WCTLC

The Holy Spirit is your insight for bringing the life and ministry of Jesus into your life and ministry.

Stay Current In
Your Relationship With God

We need to not only watch out for false prophets, we need to watch out for becoming a false prophet. That may not seem to be an issue right now in your life and ministry. However, those people who will stand before Jesus on the judgment day and try to convince Him they are real, will think they were doing a work of God.

MANY! That is a very scary word. Don’t just study the information on how to tell when others are false, find out how to keep from becoming one yourself.

1 Cor 9:27 (NIV) No, I beat my body and make it my slave SO THAT after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

We can settle into a false sense of security for a lot of reasons. We can feel like king David and allow all our PAST intimate relationship experiences with God become our trust. We can join a group of people in a denomination, church, Christian organization, or team and feel like THEY are going to be our protection from growing cold in our relationship with God. TODAY is what matters as it relates to your relationship with God. Phil 3:13-14 (NIV) Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind AND STRAINING TOWARD WHAT IS AHEAD, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The Example Of The
Children Of Israel

1 Cor 10:1-4 (NIV) For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

The Holy Spirit is using Paul to warn us about basing our future on past experiences. It is vital that we not put our trust in past training, past experiences, past ministerial accomplishments, or the amount of years we have been a Christian, mentor, or a minister. Just because some of the Children Of Israel had the same experiences and went through the same events as others, it didn’t mean they had the same future as all the rest. It is what we are doing when we die or when Jesus comes to get us that matters.

BEING FAITHFUL

Mat 24:45-47 (NIV) “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. This is what will happen to you, because you forgot those things that you had accomplished in the past and kept pressing on toward what is ahead.

BEING UNFAITHFUL

Mat 24:48-51 (NIV) But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This is how false prophets and fake ministers are formed. They apply themselves in the beginning; they learn all the Biblical truths; they work their way into some of the best organizations; they excel at some of the most impressive works of God; and they strive to be great in the eyes of the people around them. Pride fills their heart; evil creeps into their life; their relationship with God cools; and they continue to do all they did before, but without God.

The Example Of The Children
Of Israel Continued

1 Cor 10:5-6 (NIV) Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

God caused all these Old Testament historic events to be written so we will be able to be warned by the end results of many of these people. He wants us to be well informed from all of the Bible, so we will have all the information we need. He has provided us more than enough things for us to pray about. It is up to us to see all the Biblical examples, pray for all the good ones, and pray to be protected from all the bad ones.

GETTING YOUR JOY,
HAPPINESS, AND PLEASURE
FROM THE WRONG SOURCE

1 Cor 10:7-9 (NIV) Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes.

In our beginnings we can have a lot of struggles that pressure us into digging into God and the things of God. BUT, as we grow and start living more and more of the victorious Christian life, we can start to relax and not feel the need for more of God. Rather than pursuing the great things God has to offer, we just want to be delivered from all the bad things that were causing us to suffer. We see Christianity as a way of escape from all the pain and suffering of sin; but we still would like to have all the pleasures of sin.

Once God had drown Pharaoh and all of his armies in the Red Sea, many of them were ready and willing to go back and live the Egyptian life. Once God takes away all the pain, suffering, penalties, and side-effects of sin, some are ready to go back and enjoy the pleasures sin offered. Let God get your eyes off of your past life. Let Him show you the pleasures and benefits of His life and His eternity. This will protect you from becoming a dog, hog, or wolf in sheep’s clothing.

GETTING FED UP WITH THE MINISTRY

1 Cor 10:10-11 (NIV) And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Christianity and the ministry has a lot of problems and challenges that you must face. You can gradually become a complainer. You can start noticing all the problems, issues, requirements, and inconsistencies of the people around you. You will find yourself griping about all these things and feeling sorry for yourself. Satan can cause your attitudes to go from appreciation, praise, thanksgiving, and worship to petitions, requests, complaints, demands, and challenges to God.

