July 31 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Face to Face   Daily Scripture Exodus 33:11, 1 Corinthians 13:12 “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…” “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Encouragement  With some people we have mainly a social media acquaintance, others we often talk on the phone with, but with a few nearby relatives and friends we carry on a long-standing, intimate, face-to-face relationship. A few Old Testament figures – Gideon and Ezekiel come to mind – had face-to-face brushes with God, but evidently only with Moses (and perhaps Abraham) did God keep a long-standing, face-to-face dialog. The idiom “face to face” (also “mouth to mouth” or “eye to eye”) is found some 20 times in the Old Testament. It usually speaks of intimate contact between God and a person. The expression, “God spoke to Moses, saying…” shows up about 80 times, emphasizing the unique bond Moses had with God. In our present century, I think a few servants of God have an intimacy with God that approaches or even matches the closeness with Him that Moses enjoyed. I strive to become one of them. Take Action! In the New Testament Paul, in keeping with his Hebrew heritage, uses the phrase “face to face” a number of times. Perhaps the best known, certainly the instance that grabs me the hardest, is that in 1 Corinthians 13:12. The ancient manufacturing center of Corinth was renowned for its mirrors of polished silver and brass. But compared to the true reflections modern mirrors give, these mirrors showed distorted, imperfect images. (The word “dimly” translates the Greek ainigma, from which directly springs our word “enigma.”) Paul uses an analogy of our “enigmatic” reflection in a mirror to give force to the imperfect knowledge we have now. But Paul had an abiding hope of knowing God face to face, not just in a quick encounter, but for the rest of eternity. I fervently share that hope, if not in this world, then certainly in the next. Come into His Presence Father God, we understand from Your word that You know us through and through. For that we rejoice, for we realize it means You know what is best for us, and we delight in Your showing us those things. May we always take heart in Your revelation that our obscure knowledge of You will be made crystal clear in due time. In Jesus’ name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 30 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Doers of the Word Daily Scripture Psalm 119:9-12, 15-16 (HCSB)  "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your word. I have sought You with all my heart; don't let me wander from Your commands. I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.. Lord, may You be praised; teach me Your statutes...I will meditate on Your precepts and think about Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word." Encouragement I love to read the Bible. It really is my favorite book. The stories, the teachings, the truth that it is the only written word of God. The Bible is full of various types of literature, from poetry to historical narratives and various teachings. Reading the Bible is great, but if you want to please God you have to not only read it, but do what it says (see James 1:22-25). Some parts of the Bible tell you how to live a life blessed by God. Others, like this psalm, give examples that teach us indirectly how to live for God, and it would behoove us to follow those examples. For instance, the Psalmist eagerly seeks the Lord and meditates on God's word so that he will learn how to live for the Lord. He writes that God's word has even become his delight. Take Action! Think about your relationship with God for a moment. Do you eagerly seek to follow Him? Do you meditate on and love the Scriptures, or do you only read them and then put your Bible away, forgetting what you've just read and not obeying them? We've all had our moments of just going through the motions. But now I'm challenging you to see Scripture in a whole new way. The next time you read the Bible, internalize it. Meditate on it. Obey what you have read. Seek the face of God and ask Him what He wants you to learn through it. The problem with most people is that, while they may say that the Bible is the written inspired word of God, they act as though it is just another religious book devoid of any power. I'm asking us to think differently about it. I'm asking us to think of it as the apostle Paul did: as the power of God (see Romans 1:16-17). Come into His Presence Lord, Your word is life and light to my spirit. Help me to treat it that way. There are many times that I read it just to say that I got my devotions done for the day, when I should be treasuring what I just read. Please forgive me and change my heart to be a doer of Your word, and not just a hearer or reader. Let Your word become powerful in my life as I seek you and meditate upon it. In Jesus' name, amen.   Greg Minassian Pastor Email Pastor Greg

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 29 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      A Plea For Disciples   Daily Scripture John 17:8, 18 “For I have given them [the disciples] the words that you gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me… As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”  Encouragement  I believe the expansion of God’s kingdom depends largely on two things. One is that we convince our children that God and His sent Son are undeniably real. The other involves recruiting disciples who will in turn make more disciples. The kingdom cries for disciples who impart their teaching and discipline to the next spiritual generation and at the same time draw in new believers from the world. But back to our kids for a moment. Many of them will go to secular colleges where they’ll be bombarded with opinions and teaching that both subtly imply and outwardly insist that God is a figment of a deluded church’s imagination – that God is no more than a crutch to give people some artificial comfort in an increasingly twisted world. Now about making disciples: Victory Christian Center’s mission is all about making disciples, even though the word “disciple” doesn’t appear in the mission statement. Take Action! Our mission is to engage nonbelievers; establish them as new believers through salvation and baptism; equip them for the work of the kingdom by way of sound teaching and not just saying swelling words about God butliving before them a life centered on God; and finally, expand the kingdom through personal growth, evangelism, and helping plant new seeds that will grow into healthy churches. Jesus’ work keyed on this mission. After He ascended into heaven, His followers established a dynamic and thriving new church that carried forth His mission to the next spiritual generation. That’s the heart of making disciples. Chapter 17 of John is Jesus’ extended prayer to His Father. One can see in it a three-fold petition. First, in verses 1-5 Jesus prays for His own glorification. Then His prayer reaches into the lives and protection of those into whom He poured His life (verses 6-19). Finally in verses 20-26 Jesus prays for all believers to follow, including you and me! Come into His Presence Lord God, I understand the importance of making disciples. I want to go beyond merely understanding and actually make disciples. I know with Your help and encouragement I can do it. In Jesus’ name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 28 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      A New Song Daily Scripture Psalm 96:9 (HCSB)  "Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth." Encouragement There are many books on worship and praise to the Lord. But the best way to learn worship is to do just what is spoken of in this psalm. For starters the Psalmist encourages the worshipers to sing a new song to the Lord. Singing a new song to the Lord can be one you learn, or it can be a song you make up that offers praise and worship to Him. The more you participate in this exercise, the more you'll find yourself wanting to do it even more. To worship Him in the splendor, or beauty of His holiness, is to become aware of and to have a love for His holiness. To tremble before Him means to have a deep respect for Him, not to be afraid of Him. God's desire for each and every one of us is fellowship. That's why He created men and women, and that's why Jesus came to redeem men and women after sin entered the world (see John 3:16). Take Action! Find a place to get alone with God and concentrate on Him. What sticks out in your mind as you focus on His goodness? Then voice it in a personal song of praise to Him. It doesn't have to be the greatest sounding song. To Him, it already is because it is a praise springing forth from your heart. Sing about a recent miracle, or how He saved you. If you think about it, many of these psalms are just that; praises to God. He loves you, and He wants you to love Him back and be in awe of Him. Come into His Presence Praise be to You, O God, for all that You have done in my life! May my worship always be sincere and my praise always be from a pure heart. In Jesus' name, amen.   Greg Minassian Pastor Email Pastor Greg

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 27 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Our Protection   Daily Scripture Psalm 121:8 “the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”   Encouragement I have heard of many instances where a person, while driving their vehicle, planning on going to a certain location and being there at a certain time, has had something happen that detours them or detains them. Later they find that an incident occurs which may have caused them harm had they been able to get there on time. Some people would call it “divine intervention” or “angels of protection”. To be honest, most of us don't even realize how many times we have been directed or guided away from a position of possible harm. I know I personally have made a mistake while driving (like running a red light) and after being half way through the light, I became aware of what I just did. I immediately begin thanking God that I didn't hurt anyone or myself. Life experiences, and adventures, can place us in areas of potential harm, but God who is our Protector watches over us. ‭‭ Take Action! Pray to God for his protection over you every morning when you arise from your bed to start a new day. Listen for His voice as He directs your steps. Don't get too upset if you become delayed by losing your keys, you have to follow some "Sunday driver" in a no passing zone, your power is out and the garage door won't open, you have to take a detour for construction, or you are creeping along in a traffic jam because there has been an accident up ahead. Pray, and thank God for his timing and protection to get you to your destination and through your day safely. He is right there with you even when you are not aware.   Come into His Presence Thank You, God, for being omnipresent in our lives. Thank You for all the times You have protected us from harm even when we were not aware. Help us to realize when things get off track, or off schedule, that it may be You guiding us safely through. ‭‭in Jesus' name. AMEN! Kalyn Petersen Greeter Ministry Director Email Kalyn

