Eternal Advice

 Gtcotr/ss082921

The days we live in are serious, sad, and exciting. We are seeing prophecy unfolding in real time right before our eyes. It is as though we are watching the world divide between the forces of God and the forces of satan. There is no doubt we are heading for a critical point at which time God will move by His sovereign power and put a divine end to the evil which is all around us.

In light of world events and Holy Scripture, it is evident we need some eternal advice. The advice God has for us today has been available and easily found written in the Bible for centuries. Two-thousand years ago Jesus said that the whole law and all the prophecies could be summed up in two statements: (Matthew 22:37-40)

1.   Love God with all of your heart.

2.   Love your neighbor as yourself.

What is it about loving God and loving others that is so difficult and distasteful to the ungodly?

In Matthew 20, we find that Jesus had just arrived in Bethany during the last week of His earthly life and ministry. Bethany is situated on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives just outside of the City of Jerusalem. After having had a conversation with a mother and her two boys, Jesus heard 10 of His disciples talking unfavorably and with some indignation about the other two. Jesus realized that all of His disciples and followers needed a little situational perspective boost and some eternal advice.

Matthew 20 NKJV

25  But Jesus called them to Himself and said …

·        How wonderful it is to hear the call of Jesus to come to Him.

o   He called His disciples … those who followed Him in this world.

o   Jesus is still calling today.

§  This meeting here at Church is just one of the many meetings Jesus wants to have with you so He can teach you something He wants you to know and live.

§  He called them to Himself –

·        To His Person

·        To His Body

·        To His Church, which is now His Body.

o   How sweet is the call “come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy burdened …”

·        You may be hearing the call right now … “Come” …

o   The feeling in your heart might be unexplainable …

o   You may not have the answers, but you believe Jesus does.

·        Jesus is sending out the call today … a renewed call to come …

o   Jesus wants to set you in His family … a family for you …

o   He has something He wants to teach you to know and to live.

o   Yield to Him … let Jesus set you in the Church as it pleases Him.

·        There is a place for you … can you feel the tug of God on your heart?

25  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.

26  “Yet it shall not be so among you …

·        Jesus wants His followers to know that we are to think, feel, and act differently than others around us who do not follow Him.

·        He wants us to know we are different and act like we are different.

·        Jesus does not want us to live like the world lives …

·        Jesus wants to show us a better, godlier, way.

·        And He does not want us at odds with one another.

·        Rather, Jesus wants us to strengthen, encourage, support, and promote each other.

26  “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

·        Great in the eyes of the world vs. Great in the eyes of Jesus.

·        The world says:

o   I am the most important person I know.

o   I want to be first in line and first in life.

o   I am the first person I think about when I get:

§  A raise

§  A day off

§  A bonus

§  A chance to choose my seat first

§  When I get a chance to fill my plate first

·        You might say … “Preacher, those are such small things …”

o   Choosing where you get to sit is the exact situation Jesus was talking about here in Matthew 20.

§  2 of His disciples, (along with their mother), wanted to reserve the best seats in heaven.

§  The whole thing kind of upset the other disciples …

§  This prompted Jesus to say:

27  “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — 

·        Jesus is basically saying – “love others as much as you do yourself!”

·        And willingly prefer one another …

·        What is it about loving God and loving others that is so difficult or distasteful to the worldly person?

·        Jesus expects more from us than He does from the unsaved.

28  “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

·        Jesus gave His life to be payment for many.

·        Jesus paid for you to be saved and set free

·        He is simply asking us to be more like Him.

·        Where is it that you are paying for others to be saved and set free?

·        Where are you putting others first?

We are living in prophetic times. End-time prophecies of old are unfolding in real time right before our eyes.

Just like in the last days of Jesus ministering on the earth before His crucifixion, times are intense. The days are sad and serious, yet they are filled with the promises of God to a world that is lost and without Christ. We all need some:

Eternal Advice – It is God’s will for your life today that you:

1.   Connect and become a functioning part of the Body of Christ.

a.   Specifically a local Church Family.

b.   Don’t let the devil rob you of your heart-felt rightness of being realistically connected to the Body and Bride of Christ on the earth.

c.    You need to be connected in the place of His choosing for you in this season.

d.   This is the written will of God for every Born-Again Believer.

e.   It is the best God has to offer you and you are the best He has to offer others.

2.   Discipline yourself to think, feel, and act like a Born-Again Believer.

a.   Cease thinking, feeling, and acting like the world.

b.   The world is selfish, you want to be a servant.

c.    You are more than a conqueror through Christ … overcome …

d.   Learn to live like a disciplined follower of Jesus.

