Archive for the ‘Personal Growth’ Category
Gold Mining For Dummies!
Uncle Milo And The Gold Mine
In the 1940’s my Uncle Milo and his brother Bill bought a California Gold Mine. I cannot tell you how excited they were to own a real gold mine. They were thrilled even more when gold nuggets were found scattered on the ground in one of the shafts.
Bill Smith, Milo Smith
The temporary rush of finding gold was the thrill that made them work even more feverishly. Most of the gold was found in an area littered with small pools of water. The constant dripping and seepage of water from the roof of the cave made panning and searching for gold an uncomfortable task. Nevertheless, the gold was on the ground and that’s all that mattered.
As a relief from the water dripping overhead, Uncle Milo and his brother wore rain coats. They looked funny and laughed at each other because they didn’t look like gold miners with their yellow rain coats on. It wasn’t the easiest thing to wear either.
After months of searching, panning, and digging, they finally admitted there was no more gold to be found in their mine. They took off their rain coats, and pocketed a modest but nice amount of cash. The next thing they did was put the mine up for sale after owning it for only a few months. An unsuspecting buyer was soon found, and the mine ownership switched hands.
The new mine owner walked through the mine to have a look at what he’d purchased. When he got to the area where the water was dripping steadily from above into the pools below, he shined his flash up on the ceiling to see where the water was coming from.
What he saw changed his life and made him fabulously wealthy. He had found the ‘mother lode’ just by looking up!
Uncle Milo settled for thousands and later died a pauper. The new owner died a millionaire. Milo could have died wealthy if he’d just looked up.
What are you robbing yourself of by not looking up?
Uncle Milo Smith
How Do You Know If That Was God?
How Do You Know If That Was God?
The father of a three year old was hard at work when he said the Lord spoke to him and told him that his little boy was choking to death. The Lord told him that a small toy was stuck in his little boy’s throat.
He said he rushed out of the shop door, jumped into his truck and raced the mile or so to his mobile home. He opened the door and saw his baby boy sitting there playing contentedly with his toys.
“Boy!” the father exclaimed, “I’d rather you be dead than have God lie to me like that!”
That night at church, the pastor, where I was preaching, caught my eye as the father testified. Neither of us allowed our faces to register emotion. The man still thinks God lied. It has never dawned on him that he might be the one at fault.
The question soon arises then:
- Are some people misled? Yes.
- Do sincere people make honest mistakes? Yes.
- Are there kooks in the Kingdom of God? Yes.
Even sincere people often get mixed up. Did their will, their feelings, or their wants get confused with Will of God? If it did, we may never hear them admit that. Are they more spiritual? God will have to judge. I know of a man who is mad at God. He thought he was in God’s Will and things did not turn out well. So he blamed God and has been staying home from church because he is offended at God.
The frightening thing is when we attach the name of the Lord to a thing, and God never actually spoke concerning that.
- Ezek. 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
- Ezek. 13:6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
- Jer. 23:21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
I do not wish to be in trouble with Him.
I would rather say, ‘It was LIKE the Lord spoke to me and said…”
But that is just me trying to be careful.
Did they mean well? Yes, I want to believe so.
Did they:
- Go by a Feeling?
- Hear a Voice?
- Dream a Dream?
- I don’t know!
Why does the Will of God, to some, always mean; MOVE? Escape? Run? Change Churches?
Some are not careful in Biblical obedience and conduct and yet they can get very spiritual concerning the Will of God. They know assuredly they have heard from God.
In my limited studies in Algebra, it didn’t take long to discover that to find the “unknown”, a student had to use the “known”. It does make everyone marvel how some seek the “unknown” Will of God” while yet ignoring the “known” Will of God as it is written in His Word.
A young preacher in my church approached me after service years ago and said, “Pastor, my wife and I are moving to Wheatland, WY to start a church.” I was surprised. He offered the information that his wife had dreamed that they had moved to a place called Wheatland.
She had shared the dream with him and they both had scoured a big US Atlas until they had found a state with a town by that name. They were sure it was God’s will. They also were very defensive that I had not quickly recognized that dream as God’s will.
The next service, I spoke briefly about Abraham. I said, “And God spake unto Sarah in a dream. Speak unto thy husband Abraham and tell him to get thee up unto a land that I have shown thee, Sarah.”
My message was not readily received by them. THEY were in the Will of God, in their minds, so they refused to listen to me.
I had, prior to that occasion, warned our church of the dangers of coming to me and saying something like, “I feel like it’s the Lord spoke to me and told me to move. What do you think?
It often seems they are trying to pit the pastor against God. In their mind, God has already told them personally, so now it’s the pastor that can’t hear from the Lord.
First of all, when you tell the pastor you are moving, (never asking him ahead of time if you should,) you are taking your soul in your own hands, You are leaving the man of God out of the decision-making process. Even Old Testament Kings included the man of God in their important decisions.
Danger!!
Once the seal is broken between you and God’s man. Once you take life decisions in your own hands, you will never get a Biblical relationship restored between you and a pastor. If you do, you will amaze the law of averages.
This family moved to Wheatland, WY. Nothing ever got established there. In fact, today the whole family belongs to the Church of the Brethren. They’ve backslid. They’ve lost their children too. Yet they’ve never felt better. They are in delusion and don’t know it. They left Wheatland years ago, but I am still the bad guy to them. They seem to hate me and the church.
Headship
The will of God will always include Headship. We can’t be saved without a pastor. I have a pastor!
God’s will never:
- Go around or bypass ministry
- Contradict the Word
- Remove you from your headship/pastor
- Put you in a spiritual position like Hosea talked about. Israel was like a wild ass – snuffing up the wind. Meaning they lived a life without controls or guidance.
- Jude called them “wandering stars.”
I would be afraid to seek after the Will of God and my pastor not be the central ingredient in my search. I would feel safest by saying, “Pastor, I’ve been thinking about changing jobs. (Or whatever the subject.) I would appreciate it if you would pray about that with me. If the Lord tells you what I should do, let me know!
I thank God for every sincere person who desires to please the Lord by being in His Will. I pray that none of us ever confuse our wishes and dreams for His Will.
Attitude is everything. The safest approach with any pastor is to ask, not tell. Let him help you. Then you can comfortably feel and know you are in the Will of the Lord. Like the Apostles said, ‘It felt good to us and to the Holy Ghost.”
You’ve Committed At Least Seven Sins…
You’ve Committed At Least Seven Sins When You Fail To Win Souls
I inherited the library of my father Carl Ballestero and many books from my father-in-law, William R. Starr. I purchased several thousand on my own, bringing the total to well over 7,000.
Books are very special to me. I miss them now that my life is completely mobile and I have given them all away. But I still have in my memory some books that even the very titles nag at me after nearly 50 years.
I had most, if not all of John R. Rice’s books. He was an Independent Baptist that didn’t water his sermons down much. Like him or not, he had guts. As a matter of fact, some of his sermons may make a few Pentecostals uncomfortable today.
It’s hard to recall everything word for word, but he wrote one about the importance of soul winning that impacted me as a teenage preacher. Here is my condensed version from memory with apologies to the author.
Sevenfold Sin of Not Winning Souls
I. Sin of Disobedience to Christ’s Command
- Matt. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
2. The Sin of Lack of Love for Christ
- John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
3. The Sin of Not Following Jesus
- Matt. 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
4. The Sin of Not Abiding in Christ
- John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
- John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
5. The Sin Of Being A Slothful Servant
- Matt. 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
- Matt. 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
- Matt. 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
- Matt. 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
- Matt. 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
- Matt. 25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
- Matt. 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
6. The Sin of a Being A Fool
- Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
- Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
7. The Sin of Spiritual Manslaughter
- Ezek. 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
- Ezek. 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
- Ezek. 3:19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
(And then he closed with a statement like this…)
May God convict us of our sin in not winning the souls who are dying all around us!
**(This writer feels that we may not be able to win all those we witness to, but we sure ought to try!)
Intercessory Prayer, We Miss You!
Intercessory Prayer, We Miss You!
This is just a line to let you know how things are since you’ve gone. It’s not the same without you, nor will it ever be. Although our lives seem shallow and empty when you’re not here, we’ve learned to make up for you in other ways. We’ve learned to live without you.
We now run the aisles, leap for joy, jig to the music, sing catchy choruses, and tap our feet in time to the rhythm of the drums. We use sticks, banners, black lights and our sign teams do a tremendous job acting out recorded music. We’ve learned to worship without you.
The prayer rooms are mostly silent now. Those that do go there, for the most part, come away dry-eyed. A lot of praying now is chanting and singsong style. That’s how we know we’re in the groove. We pray memorized phrases that come automatically. We love what we call Prayer Walks. Most of us don’t even close our eyes anymore during prayer. We just walk and pray while we look around. We pray because it is required. No one prays till they break through anymore. We just pray till our ten minutes are up.
Family altars are almost unheard of now. You can’t imagine how busy we are and how hectic our schedules have been. It’s unbelievable. We get up in the morning and never stop till we go to bed at night. We do try to make it to church most services and get some praying in there during the service, but prayer at home is kind of out of the question. That may be another reason you haven’t heard much from us.
Oh sure, we still believe in prayer, as such. But not very many of us are anxious for you to come back. (You were always the polite type, you know, never forcing yourself on anyone. You never came uninvited. You only left because you were ignored.)
The sad truth is you’re not really needed anymore. You see, most of us have hospitalization insurance now. (It sure takes away that old desperate feeling we used to have.) So now, there’s no need to pray more than the few minutes it takes to drive to the Emergency Room. Also, we don’t have to ask for our daily bread like we used to. We now have better jobs with good benefits and government programs to fall back on.
If we lose our jobs, there is always Unemployment or Welfare. If we retire or become disabled, Social Security now supplies our needs. So, you can see, we’re doing OK. Other things have filled the void in your absence. Sure we miss you. But we’re getting over it some how. Actually, we’re too busy to entertain you right now, even if you tried to come back. I hope you understand.
We are having revivals now without you. It’s not hard. The pastor fasts and prays, along with a couple others. The evangelist preaches mostly just to sinners now. Most of us try to get to church in time for the first song or two. We justify the fact that the number of new converts is down. Yes, there seems to be diminished conviction, less lasting victory, fewer miracles and many young people are backsliding. We agree, however, that it’s not us that are at fault here; it’s just the times we’re living in. It’s like this everywhere.
As your friend, I’m writing this to you, knowing how much it must hurt you to have folks say they miss you… and yet in their material and intellectual progress, they’ve weaned themselves away from the haunting memory of you.
What hurts, I know, is that we were children you personally raised. You were always there when we needed you. (But now… we don’t.) You taught us about faith. You taught us about miracles. You taught us about a move of God. You taught us about revival. You taught us about how to touch God. Thank you for that, but you see, this is a new day and we are trying to go to the next level. Our services are structured differently now.
Do you know… can you believe, that now when you are ever mentioned in church, everyone gets real quite? They all feel guilty I’m sure. It’s like they experience a momentary twinge of guilt while they consider their part in your disappearance. Once in awhile some even get misty eyed when we talk about the old times you shared with us. But all that feeling vanishes along with the pizza right after church.
No, Intercessory Prayer, your coming back really wouldn’t work right now. We’re too blessed. We’re doing too well. We’re comfortable. In your day, you served your purpose, but the sentiment of most today is that we can manage OK without you now. We’ve got better clothes, cars, homes and prettier and bigger churches than ever.
