What Constitutes a Successful Ministry?
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Secular Success
With the Gross Domestic Product estimated at $14,580,000,000,000, and boasting 422 billionaires among its citizens, the United States considers itself to be the most successful nation on planet earth.
Could this be the reason our country is not only success obsessed but assumes its success is the inseparable companion of wisdom? Of course, enlightened minds know that success is no index of wisdom because in the teaching of Jesus such an assumption is tantamount to heresy. He is critical of our blind worship of whatever seems to be popular in the world and He attacks our acceptance of the voice of secular power as being the voice of God. The purposes of our lives have become so colored by this nation’s success obsession that we are shocked when anyone questions the worldly faith in “accomplishments” as an indicator of wisdom. It seems to be the conviction of the majority that one cannot argue with success and have no right to criticize it because the “successful” are the “wise.”
In spite of all that Holy Scripture teaches about FAITHFULNESS, it's absolutely astonishing as to how many of us, perhaps unconsciously, are preoccupied with numbers. If you attend Christian conferences, most of the speakers are from the largest churches. Have you noticed the ministers on the best seller lists are usually leaders of mega churches or wealthy ministries? So in the mind of the world, large, gigantic, huge means success.
But if we take a long look backwards, we soon discover that the Judeo-Christian history does not support the view that success and wisdom are two sides of the same coin. There have been many “successes” that did not last very long and we all know this to be fact. There have been many impressive organizations that did not endure a decade. Wisdom has often been clothed in rags and made to walk on worn out feet. The price some people have paid for their “success” has sometimes left them with nothing with which to pay for understanding. We acknowledge too that some have made numerical growth such a focus of the church, that they have sacrificed the power of the gospel.
The question we must ask ourselves is; is the Bible a Book of “success” as defined by the secular world? Hardly! Its wisdom comes from a captive and despised people. David, their greatest king, began to deteriorate morally and was corrupted by sin when he had achieved mastery over his people and their enemies. The great insights come from the Psalms of penitence and sorrow. The Christian faith was born in defeat and its Savior is killed on a cross.
Success from the standpoint of Divinity is different from the world’s perception and conception. The Christian’s understanding of success is unfathomable to the secular minded because in their world, success in determined by outcomes, reaching the top, achieving desired results, achieving numerical goals, as Dr. Joe Capista defines:
“Many people say they want success, yet they are not willing to do what it takes to achieve their desired outcome... your successes will come from the way you think, feel and act, coupled with intense emotion and a steadfast belief in yourself.” (emphasis mine).
Dr. Capista is the owner of Williamsburg Dental, a multi-million dollar dental practice with two locations in Pennsylvania. This is how the world typically views success and many Christians have bought into its philosophy.
Christian Success
God told Ezekiel, “The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 2:4-5.
God teaches us through His Words to Ezekiel that those on His mission are not responsible for the outcomes of our labor. We cannot make anything happen. We do not make Christians, we do not change people, and we do not convert sinners. Preachers and all ambassadors in the service of the Lord are not in management, we are in the sowing business. We are not responsible for the outcome or the results of our Christian activities, which is where I think some of us may be confused. Caught up in the mentality of the world’s definition of success, we fail to realize that as Christian workers in God’s vineyard, we are essentially sowers. We are called upon to plant seeds, tell the story in its fullness and then leave the rest to God. That’s it. Paul said, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”
Can you imagine Microsoft or AT&T telling their sales force to go out and sell and whether people buy or not, they will know a salesperson has been among them? I think not!
It is only in the service of the Lord that planting seeds of God’s Word in the lives of people can be made in spite of the degree of receptivity. Success in God’s economy is not predicated on receptivity; on how well our preaching or teaching or service is received. And this truth alone should humble all of us who are prone to get excited about ourselves. We have done no more or no less than any other dutiful servant of God regardless of our education or location or station in life.
So, what does it mean to be pastor of a mega-church? It means only that a person is pastor of a mega-church. Nothing more! Do they get any special credits for the size of the building, for the crowd, the budget, the growth, or the activities? NO!
Scripture has made it abundantly clear that Christian service is not measured according to what the world calls accomplishments . A mega-church is no more significant to Divinity than the tiniest storefront church in devoted service to His Kingdom. There are little corner mission churches that minister for the Lord in hostile environments. They bravely overcome overwhelming odds, find funding somehow, and keep their members spiritual sight keen enough to see beyond the reality of their surroundings. I think we Christians need to seriously reevaluate our perception of “success.”
