Lord, let me see it happen all over again!

Tuesday   12-08-15  Home in Modesto

Scripture reading:    1 Tim  1 - 4

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  1 Tim 3:2-5 “...an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach.  He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, peace loving, and not one who loves money.  He must manage his own family well, with children who respect and obey him.  For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?  NLT

O.  One of the astounding things in Paul’s missionary ministry was that although he on several occasions was chased out of town, beaten, stoned and unable to stick around and serve as pastor of a small group of new believers, yet he managed to leave someone in charge of that church.   In some cases he was able to return to strengthen the newly formed church, but in spite of untrained leadership, many, if not all, of these churches thrived.

A.  As a missionary and church planter I have learned that leadership is everything.  Leave a band of believers with a weak leader and progress may be slow or even fail.  Leave them with a prepared leader of integrity and vision, someone who can disciple and inspire many others into volunteer leadership and that church will surely prosper. 

One needs to carefully study the Apostle Paul’s criteria, choose a few who meet the conditions, set them apart to be given special mentoring, allow them lesser places of responsibility as a test and finally, after confirmation by his or her peers, dedicate them publicly for their leadership role.

P.  Lord, I thank you for the many spiritual leaders that you have placed in the Assemblies of God.  I can feel confident with their hand on the helm.  And I thank you for mentors, like Pastor Jose Manuel Carlos and Bible Institute Directors Rocky and Sherry Grams, who took many of our new converts under their wings.  They loved them, instructed them, inspired them, prepared them and filled them with outstanding vision... and then thrust them out of the nest to fly on their own.  And fly they did, far exceeding anything that I could have imagined! 

Lord, with a flood of tears I cry: If I have anything left to offer You, let me see it happen all over again... lives transformed by Your shed blood and Holy Spirit power... called into ministry... prepared under godly men and women... and set free to shine for You in this dark, needy world.  Amen.

Ralph