Introduction

Good day, everyone. We are now on Lesson 6 of the 101 Course. This lesson is all about stories. Why stories? Because the word victory cannot be explained without them. Let us revisit the previous lessons. We talked about faith and grace, and that the life of man is a spiritual matter. Lesson 5 covered blessings and curses. The problem is, there is so much confusion today! Where did our Chinese Mingding Destiny come from? It originated from very barren soil, which is the desolation of the church, where the promises of God are not seen. When the promises of God are not seen, people become confused, and in their confusion, they begin to seek God.

Some time ago, a pastor contracted COVID-19 and needed six times the amount of oxygen just to assist his breathing. In another seminary, dozens of people contracted COVID-19, and the seminary almost became a COVID-19 center. What exactly is COVID-19? It is a demon! We see these people being chased and beaten miserably by demons. In fact, in those past years, I was constantly seeking in confusion, and finally found a very good concept called victory.

How can one achieve victory? The 101 Course, from beginning to end, pushes to the highest peak, which is called victory, because victory certainly obtains the promise. A victorious person will certainly be like Jesus and like the Apostle Paul. Starting from the extreme desolation of this generation, to the point where the entire Christian faith is in our hands, what we are promoting cannot be challenged by anyone. We are to be like Jesus, to be like the Apostle Paul. It is such a simple and straightforward pursuit! We have sorted out, one by one, the problems in the entire theology, including the problems in the entire Christian faith, and related concepts.

Many people cannot clearly describe the grace of redemption. They think salvation is just going to heaven after death. This is what I hear most often. Others say, Pastor, quickly pray for him, he is about to die, send him to heaven. When I hear these words, I feel something is not right, because I am someone who reads the Bible very carefully. I did not find this kind of statement in the Bible. I really did not find it saying that when a person is about to die, their family quickly invites Jesus to send the dying person to heaven. Would Jesus say, Alright! Let's talk about the price, and once it's settled, we'll send the person to heaven? As for things like making a decision to believe in the Lord, I really did not see that in the Bible. As for what happens later on, no one knows if that person went to heaven or not, but the evangelist who did this certainly received money, treating it as a ritual for the dead. Many pastors do this.

Therefore, the key issue that the 101 Course aims to solve is how to realize God's promises. We have really seen one thing among us: God's promises, no matter how many, are faithful and real in Jesus Christ. Why dare we say this? Because we have transformed the entire theological concept into a concept of fighting and winning, which is the most important key in the Christian faith. It means that in the spiritual world, we can trample on the devil, the enemy, and plunder the enemy. With such a gospel, how can we not see the promises of God? Today, we stand on the promised land, seeing the promises of God, and seeing the results of practice. We are not just explaining and explaining, explaining why things are so miserable. We do not explain these things. When we see someone in misery, some people say this is what God gave them. What nonsense!

We must know that victory is predestined for us by God. God has already predestined us for victory! In the last lesson on casting out demons, was there any mention of Jesus being cast out by demons? No, Jesus always drove the demons away. God has already predestined us for victory. If you look carefully in the Bible, those who came to Jesus were all healed. There is no defeat with Jesus. God has already predestined us for victory. But if we cannot draw on God's promises, it is because of unbelief. Unbelief leads to defeat, and belief leads to victory. Therefore, faith can draw on God's promises, and that faith must be a true faith! It is very wonderful and exciting to experience God's promises together here - a chapter of life.

When I talk to people about faith, I talk about very good things. I rarely say to people, Come, follow me and believe in the Lord! And then the other party asks, Why should I follow you and believe in the Lord? I say, If you follow me and believe in the Lord, you will live a more miserable life. We don't need to carry a school bag, we carry a cross! People say, My briefcase, school bag, and file bag are already very heavy, I can no longer carry your cross! The Bible does not say this. The Bible is about us obtaining the benefits of the gospel. The Bible never says that the land God promised to Abraham was barren and desolate, but a land flowing with milk and honey. What God gives is always good, never bad.

