 |
GHS International "How great are His signs, And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, His dominion is from generation to generation." |
|
|
|
Mentoring
It is God’s heart that we see His Kingdom develop and grow from generation to generation (Psalm 78:3-7). This is of vital importance because we can see from Judges 2:10 and 11 that a generation arose that “knew not the Lord nor his mighty acts.” God wants one generation to strengthen and train itself so they in turn can impart life, vision, anointing, and Godly principles to those who will take their place in the purposes of God. There is much training that goes on in different places within the church world that is very outdated and ineffective. I have seen in other countries people long to come to America to get a degree at some non-Spirit-filled seminary. When I am speaking of mentoring, I am speaking of coming into God’s patterns to truly impart not information, but the revelation of God’s word and practical principles so that those who are upcoming leaders, either in the church or in the marketplace, will be well-equipped to advance the Kingdom of God. How is this done? First of all, there is not a rigid pattern and every person who is meant to be mentored, be they already in leadership or young and headed in that direction, is different. But there are some principles and ways that the Holy Spirit has helped me help others that I feel would be beneficial to mention. In Acts 16:1-5, we see the beginning of Paul’s relationship with Timothy. Timothy had a good name in several regions, so Paul took him as an apprentice under his oversight. In the movie, “Gran Torino,” starring Clint Eastwood, he mentored a Hmong young man. At first, Clint Eastwood’s character refused to do this but when he saw the young man help an elderly woman who had dropped her groceries, he decided to help him. This action showed that the young man had qualities which were worth developing. Paul saw in Timothy a young man who was worth investing in. Not everyone wants help or wants to be trained. It is vital that we have discernment concerning those we choose to pour into. It must be a two-way street where the disciple wants what the “master” has to offer. You can be sure that it was not a cake-walk for Timothy to travel with Paul! John Mark couldn’t initially stand the pressure (Acts 13:13). Timothy had to be committed to the process and go through real pressures and come up the learning curve. A teachable and faithful spirit was demonstrated in Timothy’s life (Philippians 2:19-22) to such an extent that Paul said he had no one like him. That is quite a compliment!! Paul would call him his own son in the faith. You can be sure Timothy learned to walk in grace because Paul was a very dominant leader who would not back down from his convictions. But as Timothy matured under an older and seasoned leader, Paul and other leaders would prophesy over him and lay their hands on him, activating him into a very powerful ministry (I Timothy 4:14). Timothy would be trusted with serious spiritual and natural responsibilities and would be one of the major young men who would inherit a large portion of Paul’s mantle at his departure. Truly, the mentoring process between Paul and Timothy succeeded and the next generation did not have a leadership gap nor were they lead by academics that did not have the anointing. God wants His purposes to be activated from generation to generation, unbroken and unabated. May God raise up men and women who have a heart to impart everything God has given them to others in the Body of Christ. This demands commitment, much prayer, and the wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit, but the rewards are great. As the Apostle John stated, the greatest joy will come when we see our children walk in the truth (III John 4). All around the world God has graced me to impart, encourage, and release upcoming leaders through Biblical mentoring. May the Lord give us His fire and supernatural anointing to enable this generation and the generation to come to go faster and further than any of us have in Biblical revelation and the mighty operations of the Holy Spirit out of lives that please the Lord and in turn mentor others.
To be continued…….
|
|
Copyright New Horizons Development 2006, All Rights Reserved. |
|