Willing to Help Others

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There is always someone who is in need of help. Driving through Atlanta it is clear to me that people are struggling. The homeless need shelter, food, clothing while the drug addicts need a dose of self honesty to stop the downward cycle of self-destruction. Commuters encounter each other in the hustle and bustle of hard work, appointment making and networking often in need of help just to smile. Hell, I need help just to cope with the mental, emotional and physical demands of being me – a middle-aged man called by God to preach, teach and live to serve others as a vessel of Light. There is a solution!

Helping others is spiritual. It promotes selfless acts of love inspired by inwardly receiving the love of Christ ourselves. Jesus Christ is love. We would not know true love if it was not first demonstrated by Him towards us. “We love Him because He first loved us.”(1 John 4:19)  His loving kindness is so enduring it progressively proves the excellence that is God’s faithfulness towards us. No one else in this world is going to love us like Him. His love is spiritual and great enough to influence that which is natural and earthly. Through His love in us, we become willing to help others experience real love through giving, caring, sharing, laughing and releasing it into the lives of others.

Agape love is the love of Christ characterized in 1 Corinthians 13. I Corinthians 13 GraphicHere’s how it works for me:

  1. When I see my ex-wife happy in another relationship and/or my associates happy in their marriages and family lives, my selfishness can make me bitter, disinterested and aloof. Agape love is patient, kind and is not jealous. Through Christ I can be glad for their happiness and thankful for the happiness I have know in my former marriage and family. I can and do celebrate their lives unselfishly.
  2. – my adult children’s safety, their financial stability and life choices –  Here is where I become fixated on controlling tactics to influence outcomes in others that will make me feel better about myself. The fact is agape love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things and never fails. Through Christ I can experience the peace of God through His love effectually embracing me spiritually. It is so powerful it enables me to experience faith overriding my fear. In the moment of someone’s crisis, I can “be” a staple of love, kindness, wisdom, hope and willing to help others – loved ones, strangers, members of the Body of Christ, etc.

In myself (my flesh) I am unwilling to be of help (service) to anyone unless I am getting something out of the experience. Selfishness will even make me lose out on capitalizing moments. However, through my spiritual position “IN CHRIST” I am fortified to be a vessel through which His love is freely demonstrated towards others. You too can experience the powerful, strengthening love of Christ Jesus compelling you to live in the Spirit and stay willing to help others in any way possible. With God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

Rev. D

Finding Out Where the Lord Wants Me

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Our guest blogger is a dear cousin of mine – Sister Georgette Gude – who has faithfully served in the church for over 40 years. I have come to know her as an upstanding Christian woman who works hard, serves the Lord consistently and constantly stands for the truth of the gospel of the grace of God. She reveals personal contemplation that we can all identify with. Her lesson is worth reading about. Thank you Georgette for contributing to ConquerorShots.    Rev.D

Finding where the Lord wants me – placed in Him – has been challenging experience. Honestly, I am guilty of not always trusting God to perfect His will concerning me. All my life I’ve been judged by others based on my appearance. Family, friends, etc. look at what they see and often fail to understand God’s will for me. People naturally voice what they think I should be, where I should be and so on. I can no longer be shaped by what people think or say relative to where I should be. Finding out where He wants me did not have to be so difficult.

I realize today that life is a journey worth taking when Jesus Christ is Lord. He is ALWAYS exposing His omniscient leadership over my life. His amazing grace is consistently sufficient in my weakness. Most of all, His unconditional love has kept me from decade to decade while revealing exactly where He ALWAYS wanted me to be.

I have made it hard for others to know me because of my personal struggles all my life. By covering up my pain caused by horrific acts I experienced that no one knew of, I have maintained a tough exterior which affected my authenticity to me and others. I have worked hard to hide the ongoing pain from my past. Today, my personal time is consumed with emotions I can’t understand or articulate. One minute I can be smiling and laughing on the outside and suddenly, without warning, I begin to feel disconnected from everyone and all I know. The older I get, the more these emotional swings drain me. My soul cries out to the Lord God Almighty “I am weak and I need Thy strength and power to help me over my weakest hours.”[1]

I Corinthians 12:20–27 But now there are many members but one body, and the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body but that the members may have the same care for one another, And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body and individually members of it.

Over the years, God has shown me how these verses help me to know where the Lord wants me to be. As I wonder where He wants me now, I am reminded of my mother. She loved me “just as I am.” She would sincerely ask me how I was feeling. She would not accept superficial answers that I learned to use to mask my true feelings. In the course of our conversations she always found a way to inquire about my experiences reading the Bible. She taught me to always read His Word for strength, leadership and power to live a victorious Christian life. She made time to listen to what God’s Word was saying in ways that inspired me to read it more often. She was never condescending or judgmental concerning the Bible. She lovingly wanted to show me that God loves and cares for me unconditionally. God placed me in my mother’s womb and knew she would give me Jesus Christ.

In spite of the failures to honestly relate with others, I am convinced that GOD has known me from the beginning. He knows me in my awakenings and my slumber. He knows my thoughts afar off. He ALWAYS loves me from a sincere place “just as I am.” I never would have made it to see my marriage to my husband and the birth of our 3 beautiful sons without His unconditional love for me. I never would have made it as I had to watch my husband suffer with sickle-cell anemia throughout our marriage. God’s love kept us while I cared for him as he withered away while maintaining his love for me and his boys. Living through his death and raising my boys to become men was possible because of His love keeping us in the midst of it all. God allowed me to come through more and more pain and disappointment as He lovingly convinced me to trust and believe Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. My church home has always represented my Spiritual placement.He placed me where He wanted me to be then and now.

I am writing this because God has shown me that He has ALWAYS wanted me to be placed in the cleft of the Rock of ages. Jesus Christ is my rock in which I have found a secure crevice in HIM where His love, grace, peace and care are never ending. In Him I am unconditionally accepted in the beloved.  He will ALWAYS direct me in the way He wants me to go. When I focus on the exterior me I get confused concerning my insecurities. If I look around at others – family, friends, etc. I am overcome with uncertainties. My uncertainties, insecurities, struggles and fears are in my life to continuously push me to realize my position IN CHRIST. In Him I am uniquely positioned in the Body of Christ. In Him I have the ability to relate with a countless number of coequal members perfectly affixed into the Body. At the same time I am equipped to live an imperfect human life as more than a conqueror through Him that loved me. I know there is unlimited POWER available to me In Christ.

God wants me to be willing to rest in Him as I live the life He continues to provide for me. I will trust His call on my life. I will follow Him wherever He leads. I will not let fear dominate me. He has graciously placed me in Him. I am EXACTLY where I am supposed to be because He is my strength and my guide – then, now and always.

  “Lord I thank you for a mother who showed me pure love without hypocrisies. Thank you for showing me your unfeigned love and making me feel accepted without pretenses or shadiness. Lord, PLEASE protect my heart, clean me up and create within me a pure, unselfish heart. Encourage me to continue to seek your face and give you all the Glory. Help me not to care how loved ones, family or friends view my intentions to serve you. Guide me into the fullness of your will for my life today and always.  I thank you for how you enable me to have a closer walk with you. The Scriptures have given me the confidence to know you and rely on you in all times. Regardless of my human status, I stand daily IN CHRIST trusting I am complete. I must be honest with myself and appreciate who you have made me to be. Always help me to remember what you spoke to Samuel in the selection of David – Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart! No one knows me like you do! I have moved my membership to a new church under your leadership. Now Lord, lead me in my new church home. Continue to direct me through your love. Reveal your Word to me and enlighten my life with newness. I trust in you who NEVER fails to place me where you want me. In Jesus name, AMEN”

By: Georgette Gude

[1] “Lead Me, Guide Me”, Akers, Doris, http://www.hymnary.org/text/i_am_weak_and_i_need_your_strength_and

 

God’s Priceless Gift

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Now that Christmas is over many of you received all kinds of gifts – expensive, inexpensive, thoughtful, thoughtless, etc. – which you are now getting accustomed to having. For example, someone got a new coat and is getting used to it being in their closet. Now he can include it in his selection of outerwear choices or, more simply, she now has a coat to wear as opposed to not having one prior to the gifting. Anyway you look at it, the coat is a blessing and its new owner continues to receive the benefits of the blessing every time he/she wears it and it actually protects her from the elements of the world – the cold, rain, snow, high winds and stormy weather.

gift_box_red_bowGod‘s priceless gift, Jesus Christ, who’s birth we are to celebrate on Christmas day, is a far better gift than any earthly gift we can receive. But once Christmas is over, and the earthly gifts have lost their splendor, many people are still uncertain about the reason for the season. They go on living life, trying to be righteous in themselves, doing the best they believe they can to get on God’s good side. Many are attending all sorts of religious assemblies to manifest a sense of spiritual praise that is heavily influenced by human practices that ease God (who created the Heavens and the Earth) out and allowing for the God of this world – Satan – to have his way. Others are maintaining some appearances of goodness which they feel is their reasonable service to get to Heaven, when all the while they live in  fear, terror, and absolute abandon to the truth of their spiritual salvation and their place in eternal life.

The idea of Heaven seems to be a potential place of arrival often overshadowed by the fantasy of alternative ideas made possible by human imagination. Ecumenical ideas exist -brought about by devout, scholarly theologians – which offer competing approaches to reaching Heaven that are based in worldliness rather than God’s Word. Furthermore, the denouncement of Hell as being a real destination in God’s Word continues to have a growing audience.  it is much more comfortable to assert that Hell is here on Earth. Once the Word of God is challenged as one of many sources for man to understand the future, all kinds of human approaches to Hell become viable alternatives.  Human hope purports Hell as an uncertain aspect of the future that won’t be as bad as it is described. The worldwide deception of the existence of Hell is obviously winning as people are more focused on getting their Earthly wealth and prosperity, and living their best life now rather than getting ready for Judgement Day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ, the priceless gift of God, is Lord.

Thankfully, God’s grace is still making ways for His priceless gift to save lives. You may know someone, or you yourself may have found this “shot” in order to be a recipient of God’s gift to humans. Let any and all know that this good news is available. Here is how His priceless Gift can be yours too:

By faith you can receive His gift – which has 2 parts!
By faith, believe that Jesus Christ was born to die on the cross for your sin- past, present & future – and He was buried and rose up from the grave and now sits on the right hand of the Father making intercession for you daily.    ***He loves you unconditionally.***    As you trust Him daily in your prayers to Him  (end your prayers “in Jesus name Amen.”)  your faith will mature & your life will be enriched more than you can possibly imagine. That’s Part #1 – forgiveness of sin.
Part # 2 is the best one – you are GUARANTEED Eternal Life IN Heaven.  By faith you know that you will spend your life after this life with Him in Heaven.


Here are some verses to help u in your developing faith:
Romans 10:9– because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
 10 For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.                       Rom 10:17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ.
Romans 12:1-2

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice — alive, holy, and pleasing to God — which is your reasonable service.
12:2 Do not be conformed to this present world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God — what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand,
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.
3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received — that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures


Galatians 2:20&21 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me.
21 I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!


Ephesians 2:8-10 (gift part #1) 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.


Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of (faith) witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,
:2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

I John 1:8-10 8 If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

 

1John 5:13 (gift part #2) Assurance of Eternal Life    I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

May the grace of God wrap you in His everlasting care from this day forward. If we never meet in this Earthly life we will praise God together eternally in Heaven.
God bless you & Happy New Year.


Conqueror Ministries is always available for you to experience getting the “more” in Romans 8:37 on a daily basis.

The Lie and The Truth Personified

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Merry Christmas to you all. On this Christmas Eve of 2014 we must acknowledge the many examples of the presence of evil in this world we live in. It is everywhere! Evil is defined as morally bad or causing harm or injury to someone; arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. Every fire that takes lives, every murder, every abduction, assault, robbery, attack, etc. depicts the  continual onslaught of evil exposing the consistent pattern of the father of lies – Satan – having a field day in this world. There is something inherent about the holiday season where he turns up his displays of evil as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Uncle Ralph has something to say about this that exposes us to the person of Christ as “The Truth” and the person of Satan as “The Lie.”  These evil events require a spiritual outlook comprised of truth relative to the Word of God, not more human opinions, outlooks and explanations. Be enlightened, be blessed, be more than a conqueror through Him that loved us.

 

What is happening to our deteriorating society? If you are 40 years old and younger, you probably cannot see it. But if you are 45 years old and older, you quite possibly know what I am refering to.The deterioration is causing a breakdown in how people treat one another. There is an increase in disrespect for our fellow human beings demonstrated in our speech as well as our actions towards each other. When we fail to realize who is represented in the overall demise of mankind, we have in fact fallen for the deceptive tactics perpetrated by the father of “The Lie.”

Jesus Christ says,”You are of your father the Devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He (the Devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with [The Truth], because there is no Truth in him. When he speaks [The Lie], he speaks out of his own character (or his own nature), for he is a liar and the father of lies.”John 8:44 ESV Ask yourself, “who was Jesus talking to?” Was it, thieves, murderers, liars, prostitutes, drunkards, or maybe fighters against Christ. Not at all. You will be amazed to know He was talking to the religious intelligence of His day: the CHURCH GOERS (the Pharisee’s, the Scribes, and the Sadducee)! The religious world today still represents a great deal of the evil deception that is so cunning that people are driven away from The Truth to be in connection with The Lie.  truth and liesWe need to personally acknowledge what we find in this verse: we have {The Truth} and {The Lie}. The Truth personified in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lie personified in the Devil.

Now you must ask yourself, “What is THE LIE?” The answer to that question is found in Romans 1: 25,  Because they (man) exchanged ‘The Truth’ about God for ‘The Lie’ and worshiped and served the creature (man) rather than THE CREATOR, who is blessed forever!  This lie is universal.  Ask yourself, “Where did this lie originate?” Look to scripture for the answers and read in Isaiah 14:12-14 that the King of Babylon is spoken of, but Satan is the unseen energizer who is really being spoken of. And there are 5 “I Wills” that Lucifer declares. I believe this is when “sin ” i.e. “The Lie” began. So the Lie originated in the spirit world, when a created being made the blasphemous claim of Deity, attempting to usurp authority over the Creator! You will get a clear introduction to the personification of The Lie via Scripture.

Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

The Lie continues to manifest in man today. In short, the lie is comprised of the following statements:

 “I don’t need God.”

“I am a god unto myself.”

“I can create my own destiny.”

“My future is up to me.”

“I can speak my blessing into existence.” 

“If I believe it I can be it.” 

“No one tells me what to do!”

 

The Lie was used to introduce sin into the world. All of the evil that was pronounced in the Enemy now becomes manifested in man through sin as found in Genesis 2-3. Adam, in his created body absent of sin, is given a command by the LORD not to eat of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” But in Genesis 3:1-6 we read “the Serpent”(The Lie =The Devil/Satan/Lucifer)  approaches Adam’s wife “Eve,” entices her through the use of The Lie to eat of the tree. The manifestation of evil or sin occurred when she gives the fruit to Adam and he (willfully) eats, having been told by the LORD that if he eats he will surely die! Adam is the cause of evil existing in every human being on this earth as it is established in Romans 5:12 KJV, Wherefore, as by ‘ One Man‘ sin entered into the world (of men), and death by sin (transgressing God’s Holy Law-“thou shalt not eat”), and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned. “The Lie” entered the human race, and has been and will continue until the fullness of time is come. Mankind in his/her human condition, a foreigner of The Truth, is capable of all forms of evil based on the innate presence of sin.

This is why we have a holiday known as Christmas. The birth of Jesus Christ, was first announced in Genesis 3:15. The Lie knew that The Truth would come and bruise the head of the serpent – The Lie. The Enemy did his best to thwart the plan of God to redeem mankind back into right relationship with Him as it was originally with Adam. Yet no man knew of the entire plan of the prophecy told throughout the Old Testament. The birth of The Truth was not only a fulfillment of prophecy it was the beginning of a new round in the war between The Truth and The Lie.

When Jesus was about to begin His earthly ministry he went into the wilderness to fast for 40 days. There The Truth came in direct contact with The Lie. After a series of proposed temptations to Christ, all of which were combated against with the quoting of The Truth – The Word/The Bible -The Lie leaves and The Truth is ministered to by angels from above. The Lie showed up as opposition to The Truth’s very existence throughout the three and one half years of His walk among the Jews exposing The Truth. At the apex of His ministry – when Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead – he declared in John 11:25 I am the resurrection, and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. He later declared to Thomas in John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus Christ would go on to be crucified, buried and then resurrect from the grave. These predetermined acts demonstrate God’s Eternal plan for the redemption of mankind by way of His Son – through the shedding of the blood for forgiveness of sins and the resurrection. His fulfilling of the Law and completion of the plan gives man the option of being renewed/regenerated/revived in his/her spirit and mind. This blessed gift is made available to all mankind through the Spirit of Christ taking up residency, living in them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Man can now, BY FAITH, believe in the finished work of the Cross and receive the gifts of Salvation and Eternal Life.

