Victory Blog

“By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; ”¹

Sometimes I feel like a live such a mediocre life. I live in obscurity, not well-known or sought after. I’m not rich, or intellectual or possess a flashy personality. Many have been the times I wondered why God loves me, saved me and called me into the pastorate.
My problem is that I forget the awesomeness of my God. He is the all powerful, everywhere present and all knowing God. And He does awesome deeds. He is the One who fashioned me and caused me to live in this time of history. It is He who brought me to the cross and saved my poor, sinful soul. He is the One who answers my prayers and is the only valid object of trust.
So, instead of focusing on my self and my inadequacies, I need to focus upon the awesome God. He is the One I can truly trust, truly depend upon and truly be confident of.

- Pastor Stevens

1. Psalm 65:5 [↩]

Every time I turn view the news, I see more and more stories of the wicked getting their way. They are getting the money, they are getting the judgeships, they are striking down good laws, they are staying at the fancy places, they are getting the fame… There seems to be no end to it…
Yet, let me turn to God’s Word:

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. ”¹
“For evildoers shall be cut off: But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. ”²

The Psalmist pondered the prosperity of the wicked and lamented the unfairness of it all…

“Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then understood I their end. ”³

What was that end? Read on,

“Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: Thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. ”⁴

What is to be my response?

“Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all thy works. ”⁵

- Pastor Stevens

1. Psalm 37:1–2 [↩]
2. Psalm 37:9–10 [↩]
3. Psalm 73:17 [↩]
4. Psalm 73:18–20 [↩]
5. Psalm 73:25–28 [↩]

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”¹
Copied:  Differences remain noticeable between fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals.  There is a difference, but is the difference really sufficient to separate conservative evangelicals from fundamentalists?  To answer that question, let me report three episodes.
Episode one occurs in a doctoral classroom of a major evangelical seminary.  The professor has just been asked whether he is willing to restrict his liberty for the sake of those who believe that consuming alcohol is a sin.  He replies, “I won’t choose to drink around people if I know that it makes them uncomfortable, but if they tell me that I can’t, I’ll drink a glass of port in front of them just to show them that I can do it.  And of course, in Europe, all bets are off.”
Episode two occurs in an outdoor restaurant.  Several evangelical theologians are seated at a table.  They order drinks before their meal.  Then they order some more.  After their meal is served, they order still more drinks.  They are growing raucous enough that other diners are beginning to glance over their shoulders.  One of the theologians slurs out, “Say—how do we know when we’ve gone from drinking in moderation to being drunk?”  Another makes reference to the teaching of an obscure catechism and explains that you aren’t drunk if you don’t vomit within twenty-four hours.  The only one who doesn’t drink is chosen as the designated driver.
Read the rest of this post »

1. Gal 5:1 [↩]

“…for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”¹
What makes a difference in existence upon this sinful world? What changes the perspective of self, others and circumstances? What is the motivation so that I can experience the victory of Christ?
Isaiah said and experienced it: “…for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
When I lift my eyes from the pain of living, the disappointments of life and stresses of existence, and look to the King, I find new hope, assurance, comfort, purpose and joy.
Join me in lifting up our eyes to see the King, the Lord of hosts.

- Pastor Stevens

1. Isa 6:5 [↩]

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”¹
We live in some troubling times. It is easy for the heart to get overwhelmed. The Hebrew word “overwhelmed” in our text means “to grow faint or to become weak.” It is almost synonymous with discouragement. Let’s face it, sometimes life is so discouraging. I seem to be walking in a cloud, a miasma spiritual and emotional weakness. What am I to do? What David did, cry out to God and plead with Him to lead me to the rock that is higher than I. That is, into His very presence. To sense His being, His Love, His compassion and His care. It is in the presence of my God that the cloud of discouragement disperses and is replaced the joy of the Lord.

-Pastor Stevens

1. Psalm 61:2 [↩]

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”¹

Delight in this verse means “enjoy, be fond, i.e., take pleasure and enjoyment in an object, implying desirability of the object .” It is not just enjoy, but enjoy the Lord. What kind of relationship do you have with God? Is it mechanical, stiff, distant, or fearful. How about delight? Do you rejoice in the fact that when you trusted Jesus as your personal Savior you started a new, living, vital relationship with the God who truly loves and cares for you? Do you truly delight in the Lord, or have you lost your focus? Why not return to the God of your salvation and truly delight in Him. You just might be surprised with the results.

- Pastor Stevens

1. Psalm 37:4–5 [↩]