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2.
Success in the usual sense of the word is not promised in the Kingdom of God. God never promised anybody a superstar career. Jesus did not have it and neither should we; but rather as Paul describes:
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:36-39.
Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. Galatians 6:17.
This was a favorite of my parents and was played and prayed often in our home.
God’s Criteria
So what criteria does our Lord use to judge our performance? What permeates through His Word of truth is clear. We satisfy and please Him only to the extent that we plant the seed of the Gospel thereby imposing a godly influence on humanity. And we do that only by telling the TRUTH about Him and the human predicament and remaining faithful to that function.
How to have a successful ministry? By realizing that God did not call us to be “successful” according to the world’s standards; He called us to be faithful. How many of us can imagine ourselves standing before God and saying, “I know I was not always faithful, but did you look at the size of my church?” We should not concern ourselves about congregants’ response to the Word nor become discouraged; we just keep preaching the Truth for when we plant the seed of the Gospel, we can be sure that it will produce according to God’s timetable and will because it depends, not on us, but on God. We do not need tricks or gimmicks. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” It is the seed that is efficacious. The seed of Truth must be sown in the heart, but still it is all of God.
Honor your assignment, keep the faith, pray continually, preach and teach the word, and tell the story wherever you go. And as God told Ezekiel, “whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.” The seed has been planted. Whether the people are edified by the Word or not, God will be glorified and His Word magnified.
Remember, we are not responsible for outcomes so stop measuring yourself and your work according to the world’s standards. All the criteria’s we commonly employ to weigh and evaluate people’s performance have neither place nor purpose in God’s Kingdom.
Success in the spiritual life is experienced when we love Christ supremely, take up our cross daily, stay on the course He has laid before us; and declare God’s Word to the world (plant the seed and continually expose it to the water of His TRUTH). God will harvest your crop. And whether they listen or fail to listen, God said, they will know His servant has been among them and they will be left without excuse when they stand before God in judgment.
Our success is measured only by our faithfulness to His cause and commission. Outcomes are the business of the Holy Trinity, not man. And when all is said and done, all that matters is God’s view of our “success; ARE WE FAITHFUL?
God told Ezekiel, “The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 2:4-5.
This hub is dedicated to Pastor Derik and all those in the service of the Lord. Be encouraged today!
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I do understand the struggle Pilgrimboy. I believe, your Lord and mine, through the Words to Ezekiel and Paul's truth, is sending you whatever the message you received in your spirit. Let those that have ears to hear, hear.
Love, peace and joy in Him who suffered unspeakable pains for us.
Forever His,
Excellent message RevLady. It is so succinct, God’s message that we mind ourselves. God is constantly reminding us that we have our own sin to deal with, therefore do not try to take the sins of others, that is the Lords job. Selflessness and responsibility isn’t a hallmark taught to young children and adults anymore. As a society we reap what we have sown together.
This is a great hub for so many teachable reasons. Thank you.
Jason, I appreciate all the teachable aspects you located in this hub that I had not thought about. The issues you touched upon are certainly true. It does seem as if selflessness and responsibility are areas of neglect these day the consequences of which will surely be revealed on society in generations following.
Thank you for your comments.
Love, peace and joy in Him,
Forever His,
Thank you Revlady, I agree with you about the success and the big churches, when all that doesn't matter to God. Thank you for bringing such a wonderful hub to us. Godspeed. creativeone59
My friend ,one more time, you are a arrow shot into the heart of man.The pen of the ready writer.May the Lord pick up the pen and write many more times on the heart of man. May the Lord bless you with increase to feed the nations. Sharon E Dix
The need of the hour for the church is people like Paul who are willing the preach the word of God even in the adverse conditions. Paul was focused and had a vision and mission in his heart for Jesus. Even though he was beaten in many places, he never refused to preach the gospel. His commitment was strong.
Non-performers are looking ways to justify their non-performance. If you give your hundred percent, I am sure God would not fail you. Correcting oneself and looking for ways to improve oneself is the key to success. We cannot blame the best sellers or crowd pullers, there is something extraordinary which we need to learn from them and improve ourselves.
Perhaps this doesn't relate to my life exactly, but I think I needed to read that we are not measured by our success by God. Feeling a bit frustrated with my own career, I need to remember that who I am is more important than what I do for work.
