THE SECRET OF OVERCOMING
Everyone in life is seeking for greatness. From the way it appears, this greatness is measured by what one has achieved. There are three major so called achievements which makes one to be termed great in the today’s world. The first and most preferred one is wealth, followed by leadership position and lastly, the academic standards. There are many more others but of lesser value. You will hear of the best fighter, fastest runner, name anything and the best in it is considered great in a way. People everywhere on this Earth do use this arrangement to come up with classes of human beings. As a result, an endless competition for making oneself the greatest has become an everyday struggle, bringing with it, jealousy, envy, hatrate, silent and negative campaigns(gossip) against one another, fighting and even killings. Instead of helping each other to arrive at which ever high level of life one has been able to reach, nearly everyone is striving to cut down their neighbor so that one remains on the top. Why? If being there at the top (if it truly is top) is the best life, then why not use our power in helping everyone to get there and so, we all enjoy the good and exalted life? Why wish to be there alone, with others only singing your music, I mean, adoring you? If this be the right life, why is its results, the very negative and destructive life we are witnessing everywhere in the world? Yes, we see broken families, divided nations each with a government which is struggling with opposing groups within. We see people starving to death while others have reserves spilling over, yet they can’t help the starving.
A MISSING DIMENSION IN KNOWLEDGE
All the above mentioned dealings in life are of the physical caliber. They are about materialism, i.e, wealth and people. Or do we know of anything done in the today’s life which is not concerned with either people or possessions? If not, then why is life all centered on the physical? You may not have known, but now, its time to know and understand that the today’s generation lacks a very, important and most valuable knowledge, which if revealed will solve all the world evils and bring about the most sought for ingredients in life. Which ones? Peace and happiness. Since the most learned of the world do agree that life can only come from life, and that, every effect has a cause, then, let’s use this admission and come to ourselves. There is a creator God in heaven who created all things, men included. It is He alone who can tell us why life is the way it is and how it can be changed to a more admirable one. About man, He says, “ Let us make man in our image, and in our likeness, and let them have dominion(rulership) ……upon the Earth- Gen.1:26”(for details, read our message, “The everlasting foundation”). There are two points to note here. One is for man to be made like God. After that is done, the second one is; he is to rule the Earth. God is spirit and everlasting, but He created a physical man with short-lived life(read our message, “What is man” for details). It therefore follows that, in this physical life, God has not yet finished to create the man He wanted, for we don’t see ourselves being like God as yet(spirit beings with eternal life). If so, why did God not finish creating us? What is He waiting for? Remember to read the everlasting -foundation-message for details please. God doesn’t force His will on anybody. So, He created us, free moral agents, for choice making; to prove to Him whether we freely want to be like Him or not. Up to now, God is waiting for man to make this choice, for He tells us, “ See, I have set before you this day, life and good, death and evil…………therefore, choose life- Deut.30:15,19”. After creating him, God gave Adam room to choose whether to be made like God or to become like Satan(read our message, “the two trees” for detailed information)-see Gen.2:16-17. Even though God’s wish is that man chooses life, Adam chose destruction and death- Gen.3:1-6. God also alienated him from Himself, for, “ God drove out the man from the Garden-Gen.3:24”; and again, “……alienating him from the life of God- Eph.4:18”, “…allowing all nations to walk in their own ways- Acts.14:16”.
