Breakfast of Champions: Tuesday 31st August

Morning, Champ.

Pledge allegiance to the Lamb

Philippians 3:20–21 (NKJV)
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Through faith in Jesus Christ we have become citizens of His kingdom, a kingdom without end. It is to the King of that kingdom that we should daily give our service, submission and allegiance.

Here is a good question: "Who and what are you pledging your allegiance to today?"

Staying with the American theme from yesterday, another ceremony that Americans have had for many years is one of pledging allegiance to flag and country. This ceremony, which is now also carried out in the UK, happens when someone comes to America from another nation and purposes in his or her heart to make the new nation their homeland or place of residence.

After the process of application and immigration a special ceremony takes place where you stand before the flag and, raising your right hand, pledge your allegiance to the nation of America. These days Americans can hold dual nationality with another nation but when it was first instituted you could not, you had to choose one nation or the other. You would stand and renounce your allegiance to the kingdom you came from, thereby disassociating yourself from it, and then pledge allegiance to the one you desired now to be a part of.

Spiritually this is exactly what happened to us at salvation. We all came from another kingdom (kingdom of darkness) into a new kingdom, the Kingdom of the Son of His love. We too are called to renounce the governing rule and influence of our former spiritual citizenship (darkness) to adopt and submit to the governing rule of the new one (light). It is when we do not do this with an absolute heart that we get into a lot of trouble with things like compromise. The fact is, we are called to now be citizens of God's kingdom, pledging our lifelong allegiance to the King of that kingdom: Jesus, the Lamb of God.

As we do, we walk away from autonomous, self-governing rebellion and walk into into citizenship of total dependence upon God. We become as Adam originally was, reliant on our God for all we need. That may sound a scary place but it is actually the safest place of all.

Bless you,

Andy
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Breakfast of Champions: Monday 30th August

Good morning Champ. Breakfast is served.

Have a Dependence Day!

Genesis 3:4–6 (NKJV)
Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 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.

Every 4th of July America celebrates Independence Day, a federal holiday when the nation remembers and honours the moment in history when it separated itself from the rule and governing hand of the nation of Britain.

It was back in 1776 when America declared their independence from British rule and became autonomous (self-governing). This meant that they were now responsible for themselves, having concluded they knew how to better govern their lives and future.

In Genesis 3 we read of another "independence day", only this one would sink all of humanity into a spin, leaving all of us in need of redemption by a loving God. Satan deceived Adam and Eve into believing that they needed something other than what they had under God's care. The truth was that they did not. The governing or oversight of God their Creator had bountifully provided everything they needed or could ever want. They resided in the garden of His grace, provision and protection.

Sadly, they believed the devil-inspired lie that they could be like God and could get something they were "missing out on". When they believed the lie, and took the fruit they were tempted with, they disobeyed the Lord and, in doing so, chose independence from His rule and government. They yielded to a "I will do it my way" nature and thought they knew better. That is when it all started going so wrong for them and all of humanity that was in them.

Good news: through the obedience of Jesus Christ, the rebellion of Adam and Eve has been repaired and we are no longer independent of His grace, protection and covering and, let's face it, who would want to be.

It is good to remind ourselves of the fact that we are no longer independent, self-governed mutineers, but rather Kingdom people living dependant on the daily goodness and promises of our heavenly Father.

Live dependant on Him again today.

Andy
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Breakfast of Champions: Friday 27th August

Good morning, Champion.

Delighting in His word will prosper you

Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

This is a great Psalm that promises so much to the person who will commit to delight and meditate not in the wisdom of the ungodly but in the "law of God". As we have established many times in this devotional we are no longer under the law but under grace, and positioned in Christ by our faith in His grace not our works – so how does this word or promise apply to us today?

Two ways: we may no longer be under the law contained within the old testament as it was fulfilled by Jesus perfectly, but we should still daily remain under the teachings of its truth and wisdom, living to daily apply the incredible principles of God found within each of its pages. The Word (the Bible) will always do your life good and cause your life to flourish as you submit to it. Why? Because the Bible is a living book and is jammed full of God's thoughts and ways, and when you clearly understand the covenants (what's relevant and what's not to your life), and know how to apply the truth of His word to your life, it will always cause an outbreak of life and blessing in every part you expose it too.

