Be "En Guard!" & Conquer | A Bianca Olthoff Message Review

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It has never been more important for you to host your people in your place. We are gonna talk about Jesus we persevere

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Because God is at work in us and this world and because he's God he is sovereign

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Is this what Bianca Juarez will thoughtful teach in all these things?

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We are more than conquerors through him who loves us. Okay started out a little iffy, but man, did that turn around?

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I'm pleasantly surprised at this point She and in chapter 8 Paul is reminding them and us of the power we possess because God is on our side.

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Oh It was going so well No, I don't think this passage is informing us of any sort of power.

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We possess. It's all about God's work He is the one with the sovereign power really

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I'm just not a fan of teachers who teach us that we possess some kind of power through the

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Holy Spirit Especially since Paul has throughout the epistle of Romans basically laid out how humanity is powerless to really do anything to save themselves

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But it is by God's grace and his power Especially the gospel which is the power unto salvation that we are saved and as he is

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Expressing in this passage is by God's grace and power that we are more than conquerors

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Welcome to the Thoroughly Equipped podcast where we compare the teachings from popular women's ministry books

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Conferences Bible studies, etc to scripture our focus is 2nd Timothy 3 16 to 17 that all

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Scripture is God -breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking correcting and training in righteousness

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So the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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I'm your host Melba toast May this episode bless you and bring glory to God Hello ladies and welcome back to another episode of Thoroughly Equipped I'm so happy that you chose to tune in to this episode and if you are new, well, welcome

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This season we're taking a deep look at the popular women's conferency of gathering and this episode is part 6 of the second part

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Of the teaching portion of this series In part one, it's a little

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Convoluted, but it's the way my brain works In part one, we looked at the purpose of the conference and compared it to the purpose of discipleship as found in Scripture But in this part, which

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I identify as part two we look at the actual women who speak at this conference the ministries they have and Then dive into the way they handle scripture at the 2020 conference

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The goal is to provide you with a litmus test first by not only judging whether they put themselves under the authority

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Of God's Word, but also judging whether they believe scripture is sufficient and efficacious to conform us to Christ This way you can determine whether or not to follow them and allow them to disciple you

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To do this I picked the 2020 conference to dive into the type of messages presented at the if Gathering it is at this conference that Jenny Allen had each speaker give a message on a portion

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From Romans 8 with the express purpose of giving the audience more of Jesus And whether you've known

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Jesus for a long time or you're just checking him out We're not gonna water him down here

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We're going to Romans 8. I don't know that there's a deeper Theological piece of work in the

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Bible. So we're going here And what you will leave with I believe Is more of Jesus?

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So the sessions went like this Jada Edwards gave a message on Romans 8 1 to 4 proclaiming that God took care of our greatest need and now we can live without Condemnation Jenny Allen gave a message on verses 5 to 8 teaching us to battle the negative thoughts that come from an enemy

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Beth Moore on verses 9 to 11 expressed how she wished that we would cherish what is in us so that we would live supernatural lives

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Joe Saxton on verses 14 that 17 explains how we were

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Adopted and no longer need to be slaves to our fears So therefore we should open our inheritance to accomplish our callings

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Ruth Chow Simmons on verses 23 to 27 Warned us that if we are counting our resources to fill to fulfill our callings

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Then we are not trusting in Christ and today's session is given by Bianca Juarez Othoff on Romans 8 verses 31 to 37

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To listen to my critique of those sessions and discern how they handle scripture You can check them out though I highly suggest that you start from the beginning

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If you are new to the podcast and have of course just tuned in to the YouTube channel

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Before we dive into miss Othoff's message, let's get a feel for her ministry so Bianca Othoff has been a speaker at the if gathering since I could tell 2019 and Probably even before that but the website only has access to the conferences after 2019

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She is the author of the books titled how to have your life not suck

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Play with fire and her newest release Gris grit. Don't quit creator of the nonprofit

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Organization in the name of love Bianca Othoff is an incredibly engaging speaker

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She is very enthusiastic and really knows how to draw her audience into her messages

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On her website. She gives topical devotional messages derived from scripture verses very short verses mind you and in it

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She does a lot of proof texting The method by which a person appeals to a biblical text to prove or justify a

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Theological position without regard for the context of the passage They are citing and while there is a right method that can be beneficial when proof texting

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It is very common for devotionals to give the wrong method For example taking historical texts and reading ourselves into it

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Such teaching of historical texts make you David and Goliath your problems

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Another example would be taking historical narrative and applying it as if it is normative something we should expect or Something we should expect to see on a regular basis really

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Bianca Othoff more than not uses an Inappropriate method of proof texting when coming to her messages and devotions, but I hope you didn't

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I miss Othoff Also has no qualms over preaching and teaching nor any issues with calling herself a pastor

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Overmounds in the mixed audience as she and her now ex -husband co -pastored a church the father's house located in Orange County, California By speaking to men to teach them what

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Scripture means whether done correctly or twisted to do this in any congregation on the

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Lord's Day is to be in rebellion to his authority and sin against him by disobeying a clear command

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Not only does she do this regularly? She aligns herself with other women in ministry who do the same

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She has been on the better together show on TBN If you don't know that show often platforms female preachers and self -called pastors

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Yes God would not call a woman to preach or pastor his sheep. So therefore she is self called and not called by God There's something else very interesting

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I found while doing light research on her ministry and that is that she's a speaker for the

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AAE the all -american entertainment This agency is quote a full -service talent booking agency specifically focused on the needs of event professionals looking to book keynote speakers and corporate entertainment

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For their events in quote they work to quote connect audiences with innovative minds and powerful messages regardless of the industry in quote in the

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Information about miss Juarez old off on this site. They mentioned that she travels 40 times a year

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With this and the numerous times she speaks at her and her husband's church or had

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Spoken at her husband's church. I wonder about her family life and its effect, especially since she just announced her divorce a couple months ago and that breaks my heart

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It really really does this is Matt's second divorce and yet as far as I could tell he is still the lead pastor of the father's house the reason given for the divorce was

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Irreconcilable differences and there's a lot that could be said about divorce being a fruit of bad beliefs centered on gender roles within the church and home

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But that would be a whole different episode and so because of all of this

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I would not recommend any woman follow listen or be discipled by this woman.

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She is disqualified Older women are to teach what is good

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And so train the younger to love their husbands and children to be self -controlled pure working at home

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Kind and submissive to their own husbands that the Word of God may not be reviled

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Titus 2 3 to 5 if she is not training women up to do that It could be and most likely is because she is not doing those things herself

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Rebellion lack of submission and discernment can play out in the marriage as well as the church

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This is why if we want strong Marriages we must be firm and clear in regards to female roles within the church and Home, this will be an upcoming topic.

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I will address in the Lord willing Series, I want to produce on biblical womanhood and the fight against feminism

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But pray for me ladies. I am excited to share with you what I've been studying, but it is a task.

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I tell you So while we have assessed her willingness to submit to Christ Authority and her role in the church

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This episode will look at the way she handles scripture and in watching several of her videos and some of her podcasts

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I'll state that this is one of her better messages It's still problematic though.

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So let's dive in. Let's first go to the text She is to address and read it for ourselves to see what the

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Holy Spirit has to teach us through the Apostle Paul the author of this epistle Let's get a little context to this message

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Paul in the earlier chapters of the epistle to the Romans talked about all of humanity's problems

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That all transgress God's law and are subject to death and will have to stand before God in judgment

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Paul himself relays how he sees within him Two things at war his spirit and his flesh in his mind

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He desires to obey God's Word get in his members He's captive to the law of sin and this point right before chapter 8

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Paul cries out to be set free from the body of death Right here.

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I believe Paul is Exemplifying what Jesus was pointing out in the first four beatitudes in his

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Sermon on the Mount Like Paul the poor in spirit will mourn over their sin and like Paul did they are submissive or meek to God's Word and Like Paul, they therefore cry out in their hunger and thirst for righteousness

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Matthew 5 1 to 6 After crying out in his wretchedness

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He praises and thanks God for Jesus Christ who sets people free from the law of sin and death

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For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin

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He condemns sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law Might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the

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Spirit Romans 8 3 to 4 Paul proceeds to remind us that there are two types of people

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Those who set the mind on the flesh and those who set the mind on the Spirit and those who set the mind on the flesh cannot please

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God But he says we are not of the flesh if we have the Spirit of Christ in us

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Those who do not have the Spirit do not belong to him But if Christ is in us though the body is dead because of sin

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The Spirit is life because of righteousness if the Spirit of him who raised

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Jesus from the dead dwells in us He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies

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Through his Spirit who dwells in us Romans 8 9 to 11 So because the

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Spirit of God dwells within us We are not debtors to the flesh But are called to by the power of the

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Spirit be putting to death the deeds of the body And if we do we will live

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For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall

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Back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons whom by whom we cry

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Abba Father The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and of children than heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ Provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him

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Romans 8 14 to 17 this suffering the putting to death the deeds of the body the wrestling with our own sin the sin of others and this curse of sin upon this world is

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Nothing compared to the glory to be revealed to us that the creation was subjected to futility

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And is groaning in pains and we too like the creation in the spirit are groaning inwardly

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Eagerly waiting for adoptions as sons the redemption of our bodies This is what we hope for and it is in this hope that we are waiting for our redemption with Patience now, let's get into the text.

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Let's begin at verse 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness for we do not know what to pray for as we ought but the

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Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words and he who searches hearts knows

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What is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God?

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And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose

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For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and Those whom he predestined

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He also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified

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So pause letting us know that in this world We will suffer because of our sin others sin and the curse of sin upon this world

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Suffering leads us to see and acknowledge our weakness So to encourage us Paul informs us of the great comforter the

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Holy Spirit Who's been given to us to strengthen us during these times of sufferings? Letting us know that he intercedes for us

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Praying for us with groaning too deep for words God hears these prayers and answers them

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His answer is that he works through the suffering to discipline and work all together for our good and Conform us to Christ by them.

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This was God's plan and work all along He predestined the good and the bad the good times and the times of sufferings

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To be used by him to mature us and make us more like Christ He called us to follow

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Christ Justified us because of our faith in him and in the end will glorify us

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Clothes us with the imperishable when he returns. This is our great hope

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With this as the context. Here's miss all thoughts portion What then shall we say to these things if God is for us who can be against us?

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He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him?

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Graciously give us all things Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?

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It is God who justifies who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of God who indeed is

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Interceding for us who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or Danger or sword as it is written for your sake.

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We are being killed all the day long We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered Now when all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us

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For I'm sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor Powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation

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We'll be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord verse 31 starts off with several questions

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But it's the first question that sets the stage for the rest of the passage

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What then should we say to these things? Well, what are these things if we come to a passage that starts with a question like this?

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We have to go back to see what Paul means by these things These things are the context to answering all the other questions in the text.

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So what are these things? That God sent his own Son to fulfill the law for us verse 3 to 4

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That God's Spirit was given to us and dwells in us to put to death the deeds of the body and by whom we cry

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Abba Father bearing witness that we are sons of God verses 12 to 16

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That the Spirit helps us in our weakness interceding for us according to the will of God verses 26 to 27

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That God works all things out for our good because he predestined us to be conformed to the image of his

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Son He called us he justified us and he glorified us verses 28 to 30

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Because all of it is God's work and because God is for us

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There is therefore nothing that can come against us Nothing else that we are in need of that.

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God has not nor will not Graciously be given to us.

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There's no charge that one can bring against us for it is God who?

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Justifies there's none who can condemn because Jesus Christ is interceding for us

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Who is at the right hand of the Father? There is nothing then that can separate us from Christ and his love

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No tribulation. No distress. No persecution nor Famine or nakedness or danger or sword and all these things we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus Nothing neither death nor life nor Angels nor demons nor present things nor things to come nor height or depth

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Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen This passage is proclaiming our security in Christ John MacArthur calls it invincibility that Christians are invincible

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The Reformers call it the perseverance of the Saints not because of anything within or about ourselves

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But because of God he predestined he called he justified and he glorified

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God does all his marvelous will and all for our good and his great glory

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We are invincible we persevere Because God is at work in us and this world and Because he's

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God he is sovereign. Is this what Bianca Juarez Ulthoff will teach?

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Well, let's dive into our message. Shall we? Miss Ulthoff starts her message with gusto

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She draws the audience's attention by teaching them to holler back but to holler back millennial style

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Some new nomenclature into the lexicon of hollering back Okay, instead of replying to a message teaching or a statement with a man

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She instructs them to say facts instead of shouting Hallelujah, we're to shout big facts instead of preach it.

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We're to say say it again and The new word she instructs us to use is on guard now besides Perking the interest of the audience.

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She set up this word to set up her message. So let's listen in And a new word that most people might not know

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I'm gonna make it in vogue here at Hashtag if gathering 2020 is this on guard?

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All right. Can you I say on guard? Yes on guard means to be ready to fight and let me tell you when it comes to being here

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Y 'all let me be honest with you every year I have this like hope and ambition that I am going to be able to pass out scripture and be learned and educated

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And be calm and wise and make all of the theologians in the room so proud But then they give me the verse that I'm supposed to go through and it's

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Romans 8 37 How do you not get turned up with my Bible boyfriend? Paul says you are more than a conqueror.

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Okay, no And maybe you're here today you're like Bianca I do not feel like a conquering warrior, that's okay

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That's okay. You want to know why when we are surrounded by people who are stepping up to be conquering warriors

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Faith is contagious. Can I get an amen? That's a big facts right there

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Okay, she's laid out for what she's going to focus on in this message Her purpose in it is to encourage us to be conquerors and I'm okay with that.

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The question is how are we more than conquerors? Why does Paul say this is

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Paul's answer to these questions the same answer Bianca will give?

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Let's find out she goes on to tell a story about how her husband has a

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Literal sword under their bed in preparation for being on guard in case of intrusion she uses this story as an

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Illustration to how we are told to be on guard for what the Lord wants to do in our life

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Because we have an enemy that wants to steal kill and destroy Into heaven.

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My husband has a five -foot sword underneath our bed

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Now the I couldn't get it through TSA so the lovely if girls got me this little baby sword right here

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Okay, so my husband has a sword underneath our bed and I talked to him constantly

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I said, baby, why do you have a sword under the bed? He said if there's ever intruder, I'll pull it out

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Matthew Ray Olthoff. Well, who are you some little Frenchman? This is I'm God. I will thank you

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I'm like, what are you gonna do, babe? But the truth of the matter is is that my husband Matt Olthoff knows something that I want to remind us of in here today

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John 10 10 says that we have an enemy that has come to steal kill and destroy Y 'all you got to be on guard for what the

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Lord wants to do in your life Can I get an amen? All right, just starting out.

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I gotta say that nowhere in Scripture Are we instructed to be on guard for what the

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Lord wants to do in our life? Again there's just this popular view that God is very dependent on us to get his will done

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We have to be cherishing what's inside us so that we are led by the

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Spirit like Beth Moore taught us We need not to be slaves to fear and open our inheritance the gifts that God has given to fulfill our purpose

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We need not to be counting our resources and now we need to be on guard for what

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God wants to accomplish in our lives Well, what happens if we're not on guard? Does God's will get done

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The other issue is what does Jesus mean by the thief comes to steal kill and destroy?

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Steal what kill what destroy what? Steal kill and destroy what

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God wants to do in our lives. Well right off the bat that is completely Contradictory to what is in this passage?

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We just read how those God foreknew he predestined those

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He predestined he called and those he called he justified and those he justified he glorified

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It's all his work and he Accomplishes it. He doesn't need us to be on guard to get it done

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Now we do have scripture that tells us to be on guard or watch out for false teachers and false

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Shepherds, in fact, they are described as thieves and robbers

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These are who Jesus is actually talking about in John 10 10 at this verse

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But is this what Bianca means are we to conquer false teaching and false teachers?

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Well, I don't think she means this by using that passage she states that as conquerors, we need to know what it is.

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We are going up against and we need to fight and Paul's words are going to help us out with this

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Directs the audience to open to Romans 8 verses 31 to 37 then says this

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Now as warriors as Paul says that we are conquerors We need to know what we're going up against and yes, we have an enemy

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But Paul is gonna talk about some opposition. No, I don't know what your opposition is, but the Lord knows your opposition

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Maybe your opposition is physical relational financial psychological hormonal fix it

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Jesus, whatever your opposition is know this a Conqueror will never win if a conqueror never fights

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Cuz Jenny can come and drop a word bomb on us, but if you ain't ready to fight You're gonna keep on wandering in the wilderness and saying why can't

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I get a victory? So I want to let the words of Paul the Apostle bathe over us in here as we continue on in our journey

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Through a Romans chapter 8. So regardless of what our opposition is We are to know that I conquer never wins if a conqueror never fights

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So if we don't fight we will continue to wander through the wilderness Well, is that a bad thing?

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Is it a sin to not fight? Well, God's will not get done if I remain in the wilderness so I'm supposed to fight so I do not wander in the wilderness and This doesn't sound anything like what

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Paul has told us Paul writes as if the fight is over and We are conquerors because God gave his son who went to the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead and is now

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Sitting at the right hand of the father interceding for us But maybe she will go into that She reads the passage and explains

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Imagine the voice of Paul that says to his friends in Rome. What then shall we say in response to these things?

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We're gonna get to the responses in a second But he says if God is for us who can be against us he who did not spare his own son

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But gave him up for us. How will he not also along with him?

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Graciously give us all things Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen it is

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God who justifies? Who then is the one to condemn no one if you step step correct?

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Why because Christ Jesus who died more than that who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and it's also

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Interceding for us you that sweet lady That's super uber religious and her prayers just go to God way faster

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And you love to go get prayer from her during intercession time at church. Guess what? You don't need her because Christ Jesus is

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Interceding for us there at the throne verse 35 who shall separate us from the love of Christ She'll trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake

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We face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to the slaughter No, buck up buttercup life is tough

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And so are you in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us

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That's a big facts right there ladies See what Paul did right now is he done jumped out of the pages and grabbed you by your collar

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Shaking you like a drill sergeant and says check yourself before you wreck yourself

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Now remember remember he starts off chapter 8 with a reminder that there is no

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Condemnation in Christ Jesus that we have been set free from the law Hallelujah that our minds have peace because the

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Spirit of God we are no longer slaves and serfs We are children and co -heirs with the Most High God that the present suffering in this world

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Pales in comparison to the future that awaits us and we know that all things work together for good for those that love the

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Lord therefore verse 31 if God is for us. Oh But y 'all heard me if God is for us

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Who in hell could be against us now? That's the BIV the Bianca international version and don't get mad at me

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We don't say hell in church. Jenny said it first, okay Secondly of all, I'm not speaking about a profane word.

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I'm speaking about actual location See because God says that the enemy has been banished to Hades and the

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Word of Isaiah says no weapon formed against you will prosper Therefore literally if God is for us ain't nobody in hell could be against us

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There's no man on earth. No demon in hell that can come against and separate you from the love of God. Amen or amen.

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Oh My amen amen and amen I love the passion she exudes in this

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I wish she had included verses 29 and 30 to salt Solidify not only that God works all things for our good, but also our security in his work

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But man, oh man, that was good She summed up Romans 8 very well there a little disappointed that the speakers before that didn't touch on these topics

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But if they did I of course wouldn't be doing these critiques So let's keep listening big facts

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Paul Paul like a lawyer Paul is making sure that we know that there is nothing that could separate us from the love of God in verse 31

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We see that opposition cannot separate us from God we see in verse 33

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Accusations that's when people come up against you cannot separate you from the love of God We see in verse 34 that condemnation.

