Daily Devotional for Thursday October 23, 2008

If You know Jesus You are Assured of Victory

(Psalms 44:5; Romans 8:37; 1 John 5:4)

If you know Jesus, you are assured of VICTORY! Living in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area these past 15 years, I have had the opportunity to watch a brand new major league baseball team be birthed, go through 10 seasons of losing, and finally make it to the World Series. Many sports professionals have their theories how this team went from the worst team in baseball just a year ago, to winning the AL East and a birth in the World Series this season. I attribute it to one thing, their name! At the end of last season, the new ownership group changed the name of the team from the Tampa Bay DEVIL Rays, to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The fact is, satan is a LOSER. The ultimate loser. His eternal fate is already sealed, eternity in the Lake of Fire. Those who follow satan are losers. They too, will sadly end up spending eternity in a place God never created for man. Man can only end up in hell by CHOOSING to be there. God sends no man to hell. Man exercises his free will and chooses to reject God's gift of everlasting life through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. It is man's choice to reject Christ, His love, and the forgiveness of his sins through faith in Jesus, that destines his soul to eternal punishment. How sad.

I have a simple message for you today. If you know Jesus, you are assured of VICTORY! You have the promise from God of everlasting life in Heaven when this brief journey is over. You have the promise from God of a royal inheritance. No matter what this life may bring, you are promised more than Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and all the wealth of this temporal world combined. All the treasure of this life cannot compare to the riches awaiting those who follow Jesus when this life is over. God has promised you everlasting life, a mansion in Glory, and a royal inheritance for all eternity. If you know Jesus, you are assured of VICTORY!

Because you know Jesus, because your citizenship is in a better country, you can rise above the trials and tribulations of this brief journey through life. That is why you live in victory no matter who the ruler is. That is why you live in victory no matter what the stock market is doing. That is why you live in victory no matter how Godless the culture may be. That is why you live in victory no matter how much persecution you may face for being a follower of Christ. That is why you live in victory no matter what your circumstances may be. All of this is temporary my friend. It is but for a season. YOUR VICTORY IN CHRIST IS FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING!!!

Listen, I know today many of you are down because of your finances. Some of you are down because you are battling health issues. Some of you are down because you are dealing with a problem in your marriage or other relationship. Many of you today are down because you need a job. Some are down because you are battling with an addiction. Many are down today because you are worried about the upcoming election. Still others are down today because of the economic crisis we are in. Listen to me carefully. If you know Jesus, you are assured of VICTORY over whatever has you down today!!! He already went to the cross and died so YOU, this day, could have victory over whatever has you down today.

*Man does not dictate your victory, your faith in Christ does!!!

I love you and care about you so much. One of my goals each day as I share the hope and love of Christ with you, in the context of the real issues we all face in our daily journey, is to help you keep the big picture in focus. The small picture is the trials and tribulations in your life today. The big picture is the fact that when this brief journey here on earth is over, we will be eternally with Christ. We will eternally be with God our Creator. The trials and tribulations of this life will no longer exist. So my word for you today is to press forward, and to walk in the victory that you already have.

There is nothing, NO THING that you are facing today that you cannot claim victory over. If it is your finances, claim VICTORY over your finances today! If it is a marriage problem, claim VICTORY over your marriage today! If it is a health issue, claim VICTORY over your healing today. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT PROBLEM THAT YOU ARE FACING TODAY . . . CLAIM 100% VICTORY OVER THAT PROBLEM TODAY!!! Jesus Christ went to a cross 2000 years ago and WON that victory for you! You are not defeated, you are victorious!!! You are not a loser, you are a winner if your faith is in Jesus Christ! WALK IN YOUR VICTORY TODAY!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller