Life Expectancy Of Ministries

Why do most places where God is manifesting Himself only last around ten years?

  I will do my best to explain my comprehension and understanding that I have acquired over my many years of observation.

And as always this is only a mere glimpse of this exhaustive topic that I favor as being a primary topic.

In my own Christian experience, since I was 17, I have seen various home "Bible studies" and Churches come and go over the years. Some of them shot up in numbers of people attending them faster then others.

If the Holy Spirit is manifested in anyone of them people hear about it and will want to attend. The general pattern is God shows up and the people hear about it and the fellowship or Church starts growing.

Lonnie Frisbee used to say, "Get under the spout where the glory comes out!"

They will last for around ten years or so. Then something happens and the Holy Spirit is no longer manifesting His presence like He did at first.

Why?

I recall a conversation that I had with Romain, the assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, in 1973. During the course of the conversation he told me a story.

He said that a man had gone to heaven and was greeted by Peter at the pearly gates. Peter started to give him a tour of heaven. As they came to an area with a wall Peter started to talk softer in almost a whisper. The man asked him why he was whispering. Peter replied, "On the other side of this wall there are Calvary Chapel people, they think that they are the only ones here, I don't want to ruin it for them."

I got Romain's point.

When God is manifesting His presence in our midst we can get an attitude that somehow we are uniquely special and perhaps better then other Churches or fellowships etc. An attitude of elitism can set in. We can start thinking how right on we are and how off others are when compared to ourselves.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

James 4:6 –
 “God resists (stands against, opposes, hinders) the proud (arrogant,

smug), but gives grace (help, aid, assistance, ability) to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5-6

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Where did pride originate?

Isaiah 14:12-17 – Pride originated with Lucifer, the devil. Five times he said, “I

will.”

The solution for pride.
 

Matthew 18:1-4 –
The disciples asked Jesus who would be greatest in the kingdom of

heaven. He called a child to Himself and said, “Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

I have never seen a child filled with pride. I have never seen a child projecting prideful looks and attitude.

Nothing quenches the Holy Spirit like pride.
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God will leave and step over you to manifest elsewhere.
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Ever notice how the old work of God will always oppose the new work of God. When Shekinah Fellowship started the old place where God was noted to be manifesting spoke against it from their pulpit. I know because I was there and heard it with my own ears.
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God will always move on when pride sets in.
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When the Vineyard Association of Churches started in the early 80's the old work of God resisted them. This is the typical pattern that I have witnessed over the years.
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The point of this post is that if you want God to continue to manifest His presence in your midst you have to watch yourself and keep from getting proud and thinking that somehow your better and greater then others.
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Another thing that will abolish a growing fellowship or Church is teaching bad doctrine or false teachings. I know places where this has happened.
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The people of God read their Bibles and get instruction from the radio and TV as well as from their place of worship. Most of them have discernment and can sense or tell when something is off. They will leave and not come back.
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John 10:27

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

 John 10:5

 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

I have a good friend who recently killed off his own fellowship with false teaching. His growing fellowship reversed and shrunk when he brought in false teaching. He had been roped in by a false teacher of last days things and started to parrot those teachings and the sheep left his growing fellowship when he did this.

I can only hope that he wakes up and pays attention to this.

The sheep follow Jesus Christ and another they will not follow. My friend's congregation fled! It is always like this for God's sheep. 

But there are those who will ignore the inner voice of discernment and continue off in error to their own destruction.

If you want your fellowship to continue to grow, stick to the Bible and stay away from speculation. Keep the people from pride, teach them that it is God's grace that He is manifested in their midst and not because of anything that they are or do.

Fellowships and Churches will continue to grow and die. It is a pattern that repeats over and over again. Just look at how many fellowships and Churches pepper the land. They come and go over the years...spent denominations are everywhere!

To keep from ending up on the junk heap, teach the Word of God, not speculation. Teach your people about the grace of God. Give them Jesus Christ!

John 12:21

The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

It is not you or any other man that they want to see!

They want Jesus Christ.

 While we are still alive on this earth we are to lift up Jesus Christ to others.
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John 12:32

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

While at face value of context this verse of scripture primarily refers to the cross of Christ. But there are always streams of meaning behind scriptures.

The stream or principle I want to bring up is that when we here on the earth will lift up Jesus Christ before others, He will draw humankind to Himself.
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If you are not presenting Jesus Christ, the sheep will leave and go where He is being presented and lifted up. I will venture to guess that my good friend was not lifting up Jesus Christ and his sheep left.
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 Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Train the focus of your sheep upon Jesus Christ, He is who they want.

 Numbers 21:8

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live."
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Here is a type of this focus on Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Moses is instructed to make a serpent and put it up on a pole for all to see. Anyone who had been bitten by the poisonous snakes was instructed to look up at the snake Moses had made and they would be healed. those who did not look up to the snake died of the snake bite.
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This is a type of Jesus Christ being lifted up before the people. See what happens when the people focused on the type of Jesus Christ?

 The people were complaining because of lack of bread and water, when the plague of fiery serpents came upon them. Their focus was not on Almighty God. The solution was to look to God, Jesus Christ.
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The point I want you to see is no matter what is wrong in your Churches or Fellowships they can be repaired by focusing the people upon Jesus Christ. Lift Jesus Christ up before the people. 

And Jesus Christ will draw everyone unto Himself.
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A very simple equation, so simple even a child can understand it. Violate the equation and your sheep will go elsewhere.
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My friend violated the equation to his own hurt...

Don't make the same mistake, give the people Jesus Christ, lift up Jesus Christ before them. They want Jesus Christ and Him alone for He is worthy!
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Revelation 4:11

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 Revelation 5:9

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

 Revelation 5:12

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

David Sloane