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Posts Tagged ‘Overcoming’

The Power of an Endless Life

Posted in Overcoming, tagged , , , , on April 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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By Mavis M. duCille

Scripture reading: Hebrews 7:14-16

Some weeks ago, the Lord brought to my attention the fact of the absolute necessity of overcoming.

The way out of the bondage of sin and self and humanness into the Divine nature is through the “flaming sword.” Since this sword turned every direction, there is no way of escaping the fire of purification.

It certainly is not enough to say, “I have accepted Jesus as my Saviour,” or to relax and feel okay, waiting for Him to come and take us away to heaven. The forgiveness of sins brings one into the experience of knowing Jesus as Saviour, but after this experience, one should willingly and deliberately desire to know Him as Lord, which means giving Him perfect control over one’s life. There would be no place therefore for cheating, lying, drinking, swearing, malice, strife, bitterness, wrath, cunning craftiness and all unrighteousness. This can only be done by the regenerating, sanctifying work of Christ, which is the purpose for the indwelling Holy Spirit. God wants to destroy sin, and the Holy Ghost brings to us the Life of Christ Jesus, which does just that.

Adam and Eve were tested and tempted in the garden: if Eve would have resisted, they would have overcome the enemy then and there. Temptation does not necessitate a fall, but resisting builds strength and virtue.

The tree of life is made available to man through Jesus Christ. He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. Unless we eat Him day and night, we have no life in us – thus no overcoming.

Love, mercy and truth are conditioned by holiness; therefore, when God establishes His law in man’s heart, it constitutes a revelation of holiness – thus through GRACE, man finds a true revelation of LOVE.

Blessed are the people who have been brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ through His blood, and have been established in His grace to embrace that LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST – when man ceases to be an outsider of the Kingdom, and realizes the liberty of the SONS OF GOD.

Overcoming daily establishes holiness as a permanent state of the soul. One writer said, “Our conscience and power of self-control act as a sort of watchdog over our worst selves during the day, but when the watchdog is off duty, the primitive or natural man is at liberty to act as he pleases, and our soul has left us at the mercy of our own evil nature.”

God’s divine power, however, greatly counteracts the forces of evil. This power and anointing is Christ, which can only be experienced as the believer gives way to the Holy Spirit. In this way, man is brought to the place where total redemption overcomes total depravity, and God’s redemptive power shines forth in spite of ourselves. It is the Spirit that brings redemption; human nature can take no credit; the flesh is weak, but the indwelling Christ has power over all THINGS.

When the believer comprehends Christ’s relationship to man as a whole, and to the Christian in particular, then he is enabled to declare as never before the saving, keeping, resurrection POWER OF JESUS CHRIST – LORD, MASTER, KING. Giving way to the persuading influence of the Holy Spirit empowers believers to bring under subjection the dreadful and evil soul nature, which hampers and resists the power of the LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS. Yes, the Holy Spirit is always revealing US to US, but He does so that man, by this power of “an endless life,” might be lifted out of this carnal, natural state to the spiritual, heavenly realm. We have been raised together with Him, Jesus Christ, and the vital union causes us to sit in heavenly places with Him. As we have borne the image of the earthly in Adam, so through Christ Jesus, we will bear the image of the heavenly – a place not only over sin and human weaknesses, but a place of authority and glory.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, pages 61-63)

Thought for today: The tree of life is made available to man through Jesus Christ. He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. Unless we eat Him day and night, we have no life in us – thus no overcoming.

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The Spirit Indeed Is Willing – Part 2

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , , , , , on April 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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By Mavis M. duCille

Scripture reading: Zachariah 4:6

Taking a look at the Old Testament, there appears much evidence of the weakness of the flesh, like…

DAVID – chosen of God, courageous, a champion, a good soldier, but was led by passion to violate the law; (to) yield to gross sin. When the Spirit of the Lord anointed him, he did mightily; outside of that, he was an ordinary man subject to the weaknesses of the flesh.

MOSES – leader and law-giver of Israel; was as God to the people; spoke with God’s personality; moved mightily under the anointing, but manifested as an ordinary man when provoked.

SAMSON – Showed such supernatural power and might, yet there was the expression of the carnal appetites; weak in resisting temptations.

The plotting, planning, cunning, scheming JACOB (could have been a familiar spirit; mother deceived Isaac, Laban her brother deceived Jacob) had a bout with the angel all night, but thank God he had the tenacity to hang on for the blessing or measure of deliverance which he received towards morning. The Jacob nature must be dealt with by the Spirit before any possession of the Land. No one is going to conquer those giants in the land, but the one who owns the land. The Land is OURSELVES. Each individual is well acquainted with the giants that rise up in his or her own soul to challenge the Spirit. Some have been there so long, that they appear to be part of the person. The individual may even be afraid to lose that spirit which might well be a controlling spirit. Anything that cannot be identified with the gift of the Holy Spirit and righteousness (Christ’s nature) is of the carnal, evil spirit, and must be driven out of the land.

There are so many examples in the Old Testament proving the weakness of man, that it is virtually impossible to deny the fact that “in man dwells no good thing.” Without the Spirit there is bound to be failure.

Take Peter as an example. In the New Testament, Peter had been with Jesus for three and a half years, and seen and shared in all that Jesus manifested; yet, in his humanness, he denied Him before the people, and returned to fishing after Jesus left. No wonder Jesus said to him, “Peter, lovest thou me?” – asking the same question three times and receiving the same answer from Peter, even with a little disgust at the last. Then Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” At one time, Jesus told Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee.”

Peter, as well as all of us, have to be fortified by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, or there is no overcoming of the flesh (the world, the flesh, and the devil). Peter’s impulsiveness and all other weaknesses of the flesh, as well as all of us, have to come under the effectual working of the Spirit if we are to be transformed to HIS IMAGE.

It is not because these characters mentioned in the Bible were bad or evil that they fell short of the expressed image of God, but because in the Old Testament, (or in other words under the old covenant), the Spirit of God was not yet come to indwell the believer (John 7:39), and in (the) three and a half years that Jesus was on the earth with His disciples, the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. Therefore, Peter was without strength. Jesus said, “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” When the Spirit fell at Pentecost, Peter rose up in the midst and proclaimed the wonders of salvation.

The willingness to the Spirit anointing was not enough for the Old Testament believers. Some did mightily in spite of their limitations, yet they were judged.

God expects greater overcoming from those to whom He has given not an overshadowing of the Spirit only, but an indwelling portion to all who will receive.

To this FORTY-SECOND GENERATION, therefore, He says, “Thou art inexcusable, O man,” (Romans 2:1), in that God has, through Jesus, laid the way wide open to redeem man from the bondage of corruption (bondage of human nature), and raised us through the Spirit to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh.

“…Not by might, nor by power (in the natural), but by my SPIRIT, saith the Lord of hosts,” Zechariah 4:6.

There is no sin or weakness that the blood of Jesus, the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit cannot overcome.

Walking in the Spirit destroys or retards the weaknesses of the flesh, (and) builds spiritual character, thus the true nature of Christ is formed in the believer.

The Holy Ghost is given and is always willing and ready to purge the dross, that the gold (which is the nature of God) may come forth; that the world may see Christ Jesus living in His temple. As the temple of God, we should allow the Spirit to deal with the weaknesses of the flesh, so that the Divine Nature might destroy the evil nature, and take full control of the man for Christ’s sake. Amen.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, 1997, pages 71-74)

Thought for today: There is no sin or weakness that the blood of Jesus, the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit cannot overcome.

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The Spirit Indeed Is Willing – Part 1

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , , , on April 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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By Mavis M. duCille

Scripture reading: Matthew 26:41

Some weeks ago, during prayer for some dear brethren, the word came, “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” – with this came also a much deeper understanding of these words.

Flesh is not only man’s body, but man’s whole being, including sense and reason when it is destitute of God, because the seat of sin is in the soul.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of HIS OWN lust, and enticed,” James 1:13-14.

God does not tempt man. Romans 8 speaks in absolutely plain language of the MIND OF THE FLESH; how it works contrary to the will of God. Man’s only hope of overcoming the flesh is through the Spirit, by which security is provided by God’s love. The Spirit gives life in place of death. The Old Testament brethren could not have the magnitude of OVERCOMING grace which we have received, because a set of laws or legal codes could not bring righteousness; only a life controlled by the Spirit, on the basis of THAT NEW LAW WRITTEN NOT ON TABLES OF STONE, but ON THE HEART, could produce such qualities in us as peace, joy, hope and love.

The flesh is constantly at war with the Spirit. The desires of the flesh are ever present, but the provision for overcoming is through the Spirit, therefore, the following seven steps are absolutely necessary to the overcomer.

  1. The believer should, at some time after accepting Jesus as Saviour, receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
  2. The believer should be aware of the Holy Spirit as being a part of the Godhead.
  3. The believer should want to be no longer in charge of his own life, but desire the Life of Christ to be lived out in him.
  4. Be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit. (He is always speaking, but we are not always listening.)
  5. Be exercised in the operations of the Spirit through obedience.
  6. Most important – be willing and ready to submit to the chastening and cleansing of the Spirit as He makes known deep-hidden or simple-surface weaknesses – because “He will not always chide.”
  7. Bear in mind, that when we come together in worship, the move of the Spirit in the midst is different than in any other place – prophecies and all the gifts of the Spirit can be practiced, and the believer has the type of growth that is necessary to his overall spiritual advancement.

THE CARNAL MIND: The carnal mind is that which is not under the control of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, it can conceive and bring forth evil, since Satan is the prince of evil.

There are some innocent desires (might not be evil) which can eventually become the occasion of sin. The CARNAL MIND cannot please God.

Scripture states:

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry,” Colossians 3:5.

We should see to it that these members of ours do not resist the restraint of Divine Law. Human life, therefore, would be brought under subjection to the purpose for which it was ordained.

God made man to live in beauty and strength according to His Divine laws. Sin made an inroad and left a roadway. Man was defiled. God in His plan of restoration has to redeem man spirit, soul and body, but this cannot be achieved without the willingness and total submission to God’s Divine plan. As the Spirit is allowed to work in the inward parts, He is able to turn bitterness to sweetness, rage to peace, hate and animosity to love, rough to smooth, sorrow to joy and heaviness to praise, delivering the soul from envy, jealousy, malice (and) pride, causing a true spirit to pervade which can stand the LIGHT OF HIS COUNTENANCE.

So many times, it seems easier to give way to the flesh in anger, malice, strife, hatred, (and) mistrust of the brethren, or on the other hand deceiving the brethren, giving false witness, using a false balance and others too many to mention (whatsoever does not edify the individual or the Body of Christ, or glorify Jesus is not of God). Some things are seen out in the open – others are not very obvious; then some left only to the honesty of one’s conscience before God; “To thine own self be true.” (Shakespeare). Trust and be trusted.

(Excerpt from Nuggets for the Needy, 1997, pages 69-71)

Thought for today: The desires of the flesh are ever present, but the provision for overcoming is through the Spirit.

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Devil’s Trump Card

Posted in Overcoming, tagged , , on March 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »

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Scripture reading: Revelation 12:7-9

Let me tell you something: the devils we have been dealing with have studied humanity. For six thousand years they have been studying man’s psychology. They have been learning what man is all about and how he functions. They have studied our biological function and believe me, brethren, the devils work to upset us biologically. They work on our hormones. You had better believe it! If they know you can be caught in this way, they concentrate on it, and for years and years this has been what we call the “trump card” of the devil. You know that when you are playing cards and you play your trump card, you lose it! When you have played your trump card, you either become a winner or a loser at that point. The devil is now playing his highest card. He is playing his trump card, and he is about to lose it. He is going to lose it with some of us, but unfortunately with others he is going to win.

Whenever you have a vision of the spirit that is disturbing the Church at this time, you will see this spirit like a snake, a serpent. I do not know if any of you have ever seen that vision of a serpent, but this serpent generally wraps around the person from his waist downward, with its head up in his face. There is a meaning behind this picture. If I were talking to a crowd in Africa, immediately when you mention the serpent, they know what you are going to talk about. They know that you are going to talk about sexuality; you are going to talk about those human passions that have not been controlled. They know it! They understand it.

I notice here in the United States, they have a film that they show the children. They call it “The Little Mermaid.” Some of you, Christians, let your children watch it. It is, however, no little mermaid at all, but rather it is the symbol of the satanic spirit that rules over a great part of the world and which sometimes appears as a serpent.

The overcoming that we must do at this time is in this body. Let me draw a picture. Here are six circles touching each other; the first one is God the Father. The second, God the Son. The third, the Holy Spirit; and the fourth, my spirit; the fifth, my soul; and the sixth, my body. In other words, I am drawing the chain of command that makes the human being godly. We have God the Father coming through Jesus Christ the Son, through the Holy Spirit, through man’s spirit, to his soul, and to his body. What I am trying to show here is that God the Father sent Jesus Christ, the Son; and the Son came in the Holy Spirit into my spirit. Now, the problem is between the soul and the spirit. The problem is to have God break through the veil that is between my spirit and my soul. That is where the problem is and God is trying to break through. Now, He must minister to my mind, but the world is also ministering to my mind; the carnal realm is ministering to my mind. My mind is being bombarded by all these things.

It is not because your body is biologically in order that it functions. Your body functions because your mind tells your body what to do! Let me tell you of an experience I had. One day, I was welding a pipe and my mind was far away. I put down the hot welding iron and put my finger on it. My mind was so far away that it was only when I smelled flesh burning that I all of a sudden realized that my finger was burnt, horribly burnt until it was crisp. Immediately, out of my mouth came, “I shall not feel this! In the name of Jesus, I shall not feel this!” And I did not feel it!

So, I was running into the room to my wife to show her how my finger was so badly burned. Yet I was not feeling any pain, and it was because of the Spirit of God. When I let her see my finger to show her how burnt it was, I was ashamed—the finger was totally healed! There was no burn at all. That was a symbol to me of what the power of Christ working through your mind could do.

The mind is on top of the body, therefore the sins of the body are not coming from the body, but they are coming from the way you think!

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, July 2000, pg. 29-31)

Thought for today: Let the power of Christ work through your mind so that your body would obey the righteous commands that come from your Father in heaven.

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The Company of Overcomers

Posted in Overcoming, tagged , , , on March 25, 2021| 1 Comment »

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Scripture reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34

In the book of Revelation, John saw all of us sitting here. John said he looked at the company of the overcomers and they were all worshiping the Lord. He saw you! Before you were born, he saw you, and you were worshiping the Lord; and God said, “It is good. Let them be birthed.”

So, we are born in various, different circumstances. Some of us were born in darkness: “Lord, when I think of the night… my soul… in the past! It was so dark; it was so terrible; it was so hopeless!” Yet, God said, “It is good!” For God saw the end of it.

Although I cannot see the end of it, I am rejoicing in the end of it, for I know that God is seeing it. He said that all them that He called, He perfected (Ref. Romans 8:29-30). He said He called you because He already perfected you! He knows what you are going to go through!

Today we are up against the Church’s greatest battle up to this point, and I believe there will be no greater when we overcome. The reason is that we are just a few years from the end of this age, and according to my understanding, after the end of this age, Christ must come forth and walk and talk in human flesh and blood. He must walk on the streets of the city and bring forth the glory of God; and mankind must see God walking through men! This is the promise. He said in Jeremiah 31:33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

This promise was made to Israel, and as God engrafted us into this Israel, we became a part of the promise. So God must, I say, God must bring forth this thing on earth before He finishes the job! He cannot finish this age until He has brought this thing to pass! God must be God, and we must be a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, and a peculiar people unto God (Ref. 1 Peter 2:9). You are not satisfied with what you are right now and I am not satisfied with what I am. Then, if we are not satisfied, God is not satisfied either!

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, July 2000, pg. 27-28)

Thought for today: Let us strive in our daily lives towards having God’s law written in our hearts.

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