Victory is a Journey, Not Just a Destination.

This is the link to my latest song, just for interest's sake. It is the same track I sang to live last night at my church (there are recorded vocals in this version). When I write music, it is almost always because God has opened a passage up to me, and I am singing based on what God has shown me in that verse. It is not just text or history, it is revelation!

"Chronicle Of Praise" By Curtis Alexander
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv-UsvOWH5s&feature=youtu.be

1 Chronicles 29:10-13(Holy Bible, Geneva Version:
"10 Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the Congregation, and David said, Blessed be thou, O Lord God, of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11 Thine, O Lord, is greatness & power, and glory, and victory & praise: for all that is in heaven and in earth is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou excellest as head over all.
12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and strength, and in thine hande it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13 Now therefore our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious Name."

This passage from King David is powerfully messianic and prophetic of the Lord Jesus. We know Jesus taught his disciples to pray "thine is the kingdom" and we know He is Head of the Church and King of kings! The word that caught my eye in particular was the word "victory". For Victoria Day this word "victory" means something powerful in the Hebrew language:

In the Strongs Concordance:

H5331 "Victory"

nay'-tsakh

From H5329; properly a goal, that is, the bright object at a distance travelled towards; hence (figuratively), splendor, or (subjectively) truthfulness, or (objectively) confidence; but usually (adverbially), continually (that is, to the most distant point of view): - alway (-s), constantly, end, (+ n-) ever (more), perpetual, strength, victory.

Therefore Christ Jesus is the brightness and splendor we travel towards and He is the Way we travel! He is our perpetual strength and confidence!

That word "victory" is only one of the rich words King David uses to describe the Lord! This word Victory means so much more that just "winning". It is our whole path of faith!

I want to challenge you to expand your understanding of "Victory". Use the biblical standard to understand it! You don't just "get" to victory, you walk in it! As long as you are watching Jesus and walking toward His glory and splendor, walking along side His Holy Spirit, then you are victorious! You do not need to see the "result" to know you are a winner now! Even on days we feel like we are loosing, we must LOOK to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith!

As you walk in faith with Jesus and toward His glory, you are walking in VICTORY now!! Let Jesus be your "perpetual strength and victory"! You are a winner as long as you are heading in the right direction... even if you haven't arrived just yet! I want you to catch this as I am catching it: VICTORY IS A JOURNEY, not just a destination!! Jesus is our WAY not just our Destination!

For us Canadians, Happy Victoria Day! Be Victorious in Jesus!


Digest it, drink it in, and God Bless,
Pastor Curtis

 

Be Thankful!

I know some who are not grateful. Do you? It is so grating on me and I can only imagine how God feels about it. He does not like ungratefulness. He loves thankfulness. He loves everyone, even those who don't love Him. He even loves those who call Him by Name (Jesus) but are ungrateful to Him. I have discovered in my personality a couple of things that trigger my "petpeeve" alarm.... one is unreasonableness, and the other is ungratefulness. These attitudes grate on me and I lean fully on Jesus and His grace to help me speak the truth only in love. If I love these people who can't see the blessing, and Jesus loves them even more, then Oh how that must make Him feel when they ignore His best blessings to them! He gave His very life for them!

Ungratefulness is an injustice. No matter how much one may explain the thankfulness one should have, the sour Christian cannot see it. This is frustrating to many of us. Therefore I am sure God makes full use of His Longsuffering to deal with such people.

 God longs for thankful people. If you receive a gift,  in church or other places, be thankful for it... don't criticize it for being the wrong colour or type. Don't make an issue centered around you. It really is not about you. It's not about me. It is about Jesus. It is about what you and I can do to serve others and how we can give God our best by operating in His Spirit.

In case an ungrateful person is also reading this along with my other readers, I will reiterate: It is not about you. It does not matter what you think is "fair" or not. And yes, I meant to type that.

 It doesn't make a "mature" Christian when we constantly complain and live with the stone of ungratefulness scratching our eye, dulling our eyesight. And yes, a stone can permanently damage your vision. Ungratefulness is blinding, and it makes the perfectly good gift seem terrible to the sour Christian. They cannot see how good they have it, because they cannot see! Ungratefulness has scratched their eyes!
It is time to lift the eyes, wash them in the Word of God, get your eyesight back, and behold the Glory of the Lord. Be thankful for the many many blessings we have in our lives each and every day.

We will please the Lord by living by faith, and being thankful. Put on your "Gospel Glasses" and see Jesus! Be Thankful to Him!
~Pastor Curtis