By the way, do you remember all the folks of yesteryear coming into the sanctuary with red-rimmed eyes? Remember the baggy looking knees in men’s’ suits? Remember all night prayer meetings? Remember the depth that was in worship? Remember when sinners couldn’t sit in their pews any longer, and would run to the altar? Remember when you could feel unity and brotherly love? When folks helped bear one another’s burdens? When the saints didn’t watch the clock? When they could hardly wait to enjoy the after service atmosphere, praying around the altar until the wee hours of the morning? Boy, those were to good old days. We call that “Old School.”
Well, it’s pretty much all gone now. But you ought to see our new Hammond C-3, our new drum set with a cage and everything. Electric bass guitars are just awesome and the electric guitars too. We use Praise Singers to help cover up the fact that our congregations don’t sing like they should or used to. We let them do most of our worship for us. Our Choirs just do terrific on the new style songs. Old saints don’t like the new songs much, but the younger crowd seems to like them. Many music directors don’t even know some of your old favorite songs, so they don’t get played much anywhere.
You would be proud of our church buildings. Carpet on the floors, there are pews now instead of benches and they are padded too, besides. The arched beams are beautiful, we also have the loveliest of imported chandeliers. Our pastor has polish too. He doesn’t preach long. We are more concerned about sermon length now, than content. Our pastor spices up his sermons with cute sayings… but I guess that’s progress for you. “Win some, lose some.”
Speaking of “lose some”, we’re losing a surprising percentage of our young people. An unbelievable number of marriages have gone on the rocks. Many lives have been in jeopardy. But that’s to be expected I guess. Teenagers seem to be at war with their parents and want to dress more and more like the kids at the public school. Our youth meetings may not have much in the way of prayer, but we have great icebreakers, skits and games.
We have plenty of medicines nowadays to help our aches and pains. What more could we ask for? Sure we miss you, but I guess we really don’t NEED you right now.
I hope you’re not offended. I don’t mean for you to be. You’ll always have a special place in my memory. You were very kind and generous to me. You sure got me out of some hard times. I can’t thank you enough! Still, this is a generation now that doesn’t know you at all. Your coming would probably scare them.
Remember the night when my mother sat at the piano bench and you joined her there? Remember how she wept and groaned in the Spirit and slumped to the floor during the revival service and how some tried to call the ambulance because they thought she was sick? They never knew you and her were talking.
That’s what I mean. A good many never got to know you well. And most never knew you at all. Those that knew you personally have waited so long to talk to you that they are now, to say the least, embarrassed.
So while we are trying to work out our feelings about you, and see where you might fit into our plans in the future, you might try your luck someplace else. Try Brazil, Ethiopia, or how about the Philippines? You might have better luck in Third World Countries, or behind the iron Curtain. You might even luck out and find someone to talk to you in some little storefront on the other side of the tracks. Surely someone somewhere needs you.
We’re terribly sorry, Intercessory Prayer, we miss you, but we really don’t NEED you… right now!
God Has A Diaper Bag!
God Has A Diaper Bag!
One of the joys of parenthood is to take your little “precious” out of the house and show them off to family and friends We take them to church as well.
An earthly father is often pretty clueless about how much time, patience and effort goes into getting a baby ready to go out of the house. He often is frustrated that his wife and infant are not ready for church in the same amount of time it took him to shower and shave. But, that might be a story for another blog.
When they get to church, friends are quick to show the baby attention and some even ask if they can “hold it.”
Imagine then the service progressing and a friend on the same row is enjoying holding the new baby. Then something happens that distracts and demands immediate attention. The baby has just made a mess. Immediately the child is handed back to the parent that has the diaper bag.
What does mom (or dad) do now? Their ‘pride and joy’ has just made a mess. Stink is in the air (that is why you want to have a diaper pail with a lid at home). Everyone looks to see what is going to happen next. The congregation’s nose hairs are getting glued together by the aroma. All eyes are now on the parent too. How long will they wait before something is done? Where will they take the child?
Parents never say, “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this child would EVER make a mess! I never dreamed on of my children would ever do something like this. I am so embarrassed. Maybe I should throw this one away and try to make another that won’t do this. I’m mortified.”
