The Holy Spirit: Power, Presence, and Purpose
I am the grandson of a potato farmer, and the son of a glass blower.  I came to this country at the age of nine, and began ministry at the age of twelve as my grandfather’s interpreter.  I find pretentiousness off-putting, and self-promotion in the house of God outright detestable. I prefer to fade into the background, and let the message have center stage. If men look to me, I pray they see Jesus and nothing more.  I claim no title or mantle, having no aspirations for either, and am content as being just another servant of God. We are all equal in the eyes of God, and the only difference between one who is called to ministry, and one who is ministered to, is the level of accountability—to whom much is given, much is required. A call to ministry, my heritage, or my sacrifice, does not generate entitlement.    We are living dangerous times. The Word of God has been substituted in His own house with men’s notions and ideas of what they think God’s Word should be. I am intolerant of both deception and men who would profit and make merchandise of God’s word. I believe there is no place for entertainment in God’s house. I refuse to compromise truth under any circumstances, and will defend it vehemently until my dying breath, and prefer to starve rather than make business of God’s word. I believe in charity of heart, and helping the poor, and consider that caring for the widow, the orphan, and the forsaken of society, should be a priority for every ministry, and minister of God.    I believe in a sovereign, omnipotent, and omniscient God, whose love for the world was such, that He sent His only Son to die that we may have life, and absent of Christ and the cross there is no salvation, atonement, or redemption. I believe a life of prayer, fasting, obedience and humility are essential for every true servant, and these two virtues marked the lives of all of God’s great warriors. I believe truth is precious, and greatly undervalued in our society. I believe that pride and vainglory are the root cause of more spiritual men’s downfall than anyone will ever know, and find hypocrisy among the children of God both indefensible and inexcusable.    I cry every time I hear George Frideric Handel’s Messiah sung in my native tongue.    This is who I am, for better or worse: a blade of grass in an endless field, a drop in the ocean of eternity, yet loved, as are you, by the Creator of all that is, confident in the knowledge that He comforts, He guides, and He strengthens.