Tag: victorious

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Daily Devotion June 25th

THURSDAY 25th

Romans 8:31-39

Yesterday I left this portion out of our devotion because I wanted to share it for today, v 37 says ‘No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.’ We are more than conquerors! But what are the ‘all these things?’ they are all the things that seek to separate us from the love of Christ. (v35) Paul lists tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword. It is a comprehensive list, a list that very clearly identifies so much of what was coming against the believers in the early Church.

Paul was well enough qualified to not only ask the question ‘Who shall separate us . . .’ but also to answer it. He had been through so much – and remember what he went through was already predetermined by God even before he had been converted. In Acts 9 after the Damascus road experience, God speaking about Paul (Saul) to Ananias said ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’  Did you get it? ‘how much he must suffer for the sake of my name’. Can I remind us in this devotion that if anyone preaches or teaches that true believers only suffer (including sickness) because of a lack of faith or because they have sinned in some way are teaching and preaching a lie. The Scripture is clear that in the life and ministry of Paul, he was going to suffer and not because he will have sinned, nor because he lacked faith but because it was the predetermined will of God! ‘I will show him how much he must suffer . . .’ And it happened, read the list that Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 11:22-29 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 and then in 1 Corinthians 4:10-13 he says ‘We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honour, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labour, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.’ And in it and through it his faith was not weak or tottery it was strong, when he was shipwrecked in Acts 27 he was confident that God was going to not only save him and bring him safely to the shore, but everyone else who was sailing in the ship as well,(v31, 34) his faith was so strong that he could say with confidence in Romans 8 that ‘. . . in all these things we are more than conquerors . . . neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

I must of course put on record that yes sin does cause suffering, and bring on sickness, we only have to look at the addict or alcoholic, but if I am suffering as a firm believer in the Lord Jesus Christ it doesn’t mean it is because I am sinning, nor does it mean I lack faith, but what it most definitely means is that God is allowing something and I must learn to respond in the same way that Paul did, it should bring me closer to the heart of God, it should bring me into a deeper relationship with him, it should cause my faith to be strengthened because God is faithful and his Word says, ‘No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.’ (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Yesterday our subject was victorious and Paul in Romans 8:31-39 reminds us that positioned in Christ, in and through every circumstance in life we can be victorious because there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God. What about death, will this separate us from God? Absolutely not for death for the believer is the moment in which we will enter God’s eternal presence. Again, to quote Paul, he was so confident in his faith and trust in the gospel that he said, ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ Philippians 1:21

We have been looking at the word Saviour, it is such an amazing word because it describes who Jesus is because of what he has done at Calvary. He is the Saviour, the only Saviour, because he has saved us and as Saviour he keeps us so that whatever or whomsoever would seek to comes against us, his saving grace is sufficient to keep me from falling and to bring me into his eternal presence.

I am trusting thee, Lord Jesus,

Trusting only thee;

Trusting thee for full salvation,

Great and free.

I am trusting thee for pardon;

At thy feet I bow;

For thy grace and tender mercy,

Trusting now.

I am trusting thee for cleansing

In the crimson flood;

Trusting thee to make me holy

By thy blood.

I am trusting thee to guide me;

Thou alone shalt lead;

Every day and hour supplying

All my need.

I am trusting thee for power,

Thine can never fail;

Words which thou thyself shalt give me

Must prevail.

I am trusting thee, Lord Jesus;

Never let me fall;

I am trusting thee forever,

And for all.

Francis R Havergal CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion June 25th

WEDNESDAY 24th

Colossians 2:6-15

We continue with the word Victorious today and use it in relation to us who have been born again by the Spirit of God. Yesterday we saw Jesus as victorious and the good news is because of his victory we can know victory as well.

In Colossians 2 we have the following verses ‘And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.’ (vv13-15) These verses remind us of Christs victory, but notice what is embedded in this statement concerning us:

‘having forgiven us all our trespasses’

‘cancelling the record of debt that stood against us’

Christ has given us victory as well! The sin that dragged us down and condemned us has been forgiven, the record that was written against us has been destroyed! This means that we should be living victoriously in the victory that Christ has accomplished for us.

