A CALL TO SACRIFICE
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him DENY HIMSELF, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS, and follow me. Mathew 16:24.
LET HIM DENY HIMSELF and TAKE UP HIS CROSS, and follow me. This connotes willingness to die to self in order to follow Jesus. It's absolute surrender of self and will. Jesus Christ said "For whoever wants to save his life will loose it, but whoever looses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet loose or forfeit his very self?
God made a Similar demand on Papa Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. God did not however ask David a man after God's own heart to sacrifice his son. He took him from following his father's sheep to be King over His people. In the same fashion God will require of you a different sacrifice. You may not have to sacrifice a child or leave your current work to do Kingdom Business. Paul made use of his profession and talent as a tent maker, knowledge of the Law and Language alongside his calling to do Kingdom Business.
I have been doing the Kingdom Business since 1990. I have shared the WORD OF GOD on a bus, at dawn what we called those days as dawn broadcast, and in recent time through social media. I created a what's app group in May 2015 called VIRTUAL CHURCH. I have VIRTUAL CHURCH 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 on what's app. I also have a groups name Jesus 1 & 2 on what's app. I joined Facebook five days ago and created a website named Ritchie's Virtual Church about a week ago.
There have been encouragement to go into full time Kingdom Business. Well, all that I know now is I have an insatiable passion and drive to share the WORD OF GOD. I want to believe the scripture of principle of whoever will be faithful with little will also be faithful with much applies here. I was faithful with my outreach during my experience on the public transport, during the dawn broadcast, what's app group and now Facebook and a website. I don't have to stop my current work to share the WORD OF GOD. Lay preaching has helped shape the Kingdom Business in our time. Working and doing Kingdom Business is not new. It has been part of church history. I belong to a church and have a man of God as my pastor. I have been given opportunity to partner Kingdom Business and to share the WORD OF GOD. My church have lay preachers called coordinators taking care of churces and working to earn a living. But one thing you must bear in mind is you must be ready to deny self to serve, as ministry is about service not a source of income. Christians must be taught sacrifice of self for Kingdom Business. If they are not taught to give up their time, their evenings, and spare time for church work then they cannot do Kingdom Business. Our youth, especially teenagers must learn to serve in church without asking or expecting money. Lay preachers or coordinators must be encouraged to help as the harvest is plenty but the Labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest to send forth labourers into the field.
What has God asked you to give up? Your cross may not be mine. I give up a lot of sleep, time, energy, money, to do what I am doing now. My wife and children have to sacrifice a lot even if I am at home to let me have space to pray, read my bible and to write my posts. Kingdom Business is a call to sacrifice. The church cannot pay everyone to become a pastor so keep working but sacrifice your spare time for church work.
Bro Ritchie Edukwesi WOANYA
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