These All Died in Faith
Published: February 2007
This article is dedicated to a friend who recently went home to be with the Lord after a lengthy fight of faith with cancer. Pastor Steve Valentine and his lovely wife Kay were to be speakers at our church this week--appropriately at this time of honoring couples (they were in demand every year at this time!). In Pastor Steve's honor, I share this perspective article with you, my eulogy to him (download link at the bottom of this article), shared at his glorious funeral last November in Missoula, Montana at Clark Fork City Church.
I have had the wonderful privilege of being in the ministry more than forty years. In that time, while we have seen many miracles, healings and demonstrations of God's power, we have also walked through the valley of the shadow of death with many people. I lost my father to cancer when he was only 49; my wife lost her father; our little 18-month-old nephew died in our arms; we lost two babies to miscarriage; we said good bye to family, friends, loved ones and precious saints who have all passed from this life into eternity. I have had to oversee the funerals of many people — some were very difficult situations such as suicides, murders or sudden and unexpected deaths.
We are believers in the greatest power on earth — the power of God through a risen Savior. We believe He provided for our healing on the Cross and that by His stripes we were healed. We trust in Jehovah Rophe — the Lord our Healer!
We live in a world where the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Our fight is a fight of faith against all enemies and we access every spiritual weapon available to us to engage this battle and take a stand against our adversary in every way possible.
Throughout the history of faith, believers have had both uncommon victories of faith and have equally shown uncommon courage in the face of suffering and seeming defeat (Hebrews 11:35-40). Others who suffered and were tortured were not willing to accept deliverance. The Bible says these all "obtained a good testimony through faith" even though they "did not receive the promise."
Throughout Christian history, believers better than us, were killed and tortured and suffered great affliction for the name of Christ. And every day in our modern history people suffer and die horrible and ignominious deaths. We all ask these questions of God as to why He allows this suffering, this sickness, this cruel death.
There certainly may be answers- most of which we are not capable of understanding or receiving. But the issue is trust in the living God — who has not just promised us abundant life now but also eternal life forever and ever.
If we begin with the end in mind, we can trust God that what He has prepared for all of us in heaven is so far beyond what we could ask or imagine — that it is worth any temporary suffering we might endure here on earth. This light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Our life on earth — at its best stretch — is like a vapor and a brief dream in the night. Eternity on the other hand with our Lord is immeasurable and unfathomable!
Heaven is such a glorious reward that God calls the death of one of his saints "precious" in His sight. Paul the apostle, who had apparently seen visions of heaven, said it was "far better to depart and be with the Lord" than to remain on earth.
Nevertheless, believing that God has a purpose for us on the planet to fulfill in our short days, we fight the fight of faith — especially since the Lord our Healer has given us weapons to overcome sickness and appropriate healing here and now!
We need to know truth, study God's Word and place our faith in His unchanging promises. We should embrace these glorious revelations and make them part of our daily lives.
If for some reason, sometimes known only to God, this battle ends in what we see as a defeat, we must remember that our task is the believing — His task is the healing and the victory!
Of the countless brothers and sisters I have had to bury, the vast majority would be those of whom it could be said, "these all died in faith not having received the promises." They fought a good fight.
They were welcomed into the presence of their Lord with the words "well done." And once in that paradise of His glorious presence I don't believe one of them wanted to return.
We believe that nothing can separate us from the love of God — not even death! Death is swallowed up in victory. And thanks be to God who gives us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In every battle there are casualties, but we will win the war! We don't send the weapons back because a soldier died on the battlefield. We don't reject medical attention because a patient dies. And we don't cast away our faith in God's Word because we didn't receive the promise.
We go on fighting! We go on believing! We go on contending for the full assurance of faith until the end.
As Job said, "though He slay me yet will I trust Him."
As the three Hebrew children declared, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, but if not, let it be known that we do not serve your gods."
When I recently stood at a memorial to honor a dear pastor friend with whom I had been believing for healing from his cancerous affliction, it was difficult, it was emotional, it was grievous and it was a strong challenge to my faith. But we will overcome. My friend fought the good fight of faith and he died in that faith. We vowed that day to preach stronger than ever on divine healing and continue to stand for the miracle-working power of God to be manifest in our lives, our churches, and in our generation.
Be of good cheer. Jesus said He has overcome the world. And He has gone to prepare a place for us, that where He is we will be with Him. All of us will face death, but we can face it with faith believing that the same God who gave us victories over the enemy of sickness will likewise give us the victory over our last enemy — death!
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me!"
### Tribute to Pastor Steve Valentine from Pastor Wendell Smith
November, 2006
Steve,
We're all here today to honor you — your lovely wife Kay, your family, your church, your friends, your disciples and me. We give honor to whom honor is due — and we honor you today and thank you for being the man you were and the man you are.
You are my good friend — still in my top ten of people I love. Although I have to say that your position was threatened when I discovered you didn't ask me if you could leave.
It's a bit unfair for a minister to go on extended vacation like this, especially so abruptly and then leave the rest of us behind to do all the work.
Before my race is finished, I hope I can emulate the qualities I witnessed in your life. I have always admired you. We are overwhelmed by the written and oral panorama of your amazing life.
I loved the way you loved life — your smile, your laugh, your perspective, your optimism and your unique sense of humor.
I admired your sincere love for people — for everyone, everywhere we went.
I appreciated your passion for the Lord and His church and how you faithfully followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and studied the Word to prove that these things were true. You were a true shepherd — a faithful minister of the Gospel.
You were a sower of good seed and produced good fruit. It will outlive you and be a constant reminder of the quality of your labors in the Lord. I admire your success in the kingdom of God and covet those same results.
