LIVING IN THE VICTORY THAT GOD GAVE US

Transcription

1 LIVING IN THE VICTORY THAT GOD GAVE US

2 28 August 2004 Living in the victory that God gave us Most of us feel at times that we are living in defeat not victory and that victory seems very far away, but the truth is, you are living in the victory of the lord and defeat are only an illusion created by Satan your greatest enemy. If you are reading this then you are still in that area of victory that Jesus won for you. You may not know it and you may feel like you lost everything, and that your world is crashing down around you but you are still in that victory area that Jesus won for you. You are only defeated if you turn your back on Jesus and walk away for ever, no born again child of God really does that. Disaster may make us hate God and say really terrible things to him at times and call him all sorts of names, but deep down we are asking, why lord, did you do this to me? Why did you allow this terrible thing to happen to me? We have not turned our back on God. We feel that he turned his back on us, or is punishing us for something we have done in the past or present and none of that is true. Our concept of victory is very narrow, we think that victory means we won great battles and run around with hands in the air shouting, Praise the Lord. That is not what victory is. Victory is, after been beaten, humiliated, bashed to bits, crying, in despair over our situation, losing loved ones, struggling to get by with very little and still praying at the end of it, not understanding what is going on but still saying your prayers, talking or fighting with God. Look at the following scripture and read what it says and see if it sounds like you. 2-Corinthians 4-8: We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we do not know why things happen as they do, but we do not give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Sound familiar? Seems like the apostles went through the things that we also have gone through. The reality of victory is that we do not give up even when we loose a battle. The thing to remember is that the war is not over until the day you arrive in Heaven to be with the Lord. We need to understand really what victory is to be able to walk daily in it. Victory is not winning battles but fighting them. Winning some losing others but still willing to keep going on with the Lord, even when we are battered and broken, exhausted, wearied, worn out from your struggles, but still willing to go on with the Lord even when you feel that he has abandoned you. God has in his word, given truths, and these truths given by his Holy Spirit will keep you afloat when you feel like your sinking. God has taken into account our weakness and failings when he created us and works with us accordingly. He turns every defeat into a future victory, so that you are always sure of victory even if it seems a long way away, and not even possible. Lets look at Jesus defeat! Or what looked like his defeat. During his ministry he was raising the dead, healing the sick, saving souls for God the father. When Satan used one of Jesus own friends betray him. He sold him out for 30 pieces of silver, and then he took Jesus enemies to him in the dead of night. Pointing Jesus out by kissing him on the cheek. A sign, normally given as a loving greeting. His enemies then took him tortured him and finally put him to death By having him nailed to a cross. Satan s plan was to stop Jesus from bringing God s message of forgiveness and salvation and healing to a lost world. He felt he had triumphed when Jesus died on that cross, Satan believed he had won. But what Satan did not know was it was God s plan that Jesus should die on that cross, and in doing so, he Jesus, would pay the ultimate price for

3 man-kinds sins, and so open the doors of heaven. Satan never knew that this was God s plan or he would never have had him crucified to death. But God s plan was even greater than Satan could ever have imagined. In having Jesus put to death, Jesus as a spirit being was able to enter Hell itself and in Hell Jesus fought Satan and defeated him forever. Hebrews 2-14: for only as a human being could he die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in that Way could he deliver those who through fear of death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread. Not only did Jesus defeat Satan he also defeated every foul spirit that was with Satan. Ephesians- 4-8: He led captivity captive, he led a train of vanquished foes, and he bestowed gifts on men. Satan never knew God s great plan to sacrifice his son and so use his blood to forgive the sins of the entire world. He never realised that in having Jesus put to death he was signing his own defeat. If he had known he would never have used Judas to betray him, he would have left Jesus alone staying as far away from him as possible. Satan still has not learned he cannot outwit God, because everything that happens to us, caused by Satan or ourselves will be turned to good for those who love the lord and are fitting into his plans. Romans 8-28: And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans. Look at what this scripture is saying to us. That ALL that happens to us. It does not say some-thing s that happen to us. But all things are working for our good. If we love God and are fitting into his plans, do you love God? Then all things that happen to you are working for your good. God changes the bad things that happen, to be of benefit to us later on. Somehow! I do not know how, but God can do anything and he changes the bad situations we experience into something good later on in life. He is almighty God and can do this. Lets look at another example to see how God turns a bad situation around into victory. Paul was out preaching; healing, delivering, people bring the Gospel to them. Going around everywhere he could to bring God s message, then he was arrested and put in jail at the height of his ministry. Satan stopped Paul from spreading the Gospel of peace with God, Satan used the Pharisee's, and to have him jailed. And he was sent to prison in Rome. It looked like Paul s ministry was finished he could not get out to spread the good news. Paul was defeated just like us, stopped in our tracks. But God had a plan and that plan was to use Paul right where he was, locked away in prison. He got Paul to send letters to his friends, to the different places where he had been. Those letters became the Epistles. The books of the bible, the New Testament, and those letters are read by millions all over the world they are reaching far wider than Paul could ever travel, the only transport he had was a horse, and there was no TV. Now these days his letters are read on religious programs reaching to all corners of the world and this was out of defeat. God turned defeat into victory. He used the situation to bring glory to his name. Whatever situation you find yourself going through give it to God and he will use it later on for your benefit and for his glory later on. Victory is always ours, if you know the truth of God s word. Just because you have terrible things happen, even death, it does not mean you have lost. Given to God he turns it around into victory. That is why this scripture should be always in your heart. 1-Corinthians 15-58: Since future victory is sure. Be strong, steady, always abounding in the Lord s work. For you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted. Since future victory is sure. God knows that he will outwit Satan every time, and works out EVERYTHING for

4 your good. 1-Corinthians 15-57: how we thank God for all this for it is he who makes us victorious through Jesus Christ our lord. There are many areas where you are victorious if you could but see and understand what God has done for you. Romans 8-31: If God is on our side, who can be against us? "Knowing that God is on your side gives you the victory. Even when you have been whipped, beyond recognition the truth is you do not have to feel that you have God on your side its just knowing his word tells you so that gives you victory. 1-Corinthians 15-58: Nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted. Look at this scripture, nothing you do for the lord is ever wasted, that means whatever you do even if you make a complete mess of it, God can use it for good. I have made many serious mistakes and terrible blunders, over these last 20 odd years and some really bad ones over these last three years, when I should have been growing stronger in the Lord and I just blew it time after time. I failed to listen to God, I failed to obey him, and I really screwed up. I hurt many and caused great pain to some, I did not mean to but I did. I was living in a terrible situation at the time but that was no excuse. Pain is pain when you are the one responsible for causing it. And I almost gave up, my belief in God was shattered into a thousand pieces, despair was my constant companion. I walked around in a cloud of depression. I was on nerve tablets, anti depressants and sleeping tablets. I was suicidal. I felt so abandoned by God that I believed that I would never survive. Almost all our Christian friends deserted us. Out of 50 people that attended our prayer meeting only four remained when we experienced trouble. These true friends visited and stayed with us through the most horrific nightmare of our lives, and I will always be grateful to them. They were true Christian friends. I gave up on the prayer meeting, I quit praying, I stopped believing in miracles healing and in general my faith in God being for me was totally shattered. Everything I preached and believed in for years went out the window when this nightmare came on us. I fought with God complained to him cursed at him tried to ignore him, but inside me I would say praise you anyway lord. Then I would say No! Stuff you God, I do not want to know you but deep down a part of me was saying, God works for good for those that love him. I still, despite myself believed God s word and eventually he brought me through. It took three years and I am still not all I should be but I am learning more and more about the truth of God s word, I am learning the depths of God s love for us human beings. I see things more and more from God s perspective. I am learning about God, whom he is and what he is like. In the midst of all that we went through, I wrote 46 little booklets like this one. Writing for the glory of God. The Lord is turning to good all that we went through, and is still changing things, for HIS GLORY. God is showing me and you that no matter what we go through we will have victory even in the midst of defeat if we still hang in there and pray, fight, curse, swear to God it means we still believe. To religious people you do not curse or swear at, or fall out with God but for someone who has lived in hell for a while, cursing, swearing and fighting with God is a part of their pain. God knows what is in your heart even when you come with religious words saying nice things to him when someone you loved just died or was grievously abused. Let s give God honesty for a change he is big enough to take it. I do not mean you should just curse at God or be nasty towards him, No, you should have the utmost reverence for him. But there is no use pretending to come with words of praise when you really hate his guts at that moment. Be honest in your relationship with

5 God. One thing God taught me in all what I went through was to be honest with myself and to be honest with him. He showed me he could read my heart and knew when I was just acting pious towards him. RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE James 4-7: So give your selves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. You may be thinking that since God turns everything to Good for those who love him you can just take it easy now and not have to do anything anymore. NO! NO! NO! NO! Your battle is continuous with Satan your great enemy, it never ends, and until the day you stand before the Father in heaven. It's only when you lose your battles and suffer defeats that they are changed to good. You as Christians are in a war. Winning some battles, losing others but still battling on. You need to fight the good fight of faith. 1-Timothy 1-18: Fight well in the Lords battle just as the lord told us through his prophets you would. You see you are supposed to be fighting the battles, winning as many of them as your faith can help you win. It is for your betterment and for god s glory that you win as many battles as you can, getting stronger and stronger in your faith, knowing even if you have defeats now and then, you still win because God changes that defeat into victory for you. The bible would not tell you to put on the Armour of God if all you had to do was just believe that no matter what happens to us is changed for our good. That is for the times when you are in some of your greatest battles and you lose them, and the Lord then Changes those defeats into victories later on. We are in a battle against our greatest enemy, Satan the devil; he is fighting to take away from you every blessing God desires you to Have. The scripture says to resist the devil, {stand firm}. That means he will attack you, but he can never defeat you because you now know that: ONE God is for you! TWO He turns everything to good for those that love him. THREE you know to resist the devil in other words fight back, and he -will flee! 1-Peter 5-8: Be careful-watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy He prowls around like a hungry roaring lion. Looking for some victim to tear apart. Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord. John 8-32: Jesus said you should know the truth and the truth should set you free. Knowing how much God loves you will set you free from defeat. Knowing that god never abandons you will give you victory. 2-CORINTHIANS 4-9: But God never abandons us. ============================= This is a special note for Christians who have missed it [made mistakes] who feel that they blew the lot and are no more use to God. That is not true. Romans 11-29: For God s gifts and his call can NEVER BE WITHDRAWN, -he can never go back on a promise. No matter what you did to blow it there is a simple thing called repentance, which leaves you once again in right standing with God. If you blew it, ask God where can you work for him again, ask him to open up another door and wait on him, it may be a different road you next travel down but any road for the lord is a blessed road. David blew it with God he lusted after Uriah s wife then had Uriah sent into the front of the battlefield where he was killed. When the prophet told him, God knew of his sin David repented. God forgave him and he went on to be come one of God s greatest king s 2-Samuel-11 and

6 There are a few places where you can see where David messed up and God forgave him and continued to use him. Christian friend doesn't allow Satan to turn you away from God s great plan for you. If you cannot go back to the ministry you were once in, God can give you another ministry, God has many ways of serving him, look at the Internet you can touch people for God through that. And not have to judge by people you once knew and served God with. Set up a web site for God s glory. Stand up again and forgive yourself and move on with God again. You cannot be defeated, God continues to use you if you let him. Remember, 1 John 3-8: But the Son of God came to destroy these works of the devil. The Holy Spirit within you will use you for the spreading of the kingdom of God. You can still drink clean water from a cracked and dirtied cup. God can still use a broken child of his, as long as you seek his mercy and forgiveness Luke 1-37: For nothing is impossible with God. GLORY TO GOD FOR HIS MERCY AND FORGIVENESS AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. About the author Brendan Mc Crossan, lives in Northern Ireland, He had a dramatic spiritual conversion. On 5 separate occasions God spared his life from imminent death. Since his conversion Brendan and his wife Rose have been involved in a healing ministry. For the past 20 five years, Brendan and Rose have given talks at retreats and conferences, teaching on God's word and Healing, and on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit with practical teaching methods. Teaching peoples how to open up to the power of the Holy Spirit. Showing them how they can pray for the sick and see healing and miracles happen. They teach on spiritual subjects out of a rich source of practical experiences. Having had many experiences in their lives, and have been through it all with God s grace and love To Book Brendan or Rose for conferences Brenden.mccrossan@ntlworld.com Visit their web site: Forgiveness brings healing Or contact them at: Brendan and Rose Mc Crossan Ministries 18 Dunree Gardens Creggan Estate Derry Northern Ireland Bt489qf Phone Other titles available By Brendan McCrossan

7 Prayers from the Holy Spirit 5 Steps to growing spiritually strong God! Where the hell are you? How God sees us Stop asking for what s already yours 7 Ways to have peace of mind and heart Redundant Angels God has feelings and emotions Heart to heart with God The power of God at work Un forgiveness the price it costs you God loves you and here s the proof Removing the chains of guilt Trust me in your times of trouble Your Children are promised salvation The devil is listening to you What price heaven The purpose of the Holy Spirit Stop getting annoyed! Go and get Jesus Spiritual blocks to God s Healing & Power Healing the miscarried, stillborn or aborted children Locked in the past Learn to live in the Fresh newness of life Naked Christians who think they re wearing the Armour of God