Undercover or Overcomer?

One of the greater promises of the New Testament is the victory verses of 1 John 5:4-5

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Without a doubt, God wants those that embrace His Son to be victorious over sin and the world.  That leaves me to ask this question:

If God's desire is for his children is to be victorious, then why are so many Christians living a defeated life? 

 The answer appears to be in these two words: Our faith -- or the lack of faith!  Many professing Christians are not living a triumphant life because they are trying to live a hidden life.  They are not overcomers because they are undercover!  You cannot tell a difference between their life and a nonbeliever's life -- Not in their talk nor their action nor their demeanor! They are secret agent Christians.  Without the occasional Sunday morning church service, they blend in with the world and do not walk by faith ( 2 Corinthians 5:7).

Ask any sports coach how important it is for his team to believe they can win, and he'll assure you that it is very important.  To conquer temptations and live above the world, you must believe you can win.  An alcoholic will never beat the addiction if he or she doesn't believe they can. A Christian never experience the abundant life without believing he or she can do so. 

Take hold of the promises of God's word and stop hiding.  Live by faith the promises. Because:

 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

They're Watching

And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. Genesis 16:4 ESV

When Abram and Sarai decided that they needed to help God out and compromised their faith in the promise of Sarai having a child, Hagar lost all respect for them. 

The world is watching the Christian. When we compromise our faith in Word of God we lose the respect of a confused world that longs for the truth. Believe God’s promises and wait for God to work it out.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14  KJV

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Living Out of this World!

Have you been told that you're not living in the real world? If you haven't been told so, then the probability of you living by faith is low; and chances are, you don't have a firm belief in the promises of God. 

Consider for a moment the account at Kadesh when Moses sent the twelve spies in Canaan (Numbers 13,14).  If you recall, ten of the twelve returned with a good and bad report.  They claimed the land was everything God had promised but that the inhabitants were mighty -- too mighty to be conquered by Israel even if the Almighty God was their redeemer. 

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:6-9)

The ten were convinced that Joshua and Caleb were not living in the "real world." In reality, Joshua and Caleb were living in the "real Word"!  They were trusting the promises of a promise-keeping God.

The world today views the believer that lives their life according to the Word of God as being out of touch with reality; when in truth, they are in touch with reality.

So if you find people regarding you a little Out-of-this-world, cheer up.  You are among a noble group including Joshua and Caleb. 

The Shortest Sermon - The Biggest Stir

Luke 4:17-21(NKJV)

 So He [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

In one sentence Jesus delivered a sermon that rocked his hometown of Nazareth.  At first, they marvel at his teaching amazed by what they heard.  That turned quickly to denying and refusing to believe that the hometown son could be the Messiah. Make no mistake! With one sentence, Jesus declared he was the answer to the prophet's prophecy!  He did so with confidence and total conviction. 

There is a simple lesson taught in this passage concerning sharing the gospel. It's not how long, detailed, or elegant the message is but rather how confident and assured you are that it is good news. You do not need to be a theologian to share the gospel.  You do need to believe it is the truth, and it has the power to make an everlasting difference.  JB

Who's in Charge?

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Who is in charge of your life?

Never forget and always acknowledge the fact that God is in charge. He always is! There is nothing that is not in his control. Although we may not understand all His ways, we must trust in His love and accept His will. This is not always easy; but if you will allow God, He will embrace you with this love and gently guide you through every phase of your life. 

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. -Psalm 73:24 Share 

"You have trusted Him in a few things, and He has not failed you. Trust Him now for everything, and see if He does not do for you exceeding abundantly above all that you could ever have asked or thought, not according to your power or capacity, but according to His own mighty power, that will work in you all the good pleasure of His most blessed will. You find no difficulty in trusting the Lord with the management of the universe and all the outward creation, and can your case be any more complex or difficult than these, that you need to be anxious or troubled about His management of it?" -Hannah Whitall Smith

"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to." -Elisabeth Elliot, the wife of slain missionary Jim Elliot (Learn more here)

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Turn the wheel into the wind!

When your boat is in rough waters, secure your anchor deep and man the rudder into the wind. Life will sail you into some troubled water. When it does, make sure your faith is firmly secure in your Lord and then face the trouble head on. Ride it out. You might even find that the wind whistling through your hair and the rain hitting your face invigorating.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.  Hebrews 2:10

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Blessed is she who believed

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke1:38 (NKJV)

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45 (NKJV)

The surrender of Mary to the will of God is one the greatest examples of faith to be found in the Bible.  I dare say few would be willing to allow God to upset their entire life as Mary did.  The most important quality found in her life is she believed.  The core of any person is defined in what they believe. 

