I NEED A VOLUNTEER!
I've got the victor living in me, I've got the victor living in me, I'm not moved by what I feel or see, I've got the victor living in me!
Sometimes in all the hoop la and the things of life, called circumstances! We forget, who we are and what we have, that God has given to us.
And that the accuser, the sly, cunning, stealer of every good thing. Takes every advantage he can, a thought or a situation, to not just put you out of commission for a moment, but forever!
God, through His One and only Amazing Son Jesus. Has given us access and dominion
Every living thing known and not known to man.
Genesis 1:28 NKJ
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Every living thing, you guessed it, encompasses every thing. Seen or not seen, we have and God has given us the authority to subdue and have dominion over it.
What is...it?
the accuser? Yes!
Fear? Yes!
Lack? Yes!
Drama? Yes!
Decease? Yes!
Some times we get bogged down with all the junk of life and we forget exactly who we are and who our father is!
If you know Jesus this morning, your Royalty friend! Your a child of the most high God, you are wonderfully made, you have the world at your finger tips and command!
Joy, happiness, prosperity and every promise in the bible, can be and are yours today! Amen?
answers.ask.com states that there are at least 5000 promises in the Bible although they are not all referred to as promises.
The Holy God of the Bible cannot lie and thus every time He says He is going to do something it can be counted as a promise.
And when you read Genesis 1:28 NKJ realize what it declares, is in fact a promise!
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
You know even with facts like that, sometimes you still have to remind yourself, that victory really is yours!
That's why God in all His Amazing Wisdom, gave us the Word! And He gave us little songs of praise! So we could be and are easily reminded of all the great things He wants to and longs to accomplish for us, when we Believe!!
Illus. I've got the victor living in me, I've got the victor living in me, I'm not moved by what I feel or see, I've got the victor living in me!
Today, we're not fighting for Victory, we're fighting from Victory, there is a big difference. Only made possible, because of what Jesus has already done for us, Praise God!
We all have a choice to make daily, to trust in Jesus and live in Victory or trust in the flesh and self effort, thus living in defeat all the time.
I know at times it may seem like your constantly bombarded with the drama of life, that
the accuser manages to somehow always steer your way.
The devil is more busy now, then he has ever been in the history of the world!
But as busy as he is, Jesus is way busier getting ready for the main event that is yet to come!
And while that day is anxiously awaited. Until that day, Jesus is tirelessly working behind the scenes to bless you and show you favor in your life!
John 10:10 NKJ
10. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
TBS. Jesus came, so we could have His Very best, His abundance, His Everything, His Extravagant Love raining down on and showering our lives.
Can you imagine, an abundance of Jesus Favor raining down on us all the time,
If He's your savior this morning, it already does and is! its true TBS. He came so we could have it abundantly!
That’s why the devil worked at it so hard, tempting Him before He went to the Cross,
but Jesus wasn’t having it, not even for a minute.
Matt. 4:3 NKJ
3. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Isn’t that just like the devil? “If You are the Son of God” Then show me!
Jesus didn’t have to prove anything to him, the devil could see the handwriting on the wall
The only thing that He had to remind him
Of, was the fact Victory is mine, get thee behind!
Matt. 4:4 NKJ
4. But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
You know I'm sure the devil had a feeling he was about to get whipped, but that didn’t stop him, it never does.
In all the time that’s past since then, he still uses the same old tricks,
on all Gods children if they will let him,
But just as Jesus did, we need to also remind him, Victory is mine get thee behind!
Sometimes we need to do it on a daily basis and sometimes a moment by moment basis!
God is looking for men and women, boys and girls of all ages. To step out in faith and do something amazing for the kingdom!
For most people they say who am I and what could I do? I'm doing good just to take care of me and my own. And for most people that is certainly a factual statement!
But God isn't looking for most people, God is looking for a willing vessel, to trust and to take Him at his word and leave the results up to Him!
We all know the story of David and it's a fascinating story, of how a shepherd boy who loved and trusted God, became a mighty warrior and went on to be the king of all Israel!
We all know the story of Moses, how God took a stutterer that couldn't string two words together. Who was willing to go head to head with the great pharaoh and not only saved the whole nation of Israel! But walked out with all the wealth of Egypt as well!
We all know the story of Esther, how God took a beautiful young woman that was willing to step out and trust Him. And over thousands of other young ladies, won the heart of a king became his queen and saved all the lives of her people!
The Bible is full of amazing historical stories of what we call heroes.
Joseph,
Elijah,
Elisha,
Samson,
Caleb, Joshua,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
All were certainly heroes, more importantly all were faithful to what God called them to do!
And still I can sense a hesitantancy here today! Yes those are all great men and women, all heroes by anyone's account! But what could I do, compared to all the people you just mentioned I'm a nobody?