Our burdens are borne by Jesus, so we must begin to thoroughly break away from this concept of defeat and begin to desire to be like Jesus, removing the garbage from our minds. Once the garbage is removed, you are like Jesus. Can Jesus be deceived? How could Jesus be deceived? After being deceived, Jesus was cheated of three hundred thousand, and then two hundred thousand, and in the end, Jesus owed a lot of credit card debt? No, Jesus did not owe a lot of credit card debt. So our brothers and sisters must begin to know that being like Jesus is the true faith of Jesus Christ, and victory is the faith of Jesus Christ. God has already predestined us for victory. We just draw on God's promises by faith, and boldly go to battle. I tell you, there is no devilish enemy that will not be trampled under your feet!

Abraham's Victory

Abraham was quite something, reaching over seventy to find life meaningless. He was wealthy, but he lacked meaning. In searching for life's purpose, one explores what really matters. Take the man who lived through the German concentration camps in World War II. He wrote about it in Man's Search for Meaning. Consider China after its new establishment, when Long Er got shot and Fugui survived. Fugui was a tycoon, but he gambled it all away to Long Er. Having cleaned Fugui out, Long Er was shot a few years later, for having wealth!

Life's significance was what Abraham set to find. And his son, grandson, and descendant passed the question on. In Abraham's search, he found it. It was then that God started to converse with him, telling him to head to where God had indicated. There are many stories for us to cover this lesson. But even if you have not read Genesis, you will understand. If you are familiar with Genesis, treat it as a refresher.

Abraham said to the family, Let us go together, my wife. They were childless but for nephew Lot. At the start of their trip, they did not know where to go, and his wife asked him, Where do we head? Abraham stated, Where God has indicated! And his wife followed suit. How wonderful to have a wife like that! Take Sarah as a model! Wherever you go, I go, the wife said. Wherever you are, I am. The God you believe is also my God. Where you go is where I want to be. Look at that love. Such things are rare today.

They reached a place where famine had struck. Abraham said, This is the Promised Land. Did that confuse you? Yes, that's confusing. That's no land flowing with milk and honey but a place of famine. And they pressed on till they reached Egypt, but was that the destination? No, it was there that Abraham said to his wife, Say you are my sister, as our relation. Don't mention our marriage. You are too beautiful. Sarah, though she was over sixty, looked to be in her teens. She was taken into the Pharaoh's palace. Abraham did nothing to rescue his wife, and God had to step in.

The story is likely making the sisters think Abraham atrocious. But we see his faith in God's work, and Pharaoh returned Sarah with gifts of livestock, too. We learn that trusting in God, despite facing tough circumstances, is victory. Going to Egypt was victory too. And they came back from Egypt with herds of livestock.

Later, Abraham returned to Canaan, but his nephew Lot refused to live in tents any longer. These tents were essentially modern-day Mongolian yurts. We can imagine the squalor: no sewage, running water, or showers. It was miserable! But this was how Abraham lived; pitching and unpitching tents day after day. He was old and tired, and his nephew was finding issue with it.

Lot could have tolerated it, but his wife could not. The wife must be a Sarah-like figure: someone who shares and bears hardship with you. Like Abraham, a preacher must be up for discomfort. Lot's wife complained in Lot's ear. Lot left his uncle and went to Sodom. Abraham stayed in tents while Lot's dwellings had decoration and toilets. But Lot lost it all when hellfire hit the city. His wife turned into a pillar of salt. Lot turned into a lesson of defeat while Abraham modeled victory.

Did he? Our pursuit is not on physical enjoyment per se. Each challenge he met was a victory in Abraham's eyes, because he understood that life is an exam. As conveyed in my book, Ecclesiastes, your score will determine where you go. Being on Earth is one big exam, and you have to pass to return to God. Every test, every adversity, from Haran to Canaan to Egypt, was a victory. From quizzes to tests, he completed his university entrance exam with flying colors.

Once he passes all these tests, God told him, Abraham, I will bless you. Every victory earned him a blessing, with real silver and gold and real cattle and sheep. Not the paper versions people burn to the dead. These were actual herds. If you want to live well on Earth, you have to win.

Each trial of faith offers an important choice: Do we choose faith or faithlessness? A choice of faith is victory. God predestined us to conquer, but we have to choose faith. Abraham's life is an exciting illustration of this. His mastery went far. He trained and led his army to victory after victory.

Abraham led 318 soldiers for one feat. The four kings of that day, who gained the name by occupying small cities, went to wage war against five other kings, one of whom rules Lot's Sodom. Kedolaomer led the four kings to victory. The feat is akin to Emperor Qin uniting China. But Abraham led 318 soldiers to defeat the four kings, saving Lot and the king of Sodom. Abraham's martial arts were uncommon in that day. Like Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, and and Lü Bu, he trained soldiers well.

Abraham marched forth to more victories. I do not know if I can return alive from a real firefight. But God was with Abraham, and he won those battles. It was all faith.

As he returned from war, God said, Abraham, from this land, from north to south, east to west, what you see is yours. If you are familiar with Abraham, you know his feats are astonishing. Then God tested him by wanting Isaac, his only son, as a sacrifice. And Abraham agreed. He did not consult his wife. For his wife was protective of Isaac. He snuck away and brought Isaac to Mount Moriah over three days. And the place of sacrifice became the Temple Mount of Israel. Abraham was amazing. Upon his decision, God called out to Abraham, stopping him in time: God had prepared a ram for sacrifice!

Do you and I have the heart to offer such a sacrifice? For God has prepared something better for us. To bless him, God would bless him greatly, as mentioned in Genesis. If one day God asked a sacrifice of you, do not say you need to think about it! That is what fools say. Do not misunderstand God as a beggar. He only is testing us.

Why does God look on me with favor? What I have to share is that, when God asked me if I would die for Him, I said I would. I vowed never to retreat. And I wept. Why? Because God had taken notice of me. I was but a mere mortal with a meaningless life, like a character in the background.

God's grace gave me such an honor. I agreed to die for God. How can I describe the honor? I can only give credit to God. All I did was agree to sacrifice all.

Isaac's Victory

Isaac did not find meaning in life either. As a child, he heard his father speak of it. Like when you hear me preach that it is simple to live: you just need God. And then you can ask, How was I born? It's an old family legend. Life to God is a destination.

One day, when Isaac was thirty, Abraham sought to sacrifice him to God. Isaac thought, I will not get such a chance again. So he went willingly. Then God knew Abraham had passed the test. Abraham had prepared a sacrifice, but God provided one in his place. The ram prefigured Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So Isaac's life went smoothly thereafter.

The place where Isaac stayed was exceptional. Canaan suffered drought, but Isaac would dig and water sprang forth. It seemed that the Lord favored Isaac very much.

Then there was famine. But where his neighbors were barren, the Lord watered Isaac's land. Isaac reaped a hundredfold where drought prevailed. These miracles gave him wealth. So Isaac resolved the matter of all others' suffering with one sacrifice. Abraham had many lessons to learn, but Isaac graduated with one final exam. Abraham and Isaac are lessons on victory. Jacob, Isaac's son, is also one.

Jacob's Victory

Jacob's tale rivals his grandfather's. For Abraham was already wealthy when he followed God while Jacob started with nothing and become wealthy. A comparison of wealth maintenance and wealth creation shows Jacob as exceptional.

The tale of Jacob's victory has the exception that he was born five minutes after his brother. As the younger twin, he envied the birthright. Yet Jacob longed for stories and instruction by Abraham, his grandfather. He would listen with rapt attention to accounts of God granting blessings, while Esau would look on dully. Jacob longed to transform his position. Christians should be as Jacob: that which nothing is impossible--not even the order of birth. Though Jacob was later, he can change this at a spiritual level. Soon, he sought to exchange a bowl of stew with Esau for the birthright. God blinded Isaac so that Jacob could gain the blessing.

Jacob coveted what his grandfather and father shared with God. But that birthright is not deemed valuable by many today, who favor money instead, but Jacob sought to be blessed. What Jacob wanted was wisdom from above.

Abraham spoke with God about sacrificing a son. Jacob learned the lesson, while Esau wanted to hunt.

God spoke with Abraham:

“because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:16-18)

“Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you;
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!” (Genesis 27:29)

What more does one lack when one has God in life? Nothing. Therefore, it is foolish to fix our eyes solely on money. Fixing our eyes on God is a blessing in eternity. In this life, we can see the blessings of eternity manifested in us. Jacob, because he cheated his brother out of his blessing, his brother wanted to kill him. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, and then said Jacob cheated him out of his birthright, but Jacob did not dwell on Esau taking his father's wealth as his own. What was the result? Esau led four hundred soldiers to kill Jacob.

Twenty years after Jacob left his homeland, he became very wealthy. He brought many herds of cattle and sheep back to his homeland with many children, heading towards Canaan. Esau was leading four hundred soldiers to kill him. This story is recorded in Genesis chapters 32-33. At that time, Jacob was extremely distressed because he could not defeat Esau. Some people feel that not being able to physically defeat Esau is not a blessing. They feel that Esau was living well, leading four hundred soldiers, which was more than Abraham's three hundred and eighteen by eighty-plus. Jacob dared not go forward. He arranged for his family to walk in the front of the line, while he walked at the very back. Then he divided his family into two groups, so that if Esau attacked one group, he would go with the other group; if the other group was attacked, he would go with the first group.

We exhaust many methods to solve our confusion. We are all like this inside. When we encounter problems, we do not realize how powerful God is. Actually, how could Jacob not know this? He simply could not overcome the feelings within himself. Those feelings were very real. Someone wants to kill you. At this time, you cannot defeat them. What do you do? He stood on the bank of the ford, with his family having crossed over, but he stood on the bank, unwilling to cross over.

At this time, a man came out and wrestled with Jacob. You go over! I'm not going over! You go over! I'm not going over! They wrestled with all their might. You need to know that Jacob was very afraid inside at this time. As dawn approached, the man grabbed Jacob's thigh, and Jacob immediately became lame and unable to fight. What to do? Jacob grabbed the leg of the man he was wrestling with and said, Unless you bless me, I will not let you go! That person was an angel of God, or possibly God Himself. He said to Jacob, From now on, you will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with man, and have overcome.

We are all confused. Wrestling with God and being thrown down by God. How can that be called overcoming in wrestling with God? Can everyone understand this? Actually, surrendering before God is called overcoming. If God governs everything in our lives, who can harm us? No one can harm us. Jacob grabbed the person's thigh and said, You bless me. I will not let you go unless you bless me. From then on, he got a name called Israel, which means he has overcome in wrestling with God and with man.

Wrestling with ourselves, the feeling changes immediately. When we surrender before God, when we begin to trust in God, the strong feeling inside us subsides, and the fear disappears. Otherwise, you can try it. Whenever you trust in God, whenever you surrender before God, you can rely on God to overcome this feeling. You are then called Israel, one who has overcome in wrestling with God and with man. Overcoming in wrestling with God is because we surrender before God. Overcoming in wrestling with man is because we overcome our carnal selves. There is a carnal self inside you, and that thing is terrible. It often makes you afraid, often makes you feel uncomfortable.

As a result, Jacob had faith in God, believing that his destiny was in God's hands, and then ran to the front of the line. If his brother came to kill him, what would happen? God would decide. Who can take our lives? Only God can. You already belong to God. I surrender before God. Although I lost in wrestling with God, I have already won the blessing. If God is with me, no one can do anything to me. The miracle happened like that. His brother originally came to kill him, but as he walked, he forgot the original intent. Seeing his younger brother limping towards him in the distance, the thoughts in his head suddenly changed.

As to how he changed, none of us can say for sure. Can God not control Esau's thoughts and intentions? Absolutely! Can God not control your boss's thoughts and intentions? Absolutely! Can God not control the thoughts and intentions of those in power? Absolutely! For your benefit, God can do anything. For Jacob's sake, God could make Isaac's eyes blind. In fact, Isaac lived for many years afterward. God is willing to do anything for us. If we are a person like Jacob, we will firmly grasp God's heavenly blessings, firmly grasp God's covenant, and pay a great price. God will surely prosper us. This is the story of Jacob.

From then on, Jacob experienced one test after another, and each test was a victory. When he arrived in Canaan, as time passed, Jacob's spiritual life began to be refined to perfection. He saw a person's life very clearly. Of course, there are many, many more stories of Jacob later on. Jacob appeared all the way until the end of Genesis, and there are very many chapters about Jacob.

Joseph's Victory

Jacob had a very wonderful son, and this son once again pushed Jacob's faith to a higher level. Abraham's faith was not as good as Isaac's, Isaac's faith was not as good as Jacob's, and Jacob's faith was certainly not as good as Joseph's. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was sold into slavery in Egypt by his own half-brothers. Joseph was amazing. Joseph said: Dad, you only had one brother, and you got the birthright with a bowl of red bean soup, but I have ten older brothers. You waited seventy-five years to get the birthright with one bowl of red bean soup, but if I multiply these seventy-five years by ten, I won't live to see that day! He was extremely sad because he had ten older brothers. The red bean soup trick didn't work. The eldest and second eldest brothers both knew about it.

