Victory Life KY

Couragous

Episode Summary

One of Jesus’ primary purposes was restoring to His creation the Father’s intent from the beginning. This is why in 1 John He tells us another key component if His coming was to destroy the works of the devil.

Episode Notes

• John 10:10,AMP- “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”
• Abundance (perissos) surplus, extraordinary, more than enough, excessive.

• One of Jesus’ primary purposes was restoring to His creation the Father’s intent from the beginning. This is why in 1 John He tells us another key component if His coming was to destroy the works of the devil.

• But what about when we’re not seeing the abundant, overflowing life? It’s at this point that we have the opportunity to start walking by faith not by sight.

• Embracing the abundant life right in the face of uncertainty, fixing our trust in Jesus. Refusing to accept anything other than what He said will absolutely require a little courage. And the key is knowing He is with us every step of the way, leading us in His triumphant victory parade.

• Zig Ziglar said, "It's not a lack of time people struggle with, it's a lack of direction.

• Joshua 1:9,NLT- This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

• God’s with Joshua to do what? Possess the land God promised. And make no mistake, stepping out in faith like Joshua will demand a certain mind set.

• Isaiah 26:3-4,NLT- You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

• This phrase, thoughts are fixed in the Hebrew language refers to imagination.

• And for the born again, the more our thoughts are fixed on Jesus, the more inspired our imagination will be. Or we could say it like this, the more inspired our spiritual imaging will be.

• This is why getting our thoughts fixed on Him helps us with our new identity, which in turn helps with our courage.

• Psalm 23:1-6,NKJV- The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 
• 2, He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 
• 3, He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 
• 4, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 
• 5, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. 
• 6, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

• This Psalm is a perfect example of how we mange our thought life better. After all, we’re created in His image and likeness. And this is why time in His word is so vital, it’s absolutely the key to influencing a Godly thought life.

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5,NKJV-  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

• The only way we become who God has designed and called us to be, the only way we become courageous is by embracing who we are from His perspective. FIXING OUR THOUGHTS! 

• Think about it, right now, what kind of self image would you say you have? What about your in Christ image?

• I bring this up because Jesus’ promises, our inheritance is directly connected to our comprehension of our new identity.

• Embracing our God identity will demand that we move out past human logic. And let’s face it, Jesus operated way out past logic. (spit & mud)

• With the corruption and manipulation driving mainstream media, we have to keep a diligent watch over our thought life. Because we move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts.

• Let’s be more intentional with our God life, like Isaiah says, fixing our thoughts on Him.

• 2 Corinthians 3:18,NKJV- “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

• Throughout our journey of faith, we will all be presented with uncertainty, and it'll be those times that we'll have the opportunity to trust God.

•  One of the most inspirational OT characters is Joshua, because he represents the overwhelming majority of Christians.

• He's just a regular guy that decided to put his faith in God and do something with it.

• Let's not forget, Joshua's original name meant, Helper. And as God continued developing him, He led Moses to change his name to describe his new role.

• He would become God's new leader, helping people, leading people to step into God's promises.

• Joshua is a great example of how God honors the faithfulness of someone simply willing to do whatever is asked of him.

• What we've got to make sure we don't miss here is that Joshua’s willingness to obey God is what actually open the door for God's advancement.

• Regardless of where we may find ourselves in our journey of faith, let Joshua's example of faith inspires us to keep our thoughts fixed on Jesus.

• Joshua 1:1-9,NLT- After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. 
• 2. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO LEAD these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 
• 3. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you,
•  4. from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 
• 5. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 
• 6. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 
• 7. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 
• 8. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
• 9. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

• One of the first things we've got to recognize is how God continually encourages Joshua to stay strong and courageous.

• Joshua inspires us that even though we have God’s help, it’s still on each of us to take the necessary steps of faith to embrace our next with God.

• See yourself as a one of God’s courageous, influential followers that have something to offer, that you’re ready to step into God's next for you.

• Maybe one of our biggest takeaways from Joshua is the reality that, we cannot be who we're suppose to be and who we used to be at the same time.

• Remember what v.8 tells us; Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

• The challenge with this way of life is that His word, His promises, many times take our faith to what seems risky.

• It's in those seemingly uncertain times that we learn to rely on Jesus.

• Like Joshua we've got to allow what God tells us to shape our courage, passion, motivation, even our expectations.

• This means that there will be times when we've got to stop focusing on what we're not, what we don't have, no to mention, the things we think we can't do.

• We've got to change our thinking.

• And as our thinking changes, the more our faith develops, the more excited we'll be about His promises.

• If you're not here yet, get around some believers that will help fuel your expectations and passion, and at the same time, inspire a little courage.

• Something we've all got to come to terms with is the fact that God will never create a life for us where He won't be needed.

• That's the lesson of the day from Joshua; Be strong and courageous because He's with us. Possessing our promises will demand the same kind of faith.

• The thing is, long before Joshua stud in front of the Jordan, God was already working on him.

• Truth is, our journey with God is always preparing us for His next.

• Hopefully one of the most important things we take away from Joshua is the fact that when we find ourselves in uncertainty, we can absolutely trust that God goes with us.

• This is why He repeatedly told Joshua to be strong and courageous.

• So, make today the day you start seeing yourself in the light of who and what Jesus says you are.

• Be intentional about it, because if we don't practice these truths, chances are high that we'll never take the time to develop our God life.

• Here's the thing, Romans tells us, change our thinking, change our lives.

• Isaiah 26:3-4,NLT- “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.”

• Growing to the place demands change.

• And let's be honest, no body likes change.

• It disrupts our routine, threatens our habit patterns, forces us to reevaluate, and maybe the most difficult, sometimes we have to unlearn familiar behavior.

• The generation before Joshua was unwilling to change. Because of uncertainties, fear, and unbelief they chose to settle for the desert rather than be uncomfortable embracing something new.

• Think about it; if we've been created to live a life of faith, why would we continue to ignore it. This is why God told Joshua, be strong and courageous. Go in and possess the promises I’ve already given you.