In January, at the start of the year, we are typically filled with joy and great expectation for what God is going to do that year, but as the months go by many of us find ourselves facing sorrow, loss and hardships. We are not promised a pain-free life. There will be trials and tribulations, but out of these struggles comes a new song because we know we have a Righteous Branch and Shepherd who is faithful, strong and loves us. Despite what comes, we can sing, "It is well with my soul!"

The Lord will allow times and seasons in our lives for us to consider our ways and begin to focus on what we are truly invested in. As this world is moving toward an economic collapse, the only true currency that will be left standing that will be of any true value, and offer hope and security to a nation, is the Word of God. In these last days there will be a people who have chosen to believe the promises of God, who have gone through the fire and come out on the other side with a supernatural trust in God. God is calling us not only to love the Word of God, but to live it. The promises of God are the only thing that will be of any value. It is the only thing that will shine in these last days. Get into the Word of God and let the Word shine through you in the darkness of the last days.

Are you facing a battle of inner discouragement? Are you taunted with thoughts that say your life isn't amounting to anything for the kingdom of God? Did you ever think that your life could be used to affect thousands? If you did you will face the battle of discouragement and fear. You have to fight through the half acre of mockery and the barrage of lies from the devil that tells you that you are nothing in the kingdom of God. You have to fight on the half acre of prayer and fight on the held acre of faith. Don't give up on the ground of prayer and the ground of faith. When you make the choice to get up and fight, people will follow you and the powers of hell will be broken over your life and the lives of others. Stand up and fight for the glory of God and the souls of men. You make the choice to fight, and God will empower you.

When the church comes together it should be for the building up of the body of Christ. Sometimes we make church about us and what we can get out of it. We should be peacemakers — no division in our hearts, no holding on to grudges or bitterness — that desire to use our spiritual gifts, services and activities to serve others. No one person has all the gifts, so we must work together to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus in the Earth.

There is a season in every Christian's life when God gives you a special touch from heaven to fight against all your enemies. Sometimes because of a lack of faith or a heart that is entwined with the world we end up making peace with our enemies. You may be in a season when all hell is coming against the victories that you have in Christ. If you make a choice to separate yourself unto God, great truths will be brought to you from heaven to crush every enemy that comes against you. When Jesus rose from the dead He led captivity captive so that nothing can stop the plan of God for your life. Don't let your enemies find safety in you. While faith is in your heart pursue your enemies with the knowledge that God has given you the power to overtake them. Let God arise and your enemies be scattered.

We live in a time when there is much confusion about the roles of men and women in the family and in the church. The church is defining gender roles based on social pressures and political correctness rather than on the Word of God. On one end of the spectrum is Hierarchal Chauvinism, which claims that men are superior to women and that all women should be submissive to all men. On the other end of the spectrum — and as a revolt against the former — we have Egalitarian Feminism, which says that men and women are completely equal, with no differences in roles. The Bible teaches Complementarianism. That is, that men and women are equal in being and standing with God, but have distinctly different roles. Our differences are from God, complement each other and are necessary for fulfilling God's will on Earth.

 If you find yourself growing closer to the Lord and moving into His promises but at the same time you are face to face with failures and difficulties you are in the valley of giants. When the enemy see your desire to move forward he will attack you on every side. The Lord reserves the right to bring about the victory in whatever way He chooses. Sometimes God will do the miraculous and instantaneously give us the breakthrough. There are other times when God will allow us to go through a process. In this valley we become vulnerable as we experience loneliness, darkness and uncertainty. In this season God invites us to be quiet and to be still in His presence and after a while we will hear God say, “Move forward and I will give you the breakthrough.”

As Christ's body, the church is called to carry on His mission and ministry on Earth. Jesus showed compassion, mercy and justice — often taking a detour or going out of his way to minister to the needs of others. The secular world and the unsaved have taken these on as humanitarian causes, but as Christians we are also called to preach the Gospel. Demonstrating compassion, mercy and justice alone are not enough to draw people to Christ. We must preach, with words, the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Paul's measure of success was winning as many souls as he can to Christ, by whatever means necessary. He wasn't concerned with reputation, persecution or even death.

Pastor Gary Wilkerson continues the series on 1 Corinthians discussing the relationship between pastors and the church. Both teachers and congregants must be able to discern the wheat from the chaff. Many false gospels are being preached in the church today — ranging from prosperity gospel on one end of the spectrum and a gospel of poverty on the other end. Many church attenders just want their ears tickled. Pastors cannot be afraid that they are going to offend their congregations. There is also a misconception that pastoring is an easy job, when in fact many pastors and ministers around the world are underpaid, overworked, stressed, depressed, struggling with sin and on the verge of quitting the ministry. The work of the church is not to be carried out by one man. Pastors should be raising up leaders and equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.