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That's when you think God doesn't love you Condemnation cannot separate you from the things of God and lastly in verse 35 that not even separation could separate us from the love of God Do you see the alliteration that I work so hard at pulling in through the words of my

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Bible boyfriend opposition accusations condemnation Separation then you get to verse 37 and it should make sense in all these things

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We are more than conquerors through him who loved us Okay, started out a little iffy, but man, did that turn around?

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I'm pleasantly surprised at this point She's pointing us to scripture and actually teaching us what it is saying

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She continues by saying that the whole passage is fantastic But she wants to hone in on verse 37 specifically and she wants to do that because it's a super popular verse one

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Tossed around on Instagram or Facebook one. We have hanging on our walls and highlighted in our

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Bibles Oh many have heard this verse read this verse or seen this verse more than a conqueror.

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Will you raise your hand? Yeah, yeah, it's too super common. We'll scroll by it. We'll like it on Instagram and our fear is that it's overused

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Causing it to lose its power, especially if we overlook why Paul wrote it My fear is that it's overused and as a byproduct of this we have diluted the power of what

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Paul is preaching See Paul is writing to the Roman Church the Roman Church. Not only was the

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Roman Church facing persecution and prosecution But they were also feeling a feeling a sense of oppression and depression on every side and in chapter 8

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Paul is reminding them and us of the power we possess because God is on our side.

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Oh It was going so well No, I don't think this passage is informing us of any sort of power.

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We possess It's all about God's work. He is the one with the sovereign power

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He's the one who predestined us from eternity past who called us to himself

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He's the one who justified us by his blood Romans 5 9 and resurrection Romans 4 25 and He's the one that sanctifies us first Peter 1 2

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Romans 15 16 and he will glorify us with new bodies Romans 8 23

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She continues on talking about what is meant by power what the Romans understood about power that that To them power was the ultimate expression of authority and that soldiers and conquerors were heroes

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Now power is something important that I want to pull out of the pages here because this word power is a concept that we're familiar

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With in our day and age, but during that time to the Romans ultimate power and authority they were very familiar with because during this time they were the

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Epicenter of power Rome was the epicenter of power Rome was the capital In fact, they invented the new order of power so much so that even today in 2020 words like capital punishment

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Capital law capital land were all derived from this understanding in Rome and so to Romans Power was the ultimate expression of authority and to the

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Romans Warriors and conquerors were the heroes and here Paul is encouraging them that they aren't just conquerors

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No, you are more than conquerors Hallelujah. In fact this expression more than conquerors in Greek is from a

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Greek word hyper Nikao Some translations say Hooper Nikao, but what this is means is that it is a concise

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It's to go beyond a concise victory this prefix hyper Paul uses because he's saying essentially

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Okay, so there's conquerors, but this isn't good enough. I need to hype you up with a hyper verb

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Okay you are gonna go beyond because of the insane love of God you are beyond a

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Conqueror we as it's been said do not fight for victory We fight from victory and what

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Paul is saying here is you have a hyper victorious Love you are empowered to be unrivaled that there is no foe that can take you down No in all these things verse 37.

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We are more than conquerors through him who loved us Okay, maybe what she says here is true, but something is off First, let's take some time and examine who the emphasis is on here one

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She emphasizes the word power and closely connects it to authority by making the claim that To the

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Romans power was the ultimate expression of authority after telling us that we possess power second she emphasizes the words more than conquerors to exclaim that this is what we are because of the

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Insane love of God now. I want us to think about something here

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Because there's just something not quite right in her statements here If the Spirit of God resides in us, we have a helper

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He grants us strength in our weakness. He prays when we do not know what to pray for He produces fruit in us.

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He convicts us of sins and Enlightens us to his word through his word while we are granted these wonderful blessings we are nowhere told in Scripture that because the

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Spirit works in us and is in us we possess a power

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Now I'm a stickler the thought that one possesses power through the

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Spirit of God can and does draw one to look at oneself and Even seems at times like one can wield this power whenever one chooses the word possess connotes ownership and means

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Quote have as belonging to one End quote the

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Holy Spirit's power does not belong to me But I belong to God and in his grace

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He gives me the Spirit who helps by empowering me to walk in his ways

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The scriptures talk about God granting or giving power to his people. Yes, Isaiah 40 29

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Psalm 6835 but describes people as weak Weakness belongs to us

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We may think we possess power but really all power and authority has been given by God to Christ who gives to Whom he chooses when he chooses in fact we are really described as a possession of another a

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Slave to another either to sin death and the devil or to God and righteousness

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Romans 6 15 to 23 Christians are described as Christ's bride

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Christ's sheep God's children and God's people According to Miss Olthoff because Paul exclaims that we are more than conquerors.

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That means we are quote Empowered to be unrivaled that there is no foe that can take us down End quote that really props us up, doesn't it?

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Well, let's look at who is emphasized in Paul's teachings and compare it to Bianca's teachings

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I'll start at verse 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the

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Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God and We know that for those who love

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God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose For those whom he foreknew

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He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined

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He also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified.