Anchor your life by believing in God and do not allow the world or Satan shake your faith.

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!

~ Priscilla Jane Owens (1829-1907)

Key To Peace

Trusting in God is the real key to peace – perfect peace. Although trust appears to be simple, it is often difficult for many to put into action. Trust requires a total abandonment of self-reliance and a complete surrender to Lord. Many are not willing to give that kind of control over to God because they lack the faith to do so.

So how do you learn to trust God? I suggest that you start by surrendering a different area of your life each week. For example consider giving you work, finances, home, children and marriage to the Lord, one each week. Consciously and deliberately labor to release control of that area of your life you have surrendered to Lord until you have a peace. Next week choose another area and there are many more. Soon you will find it easier to trust all to God.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)


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Unconditional Surrender!

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 2 Kings 5:9-14 ESV

At last Naaman’s will was conquered, and he surrendered. When General Grant was besieging a town which was a stronghold of the Southern Confederacy, some of the officers sent word that they would leave the city if he would let them go with their men. But General Grant sent word:

“No, nothing but an unconditional surrender!”

Then they sent word that they would go if he would let them take their flag with them. But the answer was: “No, an unconditional surrender.”

At last the beleaguered walls were broken down, and the city entered, and then the enemy made a complete and unconditional surrender. Well, it was so with Naaman; he got to that point when he was willing to obey, and the Scripture tell us, “To obey is better than to sacrifice.”

God wants obedience. Naaman had to learn this lesson. There was no virtue, probably, in going down to the Jordan, any more than in obeying the voice of God. He had to obey the word, and IN THE VERY ACT OF OBEDIENCE he was blessed.

My friends, if you want God to bless you, obey Him. Do whatsoever He calls upon you to do, and then see if He will not bless you.

This word of wisdom is taken from Moody, Dwight Lyman. Men of the Bible

 For His Glory: A Kaleidoscope of Wisdom is a collection of meaningful and powerful reflections from real life experiences coupled with practical biblical wisdom. Going beyond the normal inspirational book, For His Glory unveils a kaleidoscope of commonsense precepts that challenges the reader to discover the wonders of living for God's glory. Eye-opening, life changing and easy to understand, For His Glory will enrich your life. See what others are saying and take a peek inside by Clicking Here! Also available on Kindle by CLICKING HERE!

Who Knows?

Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14.

WHAT grand faith was here! Mordecai was in God's secrets, and was assured that deliverance and enlargement would come to his people from some quarter — if not from Esther, then from some other; but he was extremely anxious that she should not miss the honour of being her people's emancipator. Therefore he suggested that she had come to her high position for this very purpose.

We none of us know, at the first, God's reasons for bringing us into positions of honour and trust. Why is that young girl suddenly made mistress over that household? Why is that youth taken from the ranks of the working-people, and placed over that great City church? Why is that man put forward in his business, so that he is the head of the firm in which he served as an office-boy? All these are parts of the Divine plan. God has brought them to the Kingdom that He may work out through them some great purpose of  salvation. They have the option, however, to serve it or not. They may use their position for themselves, for their own emolument and enjoyment, that they may surround themselves with strong fortifications against misfortune; but in that case they court destruction. Their position and wealth may vanish as suddenly as it came; or ill-health and disaster may incapacitate them.

If, on the other hand, all is used for God, though at the risk of perishing — for it seemed to Esther as though the action to which Mordecai urged her meant that — the issue is blessed. Those that love their lives lose them; those that are prepared to forfeit them keep them. The wheat grain which is buried in the soil bears much fruit. -F. B. Meyer,  Our Daily Homily

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Because you did not believe my words…

And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time. Luke 1:20 ESV

Because of a lack of faith, we yield to temptation and slip into sin and/or miss the blessing(s) of God. God stopped Zechariah from speaking so that Zechariah could learn to listen with hearing faith.

How much wiser and blessed would we be if we would "be quick to hear, [and] slow to speak" (James 1:19 ESV)!

Check out this Wisdom Tidbit: Become a Good Listener

No Backseat Driver Needed!

Jesus Needs No Backseat Drivers!

The wisest decision you can make is to invite Jesus into your life. Wiser yet is to allow him to take the driver sit and guide you down life’s road. If you choose to hand the controls over to Jesus, then know he doesn't need a backseat driver. This is especial true when he takes you down rough roads or in directions you especially do not like. When you go on high smooth roads, enjoy the ride. When you travel the low rough routes hang on tight, he will guide you through. Remember, Jesus does not need a backseat driver. He really is an excellent driver!

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