When “Junior” makes a mess, the first thing that is reached for is the diaper bag. That bag was packed before they left the house. It was probably packed before the baby was dressed for church and before leaving home. Mama was aware that babies make messes. Sometimes they make lots of messes. Mommies don’t think less of their babies because they make messes. The actually have a ready made plan to provide for such an event.
Mommy takes her bag and the baby back to the area with the changing table. She holds the baby safe on it’s back with one hand while she reaches into the diaper bag to get what she needs. Do you have a clue what all is in one of those things?
There’s:
- Diapers (disposable or cloth) LOTS of them
- Wet Wipes (make sure they are baby wipes and not just wet wipes. Baby wipes are larger, softer, and gentler on the baby)
- Bibs
- Bottles and infant formula
- Bottled water, to add to bottle
- Snacks for baby
- Rash Ointment
- Nose syringe
- Medicine dropper
- Nail clipper
- Baby Tylenol
- Toys rattle
- Receiving blanket
- Extra set of clothing for baby
- Pacifier, if baby uses one
- Johnson Baby Powder
- Baby Magic Lotion
- Anti-bacterial hand cleaner
- Cosmetic-type bag stocked with teething aids, extra pacifier and nail clipper
- Zip lock bags for many purposes, including storage of dirty diapers if no convenient disposal is possible
All of this is in place BEFORE the baby ever makes a mess.
After the baby has been cleaned up, it is brought back into the service. It now is acceptable in polite company everywhere. It now is clean, looks clean and smells clean. Thanks to Mommy’s Diaper Bag and her foreknowledge of what babies may do.
If we understand that concept, then why is it a struggle for us all to conceive that there is a sin or a sinner that God is not able to take care of?
There is no sin common unto man that He can forgive. Before we were ever born, God had a “Diaper Bag” of sorts. Before we ever made a mess of our life, He was already prepared to clean us back up and restore us anew. Calvary provided for all of that!
I’m happy to tell you that He doesn’t throw those away that make a mess. He just cleans them up and brings them back into the service!
Be thankful and be encouraged!
The Children Of Bitterness
The Children Of Bitterness
The Instructor for our marriage seminar was still talking about bitterness. For 3 nights he had brought up the subject and lingered there a good while.
He said that young couples might have an argument and say something stupid like: I hate you, or I don’t love you anymore! There may be a time of repenting and forgiveness for them, but that memory will linger for 40 years. Staying resident just under the surface.
I appreciated the subject being covered for the couples, but tonight was the last night. Bitterness again was still the theme at a marriage seminar. Why? He explained that bitterness gets you in trouble with God, God’s man, and also destroys your home.
It all came together finally for me when he asked for the big chalkboard and drew a family tree down to the 4th generation.
He wrote the name Ted, at the top level, saying that Ted had attended his church for many years. He had also known all 4 generations of his family.
The reason for drawing the family tree was to point out the sad truth that none of us contain our thoughts, feelings and emotions so guardedly that no one else is affected. Like a hereditary cancer, negative emotions and attitudes can grow and contaminate others. It’s a generational thing. Unless someone breaks the cycle, there will be many injured.
“Look,” the preacher said, “at Bro. Ted’s life story.”
(My wandering mind was brought back to reality.)
“He was a hard working, middle-aged Pentecostal. He had a good wife and had 2 children. For a while their home was a haven.
“Bro. Ted was liked by the good folks in the church and was selected to be a trustee. He seemed to enjoy the job and was very active in the church.”
In the 3rd year of a former pastor’s tenure, it just seemed to him that the preaching was getting a bit too conservative and personal for his liking. His preaching felt personally directed to him and Ted resented that. He found himself feeling a strong dislike for the pastor.
It was an unmentioned fact that Ted was slow to forgive and was known to “hold” grudges for a long time. When someone hurt him, his reaction was to hurt back. He always did that.
At a church workday one Saturday, the pastor had said, “Brother, could I get you to sweep up that trash over there, please?”
“What trash?” said Ted looking in the general area, “The only trash we have around here is what stands behind the pulpit!”
God paralyzed him so that he could not move or bend and Ted was carried away like a log. Some of the men tried to put him into the car to take him to the hospital, but he couldn’t bend to close the door. He asked for the preacher to come and pray for him. Ted repented to his pastor, he was prayed for and God restored him to normal health.
I wish that the story ended there. It seemed however, that it was just the symptom of a deeper deadly disease.
Not long afterwards, he felt his wife disapproved of some of his ideas and actions. They argued. Harsh words were used. That hurt him. She needed to be hurt back, he felt. Ted found a woman at work that was sympathetic and appealing. His romantic fling with this woman shattered the marriage.
The children watched the parents argue and destroy their relationship. They saw the bitterness displayed. They heard the bitterness expressed.
Ted’s two children struggled in their relationships. The girl became an unwed mother several times before marrying. She married several times. Her brother was never faithful to his spouses either.
His grandchildren all experienced multiple divorces, affairs, had babies out-of-wedlock, and continued the holding of grudges like their grandfather.
By now, only one or two would even sporadically try to attend church. Holidays were about the only time.
All of the 4th generation, experienced similar marriage, moral, and God problems.
Their bitterness towards God was not contained at that, it had spilled over into all of their homes.
No one broke the cycle. The bitterness, the holding of grudges, the retaliation, and the desire to hurt back descended down from one man.
A few years after the marriage seminar, I went to visit that church one Sunday. Ted had been buried on Friday, two days earlier. None of his children or grandchildren went to church. Ted had died backslidden.
The truth is, children watch their parents. They know whether they forgive or hold grudges.
Openly repenting and forgiving allows children to see that Daddy was not less of a man. Not only would Daddy, or maybe Grandpa be more of a man, he might just be the key reason his children and grandchildren are still living for God and have good marriages. Forgiving others opens us all up to receiving God’s forgiveness.
Matt. 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matt. 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
- There’s no hope for the children of bitterness!
- The children of bitterness don’t stand a chance.
- How long will you let your war go on?
- Don’t live like Ted!
- Don’t die like Ted!
- If you are bitter, what future does your marriage have?
- If you are bitter, what future do your children have?
Heb. 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Children of Bitterness…What will your Epitaph be?
Getting Bigger Than Your Scars
Getting Bigger Than Your Scars
Every year in September, I go riding 4-wheelers for a week on the Kentucky and West Virginia border. Sometimes on a ridge we can actually see three states. We always come back and sleep in our house every night. At least one of my sons and several other preachers and their sons go with us. Fifteen to twenty guys is not uncommon.
There are some very respectful and kind men that live in that area who enjoy guiding our trips. They are not really guides in the sense that they charge anything. They just know “them thar hill and hollers.” We do buy their gas and pay for their meals, so that makes them happy. We ride long hours. We ride in all weather.
On a hot day a few years ago, we stopped on a hilltop for a snack break. I was riding 2nd in line behind the day guide, Rick. Somehow as we were eating our snack, Rick a middle aged Southern Baptist, and myself started talking about burns and injuries.
He volunteered, “You know, Bro. Ballestero, when I was 2 weeks old, my folks kept me in a bassinet. Evidently I had a breathing problem of some kind. We had an old steam type humidifier. My Dad was carrying a pan of boiling water to pour into that humidifier. Somehow he tripped on a throw rug and that pan of boiling water spilt on my leg. Because of that, I received 3rd degree burns on my right leg from my knee down.”
“Oh No!” I said as my face furrowed and grimaced in sympathetic pain. How Horrible!! After a few seconds pause, I asked a personal question. “Did you have to have any operation?”
“Many!” was his one word response.
I then was curious to know more, so I asked, “Do the scars still come up to your knee?”
“Oh no,” he said, “They only come up to my ankle bone now.”
