“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me–practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9 ESV)

Paul wrote that he was “the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle. . . .” His basis for that statement was that he “persecuted the Church of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:9 ESV) Despite his renegade start as a persecutor of Christians, Paul went on to found many churches, mentor pastors and evangelists, and teach Jewish believers in Y’shuaJesus to accept Gentile believers as one of them. He wrote much of what we call the New Testament as letters to various churches. And we accept his authority to write: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the G-d of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9 ESV).

When we practice all that we see in Paul’s life, we will certainly receive the crowns of rewards from Messiah after we leave Earth. But there remains a question about victory today, now, while we live and walk and journey with Messiah. Will practicing what we see in Paul yield victory? We must decide if Paul was truly victorious in his Earthly life. We must decide for ourselves if imitating Paul will bring us victory today.

After all, wasn’t Paul stoned a time or two? Wasn’t he ill to the point of begging deliverance from G-d for it? This illness persisted and was not removed during his lifetime. Paul was arrested, tried, and imprisoned. Paul, himself, admits to problems he faced. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV) Can we seriously consider imitating what appears to be such a non-victorious life? Or is our impression of victory in this life skewed by a certain world view of life?

There is a world view that says we are only to be content in leisure time when we relax, perhaps in the shade of a tree with a cool drink in our hands. This world view says we are content when we have plenty of choice food and dwell in luxury housing. This world view says we have peace only in specific circumstances and situations. In this world view we are not suppose to be content, not suppose to find peace, in any difficult situation, any perilous circumstance.

Look again at what Paul said about contentment. He is content, he has peace, in circumstances and situations not conducive to such. Either there is a contradiction here or the world view illustrated is wrong. I vote that this world view is wrong.

Briefly, let’s look at a few more points in imitating the victory of the Apostle Paul. We must remember that we live in this world, but are not of it. Therefore, like those how do not believe, that do not follow Messiah Y’shuaJesus, we will experience trials and hardships of various types. Y’shuaJesus tells us about this in one of his parables. “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” Y’shuaJesus says we’ll experience floods that break against our lives. (Luke 6:47-48 ESV)

Perhaps our imitation of Paul is imitating how he came to Y’shuaJesus, heard Him, and followed Him, building a foundation of victory enabling him to express his contentment during his weakness, hardships, and distress. Perhaps when Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus, he forever lost his world view, and when sight returned, all he saw the way of the Spirit of Y’shuaJesus.

Our victory lies not in the ways in which the world sees victory, but in the Lord Y’shuaJesus. Our peace is not found in circumstances and situations of this life on Earth, as a certain world view tells us, but despite them. It is the Peace that passes understanding that fills our souls, our being, yielding our victory—today and tomorrow.

Lord Y’shua grant us understanding of true victory in this life and insight into the victory we have with You forever. Bless, Keep, and Shine upon us today, and always. AMEN

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.” (Psalms 33:18-19 ESV)

Sitting quietly in the mornings I’m often drawn to the Psalms. One morning, while singing a Psalm, I thought about the way the Psalmists often extols the past successes of the LORD. Often these success begin with creation, continue with past battles in which His people are delivered, and flows into praise of G-d for one or more of His perfect attributes, such as abiding love for those He called to be a people for Him.

A friend, and writer/minister, once wrote of a week of struggles she’d endured. It was a week in which G-d’s truth won, and conquered, current feelings. She wrote, “. . . I am still remembering to rely on the truth more than what I feel. . .” This remembering is what the Psalmist encouraged us to do. They remembered the past successes of G-d, and now were able to be hopeful that the G-d who saved them in the past would once again act according to His divine and perfect plan and save them again. We can remember, too, the way G-d stepped in and rescued us in the past. We can hold to these memories of the past because G-d is able and willing to save us today, too. And in the future we can hope in the LORD to rescue, to save, just as He has done.

In stories I tell my kids, I like to illustrate the power of G-d to not only watch out for us, but to also let us know that He is doing so. I’ve told them the following story on several occasions:

Late in the afternoon, in the north of India, I stood with many Indians waiting for a train north. I read a few pages from Lonely Planet’s guide to India. In one section, it cautioned of the dangers of evening trains north toward Nepal, which was my destination. I grew a bit concerned as night came upon me with no train in sight. I prayed. Finally the train arrived. I boarded and continued to pray. At the next stop an off-duty police officer boarded the train. He traveled quite a ways with us, finally hopping of near a village in which, I suppose, he lived. I took this whole episode as a gift of acknowledgment from G-d that, yes, He was looking out for me.

I tell the story to the kids that they might remember it when they find themselves in a position in which they are concerned for their own safety. It is a way to help them as they grow, until they have their own experience of G-d’s deliverance.

Thank You, LORD, for Your love and the hope in our life well-lived. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.” (1 John 5:4 MKJV)

The topic is victory: victory that is to come; victory that is available today. Victory is intentional in that we are able, with the Lord’s help, to live each day with the intent of victory. There is also element of simplicity to daily living victoriously.

Alan Redpath wrote a book he titled “Victorious Christian Living.” Long ago I read it, but don’t remember much now, and no longer have the book. What I do remember is a story about Mr. Redpath’s speaking engagement in Los Angeles, California, that took place some years ago. He stood silently before a group–of pastors and pastoral candidates, I believe–leaning a bit to one side then the other, an effect of his old age. Finally, to the hushed audience he sang slowly the children’s song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” He continued singing for several minutes. When he stopped, there were no dry eyes among the attendees. The message sunk deeply through the crusty skin, into the inner person. Y’shuaJesus loves us. That’s Victory. That’s Simple!

Regarding victory, Matthew Henry commented on the scripture from 1John that “Faith is the cause of victory, the means, the instrument, the spiritual armour by which we overcome. In and by faith we cleave to Christ, in contempt of, and in opposition to the world. Faith sanctifies the heart, and purifies it from those sensual lusts by which the world obtains sway and dominion over souls. It has the indwelling Spirit of grace, which is greater than he who dwells in the world. The real Christian overcomes the world by faith.”

Y’shuaJesus loves us, from which we develop a habit of faith. This faith grows from the good soil of our lives. We begin the day in communion with our Lord. We read a passage of His Word. We think about it as we go about our duties and tasks of the day. We thank our Lord for the blessings we are given—those for our own use, and those given us to pass on to others. Faith develops as we walk in the Spirit of G-d. And as Mr. Henry tells us, “faith is the cause of victory.” It is through this victory that we overcome the world.

Y’shuaJesus loves us. Now what is the question? Y’shuaJesus’s love is the answer to all questions, all problems, all daily struggles. Simple victory, today and tomorrow. Y’shuaJesus’s love is not a reason to celebrate, it is The Reason to Celebrate.

Praise You, LORD, for in You we have our being, and through You we have victory. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .