Victorious Christian Living Newsletter

Welcome to the August 2009 Edition

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This issue includes:

3 of My Featured Teaching Articles

Quotes for Inspiration

A Bible Quiz Question

Just for Laughs

Interesting Bible Facts

A Powerful Story

Favorite Articles from My Blog

Links to My Other Sites

Video of the Month

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Do You Let Others Keep You From Soaring?

As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might.

-Marian Anderson- Concert and Opera singer

In order to truly soar you must let go of everything that has become a hindrance to you in any way. A kite would never be able to get off the ground if several heavy things were attached, much less be able to soar high in the sky. It is certainly a thing of beauty when you see it being carried to and fro by the wind high above your head without anything to weigh it down.

The world tells us that we should look out for Number One, and try to crush any person who stands in our way. We spend more time looking at the people around us and what they are doing rather than concentrating on things we know we should do.

God has a unique plan for you and every other person on the planet, so there is no need to ever feel you are in competition with anyone else. No other person has your exact personality or character, and the only way you will be truly happy is to be in the center of God’s will.

It is a waste of energy to be jealous over what you might think is the success of others. Use your time and energy to concentrate on God’s plan for your life. That is the only place you can find the peace, joy, and fulfillment you have been seeking.

Don’t ever let Satan tell you that if you give God control, you will be settling for second best. It might seem hard at first, but once you see what God has in store you will know you can trust Him fully and completely to bring about the Very Best for you in every way.

Trust, try, and prove Him to see what He will do!

By Cathy Deaton

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Are You Getting Blessed By Helping Others?

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.

-Sally Koch-

Many times we go through life waiting for some huge opportunity to do something on a grand scale that could possibly make a huge difference in the lives of many people. We then get in the habit of saving all our energy for the grand thing, and completely overlook all the many ways we can help others on a daily basis.

In order not to miss the small things, you must have an open mind to look for them. Don’t allow yourself to get in a rut, thinking it is all about YOU and YOUR NEEDS.

First thing each morning, ask God to help you have an open mind to realize opportunities as they come to you. Some things happen quickly, and if you are not in the right frame of mind you will miss them.

Here are some examples of simple things you can do each day that might make a huge difference in the life of someone else:

• Be aware of others around you who might need an encouraging word or maybe even a hug.
• Make it a point to be courteous to others at check-out counters, standing in line, or anywhere you might find yourself in your daily activities. Even a small compliment can change a bad attitude, maybe even for the whole day.
• Show others they have true value by being a good listener and truly caring about what they have to say. Ask them about their life, and you will be surprised at how they will open up and share things with you. Everyone truly wants to know that others care about what is important to them. Just listening to someone else can change their whole outlook on things.
• Treat others the way you would like them to treat you – with true respect.

Start today and find out that it truly is a joy to spend your life doing small things to help others. The dividends will also be rich in your own life because of it.

Then WHO KNOWS, maybe one day you will get that really great opportunity to help others on a grand scale.

By Cathy Deaton

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Worry Is Interest Paid on Trouble Before It is Due!

Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.

-Anonymous-

You would never go to the bank and get a loan until you need the money for something important. The interest then starts when you actually borrow the money – never before. You would not dream of paying interest to the bank before you actually got the loan, but that is what many people do where worry is concerned.

Some people worry about things that might happen in the future, even though there is no indication that what they are worrying about will actually come to pass. This is a huge waste of time and energy when both could be spent on much better things.

There are also people who spend countless hours worrying about how they will solve a particular problem.  They lie awake at night trying to think of a solution. This usually makes the situation worse because it affects both their physical and mental state.

The Bible has some profound things to say about spending time worrying about things you cannot control.

Matthew 6: 31-33

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

God knows your every need and already knows how He will supply it before you ever ask. According to the above verses, He plainly tells you to seek Him first in everything you do and He will supply everything else that you need.

He is on call for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year. There will never be a time when you need Him that He will not hear you and answer, though the answer might not be exactly what you want to hear. He is very capable of solving any problem that might arise and wants you to get to know His Character so well that you can trust Him completely to handle anything. Then He wants you to leave the problem with Him and be patient until He works everything out for your good.

Don’t let Satan rob you of time that could be spent doing work that could advance the Kingdom of God. It is your choice as to how you spend your time, so make sure it is spent on doing something productive.

By Cathy Deaton

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Quotes for Inspiration

You have not lived a perfect day unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

Ruth Smeltzer

Stewardship is not leaving a tip on God’s tablecloth; it is the confession of an unpayable debt at God’s Calvary.

Paul S Rees

Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.

David Starr Jordan

What a man does for others, not what they do for him, gives him immortality.

Daniel Webster

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A Bible Quiz Question

What marital scandal led to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist?

The answer will be given in the newsletter next month.

The answer to the 7-2009 newsletter question quiz is Ephesus. Acts 19: 24-34

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Just for Laughs

The pastor of a local church had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

He did all this, checking his progress in the car frequently, then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved a little further forward, the rope broke. The tree went BOING and the kitten instantly sailed through the air – out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they’d seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed, “Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping,” and went on about his business.

A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, “Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?”

She replied, “You won’t believe this,” and told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, “Well if God gives you a cat, I’ll let you keep it.”

She told the pastor, “I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won’t believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her.”

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Interesting Bible Facts

LADDER OF TYRE – A high mountain 10 miles north of Acre, which stands out into the deep sea without a beach, and is only passed by a zigzag road but in its face.

The cape 6 miles further north is passed by a similar way, which was built by Alexander. Simon was made governor of the country from the Ladder of Tyre to the borders of Egypt.

HANDKERCHIEF – Larger and longer than ours, and of stronger cloth, fit for various uses, as a girdle or turban.

CARPENTER – Since wood was always too scarce and precious in Palestine for any use besides for doors, windows, etc., and for decorations, the carpenter was probably a carver of such finishing as is now seen in the best rooms of the East.

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A Powerful Story

I Must Tell Jesus

Elisha A. Hoffman was born May 7, 1839, in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. His father was a minister, and Elisha followed Christ at a young age.

He attended Philadelphia public schools, studied science, and then pursued the classics at Union Seminary of the Evangelical Association. He worked for 11 years with the Association’s publishing house in Cleveland, Ohio. Then, following the death of his young wife, he returned to Pennsylvania and devoted 33 years to pastoring Benton Harbor Presbyterian Church.

Hoffman’s pastime was writing hymns, many of which were inspired by pastoral incidents. One day, for example, while calling on the destitute of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, he met a woman whose depression seemed beyond cure. She opened her heart and poured on him her pent-up sorrows.

Wringing her hands, she cried, “What shall I do? Oh, what shall I do?” Hoffman knew what she should do, for he had himself learned the deeper lessons of God’s comfort. He said to the woman, “You cannot do better than to take all your sorrows to Jesus. You must tell Jesus.”

Suddenly the lady’s face lighted up. “Yes!” she cried, “That’s it! I must tell Jesus.” Her words echoed in Hoffman’s ears, and he mulled them over as he returned home. He drew out his pen and started writing.

I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! / I cannot bear my burdens alone; / I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! / Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

Hoffman lived to be ninety, telling Jesus his burdens and giving the church such hymns as What a Wonderful Savior, Down at the Cross, Are you Washed in the Blood?, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, and a thousand more!

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My Favorite Blog Post

Do You Have “Real Power” To Fight Against Satan!

This post is rather long; in fact it is 1200 words. I usually try to make them much shorter, but God really put this on my heart and I wanted to share it with you. God is always trying to show us Who He Is and we usually don’t seem to get it. Please take the time to read this post in its entirety. It is a powerful truth that God has shown me.

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Mark 6: 32-45 tells the story of the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand men plus women and children.
Jesus and the disciples had been so busy teaching and ministering to people that they hardly had time to eat. They were all weary and needed to get away to rest, but when the people saw them leaving, they were so desperate to know more truth that they followed them. When Jesus saw this, He couldn’t help but have compassion on them because the Bible says that He saw them “as sheep without a shepherd.” They were desperate to find someone who could tell them the truth.

The people had left what they were doing and followed Jesus without even thinking about food or provisions. It was getting late in the day and the disciples started to worry that they wouldn’t make it home because they hadn’t eaten.

Naturally, they tried to think of a fleshly solution to the problem. They told Jesus to let them disperse and go to the villages nearby to get something to eat.

He answered by saying to them, “Give ye them to eat.”

They tried to find their own solution to the problem and came up with only two small fish and five loaves of bread. Naturally, they couldn’t see how that small amount would accomplish anything, but Jesus had something else in mind. He wanted to teach them about the provision of God.

They saw a miracle of huge proportions and saw Jesus take care of an impossible situation. He fed five thousand people by multiplying the small amount of food until everyone was filled. Then the disciples took up twelve baskets that were left over.

What an awesome miracle the disciples had just seen. You would think that it would have made a huge impact on them and their lives would have been radically changed, but that was not to be the case yet.

After the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus went to a mountain to pray while the disciples got in the ship and sailed to the other shore.

Later that night, a huge storm came up with the disciples out in the middle of the sea. They were rowing as hard as they could, but making little progress against the huge waves and mighty winds.

Jesus decided to go to them by walking upon the sea. When they saw Him, they were very afraid until He told them who He was. As soon as He got into the boat, the wind ceased and the water became calm.

The disciples were amazed at what had just happened, but Mark 6: 52 says “For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”

A few hours before, they had just seen an awesome miracle, but now they did not remember or think about the “power” which Jesus had shown in feeding the five thousand. They didn’t consider that He could use this same power to save them from the storm, so they didn’t even ask for His help.

They were not opposed to what Jesus had done, but their mind was too dull to perceive the powerful implications of it. They never connected the two things together as being from the same “power source.”

Two chapters later, we find pretty much the same thing happening. The crowd was anxious to be around Jesus and hear what He had to say, so they followed Him again out of town. This time they had been there three days with nothing to eat, having at least four thousand men plus women and children.

Jesus went through the same routine, telling the disciples they needed to provide food for the people.

Again, they only found a small amount of food, but Jesus blessed and multiplied it so the people could eat until they were full. This time they had seven baskets left over. After everyone had been completely filled, he sent them away to their homes.

Right after that, he and the disciples were getting ready to depart when the Pharisees started asking Jesus questions. He wouldn’t answer them because He knew it was a waste of time. They were not looking to understand, but only trying to find a way to trap him.

He finally got away, and they boarded the ship. Keep in mind that this was only a few hours after another miraculous feeding of thousands of people using only a few fish and loaves of bread.

Jesus told them these words in Mark 8:15, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”

Again, they had no clue what Jesus was talking about. He was trying to warn them that the Pharisees were only concerned with rules and regulations. They didn’t want to lose their power, so they were fighting against the truth that Jesus had been teaching. As the disciples discussed it, they felt that Jesus must have been upset with them because they didn’t bring along any bread to eat because He had talked about leaven.

Jesus then recounted the miraculous feeding of the five thousand men, plus women and children, and how they had twelve baskets left over. He also reminded them of the four thousand men, plus women and children who had been fed with seven baskets left over.

He not only reminded them of His sufficiency, but also of the overage that was left each time. He had done over and above what was required.

Then in Mark 8: 21 He says, “How is it that ye do not understand?”

The disciples had been with Jesus constantly and watched Him do all kinds of miracles. This had become a part of their everyday life. They didn’t seem to understand the power that Jesus had to perform these miracles and where that power came from.

As Christians, we see miracles performed in our lives or the lives of others, but many of us don’t seem to understand either?

Jesus has given every Christian the authority to use the POWER of His Name in order to fight off the advances of the enemy Satan, but you must have a close relationship with Him in order to be able to use that power.

Let the Holy Spirit show you about the Character of God, and let Him open your heart, mind, and ears to find out the truth and walk in it.

You must want to know the truth before you can really understand it. Grasp onto the promises and truths God has given you in His Word and you will find they will completely change your life.

God wants all His Children to be able to walk in His Power and live a victorious Christian life. He not only wants us to defeat Satan, He wants us to make huge advances for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.

God wants people who are sold out to Him and want to learn about His Character. Then He can use them to do mighty works for the cause of Christ.

Make the choice right now that you will be this kind of person!

I leave you with the words to the chorus of this song by Matthew West:

The Motions

I don’t want to go through the motions

I don’t want to go one more day

Without your all-consuming passion inside of me

I don’t want to spend my whole life asking

What if I had given everything

Instead of going through the motions

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To check out my blog go to Who God Is

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Please check out my other sites by clicking on the links below:

Handbook for Victorious Christian Living

Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living

Power of the Living Word

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Video of the Month

Amazing Love

What an awesome God we have who would send His Son to die on a horrible cross for our sins.

URL    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dooif2-yAoI

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That’s it for this newsletter. I hope that you have been truly inspired and blessed. I have prayed about each word written that it would minister in whatever way God desires.

It is also my prayer that God will bless you and your family and start to truly show you Who He Is. He is far greater than anything you could ever imagine.

In Christ,