FEELING LIKE YOU HAVE ARRIVED

1 Cor 10:12 (NIV) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

Most of those of you who make it this far in your studies and spiritual growth, don’t have to worry about spending eternity without God in hell. You have already made a permanent commitment to God and have allowed Him to seal you into His eternal life. However, you must not forget 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.

1 Cor 3:12-15 (NIV) If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Spend your time desiring, studying, praying, believing, and taking faith-action concerning finishing well. Let God know you want Him to do whatever it takes to help you keep growing into the very best you can be in Christ Jesus, your Lord. As you spend your time, effort, and money protecting Jesus’ sheep, be sure to let Him protect you. As you do your ministry, according to 1 Timothy 5:20 (NIV) Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. Be sure you accept the correction of God for your life and ministry.

Jesus’ Example

Heb 12:3-4 (NIV) Consider Him [Jesus] Who endured such opposition from sinful men, SO THAT you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Opposition, temptation, distraction, relaxation, or mixing the things of God with the things of the world are all ways of keeping us from not finishing well. It must be our prayer that God would help us handle opposition with complete faith in Him. The Lord’s prayer must be a part of our daily prayers so we will be able to resist temptation. We must appeal to our heavenly Father asking Him to help us never allow the desires of our body, the lure of the world, or the temptations of the devil to distract us from God and the things of God. Pray that you will never relax and discontinue your passionate pursuit of all God has to offer. Ask Him to help you never try to mix anything with what He is giving you.

Discipline And Punishment

Heb 12:5 (NIV) And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord DISCIPLINES those He loves, and He PUNISHES everyone He accepts as a son.”

Discipline and punishment are two different things. Discipline is rigorous training and strategic pressure that pushes us into being able to reach our full potential. Punishment is correction and penalties for having done something wrong that we knew was wrong. Whether we do something wrong or not, God will be pushing us into challenges that bring discipline and self-control into our life. We need to ask Him to help us be able to address all discipline and punishment with love, respect, and appreciation.

God Uses Hardship To Correct And Train Us

Heb 12:7a (NIV) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.

Life presents the saved and the unsaved with challenges, problems, difficulties, and sorrows. However, the Christian’s hardships are controlled by God. Rom 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. God only allows certain hardships to come the Christian’s way. That means we are to use each and every hardship as an opportunity to grow spiritually.

If God shows you that you are going through some kind of hardship because of something you have knowledgeably done wrong, then you need to repent and ask for His power to help you turn and go the other way. Pray that He will help you never make that mistake again. Then take the punishment and thank Him for helping you see the error of your ways. Ask Him to empower you to always respond to His punishment with repentance.

Hardship Validates
Your Childhood With God

Heb 12:7b-10 (NIV) For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.

If you respond to hardship with resentment, resistance, confusion, or human effort then you won’t learn and grow the way it was intended for you to. If you don’t realize that hardship is coming your way out of sacrificial love, then you will respond inappropriately. If you respond in a wrong way, the hardship will take much longer. You will find yourself having to retake the life-class. These become times when we have a series of hardships that keep coming our way. That will be your signal that you aren’t responding with skill, respect, appreciation, knowledge, and cooperation.

This Pain Produces Success
And Victory

Heb 12:11 (NIV) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

We are all looking for happiness, love, joy, peace, and avoidance of pain. When the discipline of hardship comes our way, it causes us pain. Jesus gives us the key to handling such pain. Heb 12:2 (NIV) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus kept the joy of the goal in front of Him all the time He was suffering.

Here is Jesus’ instructions to you for how He wants you to be able to handle hardship during the pain and suffering: Mat 5:10-12 (NIV) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When hardship, persecution, and suffering come your way, keep your eyes on the prize. It is impossible to go through discipline or punishment, if you aren’t able to see the big picture. If you lack eternal perspective, you will find life to be a series of unexplainable painful events. It will fill your life with confusion, anger, frustration, discouragement, and resentment. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus so we can run the race with patience. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus so we can finish well!

This Is What You Want To Hear

Mat 25:19-23 (NIV) After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’