As I am preparing this I am listening to some music and the song being sung is ‘There is a fountain filled with blood’ We have been plunged beneath the flood and all our guilty stains have been removed. Just as the dying thief rejoiced to see the fountain in his day, so we though vile as he can come by faith to the stream and know it washing away all our stain, cancelling the record of debt against us.

Now, I am going to mention here that although we share in Christs victory it does not mean that we are going to sail through life without any storms etc. You will know already where I come from in these matters from our previous devotions. We will still know trials, sickness and of course should the Lord tarry death, but he helps us to live victoriously in the circumstances. Rather than going over the same ground again I will share the Word of God.

Philippians 4:13 ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’

2 Corinthians 12:9-11 ‘But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’

1 John 5:4-5 ‘For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 ‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, I believed, and so I spoke, we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.’

Yes, we are victorious in Christ Jesus and one day, and what a day it will be we will know the completeness of that victory when we know the experience of 1 Corinthians 15, the future resurrection unto eternal life. Then will come to pass the saying that is written ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (vv54-57)

‘Therefore, my beloved brothers (and sisters), be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.’ (v58)

O what a SAVIOUR!

In Jesus I’ve found a sweet rest

From sorrow, from toil, and from care;

In Him I am happy and blest,

For He all my burdens doth bear.

Oh, how happy am I,

With my Saviour so nigh!

I have found sweet rest

On Jesus’ dear breast.

I came to the Lord for release,

When burdened with guilt and with sin;

He cleansed me, and gave me His peace,

The Spirit to witness within.

Though many the troubles I meet,

He’ll keep me, and help me along;

I’ll sit at His glorified feet,

For He is my joy and my song.

All glory and praise to Thy name

For what Thou didst suffer for me;

For saving my soul when I came

And gave myself up unto Thee.

L S Riggs CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion June 23rd

TUESDAY 23rd

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Today we come to the last of our letters in the word Saviour, V for victorious.

We have a dual aspect look at this word, first to remind ourselves that our Saviour was victorious and secondly that we share in his victory.

Way back in the garden of Eden, our fore-parent, Adam along with Eve failed. God had given them an instruction and they chose to disobey, and the rest is sad history. But thank God there was a second Adam, the man Christ Jesus who came, and he lived an obedient life and as a result was victorious. Where Adam failed, Christ triumphed. Let us allow Scripture to speak:

1 Corinthians 15:21-28 ‘For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when it says, all things are put in subjection, it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.’

It is continued in verses 45-50 ‘Thus it is written, the first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.’

Back in the garden of Eden, God had declared ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’ (Genesis 3:15) In this single sentence God was predicting and proclaiming the final victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over the devil and sin and of the final destruction of the devil himself. Back then as far as time was concerned it was something that would happen a few thousand years later, but in God’s purpose it had already happened! The victory was already a guaranteed victory. And try as he would in all manner of ways to bring humankind to destruction, in God’s plan the devil was defeated and through the victorious and conquering Saviour at Calvary it became a reality.

And what a victory, for the victory has brought about everything that we have been considering in our words taken from the word SAVIOUR and so much more. He the second Adam has conquered and triumphed. He has fought the battle and won the fight, he who was the Lamb slain has become the Lion who has conquered. He who was taken and executed at the hands of cruel men, was raised triumphant and victorious by the power of God. (Acts 2:22-24 ‘Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.   God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.’)

Isaiah 53 portrays for us a picture of the suffering servant, which is prophetic of the death of Jesus. Isaiah says this ‘He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.’ (v3) Isaiah has much more to say, but overall, it is the picture of a pathetic looking man, who has become ridiculed, beaten, and crushed. At first it does not seem to speak much of triumph and victory and yet it was through his suffering, his humiliation and his death that he won the victory! Thanks God the story did not stop the moment his dead body was placed in the tomb and the stone was rolled in place. There was something big about to happen! Isaiah continues in the same chapter with ‘Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.’ (vv10-12)

Isaiah prophecies that the one who suffered and died will see his offspring (v10) it also continues that he would divide the spoils which speaks of someone having conquered and taken from the enemy camp. (v12) This takes us into the New Testament and to the resurrection story in Luke and the good news I mentioned ‘He is not here, he is risen’ The one who was despised and rejected is now the conquering victorious Saviour, he has taken the spoils, and  he will see his offspring, all those who come to him by faith, who are born again by the Spirit of God.