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He also glorified What then shall we say to these things if God is for us who can be against us?

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He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously give us all things

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Who shall bring any charge against God's elect it is

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God who justifies who is to condemn Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of God who indeed is

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Interceding for us who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution

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Or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake we are being killed all the day long

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We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered Doesn't sound like we have much power and those statements by the way

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No in all these things We are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I'm sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation

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We'll be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord Really?

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I'm just not a fan of teachers who teach us that we possess some kind of power through the

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Holy Spirit Especially since Paul has throughout the epistle of Romans basically laid out how humanity is

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Powerless to really do anything to save themselves But it is by God's grace and his power

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Especially the gospel which is the power unto salvation That we are saved and as he is expressing in this passage is by God's grace and power that we are more than Conquerors the emphasis in this passage is on God the one who has all power

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Therefore our salvation is secure. We are conquerors because he conquered

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I Understand why people say this and I see the encouragement. It's meant to give but oftentimes our flesh

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Twists it and makes it about us Glorifying us by what God has given us instead of being about him and his power sovereignty and might let alone what this teaching directed to women does to their understanding of femininity from which

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Submission plays a large role in it But let's keep going. He's a

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Matthew question Is this through our expertise? Is this through our education?

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Is this through our waist size? Is this through our weight? Is this through our marital status?

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Is this through our money? Is this through our social media following? No you are more than a conqueror in him and a conqueror knows the source of their strength a

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True conqueror knows that in the mode in the moment of weakness We turn to God as the source of our strength

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We are more than conquerors in him Through him and my fear is that we don't know him

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So we get we could we have a concept of God we believe that we know him But we don't know the power of him.

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So we doubt the conqueror in us We don't know the power of him. So we doubt the conqueror in us.

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All right Amen, I completely agree with her here God is the source of our strength and I'm glad that she has

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Dived into it that way and I too fear that women don't know him But I find this just a tad bit ironic.

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I too fear women don't actually know God But why does she fear this?

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Didn't Jenny Allen promise that we would leave loving Christ more Didn't she say we would get more of him and we are six sessions in Only two more to go after this and she still fears that we don't know this

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God if we don't know Christ We don't know God for Christ and the Father are one

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Christ reveals the Father John 14 10 to 11 and Another thing

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Paul didn't just claim that we are conquerors through Christ out of nowhere Paul's been making an argument that our salvation our calling our justification our sanctification and our glorification are

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Secure because it is God who does the work

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God who? Predestined God who calls God who justifies God who sanctifies

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God who glorifies? This is the power of God at work in our salvation

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If any of these ladies took the time to exegete the passage we would get to know this

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God and his love and Power if she was so worried why spend 13 of the 22 minute message

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Talking about a nomenclature her husband and his sword Being prepared to fight and the

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Roman idea of power and authority Why not show us God from this passage?

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It's very easy to do She proceeds to get very passionate and describes

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God Who is him? Let me talk to you about him

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The God who spoke and time began the God who parted the land from the sea

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The God who called night out of day the God who causes mountains to quake and earth to shake

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The God who lifts the Sun and dips the moon the God who sees our head hung low and lifts our gaze high

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The God who knows our past and still grants us a future a God who is over all and under nothing a

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God who chases you and leaves the 99 a God who promises you a future and a hope a

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God that will never leave you Forget you or forsake you a God who knows you and a God who loves you a

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God who feels your pain and knows Your shame a God who sees your tears and knows your fears a

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God who hung in shame And rose from the grave for our gain Who's the

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God whose death has brought us life and resurrection has brought us hope now to him

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We are more than conquerors in him. Do you know him?

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Him it ain't about you He is a mighty sovereign powerful

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God and he is a loving father and he is gracious to all But what is missing from this description?

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Well, how about a just God one who does not ignore sin Psalm 145 20 and 37 38

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How about a God who will one day pour out wrath on all who do not trust in the finished work of Christ Psalms 1 5

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Matthew 13 41 2nd Peter 2 9 again

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I have to think about the ladies hearing this that do not know the

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Gospel and who have continually heard throughout this conference How much

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God loves them and wants them to conquer over condemnation from others Negative thoughts the lack of cherishing the spirit that is in them

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Conquering over fear that keeps them from opening their inheritance and feeling lost in their calling all this and Nothing of our actual problem our sin and rebellion against a holy and just God and the solution the life and death of the

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Conqueror Jesus Christ who conquered over sin death and the devil for those of us who believe in this gospel, it will be counted as Righteousness to us who believe in him who raised from the dead

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Jesus our Lord who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification

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Romans 4 22 to 25 So while what she describes of God is true

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There are very important things that are missing that need to be said to those who like Jenny said are quote -unquote

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Just checking Jesus out and notice. She says it's about him and it ain't about you

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But this message is given to us to let us know that we need to fight and we possess power

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He states that we often don't feel like conquerors because we think of ourselves For miss

