There are people that I have met as I visited other churches and people think that if they just imitated something about the church or me, their ministry would be successful. I am here to convey 10 things that you did not know about me and my ministry.
1) Encourage yourself in the Lord
You see the fruits but you are not aware of all the struggle and the pain that were involved to reap the fruits. You do not know what they are struggling through, the sins and trials. In 1 Samuel 3, people tried to discourage David, and wanted to stone David but David encouraged himself in the Lord to continue his calling. We need to work on our bitterness and understanding to understand where God wants you to do. Encourage yourself that there is a God that will forgive you as long you keep come back to him repent and go back to serve Him, go back to Jesus.
2) Enjoy what Jesus gives you
So many of you have so many things in your household that you can enjoy. But instead, you choose to focus on afflictions or misery of the flesh. Even if there was 1 church member left, I would enjoy our fellowship.
3) Unshaken faith and patience
Zeal is great, but if you don’t control it and hurt some brother and sister, you are not thinking through the consequences. We need to wait on the lord and be patient. Otherwise, we are just full of the devil.
Trials increase your patience.
Hebrews 11:33-39
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
When you rush ahead, you do not trust God. You lack faith; rushing is a fleshy thing. There are two different kinds of Christians, some over-worried and will not go ahead to do something because they think they’re not well equipped and the other group is overly positive and they do not consider that the initiative can fail. There needs to be a balance on worrying and relying on God.
4) I have a vision
If we do not have a vision, it is difficult to strive to do great things for God. Maybe we will get halfway towards it, but at least we will accomplish more than what we are doing now. I want to reach every iota across the world. How to do that? I find every burden that people have – homeless, drug addicts, onliners, the church. The church’s problem is that they are content with what they have. I prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. Even if we have 2 persons for 3 years, we continue to go on. We do not give up.
5) Uncompromising attitude
There are going to be genuine problems – you are too busy or got sick to carry out an important duty, but you continue to drag yourself to do something. You struggle with sin but you need to not compromise. I may need to “spend more time with my classmates” or socializing with people, but no, I do not compromise and that I never let these people influence me. I also do not compromise the doctrines that the Lord taught to me. I will not fear what man/the world will do unto me. I use the “sword of God” instead of keeping it in the scabbard. I continue to preach the truth even when it offends.
6) Prioritizing
You need to have a priority because we all have so many priorities, to our family, wife/husband, children, work/study. You have to adjust our priorities. Every day in life is going to change – and we will realize “I should have dedicated more time here rather than there.” You need to trust God, keep adjusting and in time, you’re going to find what is important.
7) Understanding of people
A greater understanding of people can be used by God – we have to understand that everyone is made different (some are funny, some are serious). I had to have a greater understanding of the members (so that I can preach a message that is in season) and also the pastors (so that we understand the pastors better – they have been trained in a certain mindset).
8) Find and yield to the power of Holy Spirit
Do you seek God’s power? I pray for God’s filling of the Holy Spirit all the time. This is a reason why a schedule is at a particular time, why “history of bible believers” became one of the best sermons, when there are distractions in a preaching. Try to seek God’s power and yield to it. People sometimes force a “shout” in the preaching, but that’s not yielding to the Holy Spirit.
9) Humility
I keep thinking about the possibilities that something could go wrong. I find out the deficits and holes in my life. When we do that, God shows us what we can do better.
10) Don’t run away from the pain
There are a lot of liberals and antagonists here in the Bay Area. Why did I start a church here out of all the places? I did not run away from it. Bible-believing truth is going to spread because someone continued to stand for bible believing truth in Bay Area.
Ending remarks
There’s no special secret to produce fruits for the Lord.
It’s about following the basics of what God told you to do, then He’s going to bless you. But a lot of people drift away and they try to find a shortcut or they give up. Before you set up an online ministry or become a pastor of the church, you better look at the costs and these 10 things to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. It is worth it.