How to Overcome!

By Chris Koster

We all know Israel of old failed, failed to overcome, failed to live a life of overcoming, except for a few of them. The same was true of Christians all through the centuries and still is!

Is it any different with Name believers? Sadly, no! Why then, what is the reason for this failure, failure to overcome?

Some theologians raise criticism against us by saying we simplify the Good News, saying we should not be so childlike in the way we simplify the Scriptural teachings, even saying that we are naive. On the contrary, Yahushua Himself said, "Truly 1 say to you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will by no means enter the reign of heaven (Matt. 18:3). Likewise, in 2 Cor. 11:3 Sha'ul (Paul warns us against those who corrupt our minds from the simplicity that is in the Messiah.

So we come as little children, in simplicity, and seek an answer. Search the Scriptures for the reason for this failure to live a life of overcoming, and simultaneously find the secret of how to overcome! 

Where do we find the secret? In the Scriptures, and especially from the lips of the Messiah! Let me say at this stage: We totally reject all thoughts of mysticism that crept in from Greek mystery cults and other Gentile mystery cults. However there are thousands of secrets in the Scriptures, waiting for you and me to search for and discover them. Yahushua Himself often spoke in parables, thereby hiding precious pearls of truth from His hearers who were not so sincere. 

In order for us to understand these secrets, as well as all other Scriptures, we need to turn to Him, not to any human, for His Father sent Him to do just that: to teach, to reveal, to unfold, to disclose, to explain (John 3:27; Mark 4:11,33,34; Luke 24:45; Matt. 11:27‑29; 16:17). All this He did on behalf of His and our Heavenly Father. John 1:18 says of the Son that "He has declared" or "He has disclosed." All through the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) we see Him as the Great Revelator, especially in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1A). In Col. 2:2‑4 Sha'ul says of Him, "Messiah, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Whenever we find a text in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) repeated once or twice in the Messianic Scriptures, take note of it! Even more so, if it is repeated up to six times, like the Scripture we shall now look into! This text is Isaiah 6:9‑10 which is repeated no less than six times in the Messianic Scriptures. This text speaks of the Word having success with, or not, three different organs of the body: the ears, the eyes, and then the heart. To begin with: the Word finds entrance, or not, either through the ears or through the eyes. And then the Word comes to the heart.

In Matt. 13:14‑15 Yahushua repeats this passage of Isaiah 6:9‑10 as His introduction to the explanation of the parable of the sower, which is all about Yahushua the Sower, sowing the seed, the Word. Again in verse 19 we read of the seed, the Word, which the hearer has heard and then reaches the heart. However if the hearer does not understand the Word, the wicked one (the birds) snatches it away!

So if the Word has found entrance through the ear (or through the eye among those who read), the next organ that needs our attention is the heart. It is of the utmost importance then for the hearer to understand the Word. Where else can we turn to find understanding, to find the explanation of the Word, than Yahushua? If we do not understand the Word, than the Word is snatched away by the wicked one. Why? Because the Word was sown on a hard heart, on a callous heart, and the Word (the seed) could not find entrance into the heart and germinate and grow'

In all simplicity we come, like a child, and see for ourselves that once the Word has entered via the ear gate or the eye gate, the next important organ (the third of the three) determining the success, or not, of the seed's germination and growth is that of the heart'

In summary, this passage in Isaiah 6:9‑10, and repeated six times in the Messianic Scriptures, including these verses we studied in Matt. 13:14­15, prophetically warn us (and admonish us) about eyes that won't see, ears that won't hear, and hearts that won't respond.

In effect: those millions through the ages who did hear, who did read the Word, where the Word did find entrance into the body, the next organ that determined success or not was and is the heart! If we hear or read the Word the state of the heart is then vitally important, whether it is callous and hard, or else receptive, soft and understanding.

A similar passage stressing the importance of the heart is that of Isaiah 29:13, repeated in Matt. 15:8‑9 and Mark 7:6‑7. Here it speaks not of a callous heart, but of a heart that is kept (or put) far away from Yahuweh. Who is responsible for this? The person himself! As we read the next line we realize that keeping my heart far away from Elohim is associated with, "And their fear towards Me is taught by the commandments of men" (Isaiah 29:13). Matt. 15:8 in the NEB reads, "but their heart is far from Me; their worship of Me is in vain, for they teach as doctrines the commandments of men."

In Scripture "heart" is seldom literally spoken of. in most instances it is used figuratively, with the meaning of the centre of man, especially the centre of volition (will), the centre of our moral behaviour, the centre of emotion (love and hatred among others), the centre of our interests.

Apart from being callous, or being kept far away from Elohim, we also read of it being of stone, and also it is often referred to as being uncircumcised. In fact, in Romans 2:26‑29 Sha'ul says that those whose hearts are circumcised are the true Israelites, the true Yehudim, and that they are those who keep the Law'

Why is the heart so important? Simply because we read in Jer. 17:9 that, "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Also, because Yahushua told us in Matt. 15:19 (repeated in Mark 77:21‑22) that, "out of the heart comes forth evil thoughts. murders, adulteries, fornications. thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

Therefore, Yahuweh, through His Son Yahushua, wants my heart and your heart! Why? Because He wants to cleanse it, he wants to make it new, He wants to circumcise it! Once we understand the Word with our hearts, then we turn to Him and He heals us of the greatest sickness in all the world: SIN'

However He is not satisfied with part of your heart, no He wants all your heart! He said so repeatedly, without fail' He is not satisfied with a divided heart at all (Hosea 10:2; Eze. 33:31).

Would a bridegroom be satisfied with a bride that only gives him part of her heart? Do you think that the Heavenly Bridegroom is going to be satisfied with a bride that loves Him with a divided heart?

In His summary of the first table of the Ten Words (Ten Commandments) Yahushua says in Matt. 22:37, "You shall love Yahuweh your Elohim with all your heart..." In the end‑time prophecy of Joel 2:12, Yahuweh says, "Turn to Me with all your heart..." In Jer. 29:13 He again demands this surrendering of all your heart, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart." In that great passage on the latter days, with the tribulation (distress, trouble) of the latter days, Yahuweh says in Deut. 4:29‑30, "you will seek Yahuweh your Elohim. and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart ... 11 Elohim will not compromise. He has laid down His condition of 11 all your heart."

The text in Prov. 23:26 has an earthly application, even more so, a spiritual one, "My son, give Me your heart, and let your eyes delight in My ways" (NASB). If I give Him my heart, the result will be that I delight in His ways!

Earlier on I said that Israel failed because of this very reason. We read of it in Ps. 78:37, 'And their heart was not established with Him, and they were not true to His covenant (Hebrew text). If my heart is truly established with Him, I will be true to His covenant. If I give my heart to Him, I will delight in His ways. If my heart is no longer far from Him, I will no longer follow the teachings that are but the commandments of men!

The reason for failure to overcome, failure to be delivered from the power of sin, failure to follow Messiah all the way, is simply this: I am still keeping my heart far from Him, I have not yet started to seek Him with "all my heart."

In this sinful end‑time in which we are living, in these times of restoration, these days of birth pains, He expects me and you to make the first move. In Zech. 1:3 we read, "Return to Me," says Yahuweh of hosts, "and I will return to you.‑‑‑
 

The Shofar