TO THE VICTOR GOES THE SPOILS
THAT CHALLENGE IS NOT THERE TO STOP YOU … IT’S THERE TO DEVELOP YOU !!!
God has given us so many wonderful promises in scripture! Maybe you have read some of them, but you aren’t experiencing them yet. I want to encourage you today because receiving the promises of God takes two things: faith and patience.
Scripture says we have all been given a measure of faith. We have also been given the tools to develop that faith. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. When you read, study and meditate on God’s Word, you are feeding and nurturing your faith. Developing faith takes an outward action on our part, but developing patience is an inward action. Patience means that when things aren’t happening the way we want them to, we don’t take matters into our own hands. Exercising patience means choosing to trust God even when the circumstances haven’t changed yet. Patience is having endurance, constancy, steadfastness and perseverance.
Faith and patience go hand in hand. When we have faith, it’s easier to be patient because we know God is faithful to His promises. Patience is a fruit of the spirit which means that the more we yield ourselves to God, the more patience will rise in our hearts.
Sometimes when things don’t happen on our timetable, it can be tempting to get discouraged. But in the season of waiting, that’s when you have to dig your heels in and refuse to give up! You have to know that God is doing something in you at the same time that He is doing something for you.
Let me remind you today, God has you in the palm of His hand. You may be facing a difficulty right now, but beyond that difficulty is a new level of God’s favor. That challenge is not there to stop you; it’s there to develop you. Let patience have its perfect work. Trust that God is faithful to His promises. Speak faith over your circumstances. Declare His goodness and faithfulness. Know that He is fighting your battles and working behind the scenes. Don’t give up because with faith and patience, it’s just a matter of time before you see His promises come to pass!
“…imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:12, NIV)
The Finished Work of Jesus gives you power to win not only when you get to Heaven; but while living here on Earth as well. Say it with me, WE WIN!
OUR LIFE IS NOT OUR OWN
Luke 22:49 "When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?"
The Lordship of Jesus is one of the central themes of scripture. It is clear that many times the word "Lord," when referring to Jesus, is equivalent to the divine name "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge His deity (Jn. 20:28).
What it means to give Jesus Lordship in our lives, is to recognize His right to rule in our lives, by right of creation (Jn. 1:3) and right of redemption.
"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20).
One of the most damaging attitudes of our time is the exaltation of self over others. Personal rights have been promoted at the expense of others. This is not good for society and it is certainly not the way God expects His body to operate.
As Christians, we need to develop a continual awareness that our lives are not our own. We do not have the liberty to do as we please. We should present our body as a living sacrifice unto God, recognizing that this is just our reasonable duty to the one who gave His life for us (Rom. 12:1).
The Lordship of Jesus should be the determining factor in every action of a Christian (Rom. 14:7-10). Every thought and action should pass the test, "Is this what my Lord Jesus wants me to do or think?" If the answer is not a definite "yes," then it shouldn't be done. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23).
"The sky is not falling, Jesus is still on the throne & His Word is still true!" -
DEFEATED ADVERSARY
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. —1 Peter 5:8
The roaring lion is the legendary “king of the jungle.” But the only lions many of us see are the lethargic felines that reside in zoos. Their days are filled with lots of rest, and their dinner is served to them without the lions having to lift a single paw.
In their natural habitat, however, lions aren’t always living a laid-back life. Their hunger tells them to go hunting, and in doing so they seek the young, weak, sick, or injured. Crouching in tall grasses, they slowly creep forward. Then with a sudden pounce, they clamp their jaws to the body of their victim.
Peter used “a roaring lion” as a metaphor for Satan. He is a confident predator, looking for easy prey to devour (1 Peter 5:8). In dealing with this adversary, God’s children must be vigilant at putting “on the whole armor of God” and thus they can “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10-11).
The good news is that Satan is a defeated adversary. While he is a powerful foe, those who are protected by salvation, prayer, and the Word of God need not be paralyzed in fear at this roaring lion. We are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5). James 4:7 assures us: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Lord, we know that our enemy seeks to devour us. Please protect us from him. We believe Your Word that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
No evil can penetrate the armor of God.
FIX YOUR GAZE
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. - Proverbs 4:25, NIV
What are you looking at today? Not in the natural, but with your spiritual eyes. In other words, what is in the forefront of your mind and heart? Are you constantly dwelling on your problems or things that have happened in your past? In the natural, you will move in the direction that your eyes are looking. In the spiritual, it works the same way. Whatever you focus your mind and heart on, you will move toward. That’s why the Bible tells us to look straight ahead. If you are constantly dwelling on your past, wondering “what if,” then you will stay right where you are. But if you choose to release the past through forgiveness, then you can focus on what is ahead of you.
Today, make the decision to meditate on God’s goodness and focus on His promises. Forget the past, good and bad, and fix your gaze straight ahead so you can move forward into the blessing and victory He has for you!
AMAZING GUIDE
Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken. —Joshua 21:45
When actors and actresses make a movie, it’s the director who sees the “big picture” and the overall direction. Actress Marion Cotillard admits she didn’t understand everything the director was doing in one of her recent films. She said, “I found it very interesting to allow myself to be lost, because I knew that I had this amazing guide. . . . You abandon yourself for a story and a director that will make it all work.”
I think Joshua could have said something similar about the director of his life. In today’s Scripture passage, the newly commissioned leader of Israel is standing at the threshold of the Promised Land. More than 2 million Israelites are looking to him to lead them. How would he do it? God didn’t give him a detailed script, but He gave him the assurance that He would go with him.
God said, “I will be with you. I will not leave you” (Josh. 1:5). He commanded Joshua to study and practice everything written in His Word (vv.7-8), and He promised to be with Joshua wherever he went. Joshua responded with complete devotion and surrender to his amazing Guide, and “not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken” (21:45).
We too can abandon ourselves to our Director and rest in His faithfulness.
He leadeth me! O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Faith never knows where it is being led; it knows and loves the One who is leading. —Oswald Chambers
LEARN THE WORD BY DOING IT
Matthew 26:55 "In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me."
The four gospels refer to Jesus teaching 43 times, preaching 19 times, and preaching and teaching in the same verse, six times. This indicates that Jesus spent twice as much time teaching as He did preaching. Teaching is the basic building block for making disciples. Jesus was making disciples, not just converts.
The Greek word for "disciple" literally means "a learner," and indicates "learning by endeavor" or what we would call "on-the-job training." Jesus said in John 8:31, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." Anyone who meets this criterion is Jesus' disciple.
"Jailhouse religion," where a person is only sorry he got caught and is trying to get out of a bad situation, will not produce true discipleship. It takes a forsaking of all to be Jesus' disciple. Jesus wants us to "count the cost." It is definitely a commitment.
What the Lord has started in you, He will also continue and complete. That is not to say that your success will be automatic; we have to cooperate with what God is wanting to do in our lives. Our faithfulness may always be suspect, but God's faithfulness is never in question. It is always God's will to continue and complete the good work He began in us.
THAT CHALLENGE IS NOT THERE TO STOP YOU … IT’S THERE TO DEVELOP YOU !!!
God has given us so many wonderful promises in scripture! Maybe you have read some of them, but you aren’t experiencing them yet. I want to encourage you today because receiving the promises of God takes two things: faith and patience.
Scripture says we have all been given a measure of faith. We have also been given the tools to develop that faith. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. When you read, study and meditate on God’s Word, you are feeding and nurturing your faith. Developing faith takes an outward action on our part, but developing patience is an inward action. Patience means that when things aren’t happening the way we want them to, we don’t take matters into our own hands. Exercising patience means choosing to trust God even when the circumstances haven’t changed yet. Patience is having endurance, constancy, steadfastness and perseverance.
Faith and patience go hand in hand. When we have faith, it’s easier to be patient because we know God is faithful to His promises. Patience is a fruit of the spirit which means that the more we yield ourselves to God, the more patience will rise in our hearts.
Sometimes when things don’t happen on our timetable, it can be tempting to get discouraged. But in the season of waiting, that’s when you have to dig your heels in and refuse to give up! You have to know that God is doing something in you at the same time that He is doing something for you.
Let me remind you today, God has you in the palm of His hand. You may be facing a difficulty right now, but beyond that difficulty is a new level of God’s favor. That challenge is not there to stop you; it’s there to develop you. Let patience have its perfect work. Trust that God is faithful to His promises. Speak faith over your circumstances. Declare His goodness and faithfulness. Know that He is fighting your battles and working behind the scenes. Don’t give up because with faith and patience, it’s just a matter of time before you see His promises come to pass!
“…imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:12, NIV)
The Finished Work of Jesus gives you power to win not only when you get to Heaven; but while living here on Earth as well. Say it with me, WE WIN!
OUR LIFE IS NOT OUR OWN
Luke 22:49 "When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?"
The Lordship of Jesus is one of the central themes of scripture. It is clear that many times the word "Lord," when referring to Jesus, is equivalent to the divine name "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge His deity (Jn. 20:28).
What it means to give Jesus Lordship in our lives, is to recognize His right to rule in our lives, by right of creation (Jn. 1:3) and right of redemption.
"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20).
One of the most damaging attitudes of our time is the exaltation of self over others. Personal rights have been promoted at the expense of others. This is not good for society and it is certainly not the way God expects His body to operate.
As Christians, we need to develop a continual awareness that our lives are not our own. We do not have the liberty to do as we please. We should present our body as a living sacrifice unto God, recognizing that this is just our reasonable duty to the one who gave His life for us (Rom. 12:1).
The Lordship of Jesus should be the determining factor in every action of a Christian (Rom. 14:7-10). Every thought and action should pass the test, "Is this what my Lord Jesus wants me to do or think?" If the answer is not a definite "yes," then it shouldn't be done. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23).