I also believe it is dangerous to revere a successful individual since it is often those people who tend to let their success go to their heads. Power can easily ruin a person, sadly.
Creativeone, Sharon, Ama83
Thank you all for sharing and I hope this hub was a source of inspiration to remain in the service of the Lord to which we have been assigned until our work is done.
Though Ezekiel became discouraged with the people at many points, it is significant that God told him to not be concerned with outcomes. We follow His command and keep our focus only on Him and our mission. Amen.
Love, peace, and joy in Him who supplies our every spiritual need.
Forever His,
I enjoyed the hub, RevLady. I agree with you completely in that success and wisdom go hand in hand, and yes, the message is not always appreciated by the receivers as you reiterated.
How lovely that you dedicated this to Pastor Derik. God Bless.
Thank you for visiting MS. I always appreciate your comments.
Peace,
Forever His,
RevLady,
Thanks for the encouragement. I've certainly never pastored a mega church. To be honest, I'd never want to. God has blessed me with a small group of some of the most wonderful people in the world. Thanks again for all your thoughts--very meaningful.
You are indeed blessed. Mega-churches usually have many ministers and ministries as well. Some are doing great work for the Lord and some are not. Of course, that can be said of the smaller church too. But, whether large or small, numbers should not be a consideration when on God's mission.
Thanks for the drop by LG. Wonderful having you comment.
Peace,
Forever His,
At what ever level one happens to be at, if God is pleased with our performance, that's all that matters.
Brother Dave.
Good morning Reverend Lady. I am feeling like Ama is feeling - as I am sure many today - frustration from lack of direction in regards to my "career." However, I do fight these feelings as often as they try to enter and control me.
I have been out of work for over a year and a half, but we are not starving, praise the Lord! We lack for nothing, hallelujah!
That though I worry about tomorrow, He tells us in His Word that tomorrow will care for itself. These feelings are just momentary lapses. Bob was out of work for so long, we were homeless for so long that fear tries to overtake. But I am often reminded that God is providing and seeing us through everything, and He has never abandoned us.
Bob is working - and bringing home "the bacon" - we have a roof over our heads, we have food on our table, shoes on our feet, clothes to keep our "earth suits" covered. :) We had; God has given some back; our "success" in our present life is no longer judged by the amount of money my husband makes or the position he presently hold. We can now finally see God's hand and His continues love for us. Something we should have seen all along.
We are children of the King. We are rich!
A wonderful and most uplifting hub, RevLady. A reminder of what really matters in life. Being in the service of the Lord!
Today I again send you all my love and GIANT hugs, in Christ Jesus,
VKA
"God did not call us to be “successful” according to the world’s standards; He called us to be faithful" wow! I have abandoned missions at times because of the appearance of failure to get through. This shift of focus and purpose really turns a mission into true worship. Well said.
"Success in the spiritual life is experienced when we love Christ supremely" Beautiful!
I have also seen time and time again success in the church measured in numbers and get frustrated with the gimmickry used to collect them. I have found the preaching of the pure Word of God to be more attractive than any gimmick.
Amen! Amen! This is something we all need to be reminded of. God's economy is diametrically opposed to the worlds. When you pointed out that wisdom may be walking around in rags with tired feet, it stirred something in me. John the baptist certainly did not fit the worlds definition of success, but Jesus when referring to him said no man born of woman was more righteous than he. That is success! I'd rather be bankrupt by the worlds standard than successful by it only to find too late that I am bankrupt without His favor. Great reminder of what is truly of value!
DM, AMEN!
VKA,
Thank you for sharing from your heart and your experience dear heart, is the experience of humanity, even believers. This is what makes His precious blood so important and meaningful to our lives.
It is my understanding that Job suffered for close to two years before God intervened in a mighty way. We progress the best we can in faith waiting for His intervention in a mighty way. But even if He decides that we are to live as we are, we struggle on in the faith knowing that He loves us with a sacrificial love.
It is true that success for believers has nothing to do with anything apart from God and serving Him according to the assignment He has given us. We do not look at others, only God, through Jesus Christ. There are many of us struggling, including myself, but we struggle on in His name and for His sake knowing that where ever we are, it is right where we should be at this point in time.
We rejoice in God’s revelation to us as He works in our lives and thank Him in season and out of season.
