statutes, regulations, Acts, ordinances, tariffs, licenses, fees, taxes and fines in which we live under in direct opposition to LIBERTY and freedom taught by the Christ in his teachings of healthy bountiful life in harmony with the Lord God creator of the universe.

This one concept was the basis of the church becoming a force in politics nationally, statewide and locally with a stabilizing and accountability to the people effect for decades. It was replicated in communities across the nation.

Young was careful to continually warn his congregations to never trust the recommendations of man in politics, rather, to pray and listen to the Holy Spirit about who they should vote for in elections to be involved with there governance as much as they feel lead in their personal relationship with God. He was careful and respectful to never put his "stamp of approval" on politicians and in fact would say "because this man or woman is on our stage speaking to you is in no way an endorsement by the church" over and over again. To the best of my knowledge, the closest Pastor Young has come to endorsing a candidate personally was as described.

Ed is about teaching the masses through all media to enter a relationship with the Holy Spirit with the Lord God creator of the Universe as ultimately, your happiness in life is based on that one fundamental concept. It is the adventure of our lifetime and the only worthwhile goal.

Also taught that we better get that one thing right, as no one knows the day, the hour or the minute in which the life of this physical world ends for each of us and when that time comes, our eternal souls will already know the Lord God creator of the Universe or we will never know Him eternally.

My bible is full of notes from Ed Young's sermons, which, in my opinion were nothing more than Ed sharing his personal bible studies, awakenings, observations and breakthroughs in understandings with us live and on TV.

And just to be clear, Ed is man that looks you in the eyes when he talks to you and doesn't mince words. Sometimes haunting, what words he uses in a personal conversation. I was fortunate to get to know him personally and recently become re-acquainted at a friends home and it was just like no time had passed at all. How he remembered me with 80,000 members and probably 100 times that many visitors in his lifetime was remarkable to me.

He may have retired the business role, but, I am certain he is not done teaching and encouraging people to enter their personal quest to a relationship with the Lord God creator of the universe.

But, I bet his golf game improves...

God Bless you Ed Young. We appreciate you so much. From a grateful city and community.https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/ed-young-houston-second-baptist-19479117.php?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0_ZfuWdJ0z7fs4xprKl94bcHdXbNmbWYZBIxB6f-XFit4EPrem_p47RyY_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw