How To Overcome The Flesh

Conquering the Flesh

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3 NLT).

We have again asked our Brother Patrice to prepare a message for us for this week, and by the grace of the Lord he did so in submission to the Lord. Please be blessed as you read and share this message, there are some great messages from the Lord which will be coming your way soon!

Our Spiritual Victory Through The Holy Spirit

As we know, the Spirit of God is our victory, we thank God that without his Spirit and work in us it would be impossible to overcome the flesh and hoping to enter Heaven. Recently, I spoke to a young man who is in a relationship and it was very nice to hear from him that he has chosen the right path in the relationship. Both of them are Christians and both parents are aware of their relationship. It is lovely to see Young people together , but there is also lot of temptations also coming their way.God is our Strength and His Spirit will let us know and prevent us from a big disaster ahead. There is no 100% answers for all our situations and experience in life , everyone has to go through its own situations temptations and motion, we must as Christians learn to be led by God’s Spirit.

The Spirit of God allow us to change and to be transformed, through love. Love is the number one key to change character but a man without heart and full of pride will make his own fall. As it is, God has done something wonderful he has baptised his children with his Spirit, equipping them and transforming them in his likeness, we now need to learn how to tune in and allowing him to work in us through his living word. It is what we must learn to live by, because being born again is a work of the Spirit.

The Heart's Condition Of The Unsaved

The heart of man is the most important thing for entrance in Heaven it is actually our spirit who can be changed and transformed through the power of God Spirit. As the Bible says, flesh and blood cannot inherit Heaven the only way out is the life in the Spirit. In the old Testament, Prophets were anointed by almighty God and received wisdom to help His people. The Spirit helped them to understand God’s plan and directions at that proper time.

So it seems impossible to enter Heaven without any heart transformation and commitment to God, rebellion could threaten our entrance for eternity.

We know that only through faith in Jesus and His blood and without it, life would be very difficult for Christians, but having a High Priest for us and KING and Lord He knows best the Heart of Men. He knows exactly the beginning and end of people lives. He knows also our failures, strength, weaknesses.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2). The Apostle Paul said we should not only seek things above but also turn away from earthly things. In order to think heavenly thoughts, we must get rid of or keep away from things that would draw us away from God. We are called to get rid of anxieties. Scripture says, “Be anxious for nothing” (Phil. 4:6). We are called to get rid of lust, anger, envy, jealousy, and anything else that is not of God (Col. 3:5–9).

I have learned that Love as Jesus has commanded it to us, is a way to live for every day’s life and is the most important and basic duty as Christians.

Scripturally, Galatians 5:22-23 is the one scripture that can point us to the Spirit of Christ or Spirit of God. Our Lord Jesus is our greatest example, we should not only inspire others, but also being able to live by what the scriptures says. For some people there is a lot of works to do in themselves and for this they will have to rely completely on Jesus and being willing to submit by His Spirit 24h a day. Therefore, more we think of our flesh and the less we will be overcoming. The less we think of the flesh and the more His Spirit will allow us to learn how to surrender to Him completely. A willingness and a humble spirit will keep us on track for preparation and entrance in Heaven.

Sometimes people asked the wrong things to God, God being Holy and seeing his people asking the wrong things has his best interest in people, and will not give them necessary what they ask for. God is not necessary giving alternative answers to everything; He Decides and Might say No, to us Yes wait or He might even not want to give us any clue.

If we are his children are we focus on advancing His Kingdom, preparing, preaching, teaching, evangelising, shining his love all around us, praying? Yes, we certainly would fall very short of all He asked us to do, as to be among unbelievers, Saints, and even our own family as example.

Finally Faith is one of the most important thing on earth with Love, faith in Jesus Christ his Son means faith in what He taught us and to love our neighbours in truth and praying for our enemies.

We thank God that He has given eternal life through the living word of life, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Now the Lord has demonstrated his perfect love for each one of us, he is now waiting for many to come forward and commit to his transforming power and new life in Him. I would like to finish with a great hope for many who read this article. As you trust his Spirit He can also do it in you, no matter where you come from, does not matter if you are like these people in verse 10:

“Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people--none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.” (1 Corinthians 6:10-11).

As you see no one has condemned you neither our Lord Jesus Christ, He is welcoming you to a new life in Him through His Spirit ,the Holy Spirit. Therefore verse 10 invite us to a new way of life, and to enter a spiritual one with Jesus for eternity. He cares for you and showing you that many sinners made it to Heaven( no matter what they were before) they have been washed by His blood and sanctified by Him through Faith in Him, the Lord is seconds away from you to receive you as a Son or a daughter you only need to commit and give your life. He promises eternity and peace within , that peace comes from the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ himself, it is an encounter with Him that will last.

If you need more prayer, please start by praying this Prayer of Sincere Repentance, read the Bible every day, continue to faithfully seek the Lord, and take refuge in Him. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Blessed Regards
Brother Patrice and Brother Glenn

The Pursuit Of Fame And Fortune Is Vanity

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”” (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV).

In previous articles (refer to The Love of Money and Prosperity Teachers), we wrote quite extensively on the deceitfulness of riches and worldliness. In this article however, we will be brief.

Word of Encouragement

As Christians, often the thought of giving up on our faith arrests us, and when this strikes us, we often hibernate into lukewarm mode. So when this happens, our mood becomes serious and we often says that we don’t ‘feel’ God. As it is, we often blame God for not answering our prayers and at times we avoid all contact with other Christians. If that is where you find yourself today, my brother or sister, jump out of that cycle of defeat. Your faith is dying, and soon wicked and carnal desires will prowl on you like a bandit to possess you and gradually lower  your faith consciousness from being a friend of God to an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). The Bible warns us to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Therefore, faith in Christ operates by willpower and faith is consolidated by the Word of God and our active Christian life-style. When we feed on the Word of God daily, we will not lack the spirit to stay active in fruit-bearing and obedience to the Lord. The Word keeps our focus on Christ and the Word also serves as a critical guard against our own carnal thoughts, thus ensuring victory against internal struggles and other schemes of the enemy (Ephesians 6:11).

So then, the Word within conquers the seeds of doubt, discouragement and rebellion, and active faith triumphs over trials and worldly desires. Words of inspiration may seem encouraging when we are downcast and in need of uplifting; but Words of faith rooted in Christ have fruit-bearing seeds like hope, faith and love are more helpful (Galatians 5:22-23). I encourage you, the Lord is FAITHFUL and His love for us never diminishes despite our mistakes! (Lamentations 3:22). So, fight to win the war against faithless feelings: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12), so that in the end you can boldly declare in agreement with the apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Losing Your Soul to Please Man

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” (Luke 9:25 NKJV).

When we grew up, we were taught that the sky was the limit, and we should dream big and follow our hearts. Our appetite for attention, adoration, and an oversupply of worldly possessions serves as an incentive to realize our goal. Egotistically, everybody loves good things and attention from others, no matter how humble our attitudes. In other words, our glory is displayed through the things we have and the attention we command from others. Brethren, please don't get me wrong; fame and fortune may be acquired legally, and we have no objection to that. What we warn you against is this:

• Have you not been told that those who amass wealth and attention to themselves are in danger of Hell fire? (Acts 17:22-31; Isaiah 42:8).
• Have you not heard that the world and everything in it belongs to God, and that your fame and wealth will testify against you? (Psalm 24:1; James 5:6).
• Was it not told you that the pursuit of fame and fortune is vanity and the greed demon is your god? (Ecclesiastes 5:10; Matthew 6:24).
• Are you not aware that you should use your riches to serve God and not yourselves? (1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 19:21).
• Has your position in this world turned you into a "wonder" or are you being idolized by others? If so, you are in a race competing against truly abundant and everlasting life; only the humble and lowly, i.e. those of no reputation, will have a heritage in Christ (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5; Philippians 2:5-11).

