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Timothy S. Morton

The Testimony of a Blood Washed Believer

After the Lord dealt with me for several months, I became a born-again Christian in 1980 when I was nearly 20 years old.  Before that I was a typical "good-ole-boy" who was raised on a fruit farm in the hills of central West Virginia and never thought much about God, the Bible, or "religion." Of course, I heard about God and the Bible since my early youth from my mother and others, but I never had much interest. I remember my mother used to watch some of the television preachers on one of the three or four television stations we could get, and sometimes I would watch a little, too. Most of them were of the "Charismatic" or "Pentecostal" persuasion [they were big at the time] and frankly, I thought they were phony.

I remember a preacher called, Ernest Angely, who was on every week. I think he is still on. He went through this big show of supposedly healing people. He had fake, perfect hair, obvious makeup, and an effeminate manner. I thought he was a self promoting charleton. There was nothing about him that would draw me toward Christ. There were others, Rex Humbard, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson Kenneth Copeland, and Jimmy Swaggart. Swaggart was probably the best speaker of all of them. With his meetings/concerts he was an appeal to many people. He wasn't too deep in the Bible, be he could—ah—deliver a message. I probably liked watching him better than any of the others because he was an entertainer. Before he "fell," there were some around here who thought he was near infallible.

Although the Charismatics had a stronghold on the air waves, one Baptist was on regularly as well, Jerry Falwell. This was back when Falwell was more scriptural and fundamental than he was in later years. I often listened to him as well. He was the one in the bunch who emphasized people were "lost" and in need of salvation. That's what I needed to hear.

About a year before I was saved I began to covertly read the Bible [it wasn't "macho" to read it in the open]. It didn't make much sense to me, but one reason was I was trying to read a "Good News For Modern Man" my grandmother gave me for my high school graduation. She was a United Methodist and that was supposedly the best "new Bible" of the day. Even then I knew that thing wasn't a real Bible.

If I was associated with any denomination then it would have been the United Methodists. That is what both my parents were. They were not saved at the time, but that's what they were. I remember going to "Bible school" as a kid and no one ever talked about people being lost and needing to be saved. They just talked about "joining the church" if someone expressed any interest in "religion." There was nothing there then, and there still isn't. I remember seeing a sign with these words at the church several years after I knew the truth, "Salvation is a process, not an event." In other words, they are all continuously working towards salvation in a process that won't be completed until they are judged at the general judgment of all men. Heresy

Finally,  The Gospel

However, in spite of the heresy of the Methodists and the confusion of the Charismatics and through the prayers of my mother the Lord was able to get the gospel to me and work on me with it. After reading some tracts and other short materials and the Holy Spirit convicting me with His words, one night alone in my bedroom, I admitted I was a sinner and confessed Jesus Christ as my Savior. The Lord let me know He heard me. I actually felt a rush through my body and a peace that assured me I was redeemed. I became a new creature that day.

I didn't rush out and tell anyone, at least not yet. I just relished in the thoughts of being a Christian for several days. Thinking of the Lord and His salvation was almost a constant thought. After a few days I told some family members and began to actively seek to learn more about this wonderful God who made a provision for puny me in His salvation. I read everything I could find that looked religious. I read Charismatic tracts, Church of Christ literature, Baptist pamphlets, Methodist church bulletins, etc., and as a result I became somewhat confused. Even though I generally thought the Charismatics were kooks, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and began listening to them on the radio.

I remember listening to one guy who was a Baptist Charismatic. He believed most of the Baptist doctrines, including eternal security, but added speaking in tongues. He talked of being "baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues" along with the other Charismatics and insisted believers needed a second work of grace. Not knowing any better I asked the Lord for it, But nothing happened. I asked again, but, again, nothing happened. I began to think something was wrong here. When I was saved all I did was confess my guilt and ask for salvation that is in Jesus Christ and it happened. With this Baptism in the Holy Ghost thing, nothing happened. I began to look at what people said a little more closely after that.

Nevertheless, from listening to preachers and reading the Bible, I began to see the truth in the Baptist doctrines, Independent Baptist especially. The Charismatic confusion had less influence. The Methodists didn't tell me the truth when I had been among them for years so I had little more than contempt for them. People cannot offer you anything when they have nothing themselves.

From reading any religious material I could get my hands on I found one pervasive theme in nearly all of them. They often corrected, minimized, and even mocked the King James Bible. They constantly would say things like "The KJV was good in its day but we now know it has many errors and we have much better translations...." So being a naive "greenhorn" I took them at their word and cast aside the KJV for an Amplified Bible. 

Learning The Truth About the King James Bible

Along about 1983 I began listening to Christian radio in the late evening. It was mostly a Charismatic station about 80 miles away, but they also had some other preachers. At about 10pm a program came on called "The Theological Seminar of the Air" by Peter S. Ruckman. It was a different broadcast to say the least. This preacher was not afraid to name names and expose error. He said most of the "scholars" were "liars" and deceiving the public about the Bible. He insisted the King James Bible was the pure word of God and claimed no one could prove one error in it. He also said there were no "original autographs" in existence which are often referred to in books and commentaries. This was a surprise. Nearly everything I read said the King James Bible was not true to the original autographs, but if the original autographs don't exist—the scholars are being deceptive by not telling the whole story!

