After a wonderful lunch with the wonderful team of Tree of Life pastors we have with us, we ventured out for the evening service.
During the worship, God spoke to me so clearly. I was praying about a number of situations across our churches, and the Lord interrupted me to say your barns will be filled with plenty of people, your people will be filled with the Spirit and your Spirit filled people will be leading many to the Lord and to the churches. I got really excited. After the service, I found out God had spoke something similar to my daughter Lydia.
Billy Epperhart received the offering this evening, and as always it was life changing. I love listening to entrepreneurs, they are the apostles of the business world! Billy told us that the only way to get ahead financially is to hitch your wagon to something that matters, and that giving into a ministry like Andrews definitely will pull you forward.
It’s so true, our partnership here, and we have been financial partners with Andrew Wommack for twenty-five years now, has helped us dream big, develop, grow, increase and above all enjoy the process!
Then Pastor Duane spoke, and it was one of the most sublime messages I have ever heard.
He started by reading some rather unsettling statistics. 90% of pastors quit before they finish. Only 50% of pastors actually believe the Bible. 68% of pastors wouldn’t go to their own church if they weren’t the pastor.
Those are unsettling, and then Duane skilfully started to unravel the solution… Develop a rhythmic and balanced life. Be in the Word, be in prayer, but also do something you enjoy, rest, spend time with your family. He pointed out that pastoring can toxify your soul, and you need to detox.
He challenged us not just to be pastors, but to be good pastors. He challenged us to have discernment, especially when there are so many people using grace as an excuse to act carnal.
Duane also said one of the most powerful things I have heard. He said when we encounter situations where we don’t know the answer, that’s fine to not know, but when you encounter what you don’t know, to return for what you know. We may not know why someone died for example, but we do know God is good and God loves us and God will comfort us. Stay with what you know! Don’t let what you don’t know steal what you know.
Finally, Duane dealt with the topic of weariness and called us all to rest and to spend more time with the Lord doing His will. He told the pastors not to neglect their social life, their mental life and their physical life at the cost of being spiritual. He used the example, which I have used before, even in this blog, of the oxygen masks in event of an emergency airplane landing. If we do not have our supply of oxygen we are useless to everyone. If pastors are not spiritual and emotionally healthy, they will become incapable of feeding their flock. What a revelation.
I am a hard worker, and definitely I need to cogitate on this. I don’t want to be a lazy pastor, but I must always make sure I am recharged. It’s more than a simplistic “walk closer to God”, but about finding a life rhythm with time with others, especially family, time to yourself and maybe some exercise and so on as well. It’s a challenge to all of us, and one that will help any pastor.
Selah.
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