Every Monday I will be
posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel
on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and
theology. Today's interview is with Pastor Ron McCants with In Touch Ministries. Pastor Ron and I met earlier this year at a men's discipleship event in Florida and have stayed connected encouraging and praying for each other.
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| Pastor Ron McCants |
PAUL: First if you can give a small summary of who you are,
what you do and what is your greatest passion in life?
RON: I have been in ministry for 35+ years,
mostly in Tennessee and Florida. Barbara and I have been married 42 years and
our lives together just get better with each passing year!
We
recently moved to the Atlanta area to accept a position as Ministry Ambassador
with In Touch Ministries. As an Ambassador I travel and call on Ministry
Partners – sort of a Pastoral extension of Dr. Stanley’s ministry. It is such a
joy to get to meet so many people and pray with them about their needs and hear
what God is doing in their lives.
An added
bonus is living less than an hour from our daughter and her family and getting
to worship with them! We are about to launch a Life Group in our home beginning
in January.
The
mention of family brings me to the greatest passion in my life – relational
discipleship. What joy to see people grow in their relationship with
Jesus. As the Body of Christ walks in
right relationship with Him it must involve a relationship with each other. The
purest form of discipleship happens in close quarters!
PAUL: 1. Pastor Ron, thank you for taking the time to share
your heart with me. I would like to first ask you what has the Lord been
impressing upon your heart the most this year? Its been a year of ups and downs for
many families and ministries. What has the Lord been talking to you personally
about?
RON: Since this has been a year of tremendous
transition for us it is hard to get beyond what He began speaking to my heart
the beginning of the year – Isaiah 54:2 – enlarge…stretch…lengthen…strengthen!
It seems sort of strange in a time when
everything around us seems to be shrinking but the initial imperative for
Israel and for us – enlarge – refers to the “place” of our tents. I believe
that while we are facing those “ups and downs” we should not retreat or
downsize our thinking. It was a prophetic word for Israel – He wants to be the
God of the Gentiles – and it is a prophetic word for us – there are many people
out there that are unlike us that we should enlarge the place of our tent to
include!
The transition of ministry for us has
placed us squarely in the midst of people I never could have imagined I would
be. He may be shuffling the entire deck of Christianity…
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| Pastor Ron ministering |
PAUL: 2. If we take a holistic view on the body of Christ
today with all its spiritual victories and weaknesses, what have you observed
as being barriers to unity among the brethren? Also, how can we begin to heal
some of these issues?
RON: As referenced above, God has a larger
place for us. I believe that means that we should not narrow our focus to
strictly those circles in which we have been comfortable. As one person said (I
don’t remember!) “Everyone is a 10 at something.” For the Body of Christ that
means we can’t discount any stream of tradition.
It may seem like a cliché but we need
each other, and we need to focus on the things that unite, not the things that
divide us into different camps. And I don’t mean to include every heresy and
extreme theology. Let’s work on those things that are not essentials of the
faith and cling to those that are.
There is ONE place where we are all alike
– at the foot of the Cross. There is ONE spiritual discipline in which if we
engage together, it would heal not only the Body but the culture – prayer!
PAUL: 3. Many are concerned today about the decline of
morality and spiritual hunger in our country these days, what hope do you see
for a revival to awaken? Some say that natural disasters like Katrina, Sandy,
and violent tornadoes are God's judgements against America. Does this have any
significance for Christians in America?
RON: I heard Bishop B.E. Underwood say many
years ago that in the world there are two agendas. The devil’s agenda is that
in the end times perilous times would come, but the Lord’s agenda is that in
the last days HE would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. Whose agenda will we
follow?
I don’t think we can specifically say
that natural disasters are necessarily from God – if He is punishing or judging
America, then why are there more disasters in other parts of the world? The
recent earthquake and typhoon in the Philippines is an example. Are they more
corrupt than America? This is an example of comparing ourselves among ourselves
and we are not wise (fools) – 2 Corinthians 10:12.
That does not mean that we are exempt
from God’s judgment. We do have much to answer for, especially the Christian
community but we can’t pinpoint a natural disaster as being judgment from God
any more than we can pinpoint the cause of the man born blind to his or his
parents’ sin! (John 9)
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| Pastor Ron preaching |
PAUL: 4. As a seasoned minister, what counsel can you share
with young people in my generation on walking in the fear of the Lord? It seems
many have lost sight of this and enjoy messages of hyper-grace and living life
as one seems good and right. It deeply concerns me seeing an imbalance of truth
and grace. Pastor Ron, share with me your father's heart on this.
RON: We have so misunderstood the fear of the
Lord. The first definition listed for that phrase in most commentaries and
lexicons is “morally, reverence.” The
concept is that we revere God – hold Him in such high esteem – that we would
not want to do anything to disappoint Him.
The best example I can come up with is
that any child wants to please their father (parents) so badly they will do or
refrain from doing anything, regardless of his or her home life or treatment
from their parent. That seems to be innate for all of us.
So it is with our loving Heavenly Father.
We cannot use the great grace poured out on us as a license to act any way we
want towards God or fellow man. Although we don’t have to DO anything to
receive His grace, because of His grace and my reverence of Him why
would I do anything to displease Him? My greatest goal is to know Him (the
fellowship of His suffering and the power of His resurrection); His goal
for me is that Christ be formed in me. I don’t envision Christ presuming on the
grace of God to act in His own self-interests, otherwise the Cross would not
have happened!
Young people, please do not take the
liberty of your freedom in Christ to diminish His life and power within you to
be Godly examples. As Paul wrote to Timothy, his son in the faith, I would
admonish your generation to “pursue righteousness….” Read 2 Timothy 2,
especially verses 19-22.
PAUL: 5. One conclusion I have noticed is our generation is
thirsty for transparent leaders and spiritual fathers and mothers. Having said
that, looking back into your walk with the Lord what are some personal
disappointments have you been through that may help someone avoid them in the
future?
RON: I think the greatest disappointments I
have had came from making decisions (early on) without really laying out the
options to trusted mentors or spiritual fathers. When I began my walk with the
Lord and in ministry that concept was not really on the radar screen in most of
Christianity, at least in my circles of influence.
I would NEVER make another major decision
without having at least 2-3 mentors whom I look up to and respect as fathers in
the faith giving me their blessings. Find them, stick to them like barnacles on
a pier, and trust God to speak through them. But at the end of the day…you make
the decision.
And I must say, not to my own credit, my
life has had very few disappointments. God has been good to me. Someone said
that you are not old until regrets replace dreams – I must be very young!
PAUL: 6. On a more lighter note, What are your plans for
Thanksgiving? Any interesting family traditions you do that you can share?
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| Pastor Ron and his wife Barbara |
RON: Actually, our plans for Thanksgiving this year are brand new. Living in
Florida and our daughter, Stephanie, living in NE Georgia, we have been having
Thanksgiving with her family – Kirk and Will and Kirk’s parents and extended
family. This year they are all coming to our house! Pray hard for Barbara. She
approaches it a little differently than me – for me if there is food and family
it is a good day, no matter the quality of the food…or the family!
