Three Steps to Victory

Three Steps to Victory

Wednesday, 3 Aug , 2005 Service

Foundational Scripture: 1 Sam 17:1-11

This is an awful situation to be in. The enemy is in your own back yard and wants nothing more than to destroy you and cut your head off. Satan’s desire is to see you live as slaves for the rest of your lives; living beneath your privilege and not according to the blessings of God.

The anointing doesn’t keep challenges away from the child of God. The power of the Holy Ghost in our lives allows us to face the obstacles of life head on. There is a confidence that comes from a close relationship with God, and that is what we need so desperately in these last days. Lord, give us the strength to carry on.

If there was no way for us to defeat our enemies, the Lord would not have told us to put our armor on. If there was no way to win, it would be pointless to get ready for the battle. Let me tell you, child of God, there is a reason to go on, and there is hope in the battle. The Bible says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31, KJV) The Word of the living God assures our victory, so believe it with all your might.

There are three steps in order for us to gain the victory. By the way, are you shouting the victory? Do you know that God is going to help you through your battles and let you walk victoriously through life? I Corinthians 15:57says “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

STEP 1 RECOGNIZE YOUR ENEMY.

You need to know who you’re fighting.  Many battles have been lost because the Christian soldier didn’t know who the real enemy was.  We need to understand the enemy’s tactics and fight accordingly.

1 Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour:

Gal 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Eph 2:1-3 1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Eph 6:11-12 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

STEP 2 STAND YOUR GROUND IN JESUS’ NAME.

I realize it is often easier to run or blame God than to stand your ground and fight the battle. Church, our Father is on our side, and we have no right to run from the battle just because it may be going rough for us. Remember who is fighting for us.  It’s time to dig our feet into the sand and declare we are children of God – we win in Jesus’ name.

Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

I really like this next scripture. The prophet declared something that is definite, not just a possibility. We have to believe what the Word says, and not go by our feelings. It’s time to stand on God’s Word!

Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD
shall be a light unto me.

STEP 3 USE POWERFUL WEAPONS.

God has supplied the saints with tools to give us the victory, but they are absolutely no good until we put them in our hands and use them according to the Word.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

2 Cor 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Acts 10:36-38 36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Many Christians are weak because they either don’t know the Word of God or just don’t use it. The weapons are there for the taking, but we must reach out and grab them in order for them to help us.

Will you have the victory today?

Personal Goal – Daily Bible Reading, Part 2

I must confess, having a daily reading plan means absolutely nothing if it isn’t used. Thankfully, the Lord has given me the time and desire to pursue my goal with a strong purpose. It would be difficult, at best, to describe the joy I get when the day’s reading goal is checked.

Now, to some, it may sound as if this exercise is merely mechanical in order to fulfill form and fashion only. No, it is far more than that. God’s Word is satisfying to the very soul, and I know something good is coming of this journey I’ve begun. Yes, I do want to complete the course, but as each portion is read, it seems the Lord is opening up something new each time, and that is well worth the time spent at my desk with Bible open.

In talking with several of my pastor friends, I am finding many of them are pursuing the same goal. Yes, pastors are supposed to read God’s Word; this is more than “just what we’re supposed to do.” It’s as if there is a newness and freshness that’s being stirred in our spirits. The Lord is giving us a new desire to receive all He has for us through the pages of God’s holy book.

What about you today? Do you set some time aside each day to spend with the Lord through prayer and reading His precious Word? Will you begin to take time? Let me assure you, time can be found if you really want to read. One of the sayings my people hear quite often is “you can do what you want to do.” If any of really want to, we can find the time to read every day. Now, get to it!

Linux – Is It For You?

Do any of you use Linux as your primary operating system? I have been dual-booting Linux and Windows for about five years now, though it’s a rare thing, indeed, for me to use the latter for anything. I know whatever you decide to use is entirely up to you, unless you are stuck using someone else’s computer.

For me, the decision wasn’t very difficult. Let me tell you a story, the very reason I’m using Linux today. Several years ago, I had begun using open source software, such as Firefox, Thunderbird and a few other Windows programs, too. Let me not forget OpenOffice (OOo), which became my main office suite, even though the software was fairly new. Everything I tried just seemed to work very well for all my needs.

I especially liked OpenOffice, because it was easy to set up sermon templates, with the help of some very nice people on the OOo forum. I quickly became comfortable with the software, and even learned how to use it together with MySQL to take care of my database needs. That was, and is, a great combination.

One day I received an e-mail from a friend, and thought nothing of the negative consequences of opening the attachment. I just knew Firefox would open, and I could view to my heart’s content. Well, that didn’t happen at all, and five minutes later, I was infected with some nasty computer viruses, which took me about a week to clean out. That was not a pleasant experience.

Somehow the subject came out while looking through the OOo forum, and I sent a question regarding what I had read. Well, it wasn’t long until I had downloaded a version of Linux, rebooted my computer, and had it dual-booting. To my dismay, I could do everything in this new operating system I could do in Windows, but in a safe, virus-free environment. With more questions in hand, some kind soul on the OOo forum steered me to Simply Mepis Linux, and I’ve been using that distribution ever since. The Mepis Lovers Forum contains a wealth of information about this great distribution. Has everything gone smoothly? Absolutely not, but neither did Windows offer a completely smooth ride.

Don Parris, pastor of Matheteuo Christian Fellowship, Charlotte NC is quite an interesting man. He has written a wonderful book about using open source software in a church environment. “Penguin in the Pew” does a far better job than I could in detailing the importance of Linux and open source software in the church and office. There are two versions of the book, and both are readily available on the net. If you have questions about Linux, this is a great source of information.

Now, why should anyone use Linux? If you search the net for the answer to that question, you will find quite a bit of material. Here’s an interesting site that clearly explains why you should begin using Linux. Now you will be able to see there are many more reasons to switch to Linux, and stop supporting Microsoft, but you’ll have to make that determination yourselves.

Linux software equivalent to Windows software from LinuxQuestions.org is another source of information for you to browse. What often confuses people migrating from Windows to the Linux environment is the lack of knowledge about comparable programs. This table should give you some insight into what is available to Linux users.

Hopefully, this article will stir your interest and cause you to do some research on your own. Personally, I rarely ever boot into Windows, and can’t remember the last time I did. If you ever try Linux, especially Simply Mepis, you might find yourselves hooked just like me.

Tears in the House of God

The following message was preached in our central Florida church.  What was planned for a Sunday morning service turned out to be a three part message.  God blessed us with a powerful altar service, and many lives were forever touched by the Spirit of God.

Sunday, April 6, 2008 am Service

Psalm 126:1-6

1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. 3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

The saints of God are often found weeping and in tears while performing our duties and living our lives. When we weep and shed tears of godly sorrow in the midst of life, we are sowing to the Spirit of God, and will reap good things from His hands. We may sow in tears, but will reap in joy. We won’t always mourn and shed tears; God will one day wipe all tears from our eyes. What a day that will be!

It is a good thing to both have and show joy in the presence of the Lord. When the Lord does the miraculous in our lives, it is important to allow ourselves to be filled with laughter and sing with shouts of joy. I believe we have become too quiet in our worship and praise; it’s time for the church to wake up and magnify the Lord with all our hearts.

There are many kinds of tears shed in our lives, and I want to look at some of them today.

1. Tears of sorrow or suffering. II Kings 20:1-11 Here is a story regarding a godly king who was told something that had to be quite unnerving: “get your house in order; you are going to die.” Can you imagine the impact that would have on you? He is the king, and to be told his house wasn’t in order must have been a shock to him.

Hezekiah did what we should all do when sorrow or suffering comes knocking at our door; we should turn our faces to the wall and pray, crying before Almighty God. The king reminded the Lord how he had lived his life before Him in truth and with a perfect heart. Hezekiah also reminded the Lord how he had done those things which were good and right in God’s presence. Would you be able to answer God the same way Hezekiah did?

Through his tears, Hezekiah heard Isaiah the prophet say how the Lord would add fifteen years to his life. God heard the king’s prayers and answered them before the prophet could get out the door. Let me tell you, tears from the heart are seeds that produce results in the sight of God.

2. Tears of joy. Genesis 33:1-17 This is a beautiful story, filled with great joy. Jacob and Esau had been separated for a long time, but they were about to meet one another for the first time in many years. They would meet on the road to Seir.

(Genesis 33:4, KJV) And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Paul, in writing to Timothy, made it clear that he remembered his young convert night and day in his prayers. He wrote of Timothy’s tears and the fact they would see each other; Paul would be filled with joy.

II Tim 1:3-4 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

3. Tears of compassion. John 11:33-36 This, to me, is one of the most beautiful stories in all the Word of God. We have all heard it many times, but it should still be fresh and real to us as we see how tender and compassionate the Lord is.

Jesus never did try to hide His humanity; even those who would ultimately reject Him knew His unequaled compassion.

(Isaiah 53:3, KJV) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Heb 4:15-16 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

(Romans 12:15, KJV) Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Do you shed tears of compassion?

4. Tears of desperation. Esther 4:1-3 The story of Esther is one of the most beautiful in the entire Bible. It’s a story about what a person can do through prayer, fasting and determination to fulfill the call of God.

Here we find one of the king’s favored counselors, Haman, who has plotted to destroy all the Jews throughout the land. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, has found out about this insidious plot, and he began to be very upset about the matter. He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth with ashes and cried out with a loud voice in the streets of the city. Image for a moment how this would have appeared to the citizens of that royal city.

He also did something which was not lawful: he came before the king’s gate in this desperate state.

DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES.

The story continues with Esther risking her life by presenting herself before the king unannounced. She didn’t go before the king without spending much time in preparation, though. She answered Mordecai by commanding all the Jews who were in Shushan to fast for three days, night and day; she and her maids would fast, too.

5. Tears of travail. Jeremiah 9:1, 18 It is clear from the text how much the weeping prophet loved his people. Many people show little concern for the plight of others, but Jeremiah is a shining example of a true saint of God. You can tell Jeremiah was in distress over his people’s apparent lack of love toward God. When those around us turn away from God, it is time to travail before the Lord with tears and concern.

The Apostle Paul, writing in Heb 5:5-10, describes how Jesus prayed with strong crying and tears to the Father in order to be saved from death, but gladly obeyed in order to save us from sin.

In order to see the agony Jesus went through for us, we need only to look at Mark 14:32-42. Here we find Jesus in the garden as He prayed the Father would let the horrible cup of suffering pass from Him. Jesus would say to the Father, “not my will, but Your will be done.”

6. Tears of repentance. Joel 2:12-13, 15-17 The Lord is calling the people to repentance, but not just an outward show. It’s easy to put on a big smile in front of your friends when things are going well; it’s another thing entirely when we have to get down to business and truly repent before the all-seeing eyes of God. The Lord expects us to repent from our hearts. He is more interested in your hearts than the clothes you wear on your backs.

I don’t know about you, but I would like to see genuine tears in the house of God again. We have been silent for too long; it’s time to weep between the porch and the altar with a song in our hearts and joy on our lips. Let there be

Tears in the House of God!

Personal Goal – Daily Bible Reading

One of the greatest things the Church of God has ever been involved with is called the “Covenant Pastoral Leadership Development Initiative”.  One aspect of the initiative is to form “Pastoral Covenant Groups” (PCG), which are led by designated facilitators.

In my particular group, there are about six other pastors who have joined together in a covenant relationship with each other.  It is not a program handed down from the top brass; rather, according to Dr. James P. Bowers, Executive Director, Center for Pentecostal Leadership, it is a process that brings “pastors, congregations, and denominational leaders together to support pastoral excellence.”

One part of the PCG process is to make and assess personal goals. We help each other to be accountable, and encourage those in covenant to reach their own goals, and even stretch out toward new goals. What a wonderful idea – fellow pastors helping each other, not competing with each other.

A personal goal of mine has been to read God’s Word for me, for my enjoyment and growth. Many of you pastors, teachers and evangelists can relate to the fact that much of your reading is geared toward preparing sermons, messages and teachings. You can’t give out what you don’t have in you!

With the help of one of my facilitator friends, Pastor Jim Hull, I finally took hold of the goal and made it a part of my life. After quite a bit of searching the internet using Google, I came across a Daily Bible Reading Plan, from Homeschool World. It’s a great tool, and stays tucked into one of my Bibles for daily reading.

Because it’s so important, I have really been pushing Bible reading lately at the church I pastor. My people have really taken up the charge, and are doing quite well. It’s especially thrilling to see young people begin a daily reading plan.

What about you? If you are not reading God’s Word regularly, you are missing out on so much the Lord wants to show you. Our strength comes from the Word of God; we are helped and encouraged by it’s glorious pages. Will you read God’s Word today like never before?