You shall overcome Completely

The Lord spoke this word to me to pass on to this group specifically. I am not certain what each person or group is being faced with, or what the challenges are but his word and his message is "You Shall Overcome Completely."

He said it is not like a blade of grass that is cut today but grows again. It will be a complete annihilation, such that the issue will never raise its head again.

There may be someone here who may be fearful of stepping further into ministry and fully obeying the CALL the Lord wants you to know that if you believe and trust him and walk according to that which he has instructed you then you shall overcome completely. He wants you to know and to understand that in this season if you will obey and serve him he will clothe you in the robe of righteousness. For in this season, I have rejected the armour of saul but I will robe those who have submitted themselves to the ministry of the word and with prayer I am he that will endow you with my power and strategy to do my will and purposes and my grace to overcome.

When we speak about the Isiah 60 season we are speaking of a time where the believer should rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Because darkness provides the opportunity for those with light to step forward and be effective kingdom ambassadors.

I would like to highlight three battles that may be highlighted in order for us to overcome.

Insecurities - Judges 6:15 Gideon perceived himself as one who was not only poor but forgotten. Irrespective of how you feel or see yourself, what he is saying is that I have called you and whatever you perceive as a limitation you will overcome once you put your shoulder to the wheel. The angel told Gideon that God was sending him to "save Israel from the hand of Midian." (Judges 6 vs 14) Although at first Gideon doubted his ability to do so (this is evidenced in vs 15 when he replies Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family, he is heartened that God will be with him in this mission.

How others feel about us - a label was placed upon the house and lineage of Gideon which he accepted. What ancient voice has spoken of your destiny that you have come into agreement with? This is a time for kingdom advancement through the building of business and things to move and advance the Kingdom. What has God given you the power and the might to do that you think cannot be done?

Do we have a revelation of how God sees us - we must get to the stage where we know the voice of the Lord about our destiny, we must not fear Psalm 118:6 the Lord is on my side therefore I will not fear; what can man do unto me? The voice and gods of his ancestry were speaking loudly in the ears of Gideon such that the man of might and strategy was hidden his star was veiled.

When I am in his will who can be against me? know and understand that God has called you into his end time army and he has backed you with the host of heaven to dispel the darkness fighting the Good Fight of faith. Because the captain of the angel army is on our side, we have the victory and we will overcome completely. The first task Gideon was commanded to fulfil was destroying the Altar of Baal Vs 25. (To move forward with God we are required to get rid of the sins that so easily beset us. We are being called upon to rid ourselves of the alters that we have erected. These alter represent things that we put above God. the imaginations and thought constructs that we have placed in that are not in obedience to the will of our master, For some, these alters may be our families, school, jobs, money etc.

Our God in this season wants you to realize his divine validity. Just as he did with Gideon. He is bringing an awareness of his power and his might.

God wants you to know that it is not by your strength nor will it be by your might but it is by his spirit that we will overcome. He wants the body to know that in this season whatever is not born of or manifest the spirit will be rejected. He is raising people without pride and ego in this new move. Humility is key for forward movement.

In this season God is revealing his‌ power and and strategy to those who submit themselves to him, those who rely on him so that they can overcome the wiles of the enemy, this requires focus and discernment. Also, Gideon overhears from a dream of one of the Midianites that he is destined to conquer Midian and save the Israelites from oppression. The dream caused Gideon to reflect upon who he is. God has said in “Romans 8 vs 37 says ” In all things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. What is important in this season is seeing yourself how God sees you. Seeing ourselves how God sees us requires us to search the scriptures to find the promises of God that are written in the word.

God gave Gideon a strategy to defeat the enemy. What strategies are you asking him to give you so that you may defeat your enemies? Gideon commanded his 300 comrades to surround the Midian camp, making it seem as though the Midianites were greatly outnumbered, then they blew their trumpets on every side and shouted, "For the Lord and Gideon!" When the Midianites heard the trumpets and saw the torches surrounding their camp they cried out and fled, a triumphant victory for Gideon and the Israelites. God is saying to you today Deut: 31 vs. 8. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. The Great God who has never lost a battle will be with you to protect you.

The great strategist will help you with strategies so that you can get the victory. Sometimes strategy means that we have to come to an understanding of who we are to come into alignment with for the victory.

Wait on the Lord

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV).

we all have times in our lives where we are required to wait on the Lord. Psalms 27 encourages us to wait, the process may seem long and difficult but waiting is of utmost significance, because it is a principle for efffective kingdom living.

What does it mean to wait on the Lord?

to wait means to, wait for him to move, for him to decide, for his instructions for him to help, for him to rescue, for him to provide, for him to decide, etc. It means that we do not going off on our own agenda, Psalms 27:13-14 literally means that we wait, wating here does not mean to be still, it means that we faithfully continue the process of, reading the word, praying, confessing, fasting, rendering service as unto God.

Can waiting be difficult ?

Waiting on the Lord can be one of the most challenging things that we face as beleivers, this is because waiting requires the crucifixion of the flesh. It means that we exercise patience, self-control, and the other seven fruits of the spirit depending on the situation. Galatians 5:17-25 NKJV tells us that the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another,so that you do not do the things that you wish. So when we are placed in a position where we have to wait our flesh cries out NO!

