We’ve all heard it, “God never promised us a rose garden.” The older I get the more I get it. Here’s another one we’ve all heard, “when it rains, it pours.” By now if you’re my age or older you’ve heard these statement all of your life. How true are they [by now you’re smiling]? We’ve all had days like that but have you had a weekend or a week. Then congratulations!!!! You’re a survivor. Even if what you must endure is God appointed or self afflicted, trouble is just flat out no fun. Now here the preacher in me…
- you cannot appreciated the sunshine until you have spent time in the storm
- you cannot appreciated water until you have been thirsty
- you cannot appreciated good health until you’ve experienced sickness
- you cannot appreciated the gift of friendship until you’ve been friendless
- you cannot appreciated the crowd until you’ve been lonely
I think you get the point. So no matter what you’re going through today or have to go through tomorrow know that “trouble can’t last always” [just had to throw one more in for good measure]. We all are living testimonies of the truth in that one. Be encouraged. Whoever that’s for…I say again be encourage.
The weekend was a very tough one for me. Sometime when you live your life on the stage [that what I call the life of every leader especially pastors.] I say that because when most church goers come to church they can be ministered too but what happens when the minister needs to be ministered too? What a very unique thought where does the pastor go when he needs pastoring? What happens when the shepherd that leads sheep need shepherding because the shepherd is a lamb too? Here’s what I learned he simply need to do what God has called him or her was called to do. This pass weekend the only thing that made me better is just doing what I was created to do preach preacher preach. And Sunday that just what I did, starting out at our 9am service I shared the ingredients for a successful lifetime of spiritual growth. Simple outline but might be helpful for someone.
- A lifetime of spiritual growth requires commitment!
- A lifetime of spiritual growth requires balance!
- A lifetime of spiritual growth requires relationship!
At 11am I was privileged to travel to Shawnee Oklahoma to share with a brother in the ministry [a preacher from your same home church] Pastor Tony Rhone and the Galilee Baptist Church on their 48th anniversary celebration. This church has a rich history that included a time when they had thought of cashing in but trusted God and they are now in a new church building with a new pastor celebrating their 48th birthday. As I was being introduced it dawned on me that over the last 4 weeks I have had the privilege of preaching three church anniversaries the 105th church anniversary of the New Hope Church of Newark, New Jerseys [Pastor Joe Carter], 1st church anniversary of the Vision Church of Stafford Virginia and then 48th for the Galilee Church. Isn’t it a blessing to know that with all of the bedrocks of financial institutions failing and falling that the church of God is still standing strong! [Hallelujah!!!!!] I tried to share with this church a word of encouragement both for the church as well as this young giant of a pastor “Fear Not!”
- We don’t have to fear because God’s Presences is watching over us!
- We don’t have to fear because God’s Purpose is working in us!
- We don’t have to fear because God’s Place is waiting on us!
I guess it really didn’t matter that I as really preaching to myself [bet you thought was going to leave you’ll hang on the question of what does the shepherd do when he needs a shepherd]. We’ve all heard it “what good for the goose is good for the gander.”
So whatever you’re going through right now in your life “endurance” is the word for today! Push, Pray and Persist. And always remember that tomorrow is always full of new possibilities.
Hang in there. It’s going to be ALLLLLLLLLLL Right!
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