"The sky is not falling, Jesus is still on the throne & His Word is still true!" -
DEFEATED ADVERSARY
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. —1 Peter 5:8
The roaring lion is the legendary “king of the jungle.” But the only lions many of us see are the lethargic felines that reside in zoos. Their days are filled with lots of rest, and their dinner is served to them without the lions having to lift a single paw.
In their natural habitat, however, lions aren’t always living a laid-back life. Their hunger tells them to go hunting, and in doing so they seek the young, weak, sick, or injured. Crouching in tall grasses, they slowly creep forward. Then with a sudden pounce, they clamp their jaws to the body of their victim.
Peter used “a roaring lion” as a metaphor for Satan. He is a confident predator, looking for easy prey to devour (1 Peter 5:8). In dealing with this adversary, God’s children must be vigilant at putting “on the whole armor of God” and thus they can “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10-11).
The good news is that Satan is a defeated adversary. While he is a powerful foe, those who are protected by salvation, prayer, and the Word of God need not be paralyzed in fear at this roaring lion. We are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5). James 4:7 assures us: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Lord, we know that our enemy seeks to devour us. Please protect us from him. We believe Your Word that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
No evil can penetrate the armor of God.
FIX YOUR GAZE
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. - Proverbs 4:25, NIV
What are you looking at today? Not in the natural, but with your spiritual eyes. In other words, what is in the forefront of your mind and heart? Are you constantly dwelling on your problems or things that have happened in your past? In the natural, you will move in the direction that your eyes are looking. In the spiritual, it works the same way. Whatever you focus your mind and heart on, you will move toward. That’s why the Bible tells us to look straight ahead. If you are constantly dwelling on your past, wondering “what if,” then you will stay right where you are. But if you choose to release the past through forgiveness, then you can focus on what is ahead of you.
Today, make the decision to meditate on God’s goodness and focus on His promises. Forget the past, good and bad, and fix your gaze straight ahead so you can move forward into the blessing and victory He has for you!
AMAZING GUIDE
Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken. —Joshua 21:45
When actors and actresses make a movie, it’s the director who sees the “big picture” and the overall direction. Actress Marion Cotillard admits she didn’t understand everything the director was doing in one of her recent films. She said, “I found it very interesting to allow myself to be lost, because I knew that I had this amazing guide. . . . You abandon yourself for a story and a director that will make it all work.”
I think Joshua could have said something similar about the director of his life. In today’s Scripture passage, the newly commissioned leader of Israel is standing at the threshold of the Promised Land. More than 2 million Israelites are looking to him to lead them. How would he do it? God didn’t give him a detailed script, but He gave him the assurance that He would go with him.
God said, “I will be with you. I will not leave you” (Josh. 1:5). He commanded Joshua to study and practice everything written in His Word (vv.7-8), and He promised to be with Joshua wherever he went. Joshua responded with complete devotion and surrender to his amazing Guide, and “not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken” (21:45).
We too can abandon ourselves to our Director and rest in His faithfulness.
He leadeth me! O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Faith never knows where it is being led; it knows and loves the One who is leading. —Oswald Chambers
LEARN THE WORD BY DOING IT
Matthew 26:55 "In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me."
The four gospels refer to Jesus teaching 43 times, preaching 19 times, and preaching and teaching in the same verse, six times. This indicates that Jesus spent twice as much time teaching as He did preaching. Teaching is the basic building block for making disciples. Jesus was making disciples, not just converts.
The Greek word for "disciple" literally means "a learner," and indicates "learning by endeavor" or what we would call "on-the-job training." Jesus said in John 8:31, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." Anyone who meets this criterion is Jesus' disciple.
"Jailhouse religion," where a person is only sorry he got caught and is trying to get out of a bad situation, will not produce true discipleship. It takes a forsaking of all to be Jesus' disciple. Jesus wants us to "count the cost." It is definitely a commitment.
What the Lord has started in you, He will also continue and complete. That is not to say that your success will be automatic; we have to cooperate with what God is wanting to do in our lives. Our faithfulness may always be suspect, but God's faithfulness is never in question. It is always God's will to continue and complete the good work He began in us.
ONLY GOD
Only God,
will help you OVERCOME your GOLIATH...
1. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of uncertainty.
2. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of family turmoil.
3. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of poor health.
4. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of financial suppression.
The Lord, will show you that...
1. Your enemy is not a stall mate.
2. Your enemy is a door to another triumph.
3. Your enemy unlocks your future.
4. Your enemy is an opportunity to launch you into reward...
Isaiah 48:17.....
Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go...
Holy is the word of the Lord...
1. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of uncertainty.
2. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of family turmoil.
3. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of poor health.
4. Today, you can overcome your Goliath of financial suppression.
The Lord, will show you that...
1. Your enemy is not a stall mate.
2. Your enemy is a door to another triumph.
3. Your enemy unlocks your future.
4. Your enemy is an opportunity to launch you into reward...
Isaiah 48:17.....
Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go...
Holy is the word of the Lord...
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