Tag: AlwaysTriumph

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Pulled to Safety

I just wanted to share this Psalm with you as a way of following up on yesterday’s blog.

There are so many who feel helpless and without hope because of the situations they are in. They don’t have that rock solid foundation that I was talking about. If you know someone like that – wondering what to do, where to go, how to manage, I pray you will share these Scriptures with them.

God knows, He cares, He’s here with the answer.

“I patiently waited, Lord,
    for you to hear my prayer.
You listened 2 and pulled me
from a lonely pit
    full of mud and mire.
You let me stand on a rock
    with my feet firm,
3 and you gave me a new song,
    a song of praise to you.
Many will see this,
and they will honor and trust
    you, the Lord God.

4 You bless all of those
    who trust you, Lord,
and refuse to worship idols
    or follow false gods.
5 You, Lord God, have done
    many wonderful things,
and you have planned
    marvelous things for us.
No one is like you!
I would never be able to tell
    all you have done.

6 Sacrifices and offerings
    are not what please you;
gifts and payment for sin
    are not what you demand.
But you made me willing
    to listen and obey.
7 And so, I said, “I am here
    to do what is written
about me in the book,
    where it says,
8 ‘I enjoy pleasing you.
    Your Law is in my heart.’ ”

9 When your people worshiped,
you know I told them,
    “Our Lord always helps!”
10 When all your people met,
    I did not keep silent.
I said, “Our Lord is kind.
He is faithful and caring,
    and he saves us.”

11 You, Lord, never fail
    to have pity on me;
your love and faithfulness
    always keep me secure.

12 I have more troubles
    than I can count.
My sins are all around me,
    and I can’t find my way.
My sins outnumber
the hairs on my head,
    and I feel weak.
13 Please show that you care
and come to my rescue.
    Hurry and help me!

14 Disgrace and confuse
    all who want me dead;
turn away and disgrace
    all who want to hurt me.
15 Embarrass and shame
everyone who says,
    “Just look at you now!”

16 Our Lord, let your worshipers
    rejoice and be glad.
They love you for saving them,
so let them always say,
    “The Lord is wonderful!”

17 I am poor and needy,
but, Lord God,
    you care about me,
and you come to my rescue.
    Please hurry and help.” Psalm 40 CEV

The Lord IS wonderful, He is great! I will magnify Him for He IS all I need!

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Get In Touch with God

turn the radio on!

I hope I’m not the only one who grew up listening to Gospel Quartets. If I am, I’m sorry you missed it. It was a regular part of our Sunday evening services at the church my family attended.

Those memories tie in with yesterday’s blog on experiencing the presence of God. Tuesday, I happened to be in town, Dave was at the dentist. As I was driving from one location to the next, I turned the radio on. This is not the norm when Dave and I go somewhere together because we always seem to have so much to talk about.

Anyway, a song came on the radio that was so powerful that it filled the car with the presence of the Lord. I wanted to pull over and just let the words penetrate my soul without the distraction of traffic. I couldn’t do that, so I looked up the lyrics once I got home. (song by Chris Brown, Elevation Music and Brandon Lake, I Know A Name)

I know a name that can silence the roaring waves
I know a name that can empty out a grave
I know a name, it’s the only name that saves
And it’s worthy of all praise

I call You, Jesus
I call You, I call You Healer
Risen and reigning in power
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call You, Jesus
I call You, I call You Savior
Worthy of glory forever
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call Your name

When we speak the name of Jesus, dead things come to life. We receive new life – old things pass away and everything becomes new! The grave is no match for the power in the name of Jesus.

“ Peter said, ‘I have no money, but what I have I will give you! In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!’…16 You see and know this man here. He has been made strong through faith in Jesus’ name. Yes, it is faith in Christ that has made this man well and strong. This man is standing here in front of you all.” Acts 3:6-16 NLV

“Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:16-17 CEV

There is power in the name of Jesus. Power to change lives, heal the sick and even raise the dead.

“‘ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name [[a]as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.'” John 14:11-14 AMP

The miracles that Jesus did gave honor to His Father and Jesus wants our lives to glorify the Father as well.

There’s a gospel song that says, “Get in touch with God, turn your radio on”. I tell you it was sure true for me. We can experience God’s presence anywhere we go.

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Recognizing God’s Presence

“You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:20b ERV

“ Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.‘” Hebrews 13:5 ERV

“ You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever.” Psalm 16:11 NLV

“ If I take the wings of the morning or live in the farthest part of the sea, 10 even there Your hand will lead me and Your right hand will hold me. ” Psalm 139:9-10 NLV

As I sat here this morning, I was thanking the Lord for yesterday’s events. A trip to the grocery store and to the dentist both revealed God’s presence and provision.

God is in the small, routine occurrence and also in the miraculous.

Our failing comes in seeking the miraculous before we acknowledge God’s presence.

I was asked once by a group of college students if I was one of those “born again Christians”. I could tell by their tone that they had been turned off to religious people with their piety and condemning ways.

So, I answered their question truthfully. “No, not the way you’re asking but something much deeper. I am born again because I have received a new life through my relationship with Christ. A christian? Yes, because that word means “Christ like one”. I went on to say, “You see, I trust God for everything I do each day. I believe God wants to be involved in my trips to the grocery store and in seeing that my children grow up healthy and strong. I believe He wants my marriage to be great and for me to acknowledge His leading each and every day.”

Oh, sometimes I have failed at that, thinking I had to take matters into my own hands because I knew how to handle a situation without first going to Him and asking for His leading and wisdom. Those times didn’t turn out so well.

But now…I make it a point to practice His presence.

If I find that my joy is gone and I’m stressing over things like finances and lack, personal relationships, world issues or health issues I remind myself that my Father is always with me. Leading me to green pastures where I will find rest. Knowing He has not abandoned me or left me to my own strength.

Recognizing the Presence of God isn’t just something we do when we are in a church service or in our morning quiet time. His presence is closer than the air we breathe or the warmth of the sun.

Recognize His presence today. Hear Him say to you, “Lo, I am with you ALWAYS”!

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Stand Up to Fear

I love that we have the story of Gideon in the Bible. He is the poster child of transformation. Going from fearful farmer to valiant warrior, all because he had an encounter with the Lord.

I think what I love most about this story is God’s faithfulness. He lovingly encouraged Gideon each step of the way. The Lord didn’t become impatient or frustrated, instead He gave continued instruction and showed His commitment to direct Gideon and deliver Israel.

After Gideon asked the Lord for proof of His willingness to lead him and Israelites, Gideon stepped out with the army but look where they went.

“ Early the next morning, Gideon and his army got up and moved their camp to Fear Spring. The Midianite camp was to the north, in the valley at the foot of Moreh Hill. 2 The Lord said, “Gideon, your army is too big. I can’t let you win with this many soldiers. The Israelites would think that they had won the battle all by themselves and that I didn’t have anything to do with it. 3  So call your troops together and tell them that anyone who is really afraid can leave Mount Gilead and go home.” Judges 7:1-3 CEV

They went to “Fear” Spring. God had a purpose for going there; remove fear from the camp. Everyone that was afraid was sent home. Twenty-two thousand soldiers left, only ten thousand remained.

Fear is persistent. It tries to wear us down, it’s goal is to defeat us and keep us from being who God created us to be.

“God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 CEV

“Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” Philippians 4:13 CEV

“ Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love takes away fear. It is his punishment that makes a person fear. So his love is not made perfect in the one who has fear.” I John 4:18 ERV

God was not only working in Gideon’s life but also in the lives of the men who remained. The men needed to be alert, ready for battle.

“Gideon,” the Lord said, “you still have too many soldiers. Take them down to the spring and I’ll test them…6 Three hundred men scooped up water in their hands and lapped it, and the rest knelt to get a drink. 7 The Lord said, “Gideon, your army will be made up of everyone who lapped the water from their hands. Send the others home. I’m going to rescue Israel by helping you and your army of 300 defeat the Midianites.” Judges 7:3-7 CEV

Victory doesn’t come because of great numbers or worldly prestige. It comes from faith; trusting in God’s word and His purposes. It comes when we stand, firmly planted on God’s promises.

“ I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 CEV

Stand up to fear; we defeat it not in our own efforts but by placing our trust in our God who never fails!

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Grasshoppers – Oh My!

We have been experiencing an outbreak of grasshoppers and crickets here in our area. They are everywhere!

I decided to look up their life span – it can range from a few weeks to a few months. Ridiculous.

I’d like to tell you about a “grasshopper” mentality that lasted about 40 years. I call it the grasshopper syndrome. Grasshopper Syndrome was first diagnosed in Numbers 13.

Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt and God said He had given them the Promised Land. All they had to do was go in and possess it. Moses chose 12 men to spy out the land and bring back a report. Ten men came back with Grasshopper Syndrome and two men, Joshua and Caleb, came back “considering” only the good that God had revealed to them.

The ten men said this “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:33 The problem wasn’t the giants in the land, it’s that they were considering the giants and not God and saw themselves as grasshoppers.

We know from reading about Rahab in Jericho that the people’s hearts had been in fear from the moment they heard about the Red Sea parting that the Israelites would come and destroy them so really the ten men had nothing to fear except their own imaginations.

Now year’s later we find a second outbreak of Grasshopper Syndrome. It occurs in I Samuel 17. This is where we find the story of David and Goliath. The army of Israel had heard Goliath taunt them for forty days. “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. 11When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” I Samuel 17:10-11

Goliath was the biggest man around at over nine feet tall and he came out twice a day mocking the armies of God. Grasshopper Syndrome had spread throughout the entire army and they were filled with fear.

Then David, a shepherd boy, shows up to bring gifts to his brothers and things change. He hears Goliath’s defiant cries, and asks but one question “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?” To us today, that may seem like a silly question but it was David’s way of not considering Goliath’s size.

Since the days of Abraham, circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel. It meant that God had promised to be their God and always be with them.

Powerful, powerful covenant.

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me using sword, spear, and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel. You have said bad things about him. 46 Today the LORD will let me defeat you.,,Then all the world will know there is a God in Israel. 47 All the people gathered here will know that the LORD doesn’t need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to the LORD, and he will help us defeat all of you.” I Samuel 17:45-47

With one shot from the sling, Goliath was dead. What kind of Goliath is standing in front of you today – unemployment, illness, personal relationships, financial hardship – whatever it is, do like David.

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” I John 4:4

Take God’s word and destroy the giant, remove Grasshopper Syndrome from your thinking, let God’s word have final authority in your life.

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And the Winner Is…

We all like to win. I was never very athletic so I would cheer from the sidelines, encouraging those who were competing.

But I know now that I am a winner and I’m cheering for you.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

Those who have gone before us in this life of faith are cheering us on. Their lives are examples of encouragement of what God will do in the lives of common, ordinary people.

Do you realize Jesus considered Himself a winner when He endured the cross?

“In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Colossians 2:15 NLT

He did this for all of us.

“ My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” I John 2:1-2 NLT

When our lives are committed to Christ we participate in His victory.

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:1-5 NLT

We are destined to be winners – victorious – overcomers.

“ We thank God for the power Christ has given us. He leads us and makes us win in everything. He speaks through us wherever we go. The Good News is like a sweet smell to those who hear it.” II Corinthians 2:14 NLV

God uses us to be a voice for Christ in the world telling the Good News of His love, forgiveness and victory.

“ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:57 NKJV

“ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 NKJV

Better than winning the lotto or anything else is the victory we have in Christ. And the winner is…US!

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The Good Fight

and some days it’s a real battle.

This morning I woke up with two scriptures on my mind. “Fight the good fight of faith” and “our God is great”. The two of these run hand in hand. When we try to accomplish things on our own, we can become frustrated, discouraged, disappointed in the battle and then see the same results when we complete the task.

Striving to reach a goal, develop a relationship, coming back from devastating circumstances, or just daily life in general can be an all-consuming endeavor that causes us to lose sight of the joys that are all around us on a daily basis. But when we “go for it” in faith God directs our steps and although our goal may be the same, the purpose for reaching that goal is God centered and it brings a much more pleasant reward.

The other side of the coin is those that don’t even fight. They have no motivation to succeed or venture toward the goal. They live with the outlook of “whatever will be, will be”. So, they never even try to fight or to win.

But when we fight the good fight of faith, our faith isn’t in ourself or our abilities it’s in God and what He has placed within us. Today – make the effort, go for it and most of all trust in God who is there with us every step of the way.

“…Always try to do what is right, to be devoted to God, and to have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12 We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard.” I Timothy 6:11-12 ERV

Deuteronomy 10:16-18 “Stop being stubborn. Give your hearts to God. The LORD is your God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. To him everyone is the same. He does not accept money to change his mind. 18 He defends widows and orphans. He loves even the strangers living among us. He gives them food and clothes.”

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

God is more than able!

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Another “But God” Moment

This morning I found where Jacob, the patriarch of the Jews, had a “BUT GOD” moment. As a young man Jacob had been sent by his mother to stay with his relatives. Why, you might ask? He had tricked his brother out of his birthright. So he arrives in Haran and goes to work for Laban, his mother’s brother.

He meets Rachel, Laban’s daughter and falls in love with her. He must work 7 years to earn enough to marry her and then on the wedding night he finds that he has been tricked and is actually married to her older sister, Leah. Now he must work another 7 years for Rachel and finally marries her. The whole time he is working for Laban who swindles him time and again.

