Victory247

“They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city”  Acts 14:19-20 (NIV)

Paul was speaking and ministering to the people in Lystra. The fickle crowd went from wanting to worship Paul, to being persuaded to throw stones at him. Sounds like Ohio State football, or Philadelphia baseball fans.

I can picture Paul lying on the ground with blood, bruises, and broken bones. They thought he was dead. He came back to consciousness, stood up, and went back into the city! He had a mission, a focus, a goal, a passion, and a lot of guts. I’m sure he didn’t feel like going back in, but he did.

There are days we know what we need to do, but we are pummeled. Hit by figurative stones from bosses, friends, co-workers, neighbors, enemies, illness…, and the heaviest ones from those we love. We feel bloody, bruised, and broken. We don’t feel like moving forward, we want to escape, sulk, complain, fight, or just quit.

How did Paul do it? Why did he go back in? He had the right perspective that life is a side-issue compared to eternity. Time is short, and he is just passing through to a great place. He also tapped into God’s strength. The prayer,“I can’t, but Lord, You can”, needs to be paramount in our minds. Feelings didn’t control Paul. His perspective, mission, and God’s energy did.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I can’t, but You can. Give me Your perspective and energy. Thank You for heaven. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD”  Jeremiah 17:5 (NIV)

Websters dictionary definition of cursed; “being under or deserving a curse“. I hate when I look up a word and they use the word or form of the word in the definition. So I’ll look up curse; “a cause of great harm or misfortune”.

So, “being under or deserving a cause of great harm or misfortune” is our destiny if we place our trust in man for security, and depend on our own abilities (flesh) instead of God’s.

Seems like a pretty heavy sentence. We all have that bent for creating a secure place that is self and man made. Then we go out and take care of our own needs. We may not admit it, but we’re looking out for “ol’ number one”. So, are we all doomed?

Yes, based on this Old Testament passage, yes, doomed. That is why Jesus had to come and rescue us (see “Start the Victory” a top victory247.org). After we receive Him, then we have the ability to release the curse. We can depend on Him, ask Him for strength and direction, seek His desire for our lives, walk by His principles, take the time to know Him, and then follow His leading. And BOOYAH, curse broken!

He doesn’t expect that do everything right, just that we are making progress going in the right direct. The chains of “harm and misfortune” fall off.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I want a full life. Help me to depend on You, and dissolve that curse. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people…” Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)

Most of us have heard the saying, “nothing is certain except death and taxes”. Death is one of those issues that we try to avoid thinking about. We even call the death insurance policy ‘life insurance’ instead of what it really is, ‘death insurance’.

I was talking to a friend about his son that had a football coach die. This man was close to his son, and even considered him a mentor. He told me once his son worked through this difficult experience, that it has really effected, in a good way, his whole view on life.

Death puts life into perspective. I was the math student that understood the process better if I started with the answer and worked backwards. In the same way, realizing the fact that it will be over some day should help us make better choices, not take things for granted, and appreciate the people in our lives more.

Some may say that “if I’m going to die, why not party my life away?”. I say, “I want people at my funeral who were touched by my life of faith, of helping others, and living right”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You that I can go to heaven when I die because I placed my faith in Christ. Help me to make good decisions based on the perspective that death gives me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols”  Ezekiel 36:25 (NASB)

When I was a young kid, I remember arguing with my parents about having to take a shower. My mind would think, ”what’s the point, I will be dirty again tomorrow anyway”.

Now that I am an adult, a timely shower can refresh my whole outlook on life. Those days when I do some lawn work, do my exercise bike ride, or just merely going outside in the 95 degree heat, can make me feel disgusting.

Going into the house for a shower gives me a completely more relaxing mode then if I depended on the air conditioning.

God wants to give us that refreshment during each day. We can “take a shower” in the middle of any day. Requesting a fresh start blesses Him more than it does us.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You that I can confess my wrongful thinking, actions, or words and get a fresh restart. I need cleansing from my apathy and laziness also. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”  Micah 6:8 (NIV)

Sometimes we read the bible and have to read between the lines to try to figure out what He is saying to us. But today’s verse gets right to the point.

What does He want us to do and be? 1-Act justly; be fair, don’t cheat.   2-Love mercy; don’t have to “get even with” or “get back at” those who wrong us, let Him take care of it, and move on. 3-Walk humbly with our God; hang out with Him as we go through our day.

