ABOUT LOVE, HUMILITY, AND SERVICE

Over the years, the Lord has given me many opportunities to learn about love, humility, and service by watching other people up close. He puts before me people who demonstrate these qualities to make me more like that too. Let me share this story:

Last May I was at an Assemblies of God Evangelists event in Springfield, MO. There I was surprised to see Pastor Chad Stoecker, who leads a very large church about an hour from where I live in Pennsylvania. I found out that he was there because he had driven veteran evangelist Fred Pettet who was ill and would not travel by air. Pastor Chad had taken time off and driven this old evangelist for two days from PA to Springfield so that he could attend the conference and receive the Smith Wigglesworth Award for 2023.

Evangelist Fred Pettet had been a children's evangelist in the Assemblies of God for over 60 years and had touched the lives of countless children. Many present-day pastors and ministers in the Assemblies of God had been saved under his ministry when they were small.

Then, a few months later, my friend Evangelist Tim Enloe called me and told me that he was going to visit Evangelist Fred Pettet who was in his last days in a hospice about two hours away. I accompanied Tim and visited Bro Fred. We sat and had a rich time of fellowship with him. He shared about his decades of serving God. He had kept records of the names and addresses of over one million forty thousand children who had been saved through his preaching over the years here in the United States. Astounding!

Fred Pettet had never married and had no family or possessions. He had lived simply and over the years had given away everything that he owned to others in need.

Tim and I prayed together with Evangelist Fred Pettet. It was a holy moment, and we bade him farewell and left the place with hearts that were touched by God. Not long afterwards Fred Pettet was in Heaven with our Lord Jesus.

I wanted to share this with you, my friends. Let us all together serve our Lord Jesus with love, humility, and service. Not only towards God, but also toward those who serve God alongside us. To see the way that AG ministers (even pastors of large churches), honored Evangelist Fred Pettet and served him when he was old and unwell, touched my heart.

I am privileged to serve Jesus alongside friends like Tim Enloe, Chad Stoecker, and so many others; men and women who love and serve with humility and honor, going the extra mile for their brothers and sisters. I am glad to watch their lives and see their hearts, and learn from their examples of love, service, and humility.

May we all serve our Master in a like manner with the same kind of heart!

 Originally posted on Facebook by Pastor Christopher Alam