Overcoming The World Through Faith

We read a timely passage from Spurgeon on overcoming the world, share candid repentance, and walk through Scriptures that steady courage in hard seasons. We talk praise in sunshine as much as storms and honor a life that used a platform to point to Jesus.

• opening prayer of praise and focus
• reading from Spurgeon’s Against the World
• why admiration can be riskier than persecution
• the lifelong fight of faith in thought and desire
• personal repentance and breaking old patterns
• Scriptures for discouragement and courage
• John 16:33 as realism and relief
• honoring a musician’s public witness
• gratitude for listener growth and support
• resources, website, and book on discernment

If you own a business and you want to advertise on the Food for Thought Faith Cast, I'll give you a straight good deal
Guys, check out the website, www.forchristministry.com
Check out the book discernment, a generational wake up call for a generationally cursed society
If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, yeah I think you better a get right. Hashtag a get right.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Purpose
• 2:38 Opening Prayer Of Praise
• 3:49 Praise In Good Times Too
• 4:20 Spurgeon’s “Against The World”
• 10:20 The Lifelong Battle Of Faith
• 13:59 Persecution Versus Admiration
• 16:05 Personal Repentance And Growth
• 18:31 Scripture For Discouragement
• 21:38 Cultural Notes And Tribute

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:31

Hey guys, it's B Rob. It's the Food for Thought Faith Cast, and I am your host. And it's Wednesday, it's hump day, February 11th. And today I was doing a Bible study out of a book called Words of Cheer by Charles Spurgeon. And I wanted to read you just a small insert. I think it's kind of relevant to today's atmosphere and what's uh happening and going on. Um, I mean, there's a lot of things going on people don't understand, and uh, you know, some of us have been trying to tell them for 10 years, but um kind of like uh Joseph, uh some of us didn't understand our calling back then, so we just kind of went out with a trumpet and started blowing a horn, and uh it don't work that way. You get uh you get thrown in a mental prison that way, trust me. I was there and um I'm good. I I'm good. I I uh lost a bunch of friends, lost a bunch of memories, lost a bunch of Facebook pages, but uh I never lost my faith, never lost my soul, and I'm still be robbed and we're still pushing through. So let's um before we uh get into this, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Uh dear Heavenly Father, we just come to you today, Lord. We just uh we praise you, Lord. Even even with everything going on, we praise you that you could see that you could give us some kind of silver lining, some kind of uh truth to this, and we praise you for that, Lord. Even in the midst of pain, we praise the name of Jesus, and that is what we have to do. You know, Lord, so many of us just call you when we need something. Call you when we're hurting, Lord, call you when um when things are down, like now, Lord. But Lord, I pray that they would praise you even in the good times, Lord. They would praise your name. Sometimes we get so caught up in emotions and feelings that we forget to praise who gave us the blessing, Lord. And we and I just pray that uh we uh keep you in sight through the good and the bad, and that uh we hold on to your faith and your mercy, and I pray all these things in uh Jesus' holy, heavenly name. Amen and hallelujah. Well, guys, um that's another thing. We were talking about this on a in a in a men's Bible study I had yesterday. We need to we need to praise them in the good times too. Don't just party, don't just celebrate, you know, don't just have a celebrate good time. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It should be celebrated one again. You know what I'm saying? That sort of thing. Because uh without God, we have nothing. You know what I'm saying? Without God, we can do nothing. Without God, we are nothing. So uh I'm gonna read you this real quick, and uh let's let's get into this. This this this little segment is called Against the World. I kind of I kind of fell into this. I loved it, it was great. So I'm gonna read it to you. Um it starts out with 1 John 5, 3 through 5, and it says, For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world. Even our faith, who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. Now that was 1 John 5, 3 through 5, and we did a Bible study about 1 John not too long ago, and um that's an amazing verse, and I'm gonna continue reading. I'm I'm only gonna read a little bit because I can't really read his book to you because of podcast rules, but I'm gonna read you a little bit, and um I think this has a great lesson. It says, We know that we have been great battles where nations, we know that there have been great battles where nations have met in strife and one has overcome the other. But who has read of the victory that overcame the world? Some will say that Alexander was its conqueror, but I will answer that he was not. He was he himself was a vanquished man. Even when all things were in his possession, he fought for the world and won it. And then notice how he mastered its master, conquered its conqueror, and lashed the monarch who had been its gorge. See the royal youth weeping and stretching out his hands with senseless cries for another world that he could ravage. It outward showed he seemed to have overcome old earth, but in reality, within his inmost soul, the earth had conquered him, had overwhelmed him, had wrapped him in a dream of ambition, and had bound him with the chains of covetness, so that when he had it all, he was still dissatisfied. Like a poor slave, he was dragged on at the chariot wheels of the world, crying, moaning, and lamenting because he could not win another. Who is the man that overcame the world? Let him come forward. He is the Triton among minnows, he will outshine Caesar, he will outmatch even our own Wesley, Duke of Wellington. If he can say he has overcome the world, it is such a rare thing, a victory so prestigious, a conquest so tremendous that he who can claim that have won it may walk among his fellows like Saul, with head and shoulders far above them. His presence will awe us into reverence, his speech will persuade us to obedience, yielding honor to whom honor is due. We will say then, we will say when we will say when we listen to his voice, yielding honor to whom honor is due. Sorry. The Christian overcomes the world. It is a tough battle, not one that the weak and soft might win. It is no easy skirmish that we might win who dashed to battle on some sunny day, looked at the enemy, then turned his horse rein and daintily dismounted at the door of his silken tent. It is not a battle that a raw recruit will win who puts on his uniform and foolishly imagines that no, that one week of service will ensure a crown of glory. You see where the symbolism is getting here? No, it's a lifelong war. It is a fight that needs the power of all the muscles and a strong heart. It is a contest that will require all our strength if we are to be triumphant. If we do come off more than conquerors, it will be said of us. As Joseph Hart said of Jesus Christ, he had strength enough and none to spare. It is a battle at which the bravest heart might cower, and it is a fight at which the bravest man might shake if he did not remember the Lord is on his side. And therefore, whom shall he fear? The Lord is my strength of his life, and whom shall he be afraid? That's Psalms 27:1. The fight with the world is not one of main force or physical might. If it were, we might soon win it. However, it is all more dangerous from the fact that it is the strife of mind, a contest of heart, a struggle of spirit, and a strife of the soul. When we overcome the world in a way we have not even half done the work, for the world is a proteus, changing its shape continually like a chameleon. It has all the colors of the rainbow, and when you have gotten the best of the world in one shape, it will attack you in another. Until you die, you will always have fresh appearances of the world to wrestle with. She changes her aspect. The world says that person is a heretic. That one is a fanatic. He is a hypocrite. She grasps her sword, puts frowns upon her brow, scowls like a demon. You say, she says, the man dares defy my government, he will not do as others do. Now I will persecute him. Slander. So the world comes from the depths of hell and hisses at him. But you see, a true born child of God cares little for man's opinion. You see, Christians aren't as aren't in as much danger when they're being prosecuted as they are when they're being admired. That's the last thing I'm gonna read from this book. Christians. That's a good one. That's a real good one. I'm gonna read that again. I'm gonna read that again. Also, children of God cannot live without prayer. Take that. Um but this right here. That was a that was a good one. Now I can't find it where I was at. Anyway. Oh well. I'll find it. Afterwards. But guys, that's that's good stuff. Think about it. Think about what's going on now. I've been it's wild how the how the world works. I've been sharing this crap for almost ten years. You know? Up until about two years ago. Everybody called me names, everybody put me down. I even had a really good friend of mine tell me I should be ashamed of myself for believing in that stuff. Well, guess what? When a child of God knows his spirit and knows discernment and knows what's wrong and what ain't wrong, and can feel it in the loins of his soul, yeah. It's gonna be hard to battle that person, and that person is me. And um, have I have I been spotless? We ain't nobody spotless, man. I got mad yesterday and yelled and screamed and pitched a fit. And I'm gonna repent about that right here, right now, even though I prayed about it all day afterwards, because let me tell you, man, that sort of activity, that sort of, that's not even from God. And that's the person that I that that died. But there are certain individuals that I love and care a lot about that bring that out. And it's sad because you know, you're not supposed to give energy to that energy. And um I did yesterday. And I'm very sorry about that. Because that ain't me at all. That's the old me. That's the old me that was um living out a generational curse because uh my dad yelled at me, you know? Well, my adopted father. I don't know if y'all know my story, but anyway, guys, it's man. I don't want to keep y'all along today. Um, we're not doing the man of God today. Um, let me see, let me see, let's see, let's see. God's survival guide. Let's see. All right. This is what God's word says about discouragement. So if you're being discouraged today, let me give you some Bible verses about that. Um, Joshua 1 9 says, Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. That's just, I mean, that's a good one. That's a good one. You know. Um, even though this season might not be a happy season, we still have to praise God. In Galatians 6 9, it says, and let us not grow weary while doing good. For in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. So basically, look at that. Look at what it says. Take the content. Do good even in the storm, and don't be weary of doing good, because you shall reap the reward when the season is right. You look at some of those guys in the Old Testament, took years. God even tested them. So keep that in mind. Keep that in mind. John 16, 33, these things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Basically, Jesus is saying that the world is a bad place. It always has been. It was condemned with sin. The ground was cursed with Adam. Think about it. If you don't know these things, you need to go back and start with Genesis and read the Bible. And I can recommend you tons of different books that'll help you understand. And if you want to call B-Rob, you can call B-rob. I got a new number, but all you gotta do is go to my website and um send me a message and I'll give you my new number. So, guys, that that that's about it, man. Um love you guys. Love you guys. Don't know if you guys know this. Um I'm sure you guys heard the band Lead Singer uh Three Doors Down. I even posted when he uh was diagnosed with well, when I found out he had cancer. Uh and um, you know, he gave his life to Christ there quite a few years ago, and um every night on stage he stopped and and told everybody to repeat after him and was talking about Jesus, and that is unheard of in that business, and he's won a lot of Grammys, so I don't know, you know, I don't know if he sold his soul earlier and then flipped later, but I posted a picture back in late 2018 and he was holding a coffee cup and it said woke, and it had a Q as the O. So you know there's a lot of them that give up information flip just to save their reputation. And I don't know if you know about Three Doors Down, but a lot of their songs were very, very, very um positive. And the ones that weren't positive were were basically motivating and talking about good things. Um they did a lot for the uh the military, did a lot of shows, went overseas, did a lot of things, did a lot of good things, and um may God rest his uh soul. He was a good one, you know. And um we appreciate your service as a Christian because he had a platform and he used it for the last four or five years or so um even before he got cancer, he used his platform. Um I just want to say God bless his family and um the three doors down family. Great, great music music and um guys, it's been a good one. I love you guys. God loves you guys loves you guys. And um I thank you for tuning in. I uh I don't know why I got my glasses on. They're for reader, they're for reading. Um thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. I mean, this thing has grown. Uh just yesterday I had 237 people stream an episode, and that that is simply amazing because a year ago it was one to two a day. So that's a huge, huge growth. And um guys, if you own a business and you want to advertise on the Food for Thought Faith Cast, I'll give you a straight good deal. I promise. So uh um guys, check out the website, www.forchristministry.com. Check out the book discernment, a generational uh wake up call for a generationally cursed society, and I'm kind of talking about what that's talking about how the world is and how we have uh lost lost focus. So um it's very convicting, and I hope you uh it I hope you read it and get a good message because it's not from me, it's from it's from our Lord. Guys, I love you. God loves you, and if you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, yeah I think you better uh uh a get right. Hashtag a get right.