Transcript
Obtaining Victory By Frederick Mason PO Box 24550 USP Tucson, Tucson, AZ "No situation is ever so cleverly planned by the forces of darkness that there is no deliverance". - Kenneth Copeland Ministries (Study Notes Section) I read that this morning, September 29th, 2018, while in my cell during the 10am count here at USP Tucson. I was reading the Bible, looking for some scriptures to encourage me. And while I found many, and was encouraged, this quote really stirred me up. If you're new to my writings, you've got much to read about me, my temporary time here at USP Tucson, and my faith. To date, I've easily written over 1000 pages on faith while in prison, as well as prison issues. Over the past 5 years, I've addressed numerous issues from healing, prosperity, as well as prison abuse. And in all those issues, there was a struggle. What do you do when it seems like your problems are insurmountable? How do you obtain a victory if there seems to be no way? You don't have to be an inmate to understand what I'm saying. And if you're new to prison writing, one of the first things you must discard is the idea that every inmate was guilty, or fairly sentenced. How do you help your loved one if his Public Defender did nothing to help him in court, and ended up getting life, when maybe he should have only gotten only 5 years? What do you do when your loved one is trying to appeal to the Federal Courts, and the prison he is in is illegally blocking his letters? What do you do when prison officers beat your son, then lie and say that the inmate attacked him? What do you do when you feel helpless, unable to do something? And granted, these are prison-based questions. If you don't have a loved one in prison, you may not have compassion to these issues. But I bet there's issues in your life too: If you're a college student, are you worried about your grades- or if you can get enough money to graduate? If you are a parent, are you concerned about the health of your child? Is anyone worried about their job, or finances, or safety? Does it seem like there are more problems than answers? Does it appear that the negatives outweigh the positives? Kinda like the Star Wars movies... ... yeah, I know, it sounds a little off topic, but follow me... Remember "The Empire Strikes Back"? The forces of evil, by the end of the movie, had you thinking that all seemed lost. No matter what the heroes did, it was no match against the Empire. -2- Or, how about "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaugg"? What was the last words of the dragon, as he flew directly towards the town that was clearly unprepared for it: “... I... am... death." We see in movies all the time, the situation where the forces of evil seem to have the upper hand, and there seems to be no way to win. Even now, here at USP Tucson, we just watched, as one of our Institutional Movies, "The Avengers: The Infinity War". What happened there? The villain, Thanos, ended up getting all the infinity gems, and caused what appeared to be half the universe to turn to dust. The scene of Captain America, Thor, and the remaining heroes in bewilderment of having lost seems to imply that, no matter how hard you try, sometimes evil wins, simply because evil is stronger, smarter, or both. And while life is not a movie, we know art imitates life. So we know that there are some times when things look hopeless, and there seems to be nothing we can do. Sometimes the "bad guys" win. In cinema, it makes for great theatre, because it allows movies to set up contrast, the struggle between good and evil, and sometimes the gray line between it. I get that; but when we're talking about your life, or the life of your loved one, we can't look at it the way society does. You have to look at it the way God looks at it. This is imperative, because if you're going to overcome adversity, and obtain victory, you have to stop thinking the way society does, and think the way God wants you to think. If you think like society, you'll accept popular opinion- which is not always right. For example, horror movies are indeed popular (I like watching them too), but you'll notice that in most horror movies, the "evil" usually wins? I mean, isn't there another "Halloween" movie coming out in October (of 2018)... (Oh, by the way, I love those movies.. .but all in moderation) And how many "Friday the 13th" or “A Nightmare On Elm Street” movies did they make? This implies that the forces of evil are greater than man’s best efforts. And without God involved, I might imagine so. But to obtain victory, you have to look at this through God’s eyes, not society's. How do we do that? I suppose it's as easy as going to the Bible. We have to create a foundation that no matter how bad things are, faith in God can-and will- bring you a victory. Goodness, the very foundation of Christianity proves it. Remember Jesus on the cross? He was condemned by false testimony by the chief priests, and sentenced to death. Despite all the good Jesus did, there He was, accused and sentenced for something He didn't do. (Sounds like Federal Courts for many inmates, but nobody wants to listen to that...) To the disciples, all seemed lost. The Man they believed would change the world, was now hanging on the cross, being mocked: "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God". -3- That scripture comes from Luke 23:35. But from it appeared, all seemed lost. The forces of evil seemed too smart and too powerful. So Jesus dies on the cross... Which was exactly what God planned for the victory, because He then raised Him up. Sometimes the way to overcome is from within. To win our salvation, Jesus had to become flesh, and die in our place, restoring all that man lost when sin came to mankind. When it looked the darkest, that's when God shows His absolute power. Luke 1:37 says, "For with God nothing will be impossible". Matthew 19:26 says, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible". Mark 9:23 says, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes". Are you getting this? Your victory isn't based off a movie- although I love comics, sci-fi and Role-playing games. Your victory is based on a foundation of where it comes from. Our government isn't fair or compassionate to help you. Even friends and family may not have the strength or resources. And none have the wisdom to help you in very difficult situations. But God does. He is a present help; but you can't assume He'll come through; you still need to call on Him, to get Him on your side for that victory. You don't have to be fighting the Empire, or Thanos, or Smaugg- or even the Federal Courts, and thinking you cannot win. No force coming against you can put a situation before you that God can't find and apply a situation to. When I'm back home, writing blogs about how I overcame, you'll see that the victory was there the whole time; I just needed to wait for the manifestation of the plan to become visible. Guys- you obtain victory simply by never giving up on God. Until next time...
