Hey, do you have a license to do that?
Last week I wrote about building a church building on a tiny island in the South Pacific.
I experienced another incident that I have thought a lot about these years since.
I was teaching high school mathematics at a mission school run by the local Assembly of God church and its mission program. Ruth and I are not Assembly of God people, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. The Assembly of God is the largest denomination in the Marshal Islands. They have churches planted on every island except Bikini, which is too hot for habitation, it is still radio active from the A-Bomb tests in the early 40's. Incidentally, you and I are still doling out money each month to the 2nd, 3rd, and who knows what generation of the family members who were evacuated from that tiny island before we set off the big one. The reason that I know that is one day as we were standing in the grocery store check-out line, I noticed $50.00 after shave lotion on the "?temptation shelves? that you must pass to check out. I asked the lady, "?Who buys $50.00 after shave lotion?? She answered the only people with that kind of money are the "?Bikini people." I than did a little checking and found out that she was right, the only people who did have money to burn were the Bikini people, and they get a new check to burn each month. Oh well, I guess that's what keep the economy chugging along.
The school was located on the island of Majuro, which is the capital of the country and the headquarters for the Assembly of God ministry. The superintendent of the whole mission lived at the school compound and we knew him, he used to sit in on the teachers meetings and I got to know him and his family quite well. At the teacher's meetings all the teachers were asked to give a devotional before the meeting. Some read a little scripture, some read a poem, and some like myself gave a teaching. The superintendent liked my teachings and one day he came up to me and said, "?Jim, I like your teachings. We have a lot of churches in our district and I would like you to teach in my churches. Do you have a license??
Now, I have a teaching license from several states, I have a driver's license, I have a fishing license, I have a hunting license, I have a license to live and sleep with my wife, and I have had several other licenses over the years, but he meant, a "?License to Preach.? My reply was, "?No, I have never had a license to preach.? His reply was, "?Jim, when you go back home for the summer, get a license to preach and I will give you lots of opportunities to teach in my churches.?
Now, as I look back on my life, I thank God for the grace that He has given me over the years to keep my mouth shut when my flesh wanted to open it and spew out my thoughts. This was one of those times when His Grace kicked in because here is what I was thinking. "?If I have to have a license to preach or teach the "?Good News? of the Kingdom of God in your churches, I will never get one, even if it is given me on golden parchment. Where in scripture are we told to wait until we get a license to preach??
The only time that I can remember where the disciples were told to wait, was in Acts 1:4 when Jesus told them to," wait until they were empowered from on High by the Holy Spirit. " That is the license that comes from Heaven above and it is not on a paper document.
Well, needless to say I never did get a license, and I didn't go back to the Marshals. We moved to South Dakota where I taught in a Christian high school.
I did a lot of teaching or preaching in churches around South Dakota during my tenure at that school. One spring I was asked to take the Easter sermon at an Assembly of God church. Of course you can imagine what was going through my mind about then, and of course I had a nice big smile on my face all through the message.
After the service some of the folks asked Ruth and I out to dinner as it was Easter Sunday as we were away from home and family. During the dinner conversation, one of the ladies said, "?Jim we are without a pastor here and we would like you to apply for the position.? My immediate answer was, to no surprise to anyone who reads this, "?But madam, I don't have a license.?
Her response was, "?Jim, these are the last days and we don't need licenses to fulfill the great commission.?
My thoughts exactly.
Last week I wrote about building a church building on a tiny island in the South Pacific.
I experienced another incident that I have thought a lot about these years since.
I was teaching high school mathematics at a mission school run by the local Assembly of God church and its mission program. Ruth and I are not Assembly of God people, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. The Assembly of God is the largest denomination in the Marshal Islands. They have churches planted on every island except Bikini, which is too hot for habitation, it is still radio active from the A-Bomb tests in the early 40's. Incidentally, you and I are still doling out money each month to the 2nd, 3rd, and who knows what generation of the family members who were evacuated from that tiny island before we set off the big one. The reason that I know that is one day as we were standing in the grocery store check-out line, I noticed $50.00 after shave lotion on the "?temptation shelves? that you must pass to check out. I asked the lady, "?Who buys $50.00 after shave lotion?? She answered the only people with that kind of money are the "?Bikini people." I than did a little checking and found out that she was right, the only people who did have money to burn were the Bikini people, and they get a new check to burn each month. Oh well, I guess that's what keep the economy chugging along.
The school was located on the island of Majuro, which is the capital of the country and the headquarters for the Assembly of God ministry. The superintendent of the whole mission lived at the school compound and we knew him, he used to sit in on the teachers meetings and I got to know him and his family quite well. At the teacher's meetings all the teachers were asked to give a devotional before the meeting. Some read a little scripture, some read a poem, and some like myself gave a teaching. The superintendent liked my teachings and one day he came up to me and said, "?Jim, I like your teachings. We have a lot of churches in our district and I would like you to teach in my churches. Do you have a license??
Now, I have a teaching license from several states, I have a driver's license, I have a fishing license, I have a hunting license, I have a license to live and sleep with my wife, and I have had several other licenses over the years, but he meant, a "?License to Preach.? My reply was, "?No, I have never had a license to preach.? His reply was, "?Jim, when you go back home for the summer, get a license to preach and I will give you lots of opportunities to teach in my churches.?
Now, as I look back on my life, I thank God for the grace that He has given me over the years to keep my mouth shut when my flesh wanted to open it and spew out my thoughts. This was one of those times when His Grace kicked in because here is what I was thinking. "?If I have to have a license to preach or teach the "?Good News? of the Kingdom of God in your churches, I will never get one, even if it is given me on golden parchment. Where in scripture are we told to wait until we get a license to preach??
The only time that I can remember where the disciples were told to wait, was in Acts 1:4 when Jesus told them to," wait until they were empowered from on High by the Holy Spirit. " That is the license that comes from Heaven above and it is not on a paper document.
Well, needless to say I never did get a license, and I didn't go back to the Marshals. We moved to South Dakota where I taught in a Christian high school.
I did a lot of teaching or preaching in churches around South Dakota during my tenure at that school. One spring I was asked to take the Easter sermon at an Assembly of God church. Of course you can imagine what was going through my mind about then, and of course I had a nice big smile on my face all through the message.
After the service some of the folks asked Ruth and I out to dinner as it was Easter Sunday as we were away from home and family. During the dinner conversation, one of the ladies said, "?Jim we are without a pastor here and we would like you to apply for the position.? My immediate answer was, to no surprise to anyone who reads this, "?But madam, I don't have a license.?
Her response was, "?Jim, these are the last days and we don't need licenses to fulfill the great commission.?
My thoughts exactly.
posted by Jim Burton at 7:45 AM
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