“How can that be?” I wondered out loud.
“When you’re a new born baby, from your foot to your knee, is only this far,” he said, as he measured the approximate distance with this hands.
Rick then took off his right tennis shoe and then pulled off his sock too. Sure enough, there was a faint scar and discoloration from his toe on up one side of his foot to his anklebone. I looked with fascination.
“How come it only comes up to your anklebone now, when it used to come up to your knee?” I asked.
“Bro. Ballestero, he said kindly, (but I felt like the biggest goober in the world) Scars don’t grow. I got bigger than my scar!”
It was as if the Holy Ghost spoke a truth to my spirit. Scars don’t grow. It’s normal to get bigger than your scars. If we never get bigger than our scars, maybe it’s a sign we’re not growing.
If You Are NOT The Pastor’s Son, You Have To Be Smarter Than Average!
If You Are NOT The Pastor’s Son, You Have To Be Smarter Than Average!
When I was a very young preacher, I was asked by my Father to preach a midweek service. I preached on hell. Everyone hurriedly came to altar including my own Mother. While everyone was crying and praying, Dad invited me into the Church Office, adjoining the platform. He told me to sit down, he closed the door and locked it.
Dad said, “What you preached tonight was good and needed to be preached. But you didn’t give anyone a way out. They don’t have to go to hell you know.” I started to cry in shame. He continued, “Don’t EVER get up in my pulpit again and preach on judgment without giving people a way out. I couldn’t stop apologizing.
Six weeks or so later, I was asked to preach on a Saturday night Praise and Worship Service at our Church. I preached some little thought and the people shouted and ran the aisles. A few guys even ran the backs of the pews. I felt great because of the feeling of “high church” we were enjoying.
When I stepped out of the pulpit and turned around, I was still sweaty, and breathing hard. Daddy caught the lapels of my coat and pulled me up close to him and said, “Now what degree of consecration and study did that take? That sermon did not require any study on your part! That was just a little something you threw together. That was just some buzz words, mumbo jumbo, and shallow thinking. Don’t EVER do that again”
And then he said it again, “Don’t EVER get in my pulpit again without applying yourself. Without studying and seeking God. Don’t ever be content to be shallow. Neither you nor these people will remember one thing you preached tomorrow. If you have a choice between being an Exhorter or being a Feeder, be a Feeder because Feeders build churches.”
Now, If I wasn’t the Pastor’s son, I could have gotten a rotten spirit and attitude. I COULD have thought, “Well you just can’t make this old guy happy. You preach on hell and they run to the altar. He finds fault. You preach it sky high and a mile wide, he finds fault. There is just no pleasing him. Maybe God is trying to make me uncomfortable here. Maybe God is telling me it is time to get out of the nest and take my ministry to the next level and move on.
I understood that my Father, who was never harsh in his attempts to correct me, was trying now to help me be the best that I could be.
A Father will say things to a son he might not say to another young man. Because the other young man might feel the Pastor is dedicated to running him off. This man may not readily see that the Pastor is trying to develop his ministry so that God will bless and use him.
That’s why I think, “If you are not the Pastor’s son, you have to be smarter than average.
Whether he’s your Father or not, if he’s your Pastor, Be honored that he took the time to say anything to help you develop. Even if you can’t see at the moment the purpose or need of his correction, later you will love him and thank God for him the rest of your life. Choose NEVER to be offended by the man of God.
Apostolic Expository Series
Christy Ballestero (My Beautiful DIL)
http://marciaballestero.com/
Pastor Anthony & Kim Ballestero, New Destiny Worship Center, Clearwater, FL (My Son)
Pastor Bryan & Christy Ballestero, Temple Of Pentecost, Raleigh, NC (My Son)
James Groce Blog – "Toward The Mark"
Kenneth Bow Blog
Kingdom Speak Podcast
Philip Harrelson – "The Barnabas Blog"
Verbal Bean Ministries
Holy Ghost Radio
The Ballestero Blog 