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Walthoff though when she thinks about Christ, she feels like dancing and playing gospel music

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When you think about Jesus, it should cause you to have a praise party of epic

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Proportion. All right, she quotes lyrics from one of the songs and states that when we think about Jesus We should be breaking out and praise and worship and then proceeds to read a commentary on this passage now

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According to the theologian. Dr. Brian Simmons on the commentary on this verse He says love makes us a conqueror in three ways

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No situation in life can defeat us or dilutes God's power Too we know that divine love and power works for us to triumph over all things we share in the victory

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Spoils of any and in every enemy that we face now, this doesn't mean that it'll be easy

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In fact, Margaret Thatcher says this you may have to fight the battle more than once to win it

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And if you get knocked down you get back up if you feel like a failure you get back up knowing that God will use

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Every aspect of your story for his glory Yep That is the point of this passage all things work out for our good and his glory all

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Victory is his all praises his all power is his all glory is his she quotes

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Margaret Thatcher relaying how one doesn't quit trying to encourage us not to How God's plan and purpose even succeeds when we fail and don't get back up Even our failures are included in the statement all things

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Even things such as trials tribulations persecutions and even death God uses for our good and his glory

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Now miss all self goes on to tell a story about how her husband and her started a church in California and most recently decided to expand it to another campus within a prison in this new church plant

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She describes a man by the name of Jeremiah and how he had become so on fire for God that he spread the news of this

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Church, she's basically explains how the church plant expanded These inmates loved the way they worshipped and taught the word so they spread the word about this church causing even

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Their family members to tune in by YouTube and quote say yes to Jesus This is her example of how

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God uses all things for his glory and our good Jeremiah robs a church goes to prison by Jesus in a church becomes an evangelist in prison starts

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Saving other brothers in his cell brings them to church and is part of our prison campus

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God will use all things for his story for his glory and for our good and Then she goes back to Paul who she says is always trying to get our eyes on God and reads

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Ephesians 320 now Romans 837 isn't a statement of probability or possibility

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It is a statement based in reality Paul is always trying to reorient his readers to get their eyes off of them and get them on God In fact a scripture that we've been going through all weekend has been peppered in through various messages

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But when Paul wrote a message to the Ephesian Church He wrote not a message just to the Ephesian Church But the region of Ephesus and even for us today and in the third chapter the 20th verse

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Paul says this now to him Do you see what he did there?

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He made it about God not to you You ain't able on your best day booboo No matter how good you look about how much of a thigh gap you have how much is in your bank account

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Guess what now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine

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Even the words that come out of your mouth pale in comparison to what God can do Guess what?

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Even if you can't even think it it is beyond your imagination now to him who is able to do exceedingly

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Abundantly beyond all that we could ask think hope or imagine according to the power that is at work within us to him be the glory

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Yes, this is very true. Paul always wants to speak about the gospel and points us to Christ He is not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes

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To the Jew first and also to the Greek for in it The righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith as it is written

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The righteous shall live by faith Romans 1 16 He determined to know nothing among the churches, but Christ and him crucified first Corinthians 2 2 in the verses

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Right before Ephesians 3 verse 20 He states that he prays that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and grounded

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In love may have strength to comprehend with all the Saints What is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge

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That you may be filled with all the fullness of God versus 17 and 19 So even if Paul was determined to know nothing among them, but Christ and him crucified if it is really all about him

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Why oh, why have we gotten so little of him so far at this conference?

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So far this has been the better of all the messages given as she has been teaching what the text is teaching for the most

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Part it started out bad, but it turned around and I wish that the other messages given had done at least this good of a job

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She goes on to talk about how she struggles with her teenagers and even her weight

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But though you may have problems you won't know how strong you are until strong is your only option

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Don't be afraid of the trials the trauma and the tribulation of your life a conqueror considers resistance as a sign that she's going in the right direction

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No, resistance is not always a sign that you are going in the right direction Female preachers have plenty of opposition and resistance.

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That doesn't mean they are going in the right direction If we are obeying

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God's Word, then we can know we are going in the right direction Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways

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Acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths Proverbs 3 5 to 6

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You make known to me the path of life in your presence There is fullness of joy at your right hand our pleasures forevermore

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Psalm 16 11 Blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners

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Nor sits in the seats of scoffers But his delight is on the law of the

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Lord and on his law. He will meditate day and night he is like a tree planted by streams of water that Yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither and all that he does he prospers

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Psalm 1 1 to 6 God by walking in his word will strengthen and make known to us the path

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The right direction to go and in walking this path we will prosper in Accomplishing his will but moving on it hard Absolutely planting a church has taken everything out of Matt and I there are mornings that I feel like I have an anvil on my chest

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Because of the pressures and the stress of people coming in from her all around Southern, California, and we ain't got no building

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We are pop up tear down church We've got a staff air quote staff because we can't pay any of them

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Not even Matt and I are paid and but they're basically working full -time jobs and serving full -time in church.

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I feel that pressure You want to talk about trial trauma and tribulation? I live with two teenagers in my house.

