August 2020
Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. 1Ch 29:11
God Reigns Through Good and Bad Times
The bible contains many stories that may not seem victorious when we first read them but God always wins in the end as we saw with the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Genesis starts out in majesty as God builds the universe and the flawless Garden of Eden where He sets man and woman to dress and keep it (Gen 2:15). They are in authority and live without want. Darkness comes in and they lose it all but God gives them a promise that they will triumph in victory when the seed of the woman crushes the serpent’s head and the second Adam takes back dominion to reign victoriously over all evil (Gen 3:15). Descendants of Adam gain victory over and over again throughout history.
In the lineage of Adam, Enoch distinguished himself as being one who walked with and pleased God until his walk took him right on into heaven without stopping by the grave (Gen 5:24). From that lineage was birthed Noah who was found favorable in God’s sight and who was preserved with his family through the worldwide flood to birth a whole new world (Gen 7:13). Also from that lineage was born Abraham, a man of faith who would birth a nation that would follow God and from whom the second Adam would take back authority from the serpent (Gen 17:5).
Throughout the history of man we have seen some dark days because of contamination by the devil; but we also have seen victory through righteous men or kings where God preserved a people to carry on His will in the earth. In every situation, God’s sovereignty prevailed over evil because God is good and His reign precedes all things. Even Satan is a created being and is limited in his acts by Creator God.
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. Job 2:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Though God waited over 400 years, He did deliver Israel from the devil’s hand when He sent Jesus through the seed of the woman to save the world just as He promised Adam and Eve. Redemption came. The nature of God is that He is good, pure and righteous. He is omnipotent, all powerful. He is omniscience, all knowing. He is omnipresence, always present.
Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Man Chooses His Allegiance for Good or Evil
There is no sin that man does that God is not aware of and no thought that he thinks that escapes God’s knowledge. Knowing that God is aware of all man’s doing should cause man to both restrain and confess his behavior before an Almighty God. Since God is a redemptive God, only failure to ask forgiveness could prevent man from receiving that forgiveness. Through the worst behavior if we would only ask for God’s help, we would receive it. Little children learn obedience through their experience with discipline; and when we get tired of being punished, we learn to relent.
With the knowledge that God is good and all His intentions toward us are good, we ought to reconsider the lies of which Satan accuse our God of evil intents, as he did with Eve. The serpent lied to Eve about God’s intention in order to gain her allegiance and cause man’s fall. Our God (Creator God, Yahweh) does only that which is good, even when it may seem otherwise.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Choosing God for Victory
The rebellion of mankind began with the lie of Satan, so our agreement with God and His word puts us on the side of truth, regardless of appearances. The evil one has affected our perception of things to the point where we cannot always rely on our perception, but we can always rely on God, His word and His best interest for us.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. 12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: 13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
There will always be a conflict between the power of God and the power of the devil until God binds Satan in hell for eternity. We have the ability to stand against the lies Satan speaks to us by resisting him with God’s truth to defeat the lie. Our victory is in standing with our Victorious God, who has won victory for every single one of us through Christ, the Savior. Our Savior took on death for us and won our victory over death and hell.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Christ’s Victory Is Our Victory
The victory of Christ belongs to every born again child of God.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Victory belongs to our God and the believer in Christ is victorious by the power of the blood of the Lamb. Our victory is sealed up in Christ’s death and resurrection. As Christ is risen up to heaven in victory over death, hell and the devil; the children of God sit in Him. Those that have moved from their place of victory through believing the lie can reclaim their place of victory by renouncing the lie, confessing sin, and reclaiming their place in God through agreement with the word. God has said:
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Isa 10:3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Redemption
Whether these words find the unbeliever in sin or the believer who has sinned, God will receive the sinner who acknowledges, confess, and repent of sin, accepting the forgiveness of God made available through the sacrifice of Christ. God will cleanse and restore the believer and birth a new child of God. God redeems repenting souls back to Himself.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
After all the trials and tribulations of this world where evil combats against all that is good, God will ultimately put down evil’s dominion and rest in His glory as it is foretold in the Book of Revelations:
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away
God has given us wisdom and knowledge from the beginning so that we might consider our ways, choose the right path and inherit that which is good in the end. That is the goodness of God! He provides all the goodness and yet allows us the liberty to freely choose for ourselves, although the alternative is evil and death. God, who is in the beginning, will be God in the end. We have the privilege of choosing victory with Him and remaining in that victory (Joh 10:27). Despite all efforts to deter us, God holds His children in His hands.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev 4:11
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Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 