Dr. Ray Dugger 4

 Dr. Ray Dugger 4

One day Pastor Ray Dugger told us of how he himself had gotten started in the ministry. He was scrimping and saving, trying desperately to save enough money for getting into Bible college. But he was short. Not deterred he began to pray earnestly for the Lord to provide.

He just needed a certain amount to add, and he would have enough. Where could he possibly find such money? Reading one day in the newspaper, he found an ad for a contest. The contest was to find a better and lighter cake frosting, and the winner of the contest would take home—you probably have guessed it—exactly the amount that Ray was praying for.

Bowing his head, he prayed, “God, I need this money to get into school. If you want me to get into school, please help me to win.” He worked earnestly, for hours, and the hours turned into days. Somehow, he came up with the idea of using a lighter cream, whipped cream, as part of the formula.

Needless to say, he won the contest, got into school, and became a minister. For me, the most refreshing part of his stories were that God seemed to personally communicate with him. He answered prayer. He directed footsteps. God was alive in his life in sharp contrast to the sleeping God of the Seventies Churches.

I wrote these reflections, remembrances of a man who walked with his God, and invited all those he could to enter into the walk with him. But he also imparted doctrines and lessons from his study of the Scriptures that I carry with me today.

He began in late winter teaching us about the Ten Sabbaths. Point by point, pointing to the Scriptures over and over, he shared the Scriptures which clearly teach the Saturday Sabbath in not the only Sabbath taught in scripture. I remember wondering why this was significant, since much of the teaching had to do with law, and it seemed based in rules and such that we, as Christians, were no longer responsible for. He even taught, correctly, that there was a Sabbath year, and another Sabbath to be held every fifty years. All of it was backed up with Scripture verses, and I remember copiously following his lessons, but I was still confused about the significance of what he was teaching.

It all became clear when just before Easter he began teaching about the crucifixion week. Friday was impossible, he declared. Christ was probably raised early on Wednesday night, and spent three days and three nights dead. This is clearly true based on the Sabbath days he had spent so much time teaching. Christ was killed on the Day of Preparation, the day before Passover which was the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. There was not one ordinary Sabbath day. Instead there were two Sabbaths together, and possibly even three.

I remember the young people learning in wonder at the truths he had carefully extracted from the Scripture. Fifty years later I still remember his teaching, rolling around in my head all those years. It finally came out in my latest book, Literally True, in a chapter entitled “Not Friday”.

So you might think that I am incredibly thankful to this man (and you would be right), who taught us to reverence for the Bible, and along with that reverence, a high regard to pay attention to details. I do look forward to seeing a glorified Ray Dugger in heaven. A man who took the time to share his personal walk with a fascinating God. I can hardly wait to see the exalted saint God will turn him into!