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Glory to God I low -key want to beat them every other day, huh? You know, I have 20 pounds of extra loving that is so extra

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It ain't loving and no matter how hard I pray it won't melt away None of this but see what we see here is you got problems you got perils you got persecution

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You will never know how strong you are until strong is your only option

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Paul the Apostle was weeped was whipped beaten stone shipwrecked abandoned starve deprived

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Accused and abused and yet he said to the Roman Church when I speak over us today No in all these things we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus So guess what buttercup?

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It's time to pick up your sword and shout on guard Because you are more than a conqueror in Christ.

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This is what I call using Christ to boost your ego You are strong. You are mighty You are a conqueror a message that uses

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Christ and his power so you can have faith in yourself and what he Gives you now he's empowered you to go out and do your purpose

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Motivation within the message and these types of teachings is to push you to go to Christ for what he gives to his people

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Many people come to Christ for these blessings yet. Do not want Christ himself

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They haven't been even told of their need for him their sin and their lack of ability to be right with God It's wanting what a father gives food shelter protection power, but not realizing one sin

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Against the father who has graciously provided yet. There's a constant rebellion against him it's like the prodigal son give me the inheritance so I can go do my thing and What the audience really needs is for these women to expose how the listeners are doing this

01:00:14

Call them to repentance So they see the muck and pig pens They have chosen to live in their sinful nature and flesh that they walk in and show them and urge them

01:00:25

To meditate on the father to go to him through Christ And that's the end of her message

01:00:32

I would say that that was the best message given so far as we heard more about Christ and the actual passage

01:00:40

Than all the others combined. There were several things I would agree with it's Just that she beers off track

01:00:49

With the emphasis on us fighting and conquering in this life while Paul's emphasis is very different Paul in Romans 8 31 to 37 not only tells us that we are conquerors miss

01:01:03

All's miss all sauce point, but also how we are

01:01:09

Expanding on God's sovereignty in our salvation and our lives

01:01:14

This passage is about the perseverance of the Saints it is deep and rich in Drawing out the security we have in Christ because of Christ it describes why our salvation is secure why our calling justification and glorification are

01:01:32

Invincible because it is God at work While miss all thought rightly points out that we are conquerors through Christ The emphasis in her message has been on us and herself

01:01:46

She wants to encourage us as fighters who will accomplish God's calling by laying the foundation of this message

01:01:53

By warning us to be on guard for what God wants to do in our lives Yo, you gotta be on guard for what the

01:02:00

Lord wants to do in your life Does Paul want us to be on guard for what

01:02:06

God is doing in our life? Or does he want us to understand that God has done everything for us

01:02:13

Paul wants to encourage us as conquerors because Christ has accomplished the salvation of his people

01:02:21

She emphasized that because of God we possess a power to conquer which places once again the focus on us she rightly worries that there might be ladies that don't know

01:02:32

God, but instead of Taking time to really look at this passage and draw out from it

01:02:39

God his sovereignty Christ and his work and the involvement of the Holy Spirit in transforming us we're encouraged to just believe that we are conquerors through Christ and While she really gets emotionally charged about Christ Do you feel she has explained this passage to you to understand the security of your salvation?

01:03:02

Or does she draw your attention to some power you possess inside you to get things done?

01:03:11

Well, what do you think? Did Bianca Oras Olthoff handle the text correctly? Email me at melbatost at ttew .org

01:03:21

I'd be very interested to know what you think Until next time where we will take a look at a message by Anne Voskamp on Romans 8 32

01:03:30

I pray that you go back to the passage in Romans and meditate on God's great sovereignty over your life and salvation

01:03:38

That he in eternity past predestined you who he called and he called you who he then justified and He justified you who he will glorify

01:03:51

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every

01:03:58

Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in Love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ According to the purpose of his will to the praises of his glorious grace

01:04:18

With which he has blessed us and the beloved in him We have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses

01:04:27

According to the riches of his grace Which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will

01:04:36

According to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time

01:04:43

To unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth in him

01:04:49

We have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things

01:04:55

According to the counsel of his will So that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory in him

01:05:03

You also when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and believed in him

01:05:09

We're sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it

01:05:17

To the praise of his glory Ephesians 1 3 to 14 I pray you understand that because it is his work

01:05:25

Then all things that we think would hinder us from Christ's love and being one day glorified with him

01:05:31

These things have no power neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers

01:05:38

Nothing's present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all

01:05:46

Creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. Jesus our Lord I pray that the more you realize this the more your love and faith in him grows

01:05:57

Driving you to want to know more and more about him Not just what he can give you not just the blessing of being a child of God But him

01:06:06

Christ our Savior and in that love for him You call him Lord and walk in his ways and obey his commands

01:06:14

I pray that you are in his word Ladies, thanks for listening or watching this episode of Thoroughly Equipped If this episode blessed you

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I pray the God of all grace grants you more and more knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ as the

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Holy Spirit Thoroughly equips you through his written word for every good work.