Lord You Are!
Happy New Year!!
What better way to start the New Year than in prayer.
As you pray – how do you start? I often start like this,
“Lord, I want You… Lord, would You… Lord, I need…”
I am seeking to start in a new way – “Lord – You Are!”
Our prayer times are best when started with Him and not with us.
There are many names of God. I had this thought, “Could Jehovah of the Old
Testament be seen in Jesus in the New Testament?” It would make
sense because Jesus said, “If you have seen Me you have seen the
Father.” Consider this list and you can begin your prayers, “Lord You Are…”
Jehovah-Jireh – My provider
Genesis 22:14 – “The Lord will Provide.”
Jesus – Philippians 4:19 “My God will supply every need of yours according to
His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Jehovah–Rapha – My healer
Exodus 15:26 “I AM the Lord, your healer.”
Jesus – Luke 4:40 “All those who had any who were sick with various diseases
brought them to Him, and He healed them.”
Jehovah-Rohi – My Shepherd
Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
Jesus – John 10:11 “I AM the Good Shepherd.”
Jehovah-Sabaoth – My Victor
1 Samuel 17:45 – “I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts.”
Jesus – 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jehovah-Shalom – My peace
Judges 6:24 – “The Lord is Peace.”
Jesus – John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.”
Jehovah-Shammah – My Presence –
Ezekiel 48:35 – “The Lord is There.”
Jesus – Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always.”
Jehovah-Tsidkenu – My righteousness
Jeremiah 23:6 – The Lord our Righteousness
Jesus – 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “In Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Consider changing your focus in prayer to Him and say – “Lord You Are!!”
Ted Sellers
He came for you!
> It’s Christmas time!
>
> Look at this Christmas passage;
>
> “A man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife;
> and the two shall become one flesh.This mystery is great;
> but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. “Ephesians 5:31-32
>
> Is that really a Christmas passage?Jesus left His Father and the Holy
> Spirit to come to earth to get His bride.We are that bride!
> In some mysterious sense the Father had arranged this marriage
> as was the Jewish custom.
>
> Eph. 1:4 “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
>
> He came and paid the price for His bride on the cross.
> We can now be set free from the family of satan.
> We have trusted Christ to be our Savior.
> Therefore the devil can no longer accuse us and torment us
> with our sinful past.Christ has cleansed us with His blood.
>
> We are now His engaged Bride.
>
> He has given us the Holy Spirit like our engagement ring. Eph. 1:13-14
> He is now preparing a place for us to spend eternity with Him.
> Just as in Jesus day the groom would go to his parent’s home and add a
> room for his bride. This could take up to a year.
>
> When everything is ready He will come back.
> This time he will receive His bride and take us to heaven to have a
> wonderful wedding feast.
> Then we will live with our glorious groom forever.
>
> Praise God for His plan of salvation and choosing us to be His bride!
>
> It all started with His coming to earth!
>
>> Rejoice this Christmas that He came for you!
Sin Ruined the World
One man with one woman is God’s plan for marriage. Unfortunately sin entered the world- as told in Genesis 3. That event set in motion a very detrimental behavior pattern that continues to reap consequences today especially for marriage. Here is the key passage describing this event.
Gen3:5-7 “ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”
As you read this passage notice what the sin was that entered the world and mankind. “You will be like God” is the sin that all mankind struggles with. Our desire to do our own thing or what pleases us is what destroys God’s perfect plan of blessing in every area of life. This desire is usually expressed in one of three ways- trying to control all of life, wanting to set standards of behavior and judge by them, and seeking for praise and approval apart from God.
Adam and Eve immediately started to do their own thing after this event. They started acting like they were God. That action got them expelled from the garden and began a life of toil and turmoil. Genesis 4 follows with murder, bigamy, idolatry. Sin passed to all mankind because of Adam’s sin.
Rom.5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—“
Fast forward to today and what do we see. Divorce is rampant and immorality is widespread. Tell someone who wants to marry his boyfriend or her girlfriend that it is wrong and you are called a hater or worse. Man wants to be God and do their own thing!
2Tim. 3:1-5 describes our day “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded , lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:”
We may face dangerous, perilous times but, thank God, He chose us to live now. Next time I’ll discuss the solution and what our commentary today should sound like.
Do you pray like Paul?
How do you pray for people in need? We often pray that God will deliver them out of their needs.
Have we ever prayed like Paul does in Ephesians 1:17-20?
He prays for these things:
1. That God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Why?
2. So that we would know the HOPE we have of a glorious inheritance in the future.
3. So that we would know the POWER we have for the present situation.
I am praying differently. It sounds like this,
“Lord, I care about my friend who has this need.
I want them to be delivered from the financial, physical or relational pain.
I don’t want them to feel the pain.
However, I ask that You will give them the Spirit of wisdom and reveal Yourself to them.
Let them come to know You better because of this need.
Show them the HOPE they can have for the future.
They are experiencing pain now.
I ask that they begin to see that their ultimate hope is living with You in Your painless presence forever.
I also pray that they will experience your present POWER for their current need.
Remind them of Your power that raised Jesus from the dead.
They have the same power available to them for this need.”
Hope for the future and Power for the present.
What a great way to pray for people.
Ted Sellers
Run for the Gold!
OK, so the 2012 Olympics are finished. Team USA did very well winning 104 medals.
China had 87 and Russia had 82.
Were you impressed by the dedication of the athletes?
They trained for years to be able to do what they did on the world’s largest stage.
I remember the two little 6 year old girls who were in a gymnastic class together.
They had been training for the past 10 years! Serious training pays off in GOLD.
Consider what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 in The Message Bible
“I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line.
I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition.
I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”
Can we allow these athletes to encourage us in our Christian lives?
Do we have sloppy living?
Are we alert to Satan’s efforts to trip us up in our race?
Can we get caught napping?
We may not be able to run like Usain Bolt or stick the landing like McKayla Maroney or
slice through the water like Michael Phelps.
However, we can run to Jesus when we are in need,
we can stand firmly on God’s truth when tempted and
we can swim in the ocean of God’s deep love for us.
Let’s keep our eye on the goal where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus.
We are off and running and we are not turning back. Philippians 3:14 Message
Ted Sellers
The Four Laws
I recently attended a conference in Washington D.C. where I heard John Nagle, a professor of law at The University of Notre Dame Law School.
He spoke about the “Four Laws”, Eternal Law, Divine Law, Natural Law and Human Law.
We can count on Natural Law to bring us the four seasons. Winter, spring, summer and fall arrive like clock work. You can depend on it. The Bible has Divine Laws that are irrefutable as well. One law that comes to mind is found in Luke 6:37-39. It is the Law of Giving.
Amplified Bible
Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.
Luke 6:37-39
I know most of you would acknowledge how much God has blessed you. I am convinced it is because you operate in the Law of Giving.
WE DON’T GIVE TO GET BUT GOD WILL GIVE YOU HIS BLESSING BEYONG MEASURE! IT’S THE LAW!
Thanks to all who give to this ministry and partnering with us to help people everywhere live life better. May God continue to bless you.
In His service,
Ray L’Amoreaux
President/CEO
Victorious Christian Living International
PS: I would like to invite you to visit our web site, www.vcli.org and click our blog section. You will find over 50 challenging and impactful articles written by your staff at VCLi.
R U Satisfied?
I remember living next door to a man who had this bumper sticker on the back of his truck,
“Never Satisfied!” I think it had something to do with sex.
It was a clear message of how many people feel today.
They have tried many things and are still not satisfied.
What does Jesus say? Right in the middle of His nine beatitudes In Matthew 5:6 He says,
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
People hunger and thirst for love, security, happiness, money, and acceptance.
They all are supposed to satisfy.
Definition: “to fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of a person.”
Are you seeking to be satisfied or do you love someone who is trying to be satisfied?
Where is it found? Some popular sources include: drugs, sex, money, possessions,
appearance, food and entertainment.
All of these are an illusion and often produce more frustration not satisfaction.
As a young boy I remember asking my mother if Pall Mall cigarettes satisfied.
She asked me why I asked.
I said that the big red and white sign said, “Pall Mall, They Satisfy!”
I said that if they did satisfy then why did she buy them by the carton!
It is time to get hungry – to be unsatisfied. We should not be satisfied in this world.
Quit looking to it to satisfy. Seek Him, talk to Him, tell Him you love Him.
“I have set the Lord continually before me.” Psalm 16:8
“You open your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:16
Consider these spot on quotes:
“God can’t give us peace and happiness apart from Himself because there is no such thing.” ― C.S. Lewis
“God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.” John Piper
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
- C. S. Lewis in “The Weight of Glory”
Be satisfied – In Him.
Ted Sellers
Are you in the Fire?
Oswald Chambers says, “The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission.
It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances;
we are developed because of them.
It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them.”
Are you in a fiery furnace today? It could be financial, physical, relational, or emotional.
How are you dealing with it? How do we get that mastery?
One way is by trusting in the very presence of God.
We don’t go through times of suffering alone.
God wants us to allow them to draw us closer to Him and experience His love.
What was the last promise Jesus gave to His men and to us?
“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
The Lord was with Joseph…”his master (Potiphar) saw that the Lord was with him.”
“Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison…But the Lord was with Joseph.”
Genesis 39:2-3, 20-23
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you.”
Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
No matter what you: face – fear – or fight – He is with you.
He is with you actively, not passively.
He will give strength, power, help, courage, comfort and victory.
What are you facing today? He is with you and will go through it with you.
You are not alone – ever!
Call upon Him, Come to Him, Cry out to Him, Collapse upon Him,Crash upon Him, and Count upon Him.
As a Good shepherd He is with His sheep all night long.
Worship In The Heat
Ted Sellers
EUREKA!!
I had the opportunity of serving the Lord as a pastor in Arizona. I believe the Lord gave me the spiritual gift of teaching. It was fun to prepare and preach sermons. I could preach Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday night.
However, Discipleship was woefully neglected. Why? I had no idea how to do it or what materials to use. People came to meet with me with various needs. I was lost with no rudder to guide me.
Several years later I discovered the discipleship materials produced by VCLi. I wanted to yell – Eureka!! I saw that I could still use my gift of teaching only now it could be guided in an excellent format. I didn’t think I could disciple someone in a one-on-one context. Now I had a rudder, a guide. God has used the SALT books to guide me to disciple many people with a variety of needs.
They have also been a primary tool to challenge me in my walk with God. I have learned the source of my negative emotions as I try to play God. Walking after the flesh is happening less frequently now. I know how to forgive others and do it quickly. My wife and I now have a clear way to enhance our communication.
It has been delightful to see how God uses these 7 books to help people in all areas of life. One man said, "It is amazing. When I have a problem or struggle all I have to do is study the next lesson and I get the answer." He said this as he was banging his head with the book for emphasis!
Now when I meet with someone I have a treasure of truth based on God’s Word that I can share. I encourage you to check out the SALT books and see how God could use them in your ministry.
One “Joy” of Being a Pastor
One of the “joys” of pastoring a small church for 12 years was the counseling sessions spent advising parishioners. While I had some basic psychology courses in college and received some training in counseling at bible school, counseling people was always a strain. I would listen compassionately, share scriptures, pray over people, have them confess, repent and pray also but mostly to no avail. Many tears were shed in my office but very little life change happened.
I would often think about and sometimes review our bible school text “Competent to Counsel” by Jay Adams. It stresses nouthetic counseling- authoritative use of scripture to warn, admonish and instruct. However after most sessions, I remember often feeling anything but “competent” to counsel. I trudged on hoping people would receive the life change information they needed from the Sunday sermons and personal prayer and counseling times. Unfortunately for the majority of those hurting in some area of life, that didn’t happen.
Then I discovered a ministry called Victorious Christian Living. Their emphasis at that time was to train lay counselors within the local church setting. The ministry was compelling and productive in people’s lives. Plus after taking my church leadership through the training, I didn’t have to do all the counseling. The one drawback however was that the training was pretty extensive for the typical lay person and took considerable time to reach the truly effective point.
I now work for this ministry and am pleased to say that the SALT (Seven Areas of Life) materials embody all the principles of the original lay counselor training. However they are in a format that is much easier to present and train with. As I train leaders in churches today, not only do they receive ministry but they have a simple tool to help others too.
The ministry has changed from a counseling model to a discipleship model and the results are amazing. Life change is the norm with participants and the materials lend themselves to be used in various discipleship venues- groups, seminars, classes as well as personal mentoring and coaching. SALT solves the counseling dilemma for the pastor. It covers all areas of life so it is comprehensive. It is the simple word of God presented in an easily understood and reproducible format. Jesus said to “make disciples” not counsel people. Remarkable what happens when we do what He said!
