Bud Simon

Recent Trip

Last weekend I went on a river trip to a small community.  It is a student outreach that combines teaching and practical training.  It is always a wonderful time of fellowship and outreach, seeing God work in mighty ways!  Here are a few photos from a recent river trip....

Caleb and some others from the trip looking through the school house window during the children's ministry time:)  Caleb is a bit sunburned and tired from a full day.

Angie, one of our missionaries, and Denise.  They both help lead the training.

Sunrise on the Xingu River

Some of the kids laying on the schoolroom floor during one of the activities.  That is Caleb in the yellow shirt to the right.  

That is me preaching in the school house.  No pulpit, just a chair.  The service was held by candle light.  

The kids love the candle light.  Candle light services are done of necessity, not for the ambiance.

Some "indoor" soccer inside the one room school house.  Afterwards, we held the church service in the same school.  

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Disposition. Revelation.

Light at the edge of the world.  Dawn creeps across the Xingu River  lighting all the earth as the sun slowly comes up.  

God appeared to Abraham at the holy place, the Oaks of Mamre.  It was the hottest part of the day and Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent.  He looked up and saw three men standing out in front of him.  When he saw them, he ran and bowed down before them. 

He said, “If it pleases you, visit my humble abode.  I will get some water for washing your feet and then you can rest here in the shade of the trees.  I will get some food for you to eat and you will have strength to continue your journey.  Honor me with your visitation and allow me to serve you”. 

“Ok”, they responded, “That sounds great.”

And then God said to himself, “I will not hide from Abraham what I am about to do…” 

Gen 18:1-5 & 17

Disposition.  Revelation. 

Abraham displays sensitivity to God.  He seems to recognize God as he approaches.  Along with that sensitive there is a disposition to serve.  He is humble.  He offers foot washing, food, and rest.  He offers what he has.  Interesting that he did not come with a list of things for God to take care of or requests for God to fulfill.  Abraham just made himself and what he had available for God’s use as he wanted. 

What was the result?  Well, at least partially it is clear that God revealed freely his plans to Abraham.   Would there have been any revelation of those plans if Abraham had not made himself available?  Good question.

As we step back a bit, so often we want to know God’s plan.  But God reveals so that we may obey.  He reveals so that we can join in, give it our all, and do what God is doing. 

So what is the disposition of our hearts?  Have we made who we are and what we have available for God’s use as He sees fit? 

Definitely something to think about and pray about for our lives.  

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Clouds stretch across the jungle sky

What is Poverty?

A home with dirt floors in the interior of Brazil - about 400 square feet for a family of six

Poverty, it seems, is often a subjective measurement related to the ability of someone to take care of all of their needs. There is often the sense that in poverty, a person lacks the means to access things necessary to health, strength, shelter, clothing, food, education, and medical care.

Here are some numbers to help understand the situation more clearly.

USA Per capita GDP: $47,200

Brazil Per capita GDP: $10,800

Amazon Region of Brazil per capita GDP: $652

The USA is the 9th wealthiest country per capita, Brazil is ranked 79th and the Amazon Region, if it were a separate country, would be ranked 189th which is about 7th from the bottom. There is often talk about Brazil being a developing country and become wealthier. This is true, but it does not mean that the wealth is distributed equitable. In fact, 10% of the population controls 75% of the wealth in Brazil . These numbers explain why our region is generally considered to be about 70 years behind the development of the Southern and Southeast of the country. With that thought in mind, what does poverty look like in the region of Brazil where I live?

In Brazil over 11% of the population gets by on less than $1/day . The percentage in our region is much higher. There is village after village in the interior where none of the habitants have regular income, access to health care (excepting a 12 hour boat trip or more to a health post), or access to education. People live by sustenance, hunting, fishing, planting and harvesting what they need. Basic needs like clothing, health care needs, building materials, non-perishable goods and other needs are scarce. When we see people that need help, we need to reach out and figure out how to lend a hand.

The goal is to show Christ to others.  The message needs to be shared with love and compassion.  Poverty is painful and it is clear that God wants us to be Good News to the poor.  We appreciate you partnering with us to help change the story of many of the people in our region.

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Children raised in the interior of Brazil

Sources for statistics:  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita, 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Brazil

http://expatbrazil.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/weath-distribution-in-brazil/

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/br-brazil/eco-economy

Unexpected Friendships

Friendly faces meeting Anna & me as well as the rest of our team

“Dad, are we going on the boat?”

