AN EMERGING MINISTRY LEADER 1

1. "YOU THEREFORE MUST ENDURE HARDSHIP AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST.
2. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
   2 Timothy 2:3,4 (NKJV)

"AND say to Archippus, “TAKE HEED TO THE MINISTRY which you have received in the Lord, THAT YOU MAY FULFIL IT.”
Colossians 4:17 (Legacy Standard Bible)

• When an assignment is given to someone, God expects the person to do it with all of his or her heart.

• God trains whoever He wanted to use in the course of doing the work, on-the-job training.
• God usually allows emerging leaders to face conflicts, and the way they successfully handle the conflict determines how fast they rise on the ladder of leadership (Titus 1:5).
• God would allow you to face some challenges alone that you may grow, become strong and mature (Romans 5:3,4).
• Whatever you are allowed to pass through instilled in you toughness of character and resilience. This would help you in assisting and EQUIPPING other emerging leaders in the future (Ephesians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 1:4).
• God may not allow anyone to come to your aid at such a time. Such a training is allowed that you may grow in the knowledge and understanding of His ways: "HE SHOWED MOSES HOW HE WENT ABOUT HIS WORK, opened up his plans to all Israel" (Psalm 103:7 The Message).
• Through the challenges, you learn new things and how to handle problems of Life (Hebrews 5:6).
• Whoever wants to help you out at such a time may also find themselves in one difficulty or another—the person also may have a problem.
• God would take away or separate you from the likely people who may want to help or assist you at such a time.
• This training is crucial and you cannot dodge it, except you will no longer walk with God.
  IT is crucial, in the sense that, what He intended to do through you would be determined by it. YOUR reliability strength is made known to Him through the training. This proves to Him how reliable you are.
• The training would be undergone alone. The trainings in the School of the Spirit are not collectively done.
• God will train you as an individual, a husband would receive his own training alone and that depends on his assignment. Whilst the wife would equally receive her own separate training, also based on her own assignment.
• If, at the time of this training, you wanted to find solace or comfort from friends, all you get from them might be disappoinment.
• Whoever would be used by God should be ready to walk alone. Ministry road or Kingdom leadership road is a lonely road.
• The truth is, you might not get or receive any assistance when help is needed by you. Even from trusted friends, relatives, or the people you had ministered to in the past (2 Timothy 4:10,11,16,17).
• People might not be there for you, however, God will not leave you alone. People may forsake you, but God will not (Genesis 39:4,21; Acts 7:9,10).
• The fact that He is the One who chose you, He will not forsake you:
  16 AT MY [Paul] FIRST DEFENSE NO ONE STOOD WITH ME, BUT ALL FORSOOK ME. May it not be charged against them. 17 BUT THE LORD STOOD WITH ME AND STRENGTHENED ME, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion" (2 Timothy 4:16,17).

"LET your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; FOR HE HAS SAID, “I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE OR LET YOU DOWN OR RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not]!”
Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)
READ: Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5

• When challenges come, take time out to pray and stay with God; spend time in His presence the MORE (Mark 14:35,36).

• Keep your privacy, it is not everyone who should know about what you are going through, the predicaments; Because some may use it against you.
• The devil may incite some people against you in the time of distress or hardship (2 Samuel 16:7,8).
• Take God by His Word and wait patiently for His help: "GOD is our refuge and strength, A VERY PRESENT HELP [an abundantly available help] IN TROUBLE" (Psalm 46:1 NKJV).
• Learn from the problems and move on. God usually moves His ministers from one level of glory to another, as the person beholds Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
• Whatever it is you are passing through, it is a stage or a phase of your Ministry LIFE; you will not be or continue at that same level for long.

• You would have to be careful of relatives and the people around you in general—those who may be well-intentioned but come with wrong counselings, when you are under the dealings of God.

• If you did allow someone to talk you out of God's Will, you will answer for it before God.
• God will guide and shield you from the people who can talk you out of His Will, plans and programmes, for your Life (Matthew 16:22,23).
• Albeit, If God shielded you from the wrong people or well-intentioned people with wrong counselings, who may cause you to derail, or go against His Will or Plan; and you kept going back to them, you may have to pay dearly for it.
• God would divinely choose the people to be allowed or permitted around you at the time of this training of His.
• If you through ignorance and rigidity, or sentiment, went after the people He has separated you from, you will suffer terribly for such an act.
• God will choose your friends for you, if He is the One you are working For.
• If you are actually working for God, you have no choice concerning your ways of living, He has to dictate and be in control.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED