One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #266, June 2023
Greetings friends,
World War II ended on May 8, 1945, sixty three days before I was born and the war on Japan ended September 2, 1945, fifty five days after I was born. Since I was born in Clevedon, England I was baptized by the church of England about six months after I was born. Did that make me an English citizen? No, because I was born to an English mother, but an American soldier (my dad) and that made me an American citizen. The idea I’m passing along is just because I was in my mom’s womb for eight months in a war zone, didn’t make me a soldier. Being born in England didn’t make me a citizen and being baptized in an English church didn’t make me a Christian. All of these things were affecting my outer person and not my inner person.
Neither did my walking through the front door of a school house at six years old make me a genius. Even though I have been a student of life all of my life, I’m still not a genius, but I have learned wise things from wise people and proper teaching. Even though I was in the army, stationed in Europe for thirty one months during the Vietnam War, I wasn’t a war hero, and even though I’m an idealist, I’m a long way from being perfect. As the Apostle Paul said, I am what I am by the grace of God and I’ll have to say Amen to that.
In order to be victorious in life, we must learn the technique of resisting our adversaries. Saint Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (guns, tanks, bombers), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”. In order to bring down ignorance, we must exalt knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. In order to bring down opinions we must exalt facts and truth. In order to resist hate, we must express love, care, sympathy and understanding. In order to resist the stronghold of negativity we must exalt the Holy essence of positivity. The Bible says that everything in Christ is yea and amen, which means he is absolute and full of Glory.
To be victorious in God’s eyes we must say there is a God. In order to be victorious we must: Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and we must love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37 & 39). To be victorious we must have faith (trust and confidence in the Word and power of God); without faith it is impossible to please him (Hebrews 11:6). In order to be victorious we must bring him pleasure, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name, but to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased (Hebrews 13:15-16).
One of the greatest blessings that God has bestowed upon us, besides the gift of truth, is the gift of grace. Grace and truth go hand in hand whenever we are endeavoring to please God. The grace of God covers mistakes we make while we are learning the truth, the righteous way, the principles, and while the gift that God has given to us is being perfected in us. He said that the ones he loves he chastens, which means that his Holy Spirit will guide us, inspire us and intercede for us. While doing this, He will quicken our minds to our mistakes and keep us encouraged and zealous of good works. Being victorious means dwelling in the Kingdom of God today and not waiting until some day. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
The Apostle John wrote in (1 John 5:4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world: Our faith! One of the attributes of faith is described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:12 where he said, …for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever (Jude 1:24-25).
Our prayers are with you and for you, that you will have health and healing, with love, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. God bless.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts