Dennis's adventure 1. His best-loved challenge
We know Pastor Dennis Balcombe as a globe-trotter who works for the Lord day and night, always praying and preaching. His messages are always centered on “Spirit-filled ministry and China missions.” We want to share with you more about Pastor Dennis: the places he ministered and what he felt about them. That way, we may co-labor with Pastor Dennis as witnesses for Jesus!
Many of us have seen Pastor Dennis in big meetings. To him, big meetings are good for meeting people and edifying the lives of believers. But what Pastor Dennis likes most has always been “pioneering a ministry.” He loves the faraway, risky places where few have ventured. There he will do what no one has done before, doing new things for God and broadening his spiritual horizon. Pastor Dennis is always ready to pay the price for establishing God’s Kingdom, for upholding scriptural principles and standing up for the truth. This is the challenge Pastor Dennis loves most.
To Pastor Dennis, such tasks are the most meaningful and challenging. So whenever a disaster strikes China, Pastor Dennis will immediately think of rushing to the scene to engage in relief work and labor alongside local churches, helping people restore their lives. Pastor Dennis was among the earliest batch of foreigners who entered China when the country opened her doors to the outside world in 1978. Subsequently God used Pastor Dennis to launch a ministry to get precious Bibles into the hands of interior believers. More importantly, Pastor Dennis was used to pioneer the Spirit-filled teaching and praise and worship ministry among China’s remote peasant churches. This teaching brought about renewal and revival among the house churches.
Pastor Dennis has made his theological stand very clear all along. He insists that churches need to be Spirit-filled; and speaking in tongues is a distinct sign of being filled with the Spirit, an experience that comes after one has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Pastor Dennis does not compromise and is always looking for chances to serve God with this specific message. A conservative overseas Chinese church once invited Pastor Dennis to speak on his favorite subject. In that church was an elder who opposed the Spirit-filled teaching. And just a day before the meeting, news spread that Pastor Dennis was taken ill and the meeting was called off. Perplexed, some church members went to verify this with their pastor and found that the news was merely a rumor. Pastor Dennis was equally perplexed but went on to deliver his message, perhaps with greater emphasis on the need to be Spirit-filled and speak in tongues. After the meeting, some believers thanked Pastor Dennis for teaching on the subject, which had greatly met their needs.
Pastor Dennis has always encouraged us to uphold biblical truth, thirst after the Holy Spirit and follow God with boldness. Let us be encouraged to serve faithfully!