Strengthen your Heavenly position by pointing your followers to Christ. Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom, and use your wealth to bring glory to Him for the salvation of souls (Luke 16:9). Don't compete for attention from others, but serve God with an obedient heart and a humble attitude; this promises treasure in Heaven (Matthew 23:12).

Unfortunately, today’s society has created a very high demand for fame and fortune. Sadly, the enemy is winning the war against the human soul (Galatians 5:17) and giving people a false sense of self-importance and a desire to make a name for themselves – “self”, for example as in “selfie”, has become the new focus. Today’s Internet-driven technology guarantees almost overnight fame, attention and sometimes fortune. Many voices are going up the airwaves and telecommunication lines encouraging us to pursue our dreams and allow no one, including God, to stop us from reaching our potential.

I know this message is going to offend the brethren who have their eyes on the pursuit of fame and fortune in this world. Their motive is not just to work for a living, but to imitate other worldly and “successful” people before them. In Jesus name, our message is not to encourage you to become rich according to the standard of this world (1 Timothy 6:17); we are sent to you to warn you about the dangers associated with the pursuit of riches. The Lord Jesus Himself warned: "… Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:23-24 NIV).

There are two kinds of rich and famous people: some are proud, controlling, arrogant and abusive, while others portray a down-to-earth attitude and act as friends or champions of the poor; however, they are both possessed by the same spirit of greed and self-importance. Furthermore, most famous and rich people use their status in society to negatively influence the actions of others.

Last year August the Lord showed Charis in a vision that a world-famous person would be dying and going to hell. This individual, like many other famous people who served their own honour and did not fear or reverence God, is being celebrated for his achievements outside Christ. When we draw attention to ourselves or some organisation we stand condemned (Luke 6:26), just like Herod (Acts 12:21-23). Furthermore, the Bible says: “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19).

Finally, if we serve the Lord and use His name to make a name for ourselves and for self-enrichment, we stand to lose our souls. I once attended a service at my previous church and our pastor invited a young pastor over to minister the word of God to us. I liked his preaching, but he was in the habit of elevating himself by mentioning the things he had and who among worldly, world famous pastors and bishops he had met. This kind of pursuit of fame and fortune is VANITY! Our motive in service should never be to seek honour for ourselves, but for Christ. Indeed, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool” (Proverbs 19:1).

Warning Against Misplaced Trust in Wealth

As an encouragement, the Lord commanded that you read Psalm 49:1-20 (HCSB is quoted below):

¹ Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world,² both low and high, rich and poor together.³ My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart’s meditation brings understanding.⁴ I turn my ear to a proverb; I explain my riddle with a lyre.⁵ Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.⁶ They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches.⁷ Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God—⁸ since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying—⁹ so that he may live forever and not see the Pit.¹⁰ For one can see that wise men die; foolish and stupid men also pass away. Then they leave their wealth to others.¹¹ Their graves are their eternal homes, their homes from generation to generation, though they have named estates after themselves. 

¹² But despite his assets, man will not last; he is like the animals that perish.¹³ This is the way of those who are arrogant, and of their followers, who approve of their words. Selah. ¹⁴ Like sheep they are headed for Sheol; Death will shepherd them. The upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form will waste away in Sheol, far from their lofty abode.¹⁵ But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol, for He will take me. Selah 

¹⁶ Do not be afraid when a man gets rich, when the wealth of his house increases.¹⁷ For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down.¹⁸ Though he praises himself during his lifetime— and people praise you when you do well for yourself—¹⁹ he will go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light.²⁰ A man with valuable possessions but without understanding is like the animals that perish.

Have you been in pursuit of recognition, wealth, accolades, positions, and titles in the world? Have you neglected to seek and spend time with the only wise God who can save your soul? If so, please repent and begin seeking Him today. Here is a Prayer of Sincere Repentance to get you started. For any questions or comments on this article or our ministry, please contact us.

Grace to all in humble service,
Brother Glenn.