I remember taking walks with my toddlers when walking was new to them. They would take seven steps to my one. They got distracted so easily, but knew I was right there. They would find a rock or piece of glass, tread through the nearest available puddle, lose their balance veering off the edge of the road…

My favorite part of the walk was when they would tug on my pants, extend both arms, and proclaim the magic word; “up”. It’s like a humble acknowledgment that they need a break, “I’ve done my own thing, now I need a hug and a ride to where we are going”.

I loved those times. I wasn’t going anywhere in particular, I just wanted to walk with my child.

God longs to walk along side us. He will redirect us when we take a poor turn, pick us up when we trip, gently takes away sharp objects, steers us around the deep puddles…if we would merely humble ourselves to acknowledge His presence, assistance, and wisdom. And when we need a break, being humble enough to extend our arms to Him and say, “up”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, give me the strength to treat others right, and remind me to walk and talk humbly with You. Thank You that You want to direct me in life, and carry me when I need a break. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth You will again bring me up”  Psalm 71:20  (NIV)

A key to emotional health is the ability to forgive and start over. This encompasses two dimensions. We need to be willing to forgive others and be willing to ask others to forgive us.

Forgiving others many times involves getting past our anger or hurt. We shouldn’t have to sit there exposing ourselves to continual abuse, but we do need to ask God to give us the supernatural ability to genuinely forgive, then move ahead. Result; RESTORED inner and social health!

Asking others for their forgiveness takes God’s help also. We need to ask Him to give us the eyes to recognize when we have wronged someone. Then to be humble enough to admit to them specifically the offense, and not just say “sorry”. Instead, ask forgiveness for the exact thing we did or said. Result; RESTORED inner and social health!

But there is one overriding forgiveness that must precede. Experiencing God’s forgiveness has to be first and continual. It is a paramount, prerequisite, perfect, peace-giving, panoramic pardon (sorry, got preachin’ there). We must grasp that His love and concern for us is greater than our wrongdoings. He wants us to walk in His strength and direction, but knows we are inherently knuckleheads in nature. I am convinced that the greater offense in God’s economy isn’t the sin, it’s the thought that He won’t forgive the committed sin. If we do that enough times we will give up all together, and throw in the towel instead of confessing and moving ahead. He doesn’t expect perfection, He expects the attempt, while leaning on His strength, to be striving in the right direction. This entails continual “start overs”.

Overweight Comedian Kevin James said, “My fitness goals are different than most peoples. Most people want to lose enough weight so they look good in a bathing suit or they want to lower their cholesterol. I just want to lose enough so my stomach doesn’t jiggle when I brush my teeth. ”

Some of us may need to lower the expectation of pulling off a “mistakeless” existence. And understand that the expectation is just to join God in the process of going in the right direction, a little at a time.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, give me the heart to be a forgiver. Give me the eyes to see when I need to ask forgiveness. Give me a healthy perspective of going in the right direction in my walk with You. Thank You for the inner and social blessings that will follow. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“You received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, Abba, Father”  Romans 8:15 (NIV)

In our school teachers’ meeting, one of the staff asked if she could mention a story that just happened.  She started out by saying she has been a little down lately and was thinking about her4 year old granddaughter that passed away from cancer around one year ago. She then told us her son (the father of the little girl) was going through some items in a closet and a card fluttered down from a shelf. He looked to see that it was an undelivered birthday card that his little daughter hand-made for grandma before her death. It was a big picture of a spider. The staff person/grandmother shared with us that her granddaughter told her one time that she loved her so much that she wished she was a spider…because when she hugs grandma she wants eight arms. Two arms just aren’t enough!

It’s almost as if this grandmother, who was a woman of strong faith, was delivered a card from God through the little girl. I firmly believe that God will meet us in those down times if we cry out to Him to show us His love, understanding and care. “Abba Father” means daddy, intimate and deeply personal daddy. Ask, then look for those undelivered cards from God. He can use circumstances, other people, something we hear, read, or even thoughts that pop into our mind.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, when I’m down, remind me to seek You even stronger. Give me those undelivered cards of Your show of care for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”  Luke 17:15-17 (NIV)

There were ten men who were healed by Jesus of a horrible, skin eating disease called leprosy. All ten were thrilled when they realized they were cured, but only one came back to thank Him.

