Sooo much Victory! Sooo much Joy!
Where do I start? The goodness of God overwhelms me. The keys He has shown me are life everlasting rays of strong solid sunshine that brighten up my every day! I can hardly write my fingers tingle with such excitement at what am about to share. I know this will not be my shortest writing, but one of my best! Did you know we have everything we need for life and godliness through knowing Him (2 Peter 1:3)?
I was contemplating life and how it works and was astounded by the verse in John 16:33. In Jesus there is perfect peace and confidence to be had. He says in the world we will have troubles, (frustrations and trials). This is so true; sometimes it feels like I don’t even get a full day’s break between troubles. Most often they even overlap!
But we should be of good cheer, (take courage and be confident, undaunted)! For He has overcome the world (deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you).
ISSUES....strongholds
The other week I told Him I wanted Him to talk to me. I saw castles in the air made of sand and above these I saw myself dancing on the hand of God! Clearly the words that came to me were: I am your Rock and Fortress. (http://youtu.be/5lqYRDByXxk). On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. I then wrote down three issues I struggled with and that I had gone through that were hurting me. I then struck them out at an angle. As I did this the verse in Isaiah 53 came to my mind. By His stripes we are healed.
Later that night I said to some of my family. I have a few issues I can’t get over. I can't get through. I get small victories over these but never seem to fully break through. My brother Samuel then said to me, “You have to Repent. This means to change your mind. Realign your thinking with the word of God”.
So what are our issues, our sand castles of sand that we build in the air, our strongholds? What stops us going forward with God, doing His will, living in joy and victory!
Well we already know the battle is in the mind. Here are two definitions of what a stronghold is;
‘A mind-set impregnated with hopelessness that causes us to accept as unchangeable situations that are contrary to the will of God.’
‘An entrenched pattern of thought, an ideology, value, or behavior that is contrary to the word and will of God.’ (http://pastor-todd.tripod.com/id6.html).
For example it could be, rejection, thoughts that are degrading to who you are, depression, anxiety and other types of sin, according to Roy Hessian from a Calgary Road even self-consciousness and shyness. This is not meant to upset you but rather to be taken as a liberating truth and something you can get free from by repentance and applying the word of God in its place.
Put on helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:17). This is saving power of what Jesus did on the cross for your whole life, for all your inadequacies, weaknesses, and needs, thoughts of condemnation or guilt. Where does the blood of Jesus stop? It doesn't. We are saved from our past and present and if we keep walking with God, for the future.
WE SHOULD KNOW OUR OFFENSIVE WEAPON (The Word of God).
Recognize the struggles you have and find what God says about it. The second part of Ephesians 6:17 The sword of the Spirit, the word of God. (Don't build your house on the sandy land. Build your house upon the rock, on Jesus, the Word).
Here are some examples of a thought (struggle) that you may have and of applying the helmet of salvation with the word of God which is your sword.
Thought: 'I can't do it'.
God’s thought (Word). I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Phil 4:13 (AMP)
We need to learn to wield the sword and annihilate the thoughts that hold us back, pull us down, cage and hem us in, destroying our confidence and holding us back from living in full victory and promises found in God’s word. Take up the shield of faith to extinguish the darts of the enemy. So as not to believe the lies in our head but the truth of God’s Word. Ephesians 6:16
I use to have a very strong engrained tower of rejection, that I now refuse to run into. I refuse to interpret situations like this. I choose to change my thinking and believe the word of God. I am saved from this way of thinking and retreat. The word of God says Isaiah 53. He bore my sorrows and took my rejection. Through Jesus I am accepted by God and loved with an everlasting love and kindness!
Knowing and applying the Word of God is a key to living as an overcomer.
We are in a Battle.
However it is not an ordinary battle. It is a battle that we have been given victory through Jesus.
Like when Joshua is about to take the city of Jericho, God says beforehand, I have given you this city. (Joshua 6 :2) We have been given victory over every sin, every hurt, every burden and every thought that raises itself up against God. You might have a thought of lust, Take it captive and ask God to create in you a clean heart. Turn your eyes towards Jesus.
Or you may have a thought that says you are not happy with how you look. Read and believe the word of God. Exchange that thought with the word and start to live in victory over that destructive thought. “I praise you God for I am fearfully and wonderfully made". Psalm 139 vs 14
Take Gods word by faith, being sure of what you do not see and certain of what you hope for (Hebrews 12).
Praise!!! (Key)
As God was showing me this He said to me to praise Him is a key to overcoming. In the last few weeks I had felt to start thanking God. Thanking Him and praising Him. We have every reason to be doing a victory dance through life. Samuel recently preached on Joy. He said you can choose joy and be filled with joy of God. So often in the bible it's says Rejoice! REJOICE AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE! (Phil 4). Command your soul to rejoice. This is what David does constantly in Psalms. ‘But I have trusted in your steadfast love, my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.’ Psalm 13 : 5
We have every reason to rejoice! We are saved; we have salvation for every situation. WE are loved by God with a great and wonderful and intense love! A God so rich in His Mercy! His immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of free Grace (unmerited favor) is poured out onto our lives. All this is not by our striving or attainment but a free gift of God. And everything is under His feet! We are seated down together with Him in Heavenly places. We are given joint seating. (Ephesians 2)
Every stronghold, every sin, every hurt, sorrow and wound, every anxiety, fear and inadequacy, and weakness, He has fully overcome. The work on the cross was a full and complete redemptive work. Nothing was left out; shame, guilt, loss, rejection, abandonment, fear were all paid for.
In Rev 12:10-11 it talks about all power, salvation and strength of Christ has come and the accuser of the Christians has been cast down. And they overcame (conquered) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives as unto death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]. Not loving our lives was also a key God showed me to living as an overcomer.
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the abuse of the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory (making us conquerors) through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
How We FIGHT
It amazes me how we fight. We fight with the battle already won, so our attitude is that of a conqueror. We take hold of what Christ has won for us. We need to action His promises and the freedom we have. We take them by faith. Knowing we have them and living in that truth. We take them with praise. Our lives should reflect a victory dance. When things start to go badly then praise God, shower Him with thanksgiving and you will feel Gods presence come down.
‘Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you.’ Over and over again it says to be strong, confident, and courageous as the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1: 6 and 9)
I was asking God how to do my street ministry on Queen Street and knew I must thank God and praise Him. We must Praise the Lord and rejoice in Him, dance and sing and make music. The Lord takes pleasure in us adorns us with victory and beatifies the humble with Salvation. We must have the high praises of God in my mouth and two edged sword in our hand. (Psalm 149)
The Lord says that the battle is not yours, but Gods. (2 Chr 20:15) We don’t have to strive. We can praise Him and rejoice in Him. He is our safety and shield. Imagine a raging war is going on and Jesus comes to you and says I have prepared a well laid table for you. Come eat with me. Then you sit down and have a meal with Him, in the middle of a battle. He is our protector, guide, comforter and Shepherd. He anoints our heads with oil; our cup runs over. (Psalm 23)
CONTENTMENT AND GRATEFULNESS
I read a really interesting extract from Thomas a Kempis that broke a few fallacies in my life that Media constantly bombards us with. If I have this, or this dream comes true, or this changes in my circumstances...then I'll be happy. Truth is if you have all the technology your heart desires, or clothes or house of your dreams (even a tree house with large glass windows with the sound and sight of the sea....and a large warm swimming pool). If you have your dream job, dream figure, 10 babies- or however many you want, husband/wife you really want, I think you get the point. If you have everything you want you will still not be happy. As Thomas a Kempis puts it: ‘Although you should possess all created good, yet you could not be happy there with nor blessed; but in God who created all things, consists your whole blessedness!’ Such incredible contentment has hit me since reading this. Combined with my new understanding of victory I live in in Jesus. Praising God and choosing to rejoice. I feel like I'm on top of the world. Paul says he has learnt to be content in any situation, weather in want or having abundance. His contentment was in Jesus. There is incredible satisfaction waiting for us in Jesus (Isaiah 55)
LOVE OF GOD
Abba Father. Child who LOVES and trusts Him!
The next key to living as an overcomer is to know who our daddy is and what that means for us!
Imagine you are an orphan and have nothing. And the greatest King takes you in. There is no closer more intimate position he can bring you into than to adopt you as a son. To share His wealth and all He has. He shares His lands with you and His authority. You call him abba (Daddy), Father. There is no fear in that. And if He gave us His son Jesus. How much more will not care for all our needs and wellbeing. We need to trust His love for us. Who can bring any charge against you? God has justified you! And nothing can separate you from His Love. Neither depths, nor heights, tribulation, famine, sword, nakedness? You are more than a conqueror and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved YOU. ‘neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’. Romans 8: 15, 28-37
Another key: To Love Him wholeheartedly, with a childlike trust and devotion.
We need to have a heart looking to God and loving Him whole heartedly; with childlike trust and that wholeheartedly ability children have to love.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
Eph 3:14-21, More on Gods Love: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph%203%3A14-21&version=NKJV;AMP
God’s Grace is sufficient (favour, loving kindness and mercy) for you! His strength and power is made perfect in our weakness. I love how Paul says He Glories in his weaknesses as in his weakness Gods power rests on Him! (2 Cor 12:9)
When I read this I feel as if a load is taken off. The pressure is not on me to perform and to be strong. I live in the strength and love of my Father in Heaven.
What does an Overcomes Look Like?
Lives overflowing with victory!
It doesn’t look like a macho man, all big and full of muscles. God looks at the heart. For example David was chosen to be King because of His heart, not physical appearance. I think God is looking for humility. A broken and contrite heart (sorry for sin) God, will not despise. Ps 51:17.
Keys reviewed
- Sword: Know and apply the Word of God!
- Praise God. (Thanksgiving and Contentment.)
- Abba father/Love God (Childlike trust and adoration)
- Do not our lives as unto death (Blood of the lamb, word of their testimony) .
Since God has shown me this sermon I have lived in greater Victory, I pray you will too. We continue from strength to strength.
Here’s a song I’d like to end with: We Have Overcome: