January 12, 2011
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Lunch With Rolland Baker
A few weeks ago I filled out a personal profile to be put on my church’s website. On it I had to list three people that I would really like to meet. I listed these names… Heidi and Rolland Baker (married couple) and Bobby Conner, with Heidi and Rolland being the two I really wanted to sit down with (I’ve met them both before, briefly). Heidi and Rolland Baker direct Iris Ministry in Mozambique and have orphanages and churches all over the war-torn country. Their books have deeply impacted me, especially Rolland’s grandfather’s book “Visions Beyond the Veil,” my favorite book.
And yesterday I ended up sitting down for lunch with Rolland Baker. How about that? My friends Norberto and Monica are well connected with him. He happened to be in Korea speaking at different conferences and they set me up for the meal, along with a couple of my ministry co-leaders. Just the fact that I was able to have lunch with him made me feel so loved by the Lord. It was really cool. I enjoy being with people outside of “ministry mode” when they relax and there is no pressure to perform or act a certain way.
Rolland is definitely one of the most joyful people I have ever met. He was smiling and laughing nearly the entire time. He seemed most concerned with people getting wrapped up in different “streams” (apostolic, health/wealth gospel, etc). His concern wasn’t about false teaching, but about people getting so wrapped up in the teaching that their eyes are being taken off of Jesus. He is so joyful for being saved. I was going to write, “so joyful simply for being saved,” but it really isn’t as simple as we make it out to be… the fact that Jesus died for us and we are eternally accepted and loved.
I was able to share the visions God has given to me for North Korea and he prayed for me and also prayed joy over my ministry co-leaders. It was refreshing being with him. He obviously has no personal agenda or desire for fame. He just lives by faith and lives to love. And he is really happy. The joy of the Lord truly is his strength, and it has to be for the work he does in Africa.
Here is a clip of Heidi and Rolland from Mozambique… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sywit0jm_lM.
God bless!
