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Strongholds Surrender

3/30/2018

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THE RISEN ONE HAS OVERCOME
Terry R. Baughman

“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” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

“It is finished,” were the final words of Jesus on the cross, and there was tremendous implication in their declaration. The purpose of Jesus had been fulfilled. His life’s mission was accomplished. 

Jesus lived on earth as the son of man, yet He was the Son of God. He ate and drank because He lived and breathed a mortal life, yet He multiplied the fish and bread and turned water into wine because He was the Creator of all things. He grew tired, slept when it was required, and cried when He suffered grief. Jesus also gave strength to the weary, encouraged the bereaved, and raised the dead, because He was the life and all power was given to Him. His sinless, purpose-filled life, and His ultimate sacrificial death on the cross became the substitution for us all. Because He lives we can live also. 

It is finished!
The power of sin was broken; the penalty of sin was satisfied. The atonement of His blood has redeemed us from the curse of sin and delivered us from death. Paul proclaimed the power of the resurrection, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54–57 NIV).

Jesus responded to Pilate’s question as to whether He was a king with these words, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). His royalty was revealed in His authority; His salvation was revealed in His submission to suffering death on the cross; and His deity was revealed in His resurrection. He is the way, the truth, and the life! Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords! 


Jesus is magnified in the lyrics of Overcome, by Elevation Worship, “He shall reign forever, Strongholds now surrender, For the Lord our God has overcome. Who can be against us? Jesus our Defender, He is Lord and He has overcome.”


Strongholds are secure places of opposition, an entrenched enemy resisting progress and stalling the warriors’ march to victory, but when strongholds are surrendered the opposition is removed and there is nothing to stop the victorious onward procession of the victors. Ours is a spiritual battle and an unseen confrontation. We are not doing battle with carnal weapons or natural defenses. Paul said, “The weapons of our warfare are … mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).


Our victory is only in Christ. The battle is won. He is victorious and we are relying completely in Him. 

Strongholds now surrender, for the Lord our God has overcome!

​Scripture:

“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV).

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A Voice of Triumph

3/22/2018

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THE RISEN ONE HAS OVERCOME
Terry R. Baughman

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth”
(Psalm 47:1–2).


A shout of victory rallies the depressed and lifts the spirits of the discouraged. When all seems dark and hope seems lost, everyone needs to hear good news. Good news is seldom whispered in secret or stifled into silence. Good news is proclaimed with jubilation and shouted with joy. Good news is meant to be shared and intended to be broadcast loudly to all who will listen. 

“Hosanna,” was a joyful refrain to welcome the expected Messiah in His entry of triumph. A victorious king and a grand entrance was the procession of a returning conqueror and a reigning monarch, but when Jesus entered Jerusalem to a welcoming crowd it was a much more humble parade. Instead of a royal mount prancing with bundled energy, a sluggish young donkey bore the son of a carpenter on his back. Royal robes were replaced with a simple tunic. Palm branches and outer coats were cast before Him in this triumphant procession. The crowd shouted with zeal to announce His arrival, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9).

Within days the religious leaders were plotting His death. They turned the tide of acclaim to accusation. When Jesus was arrested the shouts of jubilation turned to jeers of judgment and the crowd was swayed to call for His crucifixion. The shouts of triumph died and the Savior submitted to His sentence. When the stone sealed the entrance to the tomb their vision of victory and dreams of deliverance died with Him. 


Three days later with leaden feet and somber expressions the women went to the tomb to mourn in grief when, much to their surprise, the stone was gone and the tomb was empty. Their concern for the missing Savior turned to astonishment when the angelic messenger proclaimed, “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:6).

The return trip from the tomb was more rapid than the journey there earlier that day. Their gloom and despair turned to ecstasy and excitement. They ran to the disciples to breathlessly report the words they had heard. 

What a difference a day makes! What a difference a resurrection effects. The scene is sung in the lyrics of Overcome, by Elevation Worship, “Now the silence breaks, In the name of Jesus; As the heavens cry let the earth respond. All creation shouts, With a voice of triumph; To declare the reign of the Lord our God.”

We have a reason to sing and a passion to proclaim the majesty of the risen King! Proclaim His reign with a voice of triumph!

To the Chief Musician there was a Psalm, “Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name” (Psalm 66:1–4).

Shout out the good news, with a voice of triumph!
​

Scripture:
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54–57 NIV).

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A Hope Beyond

3/18/2018

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THE RISEN ONE HAS OVERCOME
Terry R. Baughman

“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:13–14).

From the Four Gospels to the Revelation of Jesus Christ there is an incredible story of hope. Jesus was born in this world, the living Word of God revealed in humanity. He showed us a better way to live and then provided redemption for our sins and the solution for our salvation through His death on the Cross, taking our place in judgment. After three days, sufficient time to assure all believers of His ultimate sacrifice, He arose from the darkness of the tomb into the light of eternal life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the power of the Gospel message and the foundation of our hope in all that God has promised. 

The Gospels agree in declaring one dynamic reality: Jesus is alive forevermore! The church was founded on the eternal truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and He IS the way, the truth, and the life. (See Matthew 16:16–18, John 14:6.) The church thrives in anticipation of the eternal hope of fulfilled promise: Jesus is coming again!

Our faith in Christ’s resurrection and our hope in a future resurrection of the “dead in Christ” sustains us against every adversity. We have a hope beyond our past failings, beyond the darkness of our disappointments, and beyond our own demise. In the lyrics of Overcome, by Elevation Worship, “Now the darkness fades, Into new beginnings, As we lift our eyes to a hope beyond, All creation waits, With an expectation, To declare the reign of the Lord our God.” 

We have a hope beyond! “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19). It is a living hope because of Jesus’ resurrection. Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3–4).

Essentially, hope is not hope when it is tethered to this life. Hope rises beyond our mortal existence and is only realized when anchored in faith is something greater than the present. Paul questioned, “What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19). Paul concluded that believers are, “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

If our hope was only in the present, only in this life, there would be cause for despair. Paul pointed out the contrast, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead ….” (1 Corinthians 15:19–20 KJV). Upon the resurrection hangs all of our hope.

So we live in hope, a hope beyond!
​

Scripture:
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54–57 NIV).

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March Life Focus

3/10/2018

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Never Fails

3/10/2018

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LOVE ALWAYS
Terry R. Baughman

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
(Psalm 100:5).


Love endures and never fails. While some may love with reservation or preset conditions, God’s love is expansive and continual. We may set limits on love and decide on how much or how long we want to love another. God’s love knows no such boundaries. 


We embrace Him and receive His love on the basis of faith: a faith that is firmly founded in His love. Paul wrote, “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:17–19). We know His love because we have experienced it, but we are never fully able to grasp its breadth. We comprehend it but we cannot contain it. We know, but it exceeds our knowledge. It is impossible to fully know His love. Paul was amazed by and assured of God’s enduring love and declared, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39 NIV).

The omnipresent attribute of God declares His eternal existence and continual presence. The immutability of God is demonstrated in the character of His love that is equally present and eternally assured. There is no end of His love and no boundaries to His mercy. The psalmist’s repeated refrain in every verse (26 times) of Psalm 136 was, “His love endures forever.” This refrain was common in the Psalms and sung in the Temple as well as the victory worship chant of Jehoshaphat’s armies when they sang in the faces of the enemy in the wilderness of Tekoa, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever” (2 Chronicles 20:21 NIV).

Many centuries later we are reminded again of the unchanging character of God’s love. His enduring love was placed on display for the world to see. Paul said, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The supreme declaration of love was the sacrifice and death for those He loved. The cross stands as the lasting symbol of God’s infinite love, His ultimate sacrifice, and undeniable resurrection from the dead. 


Love is the 3:16 principle in the Gospel of John and the first epistle of John, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16 NIV). 


Love is known through experience and revealed through relationship. The more we know of God, the more completely we will understand that His love never fails!


“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever”
(Ps. 136:1 NIV).


​Scripture:

“Love … rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.…” (1 Corinthians 13:6–8 NIV).

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Rejoices

3/3/2018

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LOVE ALWAYS
Terry R. Baughman

“Out of love, … Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice” (Philippians 1:17–18).

Love prevails. Having the right motives in all that we do preserves the purity of our reputation and strengthens the testimony of our character. While some good may be accomplished merely because of the truth of our message regardless of our personal motivation, yet when we demonstrate genuine love and care to those to whom we deliver the message there is an exponential increase of effectiveness in our witness. 

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he rhetorically embraced any effort to share the message of Christ regardless of motivation, “Some,” he said, “preach Christ even from envy and strife” (Philippians 1:15). As long as, “Christ is preached,” he was able to rejoice in the outcome. Without disputing the charity of Paul’s statement we can also rejoice in every effort to share the truth of the Gospel of Christ. Love for the message and love for Christ will enable us to more enthusiastically rejoice. 

Because we have embraced the truth and rejoice in its proclamation we also refrain from rejoicing when sin is promoted. Paul said, “Love does not rejoice in iniquity!” (1 Corinthians 13:6). This verse in the NIV reads, “Love does not delight in evil.” Loving God and the righteousness of truth causes us to reject unrighteous behavior and rejoice in the pure and right path. David pronounced favor on those who seek righteousness, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2). Delight in the right! 

Loving truth will produce harmony in our lives. Not only will our hearts be at peace with God, but we will seek harmonious relationships in all our associations. Rejoicing in the right produces peaceful conditions. “Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165). 

Truth was never intended to injure, nor designed to destroy. Jesus celebrated the fact that, “the truth will make you free!” (John 8:32). The power of the Gospel sets us free from the slavery of sin. This reality is indeed good news to those who do not know the truth nor the power of the name of Jesus! Sin brings its own condemnation and humanity feels the weight of its judgment. When truth is proclaimed let it be with celebration and the acknowledgment of the true power of redemption to bring freedom to every suffering soul. 

Paul’s instruction was that we speak, “the truth in love,” so that believers may grow more effectively into the fulness of the body of Christ. Every member, “every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15–16). Growth and maturity is the direct result of those who contribute in unity to the benefit of the community of Christ. Speak the truth, love the truth, and rejoice in the truth. Rejoice for what is being accomplished in His great purpose. Love always rejoices!
​

Scripture:
“Love … rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.…” (1 Corinthians 13:6–8 NIV).

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    Author

    Terry R Baughman is Lead Pastor for LifeChurch in Gilbert, AZ.  See his complete bio at trbaughman.com 

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