victory

Do The Right Thing

“Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, ‘Why stay here until we die? If we say, “We’ll go into the city”—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.’” – 2 Kings 7:3,4 Yesterday, we talked about how Elisha fed enemy troops in the middle of Samaria before sending them back to their leader, the King of Aram. Because the Arameans were at war with the Israelites, this profound demonstration of divine power humiliated the king and made him all the more determined to defeat them. In an effort to fully destroy the Jewish population, he surrounded the city and assaulted the people so they were

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Born to Triumph

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” – Revelation 5:5 Merry Christmas! Though it’s been an unprecedented and bumpy road that’s brought us to this December 25, today can be a milestone we’ll never forget, because when we walk through seasons of turmoil and loss, God brings our hearts closer to that which is eternal. While our focus in times gone by has been on entertaining, presents, and holiday “perfection,” this year has made it clear what’s most important. In 2020, none of us will take for granted good health, food on our table, a job that pays the bills, or the loved ones who surround us (even virtually). More importantly, we won’t forget the Guest of Honor at our Christmas

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His Life Is the Light of Men

“Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:11 Christmas Eve has arrived, and although it looks a bit different this year, my prayer is that you are embracing the power of the One whom we celebrate and that He is filling your life with the gifts of His Spirit. In that vein, today, I want to talk about the third and final offering the Magi brought to Jesus, and how it gives us a source of fresh hope in the midst of a tough season. While gold signifies that the Lord reigns over the kingdoms of earth and incense represents His authority in the Kingdom of Heaven, myrrh speaks to His victory over the grave. Used as an embalming oil in ancient times, this valuable gift foreshadowed His crucifixion, but more importantly, it revealed His greater plan and purpose. Though

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The Wonder of Worship

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.” – Matthew 2:11 The second offering the Magi presented to Jesus was frankincense, otherwise simply known as incense. Like the gold they brought to Him in abundance, incense was a valuable commodity in the ancient world, and it was used traditionally in temple worship and burned ceremonially by the priests as an offering to the Lord. Known for its calming and healing properties, this second in the trio of original Christmas gifts offers us a message of hope and encouragement in years like this one. Just as gold signifies that Jesus has dominion over the affairs of history, incense denotes that He reigns supreme in the Heavenly realm. While there is a very real spiritual battle raging around us, the baby who was born in Bethlehem triumphed over Satan when

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Speak Victory!

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’” – 1 Samuel 17:45 Lest any of us forget, words are powerful, and the things we say to ourselves and to others dramatically impact our outcomes. David was proof of this. Although he was young, inexperienced, and may have looked foolhardy to some, he spoke affirmatively and confidently in the presence of people. In fact, such a leader was he that he used his words to comfort and assure King Saul himself, telling him not to lose heart, and reminding him that the Philistines would ultimately be defeated. Even when Goliath spoke violently and intimidatingly in his hearing, the young shepherd responded with resolve as he invoked the name of His great

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Simple is Strong

“David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.’ Saul replied, ‘You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.’” – 1 Samuel 17:32,33 We’ve looked in quite some detail at Goliath, so today, I want to introduce you to David, the other half of the famous fighting duo. Strangely enough, the young shepherd arrived at the Isrealites’ battleground to bring food to his brothers, and he had no intention of taking on the giant himself. However, upon hearing that King Saul was offering wealth and his daughter’s hand in marriage to any man brave enough to face him, he immediately decided to “give it a shot.” His undaunted courage caused his brother Eliab to lash out in anger

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Heavenly Armor

“Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.” – 1 Samuel 17:41,42 There’s usually something about villains that compels them to behave badly. Whether it’s bitterness, hurt, or even physical pain, most people who choose a life of violence, crime, or deception have traveled a rough road. Surprisingly, this may have been the case for Goliath. Historians believe that the fabled “bad guy” was afflicted by a condition called acromegaly, which is the result of a tumor on the pituitary gland that causes the body to release too much human growth hormone. As a result, though he was huge in size, his health was actually frail and brittle. In fact, it’s likely that he suffered from chronic pain and

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