"Evangelist are you still on fire" ?
Some years back at the university one of the lecturers who had left the school and returned for a visit saw me on campus. He was very happy and out of anxiety he screamed Evangelist are you still on fire? For a moment I paused, pondered on the question and I replied him I am on fire.
That question are you still on fire? Keep ringing on my mind till today? Truly there are evangelists. Many started hot for God and could go anywhere to preach the gospel. The passion for souls was burning in them and they were thirsty for souls. Everyone in the neighborhood know them. If they are not on the streets witnessing to souls, they are on their knees praying for souls but suddenly complacency sets in. One of the greatest problems is not sin or pleasure or comfort but the major problem is discouragement. The evangelist is usually seen as the "strong one". Nobody cares to check on him or ask about his welfare or wellbeing. People easily forget that evangelists too are humans with blood running in their veins. I could remember as an Evangelist in the church and the pastor called me aside. He scolded me if you are really working the population of the church should have increased by now. I felt bad on that day, no words of appreciation and all I could say was that I will work on it. I went to my closet and expressed my concerns to God. God answered my prayers, the following week people that have witnessed Christ to started calling me that they wanted to attend my church and gradually the church began to grow numerically. As an Evangelist if you must ever be on fire, you must know and learn how to encourage yourself when you are downcast or when things does not work out as you expect.
An evangelist that will ever be on fire must know when to retreat. There are times you have to retreat so that you can stay alive to conquer greater battles. An evangelist that will ever be on fire must not fight to finish. Take a break and during that break, study the word of God and pray fervently. It is in God's presence that you will be refresh and empower to do greater exploits.
An evangelist that will ever be on fire must stay within his ministry. An evangelist must be contented with his ministry. As an evangelist you don't have business in becoming a pastor just because of the privileges in pastoral ministry. As an evangelist do not turn yourself into a Prophet because you want people to give you prophetic offering. God's presence will not keep you in the ministry he has not called you into. God hates interruption into another man's ministry and this action can cost you your life or render you inactive because his grace will not keep you where he has not placed you.
Evangelist if you want to ever be on fire subject your body to discipline. Paul said he put his body under control so that at the end of the day he will not be a cast away. As an evangelist it's not every program they invite you to that you must attend. It is not every food you must eat. An evangelist that will ever be on fire must put his appetite on checks. Appetite for food, sex, pleasure must be on checks so that you will not become wild and unusable in God's hands.
The fire which is the power of God is on an evangelist. It is duty of an Evangelist to stay in God's presence at all times so that his fire can glow and stay burning for the LORD. The consecration of an Evangelist is very important, sin draw man from God's presence. If he do away with all that want to distract him and stay focus on Christ alone he will ever be on fire for God.
Abolanle Oladipupo
25th November, 2020
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