If we change the word law for word of God it holds the same power of promise for us today. Gods word is good for your life when you daily delight in it and mediate (think) on it – your life will consistently experience incredible blessing and flourishing and go from strength to strength.

Another thing to consider is Jesus Himself. The Bible refers to Him as the "word of God made flesh".

John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Because Jesus is the Word of God made flesh it means that as we behold Him daily we are beholding the word of God. As we daily gaze upon Jesus, delight in Him and meditate (think and muse on all He has done for us) on Him we are actually delighting and mediating on the word of God as He instructed us to and, as promised, that will cause your life to flourish and prosper so you will be like that promised tree that is planted by the rivers, ever bearing fruit.

Make sure you are delighting and meditating (thinking about) both the living words within the book and the living word that is the person – as you do you will be blessed!

Andy
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Breakfast of Champions: Thursday 26th August

Good morning, Champion.

Credited to, not worked for

Romans 4:3-5 (NIV)
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

The very essence and power of grace is that it is always totally unmerited, undeserved and unearned. It is something freely given to the person who believes, not to the person who tries to earn it. The text today reminds us again that Abraham had righteousness (right standing with God) credited to him when he believed, not when he achieved. He did not work or labour for it but qualified himself for it by his faith (believing and trusting God). Champion, we also, as Abraham, are credited with the righteousness of God when we realise, as Abraham did, that none of our labour is good enough or ever enough to qualify us for it. Only when we choose rather to simply trust and rely in God's grace (unmerited, unearned favour) and faithfulness does He credit to us all of the righteousness we could ever need.

This can be difficult for some to grasp because we have been raised in a society and world that teaches a wage-based way of thinking: "when we work hard or do enough we then get what we desire or deserve". This way of thinking puts the emphasis on our doing: we do and then we get. True grace really messes this system up and actually works in the complete reverse to it – that is why so many cannot grasp the simple beauty of grace. Abraham did nothing yet had everything he needed credited (given freely) to him by God. It was not a wage for something he had done but grace, something freely given by God. See the truth here: it was God giving him what he did not deserve and had not earned. His righteousness, as ours today through Christ, was not a wage given for a good job done or a life well lived!

Be reminded today that the way we gain righteousness and partake daily in the grace of God is still the same – we should not try to earn or gain something from God according to a wage mindset; rather we should daily come and receive by faith alone from the good hand of God what we could have never earned or qualified ourselves for.

Remember, the Bible says that we when we belong to Jesus we are the seed of Abraham and heirs of the same promise. His promise was that what he needed would be credited to him by his faith, not given to him as a wage for his labour.

Galatians 3:29

If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

God bless,

Andy
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Breakfast of Champions: Wednesday 25th August

Good morning, Champion.

Draw an accurate line in the middle

2 Timothy 2:15 (Amplified)
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

Yesterday we looked at the importance of being someone who rightly divides the word of God – a person who knows the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant, who knows how to subtract that which is no longer relevant because of what Christ Jesus has achieved on their behalf.

To divide the word of God (truth) correctly you must have an accurate line in your understanding of the Word that allows you to perceive correctly when the old stopped and the new started. This line is, of course, the cross of Christ.

Everything changed when Jesus shed His blood, died and rose again! We do not throw our old testament away but we must determine to daily live by the revealed truths of the new testament. Don't get me wrong: both Jesus and the plan of God for redeeming mankind are throughout the whole Bible. I have heard it put well this way: in the old, Jesus is concealed (there to be found if you are looking), He is present in so many types and shadows throughout every book of it; yet in the new He is revealed – revealed as the Saviour and Redeemer of the world and of your life. I regularly read both the old and the new testaments, yet I live and build my life in accordance to the realities of the new testament. I am no longer fashioning my walk with God according to a replaced, obsolete, old covenant based upon law, but a living and present one based on grace and a finished work.

The Old Testament can teach us so much, but the law of the covenant it represented could never, and can never, save us – in fact, in itself it continually pointed to the one who would, and did: Jesus.

Rightly divide the word of truth by accurately knowing where one covenant stopped and another begins, by knowing when things stopped being down to man's imperfect performance to Jesus' perfect one – perfect enough to perfect all who have believed. Enjoy both parts of the Bible but know accurately in your heart which part saves you and leaves you complete. We present ourselves to God approved when we present ourselves to Him positioned in Christ, living out of all that He achieved for us by His death, burial and resurrection. Draw that important line and don't rub it out. Then you will divide the word of truth correctly, getting from both sides what you were meant too.

Blessings,

Andy
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Breakfast of Champions: Tuesday 24th August

Good morning, Champion.

Biblical Mathematics (division and subtraction)

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Here we see Paul calling God's people to diligence, to being people who are not ashamed when it comes to understanding and correctly interpreting the truth of His word – people who know how to divide it in the right way.

A major key for rightly dividing the word of God is reading it in context. Always take the time to understand the context of what was being spoken – for example, who was being spoken to and when? The most important part of this context is whether it was spoken before Jesus died (the perfect redeeming work of the cross) or after? You must always divide the word with the understanding that there really is an old and a new testament; more specifically, there is an old and a new covenant. This we can never afford to forget

There is an old and a new and we are called to live in accordance to, and find our identity in, the new and not the old. Fact: the old was replaced by the new; it was replaced by God, not man, because it was not good enough. That is why a place was sought by God for a second! The first was not able to make a man righteous (justified) because it was based on the performance of man. The second (new) covenant is able to make a man righteous (justified) because it is based solely on the perfect performance of Jesus. To walk in victory you need to rightly divide the old and the new covenants and subtract (take away, make obsolete) what is no longer relevant to your walk with God because of what Jesus has fulfilled and finalised on your behalf.

Think about it, if you are trying to live in two very different agreements you will never completely or effectively live in either. Everything changed when Jesus died – the old covenant based on us fulfilling the law daily was finalised and replaced, the new covenant establishing us as righteous (justified) because of what Jesus did on our behalf began. Let us not spend our lives trying to add up what will never make sense. Subtract from your walk with God what is no longer relevant to your life now that it is "in Christ", and live wholehearted in what is relevant (the new). The fact is a person is saved and regenerated by placing their faith in the grace (unmerited favour) of God and that alone. By grace are we saved!

Divide the word correctly by subtracting what is not longer relevant to you because of what Jesus has done for you!

Andy
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Breakfast of Champions: Monday 23rd August

Good morning, Champion

He backs up His Word

Hebrews 3:1 (NKJV)
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.

We have spoken a lot about our mouths and the words we choose to speak. My final thought is concerning your confession. When you make His words and promises your property and speak them out as your confession, powerful things will start to happen in and around you.

God has given us His Word to use, and when we allow it to dwell richly in our hearts and be found daily upon our lips, it is then that we begin to see the manifestation of His promises in our lives and situations. Why? Simple, He is faithful and backs up His Word! He will not back up our insecure soul-based statements. He will not back up words of doubt, unbelief and fear. He will not back up whining or pleading, but He will always respond to His Word richly implanted in the heart and spoken out with faith.

Be challenged today, Champion, to be ever placing His Word in your heart and on your lips. God watches over His Word to perform it and promises it will not return void but will accomplish what it was sent for. When we confess His Word concerning our salvation He is the High Priest of that confession and backs it up, saving us completely; but also when we speak His promises concerning other areas of our lives He is the High Priest of those confessions too, and will back them up also.

Here's the timeless recipe of faith: don't look at the size of the problem, but rather find God's promise concerning it and begin to confess those promises over it. Don't listen to or speak out the whimpers of your soul but let faith arise that Jesus remains the High Priest of the (God-inspired) words we speak, just as He promised. Find that "God-word", Champion, that fits your situation and begin to confess that in faith and watch what happens.

Andy
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