But the decision to wait on the Lord and be of good courage is just that: it’s a choice, and it’s a choice that we have to make.

Losing Heart

David says in Psalms 27 I would have lost heart, when times and things get difficult, it is very easy to loose heart. It is easy to throw in the towel, to give up and change direction. It is easy to take our eyes off Jesus, and to go into self pitty, however, taking our eyes of Jesus can lead us to sin, so don't lose heart!

Waiting on the Lord is a Decision

It must be our decison to WAIT in the midst of difficult and trying times. It must be a decison to be of good cheer. to wait means I decide to be of good courage in situations where I should be afraid.
We wait and believe that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

God Desires us to be Thankful

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything, give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV).

When we practice gratitude, the very act of giving thanks lifts our eyes off our circumstances. Thanking God in everything lifts our faith and increases our expectations.

because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21 NKJV).

Paul is providing us with context these groups of individuals knew God, they were not workers of iniquity, they were not people who were pagons, they experienced the turth, receive His goodness and his benevolence but chose to neither glorify him or be thankful.

Why is thankfulness Important?

The absence of a thankful heart produces a negative one; a heart that is negative is one that produces murmuring, complaining, and even depression. A negative mindset is one that produces unhappiness; essentially, it is a heart that focuses on the issue or problem and is not capable of solving the problem. Jesus wants our gaze to be firmly fixed on him. He wants us to not only thank him after the storm but to thank him and praise him through it.

When you thank God just for the privilege of existing–or even thank Him for no reason at all , it sets your attitude and mind on Him. It bends your thoughts more toward the positive rather than the negative.

Entitlement Vs Gratitude

Entitled people are not grateful for what they have in their life. They may not say thank you or show other signs of appreciation for what they have. An attitide of entitlement is one that can be offensive, Psychologists often say that behaviour will always repeate itself. Is it therefore possible for us to transend our entitled behaviour into our spiritual relationship with christ? Paul writes in all things give thanks. It is a right and honourable thing to say thank you Paul writes Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor Romans 13:7 New King James Version (NKJV).

Conclusion

Gratitude keeps our eyes fixed on Jesus.
It helps us to stay free from sin.
It helps us ward off anxiety, fear, and depression.
It will help keep our faith focused during challenging times.

Overcoming Offense

It is human nature to point the finger. This is evident in Genesis 3:12-13 where when God confronted both adam and eve regarding the eating of the fruit they both found someone to blame. But it takes spiritual maturity to look at oneself to identify truely the issues that lies within. God calls us first to look at ourselves, he wants us to take accountability for our own lives

Matthew 7:5

5 Hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Now there are three primary dimensions to offense.

Pride
Lowselfesteem
Insecurity

We will look at pride predominantly in this discussion -

What does God say about pride?

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Prov. 6:16-19
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. Prov. 8:13
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Prov. 16:18
One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. Prov. 29:23
“Knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 1 Cor. 8:1

What does God say about humility?

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 1 Pet. 5:6

Let's examine these quotes.

Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.
Here is the path to the higher life: down, lower down! Just as water always seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds men abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless.”
Humility is the displacement of self by the enthronement of God.

How to Deal with Offense—a guide from the Bible:

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Prov. 19:11
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt. 6:14-15
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” Rom. 12:19
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Eph. 4:26-27

Guideline to identify when offense is likely to be present

Am I more concerned about being “right” about everything and anything?
Do I tend to focus on other people’s faults?
Do I tend to hold onto grudges, resentment, and bitterness?
Do I have to have the last word in an argument?
Do I tend to burn a lot of bridges in my relationships and cut people out of my life even if they apologize and try to change?

How do we root out the spirit of offense?

Ask the Lord for a spirit of compassion - this is a prayer directed at asking the Lord for compassion for those who have commited the wrong, be it intentionally or unintentionally. It is important to note that in many instances people are unaware of the intent of there very own actions.

Ask the Lord for a special grace of humility—submit our known and secret ambitions to the Lord. Study both the ways of the humble and the demise of the proud, whilts cultivating the fear of the Lord.

A heart of gratitude - A heart of gratitude helps us to recognize the Love of the Father along with his pertutal covernant of never leaving us nor forsaking us. It cause us to be assured that even if people abandon us, overlook us, misrepresent us, hate us or are unjust toward us—He will never leave us. He sees us, values us, He knows us, loves us and will avenge us.

God has pardoned you— not put you on probation

Probation means being released from prison— conditionally. They must report to a corrections officer each month, take regular drug tests and demonstrate progress towards becoming “productive members” of society. They pay a monthly fee to the government in order to do this.

It’s a conditional release… many church leaders still practice using the backbench or they will put one's image on the big screen and advertise the sin that has been committed.

Many Christians live like they are under probation with God. yet the bible profoundly declares in Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. What does this mean?

No more time. The penalty for sin has been paid, Jesus took the weight and punishment of our sin nailing it to the cross .

No more record. Our past transgressions have been placed in the sin the sea of forgetfulness, they are remembered no more.

No more pressure. Christ wants us to be free, (Galatians 5:1) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery..