Friday, June 29, 2007
Time Well Spent
I'm learning that you have to be quick with the pen around here. As an editor new to Strang, I was planning on writing about the incredible two days I got to spend with an evangelist from India named Harry Gomes. But my good friend Lee Grady, editor of Charisma, already beat me to the punch. Lee and I were blessed to hang around this powerhouse believer who has seen almost 12 million people make decisions for Christ and nearly a quarter of a million people healed. Staggering numbers—and yet you'd never know it by meeting this extraordinarily humble man who isn't out to impress anyone with figures, titles or hype.
Of course, Harry could brag about being a successful businessman who earned millions. Or about his being honored by the Indian government for various endeavors. Or about selling all his possessions and starting a church, a Bible college and an orphanage. Or about raising five people from the dead. Or about …
You get the point. Harry Gomes brags about one thing and one thing only: Jesus Christ. And that is why I am still mulling over my time with him. Harry is the antithesis of what we often find among leadership in American Christendom: the self-promoting, flashy, title-enamored, untouchable minister. He quotes scriptures and scripture references as if he had the entire Bible memorized, and yet the heart of his every word is to glorify Jesus, not his own intelligence. Harry puts us all to shame with both his ministry and faith. Still, he left me wanting not to be more like him, but more like Christ. And isn't that the real sign of an effective minister?
I asked Harry what he believes is the key to his ministry—or any ministry, for that matter. His answer was simple yet directed straight at every American church leader: We must spend time in the presence of God every day. Not a few minutes each morning or a half-hour here and there. Hours of simply being with the Lord. Often Harry will spend eight hours a day communing with God. In fact, he's mandated that he and his entire staff daily spend four hours in His presence (students and orphans included). He believes every pastor must take a minimum of two hours each day to be with the Lord.
I'll admit, when I heard this the cynic in me immediately rose up with claims of legalism and religious routine. Who hasn't started out on this path, only to find intimate times with the Lord turned into daily chores? We've all teetered on the line between discipline and improvisation. After all, it's about quality, not quantity, right?
Honestly, at this point in my life, I'm tired of that internal debate. I'd rather silence the passion-squelching pessimist in me than argue against a guy whom God uses to raise people from the dead. I'm guessing you're in the same boat.
The bigger issue for us, then, is this: How can we do what Harry is suggesting? Seriously, how in the world can we carve out hours of our jam-packed schedules to rest our head on God's chest? We're lucky if we can find an extra half-hour to spend with our families. We've got churches to run, staffs to guide, sermons to preach, congregational needs to meet, ministries to tend ... all legitimate pulls on our daily schedule. All responsibilities derived from our God-appointed position as leaders.
Maybe the real answer arrives, as is so often the case, in a question: Would any of those callings mean a thing without God's presence? Not His blessing, favor or anointing … His very presence. Like Moses in Exodus 33:15, will we refuse to take another step “if Your presence does not go with us”? Are we that broken, hungry and dependent upon our Master?
Of course, Harry could brag about being a successful businessman who earned millions. Or about his being honored by the Indian government for various endeavors. Or about selling all his possessions and starting a church, a Bible college and an orphanage. Or about raising five people from the dead. Or about …
You get the point. Harry Gomes brags about one thing and one thing only: Jesus Christ. And that is why I am still mulling over my time with him. Harry is the antithesis of what we often find among leadership in American Christendom: the self-promoting, flashy, title-enamored, untouchable minister. He quotes scriptures and scripture references as if he had the entire Bible memorized, and yet the heart of his every word is to glorify Jesus, not his own intelligence. Harry puts us all to shame with both his ministry and faith. Still, he left me wanting not to be more like him, but more like Christ. And isn't that the real sign of an effective minister?
I asked Harry what he believes is the key to his ministry—or any ministry, for that matter. His answer was simple yet directed straight at every American church leader: We must spend time in the presence of God every day. Not a few minutes each morning or a half-hour here and there. Hours of simply being with the Lord. Often Harry will spend eight hours a day communing with God. In fact, he's mandated that he and his entire staff daily spend four hours in His presence (students and orphans included). He believes every pastor must take a minimum of two hours each day to be with the Lord.
I'll admit, when I heard this the cynic in me immediately rose up with claims of legalism and religious routine. Who hasn't started out on this path, only to find intimate times with the Lord turned into daily chores? We've all teetered on the line between discipline and improvisation. After all, it's about quality, not quantity, right?
Honestly, at this point in my life, I'm tired of that internal debate. I'd rather silence the passion-squelching pessimist in me than argue against a guy whom God uses to raise people from the dead. I'm guessing you're in the same boat.
The bigger issue for us, then, is this: How can we do what Harry is suggesting? Seriously, how in the world can we carve out hours of our jam-packed schedules to rest our head on God's chest? We're lucky if we can find an extra half-hour to spend with our families. We've got churches to run, staffs to guide, sermons to preach, congregational needs to meet, ministries to tend ... all legitimate pulls on our daily schedule. All responsibilities derived from our God-appointed position as leaders.
Maybe the real answer arrives, as is so often the case, in a question: Would any of those callings mean a thing without God's presence? Not His blessing, favor or anointing … His very presence. Like Moses in Exodus 33:15, will we refuse to take another step “if Your presence does not go with us”? Are we that broken, hungry and dependent upon our Master?
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Moses went to the mountain top and spent many days (was it 40?) with God, but over the next 40 years when did it occur again? There is a time for being in the presence of God, but that should last us. We should not have to keep doing it every day.
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