The Adventures on the road to the Celestial City (9)
Loved one in Christ Jesus, I believe you are growing in the strength of the Lord. This is lesson nine on my teachings, the adventures on the road to the Kingdom of Heaven. In the previous lessons, I explained that we must be prayerful and join the workforce (intercessors team) in the church because of the mindset of the unbelievers and some "Christians."
In this article, I will
share with you some challenges Apostle Paul and his associates encountered in their
missionary work. We must learn from the experiences of the early Apostles
because we will also pass through some of their encounters and challenges they went through
If we learn from the
experiences of the early apostles, it will not surprise us when we encounter
their challenges. Wisely learning from the experience of others can help us
make accurate decisions (Get my book, How to Make Perfect Decisions for a more profound revelation). There are some experiences people pass through because of
their negligence.
There are some
experiences God allows us to pass through because He wants to train us for the assignment He has designed for us. It is a wise thing to learn from experiences the Holy
Spirit commands you, and the best experience we can learn from is the
experience of the early Apostles.
We can also learn from called
and chosen ministers of God who have established their ministries in the will
of God (See Hebrews 6:12). There are levels of experience. We have a spiritual experience,
ministry experience, human experience, age experience, and intellectual
experience.
In this article, I will
use the spiritual and ministry experience of Apostle Paul and his ministry as a criterion. Let’s
read from the Word.
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in
Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable,
but we are despised.
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked,
and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
1 Corinthians 4:10-14 KJV
In the letter of Apostle
Paul to the church in Corinth, he made a powerful statement. He said, in his ministry, he went through the season of hunger and thirst with his associates. Sometimes in our
Christian life; we pass through the season of hunger and thirst because it is
part of the Christian life.
Sometimes your loved ones
will forsake you. In this season, the only way out is to fast and pray. There
are times; we pass through hunger and thirst because we must fast and pray.
There are times all our basic needs, and wants will be scarce because of no
supply.
When some Christians enter this season, they question God and His Word. Child of God, I know how hunger buffets our flesh and corrupts our soul because I have experienced hunger and thirst several times in my Christian life.
It is part of the suffering we have to endure as Christians.
Following Jesus Christ opens the door for the enemy to tempt us with temporal
things. Jesus said we should not live
by bread alone (See Matthew 4:1-4). We need the word of God to rekindle our spirit and renew our soul.
Salvation is a process. By
the grace of God, I have studied, taught, and listened to several teachings of
salvation. Some Christians believe in the doctrine of “Once saved, forever
saved.” I have searched the scriptures and concluded that we could lose
salvation if we don’t abide in Jesus Christ.
Salvation (deliverance
from destruction into the glorious light) works in three dimensions. First, Jesus
Christ has saved (given us authority to rule over the lustful desire of the flesh) us from the Adamic nature by giving us
the Holy Spirit (Meditate on Romans 6 and 1 John 3:9-10). Jesus Christ has delivered us (Christians) from the curse (sinful nature) of
the unbelievers.
Second, we are in the
process of salvation as we abide in Jesus Christ and His teachings (redemption
of the soul, that is the obedience of God's Word under the new covenant). Third, Jesus Christ
will save us on the last day when He comes to take us into His glorious kingdom (gift of eternal life when we abide in Jesus Christ and His Word).
Jesus Christ will recreate this world (New Earth) and live with us forever. Meditate on these few scriptures. It talks about the doctrine of salvation. (2 Peter 3:17, Hebrews 6:4-6, John 15:4-6, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Peter 2:20-22, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2 Corinthians 2:15, Romans 5:9-10, Matthew 24:13, Acts 2:47, Romans 11:20-23). Recommended videos on salvation. Video 1 and Video 2.
Becoming a disciple of
Jesus Christ is not a one-day journey. As Apostle Paul wrote to the church in
Corinth, he went through hunger and thirst. He further states that the gentiles
and Jews humiliated his ministry publicly.
Apostle Paul declared that he
did not have a permanent place of rest with his missionaries. The unbelievers flogged and
chained them in prisons because of the gospel. Are you ready to stand hunger,
thirst, persecution, and humiliation as a Christian soldier?
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession
before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:10-12 KJV
Hunger, thirst,
humiliation, and persecution are some injuries we will receive as Christian
soldiers. If you are not ready for the storm, count yourself out of the system.
Jesus said, whoever shall endure to the end shall be saved, which means if you cannot
stand the storms of life and abide in Jesus Christ by walking in the
light of His Word (holy scriptures), you can lose your salvation (See Matthew 7:21-27;
24:12-13). Apostle Paul further states in his letters to the church in Corinth.
And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being
persecuted, we suffer it:
1 Corinthians 4:12 KJV
This means every
Christian must work hard. Paul and his followers worked efficiently and
effectively with their strength (Get my books, How to Pursue a Purposeful life and How to Pursue a Purposeful life without money for a more profound revelation). Being in the ministry does not mean we shouldn’t
work. If you are a lazy person, you cannot be in the ministry. Lazy people
cannot walk in the steps of Jesus Christ.
A time will come when
people will attack us. Some people will destructively criticize us. Some will
oppose us and say all manner of evil against us because we follow Jesus Christ. Apostle
Paul and his workers suffered the same fate, so don’t be discouraged. Never
give up on Jesus Christ!
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 KJV
Following Jesus Christ attracts unknown enemies to you and your family. The
ones you believed as your friends will suddenly become your enemies. If you
want the entire world to accept you as a friend, then you
have mistaken the path of Christianity.
Expect insult, mockery, criticism, hunger, thirst, and slander from the unbelievers and “carnal Christians” if you follow the path of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul did not end there, he said,
Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and
are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
1 Corinthians 4:13 KJV
A season will feature in
our Christian life, the unbelievers will treat us as rags. They will see us as
the stumbling block to their happiness (enemies of progress). When you enter the jurisdiction of the unbelievers, they will be insecure and jealous of you because they feel sinful in your presence. Your presence will remind them of their evil
deeds.
The unbelievers will call
us strange names because we follow Jesus Christ. They will see us as unwise people
because we follow Jesus Christ. They will fight and oppose us with all their
strength and power because we follow Jesus Christ. Child of God, don’t be
discouraged in this season because it is temporal.
At the workplace, lecture
hall, social gatherings, and homes, the unbelievers will isolate themselves
from us because they hate the light in us (Meditate on John 1:1-5). Apostle
Paul concludes in his letter to the church in Corinth (includes every
Christian) that he made these truths known to us because He wants to put us
into remembrance.
A word to the wise is enough.
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