MAN REMAINED PHYSICAL
We began by wondering why life is about the physical only, i.e, engaging in people and possessions only. Man was deceived out of God’s plan before he could acquire knowledge about his purpose of being here in this physical body. We know that the human mind cannot produce knowledge. It can only acquire knowledge from without, either by way of learning from someone or experimenting with materialism, and this, through the five senses( seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling). Anything outside that scope, the human mind cannot understand(Read our message, “God’s name” for details please). Satan knew this very well, and since, he also knew that God’s purpose was to make man a god(see John.10:34), then he lied to man that, God has already made him a god, that he is complete, for he told Eve, “….you don’t die(have eternal life like God)…….you are like God(are a spirit being)-Gen.3:4-5”. Since man accepted this lie, God respected his choice and as we have seen, he allowed him to reap the fruits of his choice- the evil life we are seeing today. To this day, man lives in ignorance. He doesn’t know his creator; he doesn’t know himself, neither does he know why he was created and which life is right, for, “ he is darkened in his understanding, and separated from God(who alone can teach him knowledge)……Eph.4:18”; see Rom. 3:9-12 also. So, in this ignorance, and going by the lie of Eden, everyone styles themselves a god; and this is where the wrong competition comes from. With the ability to understand the physical only, and with Satan’s misinformation about this physical, the spiritual world is absent in man’s thinking, and the right use of the physical is also lacking. Will you be surprised if I tell you right now, and with authority, that the majority people have neither the knowledge of God, nor of Satan? What they call Satan is not him, and what they imagine about God is also not true. This is the missing dimension in knowledge, and the root cause of all evils. Do you want to know and come out of this ignorance? The secret of overcoming begins here. Since we already have seen how the human mind doesn’t produce knowledge on its own, how it can only acquire it from without, then it is an acceptable truth that there is a spirit world which influences the physical one, and can only be understood through revelation, for, “ the physical minded …….cannot understand spiritual things, because they can only be discerned spiritually- 1 Cor.2:14”. We also should know that, Satan is a liar, and so, he will never reveal anything right to human beings for his wish is that we all die. Since the human mind must be enpowered by some spiritual mind to understand spiritual things, and we all have seen that man accepted Satan’s lie, then, instead of understanding the spiritual purpose which God had when He created him, which could only have been possible by man receiving God’s spirit, he received the lying spirit of Satan which gave him the wrong knowledge about his physical life- see Eph.2:1-3; job.9:24. Now, with the spiritual unknown, and with the experience concerning the physical life-supporting-ingredients, i.e, material things, man began a life of chasing and depending on these things. Since these provisions can be got with money( and properties which can be turned to money), then, money became the god of almost all people. This invited a second( but not least) depended- upon thing(another god). With money being the most worshipped, it also has made those who have it to be seen as very great. So, the have-nots, not only admire and envy their lives, but they also in an effort to get a share of the money pledge loyalty to anyone who has, thus making them their gods. However much educated, much senior in leadership, and great in wealth one becomes, all they will do, think, and talk about is the physical. This is why everyone,wealthy or poor, leader or being lead, strong or weak has his/her eyes, talk and efforts geared at being like someone else somewhere. All this springs from ignorance, for our Lord says, “……..But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding- 2 Cor.10:12”. Yes, as we saw from the beginning, we were created to be like God. But here we are now, striving to be like each other. God is nowhere in the picture. This is why He is saying that, everyone whose eyes and aims are on, and towards fellow man is without understanding because the only way to success according to God’s purpose of creating us is to look and compare ourselves with God; a good reason why God says, “ cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh(physical) his help, whose heart turns from the Lord(his maker)- Jerem.17:5”. The reason is because, only God alone can sustain us, and is the only one who will lead us to that perfect condition if we heed to His voice, for, “ This is what He has promised us, eternal life- 1John.2:25”. As for man whom one may want to depend on, “….he is dust, and to dust, he must return at some point-Gen.3:19”. If we make him our dependence, whom will we lean on after his/her departure? Friends, know and understand that there is no one greater than the other, for all men alike, are unfinished products, still in the “…potter’s hands- Isa. 64:8”. All have to look to God for help and completion, or else, “…….in a son of man, there is no help( regardless of the imaginary classes). When his breath departs, he returns to his earth(dust); on that very day, his plans perish-Psalms.146:3-4”. But because we were cut off from our maker before He could pump us with knowledge, then we right now stagger like drunkards with everyone, “……following his own plans, and acting according to the stubbornness of his evil heart-Jerem. 18: 12”. All these because, we learned our way of life from those whom we looked to, who “….inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit-Jerem.16:19”. What should we do then? Do you want to be an overcomer? Do you wish to solve all your problems and live happily? If yes, you must turn from people centeredness to your maker, for our Lord is calling right now saying, “don’t look to your fellowmen for help”, come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest-mat.11:28”. “ Trust in the Lord(not man) with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in everything, revere to the Lord, and He will straighten your paths- Prov.3:5”. “ For I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, and who leads you in the way you should go-Isa.48:17”. Brethren, it is impossible to overcome if we don’t begin by believing what God is telling us here. What? You are not the man Satan deceived you to be, neither is your fellow man anything greater or less than you. Yes, you must accept that all the set standards and classes of men are a lie which originated from Eden, when man accepted that he is like God. We have heard in funerals, preachers saying that man is dual(both physical and spiritual), that at death(like Satan told him), he only leaves the physical body and transfers from this world to heaven. You must recant all this and begin afresh. This is what it takes to repent. It simply means to turn from, and to something else. Do you want to turn from these lies about life, and learn the truth? Accept that all men are equally dust of the ground, and unless God( their maker) advances them into something different(which He alone can do) they will all perish, for, “ Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble(because of ignorance, and weaknesses)….he flees like a shadow and continues no more; he comes forth like a flower and withers-Job.14: 1-2”. Are we here together, and ready to repent? If yes then, lets listen carefully from this point and adjust ourselves accordingly. Know and understand that, it is only those who will allow God to fit them in these instructions who will be made the gods He wanted when He created us. So now, what does God say human beings are in this physical bodies ( for detailed information, read our message, “What is man” please)? Even though we were created to be like God, we are not yet there. In this physical, we are only half-way there, for God’s plan of creating us is that, “ we be the physical first, then afterwards, the spiritual also. For as we now have borne the physical, we shall(in the future) also bear the spiritual- 1 Cor.15:46,49”. This applies to all men. Remember, we here are addressing those who have accepted to turn from lies; the lies that men are made of different classes, that some men are superior and worthy of being depended upon. For as we saw, all know nothing else other than the physical and unless God teaches and changes them, the same all are poised to perish in their ignorance, “ for God shows no partiality- Rom.2:11”. With that in mind, lets continue. In this first phase, Adam, and all of us, up to now were not created with knowledge as we saw. Adam (unlike what most preachers teach), was neither holy nor evil at creation; and so is everybody at birth. It is the beginning point based on what one learns from whichever source of one’s choice. So, why did, and up to now, is God taking so long in completing man to His desired spirit being? Was there to be a period of waiting before He can continue? (We advise our readers to read our message, “ Are you a Christian?” it will shed more light on this). God has not taken long. Based on the free- moral-agency-arrangement, He must allow everybody to first choose whether to be like Him. So now, those who have made this decision have also gone back to God for further creation which is the beginning of the phase two-the spiritual, and begins with acquiring the holy spirit, which gives us the true Godly knowledge on how to live, and by whose practice, we develop the needed Godly character, for, “ it is the spirit itself bearing witness with our spirit that we are God’s children”; “For we now have received…….the spirit of God that we may understand…….Rom.8:16; 1 Cor.2:12”. This elevates whoever receives it from this physical level. It opens one’s mind to the physically unknown; yes, to the spirit world where we now begin to deal with God against Satan. At this point, we and the people around us disappear. We only see ourselves, and all men in the light of the spiritual influence, whether God’s or Satan’s. Yes, we begin to see either God, or Satan making us and the people around us talk, think and do the way they do. If you have never understood before, then now do please understand why God tells us; “ Our fight is not against flesh and blood( not against people); but against principalities…..against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places(spirit world)- Eph.6:12”. Brethren, this is the realization that opens our understanding to the secret of overcoming. The world being blind to the spiritual, and able to understand the physical only has everyone contending with their neighbor; either depending on, acknowledging, fighting against, seeking recognition from, blaming…..name whatever men are doing to each other; and all these done in ignorance of the behind-the-curtain-spiritual-power at work in one’s mind. “…..exchanging the truth about God for a lie, they worship the creature, rather than the creator- Rom.1:25”. Also applying that same lie about Satan’s activities in people’s minds, they blame the person, rather than the devil, “….the spirit that works in the children of disobedience- Eph.2:2”. But now, for those of God’s church, the arrows have changed directions.
IT IS IN YOUR MIND
The most trying things in life, and which have made most of us not to grow spiritually originate, first, from one ‘self, and secondly, from one ‘self as affected by somebody near you. But all this happens according to the way one thinks and understands. After man accepted a lie, and build his life on it, he became a slave of Satan; or, haven’t you read that, “…….you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin which causes death, or of obedience which leads to righteousness- Rom.6:16”. So, based on this slavery, human beings attribute every happening to either themselves, or to their fellow human beings, because, as we saw, the spiritual world doesn’t feature in their minds. On a good deed, Satan tells you that it is the person doing it, making sure, God doesn’t appear anywhere. On a bad deed, he also makes sure that he is not noticed, and shows how it is that person doing it. So, we find people everywhere, either praising, or blaming each other, and all this based on lack of knowing who the real actor behind the curtain is; Yes, who possesses one’s mind. Anyone who has discovered this lie has turned to God who has also opened our minds to understand that it is neither us nor that person but the spirit at work in us, which gives us to act either way, for, “ What causes wars, and what causes fighting among you? Is it not the passions (not people) that are at war in your members- James.4:1?” So now, because our eyes are opened (am talking about those who have been given to understand), and we have known our vulnerability, and are right now committed to acquiring the right and true nature, then we need to make the right beginning. What is it? Stop listening to Satan through our fleshly passions, or through the people around us, and now tune to God; Yes, “ Put off the old nature which belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupt through deceitful lusts-Eph.4:22”. This is what self-denial is about. To accept that all that we have held as knowledge concerning ourselves, the people around us, God, Satan, materialism and life in general is a lie, and, “ like new born babies, long for the pure spiritual milk(God’s instructions about life), that by it, you may grow up to salvation- 1 Pet.2:2”. But we are used to looking at each other for examples on how to do things. Whom do we look to here? What example do we have for imitation? “ Therefore, be imitators of God- Eph.5:1”. Brethren, we were created to be like God, not like men of this world who are deceived. But now, where is God that we look to Him for an example?
