We owe faithful, servant leaders who have been willing to make incredible sacrifices to extend and build the Kingdom of God the honor they deserve and an incredible debt of gratitude! Strong churches at home and abroad exist because of their selfless service! Vibrant, flourishing ministries endure because they were willing to pour their prayers, finances and tireless efforts into them! We owe them “big time!”
In fact, right now some names I’m aware of are running through my mind:
My own mother, Vera Shirley Bartel, served as a pioneer minister of the gospel, who during the war years had the district tent for what I believe was called the Northcentral District of the Assemblies of God. She “pioneer planted” churches in Montana and the Dakotas. She is now with the Lord, but told stories of trusting God in the face of meager offering, meals made up of soup from catsup and hot water, and persecution because of her Pentecostal message.
My uncle, Clarence Strom, was an effective pioneer preacher and church planter, who never enjoyed the benefits of a large congregation but sacrificed and did anything necessary to see the Kingdom of God extended. His stories of God’s faithfulness were spellbinding!
Dr. Delmer Guynes, a great missionary statesman, poured his life into extending the Gospel frontiers abroad, but also sacrificed to see Southwestern Assemblies of God University become the vibrant, growing, institution it is today – training “ministers” for the Church and the marketplace.
I could go on and on… these, and many other great hero Christian leaders, are worthy of honor! They are both church leaders and lay-leaders we owe a great debt of gratitude!!!
What brought all of this to mind? Well, the testimony of Nehemiah about his personal sacrifice to see Jerusalem and the temple rebuilt after the exile! Here is his testimony…
“From the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. BUT OUT OF REVERENCE FOR GOD I DID NOT ACT LIKE THAT. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. REMEMBER ME WITH FAVOR, MY GOD, FOR ALL I HAVE DONE FOR THESE PEOPLE.” (Nehemiah 5:14–19 NIV)
And the Church today has been graced and blessed by other faithful, self-sacrificing servant leaders you know. Identify them in your sphere of influence… HONOR AND BLESS THEM THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON! THEY DESERVE IT!!
Coffee With The Lord 