Spent Friday Night and Saturday at a Seminar. “Finding Your Spiritual Gifts”....by Dr. Ron Walborn who has several Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) credentials. He has pastored several churches and is now overlooking Pastoral Studies up in Nyack College.
A very cool guy. I thought there were two principles that were taken to an extreme....but with everything else....it was very refreshing. It caused me to change...or am in the process of changing several thought and prayer patterns that I have that may be hindering the work of Christ. I will keep you updated.
One of the things I found very interesting was a story about a newlywed couple. They had decided. that in order for them to receive a spiritual blessing or a spiritual closeness with God ...they would have to do some great spiritual deed. They chose to be Missionaries.
Well...they found an organization that would send them out as missionaries, but they needed some paperwork filled out by their Pastor. Now...Ron was Pastoring a church of several hundred people..so...that means...he did not have an intimate relationship with all of his flock. I am sure he would love to...but it just is not possible.
This couple requests a meeting with him...and he acquiesces and they tell him they want to be missionaries and hand him the paperwork. Ron says fine, and takes a look at the paperwork. He then asks the people... Tell me...do you work in the youth ministry? “NO”. Do you volunteer on Sunday? “NO”. Do you oversee a home group? “NO”. Do you have any form of Christian training? “NO. Hmmmm. I can't fill this form out. The couple gets very mad.
Ron Replies...You see...you have had nothing that can prepare you for this ministry. Without preparation or covering....you will be destroyed. Why don't you find something first here in our church that you would like to do...and then downt he line...when we see some fruit...and you have worked along side the spirit...then maybe we can sit down together and look this form over...and fill it out.
Well...the couple storms out of the room. The leave the church, and several weeks later...they find another Pastor that fills the paperwork out for them. They fly overseas...and become “missionaries”.
Ron relates...that a year later................the couple is divorced...the husband is sick and the former wife is bitter.
For some reason....they thought.....getting on an airplane...BANG! God would bless them...and they would be spiritual giants.
The truth....it is a tough world out there with opposing forces that will attack you at your weakest points. Your relationshipts....wife, husband, children, parents, siblings...and friends. Will all be used against you. Particularly when you stake a claim with Christ.
We should be prepared to walk the world. We can only do this by building an intimate relationship with the Son of Man. The Son of God. The key word is building. Constant building. Refining and optimizing. We can do this with scripture. We can do this with surrounding ourselves with other thoughtful scriptures. It can also be done with going to the plate of God Himself...and eating off of it. (A Ron Walborn quote)
So...Just Do It. (sounds quite cliché)