3.   Find a way to pay for someone else to get saved and set free.

a.   A local mission’s minded Church is the best investment in the world. It is the investment Jesus made … He died for the Church and is coming again for the Church.

b.   You can lay up treasures for yourself in heaven where it counts.

c.    It is God’s will that you become a faithful supporter of the work He is doing in the earth through your local Church family.

Today marks the beginning of my 34^th year as Pastor of Golden Triangle Church On The Rock. I made one commitment to God when I first arrived.

I told God that I would never seek to leave this place on my own and that if He ever needed me for anything else, He would know exactly where to find me … He would find me faithfully serving the vision and mission right here in this Church.

So far, I guess He hasn’t needed me to do anything else. But if He ever does … He will know exactly where to find me.

You can begin your journey to God’s will for your life right now. It has never been easier to reach out to God and perhaps there has never been a more important time in history to give your life to Christ.

I am going to ask you to join me in prayer right now, right where you are.

Prophecy

Gtcotr/ws082521 

The devil would like to be God. Some people would like to be God. This world system would like to be God. Through the ages many men have allowed themselves to be worshipped or revered as God and even fashioned gods for themselves from stone, wood, gold, and silver. There is some need in man to have a god. You may say: “What about the atheists?” Atheism is the worst of all god-complexes.

However, there is only one God and only one true religion. No two religions can be true, let alone all of them. For one of them to be right, all the others have to be wrong. Especially the one which says all religions are right. That can’t be true since no other religion believes that and for every one of them to be right, all others have to be built on false claims.

One of the many reasons why we know the Bible is true and that the God of the Bible is the One true and living God is because of prophecy. Unfailing, unequaled, unwavering, never changing, ever unfolding true and accurate to the nth-degree prophecy. Thousands of prophecies have been fulfilled right down to the smallest detail. Our God leaves nothing to chance. And btw – It’s only prophecy until it happens … then it’s life!

One of the things that should give us confidence in God is that His Word never fails. His Word never changes, and He is the only One who knows the end from the beginning and tells us things before they happen. Jehovah is amazing, awesome, and all powerful. His Word never fails, and He has never had to change, apologize, or make excuses for anything He said.

This evening we are going to continue our walk through the Gospel of John. Our text will come from the 19^th chapter. We will read a familiar passage which can be found in all four Gospels.

Matthew 27:35  Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Mark 15:24  And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

Luke 23:34  Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

And John 19 … let’s read:

John 19

23  Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.

·        Note here that John reveals there were 4 Roman soldiers assigned to crucify Jesus.

·        Before nailing His hands and His feet, the soldiers removed HIs outer robe-like tunic and then the inner garment.

·        Law at that time granted the clothes of the condemned to be the property of his executioners.

·        Added to the humiliation of being crucified was the sight and sounds of the soldiers dividing the very clothes of the condemned before his eyes signifying the reality that he would never need them again.

·        The inner garment of the day was easily divided as it was usual to have been assembled by sewing four parts together: The front, back, left arm, and right arm.

·        However, the robe Jesus was wearing was unusual … the soldiers realized it was very costly and without seam, woven from the top in one piece.

o   This was made like the robe of a High Priest.

o   Exodus 38

§  22  Bezalel made the robe that is worn with the ephod from a single piece of blue woven cloth,

§  23  with an opening for Aaron’s head in the middle of it. The opening was reinforced with a woven collar so it would not tear.

o   Some imagine it must have been woven and given as a gift by one of the women who followed Jesus.

o   It is certain to have been of a very fine quality seeing the soldiers did not wish to tear it.

24  They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

This passage is read so much and yet overlooked by so many. Let’s consider a few things we learn from this account,

1.   God knows the end from the beginning.

a.   Over 1000 years earlier the Holy Spirit inspired King David to write several Psalms which contain prophecies of the coming Messiah. In this instance specifically:

b.   Psalms 22:18  They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

c.    The fulfillment of this prophecy, along with so many others in their days, was no coincidence. God said this would happen and it did … exactly like He said through David over 1000 years earlier.

d.   The Roman Soldiers were not familiar with the prophecy but were nonetheless destined to play a part in its fulfillment.

e.   The crowd of Jews, from the Pharisees to the Scribes, from the Levites to the High Priest, would have known the prophecy was unfolding in real time right before their eyes and that they were also playing a part in its fulfillment.

f.    Psalms 22:16 … They pierced my hands and my feet.

g.   It’s only prophecy until it happens, then it’s life!

h.   It’s one thing to not know the word of God … it’s another to know the word and participate anyway.