Tamarajo,
It is not surprising that we have looked away from God and looked at numbers and people instead of Him and considered ourselves failures. The enemy is clever and we are weak if not completely and totally in God through Jesus Christ. We rejoice in His warm acceptance of our repentance and welcome back home. Of course, He was always near nudging, shoving, urging, wooing us until alas, like the prodigal, we realized the error of our ways and returned to the comforts of home. All glory to God, He is good and His mercy endures forever and ever. Amen.
FA,
Amen brother Fred, Amen.
When Christians are judged according to work done in the body, I want to be able to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, well done."
"I'd rather be bankrupt by the worlds standard than successful by it only to find too late that I am bankrupt without His favor."
A sharp truth that I hope many heed. We must separate ourselves from the world's way of thinking and doing. Being in the world but not "of it" must become a reality in the lives of the Body of Christ. It is the only way we will be able to defeat the purposes of Satan and preserve unity in the Body.
God bless you all and may He continue to lead you in the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Forever His,
Thank you so much for this piece. It is aa timely reminder for me & encouraged me. This coming Sunday we are having our last service for a three year old church plant--and it is entirely a funding-issue decision.
Sad, but not, failure. Success because we came together for such a time as this.
"Success because we came together for such a time as this." AMEN Ken, Amen.
Love, peace and joy in His who knows the ending from the beginning.
Forever His,
Oh i love the song on the video, gives me a feeling of peace.Why would anyone want to go to a mega- church? I would get lost in the crowd. Thank you for the message.
God Bless
Thank you for the great encouragment! I am not a pastor, but I do belong to a small Bible believe and preaching church. Because we are so small, it can be discouraging. We do not have the workers, activities, etc.. that a big church has. This does not mean we are not successful. As long as we are "faithful" God will bless. Again, thank you so much for the encouragment!
Always exploring,
I am glad you enjoyed the song. I found it too very uplifting and creating within me sense of peace.
I do not know what motivates people to join huge churches, but it has been my discovery that many small churches have there own unique set of problems too.
Specialk3749,
Yes dear heart. Scripture is clear that God is not concerned with the things the world is. He commands and expects faithfulness. To be faithful is to be "successful" in the service of the Lord.
Love, peace and joy in Him in whom there is no failure.
Forever His,
You certainly had a lot of info and reference in your article.
May I suggest, that we are to minister where there is a need........if we assist in ONE person coming to know Christ, or in ONE brethern correcting an error, we have played a part and achieved success.
If you bring ONE soul home, you are a success.
You and I have no power to "save" anyone. All we can do is lead. Lead the best that you can.
One farmer plows, anothers seeds the field and yet another reaps the harvest.
Let us not attempt a score on God's behalf.
But, I am beginning to repeat you......you had it right all along.
It is just refreshing to find another believer of God on the internet.
Be well and Be Blessed......
This is another excellent hub from you RevLady. Full of great revelations to ponder. I love what you say :
"Success in the spiritual life is experienced when we love Christ supremely, take up our cross daily, stay on the course He has laid before us; and declare God’s Word to the world (plant the seed and continually expose it to the water of His TRUTH). God will harvest your crop. And whether they listen or fail to listen, God said, they will know His servant has been among them and they will be left without excuse when they stand before God in judgment."
Great words of wisdom indeed highly inspired by the Holy Spirit. Thank you for sharing these timely truths here at Hubpages. Blessings to you. Best regards.
Fantastic hub Saundra! When you said, "We cannot make anything happen. We do not make Christians, we do not change people, and we do not convert sinners. Preachers and all ambassadors in the service of the Lord are not in management, we are in the sowing business," you were so point on. Marketing plays such a large part in church protocol today. They have to fill the seats and keep the tithes and offerings rolling in. Many preachers are running multi-million dollar industries. With so many lives in their "employ" they can't avoid worrying about money - about bills. In their minds, their prosperity has become evidence of their faith, and for the riches to stop flowing now would be perceived as a sign of failure or a falling out of the good graces of the Lord.
"Remember, we are not responsible for outcomes so stop measuring yourself and your work according to the world’s standards."
When my wife and I decided to have a Home Assembly, we knew it might not outlive us - but the spirit of the Assembly would go on in the hearts and minds of those we worked with. They then would begin their own Assemblies, the spirit always being the root that moves on through.
