Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Tenacity births Longevity

Staying where God plants you is vital. I truly believe God will come looking for you in the place He planted you.

John Mark quit during Paul's first missionary journey when things got tough.
Demas forsook Paul having loved this present world.

If we are to have an effective ministy we must learn to pass through the seasons of suffering. Some things are better learned in the valley than on the mountain top. When God allows us to pass through the veil of misunderstanding we must know that He is doing a work IN us so He can do a work THROUGH us.

While passing through the trial God is building my spiritual stamina so that I don't quit in the middle of what God has called me to do.

I remember this quote from Tommy Barnett many years ago. He said, "You can think about quitting as long as you know you're not going to." That stuck with me.

My friends, can you take a "lickin & keep on tickin?"

2 comments:

  1. Have Tenacity and you will get Longevity. This is what i try to live by:

    "God is preparing you for what He is preparing for You".

    Thanks Russell for the challenge to hang. I am with you. It is up to us to stay with it. The problem is that we are not bold enough to let people go and even ask people to leave, so we live in torment, frustration and anxiety that is our fault.

    I love what a great leader said, TD Jakes:
    "If they will leave, let them leave"

    If you know you are called by God to lead in your ministry position, then GROW UP and do it. Don't allow the sheep to rule the Shephard.

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  2. I have been at my church 8 years as of Jan. 21st and I have thought on numerous occasions that if I could do something else I would but I can't. I am built for this. I have also come to realize that almost every person who pastors a church I admire a great deal for it's success has been there atleast 10 years and has managed to build a keep a team that has allowed that success to come and given it a reason to stay.

    My friend Bob Cristler said "The way the come is the way they will go" and that helped me out a great deal. Some of the best growth takes place after an unexpected but allowed departure.

    We all have thought about leaving but I refuse to allow someone run me from where God has planted me. As one man said, "the key is to outlast your enemies until they die or become your allies".

    Our success has been slow, but undeniable!

    When we accepted the appointment of this church (only 4 people) said "our goal is for this to be our first and only pastorate" and after 8 years that feeling has not changed!

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