My oldest son Eric, Pastors in the working poor part of Spokane Wa. He also ministers at the Union Gospel Mission, here is a vivid and accurate account of that ministry.
"I was so encouraged after the UGM chapel service by this young man named Anthony. He shared how a few months back I had preached a message about King Nebuchadnezzar and at the time he was resistant to seeing himself in light of the truth presented. But God has been working on his heart and through the struggle new desires to align his heart and life with God’s will and ways have been unfolding. He was refreshingly honest about the state of his soul, no flowery "christianese", no over-promising, just simple, raw and humble reality.
I think anyone who is in the preach & teach calling, probably struggles with wondering if all they try to bring to opportunities to speak makes a meaningful impact. It’s a profession that is not easily measured at the end of a day.
It’s work that is connected to other people’s responses and the outworking of many factors that connect to other people, places and moments.
So determining if you’re fruitful is harder than determining if you're faithful.
It takes prayerful and persistent grit, nerve and pluck to find all that is needed before, during and after ministering the gospel.
This is why encouragement is so important in life and especially in the church. Leaders are pummeled with discouragement every week. They are pressed from within and without by adversaries of all kinds.
Thank you Lord for the small, but meaningful encouragements that come from grateful people who come back and say thank you.
Luke 17:11-19
“As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.””
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