Laban promised Jacob goats and then changed the terms again and again. Now finally, Jacob has the flocks and his wives and children and is ready to leave and head back to Canaan – probably more than 20 years. They leave when Laban is gone and are 3 days into the journey when Laban finally catches up with them.

Jacob, the one who had tricked his brother out of his birthright, lived working for Laban, the master trickster, for many, many years. But in all this, Jacob was faithful to do the work that Laban required of him. Now this is what Jacob says to Laban.

“I worked 20 years like a slave for you. For the first 14 years I worked to win your two daughters. The last six years I worked to earn your animals. And during that time you changed my pay ten times. 42 But the God of my ancestors, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, was with me. If God had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing. But he saw the trouble that I had and the work that I did, and last night God proved that I am right.” Genesis 31:41-42

BUT GOD saw what I have been through and He proved that I am right! God sees what you have been through and He will defend you.

“I know the LORD will provide justice for the poor and will defend the helpless. 13 Those who do what is right will praise your name; those who are honest will live in your presence.” Psalm 140:12-13 ERV

In times of trouble, in disappointment, in hardship or any kind of trouble look up. If we only had our own resources BUT with God all things are possible!

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Mighty God

These words are transforming, life-changing and exciting! These words are to be lived – they are not just words on a page.

“For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles: “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 TLB

They are words that I have heard every Christmas for as long as I can remember. They are words, not just for the Christmas season, but they are our hope for every day of our lives.

Each “royal” title for Christ deserves to be examined and meditated on; this morning I’ll share just a few thoughts on “the mighty God”.

The mighty God – THE mighty God – the MIGHTY God – the mighty GOD – THE MIGHTY GOD – no matter where you put the emphasis, it means that HE is greater than I am. He is mighty.

From the beginning, God’s plan was to be involved in the daily lives of His creation. He wanted fellowship with the people He created. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He spoke with Noah, Abraham, Samuel, David, Solomon, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Mary, Joseph and then He came personally to dwell with mankind and reveal His nature – His heart – His plan.

The MIGHTY God made an old couple able to bear a child; shut the mouth of hungry lions, brought victory after victory in battle, fed the Israelites with bread from heaven, raised the dead, healed the sick, open the eyes of the blind, walked on water, defeated Satan and death to rise triumphantly from the grave.

The mighty GOD came to live among us, to experience what we experience and to give us the victory. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”I John 4:4

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:14-16

There is NO situation or circumstance in our life today that “the mighty God” can’t handle. When we give it over to Him, we experience His presence and His peace.

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

All our worries, cares and frustrations need to be given over to our “Mighty God”. He promises to carry the load; to give us His peace, mercy and kind help in our time of need. He promises to never abandon us or leave us without help. He promises to be our help in times of trouble.

He is Mighty God and He is our constant friend and guide.

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Impatience & Its Brothers

Dave and I live in a small community for a reason. Neither one of us like traffic or crowds. There have only been a few years in our married lives that we have been city people – that’s not for us. We admire those of you that can and do live there and the gracious way you handle yourselves on a daily basis.

Yesterday I started the day by talking about impatience…and today we will venture into the city where I know our patience will be tested.

My solution is to avoid those places and people that test my patience but avoidance isn’t really the solution, in fact it’s delayed victory. I need to face things head on like a little shepherd boy with a giant.

While the Israelite army was standing on a hillside trying to avoid conflict with the Philistines, Goliath would walk out and taunt them daily. There was no victory, no peace. What was needed was a confrontation – a confrontation wrapped in prayer and the power of God.

Am I comparing impatience to Goliath? You bet! Impatience is a giant of an emotion and just like Goliath impatience has brothers; anger, criticism, strife and rude behavior.

You see when David went to meet Goliath he picked up 5 stones. This was not a backup measure in case he missed with the first one. No! If that had been the case, he would have been dead because Goliath would have killed him before he got off a second projectile. It was an offensive tactic; he wanted to be armed to take out the whole family.

So let me ask – what giants are you facing today? Have you been avoiding them? Choosing to go another direction? There will come a time that you must face the giants but not in your own strength. God will be there to lead you into battle victoriously – you must simply trust in Him.

” David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me using sword, spear, and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel. You have said bad things about him. 46 Today the Lord will let me defeat you. I will kill you. I will cut off your head and feed your body to the birds and wild animals. And we will do the same thing to all the other Philistines too. Then all the world will know there is a God in Israel. 47 All the people gathered here will know that the Lord doesn’t need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to the Lord, and he will help us defeat all of you.” I Samuel 17:45-47 ERV

Conquer impatience. Follow His lead and claim victory today!

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