“No, not this time.”

“We are not going on the boat?  Ahhhh.  I am not sure I want to go.”

“Come on, let’s go.  You will have a good time.”

And with that small decision made, Anna decided to go with me for a weekend trip to one of our church plants.  And she had a blast! 

I took a team of youth out to one of our church plants for a weekend, about 20 of us.  We had times of teaching and interaction with people from the village.  There were a lot of kids in the village and we had a special game and ministry time for the children.  Along with that, we visited many of the homes in the area with different people in our group sharing their testimonies. 

But during the whole weekend, Anna was making friends, playing games, and swimming in the local creek.  Did I mention making some good friends?  At night she slept with the girls from our outreach team in a local school we were using.  She loves the social interactionJ  At the end of the week, she expressed various times about what a great time she had.

I think that often we can find friendship in surprising places when we have the open heart of a child.  Too often we allow our preconceived ideas and our prejudices to determine our relationships.  Or we think pragmatically that we will only encounter someone once and it is too much work to develop a friendship.  Or we may guard our hearts, keeping others at a safe distance.  Or we have been hurt too many times in the past. 

We create so many reasons to keep others at a distance.  Yet, the reasons that relationships can cause pain are the some of the same reasons that we can enjoy them to the fullest when we embrace the opportunities that come our way:  It is the opportunity to share our lives with others.  God has friendships waiting for us.  As we open our hearts to Him, we will find friends along the way.

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One of Anna's new friends

Church service at the community school

 

Celebrating Easter

Pastor Athila baptising a new believer in the river

What a great day!  

We celebrated 24 people being baptized at church in the morning.

Saturday some men from the church had killed the proverbial “fatted calf”, dressed the meat and we had a cook out with over 300 pounds of beef on Sunday for a church wide BBQ lunch.

Then in the afternoon it was just some relaxing family time. It was some fun with the family and just hanging out. I played a board game with the kids that went on and on while we lost track of the time.

Afterwards it was back to church for our main service (which is in the evening). We celebrated together in some wonderful worship, some good teaching from our lead pastor, and breaking bread together at the communion table. It was moving to celebrate the two elements of the Christian faith, baptism and communion on the Easter holiday. It was wonderful to celebrate at the fellowship table together, with immediate family and with church family.

Easter. For Christians this is the defining day of our faith.  This day is the day that Jesus took away death’s sting and the grave’s victory. It is the day that darkness and despair were pushed aside so that the world could embrace light and hope. It is the day that we can celebrate what we have, who we are and who saved us, where are and where we will go, what Christ did for us, and why life in Christ is worth living. It is the day of new beginnings and celebrations. It is a day for tipping back your head and laughing out loud. It is all so incredible – Christ died and rose from the dead not only for me, but for every single one of us.

I hope you had a great Easter and more importantly, I hope that there was a moment of reflection and renewal for each of us as we celebrated once more the power of Christ’s victory in our lives. May God bless your life this week!

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Baptism in river - yes, digital cameras have arrived in Brazil:)

Early Morning Bike Rides

Pre dawn, dark streets, the church stands about a mile and half from our house.  I rouse myself in darkness and get ready quickly for the day.  The house is still and I move quietly about. 

Then I am riding through the streets of Altamira towards the church.  I arrive quickly– it always takes seven or eight minutes.  The air is still and damp.  And we are there to meet as a small group and pray for our monthly training.  The time is rewarding. 

Why bother praying together?  It is not convenient to get up early, confront the rain, and go to a dark church before the start of a busy day.  Isn’t it possible to just achieve the same thing on our own, each person saying their prayers in the comfort of their own home?

No, it seems not.  When we meet together (seven of us when we all make it), there is a clear sense of united purpose and intent.  God makes His presence known.  While being alone has a definite purpose, being together with others in prayer achieves important purposes.  

If we believe that God is Three in One, that he is Trinity, then unity, agreement, submission, and all of the things that come into play in community life, all of these things, are valued by our God.  Prayer is one small step to understanding that and practicing that in a more complete way. 

The American culture is enamored with individuality, consumerism and personal preference, all of which can drive us away from each other.  We will be more content in our walk with the Lord as we learn to lay those attitudes aside and join our hearts with other believers in our pursuit of God. 