I’m sure that Jesus didn’t heal these guys just for some strokes and a ‘thank you’. The important thing He seems to want us to get from this event is the importance of a thankful, unselfish heart.

When my own children were little kids, my wife and I never expected a ‘thank you’ when we gave them something. We took care of them irregardless of any ‘thank you’s’.  As they get older, I can see a maturity develop. When we hear ‘thanks dad for the ride’, or ‘thanks mom for the haircut’, it isn’t expected. But it is great to hear. Not because we need the affirmation, instead we are thrilled to see that they have developed the critical characteristic of appreciation.

I always get a kick out of the parents that drag their children up to another adult that did something for them, like a sleepover or prepared a meal, and throw out the line; “what do you say to Mr. Joseph?” Then I hear the ‘heart felt’, externally pressured response of, “thank you” (as the kids are looking either into the sky, at their own parent, or down at my feet).

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, ingrain in me an attitude of appreciation. Teach me to thank others, especially those I can take for granted. Help me to recognize the things You do for me, then to “come back” and truly thank You. I want to bless You with those words of gratitude that You long to hear from us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man”  Acts 24:16 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul was on trial before the authorities because he was falsely accused. People were bothered by his strong faith and his zeal to help others understand that God is loving, forgiving, and intimately interactive. Interestingly, the people most bothered were the “religious”. They liked having God in a box of rules of do’s and don’t’s.

Paul was inspired and called of God to spread the news that they can experience a personal relationship and interaction with their Heavenly Father through trusting Jesus(see “Start the Victory” atop victory247.org). Paul did what he knew was right. Paul said what he had to say. Paul attempted to walk and act the way he knew he should. Paul confessed his wrongs daily, then continued to do what he knew was right.

When we live this way, God gives us a ‘clear conscience’. A clean feeling on the inside even when others may not like us. A little voice that tells us when we are wrong so that we can merely confess it to God and proceed ahead toward our goals in life. A clearness of thinking even when times are hard. A secure feeling of being convinced that the God of the universe not only can take care of us, but that He truly is proud of us.

We are all on this quest to have a productive and successful life (not just talking financially). The our social and inner rewards are so much greater when our goal is to attempt, while leaning on God’s power, to please Him, admit our stupid mistakes, and help others. The goal of pleasing and manipulating people to feed our “wants” will deplete our souls. Will tarnish a clear conscience. The famous author and comedian Bill Cosby once stated; “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, in the midst of all the confusion of living, please teach me to focus on pleasing You. Give the strength to walk with You even when I feel “unliked”. Help me avoid participating and saying the things that are expected by others, yet are wrong in Your eyes. Thank You for the blessings and clear conscience that only come from You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“I urge you to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among unbelievers that they may see your good deeds and glorify God” 1 Peter 2:11-12

Today’s verse alludes to sinful (wrongful actions, thoughts, and words) desires as something we shouldn’t take lightly. They “WAR” against our souls. These desires usually aren’t thought through, but are reactions or impulses. The urge to yell at someone who annoys us, the urge to gossip about someone we are competing with, the urge to watch a show with way too much skin exposed, to buy that ultra-sized snickers bar at the gas station, to watch too much TV instead of quality time with key people and God, to buy more at the mall then our budget permits, urges to hate, use, or lie to others…

It is worth going to war with sinful desires. It is a show of faith in God. It opens us up to His strength and strong character to flow in us. Our sinful desires are traps of impulses that give short term satisfaction, yet long term inner-erosion. We will lose battles, but reentering the war, and not giving up, is worth it.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld talks about the Swiss having an interesting army. “Five hundred years without a war. Pretty impressive. Also pretty lucky for them. Ever see that little Swiss Army knife they have to fight with? Not much of a weapon there. Corkscrews. Bottle openers. Come on, buddy, let’s go. You get past me, the guy in back of me, he’s got a spoon. Back off. I’ve got the toe clippers right here.”

Unlike the Swiss, we have some pretty powerful and effective weapons at our disposal in God. He wants us to keep asking for His strength to fight those battles, and to continue to confess and start over when we fail.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, keep convincing me that entering the war against our wrongful desires is worth it. Give me the power to win, and the humility to confess and start over when I lose. Thank You for the blessings that will follow. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.