Persistence

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Scripture

I will continue doing what I have always done.

~2 Corinthians 11:12, NLT

Quote

Failure has been identified as the path of least persistence.

~Zig Ziggler

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We use to sing a song when I was a tot, “So, let the sun shine in, face it with a grin Smilers never lose and frowners never win.” Change the word ‘frowners’ to ‘quitters’ and you have a powerful truth. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures didn’t realize how close to success they were when they gave up.” The moral of the story is: “don’t quit.”

In Luke 11 Jesus taught His disciples to be persistent in prayer. Jesus said, “So I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” The verbs above {ask, seek, knock} are all present active imperative which simply means that speak of continuous action such as a habit. The NLT has the most literal translation. Notice the emphasis on “Keeping On.” We don’t just pray, we keep on praying. We don’t seek once, we keep on seeking until it becomes a habit.

A Jack 4At First Baptist Corinth, there was a group within the church who were highly critical of Paul. As far as they were concerned, the Apostle to the Gentiles could not do anything right. What do we do when we come under fire from critics who’s intent is to discourage us? Paul hits the nail on the head when he says, “I will continue doing what I have always done.” Paul’s response to criticism was to keep preaching the gospel, keep witnessing to the lost, keep ministering to the sick, etc. We don’t throw in the towel because we are criticised. We don’t quit due to man’s disapproval. The devil is not behind all criticism but he is behind most and his intent is to discourge you to the point you quit. We all need the determination to take that next step and to keep on doing what God has called us to do. If I get discouraged and quit, Satan wins and I for one don’t want him to win.

I want to share my favorite poem on persistence:

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl,
One was an optimistic soul;
But the other took the gloomy view,
“We shall drown,” he cried, without more ado.
So with a last despairing cry,
He flung up his legs and said, “Good-bye.”
Quoth the other frog with a merry grim,
“I can’t get out, but I won’t give in.
I’ll just swim round till my strength is spent,
Then will I die the more content.”
Bravely he swam till it would seem
His struggles began to churn the cream.
On the top of the butter at last he stopped,
And out of the bowl he gladly hopped.
What of the moral? ‘Tis easily found:
If you can’t hop out, keep swimming around.

—Walter Knight

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wade-preaching

November 6-9 with Wade Morris

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  • We are thankful for another great LORD’s day. We had 305 in attendance which is down a tad. The Love offering for the Burnett’s was very good {$4,049.00}. Thank YOU church for your generosity. Our PM attendance was also good. We had 184 last night.
  • The REVIVAL is going to slip upon us: it begins two weeks from this coming Sunday. October has zoomed by even with us being in a drought. The Weather Channel is giving rain for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We will be facing a record setting heat wave today, tomorrow and Wednesday. Hopefully, the cooler weather that is coming Thursday will bring some moisture. These football fields that our children are playing on are dangerous. They are dry and hard. I don’t know why we have sprinking systems, we aren’t using them. It doesn’t make sense to me, not to maintain these fields.
  • The MORGAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING is just a week away: we host it next Monday Night. Afternoon session begins at 4:00. It is a business session. The evening session begins at 6:30 and it is primarily a worship service. Anyone can come. Lord willing I will be preaching but I promise it will be short. Hailey Clark will be doing the special music in the night session. Bro. John and Joye will be singing in the evening session.
  • PRAYER GUIDE:
    • Pray for our Nation: something to happen that would open people eyes. The election of Hillary almost assures that we will never overturn Roe V. Wade and it will insure our judgment for killing millions of innocent babies.
    • Pray for our Church Revival with Wade-November 6-9.
    • Pray for at least one church leader.
    • Pray for Joe David.
    • Pray for the sick: Bill Harrison for one
    • Pray for the brokenhearted.
    • Pray for the persecuted.
    • Pray for one friend who does not attend church and possibly does not know Jesus.
    • Pray for rain; spiritual and natural.
  • The TRUSTEES made a recommendation to the church yesterday. We need to seal our parking lot. The contractor who did our paving told us it was vital to get it sealed before this winter. You cannot seal fresh asphalt. It has to have a drying period but then it needs to be sealed. This will cost us $9,000.00 but it will add years to the life of our parking lot. It is true that it will need to be resealed in 6-8 years but if we don’t keep it sealed, it will crack and break up. We will do a special offering October 30th in the morning service.
  • Today, we will visit Vermont, a very beautiful State in the Fall. I highly recommend visiting Vermont in the Fall but you need to go around the second week of October. June and I went in September and it is too early for the fall colors.
Ricker Pond, Vermont
Ricker Pond, Vermont
The Old Mill
The Old Mill
Home in Vermont
Home in Vermont
Village in Vermont
Village in Vermont
Small Town in Vermont
Small Town in Vermont
Stone Mill
Stone Mill
Red Maples in Autumn
Red Maples in Autumn
Autumn in Sleepy Hollow, Vermont
Autumn in Sleepy Hollow, Vermont

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