AFTER THE MINISTRATION

"So he said, 'I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, turn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." - 1Kings 19:10


What happened to all the fire and zeal prophet Elijah showed on Mount Carmel? After the Lord has enabled a minister to operate in such a powerful crusade; fearlessly he stood against an army of false prophets and prevailed - fire came down; one would have thought the event itself would have been self motivating for other challenges to follow. Prophet Elijah ran for his life at the threat of Queen Jezebel, the motivation just wasn't there anymore; the man even at some point lamented to God.


It is possible that a minister will enter into a valley state after a ministration, it is possible that a minister would end a powerful ministration only to descend to real life issues that anointing seem not to cover. Loneliness was what Elijah felt at that point, he was frustrated that he didn't have a company who could champion a noble cause that he did, he was not sure what to think of the people he constantly sought God for. Was this revival or was it an open door to adversary, he was confused.


The after-ministrations are a tricky phase of the minister, many let down their guards and the enemy creeps in to embarrass the minister in ways one may never have imagined. Jonah was embarrassed that his prediction of Nineveh's destruction did not come to pass; everyone had heard what he said and they were indeed looking to see if what Jonah said would occur; it didn't turn out the way he said, in fact, in those days - a prophet's reputation lied largely on his right foretelling. Behold, Nineveh stood by God's mercies and this prophet was disappointed indeed.


There are times when a minister would be denied appreciation, the honorarium expected may not measure up or may not even come at all; the effort one put into a particular ministration may seem useless as there may be little to show - at points like this, the minister must take heed and not become a casualty of the devil's craftiness.


AFTER EFFECTS
"Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But he was asleep." - Matt  8:23-24


The tempest was sudden; before they set out, nothing predicted that the storm would rise, but suddenly, after such ministration, the devil wanted to cause trouble. He brought fear into the hearts of the disciples and they didn't know what to do; they thought it was the end until Jesus came and rescued the situation. Let it not become strange to the minister, that there would be times when sudden challenges will arise after a ministration. Jesus stayed in the same authority that He had and never panicked, you must not forget whose you are. You must not respond as mere human; Jesus who calmed the situation at the ministration is with you also.


Apostle Peter too came home to a sick mother-in-law; he would have thought in his mind that the Lord would take care of them. But the same Jesus who was with him on the trip followed him into the house and healed his mother-in-law. The same Jesus who was with you on the crusade ground is definitely with you in your personal life as you entered. If you arrive to a sick wife; He is with you - don't forget that. It may look as if you are worn out and tired; but Jesus is ever potent; whether at your point of rest or otherwise.


Do not be surprised that the enemy did not rest when you needed to rest, do not let it amaze you that the devil wants to sow tares after your ministration...the only thing that will surprise heaven is that you forgot to exercise your authority at such a time. You may be at a state of rest yet exercise your authority, a king is a king, whether awake or asleep.


"And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening." - Acts 4:3


It is a beautiful sight to see lives liberated at your ministration; but it may also be a sore sight when 'elders' and 'chief priests' arise in envy against you; do not forget that persecutions are after effect of ministrations. When the blind see, when the lame walk and when there is conversion - they not only lay hands on you - they will raise great tongues to accuse you of wrong, don't forget that Jesus warned us or told us about this before now.


The after effects of ministrations are just as important as the preparations; you must be alert, you must stay focused, you must be determined and that the devil is on your tail. Be courageous and forge ahead. The persecutions should be the motivation to keep going in the power the Spirit. It's possible you taught what was not known before; and many are against you - be sure that if the Word is true, the persecutions will just help that truth go viral the more.


It may be that you're passing through an after effect of a ministration presently and it could be distracting you from your next appointment; don't fret, just flex your faith and see that God has got your back. He goes before you as a mighty awesome one.


