Ministry Comes With A Heavy Cost

MINISTRY COMES WITH A HEAVY COST. I have been in ministry 35 years. However, I was ordained (pictured here) at the age of 21 by the late Bishop T. L. Westbrook. That was June of 1993. One week after being ordained, our team founded my first church, Christ Temple COGIC. I did not realize the suffering, pain & hard times that I would have to endure (through the many years), in getting to where I am today in ministry. There is a heavy cost to ministry. God allows us to suffer, because it helps us to understand the Gospel that we preach; and the pain that Christ Jesus had to endure for our redemption. It also helps us to relate to the people we are called to feed with God’s Word. If you have never been through anything, it is hard to teach people that God will make a way. The greater the ministry/anointing, the greater the suffering to endure. There is no easy way, short cut or “fast track” around it. This is nothing out of the ordinary. Every person that God has used, has had to go through this exact same process. Let the following Scriptures encourage you, as you pay the cost for the anointing:

 

Matt 16:24 AMP. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

 

2 Tim 2:3 TLB Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, just as I do;

 

1 Pet 4:1 TLB. Since Christ suffered and underwent pain, you must have the same attitude he did; you must be ready to suffer, too. For remember, when your body suffers, sin loses its power.

 

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