Telling my ugly personal processes & experience may not be good branding. All I want to do is to witness what Christ JESUS did and is doing in my life. The Holy Spirit had asked me to share my personal experiences, but I had failed to do so over some years, for fear of elevating myself to people and being more vulnerable than I always was. But thank God that I start to obey Him now. Now I decide to write my own stories, I desire to be a star witness of Christ JESUS. Amen.
Some years ago, I came to the end of myself, as I had been on several occasions prior and thereafter. As I spent some days at a friend’s home feeling down and grumbling to God about my frustrations in ministry, for some unplanned reason I picked a cassette tape of now Late Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin and played it. I cannot get myself to remember the title of the message or scriptures quoted, but I remember, the personal experience shared about what he suffered after preaching for a minister. Bro. Hagin, if I remember well, did take a good offering for the host minister during the meetings, but the minister only shook his hands and did not care any further. That night Bro Hagin, His wife and son had to sleep in a car that had no fuel to take them anywhere. They could not afford to get food or any reasonable protection from biting winter cold.
I was not married at that time and could not bear to believe I would subject my family to such situation for the gospel sake. That process and experience of Bro Hagin jolted me back to new impetus for life & ministry. I cannot remember the scriptures quoted. I do remember that I told myself that the sufferings for Christ that got me down was not anywhere close to what he went through.
Telling stories of disappointment, let-downs, and sufferings in Christ may not be a selling strategy in today’s ministry branding. But, I was helped not just by the articulate ministry of that man of God, but by his story that some could have mis-interpreted as bitterness and hurt-feelings. Because of that story, I told myself, that if he went through what he went through, then I could be motivated to go through my own “crosses”.
Christianity is not about fanciful enterprising words, it’s about sharing with others, how far the Lord has indeed brought you through thick and thin as a believer. A believer without an experience in Christ to share is just a religionist. A witness tells what was and what is, in order to establish other’s belief in truth. A true witness tells the whole story not half-truths. The extent to which a witness is believed is to the extent of personal experience and credibility of processes overcome.
Lord JESUS I pray that my story be an encouragement to someone in need. In JESUS name. Amen!
Being A Star Witness: Telling Your Christ Story In A Perverse World - Bishop Ola Elujoba
Some years ago, I came to the end of myself, as I had been on several occasions prior and thereafter. As I spent some days at a friend’s home feeling down and grumbling to God about my frustrations in ministry, for some unplanned reason I picked a cassette tape of now Late Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin and played it. I cannot get myself to remember the title of the message or scriptures quoted, but I remember, the personal experience shared about what he suffered after preaching for a minister. Bro. Hagin, if I remember well, did take a good offering for the host minister during the meetings, but the minister only shook his hands and did not care any further. That night Bro Hagin, His wife and son had to sleep in a car that had no fuel to take them anywhere. They could not afford to get food or any reasonable protection from biting winter cold.
I was not married at that time and could not bear to believe I would subject my family to such situation for the gospel sake. That process and experience of Bro Hagin jolted me back to new impetus for life & ministry. I cannot remember the scriptures quoted. I do remember that I told myself that the sufferings for Christ that got me down was not anywhere close to what he went through.
Telling stories of disappointment, let-downs, and sufferings in Christ may not be a selling strategy in today’s ministry branding. But, I was helped not just by the articulate ministry of that man of God, but by his story that some could have mis-interpreted as bitterness and hurt-feelings. Because of that story, I told myself, that if he went through what he went through, then I could be motivated to go through my own “crosses”.
Christianity is not about fanciful enterprising words, it’s about sharing with others, how far the Lord has indeed brought you through thick and thin as a believer. A believer without an experience in Christ to share is just a religionist. A witness tells what was and what is, in order to establish other’s belief in truth. A true witness tells the whole story not half-truths. The extent to which a witness is believed is to the extent of personal experience and credibility of processes overcome.
Lord JESUS I pray that my story be an encouragement to someone in need. In JESUS name. Amen!
Being A Star Witness: Telling Your Christ Story In A Perverse World - Bishop Ola Elujoba
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