Jacob loved this spiritual son very much, just like David loved Solomon. He always told Solomon how to build the temple. Did you think that God's blessing was only Jacob's blessing? No, God's blessing can be given as much as needed. God's promise can be given as much as needed. As a result, God allowed Joseph to have a dream, in which he dreamed that the sun, stars, and moon were all bowing down to him, and then he had other dreams as well. Everyone knew as soon as they heard it that he would be the greatest in this family. As a result, his brothers said: Here comes that dreamer. Let's see what becomes of his dreams. I'm going to sell you into slavery in Egypt. Did you think that the plan of God can be ruined by being sold into slavery in Egypt? In fact, it wasn't, and it just fulfilled God's plan.

It was not easy to be a slave in Egypt. A seventeen-year-old child was sold into slavery in Egypt. He told his dreams to his brothers and his parents. Would he tell the people he was enslaved to in Egypt? He definitely would. The Bible says that God was with Joseph, and everything he did prospered. Did everyone think that Joseph was having a great time as a slave in Egypt? Actually, it was a mistake. Although Joseph prospered in everything as a slave in Egypt, he was still a slave for ten years. Later, he was seduced by his mistress. Because Joseph refused to obey, she could not seduce him and instead falsely accused him of seducing her, and he was imprisoned for another three years.

Let's briefly summarize Joseph's story. Joseph later came out of prison, became the prime minister of Egypt, married a wife, and had children. His first child was named Manasseh, and he said that God had made him forget all the pain. Pain is very difficult to deal with when it strikes. It was God who made him forget his pain, so he named his son Manasseh. Did you think that Joseph was a big slave from the beginning? No, he started as a small slave. It takes many years for a small eunuch to become a big eunuch. It is all hardship from being a small slave to being a big slave.

If you are a small employee in a company, whoever wants to glare at you glares at you, and whoever wants to kick you kicks you. Of course, work is not like it used to be now, but wasn't it like that before? If they were unhappy, they would beat you up. He thought to himself that his own brothers sold him. Tell me, it doesn't make sense from a sentimental, rational, or any point of view. He felt aggrieved and extremely painful whenever he thought of this. But every time he thought of it, he would say that God had a wonderful plan for him. Although he could not get the birthright, he could be greater than the eldest son in the family. This is beyond our imagination. Every time he thought of God's wonderful plan for him, his heart would relax, and the feeling of discomfort would pass.

Speaking of Joseph, everyone can try it. Every time I imitate Joseph, it works every time. Every time I think of God having a wonderful plan for me, there is no feeling that I cannot overcome. Every time pain strikes, it is very hard, but every time I imitate Joseph, it works. God has a wonderful plan for me, and God will surely accomplish His plan in me. No one, nor anything, can change God's plan for me. God makes me forget all the pain.

You need to know that the devil is very bad. How bad is it? When I am awake, the devil has no way to disturb me, because I firmly believe in God's words inside. The devil often makes those things appear in my dreams like a movie, very realistically, making me very painful. When I wake up, I declare again: No one, nor anything, can change God's wonderful plan for me! God will make me forget the pain.

Is this a fact? It is a fact! Is it harm? It is harm! Is it pain? It is pain! But these are all God's wonderful plans, so Joseph named his child Manasseh. Why are people so tired? Because they care too much about worldly things. If you firmly grasp God's promise, firmly grasp God's wonderful plan for you, no one can take it away. Then he had a second son, whom he named Ephraim. The meaning of this name is: God has made me prosper in the place of my suffering.

It turns out that all of this is just an exam, because God's plan for us is prosperity, is flourishing, is to enter into all of God's good promised land. Later, Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt. From the age of thirty until he was over one hundred and ten years old, he was always in God's blessing. Even Pharaoh treated Joseph like his own father. Why is it so good to have God? Because God can make us forget all the pain, and God can make us prosper in the place of suffering. This is victory! This is Joseph's victory. What if Joseph lost the battle? What if Jacob lost the battle? A person with faith will not lose the battle. A person who believes in God and trusts in God is victorious.