AFTER INSTRUCTIONS
"But the man of God said to the king, 'If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.''" - 1Kings 13:8-9


You need to realise that the congregation was not there at the point of preparation and they may not know the after-instructions you got from the Lord. They may be persuasions to bend the rules, but you must stay in God's plan. Your ministration doesn't always have to end when you come down from the platform, there could be instructions for follow-up and discipleship.


You do not stop being a minister when you stop preaching, the ministration is basically your life and it's not a performance that you take a break from. You don't get a break from being a Christian. When you have ministered on the pulpit, know that you have not become excluded from the instructions from the Lord. The same zeal you used in ministering on the platform must be the same zeal you will use to obey the instructions that come after then.


"But He said to them, 'Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.'" - Mark 1:38


There is no sabbatical in the call a minister has received, a minister must be instant, in season and out of season - you must not fail to respond to a need because you are on vacation, you must not fail to see the urgency of the call. To be slack about this thing is to be careless. There would be time when your schedules are choked and you think you deserve a break after some ministrations, please understand that the time may be too short.


I am in no way referring to mandatory rest that the minister must take in order to refresh (I would address that shortly), I am referring to taking 'time-off' ministry in order to pursue other things that in no way add or further the call, you shouldn't become  distracted by needs that you refuse to face what you have been called to. Immediately you conquer that land, there is more to conquer. Chart your course and get to work. 


THE PLACE OF REFRESHING
"And He said to them, 'Come aside by yourself to a deserted place and rest a while.' For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat." - Mark 6:31


Don't choke yourself up with schedules that you do not have time to eat or to sleep, the ministry can be so intense that one may not have time to take care of personal needs - yet to avoid a breakdown; you must schedule time for refreshing, time to eat, time to sleep also. Don't enter the spirit too much and forget that body needs to be alive to carry the spirit. You are not Elijah just yet and the ravens have not arrived - please eat and be refreshed.


It is in the place of refreshing that we get instructions again for the next phase. You may be high on demand but, remember to create a Sabbath for yourself. I have seen ministers who mount the pulpit with sour voice and they are stress along the ministration; it has been heard where ministers slump on the pulpit. I believe wisdom should make you obey the law of rest.


"Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, 'You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now I shall die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?' So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he called its name En Hakkore, which is Lehi to this day." - Judges 15:19


Dear minister, there is a particular refreshing that only God can give; there is a reinvigoration that can only come from above. It's very unlikely that a minister will not see food to eat after a ministration, but there is a spiritual meal that the minister must eat to be equipped for the next ministration. If you fail to see the refreshing or accept such; you may just be heading towards oblivion - you may not be strengthened spiritually for the next appointment or phase.


After the ministration of Mount Carmel, there was a need for heaven's meal for Elijah. He needed a kind of food that could take him for forty days. You as a minister must get heaven's refreshment for the days ahead. The journey is indeed far, and you must get heaven's meal and not recycled meals from the pots of 'Marthas' and 'Marys'. Samson would have died from ordinary thirst, how will he be heard that such a great warrior couldn't get water to drink; but it's important for you to know that event of Samson is a pointer that one can be drained spiritually and physically after a ministration.


"Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him." - Matt 4:11


Even Jesus was not excluded from heaven's ministration, at a point, before the crucifixion; angels came and strengthened Him even at the point of prayer (Luke 22:43). Why not take some time out and ask for heaven's ministration upon you. Your message may have become stale just because you've not been ministered to in a long while. Cease from unnecessary activities and be calm for a ministration.


Before Satan's temptation, the scripture clearly states that Jesus was hungry; the devil came to test Him based on His most crucial need at that time - and after successfully overcoming the devil, it was necessary that He was attended to Him. You must overtime like the eagle be renewed.


CONCLUSION: There would be diverse situations after your ministration; you are a factor to how it turns out. The after-effects, after-instructions and the refreshing are all phases that the minister must go through. Be conscious to engage heaven at these points.


Selah.


God bless you and I love you
Akinsuroju Femi
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