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Teach Me To Pray

An orchid that grows in our yard that I transplanted last year

We sat down together on the step of the one room school house where we had just finished our church meeting.  The darkness of the unlit jungle was pressing in around us.  The man leaned towards me, a bit unstable.  I caught the strong odor of alcohol on his breath.  We talked, discussing for some time the struggles of the new Christian life and how to gain victory over sin.  Then he bent in my direction and said something simple:  “Teach me a prayer.”

“Teach you to pray?”

“Yes, I need to know a prayer that I can pray, to talk to God, for help.”

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind – theology, mercy, grace, and personal responsibility – but those faded away because of the similarity to the question posed by the disciples to Jesus.  That question resulted in what is known to us today as “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6). 

Some of the toughest steps had already been taken.  My new friend recognized his sin.  He was seeking help.  Now he wanted to pray.  I spoke two things to his life.  1)  Recognize God for who He is and what He does.  Thank Him for those things.  A clear recognization of God helps us to understand ourselves and our responsibility better.  2)  Deliver us from evil.  God can and will keep us out of difficult situations.  We call that mercy.  He does not always choose that for us nor do we always choose that path for ourselves.  But a simple appeal to keep us from evil and to keep evil from us moves spiritual forces in the unseen world that we underestimate.  We too often reduce our struggle against sin to logical reasoning and forget that “our struggle is against the powers of this present darkness and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.

We prayed together and I am confident that God has begun a new and powerful work in the life of my friend and brother.  I appreciate your prayers also for spiritual strength and wisdom, for myself as well as for those that are coming to the Lord.

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In the Bush

Walking to a church service along a small path thru the jungle

There is something distinctive about being out in the bush.  When I talk about the bush or the interior, I generally mean a location that is a considerable distance from town.  The location is usually isolated from electricity, running water, and transportation.  It is normally not along the river, but rather along one of the many jungle roads.  Although the distance from town (Altamira where I live) may be relative close (several hours), this is often because I have motorized transportation.  Those that live in the community normally are limited to traditional modes of transportation like walking or bicycling.  A distance of 25 miles on dirt roads quickly become a journey of a couple of days when combined  with hilly, muddy roads. 

Recently I visited such a community in the bush with a small team.  I was touch by the warmth with which they received us.  They opened their home, preparing a special meal for us, and honoring us in every way possible.  Later that night the small church building (about 500 square feet) was filled to overflowing.  The people of the community came out to hear the Good News. 

How is it that people that live in the relatively nearby regions are still unreached with the Gospel?  The difficulty in going out to such places can be overwhelming.  The lack of comfort, the overwhelming amount of insects, the dangers of malaria, dengue and other insect born diseases, the isolation from assistance in difficulties – all of these serve as reasons why people do not want to head out to the bush to share the Gospel. 

Yet every single life was paid for with the same blood that Jesus Christ sacrificed on the cross.  We want to see the Gospel arriving in each of these villages so that each person has the opportunity to understand the difference that Christ can make in their own context.  I appreciate your prayers as we continue to equip leaders and reach out to such communities.  

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Boards rough cut with a chainsaw from trees for the construction of the church building

Making new friends along the way.  

Heaven Smiles

At the church dedication with the main pastor who oversees the work

This last weekend I had the privilege of participating in a new church dedication.  A little church in a backward neighborhood where all the roads are dirt and there is no public water or sanitation system.  Yet, there are close to 5000 people living in that neighborhood.  Many of them are newcomers drawn to our town by a huge public works project (the project is the controversial Belo Monte Dam project). 

But as we sat in the little church building (about 1200 square feet), the manifest presence of God was very real.  The worship took us into His presence and as I knelt during the worship time, I could see God smile.  It was great to realize that the very act of having that church dedication was a pleasure to God.  It is easy to get caught up in buildings and construction but it is clear that the church is God’s people.  One quote that still resonates with me is “the single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is church planting” (Peter C Wagner, Church Planting for a Greater Harvest).   I can see that as we open new churches they reach out to the lives of new segments and groups of the population that are being overlooked, especially among the marginalized. 

I had the wonderful opportunity of preaching from 1 Peter 2:9.  It was great to be able to pray for those that are leading the church.  And most wonderful of all was to see new people giving their lives to the Lord at the end of the service. 