Brothers and sisters, you need to know that in Joseph's time, Joseph was not the only one sold into slavery in Egypt. Other people who had no faith and no God would spend the rest of their lives in prison and remain slaves until the end. Later, after Joseph, the Israelites went to Egypt. On the very day that four hundred and thirty years were completed, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness for training. As a result, when they were about to enter Canaan, they were afraid to enter and afraid of fighting. God was angry and made them wander in the wilderness for thirty-eight years, for a total of forty years. After wandering for forty years, that generation that came out of Egypt all died, and only Joshua and Caleb could enter the Promised Land, because Joshua and Caleb wholeheartedly followed God.

The Israelites Who Died in the Wilderness

We all may ask, the Israelites came out of Egypt, but could not enter the Promised Land. Some people say: God's plan was like this. In fact, God's plan was for them to enter the Promised Land. Even today, God's will is still that you are Joseph, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, and also that you are Joshua and Caleb, wholeheartedly following God. Wholeheartedly means faith. God does not want us to die in the wilderness, but there are too many Christians who die in the wilderness today. Some even name themselves Manna of the Wilderness. Manna of the Wilderness is not a good word. Entering the land flowing with milk and honey is God's plan.

But the problem is that we fail as soon as we encounter a test of faith, and we retreat as soon as we encounter a battle of faith. In the end, we definitely cannot enter the Promised Land. We thought that it was God doing it on purpose, but it wasn't! Entering the Promised Land is God's plan. We are fortunate to be able to know God, to know that God has a wonderful will for us, and to know that God has a plan for us. We also need our own participation. This participation is called faith. You have to believe!

If the Israelites cannot enter the Promised Land and we blame God for the reason, thinking that God just wants to fix us like this, then we are no different from the Israelites who died in the wilderness. The Israelites who died in the wilderness died because of unbelief. They often had no way to overcome. They didn't even have the courage to fight. In fact, God had already predestined them to overcome, but they refused to overcome. We must know for sure that God has already predestined us to overcome.

Joshua and Caleb Who Entered the Promised Land

There were two people who entered the Promised Land, one was Joshua and the other was Caleb. The Bible says that:

Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me— none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ (Numbers 32:11-12)

Later, after entering the Promised Land, no matter how powerful the enemies were in front of them, even giants, they were defeated in front of them. In other words, no matter how strong the opponents Joshua and Caleb faced, they never lost a battle. In fact, God had already promised us victory. We can learn a lesson from this. What kind of lesson? Whether it is Joshua or Caleb, they are all like Jacob, victorious in battles with God and with man. They are also like Joseph, who overcame in wrestling with God and with man in the midst of suffering.

The Apostle Paul Who Disciplined His Body

We see the people who overcome, we see the people who do not overcome, and we see the Apostle Paul who disciplined his body. What is disciplining the body? Disciplining the body means that there is an evil force inside us. This evil force is our carnal self. This evil force often comes to ruin us, just like Jacob wrestling with God at the Jabbok ford. In fact, we have all wrestled with God. We have no way to surrender before God, and we have no way to overcome the evil force in our bodies. That feeling is very real. We need to know what the gospel we believe in is. It is that God wants to enable us to overcome the evil force of our carnal nature in our bodies, that we can rely on God to surrender before Him and draw on the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead.

This is the Apostle Paul who disciplined his body. If we take out the Bible today and read the Apostle Paul's experiences, they are beyond what ordinary people can understand. The Apostle Paul is not a special person. He is the same as us. Jesus Christ is God, and He came into the world in the flesh, just like us. When needles are stuck in His body, when stones hit His body, and when whips are used on His body, He bleeds the same way, and it hurts the same way. His feelings are exactly the same as ours. We need to begin to know that everyone has the faith that comes from Abraham, the inherited faith of Abraham.

Just like the faith of the ancients that we talked about, we are just sojourners on earth, just experiencing a test from God on earth. In any case, come before God with a good report card, and say to God: I have fought the good fight in this world, and I have kept the faith. Although I have gone through a lot of pain and hardship, You are a faithful God, and You have made me victorious in every test because of my trust in You.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

The power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead will be manifested in us. Don't you think this is a great thing?

