“This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.” – Acts 19:10–11
Yesterday we began looking at the need for perseverance in achieving significant results in any sphere of life.
A careful study of the ministry of Paul throughout the book of Acts will reveal that although he was an itinerant minister, he often stayed in one place for a considerable amount of time for maximum impact.
For instance, we are told:
1. He stayed in Antioch for a whole year with Barnabas and taught a great number of people. That was where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).
“So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)
2. In Corinth he stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God (Acts 18:11).
“So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” (Acts 18:11)
3. And here in Ephesus, we are told he stayed for two years and taught daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9–10).
“…So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” (Acts 19:9–10)
No wonder it was the apostle Paul who made this famous statement: “But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Corinthians 16:8–9). Indeed, he faced many challenges, yet he pressed on and prevailed.
Beloved, we can all learn from Apostle Paul’s resilience. The truth is that consistency, perseverance and relentlessness are keys to seeing tangible results in every endeavour of life.
It is time to stop the “hit and run”, develop staying power, and watch extraordinary things happen in your life and ministry.
– Rev. Simon Ampofo
