A Little Self Inventory
Pastor Sheriff’s newest series, “Saving Ourselves,” fits directly into the current conditions each of us face daily. Once a land founded on God principals we have eroded and allowed our society to become a people of acceptance regardless of circumstances or symptoms. We turn away from the problems and offer a blind eye with no effort to self correct as individuals or collectively as a nation. We have become a perverse generation on a slippery slope to destruction.
Our ability to save this great land and people is to turn to God, and follow His words. In Acts 2 verse 42 we see God’s instructions for our restoration; (1) commit yourselves to the teachings (doctrine), (2) the life together (fellowship), (3) the common meal (breaking bread), and (4) prayers.
In a common sense practical way we can save ourselves if only we will. A little self inventory is certainly in order. Do you attend services week in and week out seeking the truth through Pastor Sheriff’s messages? If so, you’re seeking correct doctrine.
Who are your friends and who do you hang with? It’s our life together as the Body of Christ which provides the direction to unity. Do you attend Care Groups, are you active in extra training classes, and special events provided by the Pastors? Do you seek personal growth in your kingdom walk? Lastly, do you pray daily? If life contains a time in relationship with the Father, life will contain the answers you need today to survive.
Feed your body a balanced meal from the four food groups and add the four elements of spiritual growth. Now you understand living the resurrection lifestyle.
In His Grip,
Jay Harnish
Let It Go!
Pastor Jeff’s sermon “Unlimited Forgiveness” was a great message. It should be a daily habit to check our heart making sure there’s nothing that would keep us from coming boldly to the throne room of grace in our time of need. We want to keep the door open at all times to receive His mercy and grace.
The parable of the unforgiving servant is really something to remember. It isn’t about finances, but putting it into money helps us see how silly the servant was being not to forgive the small amount. We have been forgiven so very much by our Father God, and for us not to forgive people their sin against us is silly in comparison. (Multiple hundreds of millions vs less than ten dollars)
Why do we not forgive when we are offended? Do we get centered in on ourselves and not see the big picture? Is it because our pride has been hurt? Are we angry? The answer is to center in on Christ, and humble ourselves before Him. He will rise up within us, and show us how we should walk in this world. He gives us grace to handle all the difficult situations we come across in this life. We must choose forgiveness.
Pastor Jeff said, “We should walk in a state of forgiveness, because we know that is what brings health and wholeness to our lives.” Isn’t that a true statement? How many people have you met that have let unforgiveness turn into bitterness? Harboring unforgiveness in our heart toward someone is one way we fall short of the grace of God.
Pastor Duane’s definition of grace is: Grace is God’s power/strength in our weakness. He taught we are nothing, we know nothing, we have nothing, and we can do nothing in ourselves after the flesh. It is only through Christ Jesus we can do anything.(See Mystery of Humility sermon.)
Hebrews 12:14-15 HCSB says, “14) Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness-without it no one will see the Lord. 15) Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many.
We all want to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our walk on this earth. My prayer is that we know what His Will is for us to do and say in any circumstance. It’s easy to be Christ centered when things are going well. It’s in the hard times we need to humble ourselves, submit to Him, resist the enemy, and trust that He will exalt us in due season.
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” James 1:19-20 (NLT)
“I praise God that my inward man is being renewed day by day. It was sown in weakness, but it will be raised in power. Therefore, my labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Pastor Duane Sheriff “Mystery of Humility” sermon.
Loving God, Loving People, Serving Both,
Debbie Wright
Just Rest in God’s Grace!
In Pastor Duane’s message on “The Mystery of Weakness”, Pastor Duane points out from 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 that God has chosen the foolish things, the weak things of the world, the base things, and the “things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that NO FLESH should glory in His presence”. 1 Corinthians 1:31 says, “that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory IN THE LORD.”
When we realize, as Pastor Duane shows us from the Word, that “Without God, I am nothing and can do nothing,” then “the power of God is perfected” in us! When you say, ” I can handle this problem by myself, Lord,” God says, “Okay, you do it then.” But when you say, “Help me, Lord! I need You. I cannot do this on my own,” God says, “Finally, I have been waiting for you to realize that. You cannot, but I can. Now, watch Me!” That is how God is–He loves it when we depend on Him.
It takes humility for us to allow Jesus to minister to us. We take pride in doing things in our “own strength”. We must realize that without Jesus, we are bankrupt. Don’t try to minister to yourself or others without depending on Jesus to do it in you, for you, and through you! It is pride and self-righteousness to depend on our own self–our strength, our works, our wisdom.
When you say, “I (me, myself, and I) can do something about it”, you are relying on your human strength. But when you say to God, “I cannot, but YOU can,” you have just tapped into the real source of your strength–JESUS. And as you REST in His grace, (Grace is IN JESUS), you will see His power manifesting in your life!
Grace and peace be multiplied to you and your family,
Shirley Gunter
Read MoreYahweh’s Plan For Us!
Our faithful friend, Debbie, is always encouraging me to post an article on the Victory website. I am not the greatest writer. I find it difficult to sit down, find a topic, and share with others what Yahweh is doing in my life. Many of my friends and loved ones write blogs, and I enjoy reading theirs. Writing is always a task for me, and I struggle with finding a subject to share. I thought I would just take a few of God’s scriptures, try to put them together, and see if HE has me on the right track.
“It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.”(Ecclesiastes 6:9b GN)
King Solomon is telling us to be satisfied with who we are in God’s plan. I don’t have to be a mighty writer. I just need to share what HE gives me. It may not be inspiring, but it might just be what one of the readers of this post needs to hear. If we don’t speak up and share, there could possibly be someone who reads this blog that misses a blessing.
“You knit me together in my mother’s womb … Your workmanship is marvelous … You watched me as I was formed … in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”(Psalm 139:13-16 NLT).
I may not be a great writer. I may not be much to look at. But to my Creator I am marvelous, and HE loves me! He records every day of my life, and my mission is to accomplish all that HE has in store for me. I should be anxious to share on a blog.
“Let everyone be sure to do his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work done well and won’t need to compare himself with someone else.”(Galatians 6:4 LB).
Isn’t that an awesome scripture?! Paul encourages us to do work well for our own personal satisfaction. We don’t need to compare ourselves to anyone else. We just need to be us. How many of us try to be like movie stars or someone else? Yahweh has created each of us just the way HE wanted us. All we need to do is listen to HIM, and be the one we were created to be.
“Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited …”(1 Corinthians 13:4b HCSB).
In summary, it is all about love. We are not to envy others. We are not to brag or boast about the things we are doing or have done. We are not to walk around with a big head thinking we are better than everyone else. We are special, because HE created us. We each have purpose. Each of us should desire to flow in HIS love, to seek out, and to become who we were created to be.
In HIS love,
Bill
The Invisible God
While at church the other night, someone remarked to me that they felt invisible. She said that some of the people had passed her by; that they just made her feel invisible. I was thinking about that. I thought about our relationship to God. Sometimes we feel like we are invisible to God. We feel that our circumstances, and the things that surround us, make us feel like God does not even know that we exist.
My next thought was: do we put ourselves out there? Reach out to those who are passing us by, and really let them know that we exist? Do we make that extra effort to reach out to them? In so doing, as we reach out to God; He reaches out to us. He puts His hand down, and touches our lives. Even though we cannot physically see God, we do know that He is there and that He is “The Invisible God”.
Colossians 1:12-16
12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
I am so glad that to God we are not invisible. He loves us so much, and He cares so much for us.
I Peter 3:8-9
8Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing
Dixie Brubaker
Resurrection Lifestyle
Pastor Jeff has been talking about the Resurrection Lifestyle. I don’t know what I would do, if I had to walk through this life with out the Holy Spirit to depend upon minute by minute. After Jesus rose up to Heaven, He left us with a Helper, a Comforter, One to dwell inside us, and One to be with us at all times. I looked up in the Strong’s Concordance the word Comforter from John 14:16, 14:26 and 15:26, and 16:7. It is #3875 in the Greek Dictionary of the New Testament-”Parakletos”: an intercessor, consoler:-advocate, comforter.
John 14:16 Amp says, “ And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever-”
The Amplified Bible is the only version that has all these definitions. I like to think that He is all these things to me, because it is certainly a comfort! That is what Jesus said isn’t it? I will leave you a Comforter. The editors of the Amplified Version looked at all the root words.
John 14:26 Amp says, “But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.”
Praise the Lord! We have to put it in our mind and our spirit by reading and studying to show ourselves approved a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of God. (The Holy Spirit will help us do that: “rightly divide the Word of God.”) Then, when it is needed, the Holy Spirit will bring it up to our remembrance. We don’t have to strain and work hard to do or say what is right in our flesh. We can rest in Him, and know that He will show us what is needed in every situation.
John 16:7 Amp says, “However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].”
Pastors’ Jeff, Duane, and Terry have been telling us that we must have a personal relationship with the Lord. We can’t just know “about” Him and live a victorious overcoming life that is represented by His death on the Cross. This Easter may the real Resurrection Life of Jesus be alive in each of us. May we walk in communion with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and our Father throughout the year. They are One and all have a part in our personal intimate relationship as born again Christians.
Loving God, Loving People, Serving Both.
Debbie Wright
Proverbs 3 :5 &6 Message, “5)Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 6) Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.”
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