Thanks for your prayers for this new church and her leaders.  I believe that God will do great things thru that ministry.

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The Only Necessary Thing

Often in the morning I use different books as devotionals to help me focus on God and His plan for the day.  Besides the Bible, I find it helpful to learn from others who have walked in the same paths before me. 

One book that has been very helpful over the last year is Henri Nouwen’s The Only Necessary Thing.  This book is about living a prayerful life.  I love the short topics that prompt my thinking and challenge me to carry God’s perspective into and throughout my day.  One of the things that I really like about Nouwen is that he freely expresses his struggles.  I find it important to be able to relate to him as a normal person.  The challenge for me personally is to reflect on what God is doing in my life and what God wants me to learn. 

I highly recommend this book for those that want help in their day to reflect on the things of God . 

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Prisms of Truth

I have recently been reading James Plueddemann’s book, Leading Across Cultures.  This is a wonderful book from man who has several decades of cross-cultural experience.  In it he addresses one of the challenges that the church faces as they work across cultures. 

Why is it that a Biblically principle in one culture appears differently in another culture?  In the book, there is a discussion about how worldview impacts a culture’s perspective and interpretation of the Bible.  I see this clearly in my context in the contrast between Latin America (which values relationship over task) and the United States (which values task over relationship).  Ever culture has certain biases when they read Scripture. 

Some key questions are “What are my biases when I read Scripture?” and “What are the core Biblical values that are valid for ever culture?”  Even when understanding the core values, I must humbly come to the task of applying those values.  The way each culture interprets and practices values is often entirely valid because of the significant differences between cultures.  Each culture may be considered as a prism which reflects the light of truth differently.  The personal questions then become “Can I humbly learn new ways to practice the values that I understand from Scripture?”  and “As a leader, can I lay down my role to learn from others?”  God wants us always to be open to learning more about practicing His word and this often means humbly laying down our biases.

Maybe in your context, it is a question of learning from a signifcant sub-culture or immigrant culture.  Consider the new lessons that God may have for you in the future.

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Merry Christmas

The Simon family, Christmas Eve, 2011

What a wonderful time to celebrate God's goodness and grace in our lives.  We are thankful for the wonderful life that he has given us and we are delighted to be able to share that with others!

Thanks so much for your prayers, support and encouragement throughout the year.  May God bless you during this holiday season!

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Mornings

A full moon shines over Altamira

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus... went to a secluded place and prayed." Mark 1:35

There always has been a bit of controversy about what time of day is best to get alone with God.  I totally concur with the thought that the best time is the time that works for you.  Along with that, I am a strong advocate for mornings because it is always so nice to take everything that the day is bringing your way and hand it off to God... before it happens.  Life is crazy, life is busy, life is hectic, life gives you curveballs, the future is unknown and there are always unanticipated surprises.  I find it so much better to take a quiet time of Bible reading, prayer and meditation first thing in the morning to prepare my heart for the unexpected. 

Here are three reasons that I prefer the mornings as my time for meeting with God.

1)       It is quiet.  Normally there are no interruptions like phones ringing or kids clamoring for attention.  Occasionally my kids wake up early with me and I invite them to be with me in my quiet time.  However they must read or look at a book quietly.  Often they just fall back asleep.

2)      My mind is not distracted.  Nothing has happened to rob my energy or my attention.  I find it much easier in the morning to focus on God, to hear His voice and to reflect accurately on what He is saying.

3)      By spending time with God first thing in the morning, He never get’s squeezed out because of a busy schedule.  In the past, I have found that my busyness allows one thing to pile on another and then suddenly the day is over, the night is growing long and I am too tired to slow down and focus (I just slow down and fall asleep). 

This is what works for me and these are the principles that have given value to a morning quiet time.  And just like anyone else, there are seasons when this is easy and flows.  There are other times when it seems like everything in me is resisting that time with God.  But over the years, this is how God has worked in my life and how I have sought to draw close to Him.  I pray that God will bless you as you pursue Him.  

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Reasonable Expectations

The sun burns through the early morning mist over the Xingu River in brilliant colors

What should we expect of ourselves? We should expect progress rather than perfection. Our lives are a journey and it is not reasonable to think we have arrived before the journey is over.

In our lives, we generally think about perfection in the classic, Hollywood, airbrushed manner – that we should look, feel, act, respond, and anticipate perfectly.  Our teeth should be straight and white, our hair should be the correct color and highlights, our weight perfect as well as our muscle tone and emotionally we should anticipate everything correctly.  God never refers to us nor expects us to be perfect in this way.  This is a false projection of perfection that comes from our culture and from ourselves.  In reality, this type of thinking often frustrates what God is trying to work out in our lives because it is in conflict with His plan. 

There is “perfection” towards which we strive that lies within God’s plan.  It is in the context of being sinless.  Yet sinless is an overwhelming concept and it is much better to think of “sinless” as “less sin”.  This is progress.  Day by day I should continue on the path that God has for me to walk.  During that time, I need to allow the Holy Spirit to reduce my attraction to sin.  How can that happen?  I can make myself honestly accountable to others, I can read God’s word daily, I can take time to pray – in short, I can stick to the things that I know are the right things to do and follow through on those things. 

This is the way to make regular and consistent progress in my life.  This allows me to establish healthy boundaries so I mature and change, moving ahead in measurable ways.  I see in my own life that when I intentionally indentify small areas of sin that need to be rooted out, I see big results in other areas also. 

Think about how God wants you to progress today.  His path is life and will lead us to contentment.

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Dealing with Sickness

I was sick last week.  I was busy and I had a trip planned and bam!  Next thing I know is that I can barely stand up for a couple of days.  Some type of sinus infection – runny nose, weepy eyes, pounding headaches, interrupted sleep – yes, all of those fun things.  God sparked in me some thoughts about my reaction to sickness (I am talking about those short sicknesses and injuries that lay us low temporarily and not long-term life threatening issues).

So, of course, my initial reation was to get agitated because I had so many things to do and, clearly, I could not get them done.  I was feeling that old guilt feeling and thinking that if I just tried a bit harder, “bite the bullet” some more, that somehow I could overcome.  I often have that sense of self-condemnation that comes when I am sick because I know how much stuff needs to get done and how much others on the team are doing. 

But, then I did something concrete and decisive (besides taking Advil).  I stopped my racing mind, I quieted the competing voices in my head, and I turned to God in an intentional quiet moment.  I clearly spoke out my concerns to Him, I confessed my sin in taking responsibility for something beyond my control, and I ask how He wanted me to use my time and energy during my sickness. 

I was pleasantly amazed how just that simple act took the anxiety out of the moment for me.  Turning it over to God in a concrete way relieved me of the (false) responsibility for circumstances that were beyond my control.  “…Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you...”  (Matt 11:28-30).  Laying things down takes a firm, intentional effort that means I realize the problem (difficulty, conflict, crisis, or fill in the blank) is not mine, but something I can give to my God. 

Can I leave it there?  Or will I run back and pester God about how to handle things and how to resolve things?  Tough questions that deal with a real issue.  With our belief in God comes an understand that He acts intentionally in our lives and can use each thing that happens for our good (Gen 50:19-21).  Choose to rest in Him and listen to His quiet voice which stills our fears.  

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Perseverance: Part 3

Dawn shines across these canoes and lights the sky behind the clouds that are so common in the rain forest.  

There is always a lingering temptation to give up when the going gets tough.  We often wonder about the value of continuing with the struggles that we face.  There is an inner battle to give up and quit.  

We need to constantly confront the desire to “give up” when we face difficulties – give up in the way of keeping the correct attitudes, the correct perspective, the right motivation, and a long term view in a world that is hooked on instant results. 

Here is another thought about perseverance from the Bible.

Maturity.  Healthy (emotional, spiritual, social) development.  Having everything we need.  Being well equipped. 

These are the fruits of perseverance. 

James 1: 2- 5 speaks about persevering thru our trials (difficulties, troubles, struggles, testings, & challenges).   Sticking to the right words and actions in our difficulties brings about maturity and healthy personal development.  Often the trials and troubles that we face place us in confusing situations and hard to discern places.  This is why God promises to provide us with the wisdom that we need in generous portions (v 5).  We will have access to understand and act with Godly perspective in a timely manner.   

Perseverance brings about the wisdom and the insight that come from walking in the right paths for long seasons of our lives.  It isn’t that we never make mistakes, rather we understand when we do err, we will seek to make quick amends and change the patterns that bring those mistakes into our lives. 

