Victory Isn’t Always Pretty But It’s Always Sweet

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pretty, ugly, victorious, victory, victory is always sweet, victory isn't always pretty, winners

What do you see when you think of victory?  Do you see flags flying, whistles blowing, people cheering? Do you see yourself well dressed, standing strong and tall?  That’s what we all want victory to look like but sometimes, most times victory isn’t pretty but it’s always sweet.

When Jesus went to the cross He didn’t look human.  Isaiah 53:2-3 says, “…He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Yet in the midst of all of this He cried out “It is finished.”  He proclaimed and declared victory.  He didn’t wait until He presented the blood to the Father when He would have been in his glorified body, but there while we turned our faces from the grotesqueness of His appearance, there while the enemy was rejoicing, while everything in the natural said defeat, He proclaimed victory.  It wasn’t pretty but it was sweet.  Victory is always sweet!

I Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”   This means that regardless of where you are how good or bad you feel you are victorious.  You have the victory because you’ve been given the victory through Christ.  Even though things might look a little ugly right now it doesn’t change the truth of God’s word.  You just need to do what Jesus did and begin to proclaim and declare your victory.  Yes, the situation is ugly but you’re still living.  It was meant to destroy you but you’re still here.   Things the enemy did to cause you to stop didn’t work you’re still going.  You’re still pursuing your dreams, you’re still working your ministry, you’re still writing that book.  Regardless of the circumstances you’re still moving forward.  So I say to you that’s what victory looks like.  No, it’s not pretty.  I know you were expecting something different but right now right where you are you are victorious.  Now, as you do what Jesus did and proclaim and declare victory you will see your situation change.  God will give you beauty for ashes and joy for your pain.  He will cause all things to work in your favor right in the face of the enemy.  Now that’s sweet.  Sweet Victory!

Seated With Christ

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During difficult times when things seem a bit overwhelming it’s a good time to focus on where you are seated.

Ephesians 2:6 says that God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”  This means we have the best seat in the house.  When all hell is breaking out around you remembering where you are will infuse your entire being with power and change the dynamics of your situation in your favor.

Just think if you are seated with Christ that means you are above every principality and power, every might and dominion and every human limitation.  So you don’t have to throw your hands up in surrender to the problem.  You can throw you hands up in praise to God because you are a winner in Christ!  No longer do you have to cry out “I’m not going to make it” because through Christ you’ve already made it.  I’ll say it again; you are a winner in Christ!

I Thessalonians 5:16-28 gives us some good instructions on how to remain strong during difficult times.  They simply say rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, quench not the spirit, don’t despise prophecies, prove all things and hold fast to what is good; abstain from all appearance of evil and the very God of peace will sanctify you wholly and preserve your spirit, soul and body blameless unto the coming of Christ.  Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.

I know you might be thinking rejoice evermore¸ pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.  My marriage is not falling apart, my house is in foreclosure, and I’ve been unemployed for four years.  Well, let me tell you this, I’ve been there and like you I had a choice.  When my marriage fell apart, and my house was in foreclosure and I was out of work for four years I had a choice.  I could either throw my hands up in surrender to my problems or throw my hands up in praise.  I chose and I choose now to rejoice evermore.  I chose to pray without ceasing and in everything give God thanks.  But let me tell you it wasn’t always easy to do, but God is faithful.  I love the fact that the scripture says “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.  You see it’s not how faithful I am or you are to God, it’s that He is faithful to Christ and therefore faithful to us.  That’s the beauty of it all.  Nothing depends on us it’s all on Christ.  And we are seated in Christ.

Now being seated together with Christ comes with great privileges and one of those privileges is the fact that we are in the right position to ask our Father for anything and expect to receive what we ask.  Why you ask?  Because we not only have our Father’s heart but we’re so close to him that we have his attention.  In fact, His heart gives us His attention.  Mark 11:24 says “Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”  And that’s not all.  He has given us His Spirit. During those difficult times when things seem overwhelming we can pray in the Spirit and find rest and refreshing for our soul (Isaiah 28:11).    Because when we are rested and refreshed we are able to see all that God has accomplished for us through Christ.  We can give God thanks in the midst of it all because we know that He has already worked it out.  I’ll say it again; you are a winner in Christ!    Jesus told us in John 16:33 “…in this world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Now as you are rejoicing and praying and giving thanks to God, the Holy Spirit will speak to your spirit and release wisdom to you for your situation.  Don’t quench the Spirit.  In other words don’t suppress the promptings of the Spirit because God gives His wisdom liberally (James 1:5).  He delights in leading and guiding us.  This is why He has given us His good Spirit to instruct us, so don’t suppress Him.  Many times we cry “Lord show me a way out” and He does.  But we’re not heeding to what His Spirit is saying to us because oftentimes we think the thoughts are coming from our flesh or from the enemy.  We suppress what the Spirit is saying.  Listen, it’s going to take you using the God kind of faith in you to do what the Spirit is leading you to do.  And you have the faith of God because you have Christ.  You have His faith in you to be able to do what He is telling you to do.

The next thing is don’t despise prophesy.   Now I’m not talking about those times when you’re in a service and God uses a prophet to call you out and give you a word (although we don’t despise that either).  I’m talking about those times when God will use someone to tell you to “hold on everything is going to be alright.” It could be your neighbor or co-worker.  But instead of rejoicing that God sees you, you complain and said, “Yeah I heard that before.” Or “God didn’t say that.”  This is despising prophesying.  The gift of prophecy is to edify and build up so when someone speaks something to edify and build you up don’t despise it.  Finally, know that the very God of peace is in the midst of you. He is sanctifying you wholly, and preserving your spirit, soul and body blameless unto the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Through it all He is perfecting Himself in you.  Therefore, remember where you are you are in Christ and He is in you. You are a winner in Christ!