You Are What You Eat

Have you ever heard the saying, “you are what you eat”? It is true that our diet greatly affects our physical health, and the same thing is true spiritually. What have you been eating spiritually? Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Again Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus and His word are the spiritual food that every believer needs to survive and to grow spiritually. 1 Peter 2:2 declares, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby.” We need a consistent diet of the bread of life and the milk of God’s word to grow and be strong spiritually. We need to be partaking of the word of God not just on Sunday or Wednesday, but every day.

Someone might say, “With my busy schedule, I don’t have time to study the bible every day.” I try to encourage people to start with five minutes each day, something that will work in their schedule. Most people who get started in a regular routine of studying God’s word find it very rewarding. The Christian bookstores have a huge supply of good devotionals that help the reader get into the good habit of daily bible reading. There are also many good devotionals available online. If you are looking for a bible reading plan, but don’t know where to start, the Gospel of John in the New Testament is a great place to start. It is simply written, yet profound, as this book reveals Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World, and the King of the Ages.

The important thing is to get started, and start putting the good spiritual food of God’s word in your heart and mind every day. Then be sure to also apply the word or be a doer of the word that you hear, and you will grow, grow, grow.

Freedom Isn't Free

Monday is Memorial Day, and we at Victory Church wish to thank all who are currently serving, or who have served in our Armed Forces. We also thank all who have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in protecting this country. Our hearts go out to family members whose loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice. The freedoms we enjoy today are available because someone purchased that freedom with their very lives.

            You have heard the saying “freedom isn’t free.” That statement is true regarding the United States of America and in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 2 tells us that when we were sinners, we were without God, and without hope. Verse 13 tells us “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Galatians 5:1 says “It was for freedom, that Christ has set us free.”  Another version says we are to “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.”

            Jesus purchased for us liberty and freedom from sin and its effects. He paid the ultimate price for my freedom, but His sacrifice is of no benefit to me unless I receive the life He offers. John 1:12 says “to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” We must receive Jesus, not as just a good man who lived two thousand years ago, but as He truly is, the Messiah, the Son of God. Romans 10:9 says “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.”

            If you have never invited Jesus into your heart to forgive you of all of your sins, why not do it today? And if you have received this freedom of forgiveness that Jesus offers, why not take a minute right now and give thanks to Him for His sacrifice. Make Memorial Day a day of giving thanks for all who have sacrificed for our liberty.

Serving others

The text for today’s message is found in Galatians 5:13b, “through love, serve one another.” It is a calling of every believer in Jesus Christ to serve others. In Matthew 20:28 Jesus says, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus is our example. Even though He was and is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, He chose to serve and to give His life for me. Serving others is not what the natural man wants to do. The natural man or fleshly man wants others to serve him. So, how do we serve others? Romans 5:5 says, “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”  For the person who has surrendered their heart to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, God’s love has been poured out into our hearts. His love is there, it simply needs to be shown to others.
And there is joy in serving. There is joy in giving of ourselves to benefit someone else. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “consider Jesus, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross.” The cross was one of the most brutal forms of punishment and execution ever devised by man, but the Bible says for Jesus, in the midst of the pain, there was joy. How can this be? Because of love. Going to the cross was a joy for Jesus because He knew the end result of that act of obedience would be the offer of total forgiveness for anyone who would call on His name to be saved. Have you ever called on Jesus to forgive you of all of your sins? His grace and love is available to you today, if you will ask Him. And once you do call on Jesus, commit to doing His will. Through love, serve one another.

Life of an Overcomer

From The Pulpit by Pastor Joe Laughlin, Victory Church, Omaha, NE.
The foundation scripture for today's message is from Revelation 12:11,"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death". The "they" who are the overcomers mentioned in this passage are the people of God, and the "him" that they overcame is, of course, Satan or the devil. Today let's examine the three areas mentioned in this passage that bring victory over the devil. The first area mentioned is the blood of the Lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Bible declares that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Under the old covenant, an innocent animal was killed and offered as a sacrifice to “cover” the sins of the people. This offering needed to be repeated year after year as it was only a temporary covering for sins. When Jesus offered His life as a sacrifice for our sins, it accomplished what no other sacrifice could accomplish, eternal redemption from the punishment of sin. This eternal redemption is available to "whomsoever" will call on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13). This redemption is available to anyone who will receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and believe in Him (John 1:12). By His blood we are justified, by His blood we are purified, and by His blood we are cleansed from all unrighteousness. 1Peter 1:18 reads "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received from your fathers,(v.19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot". Silver or gold cannot save us from sin. Family traditions however well intentioned cannot save us from sin, but Jesus' blood shed for me on Calvary is what has the power to save me from sin. It is also able to make a way for the man or woman of God to overcome the working of Satan's schemes in our life. The second area Revelation 12:11 mentions in overcoming the enemy is "the word of our testimony". For the Christian, to give testimony means to tell the truth about God, and how God has worked in our lives. When we proclaim the truth about God, we are declaring His victory over the work of the evil one in every area. When others hear our story of the difference Jesus has made in our lives and then turn to Jesus for their help, the enemy is defeated once again. The third area Revelation 12:11 mentions in overcoming the enemy is "to not love our lives to the death". Jesus said "whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 16:25). When a person comes to the place where they are willing to exchange what they want for what God wants, they are in a place where God can really move in their life. The place of complete surrender to God through Jesus Christ is the place of true freedom. If we "freely receive" all Jesus provided for us at Calvary,we are then in a position to "freely give" to others out of what we have received. This is the life of an overcomer.