I went to a meeting last night at my Daddy’s church. A dear man of God preached on walking with God so you can be an effective Christian and have an impact on someone. That man was Bro. A.C. Durham. He was my pastor for over 20 years and He definitely made an impact on my life. When he got done preaching, my Daddy told a story of a prayer meeting where Bro. A.C., Bro. Larry Sexton, Bro. Fred Russell, and himself (among others) prayed all night. He quoted Bro. Larry Sexton as saying that they were an oasis. An oasis is a fertile spot in a desert where water is found. And that’s just what they had there by meeting together and praying. They all went their separate ways, each going in a different direction to serve the Lord. But every single one of them had an impact on my Daddy. And he in turn has had that impact on me.
You know, some people think because a man never has a booming congregation that they are small and insignificant in the work of the Lord. Or because they’ve never been asked to preach at some big name revival that they are not some big name preacher. Why do some people have that mentality? What makes a man great to God? Not the size of his congregation, that’s for sure. “Often people see a pastor with a “small” congregation and assume he is a failure, but when God sees that same man He sees him as faithful.” -Bro. Chris Hewett.
My daddy is faithful. He had men that stood before him that were faithful. They had men that stood before them that were faithful. God isn’t looking for someone who is great. He’s looking for someone who is faithful that He can be great through!!
How can you be faithful without walking with God?
I remember Bro. Russell preached a message one time on the Bride and Bridegroom from the book of Song of Solomon. It was so powerful and touched my heart so much that I had it on CD and would listen to it almost every day.
Bro. Sexton preached a message long ago on God being faithful. I have written in my bible a quote from him, “Step out not on faith, but on God’s faithfulness.” That truth has never left me. My faith wavers. But God’s faithfulness never does.
I have so many things from Bro. A.C. written and stored away in my heart, there are too many to write down. But I remember his prayer closet was in a little bathroom. And he prayed there every morning. He loved that spot so much that when they sold that house he had to go back in there one last time and meet with God. God’s presence in a bathroom. He doesn’t care where you meet Him, just that you do.
I’ve asked my Daddy for his bible when he gets done with it. There are so many jewels of truth written in it. So many of his messages have been a blessing to me. But his faithfulness more than anything.
And I don’t want to leave my mama out. She has faithfully been by his side through it all. She is so thoughtful and she does so many things for the ladies she has been over. She would work so hard on prayer meetings and ladies meetings. Sometimes people weren’t faithful and didn’t understand how much prayer and work and time went into them, but she was still faithful.
I want that for my family. I want to be faithful. I want to be effective for God. I want to love and serve God in front of my children without being a hypocrite so they can see for themselves how good God is when we just surrender it all to Him. I want them to grow up loving and serving Him. With all their hearts.
It is easy to be faithful when things are going well. When your life is good and there are no trials. But when you face discouragement and everything around you seems to be falling apart, and you have tried so hard to do something for God and you see no results and you are STILL FAITHFUL? That’s when you’re going to be effective. That’s when you are going to be an example to someone who is watching. You don’t have to do something big for God, just be faithful to Him and He will work all that out. And you know what? You don’t even have to be doing something that someone sees. Because God sees.
And it can only happen if you are walking with God.
And you can’t walk with God if you are not doing what He does, going where He goes, saying what He says.
So very thankful for the people in my life who are faithful.
It reminds of the song “I Want to be that Man”. Obviously I don’t want to be a “man” and my mother is not a “man”, but the gist of the song is what I want. I want to be a prayer warrior like Bro. A.C. I want to trust God like Bro. Sexton. I want to be used like Bro. Russell to touch someone’s heart. I want to be like my daddy. I want to be like my mama. Because they are like my Heavenly Father.
Listen to https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d8mC5Uaikaw
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