From Trials to Triumph: Victory After the Struggle

By Bishop W. E. Brooks D. D.

This book was birthed from personal experiences in my life as a minister and christian believer. It is my sincere prayer that as you read each chapter you will find hope and guidance through your present trial or storm. Be assured they will not remain as trials but afterwards our loving Savior will launch you into a blissful orbit where the richness of his triumphant victory resides.

Trials are assigned by God and therefore their assignment has an expiration date. This book is written to inspire you to persevere through every trimester of the trial you encounter and understand the pain is essential to the new birth you are about to experience in your relationship with Christ.

Reformation of our thoughts about suffering will bring about a new perception and understanding of its purpose beyond its presence. We must consider ourselves as privileged to suffer because of divine favor and selection for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

During the trial allow Christ to mold you and prepare you to fulfill the divine assignment He has appointed to your destiny. Don’t walk away from the trial, but embrace it and gracefully endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. During the trial your faith will increase and your expectation will evolve to new levels as you become demonstrative of the power of Christ in your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664242999

Bishop W. E. Brooks D. D.

W. E. Brooks was born in Hayti, Missouri, and has 45 years of ministerial experience, including 32 years in the pastorate. His vast knowledge and experience in the pastorate has equipped him to travel abroad nationally and internationally to other ministries sharing God’s plan for Church growth and individual personal spiritual development in the body of Christ. He has served as the Assistant Diocesan to the Philippines with IMPACT Apostolic Ministries Inc. He has also served as the Regional Bishop of several churches in the Los Angeles Mountain Desert Region of IMPACT Apostolic Ministries Inc. Bishop Brooks continues to reside in San Diego, CA, with his wife, Karen, and family. He has 3 daughters, 1 son, and 6 grand children.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-4298-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-4300-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-4299-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021916995

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/8/2021

Scripture quotations marked ASV are taken from the

American Standard Version. Used by permission.

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Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New

International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by

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Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Dedicated in Loving Memory to …

Randy Dwayne Collins, SSFC

Operation Iraqi Freedom

1968–2005

~ ~ Beloved Nephew ~ ~

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1     Do You Believe?

Chapter 2     We Have Something to Boast About

Chapter 3     Strength to Win!

Chapter 4     Applying Faith to Fear

Chapter 5     Restlessness!

Chapter 6     How Do You Respond When You Haven’t Heard God?

Chapter 7     Dedicated

Chapter 8     A Divine Stronghold

Conclusion

About The Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Scripture quotations are taken from the ASV, (American Standard Version) KJV (King James Version), NIV (New International Version), ESV (English Standard Version), TLB (The Living Bible) NASV (New American Standard Version), NKJV (New King James Version) CEV (Contemporary English Version), NLT (New Living Translation), and AMP (Amplified Bible).

INTRODUCTION

I love my vocation. As a pastor for more than two decades, serving the Lord and my community brings me joy and profound satisfaction. Most of my career, I’ve had the privilege of ministering in multiethnic congregations and meeting folks from all walks of life. I’ve been a believer and follower of Jesus Christ since the age of twelve, and my affiliation is in the Pentecostal Apostolic denomination. I am Pentecostal in religious expression, and apostolic in my interpretation of the Word of God. Being apostolic in doctrinal belief, we are called such based upon our belief on Christ’s teaching to His apostles, the patriarchs of the Christian faith. Furthermore, we adhere to the tenets of the apostles teaching that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his (Jesus’s) name, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47 KJV).

In 1906, in Azusa, California, a young pastor named William Seymour sought God and began holding prayer meetings in a dilapidated barn. That unassuming building became a tabernacle for the presence of God. People of every ethnicity came from all over seeking the divine with Pastor Seymour. As the years progressed, many other Pentecostal movements began. Pentecostal forms of worship are based on the account of Peter preaching on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–20). In Acts 2:17–20, Peter on the Day of Pentecost, quoted the prophet Joel:

And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17–18 ESV)

As a clergyman, I experience everyday challenges and problems. Sometimes I face pain, trying to withstand the pressures of service, without letting anyone see me sweat. For many years, Christians, and especially pastors, have been taught to display a persona of indestructibility. We are taught to show others that we are impervious as a reflection of our spiritual superiority, presenting ourselves as veritable superheroes. In all actuality, we are as vulnerable and weak as everyone else. Once we take off the masks of perfection and show our true form, unbelievers decry us as phony. In a sense, they are right, because we have failed to be truthful about ourselves. Honest testimony is what the world needs to hear; Rev. Henri Nouwen called this being a wounded healer. By sharing the personal experiences of our lives, others are helped in their trials. Thus, being a pastor has been a school of learning for me, and I am still in class. You never learn it all, and there’s always room for improvement.

During my church work, I celebrate weddings, births, anniversaries, and promotions. But in addition to personal triumphs, there is another dimension to ministry; at times, I counsel folks who face some trying situations. Some are so defeated they don’t want to go on; others rage against the world. Still others succumb to feelings of purposelessness.

Life presents significant challenges, and the journey is seldom easy for anyone. My own life has been far from perfect; I’ve had my share of difficulties, and I’ve made mistakes. Being a clergyman doesn’t make the journey smoother, and some have unrealistic expectations of us in this capacity.

We all evaluate things from diverse perspectives. One of my church members compares life’s struggle to a ride at Disneyland—Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Some people measure their satisfaction in fine possessions, while others exist on the edge, grappling to survive day to day. However, we chose to define success, victory begins with determination and staying power—the drive to thrive. This book offers positive survival information to produce powerful transformation in your life, and its content is derived from years of experience in the ministry. I have tried to distill my observations into a text that I believe will be helpful for all who struggle to find meaning and a closer connection to God. I don’t pretend that this will always be easy, or that closeness to the Lord will make life free from trials.

We tend to be creatures of habit. We adopt preferences, acquire behaviors, and establish patterns, everything from the way we comb our hair to the times of day we check our e-mail. Most of these routines are harmless, simply a matter of choice, like the preference for shortcake or sherbet. Other behaviors set the course of our lives, ultimately determining if we succeed or fail. When unhealthy or destructive patterns prevail, they block the path to success, resulting in frustration or a sense of futility and hopelessness. The good news is that once we identify self-defeating patterns, we can alter the course to achieve our dreams. We can remove significant hurdles from our paths. The word change strikes fear in the human heart. The reason so many people resist change is because of fear of the emotional discomfort it brings due to even the slightest alteration in life. We often hear, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, proclaimed with a curious sort of pride. In my opinion, I believe sometimes we should alter things a little to explore new ways of improving our lives. For example, try taking a different route to work, or start your grocery shopping in the produce section instead of the dairy aisle. How about taking a bold and beautiful leap of courage by trying a different hairstyle? For