Never Quit!

by Rod Davis

This is no time for fear

This is a time for faith and determination

Don’t lose the vision here

Carried away by the motion

Hold on to all that you hide in your heart

There is one thing that has always been true

It holds the world together

God is in control

We believe that His children will not be forsaken

God is in control

We will choose to remember and never be shaken

There is no power above or beside Him

We know, ohh, God is in control

Ohh, God is in control (1)

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,

because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

(1 Corinthians. 15:58)

 The great statesman and historian Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Notice the last phrase in this quote. “Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Mr. Churchill understood how one’s perception could often determine the outcome of a conflict.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too [Jesus]shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

(Hebrews 2:14-15)

The word “destroy” used here comes from a Greek word that literally means to render impotent or powerless. The death and resurrection of our Lord broke the back of the enemy. Christ rendered him powerless as far as the true, born again, believer is concerned. In fact, the only power the devil has over a genuine Christian is what we give him. The enemy must, therefore, rely on his finely tuned skills of deception in order to trick us into yielding authority to him.

 “…no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his

possessions unless he first ties up the strong man.” — Jesus (Mark 3:27)

Jesus is saying that Satan cannot overpower one who has the Lord of Glory residing in his house. He would first have to overpower Jesus and we know that this just can’t be done. Therefore, he must deceive you into thinking that he is coming at you with overwhelming might. He cannot spiritually overwhelm a true believer. So, he must try to intimidate us into conceding some sort of defeat.

Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.

From the end of the earth I will cry to You,

When my heart is overwhelmed;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For You have been a shelter for me,

A strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

(Psalm 61:1-4 NKJV)

How do we withstand this kind of onslaught? Here are two ways;

First— James 4:7 says that we resist the devil by submitting to God. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Give God full control of your life. Commit yourself to prayer, fellowship, and reading and studying God’s Word. Satan cannot defeat a person who is fully submitted to the Lord.

Next— (This is almost too simple to believe) Stand firm and wait the enemy out. The Bible says that the believer has the fruit, or the evidence, of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their life. (Galatians 5:22-23) One of these is patience. Satan doesn’t have the Holy Spirit. Consequently, he doesn’t have the fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, he does not have patience! WE CAN OUTLAST HIM; providing we have donned the full armor of God and have made the decision to stand in the power of God’s mighty strength! (Ephesians 6:10-19) Now, the only way we can lose is to quit. We win by default if we don’t cave in to the devil’s cowardly tricks.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time

we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Winston Churchill helped his people weather some of the darkest days in the long history of England with the unrelenting battle cry, “Never quit. Never give in!” He knew that Hitler was a coward and cowards don’t have the heart to see it to the end. So, it is with Satan. Never give up! Never give in! Never let go of the vision and the promise God has given you. Never stop trusting Him! Victory belongs to those who stand firm. You were called to victory. Now, walk in it.

1 God is in Control by Twila Paris from her album, Greatest Hits (2008)

Spreading Some of the Joy

by Rod Davis

“For God so loved the whole world that He gave his only son…”

(John 3:16)

Ah, Christmas time! The carolers are singing, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” and for most of us it is. There are many things about the Christmas season that make it wonderful, such as a beautifully decorated tree, colorfully wrapped presents and good food. However, the most wonderful time of all is when family and friends gather for a warm time of fellowship. It all adds up to a joyous time of celebration.

 In spite of all the jubilation surrounding them, many feel that they have very little to celebrate. A divorced Dad separated from the children he treasures, that heartbroken person who’s lost a loved one, and the holidays only serve as a sad reminder of their grief. Another sits alone in a hospital or nursing home. Still others are homeless, without family or hope.

The joy that Christmas holds is for everyone. God gave His Son to the whole world, not to just a few who are more fortunate. Please, let’s make Christmas a wonderful time for those who really need some joy in their lives. Consider making a little extra effort to touch someone who desperately needs to know that somebody cares. What greater way to show what Christmas is truly all about? What better way of expressing our gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His unspeakable Gift than by giving of ourselves?

 
Yes, Christmas is a most wonderful time. Let’s spread some of that “wonderfulness” to someone who’s hurting during this holiday season.  May God bless you with a Christ-centered Christmas! 
 

A city on a hill cannot be hidden
Standing tall before all men
To show the things that it's been given
And everything that it can give
Just like that city on a hillside
We got a light that's deep within us
No, don't keep it to yourself
Just remember how you felt
When you first gave your life to Jesus

And I know that our salvation isn't based on the things we do
But it's only given by the grace of God
By the sacrifice of Jesus, and if we really did believe
We were born to share this message with someone *

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*City On A Hill Lyrics by Mac Powell / Music by Third Day, Copyright/Label: ©2000 New Spring Publishing, Inc. / Vandura 2500 Songs / ASCAP All rights administered by Brentwood Benson Music Publishing, Inc

Cop-out or Opportunity?

by Rod Davis

If there is a shadow

I can't see it

If this is my cup

I'll learn to drink it

If there is a purpose

You'll reveal it

But for today I found my place

In the sufficiency of grace

In the sufficiency of grace* 

“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” — Jesus

 (John 12:27-28a) 

What do you pray for when your “hour” comes? Every believer has one, you know—an hour of testing. We each face a season of intense testing that comes from time to time assaulting the senses and shaking us right down to the bone. It’s a point in time that separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls. In fact, it can even separate the sheep from the goats.  

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God―having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.  (2 Timothy 3:1-5) 

Here The Apostle Paul describes a world filled with hate, deceit, and greed. Times have not changed since. It’s the same today. We’re surrounded by people who have an insatiable bent toward selfishness. Therefore, one of the first lessons we learn in life is that the world is seldom just. Try as hard as you will, you won’t always get a fair shake. The reason for this is simple. The world stinks!  

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world―the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does―comes not from the Father but from the world.” — Jesus

(1 John 2:15-16) 

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” — Jesus (John 15:18-19) 

Now, because of the world’s fallen condition, troubles abound for the believer. People hate us because we love the Savior. As a result, every true follower of Christ will eventually have his “hour”—his moment of truth. He will face his defining moment.  

Jesus encountered his hour and it filled his heart with anguish. There, in the midst of his agony, he was faced with a choice. How would he respond? “What shall I do?” He said. “Shall I cop-out and choose the easy way out? Shall I ask God to save me from this hour?” Then he answered his question with a resounding, “NO! This is why I was brought to this place in time. Father, this is my hour! And this is my purpose… to glorify your name!” 

How do you respond to your hour? Do you see it only as a time of anguish that should be avoided at all costs? Or… do you view it as an opportunity to press on, grow up in Christ and learn to walk in victory? More importantly, do you see it as a chance for your life to glorify the name of the LORD?  

Do you see a cop-out or an opportunity?

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* ‘Sufficiency of Grace’ recorded by Greg Long on his album, “Now”. ©2001 Word Entertainment, Inc.