August 23rd 2020
Who Is It That Overcomes The World? Is It You?
1 John 53-5 (NIV)
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Are you working on a plan to overcome this world? Is this kind of a dumb question? What is meant when someone says they are working on becoming more Christ-like every day? It seems obvious that any such plan must be accomplished through a loving feeling about all the members of mankind! Can you love someone you do not like? Jesus has told us that we must even love our enemies. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matthew 5:43-46). Remember, as Christians we are never supposed to view any other person as someone we choose to hate. So, our only enemies are those who have chosen to hate us or mistreat us.
Now back to this plan to be an overcomer of this world. In the selected verses John wrote “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” Notice here John starts with love before he gives the punch line, “for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” Have you been born of God, which is also referred to as being born again? Next John gives us a clue about this loving ability, as he wrote “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” What is this faith we must have to overcome this world? John then tells us the answer, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” If we are still sinners is it possible to still be an overcomer? John helps us to resolve this question too. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9). Remember, your salvation is a gift from Jesus Christ, and this gift is given to put us on that narrow path that leads us to salvation, and a place has been prepared for you in heaven by Jesus Christ.
When you first believed that Jesus is the Son of God your name was written in the book of life. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:5). Jesus will take you to be where He is when you depart this mortal life. When you arrive in the paradise of God you will be allowed eat from the tree of life and live with God/Jesus forever. Here is that promise from Jesus in the book of Revelation. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7). Notice what Jesus said about those who have their name recorded in this book of life, “I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.” Jesus will be your ambassador in heaven, and He will present you to God and His angels. Is that cool or what?
So, we can know that heaven awaits us when we die, but what benefits do we gain in this lifetime? James wrote about the power of prayer. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:15-16). This righteous claim is related to our faith in Jesus Christ, and the power is related our faith and thus we believe that Jesus may heal the person we are praying for. It always made me wonder if we could be able to have someone healed through our connection to Jesus Christ. James wrote about Elijah and how he had the ability to through God to control the weather and caused it not to rain. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James 5:17-18). Do we have such power through prayer that we could ask Jesus to heal someone and they may be healed?
In our world today we see so much confusion and violence, and it makes me wonder if our prayer for peace might be honored by God and He would bring about some resolution to this discord? Can our land still be healed if we continue to kill unborn babies, as we have since 1973? Can peace come in the USA when there seems to be so much distrust and even hatred abounding. As we suffer through this pandemic it makes me wonder if this is a plaque brought on by Satan to disrupt the world and bring on confusion and hatred? We do see people doing good deeds during this disruption too. Of course, I believe God is allowing this plaque to run its course around this world.
It makes me wonder if those who do love Jesus will pray, expecting some relief for this torment will God honor our prayers! Are we too proud to admit we need God’s help? When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. (2 Chronicles 7:13-15).
Many people are proud of their sins in the USA today, and may not even recognize that their actions are indeed sinful! Please join in prayer as we are heading into one of the most hateful elections in the history of this country! Jesus is the answer, the only answer!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 John 53-5 (NIV)
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Are you working on a plan to overcome this world? Is this kind of a dumb question? What is meant when someone says they are working on becoming more Christ-like every day? It seems obvious that any such plan must be accomplished through a loving feeling about all the members of mankind! Can you love someone you do not like? Jesus has told us that we must even love our enemies. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matthew 5:43-46). Remember, as Christians we are never supposed to view any other person as someone we choose to hate. So, our only enemies are those who have chosen to hate us or mistreat us.
Now back to this plan to be an overcomer of this world. In the selected verses John wrote “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” Notice here John starts with love before he gives the punch line, “for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” Have you been born of God, which is also referred to as being born again? Next John gives us a clue about this loving ability, as he wrote “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” What is this faith we must have to overcome this world? John then tells us the answer, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” If we are still sinners is it possible to still be an overcomer? John helps us to resolve this question too. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9). Remember, your salvation is a gift from Jesus Christ, and this gift is given to put us on that narrow path that leads us to salvation, and a place has been prepared for you in heaven by Jesus Christ.
When you first believed that Jesus is the Son of God your name was written in the book of life. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:5). Jesus will take you to be where He is when you depart this mortal life. When you arrive in the paradise of God you will be allowed eat from the tree of life and live with God/Jesus forever. Here is that promise from Jesus in the book of Revelation. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7). Notice what Jesus said about those who have their name recorded in this book of life, “I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.” Jesus will be your ambassador in heaven, and He will present you to God and His angels. Is that cool or what?
So, we can know that heaven awaits us when we die, but what benefits do we gain in this lifetime? James wrote about the power of prayer. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:15-16). This righteous claim is related to our faith in Jesus Christ, and the power is related our faith and thus we believe that Jesus may heal the person we are praying for. It always made me wonder if we could be able to have someone healed through our connection to Jesus Christ. James wrote about Elijah and how he had the ability to through God to control the weather and caused it not to rain. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James 5:17-18). Do we have such power through prayer that we could ask Jesus to heal someone and they may be healed?
In our world today we see so much confusion and violence, and it makes me wonder if our prayer for peace might be honored by God and He would bring about some resolution to this discord? Can our land still be healed if we continue to kill unborn babies, as we have since 1973? Can peace come in the USA when there seems to be so much distrust and even hatred abounding. As we suffer through this pandemic it makes me wonder if this is a plaque brought on by Satan to disrupt the world and bring on confusion and hatred? We do see people doing good deeds during this disruption too. Of course, I believe God is allowing this plaque to run its course around this world.
It makes me wonder if those who do love Jesus will pray, expecting some relief for this torment will God honor our prayers! Are we too proud to admit we need God’s help? When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. (2 Chronicles 7:13-15).
Many people are proud of their sins in the USA today, and may not even recognize that their actions are indeed sinful! Please join in prayer as we are heading into one of the most hateful elections in the history of this country! Jesus is the answer, the only answer!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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