In the midst of all the Heavenly benefits of salvation at work in mankind who by faith believe in the power of the Cross and the resurrection of The Truth, there is also many who are not willing, totally disinterested in The Truth and who have an Eternal attachment to The Lie. The World view of this warfare is so inundated with deception that is often overlooked. We, who have experienced the gift of spiritual regeneration and a renewing of the mind, and who no longer live to fulfill the flesh but instead live to fulfill the Spirit in us daily, will always be in the presence of those who are attached to The Lie until we get to Heaven. It is good to know that the warfare is already won. Jesus Christ defeated Satan at the Cross. The upcoming events to fulfill this prophecy is yet to come. In the meantime, the Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to pen this account for us to know why all of the manifestations of Evil are present in the world today. We must wait for the Day of the Lord in which The Lie’s will no longer be of any significance on this Earth. Until then we have The Truth of God’s Word teaching us how to prepare for this blessed Day.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 NET
(1) Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters  

(2) not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.

(3) Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.
(4) He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God.
(5) Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you.
(6) And so you know what holds him back,so that he will be revealed in his own time.
(7) For the hidden power of lawlessness (The Lie) is already at work. However, the one who holds him back (The Truth) will do so until he is taken out of the way,
(8) and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival.
(9) The arrival of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders,
(10) and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.
(11) Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.
(12) And so all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned.

I pray that you will be a proponent for The Truth and make known the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to whomever you can. Through the grace of God currently presiding over us all we can know just how real He can and will be to us when we have faith in Him daily. He is the best gift you can ever give to anyone – Jesus Christ, The Truth.

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Why We Need Grace

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Many people use the phrase “But for the grace of God, but for the grace of Godthere go I” as a way of expressing their personal account of God’s grace in and over their life. But my Uncle Junior has taken this personal account to another level by posing the question “Why do we need grace?”   His answers are truthful and will compel you to be more deliberate in your use of this popular phrase. I am so grateful to him for his willingness to be of service to Conqueror Ministries by way of his writings. We will continue to deliver them to you even in the New Year.  Please keep reading and get his spiritual shot of encouragement to trust God more.

At this time I want to thank you, our readers, for continuing to stop by and choose a spiritual shot.  May the God of all grace strengthen you, protect you and bless you during this holiday season and may the gift of a New Year be filled with precious accounts of His faithfulness in your life.
Stay in the race!
Darrin

 

So why is Grace so needed? 

Jesus said in John 6:37-44 KJV (37)All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (41) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. (42) And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? (43) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. (44) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:65 KJV And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

This is not to be misunderstood – NO MAN can come to Christ unless he has been effectually drawn to Him by God the Father. This is why we need God’s grace.

Every man who is so drawn will be endowed with the matchless grace of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The gift of Eternal life also demonstrates His grace when He exchanges our human, sinful bodies for a glorified body, just like Christ’s at His resurrection, when we begin our eternal life. There are no exceptions to this clear teaching from God’s Word (the Bible).

Of course most men think of themselves as “good” and “capable of doing good” and they are able to go to God on their own, whenever they feel the need to.   This is the epitome of human deception. In your flesh you can NOT please God, nor can your human works make a difference to God.

 

But Scripture, which should be our final authority, proves man is a liar and unable to please God, as demonstrated below:

“Men are evil continually” Genesis 6:5 KJV And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

” Men love evil and hate good” Psalms 52:3 KJV Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

” Men unable to go to God” (John 6:65 given earlier)

“Men in the flesh (unregenerate state) cannot please God” Romans 8:7-8 KJV Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

” Men are under Satan’s control” 1 John 5:19 KJV And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

So as we consider the matter of God’s grace,and why we so badly need it, review this conclusion thoroughly.

“No one can come to God the Son unless God the Father enables him.” 

Ephesians 1:1-14 KJV Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: (2) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (10) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

We need the grace of God to realize who we can become IN Christ! The only reason anyone comes to Jesus Christ is because the Father has drawn him. Through Christ we are made complete and fit for the Master’s use. Our standing is made perfect in God’s sight through our faith in Jesus Christ and we are justified to find peace with God. We can live undefeated lives as we realize we are “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

Merry Christmas!

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Humble Thanks

Posted on by conquerorshots

After much time spent on releasing our second book “Qualities of a Conqueror Vol. 1” and experiencing real change personally, the Lord God Almighty beckoned me to write here. God willing ConquerorShots will regularly coincide with our “#TellUrSelf tweets.”  Ultimately you will experience spiritual delicacies to enhance your experience living the Conqueror Lifestyle. Our goal is to make it easier for you to get familiar with our Christian brand through our books, ConquerorShots, upcoming workshops and teaching materials and more all to enhance your walk with God through Christ Jesus one day at a time.

