A reminder
Dear young minister
To " Generation haste / social media "
Things that last take time ( PLEASE read through patiently )
A conversation ensued between myself and a younger minister a few years back.
I asked him if there are things " good desire and faith " could could kill.
Seeing he was so passionate about reaching out ,ministry ,he seemed to want things done ASAP.
He answered " I don't know sir "
I quipped " but scriptures teach all things are possible ?"
Then I asked him ,if his faith and desire can limit the length of pregnancy to say 1 hour ,such that between conception and delivery ,the entire process takes 1 hour .
He looked at me in amazement ,
He answered " that would be too premature "
Excellent .
Jesus taught that the word works with time
Matthew 13:23 KJV
[23] But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it ; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Sixty ,thirty and hundred are gradual stages ,hundred been the completion .
Luke 8:15 KJV
[15] But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it , and bring forth fruit with patience.
Patience means ,...PATIENCE!
Mark 4:28 KJV
[28] For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
First,then,after that !
Process !
Same way you don't desire an unripe fruit,a baby so premature ,we must not desire hastily formed ministries and believers .
There is nothing in the fruit of the spirit called haste .
Galatians 5:19 KJV
[19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these ; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Lascivious means without regulation ,it's a work of the flesh .
Rather so much regulation exists in our spirit .
Gentleness ,temperance ,long suffering ,meekness ,peace and even the fruit itself ,love are ALL measured and controlled lifestyles .
We are in a generation of haste .
Haste to know ,read ,talk ,preach ,start and sadly too haste to stop !
Do you read patiently ?
I have seen too many ask questions of things I post ,yet the answer is right there !!!!!
They are just in a hurry .
So many will also ask for quick answers to things I usually say " go listen to so and so teaching "
Some don't like it .
It will demand time .
Others do and they are better for it .
Too many young ministers love to quickly open a website ,put their teachings ,blast on Facebook ,send links around .
Nothing wrong .
But are you considering the fact that just a year or two ago you probably didn't know what you are blasting ?
Why not be patient .
Paul admonished Timothy about ordaining ministers
1 Timothy 5:22 KJV
[22] Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
Be patient before choosing men into leadership .
Why the hurry to start a church ? Get on air ,broadcast your services ??
Some will claim " the world needs to hear the message "
Very true ,but it still mustn't be done without the word .
You can't claim to want the word preached outside the word .
Too many are in a rat race for prominence ,hence the haste to hold bible school ,school of ministry ,
Imagine a very young minister ( barely 3-5 years in ministry )writing to " fellow ministers "
At what age ?
Why the hurry ?
1 Peter 5:5 KJV
[5] Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Peter writes here to younger ministers ,there are younger elders .
Back to our major theme .
Things that last take time .
I had been put under pressure since the 1990s to write a book .
I told my encouragers,give me time .
I didn't publish till over twenty years in Ministry,and it was never lack of audiences ,finances or what to write .
You don't have to do this ,just telling my own experiences .
Time creates depth ,accuracy ,originality ,precision and most importantly,maturity .
Don't be quick to want to be known .
Quick to teach new things .
Proverbs 29:20 KJV
[20] Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
You will end up being a fool .
James so admonished too
James 1:19-20 KJV
[19] Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
[20] For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Be slow.
I learnt this from Kenneth E Hagin,
It's better to be slower than God than be ahead of him .
Accuracy and precision is better than speed.
The social media age is quick fix.
But very dangerous .
It's make believe ,falsehood and pretense glorified .
Young folks trying to quickly showcase their exploits,some even put out videos for show off ,with twists and turns .
Why ?
Well ,hurriedly done things might require lies,exaggeration to make up for its inadequacies .
Some who pastor today should have waited longer .
They know .
God does things in His own time,
Paul was spoken to in Acts 9
Acts 9:15-16 KJV
[15] But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: [16] For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
Yet well over 10 years after ..
Acts 13:2 KJV
[2] As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
I have called ,not I will call,they just entered into what had been on ground .
What the difference ?
Time !
Things take time ,
Even after this
Acts 16:6-7 KJV
[6] Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia
, [7] After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
They were forbidden to go to where they were called to !
They went later
Acts 19:10 KJV
[10] And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
And things happened in two years.Two years ? Not exactly .
Two years after Several years of waiting and preparing .
In the midst of the wait ,they went to Macedonia .
Acts 16:10,12 KJV
[10] And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
[12] And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
Same places he got most ministry support ,also financially
2 Corinthians 8:1-3 KJV
[1] Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
[2] How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
[3] For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
Because of patience ,the ministry received much help
They even gave their lives
2 Corinthians 8:5 KJV
[5] And this they did , not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
Philippians 4:15 KJV
[15] Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
Do you know it was during the period he met some of his most arguably supportive folks
For example
Priscilla and Aquilla
Acts 18:2 KJV
[2] And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
See what he called them
Romans 16:3-4 KJV
[3] Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4] Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
That's the fruit of patience .
When we take our time ,we follow Gods plan ,we shall find adequate resources ,not necessarily material only to support us.
Haste will make you arrive at a distance quickly but not successfully ,
Bruised ,weak and unfulfilled .
In the absence of patience,we shall have quick fixes ,very immature ministers and ministries ,even with large numbers but no depth no genuine identity .
Let me close by sharing a story
years ago ,I was invited to attend a program organized by a young minister like me .
A healing meeting
It was obvious ,he was trying to copy a particular leading TV evangelist in Nigeria .
The branding ,manner of taking testimonies etc was so packaged ,
So the meeting ended ,didn't have the kind of spectacular results expected .
I for one wasn't disappointed,because we might have the workings of miracles but don't determine how and when they are received .
With my experience in ministering Gods Miracles ,way before this fellow,I gladly rejoiced at what we saw .
He tried to put up a front ,obviously hiding his dismissed expectations ,which was misplaced .
He left .
I left afterwards .
He called me two days after ,sharing the testimonies of the meeting with me .
I wondered why ,because I felt I was there .both spiritually and physically .
Then he drops the bombshell .
" Did you see the testimonies ,blind eyes ,deaf ears etc"
"You had gone ,people were so blessed "
I responded in silence .
I didn't leave till the door of the auditorium was shut !
Maybe they organized another that night ,Maybe people came back,maybe ,maybe .
Years later,a lady told me of how she was made to testify about a heart disease healed by the same man,whist she was still sick of it .
She was made to do a scam and it was published .
She did eventually get healed of it . But not under him .
It's funny till date the minister still does the same things .
He has grown in it and with it .
Competition and haste .
Till date,he still hops after any things that's in rave .
I doubt if he will change .
When you ought to be in primary one and you are hastily ,illegitimately taken to five ,you will be in class five but will be a primary one boy in another's class
As I close ,I counsel young ministers ..
No matter the " move of the spirit " and the facade of social media ,don't have an exaggerated opinion of you .
Take your time .
Don't join "generation haste" .
Why bible school ? Telecast ?planting churches around ?Fathering young ministers ? Aren't you young too ?
You are still young !
You will end up a signboard ,you won't get there but show the way !
Like Solomon said
Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV
[11] He hath made every thing beautiful in his time..
Patience is still in our spirit .
A requirement for ministry and life .
For me,I will rather be waiting on God than run Ahead in assumption or presumption ,
Hope this blessed you
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