Victorious Invaders

I have begun a new series called, "The Invasion of God" which is a Christmas series about Jesus coming to Earth.  Jesus' birth was an invasion, the opening salvo in the battle completed when Jesus said, "It is finished" on the cross. 
 
I believe the way Jesus came to earth is an illustration of how God moves and works.  Jesus' coming to earth was a winning, victorious invasion in every sense. And I believe that God wants us to be victorious invaders in all we need to do for him. 

This world is in some way "enemy territory", the place where Satan is in charge. 

You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. Ephesians 2:2 (CEV) 
 
Making an impact for God in Satan’s world must necessarily be deemed an invasion.

Invasion really is going and taking action—there is no more discussion or planning...just action. To make an impact for God in someone’s life I have to act and invade their world and fight against the enemy.  To help my kids I have to act and invade their world and fight the enemy who also wants them.  In some ways we even have to act and invade the recesses of our minds and claim the thoughts the enemy has placed there that are wrong.  As a congregation we have to act and invade the world of the Mill Creek area in spite of the fact the enemy has claim those lives. 

But to do anything for God we must get the mindset of a victorious invader:
 
A Victorious Invader has...
-A conviction that this action is right and absolutely must be done.  (Jesus had to come to earth to redeem us.)
-A certainty of success because God is doing it. (The prophecies were given and the angels were praising and rejoicing before Jesus was even born.)
-A commitment to sacrifice totally to win.  (Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world.)
-A compulsion to go and act.  (After all the prophecies and talk it was time for Jesus to go and be born.)
-A concentration on the prize not the price of victory. (Jesus endured the pain of the cross by keeping his focus on the prize of redeeming the world.)
 
As 2008 approaches you will only be able to accomplish what God wants you to accomplish if you have this mindset.  What do you have to do for God? Pray and think about it.  Take some time to read Numbers 13:25-33; 14:1-10.  Notice how not having this victorious mindset ruined the ability of God's people to take new, wonderful ground for God. 

I think it all begins with having the conviction that what God wants me to do is right and absolutely must be done.  Get that right and it is much easier to have a certainty, and commitment, a compulsion, and a concentration.  Lose that conviction and it sows doubt into all the other mindsets necessary to succeed. So assess where you are.

Someone once said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” Ask God to transform your thoughts into a victorious mindset. Look out when he does!