How CHRISTIANITY can be a WINNING Lifestyle

The ONE thing that can keep you from being a TOTAL WINNER and living a WINNING lifestyle everyday is if you have a foot in the world and a foot in the kingdom of God.

Look at it this way, Jesus has already won. He said, “All power is given to Me in heaven and earth.” (Mat 28:18-20) He totally disarmed the devil. But for us, the key to also be fully empowered, and fully winning, is if we fully follow in His footsteps. HE said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mat 28:19-20)

That’s what discipleship is all about. It’s to walk out His teachings everyday. It’s to let Jesus have full control of our life. It’s to live out the inheritance given to us at the new birth, as SONS of God on the earth, equipped to enforce the laws of God, not only in our own lives, but all around us, by destroying the works of the devil. We have been given the power to do that.

But the MAIN REQUIREMENT is to shun the things of the world and to live by the laws of God. Jesus said, “I have given them Your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:14-16)

The whole world is waiting for Christians to manifest Christ. “For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Ro 8:19) There would be a very different world if ALL of us Christians were to walk in the full fullness of Christ. –If we were all, on a daily basis, doing what Jesus did: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing ALL that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) There would be no sick people, no demon possessed people, and all would come to us to find out how we are able to do that. Where do we get the power, and the authority?

Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest of all prophets. “For I say unto you, among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Lk 7:28)  Why? Because Jesus gave us His power, His authority to destroy the works of the devil, and to be a light in the midst of darkness, the same as He was.

That is pretty AWESOME, when you really think about it. That’s not all!  He said that all the prophets of old (Moses, David, Elijah, etc)  have dreamed of this day when God’s children would be FULLY equipped and empowered. “For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.” (Lk 10:24)

Wow! Doesn’t that just make you want to be all that you can be? And get ahold of your Bible to absorb the full truth about your new identity, and its authority and start living it out? You can! Get a copy of the “Handbook of a Disciple of Jesus” and start living out every scripture in there. Faith is walking out what appears impossible to man, but not to God. “For with God all things are possible.”  (Mt 19:26) There should be no impossibilities in our path.

Jesus said,“Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” (Mark 11:22–23)

But the key is to stay clear of (clean from) the things of the world. James said, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (Jam 4:4)

There’s a serious reason why we need to stay away from the world. “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 Jn 5:19)

Check out these verses to add a little more CONVICTION to your faith.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 Jn 2:15-17)

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2)

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1Jn 4:4)

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him Who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2Tim 2:4-6)

“And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mk 4:19)

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal 5:1)