Are We Defeated?

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6:7-11 NIV

When victory is not the end result--there lies defeat. Are we defeated?

I submit to you--that as long as we do things according to The Word--we will not be defeated, but know victory at every turn!

When we tell the truth--we know victory!

When we stand up for and promote righteousness--we know victory!

When we refuse to cave to popular opinion and reject the ways of the world--we know victory!

No matter what the doctor's report says--we are victorious!

No matter what our bank account shows us--we are victorious!

No matter what people think of us or who we support--politically--we are victorious!

No matter what temptation the enemy puts in front of us--we will not be tempted to live in opposition to God's Word--we are victorious!

With God going before us in everything we do--He is more than enough! In Him, we live and move and have our being! We are victorious through Jesus Christ!

So, keep going--living The Word, daily--never expecting or ready to concede defeat in anything. Just keep going and going and going--looking to Him--the author and finisher of our faith--knowing that no matter what happens on earth, in the end--we win and will spend eternity with Him!

And What Are You?

"Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:7,8 NIV).

Are you victorious? That is--you have victory in all situations through Jesus Christ--because He is the greater One in you. Or do you fall into the second category--the cowardly, unbelieving...?

Only you can determine what your end will be. Are you victorious or cowardly and unbelieving?
Only you--not me, not God, only you can determine what and who you are.

If you're not sure, now would be a good time to get into The Word (any good translation will do), meditate, reflect, and open your heart to receive the best God has for you. A relationship with Him is better than relationship with any "religious affiliation" or religion. It is having that relationship with Him, that assures reception of all His many benefits. Do it now--and know who you are and what your end will be!

When The Lord Stands With Us!

"But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth" (2 Timothy 4:17 NIV).

When The Lord stands with us, He gives us strength to do what must be done.  In this passage of scripture, Paul tells Timothy that while the Gospel was being preached, Paul knew the Lord was with Him and that knowledge gave him the strength and courage he needed to preach to the unbelieving.  If God stood with Paul, will He not stand with us, when we do as are told to do?

I am convinced that even though there are many people who would shun listening to the Gospel message, and there is evidence on a daily basis that many will attempt to refute, if I stand firm in the knowledge that the Lord is with me, I can preach the Gospel and convince others to believe without worrying about the end result.

Some people are afraid to preach the Gospel message (without compromising it) for fear that they will lose friends or people will laugh at them.  People laughed at Jesus; they refuted His attempts to get them to understand that He was the Son of God.  I'd rather be in the company of Jesus than those who would oppose Him.

Perhaps, it is because of my nature that I have never really been concerned about what people thought of me.  I know this attitude helped me to overcome the negativity of being a female preacher in many circles.  I know this attitude helped me to overcome the indifference of many who thought I was crazy to go back to school and begin teaching in public schools at 50 years old.  I know this attitude helped me to overcome the "hems and haws" when I first started writing (seriously) at a late stage in my life.  How did I overcome?  I know the Lord was with me and I was strengthened by the knowledge that He would never leave me or forsake me.  I knew that as long as I was doing what He had either asked me to do or given me permission to do that everything was going to be all right. It is because I knew then and know now, when The Lord stands with me, I can do all things above and beyond my finite expectations and if I can, so can anyone else who believes He will.

Do all things that glorify Him with Him standing by your side and you will be victorious!