I will close with some verses of Scripture, that show us that the man who hung on the Cross is now seated upon the throne! Victorious.

Philippians 2:5-11 ‘Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’

Thank you for the cross, Lord

Thank you for the price You paid

Bearing all my sin and shame

In love You came

And gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love, Lord

Thank you for the nail pierced hands

Washed me in Your cleansing flow

Now all I know

Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb

Seated on the throne

Crown You now with many crowns

You reign victorious

High and lifted up

Jesus Son of God

The Darling of Heaven crucified

Worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb

Darlene Zschech CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion June 16th

TUESDAY 16th

In the few months before we left North Wales, I had taken the Church in Rhyl through some studies using a white board and illustrations by taking the letters that make up the word SAVIOUR to discover truth about our wonderful redemption. I am going to adapt these into the devotions for the next few days. The words are listed below and in brackets the order we will look at them

Saved  (1)

Accepted  (3)

Victorious  (7)

Included  (4)

Ordered  (6)

Unique  (5)

Reconciled  (2)

I wonder how many of us remember this song ‘I have such a wonderful Saviour . . . everybody should know, everybody should know, I have such a wonderful Saviour that everybody should know.’

Pause again for a moment . . . those of us who know him, this wonderful Saviour, give thanks with a grateful heart that you are receiving the many blessings and benefits of salvation. At the same time there may be someone reading this devotion on-line or in some other way and at this moment in time you cannot specifically say that you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, you cannot look back to a moment in time when you realised you were a sinner who needed saving and that Jesus was the one who came to be the Saviour that you needed. Today, come before him in repentance, acknowledge your sin, confess it before him and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your life, to save you, forgive you and to transform you into a new person, born again and washed clean through his precious blood. The Scripture says that we need to accept Jesus and to confess Jesus with our mouths,* if you have come to the place of salvation today, tell someone about it, let them know that you have put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

* Romans 10:9-13 ‘Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  For the Scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

This is a short devotion, but I want to leave it here, for those of us who already have chosen to accept Jesus, maybe today can be a day for a re-commitment, not because we have backslidden, but a day in which we will draw closer to God, with a greater appreciation of what he has done for us in Christ Jesus.

We end with the words of the song already mentioned.

I have such a wonderful Saviour,

Who helps me wherever I go,

That I must be telling His goodness

That everybody should know.

Everybody should know,

Everybody should know;

I have such a wonderful Saviour,

That everybody should know.

His mercy and love is unbounded,

His rivers of grace overflow;

Yes, He is ‘the Chief of ten-thousand’

That everybody should know.

He helps me when trials surround me,

His love and His goodness to show;

How can I but love and adore Him

That everybody should know.

My life and my love I will give Him,

And faithfully serve Him below,

Who brought me His wondrous salvation,

That everybody should know.

Mrs Frank A Beck CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion May 28th

THURSDAY 28th

John 1

Having had six children, Elaine and I have known the difficulty in deciding what names should we give them. Shall we use family names, shall we be different and use obsolete names, shall we just choose names we like, but then what if we both do not want the same name. One name or two, or what about three? Well, we chose, and between the six we have used 14 names. Some are family names carried on and others are names we chose because we liked them and although some of our children have chosen to shorten their name’s we will still only call them by their full name. i.e. Robert goes by Rob to many, but we will never call him Rob, it is always Robert, the same with Andrew / Andy. To me, one of the joys when they were born was going to get the birth registered and having the names put on record by the registrar.

Can you imagine Mary and Joseph going to register the birth of Jesus? Name please? Jesus. Middle name? Yes, but how much time have you got, he’s Messiah, Word, Lord, Christ, Redeemer, Saviour, Lamb, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God . . .

Well, he is all of these and so much more. This new-born baby had a lot to live up to and live up to it he did.

In John’s gospel chapter one, Jesus is identified in many ways. First in verse one as the Word, then he is identified as the creator (v3), life (v4), light (v5), the true light (v9), full of grace and truth (v14, 16), God (v18), Lord (v23), Jesus (v29), Lamb of God, (v29, 35), Baptiser (in the Holy Spirit) (v33), Chosen One (v34), Rabbi or teacher (v38), Messiah, Christ (v41), Son of God (v49), King of Israel (v49), Son of Man (v51). It is a comprehensive list of names, titles etc. When you add in the ones I have listed earlier and many more such as Great High Priest, Advocate, and others which Jesus used to describe himself, the ‘I am’ the door, the Good Shepherd, etc his names would have taken some registering at birth!

But for us today what matters is not the registering of his name at birth, but our receiving him for our new birth, as John records in 3:3 Jesus said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ And in 3:5 Jesus said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ Earlier in chapter 1:12 John had said,  ‘But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.’ Being born again, brings us into a relationship with Jesus which then opens up to us everything that Jesus is and everything that he has to offer! But, whichever of the names and titles we use for him, we first and foremost need to go back to the name that God told his earthly parents to give him – that is Jesus, for he was to be the Saviour of the world. It is only when we come to know Jesus as our own personal Saviour that we can really start to get to know him in all the other ways. For example, he can only become my Shepherd after he has become my Saviour!

What I want to share briefly this morning is that once we do get to know Jesus as our Saviour, (that is we have believed in his name), we then begin to get to know him in all the other ways, and we will begin to realise that Jesus is all or everything that we need.

Need saving – he is our Saviour who saves us

Need help – he is our Helper, our Advocate and Great High Priest

Need direction – he is our Shepherd who leads us, he is our Light, he is our Doorway, he is our Way

Need healing – he is our Healer and the restorer of our soul

Need strength – his grace is sufficient for in our weakness, his strength is made perfect

Need peace – he is our Peace

Need comfort – He heals the broken hearted

Need resources – he is our provider

Feeling lost and helpless – he is our Hope

Need I add any more? There was a new chorus that became popular in the late 80’s early 90’s which I think we almost wore out with singing at the time when it became known in our local Church, but the truth of the words could never be worn out. It is ‘Shout for joy and sing’ and the second part continues, ‘You are my Creator, you are my deliverer, you are my Redeemer, you are Lord; and you are my healer, You are my provider, You are now my Shepherd and my guide; Jesus, Lord and King, I worship you.’

What are you in need of today? Look to Jesus, the all sufficient One. We used to go to an annual convention in South Wales and one year a new chorus was introduced as was often the case and it must have been sung over and over and over again, after returning home I popped into Hereford to the bank, and queued outside the ATM, Steven our second son was with me, he would have been around 6 years old and suddenly in the queue he started belting out loud and clear the song, he had obviously learnt it!  ‘I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord . . .’ But what surprised me the most was that he had remembered the bigger more complicated words in the song, ‘He’s omnipotent, magnificent, all-glorious, victorious, I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.’ We need to keep reminding ourselves, or instead like Steven, sing to ourselves till we not only know the words but the reality of the words, that Jesus Christ is Lord, he is omnipotent, he is magnificent, he is all-glorious, he is victorious. Because we have come to know him as Saviour, Jesus is all we need.

It was the words of the following song that prompted me to do this devotion today, He is all I need.

He’s all I need when I just need someone to talk to,

He’s always there to hear my prayer each time I call him,

All my need he supplies my thirsty soul he satisfies,

He’s the Lord of and he’s all I need,

He comforts me when I am weary eases every pain,

Fills my deepest longing, time and time again,

He’s my souls inspiration, my hearts consolation,

He’s my everything, He’s all I need

He’s all I need I will not turn to any other,

For he’s my friend who’s closer than any brother,

On this friend I can rely to be my strength as life goes by,

The Lord of all is all I need

He comforts me, when I’m weary, eases every pain,

Fills my deepest longing, time and time again,

He’s my souls inspiration, my hearts consolation,

He’s my everything, he’s all I need.

He is all I need, He is all I need, All, Jesus is all I need,

He is all I need, He is all I need, He’s my everything, He’s all I need.