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One of the keys to being an excellent and faithful armorbearer for your ministry leader and for the kingdom of God is longevity. It is one of the many things that will help you to bloom in the church that God has placed you.

Longevity of Purpose
Along the road of life, you will have many opportunities to quit the position you hold. I have had times of trial and hardship when I prayed for God to let me leave! And I found that the strength to stand, strength to go on, and strength to resist Satan only comes in prayer.

In our quiet times with God, He gives peace and strength.

We must develop a heart that seeks after God. David, King of Israel, was known as a man whose heart followed after God. If we could interview him today, we might ask what his greatest goal was in life.
  • Was it to be the greatest king?
  • Was it to be the greatest musician?
  • Was it to be the wealthiest man on earth?
David's answer would be one of his psalms: "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple" (Ps. 27:4).

David's quest in life was to have God's heart. If we are ever to be true successes in God's Kingdom, we also must know that our first ministry is to glorify and honor Him. First Peter 2:5 says that we are a holy priesthood, and we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Christ Jesus.

Longevity of Prayer
The first calling for all of us is to worship and honor the Lord on a daily basis. Jesus prayed to the Father. He had a habit of prayer.

That was the key to His anointing, wisdom, and longevity. "And he came out, and went, as he was wont (as was his habit) to the mount of Olives (to pray); and his disciples followed him" (Luke 22:39).

Longevity of Vision
Another important part of longevity is having a vision and a goal. I heard a man say, "I would rather have high goals and reach half of them than to have no goals and reach all of them."

Second Kings 4:1-3 says: "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

"And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few."

That widow was left with a choice: She could go and get a lot of vessels, or she could borrow just a few. She gathered vessels and began to pour the oil. When did the oil stop? It stopped when she ran out of jars.

She held the key to her miracle.

She could have said, "It is too hot today to gather jars," or, "Elisha, I don't feel well," or "I could only find one jar."

Whatever she brought in is what she received. If she had really known what God was about to do, she could have found a dry well and said, "That is my jar!" Elisha would have laughed, and I believe God would have laughed as well.

If you do not exercise faith in life to reach a goal or vision, you will never achieve it. You are going to have to get up and work toward your goal. God blesses what you do.

You Have to Start Somewhere
When I first came on staff at Agape, I did not know exactly what my goal and vision was for God. I knew that I had a desire for the mission field but that was all. As I was becoming part of a new church, I could not expect to be sent immediately to the mission field. So I began by just locking and unlocking the church building and getting things ready before every service.

That was a small goal but still a responsibility God gave me to do, and I did that for three years until He raised up a full-time person to take care of it. In the meantime, doors to the mission field began to open. You must start with what your hand finds to do (Eccl. 9:10).

Everyone in some way must be connected with a local body under the leadership of a God-called pastor in the days to come. Many people move from one ministry to the next, based on what they think each has to offer them - never asking what God wants.

If you will go to your pastor or church leaders and begin to serve them—with faithfulness and longevity—the vision God has for you will begin to come to pass. Be a blessing in your local church, and you will find doors opening up in all directions.

Source: God's Armorbearer II by Terry Nance
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

Author Biography

Terry Nance
Web site: Gods Armourbearer
 
Terry has served as senior associate minister of a thriving congregation for over 23 years with over 40 years of experience in local church ministry. He is currently the senior pastor of Impact Church in Sherwood, Arkansas. Terry has authored four books. On the bestselling list, these books have motivated thousands of Christians to stand with their leaders in faithful service, helping them to fulfill God's purpose for their lives.
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