Date: Monday, 19th August, 2024
Minister: Rev. (Mrs.) Mercy Ezekiel
Topic: The Hazards and The Blessings of The New Testament Ministers
Transcript Excerpts
You do not become a minister without passing through hazards; these are the things nobody wants to hear. Hazards mean pitfalls. Everybody wants to ride on the wings of success but do not know what opens the door of success. If you want to become successful, you must go through process. Ministers have times that they go through pitfalls and dangers, just like Paul. When he asked the Lord to take it away from him, the Lord told him that His grace was enough for him (2 Cor. 12:9).
New Testament ministers walk by grace and not by the law, unlike the Old Testament ministers. Hazards cannot stop a minister; it is only the minister that can stop himself. As a New Testament minister or carrier of the Holy Ghost, you must love everybody. God is the One who has made us able, so we ought not to be afraid (2 Cor. 3:6). The ministers being referred to in this context are not those who are called by their belly but those who are anointed and able to carry the gospel.
The glory of the Old Testament is gone. That glory has to do with the law, and the law is a killer. It exposes us to dangers but grace covers us. This does not mean that we should be in grace and continue in sin. The belief of “once saved, forever saved” is a lie! Condemnation is the law but the New Testament ministers carry righteousness and holiness. You might not know who you are, but nothing will condemn you if you stay in the presence of God. Even if you fall seven times, you will rise again.
One of the hazards that New Testament ministers face is peer pressure. When a minister wants to look like others due to peer pressure and begins to run helter-skelter or get into dubious things because of it, he will get into trouble. Everything has its season; when your season comes nobody will stop your manifestation. In God, there is liberty, fulfillment, joy and peace, so wait. Do not run faster than God.
The second hazard is arrogance and pride; it makes one lose the presence of God. This is what brought Satan down, and it is disturbing many ministers today. One who is proud will begin to despise those who helped him up, saying that they are of the old times and are under the law. The enemy is a thief; he has come to steal, kill and destroy. Many ministers right now are very proud.
Another hazard is disobedience to authority where you serve. Mankind disobeyed God, and God regretted creating man because their thoughts became full of evil continuously (Gen. 6:5). One can begin by being obedient to spiritual authority but can suddenly forget how he was helped and begin to disobey.
Relationships should be separated from responsibility (work). One can forget that it was the Lord that showed him mercy and lifted him up. When you honor ‘honor’, it will honor you. Looking down on people around us can make us remain stagnant. Although God saw David's brothers, He chose David above them. God sees your heart and knows you, so you should walk in humility and give glory to God.
Some ministers are quick to start their own ministries; they do not wait to receive blessing from those above them. Blessing is very important in whatever you do. Spiritual authority might look like something one can despise, but it is God who bestowed authority upon men in such capacities. Therefore, we should not look down on them. We should not repay good with evil. Touching a minister is touching the oil on his head, so do not disrespect authority (Rom. 13:1-2).
“For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” (Psa. 5:12). When you serve the Lord as a New Testament minister, what you receive first is favor. If you want to do well, you need favor. You must be able to pierce into the spirit to receive from God. If you can obtain favor, a lot of things will change. Favor can open and close any door. If you do not have favor, you cannot go far. Favor works with mercy and grace. You need these powerful systems to stay with you in ministry. Mercy averts judgment, grace makes you shine, and favor will connect you to people. If you want to do well, ask for these.
One other blessing of a New Testament minister is that God will take away sickness from him and bless his bread and water. Another blessing is that God will bless the works of the hands of such men (Deut. 28:12).
Blessings!