After finding and reading some pro KJV material by Hills, Fuller, and others, and studying it out, I become more and more convinced the King James Bible was the pure word of God. In 1984 after studying and praying about it for nearly a year I publically revealed my allegiance to the King James Bible of 1611. I put aside my Amplified Version and bought a leather bound King James Bible. It is laying on my desk, all ragged and torn, as I type. One thing that was common with all the material I read that criticized the KJV was even though they claimed they knew what wasn't the word of God, they could never tell me what Bible, translation, or text was the pure word of God! To them the Bible only used to exist in the original manuscripts but since they are gone all that is left are "reliable translations" and "acceptible texts" and none of these can be the pure word of God. I became the pure word of God did still exist and could be found in the  King James Bible. See our work Which Translation Should You Trust for more details.

Along with my decision for the King James Bible, my convictions began to become more Independent Baptist. Not that the Baptists are right on everything, but that they are right on the important things: eternal security, premillennial, immersion, new birth, need for salvation, hell, second coming, etc. The problem was there were no Independent Baptist churches in my area. This area of the Appalachians was settled mainly by Methodist circuit riding preachers [back when the Methodists believed something] and few other churches were around. But the Lord takes care of things like that. My father, who was not yet a Christian, worked with a Baptist preacher who in the early 80s started a small church about 20 country miles away. In 1985 my father had a heart attack and the Baptist preacher, came to see him one evening after work after my father returned from the hospital. He led my father to the Lord that day. No Methodists came, no Charismatics came, just a simple country Baptist preacher who was saved while peddling moonshine. In fact, he had a load of moonshine in his car when a faithful brother led him to the Lord in 1973!

Needless to say, we went to hear this preacher preach at his church and later became members. A few months later he asked me if I would consider teaching some classes on the King James Bible. I agreed and prepared the lessons, however I had never spoke in public like this and was "nervous." My first lesson "left much to be desired," but I think I did a little better on the others because the Sunday School Superintendent asked me to help him teach adult Sunday School. After a few months he stepped down and I taught the adult class myself, sometimes taking several hours every night after work to prepare a single lesson. I cast aside the anemic "Sunday school literature" and just used the Bible. I taught there for over 10 years until we were essentially forced out by another pastor.

Ministries Begin

In the late 1980s I thought about writing a small book on the eight major doctrines of salvation. I had never written much before and it was a challenge. I bought a typewriter and began pecking. I first wrote the text on a yellow legal pad and then proceeded to type in on paper while making corrections. It seemed to take forever. Especially when I would make mistakes and have to type a page all over. Nevertheless, it was finally finished. My brother-in-law worked for a large printer and got me a good price on getting it printed. It was originally called "Christian, Do You Know." I gave nearly all of them away and had to get it printed again. I changed the title to "More Than Forgiven."

About 1991 I undertook another writing project about the King James Bible. I wanted to show people the simple evidences that indicate it is the pure word of God without dwelling on all the boring manuscript stuff. By that time I had gotten my first computer [a 286-12 mhz with 1 meg. of ram, a 40 meg. hard drive, and DOS 3.1] and the Wordstar word processor was amazing. It made text correction a breeze. It even had a spell-checker! After a few weeks "Which Translation Should You Trust" was born. It was printed in 1993 and is now out of print after two printings. We have distributed over 5000 copies.

In early 1998 we got the Internet and in April I tried my hand at making a website. It was very basic, and contained no graphics. Later I got a little more savvy with html and updated it. The most recent update was in August 2005. We have had over 100,000 hits on our site and many, many emails. Most who take time to write tell us they enjoy the site and the "different" articles. Others, though, take issue with our material, some vehemently. I have been called everything, including "Antichrist" and "devil". That is fine. It keeps me balanced and on my toes.

Around 2003 I was looking for a way to integrate Bible verses into web pages as a popup. I began to learn a little about computer coding and programming and the first edition of our utility called PopVerse was born. You will find it on many of our web pages. Just place the cursor over a verse reference and the text will popup.

PopVerse led me even more into programming and in 2005 I began work on a Bible Study Program that is now known as Bible Analyzer. I have spent a great amount of time developing Bible Analyzer to its present form, and if I may say it is a comprehensive Bible Study application. It has received very good reviews and has been downloaded by tens of thousands. See our Bible Analyzer page for more details and a free download.

I am primarily a Bible teacher, although I do preach when the need arises [See Called Into The Ministry]. I have never been a pastor. I have never felt that was my calling. I also write material for this website as I get time. The Lord has been very kind and gracious to this vile dog. He has delivered me from my sins and hell, given me a fine wife and family, supplies all my material needs, and allows me to teach and preach His word. What more could a Christian want?

The Lord Provides a Helpmeet

What more could a Christian want I said? Well, a Christian wife...and the Lord provided me one in 1996. The first time I saw Brenda was at church. She had four kids sitting beside her and at first I thought they were all hers. I later learned two were foster children.

