Learning from the World
Last week I caught a glimpse of what God is doing around the world, and it is awe-inspiring!
I was at a small gathering of church planters featuring 13 pastors from all over the globe. These pastors, only a few of which I knew, have been used by God in truly remarkable ways. They have started churches which have grown to 20,000 and beyond; one pastor leads a church of 200,000 people which is impacting his nation! What kind of person is used of God like this? Here is what I saw:
1. They are are humble. I spoke with several of them one on one, and they are unassuming, down-to-earth, and lacking in self-importance. There was not a trace of arrogance or pride in any of them, which cannot be an accident. God seems to look for those who are humble to pour his life through.
2. They rely on the Holy Spirit. They have seen God do supernatural things, and teach that we must be filled with the Spirit of God in order to live and minister for him. While most could be considered “charismatic” in practice, they do not use labels or get hung up on specific doctrines of the Holy Spirit, They simply read the Bible and believe all the gifts of the Spirit are available today; they depend on His power to minister.
3. They are men of prayer. They seek God in prayer in order to know him, get guidance, find strength, and see results. It’s not a duty, it’s a life.
4. They love. They have a deep love for the people they are trying to reach and for their church. It results in serving.
5. They die to self. Many have been threatened with death, some still are. Some have been in prison and bear the scars of severe beatings. They do what they do not as a career or for recognition, they serve out of a call from God and nothing else.
We can learn a lot from these pastors. I believe God is looking for leaders here in the US who embody these same traits. As more and more believers seek God for these qualities, I believe we will see God work in greater and greater ways.
Which one of these traits is God challenging you to demonstrate?
Pastor Steve,
God has definitely challenged me, and continues to challenge me in the triats of pride(humility), prayer and love. I have been blessed to have my eyes open to these weaknesses and I look forward to God’s daily challenges for me! BTW, I see that “Gratitude” is the theme for this weekends sermon…you may or may not have heard of Melody Beattie’s “Gratitude”, you can find it on the internet, but here it is for you:
GRATITUDE
It unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,
a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.
By Melody Beattie
For God’s glory,
Tim Yakich
Great song lyrics Tim — Thanks!