Establish a Concept of Victory

Jesus experienced the same things we experienced, very hard, very painful! But there are many angels there, and even Jesus Christ and our God are cheering us on, so that we can overcome through Him. I think our story will be sung throughout heaven and earth, because our story is a story of victory. The stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Joshua, Caleb, and the Apostle Paul must be told in heaven. Our stories are still being told because we imitate them. We establish a concept of victory. Without battles, there is no victory. A battle is a struggle within us, a battle in the spiritual world. Only by overcoming in battle can we obtain the promised land. There are no failures in heaven.

Some people feel that even if they don't win, it's okay to go to heaven to clean. I'm telling you, there is no cleaning to be done in heaven. There is only one kind of person in heaven, and that is the prince of God! You want to be a noble person, you want to be a great prince! Fight on earth, face all kinds of temptations, face all kinds of tests, overcome in battle, and obtain the promised land. Each of us must go through tests of faith, and we can only receive blessings if we overcome. Inside our bodies, our carnal selves and our spiritual selves have been fighting. When we believe in God's Spirit, God's Spirit will surely help us, help us to subdue the evil deeds of our carnal nature. After listening to my sharing, brothers and sisters, you must begin to believe that God has already predestined us to overcome, because those who believe will receive.

Battles are tiring, but losing battles is even more tiring. Is it tiring to win a battle? It's not tiring to win a battle! Is it tiring to lose a battle? It's even more tiring to lose a battle! Is it hard to be a slave? It is hard to be a slave! Isn't it better to be free than to be a slave? Do we want to fight and win or fight and lose in this world? We will also be Plundered by the devil if we lost the battle. Overcoming is such a wonderful choice. Overcoming does not require strong muscles. Overcoming only requires your faith. You need to know that God has already predestined you to overcome. We are tired inside, but it is even more tiring to lose the battle. Whether inside or outside, we are tired. After winning the battle, there is also the hope of heaven, and on earth we can live out God's dignity and glory.

Conclusion

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Brothers and sisters, do you understand? No matter how many promises our God has, they are all in Jesus Christ. What does it mean to be in Jesus Christ? It means to be in the body of Jesus Christ. What is the body of Jesus Christ? It is the church of Jesus Christ. What is the church of Jesus Christ? It is that God builds us on the rock, and the gates of hell cannot overcome it. We are a victorious church, so no matter how many promises God has, they are all in Jesus Christ, and they are all yes and that could be relied on. This is a real case and we are a real victorious church. Begin to summon the courage to make a smart choice. Fighting a winning battle is also fighting, and fighting a losing battle is also fighting. Dying in the wilderness is also dying, and dying in the Promised Land is also dying. Today, let us make the best choice. If we want to die, let us die in God's Promised Land, and even if we die, we will fight a winning battle. Never compromise, never retreat, rely on God throughout our lives, and draw on God's promises.

The theme of our messages is the key to being blessed. Why do we see so many things that are not blessed? Because we lost the battle. It is useless to find a thousand and one reasons for the lost battle. There are more reasons than soy sauce, but they are useless. Only one thing is useful, and that is to overcome. Have we overcome today? Maybe your business is busy, will you let go of God? Maybe your work is busy, will you let go of God? Maybe you have a lot of things to do, will you let go of God? Is every matter a test? Every test is a struggle in our hearts. If you trust in God, you will overcome.

Can everyone now connect faith, victory, and warfare together? Without warfare, there is no victory. There must be a struggle. The struggle is whether to keep and follow God's Word or not to keep and follow God's Word. Do we live according to God's Word or do we live according to our own will? Do we choose to trust in God to overcome in this struggle? Casting out demons is a very obvious thing. As soon as they see that you are a victorious person, demons cannot stand before you at all. But every time we cast out demons, there is a struggle within us, a contest of faith. So I often say that the key is to persevere one minute more than the devil.

Brothers and sisters, tell yourselves that I am a victorious person, that God has already predestined me to overcome, and that I rely on God to live out God's wonderful plan for me in this world. Because God has predestined me to enter the Promised Land, predestined me to win, predestined me to trample on the devil and the enemy, predestined me to draw on heavenly resources, and predestined me to draw on God's promises. We must die in God’s will and became a victorious person, let us run this road together. Amen!

May God bless everyone!