I deeply respected your strength of character — steady and dependable — persistent and faithful in all manner of circumstances. When others were falling, you were standing. When others were leaving, you remained. When others were shaking, there was rock in your soul — you stood your ground — you were a pillar of faith and endurance. Thank you Steve for the example you set for all of us.
I'm sure Heaven is a happier place now that you are there. No doubt, your arrival brought a fresh wind of joy to paradise.
Please say hello to my father and my grandfathers, my circuit riding great grandmother and anyone else who might ask about me. Give them a good report and let them know I'm doing well.
I envy you — being able to walk those streets, and meet the amazing people of faith we all look forward to meeting — and look on that Face — without a veil and without the hindrances of humanity.
I'm sure you've already met some people who owe you their lives. You were probably surprised to see some of them and shocked to know that you were the key that unlocked heaven's doors for them. I believe there are more surprises to follow and many of them are gathered with us here today — more of us who owe you their lives.
I was blessed to know you Steve. Blessed to watch you work. Blessed to watch you live. And blessed to be called one of your friends. Your life had a greater impact than you realized — although maybe you know it now.
I have heard there may be a special place in heaven for fighters — people like you and so many others who died in faith, not receiving all the promises.
I make you a promise my dear friend — there are hundreds of us here today — and we join you in this fight of faith! We renew our vows today to never stop fighting for the faith — to never give up in the struggle against our enemies — and to stand firm in our belief that our God is Jehovah Rophe and that He still heals today.
I promise you we will follow your example. We will preach a bold gospel. We will make more disciples and we will still lay hands on the sick.
I was shocked when I heard how suddenly you left us. I had to find a private place to weep, to contemplate and to verbalize questions only God could handle.
We were fighting together you and I. And now its just me and it feels a little lonely. But I thank you big brother for being a forerunner and assuring my heart — that God works all things together for good — no matter what happens — no matter what. He is good and His mercy endures forever. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
I miss you and I know you cannot come back to us but we will go to you. In what must be a momentary blink of eternity we will all be there together — forever! What a party that will be.
Thank you my friend for who you were, who you are and who you will always be for eternity.
Soon — He will come.
And soon we will follow.
I am forever your friend.
***
> MISSOULA — Stephen R. Valentine's family and multitude of friends have experienced a great loss as he passed away Friday, Nov. 3, 2006. His stellar life began Nov. 12, 1947, in Laramie, Wyo.
> His family moved to Townsend in 1956 and he graduated from Broadwater County High School in 1966. He received basketball and baseball scholarships to Western Montana College in Dillon, graduating in 1970 with degrees in secondary education and history. Upon graduation he was drafted in the United States Army, where he was privileged to continue with sports, playing both baseball and basketball for the Army.
> Steve was honored to participate in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, representing the U.S.A. in the sport of team handball. After the Olympics he moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where he taught and coached basketball, track and wrestling. He enjoyed working with young people and loved his job. Steve gave his heart to Jesus that year, which profoundly changed his life. He met his lovely wife Kay Malach at the church they attended and after a brief courtship they were married in 1973.
> Steve felt called to the ministry and left his teaching career to attend Bible school at Abbott Loop Community Chapel. He and Kay were sent along with a small team to Missoula in 1977 to plant Missoula Community Chapel, now known as Clark Fork City Church.
> Steve loved sports and the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and especially landing big Alaskan salmon. However, these were always second to his love for the Lord, his wife and best friend Kay, and people wherever he went. Steve's heart was wholly devoted to the Lord and it showed in everything he did. When he preached he could approach the most difficult subjects with great tact, wisdom and grace — a strategy he described as “the velvet brick.”
> Steve had a wonderful sense of humor, and was able to connect with people when he shared. On many Sundays he had the congregation laughing out loud with his insightful illustrations and teachings. Steve's personality was magnetic; anyone he talked with quickly became his friend, across all generations. He was easy to talk to, and those who knew him felt loved by him.
> He was many things to many people: a loving husband, son and brother, an apostle, a pastor, a father, a friend, a listening ear, a well of wisdom, and a man of God. His life and ministry impacted many lives, and his desire to know and love God more inspired many. The Bible says we should live as Jesus lived and for those who knew Steve we can say he lived his life that way.
> Steve was not only a wonderfully gifted and loving pastor, but also a pastor to other pastors throughout Montana, across the U.S. and in several foreign countries. He served as president of the Missoula Evangelical Ministerial Alliance and SALT Team for many years. He was also president of the board of the Montana Shepherds Conference. His teaching and athletic background gave him a special love for athletes. He started a Bible study for University of Montana athletes that has impacted many lives and continues to this day.
> Steve's family wishes to express special thanks to friend and doctor, Alan Thomas, M.D., and the loving staff at the Montana Cancer Center, and especially Carolyn Streekstra.
> Steve was preceded in death by his father, Keith Monroe Valentine.
> He is survived by his lovely wife Kay; mother Lois Valentine, father — and mother-in-law, Dr. Edmund and Hilda Suess, and sister Connie (and Dale) Gelvin, all of Missoula; brothers Mike (and Nancy) of Richland, Wash., and Jim (and Chris) of Idaho Falls, Idaho; brother-in-law Warren Malach of Seattle; eight nieces and nephews; 12 grandnieces and grandnephews; as well as aunts, uncles and cousins.
> When Steve entered into glory we are sure his Heavenly Father said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy your Father has prepared for you.” So, a celebration of Steve's life will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at Clark Fork City Church, 2811 Latimer St. A graveside service will follow the celebration at Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Missoula.
> Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Garden City Funeral Home.
> The family asks that in lieu of flowers, gifts may be given to the Clark Fork City Church Building Fund, 2811 Latimer St., Missoula, MT 59808, in memory and honor of the last 30 years of Steve's and Kay's lives, which have been devoted to serving the wonderful people of Clark Fork City Church and the city of Missoula.