You used David as an example and that is perfect. His kingdom was a disaster after he passed away. There was so much fighting between siblings for power and authority. Churches are no different. You see schisms forming all the time - branches breaking out in varied directions. Sadly, they often have nothing to do with faith and belief, but an attempt to inherit a power of the people. Great hub. You got me all charged up! Peace.
Onegoodwoman,
I like your suggestion (smile). It is true, and I think we dishonor God when we fail to keep our view on what is most precious in His sight, our faithfulness. It is never about numbers, though we try to expose Him to as many lives as we can, in the final analysis, whether or not they accept Him, is not our affair. It is our Faithfulness. God works in those whom He chooses in the time frame He has set from all eternity. A person rejecting Christ today may accept Him next year; which is why it does not make sense for us to judge the effectiveness of our service by mere appearances.
Cristina,
AMEN, it is all about God and His purpose for our lives. As believers, we sow and water the seed and not usurp God's authority by trying to "save." Many get excited when someone joins the church and the roll increases (numbers). But, that does not mean the joiner is “saved.”
AW,
What you delineated regarding some mega-churches and the role media play is sad, but true.
"When my wife and I decided to have a Home Assembly, we knew it might not outlive us - but the spirit of the Assembly would go on in the hearts and minds of those we worked with. They then would begin their own Assemblies, the spirit always being the root that moves on through." AMEN! AMEN! Praise Him! This is what God was trying to get through to Ezekiel and many today need to learn.
Again, I agree with you regarding David's kingdom after he died. Rarely is division and schism the result of faith and belief. Most often it is, as you indicated, that nasty power struggle.
Love, peace and joy my brother and sisters.
Forever His,
Rev Lady, a great topic that has moved me to much thought. I caught myself wondering off topic to the tune of a whole nuther hub! I backed up and started again. You spurred me to think and self evaluate, which is the first ministry I feel I have to deal with, long before measuring another.
The practice of counting heads that I've witnessed over the years in different churches that had a score board of how many attendees for Sunday school and then for the main service. Is that numbering different than the numbering that David did in 2nd Samuel that cost him so much in other peoples lives being lost? Seems that churches by hook or crook want to drag people from their seats in pews of another church. I guess it seems better to get them from the street corners and alleys of the world, the lost, not the found. It looks like a bunch of competing businesses. If one sits in a church for a year and the baptismal sees no water, then they are in the business of entertaining the members more often than not and it's those internal disagreements that run me out the door as the members argue between the "clicks" as to who owns and runs the church. I'll shut up as I'm getting carried away again, 50
It is indeed disheartening that our houses of worship, influenced by the world, have numbers so heavily in its mind. I know what you mean because I have seen it myself and wondered what it meant. I have also noted in some churches I have visited where church members financial giving was listed in the bulletin but nothing of their service, and I wondered what purpose did that serve.
How satisfied are Satan and His demons, because even though he knows he is defeated already, he is having a good time ensuring he will not be alone in the place God has reserved for them that rejected Him. Satan is concerned with numbers; the number of us he can keep from Christ.
Love your thoughts, the way you express yourself and your "getting carried away." To be honest with you 50, when I read your comments, I feel as though I am sitting at the feet of one filled with great wisdom.
Love, peace and joy in Him who has the last Word.
Revlady
It is so easy to get caught up into the idea of seeing numbers as success or desired results in ministry as success, but our success truly comes in obedience. I appreciated what you said, "We are not responsible for the outcome or the results of our Christian activities, which is where I think some of us may be confused. Caught up in the mentality of the world’s definition of success, we fail to realize that as Christian workers in God’s vineyard, we are essentially sowers."
I find even in the act of prayer sometimes we seek certain results and tend to forget that the ultimate success that takes place in prayer is communion with Almighty God.
Great hub
Up and awesome
CS
Dear Rev Lady: Thank you for sharing this wonderful hub. God Bless You Dear Heart.
CS,
We concur in Christ Jesus. I think we are so oriented to the ways of the world, that we find that we have merged the spiritual with the secular. We know that nothing in Scripture commands us to increase numbers, but it does tell us to be faithful to our calling at whatever the cost.
I also agree that the ultimate "success" in prayer is communion with our Lord. When I engage with those who tell me that God has not answered their prayer, I always ask. "What tells you that God has not answered your prayer?” The answer of course, is that they do not see manifested specifically what they asked for in the way that they desired or expected to see it manifested. If we pray, I think, in the spirit of "not my will, but Thy will be done," then we are open to discerning and experiencing His love in answers that are for our ultimate good, not to satisfy our desires however legitimate they may be.
Stars,
Thank you for the loving and kind comment.
Love, peace and joy in Him who is the same God forevermore.
Forever His,
I go to a small church. Barely a dozen members. I can't count how many times church was called off due to the lack of attendance. It is sad to see such a prominent figure that has been around the community for 120 years to be dying off like this. I had to ask why that was. I was told that people in the community either didn't want to go to church anymore, or it was about being in a "mega church" for the popularity contest. I asked the ladies of the church what they were doing to promote membership. Anything they could think of for soup suppers to personal invitations. They advertised any way they could. Still this church struggles. They have a fill in pastor now that drives 30 miles one way just to keep the doors open, praying each week that more will come. I admire this group of people because despite the low numbers, they haven't given up. Each week they go. Each week they pray for the shut-ins, the soldiers fighting for our country, the unmentioned prayers and for those that are on the prayer list. The list could go on. So many times they could have given up and locked the doors for good, but instead they arrived ready to praise God and spread his word.
Thank you for sharing this hub. For those of you that may be reading it… please pray for this little church in the prairie, that they may be able to continue spreading God’s Word.
Tlpoague,
Thank you for sharing your heart and concern for your church.
There are many home assemblies sprouting all over the US. This is a small group of believers worshipping in homes as the early church did. If they get too large they break off and form other home churches, thus, spreading the word. This may be an alternative for your church to consider.
I will certainly pray God's will for your little church in the prairie.
Love, peace and joy in Him, the Head of the Church.
Forever His,
Rev Lady, Wonderful and inspiring “Message!” You have well presented some excellent points!
“God teaches us through His Words to Ezekiel that those on His mission are not responsible for the outcomes of our labor. We cannot make anything happen. We do not make Christians, we do not change people, and we do not convert sinners. Preachers and all ambassadors in the service of the Lord are not in management, we are in the sowing business. We are not responsible for the outcome or the results of our Christian activities, which is where I think some of us may be confused. Caught up in the mentality of the world’s definition of success.” Amen! & AMEN!! This statement is packed with much wisdom. There is much to ponder here! We in ourselves have no power we only “access” HIS power, this is why we must daily ask to be filled by His Holy Spirit! Thank God for JESUS!
You are POINT ON! “God Called us to be FAITHFUL”! Yes we must “take up our Cross daily!”
We are told to “seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will…” this is the path to True success! In God there is not failure only stepping stones to eternity! As we draw closer to the Lord HEW WILL impart His Peace to us!
Thank you my sister in the Lord and co laborer! We must continue steadfastly presenting The Gospel of JESUS CHRIST! You have indeed given us wise and encouraging Words to Keep our focus on the Lord and TRUST HIM to take care of the outcome…
In HIS Love, Joy, Service, Peace & BLESSINGS!
God bless you beloved in Christ Jesus. We rejoice in glorifying Him for we realize where all power emanates. We are mere instruments through which He speaks to His people in this day. We thank Him for considering us worthy of being used by Him as He ministers to the needs of a hurting world.
Thank you for your comments Pastor DeBorrah. All glory to God as you continue in your mission.
Love, peace and joy in Him whose blood redeems.
Forever His,
Rev Lady, I'll quote you here:
"To be honest with you 50, when I read your comments, I feel as though I am sitting at the feet of one filled with great wisdom."
I don’t feel very comfortable with the thought that any one is sitting at my feet and thinking that I am filled with wisdom, much less great wisdom. I am filled with great questions and uncertainties. I look for your messages along with A.W., exjwlaurie and Dave and a myriad of others, (off the top of my head, if I missed you it wasn’t on purpose) to lead me into questions that I might study on and pray for understanding.
That said, I am far from wisdom but I do appreciate you for lifting me up. I love you, as you are a blessing in my life that opens doors for me to walk through and learn more of what I seek. There has been so many here on HP that has helped me along. I got here by James Watkins as he turned up in a search on the history of Christianity on google. I was already a member but it was for a comment to be left 3 or 4 months earlier.
Then everywhere I went it seemed you had just been there or if I went back to check a comment, there you were again right behind me. It happened so often that I signed on with you to read from your point of view as I prayed for understanding you were every where I went, it seemed that you had what I wanted, clear cut Biblical knowledge. To help me through the rocky road of stumbling blocks along the way, as I travel seeking wisdom and comfort in that I know I’ve done the right things. I cannot quote but a few books and verse, I can reference topics that I’ve read but as a teacher I would fail by not being able to tell where I had read it in the Bible. There are just too many places I fall short in Biblical knowledge to even make a shadow of a wise person.
I do, however, feel that being saved unto Christ is as easy as John 3:16 then Mathew 25:31-46 and Psalms 23 outlines our walk. Putting Love unto ALL others as you would yourself is a tight rope to walk and thank God for his Son, our savior that we might live. I think that eternity extends our time to understand the entire message in truth and completeness that we now lack.
I would love to sit down at a round table with you and others and literally spend a week or two in “Vacation Bible Discourse” as I’ve so many questions and so few places to turn to outside of these sessions on the HP avenue of reading and writing.
I don’t write hubs bible based because I remember the bible said loosely, “ let not many of you become teachers, don’t you realize you will be judged stricter?” So if I teach you a wrong I get judged for me being wrong and again for causing you to do wrong, wow! Think of the Reverend that stands in front of 5,000 people in a mega church and a broadcast that reaches millions of people, I could not do it with clear mind. I’ve several hubs that I’m afraid to publish because I don’t have the entire proof or knowledge.
Word, “trinity” is taught as one single entity “God” is the Son and Holy Spirit. I cannot find support for that lesson and I believe that there are three separate entities, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. A major issue to me, but I haven’t the key to argue it well.
Now there is a lot of writing to say, “I’m not all that smart, much less, wise”
Much Peace, Love and Blessings,
Dusty
God bless you 50 and it was awfully nice of you to take the time to write your feelings and thoughts that generate from your heart and soul.
It is not unusal for those who inspire others the most to feel that they have the least the give. The truth is, we share, others receive according to their own needs.
You are an inspiration to me and that settles it (smile).
Love, peace and joy in Him who is the only all-wise.
I AM IMPRESS BY YOUR GREAT WISDOM .MAY GOD CONTINUE TO SHOWER U WITH MORE GREAT WISDOM AMEN.
Eirenejoy1,
Thank you for visiting and sharing your kind thoughts. God bless you!
Forever His,
It all started with,"Two or more gathered in His Name. . " and the success measured here is what have we learned? Faithfulness? I have sat with homeless people at a bus stop and learned more than I would've in some mega-church. God speaks through who He speaks through and it is on the listener to hear it.
We have a bad habit of deciding who we listen to based on their appearance and alleged level of success. Define success in your life. Success for that homeless man might be a can of soup to eat that day. Perhaps the acquisition of a warm blanket to sleep under that night.
The 'thank you' that man feels and speaks is success to some, for they can now know they've made a bit of a difference in someone's life.
Leave the numbers game to the spiritual CPAs who seem to feel balancing the Book of Life is all about packing pews.
UG,
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
Forever His,
Well, Rev Lady, what a stir of comments! You have obviously struck some chords here with your wonderful hub topic. Certainly shows that there is life out there! Thank you for taking the time to develop it so thoroughly. Up and useful.
Hi JeanieR,
Good to have you visiting my place here on hp and thank you for the uplifting ratings.
Love, peace and joy in Him,
Forever His,
Certainly love the encouragement to measure success by God's standards and not man's - good job.
DavePrice,
Thank you for commenting friend, Ultimately, we have to stand before God, not man. Therefore, our primary concern should be about His standards. Even though we have to live IN the world, worldly standards are subordinate.
Thanks for visiting.
Forever His,
I was late catching this one my Sister Saundra, but the WORD rings so true! Many times the seed is planted in one season, lies dormant through the cold, but eventually will be watered and sprout into a growing vine which will ripen for a future harvest. Frequently we do not see this because most often it is a different person that witnesses the yield of a harvest than the person who originally sowed the seed, but the end result is yet the same in God's scheme of things.
So true, Christ4ever. Loved your comment. Thank you.
Forever His
pilgrimboy Level 1 Commenter 19 months ago
Thanks for the encouragement and reminder. This hub was such a blessing for me in a time when I am struggling with this as a pastor. Bless you!