JESUS CHRIST
To show His unexampled love for mankind, God (the word) took the pain of abandoning His glorious state and eternal nature, “………taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man. And being found in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient unto death-Phil. 2:7-8”. This He did, to undo the lie that we are gods, and show us exactly what we are, what we should be doing in this life, and what we shall become after it all, “……becoming the pioneer of our life course- Heb.12:2”. Yes, He foreran the course which we will all follow if we will be made gods. So, if we will rightly imitate God, our physical example is Jesus Christ, for, “……God was in Christ Jesus, reconciling the world to Himself- 2 Cor.5:19”. Also, adding weight to this, He tells us that in Christ, “…..is all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, about God’s mysteries- Col.2:2-3”; see also Heb.1: 1-2. Brethren, we want to successfully fight the good fight of faith. This is why we are unearthing the secret of overcoming. Up to this point, we have removed all men (us included) from being our teachers or examples of the life we should live. We have also, like Jesus our example, emptied ourselves of all the imagined glory and personalities(denied self). We have remained with God alone, who has given us Christ to be our example-John.13:15. This has left us with a very different goal of life, with a very different knowledge on how to achieve it; a good reason why Christ begins by telling us not to borrow any idea on how to think or do things from the world, for he says, “…..the gentiles Lord it over their subjects(they play gods), and exercise authority over them. It should never be so among you(who have turned to God)-Mat.20:25-6”. Why? Because He knows how incomplete, and so without knowledge we and people are. He knows how every man in this physical life is still being created and not yet like God. He also knows how men were deceived from this purpose. This being the case, how can one depend on somebody who is him/herself ignorant? Didn’t Christ clearly say, “ if the blind leads another blind, the two fall in a ditch- Mat.15:14”? Friends, if we will overcome, let’s be very keen on listening to God’s instructions ,and be careful to go by them. Based on this carefulness, instead of going by what we think or want, Christ tells us, “…not to do according to what we think, but instead consult with Him in every step-Prov.3:5”. This can be possible only to those who have acknowledged that they have been living a lie. If you can’t accept that, then it is impossible to consult with God, and it means, you are still under Satan’s influence. Instead of exalting self or people, living in their fear and adoration, Christ tells us to have, “……The Lord of Host,…….. as our fear, and the only one to be in dread of- Isa.8:13”; see also-mat.10:28 please. Giving an example of what He means, when he was in His physical life, Christ, “……never entrusted Himself to men. He knew them and needed no body tell Him about anyone-John.2:24”. This is why, all His carefulness was to God and His instructions, for it is written, “… Christ cared for no man; and regarded not the position of men-Mat.22:16”. Is this what you are in the faith that we have in Jesus Christ? You may rashly say yes. But if you thoroughly look into your heart, you may find all your thoughts, your feelings and speech packed with people and their affairs, ever gauging them, and trying to position yourself based on their standards; rejoicing when they praise you; also grieving when they despise you. What is this? Would you call this a standing before God with Christ as an example? Surely no. “…….who are you that you are afraid of man who dies(like you), of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord your maker—–Isa.51: 12-13”. If this is your case, do not lie to yourself that you are pursuing the spiritual life, for you are still in that mind which can only understand the physical. Generally, the spiritual life which God is developing cannot be achieved through physical means. What am saying is; “ Our faith must not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God……..for we speak not the wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the foundation of the world; things which the rulers of this world understands not- 1 Cor.2:5-7”. We preach not about this life which is likened to “…a house build on sand, which when storms came, it fell-Mat.7:26”; Which our Lord says, “…will pass away- 1John2:17”. We are talking about “…..a coming world with its different way of life- Heb.2:5”, “…which no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human mind conceived- 1 Cor.2:9”. What does this mean then? We can borrow nothing from this life to be our way of doing things. Showing how impossible it is to apply this world’s so called knowledge in living the true life, our Lord through Paul says, “……the world(current life) is crucified to me and I am crucified to the world-Gal.6:14”. Yes, for those who have turned to God, the world is absent to them, and they are absent to it; they don’t live for each other, for according to the world, “……the believers of God are not worthy it-Heb.11:38”. While the world counts success based on materialism, men-set-positions in a community, and worldly academic standards, and all these applied according to Satan’s lie, the believers in God count their success very differently. Against the world, this is the example God has given those who would live this new life in Jesus Christ.
