Victory247

“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves… without self-control… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”                                   2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NIV)

Our minds seem to always go to; “what can I do that will be fun and make me feel good”. Believe me, I desire fun, but it’s like chasing my shadow. Let’s say our shadow represents fun and pleasure. Try to catch up to it and the shadow goes away from us. Walk away from it and the shadow pursues us!

In the same way, I have found that when I am constantly seeking pleasure, life isn’t enjoyable or fulfilling. But, when I’m making better efforts to have times of prayer, checking out scripture, and serving others, seem to be the days I’m experiencing more fun and enjoyment.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, remind me to seek times with You and helping others, and trust You for life’s pleasures and enjoyment. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”    2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

When we trust Jesus Christ to come into our life, God gives us something! A spirit not of weakness and timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. Power and self-discipline seem to be the tough, macho, hard-nosed attributes given here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about this. But, love doesn’t seem to fit in this list.

That is, only if we view love in the wrong light. Love is a tough thing to accomplish. It’s not fluffy and soft most of the time. It is an act of the will that “cares for and acts on someone else’s behalf over ourselves”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank you that you gave me a spirit of love. Help me to care for others even in those times I don’t feel like it. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:22 (NIV)

‘Flee’ doesn’t mean to just not partake in impure desires, it means to turn the other way and RUN! I heard a saying that rings in my head every time I’m watching a movie that maybe shows too much skin, or I’m hanging around with guys who are being dishonest and unethical. That saying is; “If you don’t want to sin, stay out of sin’s orchard”.

If you are trying to lose weight, don’t hang out at a Dairy Queen. The ‘evil desires of youth’ will destroy our hearts and peace. Instead, pursue God’s stuff and we will develop that inner fulfillment and joy.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, give us the strength to FLEE. Also, to be convinced that sin is never worth it. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

“…I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving”                       2 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT)

Why is ‘giving’ so important to God? I know when my family is sitting in our family room on Christmas morning, my favorite time is when my 4 kids exchange their gifts to each other. I feel like they are “getting it”; maturity, leaving their world of self-consumption. A major goal as a parent is to see our children mature and blossom into fulfilled, unselfish individuals.

When God the Father sees us giving not only Christmas gifts, but time, encouragement, care, money, and our things to others, He must be thrilled. Not because He gets to see a “continual gift exchange”, but He must be thinking, “wow, they are getting it!”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, help me to ‘excel’ in being a better giver. Thank You for the blessings and inner fulfillment You provide when I give, so that I can give even more. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”    2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

When we give our lives over to Christ and accept His payment for our wrong-doings, He enters us and makes us new. That also gives us the ability to have a fresh perspective on life. The following is an e-mail that was sent out by one of my good friends to his employees;

Highs and lows existed in 2010 like in every year.  2011 may not depend upon what you do, but your point of view.  Here are several keys you can take to having the proper perspective in 2011

1. See the lessons in every setback

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out” -John Wooden

2. Show gratitude for the blessing you receive

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues but the mother of all the rest” -Cicero

3. Turn the page on the past and take joy in today.

An 87 year-old woman was asked what it was like back in your day, she responded; “this is my day”!

As we look back on 2010 during the next two weeks, remember:  life can be understood by looking backward, but it can only be lived by moving forward.  2010 will become a blank slate, so set aside the regrets, enjoy the Christmas season and look forward to a fresh new year. (Maxwell)

Merry Christmas!

Branch Manager

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, use my tough times to make me stronger, remind me to be grateful for big and little blessings, and thank You that I can start afresh every day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again”                2 Corinthians 5:15 (NIV)

When toddlers play together they don’t really play together. They play their own thing beside another kid who is doing his own thing. The child who is at the other little guy’s house is constantly losing toy options. He sees a yellow truck and he is stripped of it with the harsh shrill of the word, “MINE!”.

I’ve watched little kids go from toy to toy, being denied by the owner with a grab and “MINE!”. Finally the visitor gets frustrated, digs in his heals and clings to the appealing toy. The tug of war usually ends with yelling, crying and a parent rushing into the room with the famous pearl of wisdom, “share with your friend”. The little dude will give in, not due to a “heart of sharing” suddenly emerging. But to avoid punishment from mom.

We all have learned that if we don’t share that relationships don’t work. The more we get rid of the “MINE!” attitude, the more others will be attracted to us.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, show me my selfish areas. Live through me so I can have a true attitude of giving. Help me to share my “stuff”, time and money. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day”                               2 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV)

We are all getting older if we like it or not. I remember those long summers as a child. School was out and the biggest decision I had to make was who I was going to play with that day. Now the only reason I know it’s summer is that I hear guys in the office talking about baseball.

Time marches on! We go from teaching our kids how to take those first steps, to them running by us in the back yard saying, “come on dad, see if you can catch me”. “No son, maybe tomorrow. I think my back went out sitting on the couch reaching too far for the bag of chips”.

Physically we are ‘wasting away’. Like famous comedian Jackie Mason once said, “It’s no longer a question of staying healthy. It’s a question of finding a sickness you like”.

BUT our insides don’t have to waste away! Reading the bible, praying and thinking about God is like our ‘Fountain of Youth’ for the mind and inner soul. We need to drink from it often.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, give me the strength to exercise my body ‘outwardly’ and ‘inwardly’. Be the personal fitness trainer of my soul through Your bible and prayer. In Jesus Name. Amen.

“But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph and through us makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere”  2 Corinthians 2:14 (AMP)

If we are depending on Christ for our eternal and daily well being, then we will have victory(‘triumph’) and blessing.

But, that road can get rough. Think about it, the most memorable sports victories are great battles to the finish. The late basketball coach, Jimmy Valvano, gave his parting speech as he was fighting cancer. The main point was, “don’t give up, don’t ever give up”.

Have you ever smelled the ‘fragrance’ of a rose that has been crushed? The smashing of the petals intensifies the sweet aroma. So, if we don’t give up and keep battling, God can use our ‘fragrance’ to influence others.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, give me the strength to strive forward to the end, and to never give up. Let others be impacted when I’m being a “crushed rose”. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

“We were overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God”  2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NLT)

There are situations, circumstances or even whole seasons of life that can ‘overwhelm’ us ‘beyond our ability’ to handle.

Paul was a great man of God, yet wasn’t exempt from really hard times. In this verse he shares his feelings of despair. But in the midst of his experience he learned maybe the most critical lesson that can be learned; depending on God.

Relying, trusting, and faith in Him over reliance on self is God’s goal for each one of us. We try to plea with Him to make everything just go well. Our prayer can sound as if to say, ” Lord, give me everything I want and don’t let anything go wrong”.

But what we need is faith, trust and dependence. That is what will fulfill us from the inside out! And that can take some suffering, hurts and tough times.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, teach me to rely on You and not on myself, even if it hurts. Remind me to talk to You throughout my day. I know You will take care of me and fulfill me in the long run. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“…the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God”                   2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

We will have ‘troubles’ in this life. The key is how we choose to handle them. We can choose to find relief and ‘comfort’ in alcohol, overeating, self pity, or even anger toward others. Sometimes we can completely ignore the troubles we are in.

This passage directs us into a healthier way to handle hard times. First, we need to be convinced that God does care, and He knows how to give comfort. Secondly, use our past experiences to help others.

Someone who has broken off an engagement can more effectively comfort and counsel another who is going through the same. I know that since I have a slight birth defect in my left leg, I can feel for and say the right things to one who has insecurities due to physical flaws.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, bring me Your supernatural comfort in dealing with my ‘troubles’. Show me others I can comfort from my past experiences. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.