Overcomers

I have not listened to the teaching by Don Currin on "Preparing For Persecution," but I hope to listen to it soon.

If the Church in America is going to go through persecution in the near future, then it is essential that we be prepared.

Most of us will not be ready for persecution when it comes, unless we are preparing now.

If we are living as true disciples of Jesus christ now, we will be ready for the persecution when it comes.

If we are living as overcomers now, then when the persecution comes, we wil stand and overcome, and will not be taken by surprise.

I look for persecution to come, but I also am expecting a great revival that will wake up the Church and cause the Church to be victorious against all the tactics and strategies of the evil one.

God has called us to be overcomers in all things, but contrary to this, there are many Christians that are being overcome.

The Lord has not left us helpless and defenseless, but has given us everything that we need to overcome and live in victory.

I would like to hear from the brothers and sisters on this forum to share from your heart and experience, how the Lord is leading you to live an overcoming life. This needs to be very practical, because we have all had areas of our lives that we have had difficulty in living in continuous victory.

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).

What makes it possible for every believer to be an overcomer is that Jesus has already overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, and now we are overcomers by virtue of the new birth. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world””our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:1-5).

Jesus has overcome the devil: "having put off from himself the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15). We stand in the victory of Jesus Christ over all of the powers of darkness.

Jesus has overcome the flesh: "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15).

We can overcome the flesh, because He is faithful to come to our aid and give us a way to escape all temptation.

A overcomer is one that lives in habitual victory, is thankful even when circumstances are unfavorable, and rejoices in trials and tribulations.

A overcomer does not look at the difficulties and problems that they are surrounded with, but is continuously looking unto Jesus. You know when you have been around an overcomer, because even in the midst of going through severe trials, they are always praising the Lord knowing that they are "more than conquerors through Him that love us." and you always go away from their presence strengthened in you faith. On the other hand the Christian that is being overcome sees his problems as being insurmountable,is always talking about the problem, and does not know that nothing is impossible with God.

The overcomer's life is a paradox:

"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." (2Corintians 6:4-10).

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." (Philippans 4:4).

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1Thessalonians. 5:18)

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." (2Corninthians 2:14)

...an overcomer thinks like Paul: .." However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yes most assuredly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."

An overcomer says "the heck with circumstances- I create opportunities."

This is how Jesus and the apostles approached life. They never got bogged down by circumstances. They created opportunities in seemingly hopeless scenarios because they were willing to step out in faith and actually do something.

I think there is quite a bit of whining in the church today. We listen to the bad weather reporting rather than changing the weather. Dilemmas are there for us to solve and to show God in it.

We have favor yet we often act like the most helpless people in the world.