Today, before we before we go back to our regular pastor
chats and Bible study on Luke 9, I want to give a report and update on my
recent overseas trip to a Southeast Asia country.
I was met at the airport at 4am by two dear pastor friends
and fortunately we went directly to a hotel nearby for some rest. On Monday afternoon
the 14th, we begin a great week of wonderful ministry. Over the week
we meet in 8 different locations with 401 local pastors. We were on four
domestic flights, an overnight train ride, and hundreds of miles by taxis and
car to get to our meetings.
One day, I also had the opportunity and honor of dedicating
3 deep clean water wells for Global Partners in Peace and Development, in three
very poor areas for some precious people who have very little access to clean
water on a regular basis. I wish you could see the joy on their faces as the
clean water was pumped to the surface. This also gives the local pastor there
the opportunity to show Christ’s love to all the people living in that area!
Very late one evening after 9pm, in another location, I was
asked to speak at a believer’s meeting in a rural village. Afterwards at about
10:30 we were invited to the pastor’s home for a full course Asian meal! Most
of all, after the meal, they desired that we pray specifically over several
people and their needs, and pray blessings over their families, home and ministry.
I wish I had words to describe the excitement and joy of
meeting with the 401 pastors in our 8 meetings. In each one I was honored and
received a very warm and exciting welcome with loud music and singing! They
were so excited and encouraged that we were there to share with them the love
of Christ from the believers in America! The meeting all started with singing,
prayer, and introductions.
The Lord blessed me with a different text and message for
each meeting. I initially was told that I could preach the same message at each
meeting because they would all be different pastors, but the Lord led me to do
otherwise. But at each meeting, what encouraged these pastors the most, was that
I was committed to find believers in America who would pray for them
specifically.
In every meeting I shared that the most important
responsibility of a pastor is to be faithful! “Moreover it is required in
stewards that one be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2). God has given
pastors the highest calling of anyone on earth to be a steward of His local
body of believers. It is a higher calling than to be the president of America or
any country in the world! And with this calling, God has promised to endue us
with His presence and grace to fulfill it. But being a pastor is not and easy
task! There will be great responsibilities to care for each precious soul that
the Lord entrusts to us! There will also be tremendous opposition from Satan
and demonic forces! And we desperately need the prayers of others to be
faithful.
That is what Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:31-34. Jesus didn’t
tell Peter, “I have prayed that you be successful”. He didn’t pray that Peter would
not fail. He called Peter by name twice, “Simon, Simon”. Jesus is interested in
individuals and knows us all by our name! He warned Peter of the devil’s attack.
But then Jesus said one of the most powerful words of encouragement a pastor
can hear, “But, I have prayed for you!”
My friends that are reading this today, I told the pastors
that I would connect them with someone in America to pray for them. In every
meeting I took every pastor’s picture and his personal information to share
with you. I shook their hand and gave them the promise of your prayers. I meet
with 401 pastors and will be returning to meet with the other 200 pastors in
our fellowship there later this year!
Will you be willing to join us in this great ministry of prayer
that will bring the greatest blessings on this great ministry in reaching their
nation for Christ? Please email me at pastormike@pmiministries.org
God bless!