Do not give up on doing the right thing.  The emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual maturity that perseverance brings to our lives will help to guide us and those we influence along the right paths. 

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Perseverance: Part 2

Ripe coconuts on a tree that grows in our yard

Why do we give up?  Why do we quit? 

So often we stop doing the good things like dieting, exercise, we quit on family, in prayer and in other important aspects of life.  The “lazy gene” in us is strong, the desire to just buckle under when we face a bit of pressure.  Yet, in our hearts we know that good things normally come to those who “stick it out” and work hard. 

Allow me to share one thought about perseverance from the Bible.

Perseverance leads to growth and maturity.  The promise is that we will become effective (what you do will have impact) and productive (as in the context of “bearing fruit” in your efforts).  So often we need to find the internal fortitude that will produce the fire in our souls to see things through to completion (2 Peter 1:5-9).  We are in this life for the long haul and we want our lives to bear fruit until the end. 

On the back side, there are those Christians that never seem to mature.  And often, underneath it, we find that immaturity is the results of quitting on our personal time with God, quitting on prayer, quitting on healthy relationships, and quitting on church, among other things.  The path to immaturity is paved with quitting, excuses and lack of follow through.

Don’t be a quitter.  God wants us to see things through until the end and in that way experience the joy and good fruit that comes along with our faith.  

 

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Traveling

Dawn spills over the immense horizon of the Xingu River

I just spent the week traveling with my family on the river.  We had along a wonderful group of visitors and we had an excellent time visiting different villages and communities.  

However, I also came home sick.  I was suppose to travel again but essentially spent the last couple of days sick around the house.  I am making the most of the time reading the Bible and other books.  

Thanks for your prayers.

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Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Book Review

This book was written by Kenneth E Bailey.  The author spent 60 years living in the Middle East and provides an accurate and insightful look into many of the mysteries and questions that surround the Gospels.  The author helps to tear away much of the Western cultural projection that can obscure the message of the Bible.

I probably have read 50 to 60 books this year, maybe more.  But this is one book that I will come back to time and time again.  I read it slowly, over about two months.  I would read it like a devotional in the morning but then find myself so caught up in it that I would return to it to read whenever I had a spare moment. 

The book was recommended personally by an outstanding theological academic and I thought it would be a dry, academic book – interesting, enlightening, but a struggle to read.  Was I wrong.  Middle Eastern Eyes delves into the birth of Jesus, the Beatitudes, the parables and other areas where it sometimes seems that the message is a bit hazy.  There is a strong reliance on ancient texts and translations from the Middle East which tend to follow closely with a cultural understanding of the reality in which Christ lived. 

Here is what really struck me – this book spoke to my spirit and moved my heart.  While written with incredible academic integrity, it animated me to go deeper in my relationship with God and with others.  I would recommend this book for anyone who teaches or preaches the Word on a regular basis and I would also recommend it for those that are looking for a deeper and more mature understanding of the Gospels. 

This book is a delightful way to take a new look at Jesus from a whole different perspective. 

 

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Perseverance

Sunset view from my backyard

Here are some thoughts from the field as I think about church planting this morning…

What is one of the key qualities that is necessary for a church planter?  Perseverance.  Planters come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of giftings, different backgrounds, and different abilities.  Strengths and weaknesses vary and you can be all over the board when you mix all of these items together.  There is a broad spectrum of different possibilities of what a church planter could look like. 

But one of the non-negotiables is perseverance.  Call it what you will – tenacity, a “bulldog attitude”, enthusiasm, stick-to-it-ness – at the end of the day we are talking about someone that keeps trying, doesn’t give up, and when something isn’t working, this person isn’t afraid to try something different, make adjustments, be a bit diverse in their approach.

Perseverance in having success in gathering people – that is the type of perseverance that is important.  A church planter is gathering people.  People are what count because the church is made of people, not buildings, not programs, and not traditions.  Perseverance is talking about sticking to the things that are right, being able to discern between what the Holy Spirit is saying compared to tradition or the expectations of others.  It is no good to stick to persevering in things that do not work or in wrong ideas.  But, more often than not, people give up because things are not working as they expect, rather than that they are doing the wrong things.  A key element in the path of maturity is perseverance and to realize what God is doing, we need to stick faithfully to that which He is calling us to do.

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