TRUTH VERSAS FALSE
The present world bases its life on Satan, the lie of Eden (see Gen.3:4-6) which, as we have seen has left men cut off from knowledge and so they can only do according to the physical mind(through the five senses). The coming world of which all God-believers belong, base their lives on what God says in His word, which is possible only through a revelation and is un-understandable to the physical mind, “ for we walk by faith, not by sight- 2 Cor.5:7”. According to Satan’s lie, man is a god who has two bodies; one- physical, and the other-spiritual and the two are combined. For this reason, man never dies but only shifts his habitation at death. According to God’s revelation, “.. man is dust, a passing shadow, perishable, like grass-Gen.3:19; Job. 14:2; Isa.40:6-7”. According to Satan’s life, man is here only for the physical; that is, to be born, get education, earn some living through material acquisition, get praised by fellow men, enjoy all the fleshly lust, after which one dies, and life is done-Ecles.2:17-22; 5:15-17. According to God’s revealed life, man is here to learn to live like God, which is only possible if one does everything according to God’s word, through which one develops God’s behavior, after which, he will be changed into a spirit being and so rule God’s kingdom- Gen.1:26; Eph.4:23-24; Phil3:21; 1 John.2:25. If you look at all that people are doing everywhere in the world, it is done according to what other people see, say, or think about you. But to those of God’s Church, all that they do is done according to what God sees, says, and thinks about you. We have physical examples of those who ran before us. Peter was able to boldly face the Jewish rulers, telling them, “we ought to obey God rather than men-Acts.5:29”. Paul exclaimed, “ Am I now seeking the favor of God or men? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ-Gal.1:10”. Anybody who is called by God has also shifted all his/her interests from Self, and men to God. And, because God’s life is one we have never experienced before, and one which the physical mind can’t understand, we simply go by what God says, against what our physical minds dictate. This is why it depends on faith. What? “….assurance of things hoped for, the convictions of things unseen-Heb.11:1”. To enable this, God has given us a sixth sense which makes the physical mind to think not according to its limited capacity, but according to the revealed truth, for, “ though we live in the world(flesh) , we are not carrying on a worldly(fleshly-see Rph.6:12) war; for the weapons of our warfare….have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments, and every proud obstacle(opposive thought) to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ- 2 Cor.10:3-5”. Faith is about accepting what God says in His word, then forcing the five senses to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste all things according to that word. This is the work of God’s spirit in our minds. After a time of persistence in going by God’s word, then the five senses begin to reason according to God’s word against self-imagination, and through this, Godly character is developed. When one sees or hears, the very next step becomes(not experimenting but), “what does God say about what I see or hear(because, being the creator of all things, He is the only one who knows about the same all)?” It is by this same persistence in doing the word that the laws of God get written in our minds, becoming our “wisdom and understanding, yes- our way of life-Deut.4:6”. Brethren, this is the secret of overcoming, i.e, not going by our sensal reasoning by what God will say, for, “ This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith- 1 John.5:4”. The friction between our physical minds driven by fleshly desires as misled by Satan, and the spirit of God resisting them is the very circumstance which makes choice- making and character building possible( see Rom.5:1-5), and it is only those who stay committed to(by the power of God’s spirit), resisting the fleshly mind as they apply the Godly spiritual one(as revealed in His word) who are being created spiritually, for, it is for, “…those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish between evil and good- Heb.5:14”. What am saying here in conclusion brethren is that, overcoming is for those who have full conviction concerning the purpose of their lives as is taught by God, who “….by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor and immortality, whom God will give eternal life, yes, who will make it- ( for details on this, read our informative message, “seek for honor”)- Rom.2:7”, for this is the secret of overcoming, going by our makers guidelines, for He tells us, “ I am the Lord your God(who created), who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go-Isa.48:17-18”. Whoever has hears, let him hear what the spirit is saying. You are receiving this from God your maker, by His messager Jesus Christ, through His sent-messager,his Church. If you wish to submit to Him and get started into this journey to overcoming, then learn more by tuning to him through,
THE ENDTIME CHURCH OF GOD