Do Not Despise The Day Of Small Beginnings
This morning I was looking at my morning TV programs. They have been used to get me though those early days when I hurt so bad I didn't know what to do. I knew God was in charge of my situation, but it hurt that people I cared about and helped turned their back on me. I turned to TV ministries for confort. This morning the messages were all headed in the same direction. Lady Serita Jakes was talking about it has been 15 years since the move from West Virginia, to Dallas Texas to the mega ministry that they have now. Bishop Jakes was preaching about their first chuch. Later Joyce Meyer talked about her early days in ministry, so did Creflo Dollar. I guess God wanted to remind me, not to despise the days of small beginnings. I was telling Matt last night that a post from someone I had helped train many years ago touched me. He said that I had an impact on people. I thought to myself "How in the world can I have an impact on people? I am not out that much, my blogging is done on computer from an upstairs bedroom that I'm using as a study and a recording studio. It was the idea of a friend to use Facebook and blogs as a way to stay in touch with people... Do not despise the days of small beginnings.
I remember the early days of TD Jakes, he used to come to Beckley and preach. I first heard him in 1982. The message was "Come Out of the Grave Lazarus". Back then, he was preaching the Bible with denomationalism inserted in. The message was good though. It let me know that there was more than what I was getting. Soon they got the church in Smithers and the Cross Lanes. Soon after that God moved him to Dallas Texas. To the mega ministry he has now.
I also remember when Bishop Glen Staples preached his first message, and we would have Bible studies at his home and at his mother's home. We started with the Old testament. I remember the light bulb moment when, I read in Genesis about God's word to Abraham in a dream showing him that his desendants would be in captivity for 430 years and how the Lord would bring them out with a strong hand. I learned a great deal at those Bible studies...I rejoice in his elevation.
I laughed this morning when Creflo Dollar talked about telling God, I don't want to do this if there us no growth. He talked about people who had been preaching for 20 years with 8 people in the congregation and ending up with 6 because some of the others had died off. He said one Sunday when he started the church, there were some people that were picked up from the nursing home, his mother, his wife and his sister. He said he had a long message on obedience and he was preaching when an 80 year old woman started fussing, that he was talking too long and she left... Great motivation...
I read about Pastor Jim Cymbila's start at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. A church that only had a few members in a depressed neighborhood. He was preaching one Sunday morning and the pew split...
Joyce Meyer was teaching home Bible studies. She was eventually asked to leave the church they were attending. Everybody has their story of early beginning. I have watched my pastor Bishop Fred Simms grow in the ministry. I have known him since I was 14. He and my dad are friends. My dad used to invite him to preach, when he wasn't getting any invitations. He asked him to help me with my radio program "The Inspirational Hour". There had been some trouble with a former co-host and I was discouraged and wanted to give up the program. My dad gets on the phone and calls him. To my surpise he did help out for a while. Later he was able to get his own program. Now the church has two radio programs and a TV ministry. God is Faithful, when you are faithful to Him!!
All of these people God has promoted and blessed. They all went through the refining process. I am sure it was hard and painful. They lost friends, possessions, but they never lost their praise. I am sure it got pretty rough for them at times financially, but they hung in there. A lot of people want things to happen overnite, they don't understand that you have to experience a few things. As God takes us through the process, do not despise the days of small beginnings. He is training you and testing you for a greater purpose. I am learning this now, trusting God even in the small things. When I lost my job, and got disability benefits I took a $15,000 or more hit in income. The bills are the same, the utilities went up and we started tithing. We deal with the stress of all of that. God has been faithful. Right now I am believing God for the finances to go to a convention in Ripley... This is a small thing, God knows what I need and He will provide it... If we are faithful in the little things, He will make you ruler over all.
I remember the early days of TD Jakes, he used to come to Beckley and preach. I first heard him in 1982. The message was "Come Out of the Grave Lazarus". Back then, he was preaching the Bible with denomationalism inserted in. The message was good though. It let me know that there was more than what I was getting. Soon they got the church in Smithers and the Cross Lanes. Soon after that God moved him to Dallas Texas. To the mega ministry he has now.
I also remember when Bishop Glen Staples preached his first message, and we would have Bible studies at his home and at his mother's home. We started with the Old testament. I remember the light bulb moment when, I read in Genesis about God's word to Abraham in a dream showing him that his desendants would be in captivity for 430 years and how the Lord would bring them out with a strong hand. I learned a great deal at those Bible studies...I rejoice in his elevation.
I laughed this morning when Creflo Dollar talked about telling God, I don't want to do this if there us no growth. He talked about people who had been preaching for 20 years with 8 people in the congregation and ending up with 6 because some of the others had died off. He said one Sunday when he started the church, there were some people that were picked up from the nursing home, his mother, his wife and his sister. He said he had a long message on obedience and he was preaching when an 80 year old woman started fussing, that he was talking too long and she left... Great motivation...
I read about Pastor Jim Cymbila's start at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. A church that only had a few members in a depressed neighborhood. He was preaching one Sunday morning and the pew split...
Joyce Meyer was teaching home Bible studies. She was eventually asked to leave the church they were attending. Everybody has their story of early beginning. I have watched my pastor Bishop Fred Simms grow in the ministry. I have known him since I was 14. He and my dad are friends. My dad used to invite him to preach, when he wasn't getting any invitations. He asked him to help me with my radio program "The Inspirational Hour". There had been some trouble with a former co-host and I was discouraged and wanted to give up the program. My dad gets on the phone and calls him. To my surpise he did help out for a while. Later he was able to get his own program. Now the church has two radio programs and a TV ministry. God is Faithful, when you are faithful to Him!!
All of these people God has promoted and blessed. They all went through the refining process. I am sure it was hard and painful. They lost friends, possessions, but they never lost their praise. I am sure it got pretty rough for them at times financially, but they hung in there. A lot of people want things to happen overnite, they don't understand that you have to experience a few things. As God takes us through the process, do not despise the days of small beginnings. He is training you and testing you for a greater purpose. I am learning this now, trusting God even in the small things. When I lost my job, and got disability benefits I took a $15,000 or more hit in income. The bills are the same, the utilities went up and we started tithing. We deal with the stress of all of that. God has been faithful. Right now I am believing God for the finances to go to a convention in Ripley... This is a small thing, God knows what I need and He will provide it... If we are faithful in the little things, He will make you ruler over all.
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