What could you do..WHAT could you do???
I'm glad you asked, let's go to the book of Judges chapter 3. Because here we find a story of someone, who at some point in their life probably was guilty of saying the same thing! The only thing is, he submitted and stepped out and did what God asked him to do
Judges 3:12-30 MSG.
12-14 But the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God’s sight. So God made Eglon king of Moab a power against Israel because they did evil in God’s sight. He recruited the Ammonites and Amalekites and went out and struck Israel. They took the City of Palms. The People of Israel were in servitude to Eglon fourteen years.
15-19 The People of Israel cried out to God and Godraised up for them a savior, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite. He was left-handed.
* Ehud, ever heard of him? Now while this may not be considered a detriment and today's thinking or society, in Bible times being left-handed was considered as being a detrement to your physical ability.
In bible times, being right handed was to be considered a strength. So being left handed was considered to be somewhat of a disability. So I imagine Ehud had heard a time or two, how he would probably be a warrior or a fighter.
But the moment God needs a savior, or God needs something done, He calls on Ehud. And what does Ehud do? He says Yes!
(Continuing on) The People of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. Ehud made himself a short two-edged sword and strapped it on his right thigh under his clothes.
* maybe at this point is when is disability became an ability. For most warriors were right handed men and King Eglons security would have probably certainly checked the common place on the left leg for a sword, or a weapon. But probably would not have looked on his right leg.
(continuing on) TBS. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Eglon was grossly fat. After Ehud finished presenting the tribute, he went a little way with the men who had carried it. But when he got as far as the stone images near Gilgal, he went back and said, “I have a private message for you, O King.”
The king told his servants, “Leave.” They all left.
20-24 Ehud approached him—the king was now quite alone in his cool rooftop room—and said, “I have a word of God for you.” Eglon stood up from his throne. Ehud reached with his left hand and took his sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s big belly. Not only the blade but the hilt went in. The fat closed in over it so he couldn’t pull it out. Ehud slipped out by way of the porch and shut and locked the doors of the rooftop room behind him. Then he was gone.
When the servants came, they saw with surprise that the doors to the rooftop room were locked. They said, “He’s probably relieving himself in the restroom.”
25 They waited. And then they worried—no one was coming out of those locked doors. Finally, they got a key and unlocked them. There was their master, fallen on the floor, dead!
26-27 While they were standing around wondering what to do, Ehud was long gone. He got past the stone images and escaped to Seirah. When he got there, he sounded the trumpet on Mount Ephraim. The People of Israel came down from the hills and joined him. He took his place at their head.
* now what's the first thing do you suppose a normal person would've done? A normal person would've probably said, look what I've done and would've tried to take the credit for killing the evil tyrant!
But he knew he wasn't in charge, God was. And the first thing Ehud did, was to sound the alarm. Because even though Eglon was dead he knew the battle wasn't over, but that victory could be achieved!
28 He said, “Follow me, for God has given your enemies—yes, Moab!—to you.” They went down after him and secured the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites. They let no one cross over.
* when God gives you the Authority and you step out in faith and trust him, people will listen and join forces with you and become part of the movement and mission God has called you too!
29-30 At that time, they struck down about ten companies of Moabites, all of them well-fed and robust. Not one escaped. That day Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel.
The land was quiet for eighty years.
Ehud, was certainly by all accounts considered an underdog. All of the earlier bible heroes I mentioned that are today commonplace names, were also underdogs.
When you step out in faith and trust God with the results, thats the moment you step into His Favor. It's not until you step out of what you can accomplish, into what He can do for you and your situation, will you ever go to level He's calling you to go to!
It's Gods Favor that takes ordinary people, and helps them and propels them to do extraordinary things!
Illus. By Michael Richardson
A little boy was heard talking to himself as he walked across the backyard, baseball cap in place, ball and bat in his hands. "I am the greatest hitter in the world," he said. He threw the ball up, swung and missed. "Strike one," he said. But again, he told himself, "I am the greatest hitter ever." He threw the ball up again, swung and missed. He looked at the ball, and at the bat, and said, "I’m the greatest hitter that ever lived." He threw the ball up again and swung and missed a third time. This time he said, " Strike three! Wow! He said, “I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!”
No matter how things may seem to be, God can turn any situation around and use it for His Glory!
The story of Gods Glory has never stopped being written! It is an on going journey, with new and exciting adventures happening each and every day!
What will history write about you, when you step out and say Here am I Lord, use me?
Only God knows the future and what will happen! Will you be a hitter, or a pitcher?
One things for sure, with Him in charge of the details. Which ever one it is, He can make you shine wherever you are and you'll be great at it, and in the end, it will bring Him the Glory!
Amen?
Let's pray and ask God to use us, however He sees fit. Knowing the results will be nothing short of amazing!
