Living in Victory: Empowering Communities Through Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Living in the Victory of Christ

The victory that Christ has secured over death, hell, and the grave is not merely a spiritual concept but a tangible reality that believers are called to manifest in their daily lives. This victory is a gift, and with it comes the responsibility to live in a way that reflects the abundance and authority of God's kingdom. As believers, we are equipped with the keys to this kingdom, and our lives should be a testament to the transformative power of Christ's victory. This means living with a mindset of abundance, not scarcity, and walking in the authority that God has given us to bring His kingdom to earth. [12:41]

"Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:57-58, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you not living in the victory that Christ has already won for you? How can you begin to walk in that victory today?

Day 2: Empowerment through God's Vision

When God gives a vision, He also provides the provision necessary to fulfill it. The mission work in the Amazon is a powerful example of this truth, as it empowers local communities to thrive by utilizing their God-given talents and resources. This empowerment is not just about providing material support but about instilling hope and purpose, preventing exploitation, and transforming lives. It is a reminder that God equips each of us with unique gifts and talents to fulfill His purpose, and we are called to use these gifts to glorify Him and serve others. [17:20]

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, ESV)

Reflection: What vision has God placed on your heart, and how can you trust Him to provide the resources and opportunities needed to fulfill it?

Day 3: Active Faith and Obedience

Faith in God is not passive; it requires action and obedience. Just as the tribes in the Amazon have learned to trust in God's provision, believers are called to place their faith in Him, knowing that He is the ultimate source of all they need. This active faith is demonstrated through obedience to God's word and a willingness to step out in trust, even when the path is uncertain. Obedience is key to experiencing God's blessings and seeing His promises fulfilled in our lives. [31:53]

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror." (James 1:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to step out in faith and obedience to God's word? What practical steps can you take today to act on that faith?

Day 4: Using Our Gifts for God's Glory

God has equipped each of us with unique gifts and talents, not for personal gain, but to glorify Him and serve others. This aligns with the biblical principle that a man who does not work does not eat, emphasizing the importance of diligence and excellence in all that we do. By using our gifts to serve others, we fulfill God's purpose for our lives and contribute to the building of His kingdom. It is a call to excellence and a reminder that our work is an act of worship. [46:24]

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 4:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: What unique gifts and talents has God given you, and how can you use them to serve others and glorify Him in your daily life?

Day 5: Sowing Seeds of Change

Our contributions, whether financial or through prayer, are seeds sown into fertile ground. These seeds not only bring about change in the Amazon but also in our own lives, as God promises to bless those who bless others. It is a reminder that what we make happen for others, God will make happen for us. By sowing seeds of change, we participate in God's work and experience His blessings in return. This principle encourages believers to be generous and intentional in their giving, knowing that their contributions have a lasting impact. [55:19]

"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How can you be intentional about sowing seeds of change in the lives of others today, whether through your time, resources, or prayers? What impact do you hope to see as a result?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth that God has already secured victory over death, hell, and the grave, and has entrusted us with the keys to His kingdom. We are reminded that while we live in this world, we are not of it, and our lives should reflect the victory and abundance that God has promised us. This victory is not just a spiritual concept but a tangible reality that we are called to manifest in our daily lives.

We delved into the inspiring story of Captain Rex and the mission work in the Amazon, where the vision given by God has led to transformative change in the lives of many. The mission is not just about providing material support but about empowering the local communities to thrive by utilizing their God-given talents and resources. This empowerment is a testament to the principle that when God gives a vision, He also provides the provision. The mission has successfully prevented the sale of children into sex trafficking by instilling hope and purpose in the communities.

The narrative of the Amazon mission serves as a powerful reminder that God has equipped each of us with unique gifts and talents to fulfill His purpose. We are called to use these gifts not for personal gain but to glorify God and serve others. This aligns with the biblical principle that a man who does not work does not eat, emphasizing the importance of diligence and excellence in all that we do.

Furthermore, we discussed the importance of faith and obedience in our walk with God. Just as the tribes in the Amazon have learned to trust in God's provision, we too must place our faith in Him, knowing that He is our ultimate source. Our faith should be active, demonstrated through our actions and the way we live our lives.

As we continue to support the mission in the Amazon, we are reminded that our contributions, whether financial or through prayer, are seeds sown into fertile ground. These seeds not only bring about change in the Amazon but also in our own lives, as God promises to bless those who bless others.

Key Takeaways

1. given talents and resources. This empowerment prevents the exploitation of children and instills hope and purpose. [17:20]
3. Faith and Obedience: Our faith in God should be active and demonstrated through our actions. Just as the tribes in the Amazon have learned to trust in God's provision, we too must place our faith in Him, knowing that He is our ultimate source. Obedience to God's word is key to experiencing His blessings.

4. Using Our Gifts for God's Glory: God has equipped each of us with unique gifts and talents to fulfill His purpose. We are called to use these gifts not for personal gain but to glorify God and serve others. This aligns with the biblical principle that a man who does not work does not eat, emphasizing the importance of diligence and excellence.

5. Sowing Seeds of Change: Our contributions, whether financial or through prayer, are seeds sown into fertile ground. These seeds not only bring about change in the Amazon but also in our own lives, as God promises to bless those who bless others. We are reminded that what we make happen for others, God will make happen for us.

** [17:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[12:41] - Living in Victory
[15:42] - The Amazon Mission
[17:20] - Empowering Communities
[18:54] - Offering and Support
[26:15] - Quality and Excellence
[31:53] - Faith in Action
[33:40] - Heartfelt Offerings
[35:39] - Discipleship and Discipline
[37:55] - Entering as Fishermen
[39:11] - Healing and Miracles
[42:34] - Transformation in the Amazon
[46:24] - Using Gifts for God's Glory
[53:06] - Impact on Children
[55:19] - Sowing Seeds of Change

Sermon Clips

"God already won victory, death, hell, and the grave. And he has given us what? Keys to the kingdom. Amen. And we're in this kingdom of God. And now we live in this earth, but we're not of this world, right?" [00:12:41] (13 seconds)

"He has gifted and given every single one of us the gifts, the talents, and the abilities to live a life and a life more abundantly. And for us to sit here and sell our children into sex trafficking, to sell them and come in and say, hey, I'm going to sell." [00:16:15] (19 seconds)

"God's good and now that Timbo they just don't do paddles, they do bracelets and it's the whole, I mean it's a whole tribe or village deal each house they'll make their own bracelets they have on their style and we teach them according to God's word everything you do, you do it unto God if you're trying to do it for man, you're going to fail but if you do it to God, you'll do it with excellence and not a prideful heart you're not going to, anyway, so you do it with excellence and so what they would do is we would go over there and all the different families would put up a table of all these bracelets that they made and whatever they made and we would buy them now it had to be what? Good quality so we'd buy good quality stuff, 100% as long as it was excellent and the people with us, we'd go through and they would buy what they wanted to bring back home you know, and so what are we doing? we're putting money in the economy, right and we're showing them that a man that don't work, don't eat, right what good is a man, anyway I don't know, I don't know I can get on that, come to the men's meeting and we're going to talk about men's stuff and so you don't want to miss it and by the way, it's not going to be at the park we're going to have it at Pastor Gale's house, surprise and so" [00:25:00] (74 seconds)

"there you go, good quality because they don't do it for man but they do it for who? God everything we do, we do it on and you stop, you start walking in the gifts and the talents and abilities of God and doing it to God, to please God because not a prideful thing right, and to please God you got to do it in faith sorry once we buy everything that they have we, or whatever is excellent we come back over and we we display it here in America and people that want it they sow into it and and and many of you that has been there some of y 'all have blow dark guns some of you have bracelets and then y 'all just give a donation for whatever those are 10 bucks, 20 bucks, and 5 bucks, whatever and then we take all of that money put it in our treasurer of the Amazon account and then when we go back we take all of that money put it right back into the economy so if we go over there and we're stimulizing put a stimulus of 2 ,000, 5 ,000 dollars in the economy then we can buy everything that they have left we come back over here and then all of this is going throughout the nation with the right heart to be able to these are prayer points, right? These are prayer points you see this, you pray for them you pray for that family and so then when we go back we take all that money and put it right back into the economy every dollar that comes through these selling and not selling giving and donations none of that is for administration costs none of that is for anything pull up that picture of the boat guys real quick. So, I'm gonna show you a picture of the boat guys real quick. So, you wonder how do we go up and down this river? That's how we go up and down. The Lord's blessed us with the Carol Ann. That's the Carol Ann right there. That's 100% paid off but it's all made out of wood. It's kind of like, you know the movie Anaconda? Dude, that is it. We sleep up top in the hammocks and everything. Go up and down the Amazon. We like to stay in the Rio Negro because there's no mosquitoes because it's too acidic. And so the Rio Negro is yes." [00:26:56] (123 seconds)

"Mm-hmm, they think the gringo's the source, no, the word says, my God will supply all our need according to his riches and glory through Christ Jesus, I don't want them to look at me as a source, they got to look at God as a source, I don't want them to have faith in me, I want them faith in God, because faith in man is what put them in this place, and so we go in, and what happened is they heard that we were coming, and then these other, all these, not all, a good handful of families just like threw these bracelets together, threw the stuff that God's blessed them to do, just threw it together, half of it wasn't even done, it wasn't even, it looked like garbage, I mean, I can't, I won't say my daughter can do better, because I know she can do better, I've seen her bracelets, a five-year-old could have done better on some of that, they didn't even put it in, I mean, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, no effort in it. They just thought, oh, I just got to put it out there and he'll accept it." [00:32:01] (56 seconds)

"Why do you not, why do you think a brother killed his brother? Because God didn't accept someone's offering. That's another teaching point. Man, goodness, God's all the way through it, ain't he? So we get there. Am I taking too long? Okay. Some of y 'all probably never heard this story, huh? Yeah. And so we get in there and we, we get in there and we start looking at all the stuff. We're like, yeah, I'll take this, take that. We'll take that. Oh, I want that one, that one, that one. Oh man, I like this whole, yeah. I'll take, I'll take everything you have right here on this table. I get to this table. Nah, there's nothing there." [00:32:57] (43 seconds)

"You didn't do it with all your heart. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. If you really, that means you're going to work with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Let's go into all the world and minister the good news of Jesus Christ. The good news is I have a breath to breathe. I have a banner to wave that victory is ours, says the Lord. I said, we're not buying that. That's not good. That's not good. God doesn't do stuff second class. He's first class. I mean, come on. His streets are paid by gold. He's first class. So, all right." [00:34:00] (40 seconds)

"God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And I said, okay, get her up. Well, it says, go and teach the good news, the gospel, the redemption blood of Jesus Christ. So the first thing we did to her. We said, I said, did to her. We showed her and told her that the Lord loves you. God created you for a purpose for such a time as this. God has blessed you." [00:40:25] (26 seconds)

"That just happened. So if you're going to sit here and tell me God doesn't do miracles, that was all for the Bible, ah, yeah. Ain't going to work in this, dude. Ain't working. Not working. Been there, done that, uh-uh. Walked through the fire, didn't get burnt. Don't even smell like smoke." [00:44:27] (20 seconds)

"Now that tribe is the healthiest tribe. And other tribes come to that tribe for that chief to lay hands on them, that tribe to lay hands on them. And they are healing the sick. Not them, but Christ is healing the sick up and down that Amazon. And not just healing the sick, they're teaching them the word of faith." [00:49:26] (16 seconds)

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