By Rev. Joda Collins
A story is told of W. A. Criswell, the long time pastor (1944-2002) of First Baptist Church of Dallas, TX, that a reporter came to the Church to ask for an interview with Pastor Criswell. The reporter, on his way to the Church office, was greeted by the Church Custodian. When the reporter asked to interview Dr. Criswell, the Custodian asked the reason for the interview, to which the reporter responded, "I want to ask him what he believes is the primary reason for his overwhelming decades of ministry success?" The Custodian responded that the Pastor was in personal Bible study and message preparation, and could not be disturbed. The reporter asked gracefully for just a moment with the Pastor. The Custodian took the reporter to the Pastor's office door and whispered, "Remain silent and listen." After a half of a minute or so, the Custodian whispered, "What do you hear?" The reporter responded in a like whisper, "I hear weeping." The Custodian walked the reporter from the Pastor's office door and said, "Your interview with Dr. Criswell is over. You have the answer to your question."
"And (she) stood at his feet...weeping, and began to wash his (Jesus') feet with (her) tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with...ointment. Luke 7:38. All verses are KJV. All parenthesis are mine.
"And...Peter...called to mind the word(s) that Jesus said unto him....And when he thought thereon, he wept." Mark 14:72.
"...by the space of three years I (the Apostle Paul), ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." Acts 20:31.
"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and...contrite spirit." Psalms 34:18.
"The sacrifices of (towards) God are a broken spirit...and a contrite heart...(that person) God...will not despise." Psalms 51:17.
Would you like to know the secret to successful ministry? Study, understand and contemplate this verse, "...he (God) has made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; (so) that we might be (are) made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. Then, contemplate this picture.
When you really put the verse together with the picture and that understanding migrates from your mind (intellect) to your heart (emotions) to the point where tears are unavoidable, you have entered the best gateway to ministry effectiveness. Do not fault yourself if it does not happen immediately. If you do not waste your time and energy but stay focused on Jesus, it will happen. When it happens life and ministry takes on a sweetness and a meaning that only those with like tears can understand. There are no words that can explain it.
Rev. Joda Collins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._A._Criswell
No comments:
Post a Comment