2.   God never takes His watchful eyes off of the Body of Christ.

a.   Every prophecy is fulfilled to the nth degree. Not one jot or tittle will fail.

b.   God ensures nothing is left out … nothing left to chance. Participants have been known since the foundation of the world.

c.    It may take a long time to make heroes for Christ, but God has the identified and is working so many today.

3.   No man escapes the perfect plan of Almighty God.

a.   The seemingly lowest play their part as well as those who appear to be more important to the plan.

4.   Prophecies are unfolding in real time right before our eyes today.

a.   I would like to think that if I had been at the cross that day and would have seen them casting lots for His clothes, Psalms 38 would have popped up in my mind to confirm the event and give me hope that God was watching and involved.

b.   When we see things around us or when we are required to participate in some decision made by our government or an employer, that we would be able to trust the Holy Spirit will bring God’s Word to our minds and hearts and give us confidence as to what we should do.

We are in a unique time in both Kingdom and in world affairs. There has never been such a time as this. All history has set the stage and is now pointing directly at us. Every major event on God’s calendar has occurred right on schedule and we are poised at present to see things we never imagined would come to pass in our lifetimes.

These are the days when heroes of faith are desperately needed. God will not leave His children without a voice or without direction. What do we do … more specifically … what do I do?

The plan of God unfolds on the shoulders of faithful people.

·        He has a plan

·        He will succeed

·        We have a chance to participate

Faithfulness will include the basics:

1.  Bible Study

a.   Becoming familiar with the Word of God.

b.   If you are going to participate with God in your highest calling you need to be familiar with the Word of God.

c.    God is calling His children to a consistent time of Bible reading; Bible study; and Bible teaching.

2.  Prayer

a.   Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, yet He prayed.

b.   Jesus went from the place of prayer to the place of prayer …

3.  Obedience to God

a.   In your daily personal life

                                         i.    Spirit, Soul, & Body

                                        ii.    Family, Friends, & Enemies

b.   In your local Community

c.    In your historical Culture

d.   In your home Church

Every person will be called upon to play a part in the unfolding plan of God. I don’t want to miss the opportunity I have right now to prepare.

God knows the end from the beginning. When it comes my turn to play my part in His great plan … I want to know it and be ready. It’s only prophecy until it happens … then it’s life!

We are either at our greatest day, coming from our greatest day, or headed to our greatest day. It might simply be a matter of choice. What will be your greatest day? One day others will tell the story of what you did about what happened in your day. I’m going to do everything I can to shape that story in God’s favor. How about you?

Now and Then

Gtcotr/ss082221

I have come to a decision in life, and I might suggest you consider doing the same thing. I have decided that:

·        I will not pray to the devil or ask him to help me.

·        I will not obey the dictates of the devil.

·        I will not fear the threats of the devil.

·        I will not expect the devil to tell me the truth.

·        I will resist the devil steadfast in the faith.

·        I will expose the lies of the devil by speaking the truth in love.

Our text for today comes from the writings of the Apostle Paul and his first letter to the Church at Corinth. 

Paul had to cut through the worldly influence of that day just like the pastors and bible teachers of today continue to do. Each week, with every sermon, pastors and Bible teachers do their best to untangle the minds of men and women who have been taught and trained to believe the fictitious lies, fables, and fantasies of the devil.

Generations grow up being taught to believe that sweet is bitter and bitter is sweet; light is darkness and darkness is light; right is wrong and wrong is right … oh how confused the children of this world have become as they follow and share the well-written lies of the devil. (Isaiah 5:20)

In her testimony about escaping from North Korea, 29-year-old Yeonmi Park tells how she commonly watched diseased rats feasting on the dead bodies of her friends laying in the streets of her city while other children chased the rats trying to catch one to eat. She had never heard of the internet, nor had she ever known a day without hunger. Yet she believed that she was one of the most fortunate people in the world to be born in North Korea, in the land of her beloved King. She was taught as a child that North Koreans were the most blessed, favored, and prosperous people in all the world. She believed everyone else in the world envied her and wanted to have the privileged life she was given of being a loyal supporter and subject of her King.

When she heard she might get a bowl of rice in China, at 13 years old, in 2007, she followed a lady who promptly sold her and her mother into the Chinese sex slave market. Years later, after a perilous second escape and a long arduous journey she arrived in South Korea where her eyes were opened to some truths.

North Korea was not and is not the most prosperous and favored country in the world and North Koreans do not have it better than any other nation in the world … in fact … just the opposite is true. All of her life she had been taught to believe a pack of lies in order to support the leader of a system that did not care one bit about her, her family, or her friends. Children were being allowed to die of starvation and neglect, without love, without help, and without anyone caring. She became appalled at how many lies she believed and how wrong she had been.

Yeonmi Park is now doing everything she can to Rescue others from the hell they wrongly imagine is heaven. She is angry because no one in her world who might have known the truth ever told her. She thought she was rich only to realize she was poor and wretched and miserable and blind.

Jesus told the Church at Laodicea:

Revelation 3:17  “You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’  — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” 

It is a shame that so many people think they know it all and have need of nothing and yet they are blind and don’t even know they can’t see.

As I said, our text today comes from the writings of the Apostle Paul and his first letter to the Church in Corinth in about AD54/55.

1 Corinthians 13 NKJV

12  For now …

·        For now. Now is different than later. Now holds some promises and now holds some limitations. Now faith is the evidence of things “Not Seen”. Hebrews 11 says faith is spiritual ownership but not physical possession. Faith is an unseen reality and that will be realized later … faith is now. Some things are now, and some things are then – later.

·        Later does not tax my now faith. God can do later if He wants to.

12  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

When the Apostle Paul wrote about a mirror, he was not talking about what you might be thinking about. Rather, he is describing the imperfect, discolored, opaque surface of the polished metal of that day which reflected a rather poor, uncertain, dimly lit version of the true image and not mirror you are used to today.

The Apostle Paul, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, could not offer a better description of the truth he wanted to present to those to whom he was writing. The common mirror of Paul’s day could not be relied upon to reveal the perfect truth. It was easily understood by the reader, and by the student of God’s Word today, that Paul was talking about a poor, undetailed reflection of the truth.

He went on to say that now, at this present time, we know only a part of what we will one day fully understand. I shall one day be sure about those things of which I am as yet uncertain.

Things which are unimaginable and incomprehensible as of yet, will become fully understood in the time to come.

The first century Believer to whom Paul was writing, did not have the great privilege we own today of having in our hands a completed New Testament. The Bible we hold today readily contains the whole counsel of God’s Word to us. The Bible was a work in progress in Paul’s day but today, each letter, and every verse, blends together to create one true picture of the full Gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet, we still do not see everything as clearly as we will one day when we get to heaven.

The claim of perfect sight does not belong to mortal man.

One day I will understand those things I do not understand now. So, what should I do with my now?

1 Corinthians 13:13  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Now, continuing with me right now: Now is powerful … I’m powerful in my right now because I have abiding with me:

Faith                Hope                Love

 

Hope is the anchor of your soul! Hebrews 6:19

·        Put your hope in God! Psalms 42:5&11; 43:5

o   When you lose hope in everybody else and everything else: your family; friends; job; government; the world - put your hope in God … Hope keeps you anchored and stable …

o   He is the health and strength of your countenance … Now!

Faith is your unseen reality. Hebrews 11:1

·        God has heard me now …

·        God has answered me now …

·        Faith is my substance and my evidence right now

·        Just like the three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the King when he threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace, unless they bowed down to his dictates:

Daniel 3 NKJV

16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

17  “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.

18  “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

1 Corinthians 13 NKJV

4 ¶  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8  Love never fails … (Now or then!)

Peace in a Troubled World

Gtcotr/ws081821

John 16:33  “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

I believe the Bible is filled with intentional parallel truths which are meant to be used by the Believer to give us faith, comfort, strength, hope, love, joy, patience, peace, and perseverance during the trials of life we often encounter.

The scriptures tell us that Born-Again Believers in Jesus Christ are subjected by God to the elements and limitations of this world, but we are not left without the ability to overcome.

Romans 8:20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.

(Barnes Notes) - The word vanity (futility) here (ματαιοτητι) is descriptive of the present condition of the Christian, as frail and dying; as exposed to trials, temptations, and cares; as in the midst of conflicts, and of a world which may be emphatically pronounced vanity. More or less, the Christian is

brought under this influence; his joys are marred; his peace is

discomposed; his affections wander; his life is a life of vanity and

vexation. 

Not willingly. Not voluntarily. It is not a matter of choice. … But this subjection is one that is contrary to it, and from which he desires to be delivered.

I do not understand why God, in the great wisdom of His plan, decided to subject His children to the elements of this world during our time on earth. However I do know for certain that these verses offer me the chance to know that My placement in this world is by divine appointment and that I am expected to:

·        Run my race in faith

·        Finish my course with joy

·        Keep trusting Jesus in difficult times

Some days and some seasons of life are more difficult than others. Nonetheless Jesus did not leave us without a witness or without comfort and direction. The parallels of time and truth in the scriptures are meant to encourage us each day along our way.

The stories of the Bible show us how we should think and how we should act in the midst of such a lost world that is without Christ. The unfolding of God’s plan has left nothing to chance. God knows exactly what the devil will do, and God has given us His Word to follow so that we can stay on track with His plan and the purpose for our life while we are in this world.

We who are Born-Again children of God, like Jesus Christ His firstborn, have been given a role to play which for some reason might at times lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. Our part is to keep walking and to fear no evil because God is with us.

We are not called to be passive adherents to the troubles, trials, and tribulations of this world but rather we are called to be overcomers.

One of the parallels I believe obvious in the Scriptures involves the last week of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry in the days leading up to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. We read the accounts of how Jesus was treated in Jerusalem during those days. On the one hand the multitudes loved and welcomed Him, while the leaders of the nation hated and despised Him. There is no doubt the Church, which is the Body of Christ, will suffer similar and paralleled circumstances and persecutions in the last days. Also …

I believe we may very well be in the last days. What does that mean? I believe the Bible teaches that God has a set time, a very specific date on His calendar, on which day He will:

·        Rapture the Church

o   The last trumpet will sound

o   All the dead in Christ will rise

o   Born-again Believers who are alive will be changed and caught up in the air to be with the Lord.

·        The Tribulation will begin and last for 3 ½ years

·        The Great Tribulation will begin and last for another 3 ½ years

·        Jesus will lead His army of saints and angels to make war with and defeat the Antichrist

·        Satan will be bound for 1000 years

·        Jesus will set up His millennial kingdom and reign on the earth over all the inhabitants of which there will be several categories of people.

·        Satan will be loosed for a short season and will deceive many and draw them away from trusting in Jesus.

·        The devil will draw the nations to battle against Jesus and His saints and fire from God will come down from heaven and consume the armies of the satan and the earth and the elements will melt with a fervent heat.

·        God will convene a Great White Throne Judgement and call all creation to attend.

o   There is a court summons with your name on it

o   You already have an appearance date

o   Angels will be sent out to make sure you are there on time

·        The devil will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity along with his angels, death, and every person whose names are not found written in the Book of Life

·        God will declare a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. There will be no sickness, no sin, no pain, and no sorrow.

·        Those who love God and have accepted Jesus as Messiah will live eternally in New Jerusalem where there will be no need of sun or moon for the Lord shall be the Light of that city.

·        Those who overcome will inherit all things.

Three things are true and eternal:

1.   God already knows the day and hour in which each of these events will take place.

2.   We are closer to the rapture of the Church than ever before.

3.   Those who overcome will inherit all things.

I want to be an overcomer.

·        The Seven Churches of Revelation were each given a special message to the overcomers in those Churches.

·        The Apostle Paul stressed the importance of being an overcomer.

·        The Apostle John shared the importance of continuing to trust God in the midst of our trials so that we would overcome the world and not be overcome by the world.

1 John 5

1 ¶  Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

 

4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.

5  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Every Born-again Believer has been born into Jesus and is a new creation in Christ. This new creation is superior to this world’s system. They are in the world but no longer of the world. They have been born of God. Spiritually re-born. The Believer in Jesus however, continues to be subjected to the futility of this world in that they still live in the midst of conflicts, they are pressured by problems, taxed in mind and body, tempted, tried, persecuted, and will experience pain and even death.

Any simple reading of the Bible will confirm that Jesus, the perfect and only begotten Son of God, was subjected to the futility of this world. He experienced frustration, anger, sorrow, He was subject to being hurt, subject to pain, and even death. God subjected Jesus to the vanity of this world in hope that He would overcome this world, and indeed He did.

We are born God; we too can overcome the world and all its futility. I can overcome sin, anger, hurt, unforgiveness, bitterness, frustration, and discontentment in this life because I am in Christ. I am born of God, and therefore I can overcome the futility and frustrations of this world.

We are citizens of eternity, and we are strangers and pilgrims in this life. We are in the world but not of the world. I do not know why God decided to subject us to the futility of this world … I don’t even know why Jesus was subjected to the futility of this world … I understand the perfect sacrifice of His blood paid for my sins but I don’t understand why that was the necessary burden of sin.

But I am not God and I do trust God … and I refuse to allow what I don’t know to overshadow what I do know.

I know that as long as I am in this world that I will be subject to some amount of suffering and pain, disappointment, and sorrow. Nonetheless, I am determined to overcome, and I have experienced my God-given ability to grow the fruit of the Spirit as I spend time in the Word, Worship, and Fellowship with Jesus.

If you have been Born-again, you have the been given the divine ability to be like Christ. You are more than a conqueror and you have overcome because “Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world.”

Luke 11:32  Fear not little flock; it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Run the race

Finish your course

Keep the faith

Overcome!