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 26 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      God's Many Dimensions   Daily Scripture 1 Peter 1:8-9 “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy inexpressible and filled with glory.” Encouragement  We live in a world of three dimensions – four if we include time, as most physicists do. A piece of paper or a painting is a 2-dimensional object. Looking out over a canyon, for example, we see three dimensions, depth of field being traditionally the third extent beyond width and height. If we glance at our watch and see we’re late for dinner, we run to the car, now bound by time in addition to the scene before our eyes. All of this is so integral to our daily experience, we don’t think of things like width, height, depth, and time unless we’re an exceptionally nerdy physical scientist (like me!). A few esoteric models – notably string theory – claim the natural world may in fact be made up of as many as 7 or 11 dimensions, most of which are beyond our normal experience. However, string theory is controversial, and, lacking any physical backing for it, most researchers don’t embrace an artificial construct like string theory. So – we humans are traditionally bound by 4 dimensions. But not God. Take Action! We have no idea how many dimensions heaven – or God Himself – may be made up of. But we experience at least one additional realm – the spiritual. When we embrace the supernatural that God sets before us, we take on an additional dimension – one at least as real as the 4 outlined above. True, we cannot (yet) see God with our natural eye, although Moses, John the revelator, and a few of the more spiritual among us have come close. Yet we can and should operate in a spiritual world as well as the natural – with speaking in tongues and participating in miracles – relieving the suffering and deprivation of the indigent, the homeless, the blind, the halt… When we do these things that God has made incumbent on us, we will become immersed in the joy beyond words and full of God’s glory. I quest for that! Don’t you? Come into His Presence Our precious and loving Lord, I am more and more making it a life’s goal to alleviate a small slice of the suffering in this world. Help us to participate in that spiritual dimension – in as many spiritual realms as You are setting before us. In Jesus’ name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 25 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      A Life of Integrity Daily Scripture Psalm 101:2-4 (HCSB)  "I will live with a heart of integrity in my house. I will not set anything worthless before my eyes. I hate the practice of transgression; it will not cling to me. A devious heart will be far from me; I will not be involved with evil." Encouragement A definition is integrity is doing the right thing even when nobody is looking. It is a choice. It means you're the same when you're in front of others, or by yourself. There are many who act one way in front of others, even teach people to act a certain way. Sadly, some of these same people say one thing, yet do another. This is not walking with integrity. In the New Testament, Jesus did not come against the religious leaders' teaching as much as He did their lack of observing what they themselves taught. To choose to walk with integrity means that you have chosen an honest life. The thing about honesty is that you never have to remember what you said or did. It means you don't have to make up stories to cover yourself. When you're honest, you set a standard for yourself that commands respect from people, even if your honesty gets you into trouble. Take Action! Choose to be a person of integrity. God will bless that. Make honesty your policy and that will give you a good name amongst outsiders, whether they like you or not (see Proverbs 22:1). People respect honest people. This doesn't mean that you have to volunteer every stitch of information you know, and not everyone needs to know everything about you. There are times that ignorance really is bliss. But learn to be the same person in and out of the public eye and God will bless you. Come into His Presence Lord, please forgive me for the times I have not walked with integrity. Cause me to desire to do Your will when it comes to being truthful and the same person in and out of the public eye. Let me have a good name with You. I choose integrity. In Jesus' name, amen.   Greg Minassian Pastor Email Pastor Greg

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 22 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Never Forgetting   Daily Scripture Exodus 13:3 “Then Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.’” Encouragement  Some memories we hold onto because forgetting them simply isn’t an option. Remembering Who God is, is an obvious requirement in our God-centered lives. Other memories we might rather forget, but they’re like a coarse-woven wool shirt on bare skin. We have no choice: we simply can’t forget them. For the most part, I’ve lived a fairly ordinary life. But a few unhappy events in my childhood I can never forget. Like getting squirted full in the face by my father, night after night, when as a boy of 7 I’d approach him to ask a question while he was watering bushes in the front yard. I’d run into the house sobbing, totally not knowing why my dad treated me that way. Only years later did I understand my parents were locked in irreparable marital problems, and Dad simply wanted his sad solitude without his kid full of questions pestering him. Take Action! God’s admonition to the ancient Hebrews through His prophets to “remember what I did for you in leading you out of bondage in Egypt” is one of the leading themes of the Old Testament. Remembering and sharing with the coming generation important family events, customs, and histories was a vital activity in a Hebrew household. Several great feasts like the Feast of Tabernacles were announced by God to help the Hebrews remember their heritage. The celebration of Tabernacles or booths harks back to the wanderers’ time in the wilderness, when they dwelled in makeshift shelters between travels, Exodus 23:34-36. Passover (Exodus chapter 12) started as a remembrance that the death angel who killed Egypt’s firstborn sons passed over the Hebrews’ specially-marked dwellings. The Hebrew word for “remember,” tzakhar, shows up in some form in the Old Testament hundreds of times. Besides today’s scripture, another key admonition to remember is found in the Shema (“Hear, O Israel…”), Exodus 6:7, “You shall teach them [My words] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them…” These words formed an important part of the Jews’ personal testimony, just as we build our testimony to nonbelievers around our past. A skeptic might well scoff at our belief in Jesus Christ, but only a fool will naysay our testimony. Come into His Presence Lord God, it seems like never forgetting painful personal experiences is a lot easier than remembering what You have done for me. Help me to bear in mind Your setting my feet on Your Rock and to be ready to share it with others. In Jesus’ name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 21 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Never Disappointed Daily Scripture Psalm 105:3-5 (HCSB)  "Honor His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek Yahweh rejoice. Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonderful works He has done." Encouragement There is a direct teaching to seek the face of God. The Psalmist is convinced that God is all powerful and always comes through for those who are His people. He goes on to describe Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt and how God sustained them in their desert journey to the Promised Land. He intricately explains how those who seek God's face are never disappointed, even when at times we may feel that God has forgotten us, just as Israel did as they were in the midst of slavery in Egypt. But God showed up at the right time and delivered them. Take Action! Many times it is easy to forget that God does everything in His own time, which can be to our inconvenience. God is sovereign and knows more than we do. As the old saying goes, "He's always on time, but misses many opportunities to be early." It can be both true and frustrating when God doesn't do as we want Him to. Admit it. But then, when He shows up, we always look back and say, "God showed up right on time." The truth is that He was always there, but decided to step in when He did. Embrace the character-building of God. This will strengthen your faith if you let it, and simultaneously strengthen your patience too. Come into His Presence Lord, it's easy to give up on You showing up in power when You don't do it when we want You to. Please forgive our self-centeredness. Make us realize that it's really not about us, and encourage us to continue to seek Your face. For You are the all-sovereign God who loves us in spite of our impatient ways. In Jesus' name, amen.   Greg Minassian Pastor Email Pastor Greg

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 20 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Moses and Jesus   Daily Scripture Exodus 33:3-4, 34:9 “‘Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, [but] I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.’ And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments… Then he [Moses] said, ‘If now I have found grace in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.’” Encouragement  Moses is one of the Old Testament personages I most admire. God gives him a well-nigh impossible life’s work of leading His chosen people out of bondage in Egypt and into the land God set aside for His people to reside in. In chapter 4 of Exodus, Moses remonstrates with God that he isn’t the man to carry out such a Herculean task. “Please send someone else, send my brother Aaron instead,” protests Moses in Exodus 4:10-14, thus wearing thin God’s patience with him. However, God agrees to send Aaron with him as his right-hand man, and after many devastating signs and wonders God works against Pharaoh, the Egyptian king releases God’s people to begin the journey across the Red Sea and through the desert toward their new home. Moses foresees that it will be an exceedingly difficult and perilous journey. For example, he tries to perform without help all the functions of leading thousands of recalcitrant mixed multitude, including putting up with their protests and resolving all disputes great and small. In Exodus chapter 18, God sends to Moses his father-in-law Jethro, who prevails on him to appoint leaders to mediate all but the most difficult disputes. The possession of Canaan-land is finally accomplished, only because God works many miracles in their midst including a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night to protect the people and facilitate the great journey. Take Action! The missions of Moses and the Son of God have some telling parallels. Both of their life callings involved unbelievably difficult assignments to better the lives of God’s people. Both protested against the work set before them; in Matthew 26:39, Jesus requests, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Both pray for sin-plagued people, Moses in Exodus 34:9; Jesus throughout His ministry on earth. Both die to accomplish their missions, Moses for disobeying God and Jesus for the sins of the people.  Come into His Presence Our Father in heaven, we thank You for granting us new life through the work of Your Son and indirectly for Moses’ success in leading Your people to the promised land. We thank You for Your infinite mercy toward us while we’ve wallowed deep in sin. In Jesus’ name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

July 19 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Never Forsaken Daily Scripture Psalm 102:3-5, 11 (HCSB)  “For my days are like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is afflicted, withered like grass; I even forget to eat my food. Because of the sound of my groaning, my flesh sticks to my bones...My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I wither like grass." Encouragement This is a psalm with which I am familiar. Here the psalmist feels, with all his suffering, that the Lord has forsaken him. He feels as if his own faith has forsaken him and he is in the middle of a proverbial desert with no one who sees him. All who do come along have forsaken him, and even scoff at his troubles. He feels utterly alone and in complete pain. But then something happens which I have experienced only happens to those with true faith in God... He sees the bigger picture, and the truth that God never forsakes the ones who are His true children... No matter what (see Hebrews 13:5-6). Take Action! Faith and feelings have been at war with one another since the dawn of time. The battle turns spiritual because Satan will throw everything, including the kitchen sink at those undergoing the struggles of life. Couple that with the seeming powerful feelings outweighing one's faith, and you've got a struggle that can explode like a stick of dynamite! But just as the Psalmist points out to us, God is always with us, even in the midst of struggle (see Psalm 91). So don't lose heart when you find yourself in the deepest, darkest valley of life, and everything is screaming at you to give up on God or doubt His plan and/or even His very existence. This is the time to quiet down and listen to hear God's voice and ask Him to open your spiritual eyes (see James 1:5). Come into His Presence Father, life can sometimes be very, very difficult. Help me to see what You are doing in the midst of struggle and show me what I need to learn. I choose You over how I feel and not the other way around. Help me to really mean that. In Jesus' name, amen.   Greg Minassian Pastor Email Pastor Greg

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org