A KEY TO LIVING IN THE BLESSING OF GOD

I want to share a brief excerpt from a book by Pastor Claude Houde, who is the pastor of New Life Church in Montreal. This portion of Canada has been difficult for Protestant Christianity to penetrate as Quebec is predominately Roman Catholic. The average Protestant church in Quebec has a very small attendance and most towns might have only one Protestant church. Pastor Claude’s church is one of the most successful evangelical churches in Quebec with a weekly attendance over 3500.

In 1985, prior to starting his church in Montreal, Pastor Claude became friends with David Wilkerson, whom he later assisted as an interpreter when Wilkerson conducted crusades or pastors’ conferences in the French-speaking world.

Read the following story carefully and I believe you will discover, as Pastor Claude did, one of the keys to living in the blessing of God. 

Here’s the story from Claude Houde’s book, Increase Our Faith.

" I had just shared the Word at Times Square Church. Pastor David Wilkerson and I had eaten supper together. It is always an honor to have these moments with him. It was late and we were walking back together. I remember that it was several months before our church was to open and I wanted to ask him for counsel. Pastor David is the author of more than forty books; his written testimony, The Cross and the Switchblade, has been, for over thirty years, one of the most-read Christian books in the world, having been translated into dozens of languages. The Teen Challenge Centers he founded are bringing freedom to addicts all over the world. The church he pioneered in Manhattan serves over 8,000 members and every year reaches out to millions through the Internet. Brother Dave is the founder of World Challenge, a Christian organization supporting missions around the world, as well as countless other ministries, touching millions. In his latter years, he has spoken in conferences to thousands of pastors face to face and is considered to be one of the men who truly marked our generation for God.

I was a bit nervous. Pastor Wilkerson is a very humble man, nice, kind and considerate, yet he is also extremely serious and very intense. I love, respect and admire him and am so grateful for all he has done for me and the work of God in the French world. I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. I knew what he thought of quick-fix methodologies for church growth. He doesn’t care for 7 keys to this, 8 steps to that, 9 guaranteed secrets to . . . etc. He has prayed, listened to God and served Him, seeking to please Him for more than 50 years and has built ministries that have touched the world. As I was walking with him through the crowded streets of New York, lit as brightly as if it were day, I suddenly got up the courage and blurted out, “Pastor Dave, we are soon going to begin our church. Do you have a key, a piece of advice you would like to share with me? What I’m trying to say is, if there was one thing that I should do or that I should know, what would you say it is?”

I was astounded by his answer. He stopped dead in his tracks and began to say with amazing intensity and a burning passion, “You want to know what the key is? Do you really want to know? There’ve been others who have asked me the same question. They didn’t believe me. Oh, they listened, but they never put it into practice. Some even tried a little bit and then got discouraged. Do you really want to know?”

I have to admit that at that point, I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to know after all! But it was too late, so I answered him in a faltering voice, “Yes sir, I really would like to know.” All of a sudden, his expression and his tone of voice changed. His entire face lit up. Like a child who knows a secret, he said, “Find the poor! Give to the poor! Help the poor! Put your heart and your passion to helping people who will never be able to pay you back or do anything for you.” Then he paused for a second and with absolute joy, he added, “And then watch God bless you!” ”

What Pastor Claude learned that day from David Wilkerson became a guiding principle for the new church he was about to plant in Montreal and the same principle continues to guide the church today! I know this will be a blessing to those who will hear and do!

Blessed is the one who considers [is kind to] the poor!
    In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
² the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
³ The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness you restore him to full health. (Psalm 41:1-3, ESV)