Prophet James Osei Amaniampong, an outgoing Executive Council Member and Asokwa Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, has urged ministers of the gospel to make every effort to serve the Lord faithfully to the very end.
“Do not crawl as you get closer to the finishing line; and at no point should you regard yourself as a derailed Christian, or worse, give up when life is not yet over. We are not finished until we are laid-in-state with our hands crossed on our chest. So, finish strong!
“Retirement is not the end, rather it is to help one relax from hard work; it does not mean one has finished. Indeed, there is going to be a day when God will usher us home, until then, we would still have to keep working,” he said.
Prophet Amaniampong gave this inspiring message on Friday, May 7, during the 45th General Council Meetings of the church, which began on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Drawing lessons from the life of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:23-28, the Asokwa Area Head said that just like Apostle Paul, ministers should be determined to serve to the end despite the many challenges that may befall them in ministry.
He explained that God has assigned each of them special grace and giftings that He expects them to be good stewards of since they will render accounts on them on His return.
“When Jesus said, ‘Occupy till I come,’ He meant that we should operate until He comes; so, we need to work and be productive with whatever He us given us until He comes,” he explained.
To fulfil their ministry as God expects of them, Prophet Amaniampong advised the clergy to strengthen their relationship with God and to be prepared to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
Quoting John 9:4, Prophet Amaniampong offered some strong words of encouragement to the ministers, saying: “Never give up! Do not move away from the track. Rather, let us move together to build the Kingdom of God, and possess the nations. A day of reckoning is coming. So be determined to follow Christ at all costs.”
He also encouraged them to strive to navigate any form of intimidation that would attempt to hinder them from fulfilling their ministry.
“I want to advise that we do our best and not seek credit for what we have done. Let us keep giving our best while remaining loyal and humble and trust that God will reward each one for what he or she has done. Let us keep serving God with the mindset that He alone would reward us,” he said.
Concluding his message, Prophet Amaniampong said: “It has been my philosophy that I will not rest or retire but finish my work only when God ushers me home. I want to finish with my arm raised towards the Lord as He welcomes me home so that even when I am laid-in-state, there will be smiles on my face. This is what I wish for all of us (ministers), so together, let us fulfil God’s plan for our lives.”
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