Yesterday I had the privilege of spending some time with Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City. Pastor Jim has had a profound impact on my life and ministry through his books (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire; Fresh Faith; Breakthrough Prayer, The Church That God Blesses; etc.) and through the Tuesday night prayer meeting held at BT.
In fact, when we planted PCC 5 years ago about 40 people (just about the entire adult portion of our church at the time) chartered a bus and attended the Tuesday night prayer meeting. This proved to be a life-changing experience for me and our church plant. To witness an entire church calling on the name of the Lord in a corporate experience was so powerful.
Here are a few things I learned from Pastor Jim yesterday:
1. Love God with all your heart and live each day with a fresh supply of the Holy Spirit.
2. Teaching people to call upon the name of the Lord trumps "cute and clever programs".
3. Don't be in a hurry when you are in God's presence. Take time each day to cultivate an intimate relationship with God through the person of the Holy Spirit.
4. Surround yourself with humble, Godly men and women that know how to pray.
5. Reaching the lost and seeing them saved by God's amazing grace never gets old.
6. The most authentic expression of worship is simply saying "yes" to God.
7. God blesses a church that abandons itself to His Word and is desperate for the Holy Spirit to show up in their midst.
8. A church will eventually reflect the inner life of its leader.
9. There is no room for racism in the Kingdom of God.
10. Never underestimate the power of prayer.