Brenda and I were married later that year and we continued doing foster care off and on for several years. There is much we could say both pro and con about being foster parents, but I will not now digress.

Tragedy Hits our Family

Like all families we have had tragedy strike us. The photo below, taken in 1996, shows Brenda with two children that are now with the Lord. The baby girl, Kaitlyn, our granddaughter,  died about a year later from a restricted bowel. She became in great pain one day and by the time her parents got her to the emergency room she was dead. The blocked bowel poisoned her system. Her death was a great shock to everyone, but she is with the Lord.

Scotty, the young man, was a foster child of ours. We kept him for about two years until the state decided he should go back into the mess of a "family" he came out of. We would have adopted him if we could. Once he was back with his "father" he had no guidance or restrictions. He was riding in a car with some of his "buddies" one night down a mountain road, going way too fast they hit a power pole. Scotty and another boy were killed. Even though Scotty had slipped backwards some, he made a profession of faith when he was around 10 years old. We rest on that.

As mentioned above, my mother was a Christian before any of the rest of us and she was often "pestering" the rest of us to "Get right with the Lord." Gradually, her prayers were answered. My younger sister received Christ, a couple years later I did, and a few more years later my father did. Through her prayers my mother made a Christian home.

Along about 2005 my mother was showing signs of dementia, and over the next couple years her memory continued to fade. In December of 2008 for a reason we will never know she woke up early in the morning, around 6am, and went outside with nothing on but her nightgown. My father was completely unaware of her going out. The temperature was about 30 degrees. All we can figure is she had a stroke or seizure and wandered outside. While outside she tripped on a small rock and fell over an embankment hitting her head on the concrete driveway. She was out there over an hour before my father woke up and found her missing. He searched from room to room for her and just happened to look out the window and saw her lying in the driveway. He thought she was dead. He found her very cold, shivering, and bleeding from her ear, but she was still conscience. However, she lost consciousness soon after arriving at the hospital and died eight days later from a cerebral hemorrhage caused by the fall.

For more details on the last words she said to me before she lost consciousness, see the tribute I wrote to her that was read at her funeral.

Tragedy Doubles Down

On July 8, 2014 I went down to my father's house to see him that evening. (We only live a few hundred yards apart). He was not in the house and his truck was still there so I thought he may be taking a walk. On the way back to my house I saw his shop building door was open and his tractor was parked in front of it. The lights were on so I walked past the tractor and went in but he wasn't there, so I turned around toward the open garage door to leave and saw a sight that shook my very soul...my poor father's elbow sticking out from under the heavy brush-hog mover attached to his tractor. It fell on him and suffocated him to death.

I got a jack and raised the mower deck up and pulled my dear daddy out from under it. He was cold and stiff. That was the worst day of my life.

Here is a tribute I wrote for him that was read at his funeral. He was an honorable man and I will see him again.

Even More Heartache

Brenda's father, Manford Hypes, was a minister and great soul-winner. He would regularly lead men in the 60s, 70s, and even 80s to the Lord. Three months after my father died he had a stroke and was sent to the Emergency Room. There the Dr. gave him a "clot-buster" shot, but his brain hemorrhaged and they sent to a hospital in Charleston. He died a few days later. However, before he died a young Dr. called my wife to the side while she was staying with her unconsciousness father at the hospital and told her that there were some serious irregularities at the ER hospital and she should check into it.

Brenda gave this information to an attorney and he got the medical records and had them reviewed, and sure enough, the ER doctor made a serious mistake that very well could have caused Manford's hemorrhage. Against standard procedure the doctor gave him the "clot-buster" medication while his blood pressure was way too high. It almost certainly caused the hemorrhage. The report also stated that otherwise Manford could have recovered from the stroke if the medication was given correctly.

This death was another blow to our family. However, we know we will see Manford again, as well.

Our Adoption Experiences

My father had an accident insurance policy that paid me and my sister a modest amount after he died. Brenda also got a small portion of a hospital settlement from her father's death. With a little extra finances to work with Brenda wanted to try something we were not able to try before— adopt a child. In 2017 she started the process and through many, many emotional and trying times, the Lord not only gave us one child, He gave us TWO!

Adopting a child is a wonderful thing, and two of the happiest days of my life were when two different Oklahoma judges told us, "Adoption granted," but the road getting to hear those words was long, bumpy, and trying.

If you want to read of multiple instances of the Lord answering prayer in odd and "unconventional" ways, read these two accounts of our adoption journeys. The Lord worked out our children's adoptions in ways more dramatic that a TV movie script. Also, if someone reading may have an interest in adopting a child, one or more, this chronicle will give you an idea what you may be in for.The first one deals with Madison's adoption and the second Mason's,

Adoption Saga, 2017
Adoption Saga, 2018

Life Goes On

As I write this it is April, 2019 a few days after Mason's adoption. Our life now is to raise this two beloved children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and pray they become believers as soon as they understand their need for salvation and realize Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

We don't what events the days ahead hold for us, but we do know the one who holds the days. Glory to His name!

In Christ,
Tim Morton
Morton Publications