 

Psalm 136:26 NET BIBLE Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his loyal love endures! If you have never read this chapter we suggest you do so and make it a regular reading for your personal gratitude prayers. Giving thanks, i.e. gratitude, is a necessary daily experience children of God, MTaCs, practice. We learn that in giving thanks we find the production of the fruit of the Spirit manifesting in amazing circumstances. God, who created the Heavens and the Earth, you and I and everything we appreciate while we are living day by day, is worthy of our daily gratitude because of His loyal love. The NET Bible uses the word loyal so perfectly here. No matter what we do, or do not do, in the way of service to God and others, God’s love for us NEVER changes! He is the most loyal love I have ever known.

 

When we put emphasis on gratitude for the material, human accomplishments – education, money, success, children, spouses, careers, houses, land, cars, boats, vacations et al – we are subject to the evil of deception and confusion as we focus on the Earthly rather than the Heavenly.  This is where the application of “Humble Thanks” is best realized. When you are in spiritual acceptance of your NEED for a Savior, and Jesus Christ is REAL to you, you willingly humble your human nature under the authority of God.

Wenceslas Hollar - The kneeling sinner
Wenceslas Hollar – The kneeling sinner (Photo credit: Wikipedia) A Depiction of Humble Thanks to God

By regular confession of sins, transgressions, iniquity, guilt,shame and fear before Him in prayer and thanksgiving for the simplest of blessings you come to realize through your need for His providence, you will humble yourself under God’s mighty hand for His continual protection and power in your life and the lives of others. The air you breath, the blood running warm in your veins, the activity of your limbs and your mind being sane and at peace become blessings of enormous praiseworthiness.

 

In humble thanks to God’s loyal love which endures through any and all human conditions, your gratitude will always be acceptable to God and it will reflect His love off of you into many other lives, situations, circumstances and conditions here on Earth. Heaven is our home but the Earth is our training ground. Be humble before God as your realize your spiritual training. Every scripture in Psalm 136 KJV ends with “His mercy endureth for ever” to emphasize that all of the human accomplishments acknowledged in the list exist because of the eternal endurance of God’s faithful, goodness and kindness towards His children. Give humble thanks daily and create your own list – IT WORKS!

 

Stay in the race!

 

Darrin

 

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I Honestly Need The Lord To Be of Service

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A Conqueror’s need presents from two perspectives – human needs and spiritual needs. Human needs range from the basics of food, shelter, air and water to the complexities of sex, security and social prominence.  Spiritual needs are initialized at birth and begin to manifest in the regeneration, reconciliation, justification and sanctification of the spirit through salvation. All of the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit develop us spiritually– love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  Human needs are the focus of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need and the Attachment Theory. Studying these psychological and sociological perspectives serve to elevate your human experience to varying degrees of human success.  But the basis of your human growth and development and all the success you will realize throughout the course of your life is found in the structure and manifestations of your human needs.

A pyramid illustrating Maslow's hierarchy of n...
A pyramid illustrating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)5=GRACE NOTHING IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE GRACE OF GOD.

“My spiritual need for the Lord secures a Godly experience of consistent, faithful maturity and my spirit is able to soar to new heights and depths. This ConquerorShot is a personal submission of how honesty is always at the helm of the Conqueror Lifestyle. It is essential to the development and maturity of our spiritual lives.”

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I honestly need the LORD to mature me spiritually so that I can realize all the goodness, grace and mercy I can experience through Him. When I am willing to give of myself in service, through financial outpouring or in any way in which I can show benevolence, I immediately tap into the unimaginable spiritual riches in Heavenly places. Meeting someone else at their point of need signifies my honesty about my spiritual need for Him in my life. But I need the Lord at work in me to have the wisdom to know when to meet the needs of others.

I have no earthly idea what may come up and how to be prepared. I most definitely do not have the ability to be a god to anyone else.  In fact I can drive myself insane trying to prepare for all the scenarios which demand emergency preparedness. And then, in all my efforts to be “ready” God can systematically present circumstances far different from all the ones I prepare for. He can bring up a matter of need that only He can fulfill to cultivate my willingness to trust in Him. Then, in His infinite wisdom, He will use whatever vessel He chooses to be of service to me in my need. If your honest with yourself you know I am not the only one with these spiritual experiences.

As Children of God, our spiritual needs outweigh our natural needs in such a Divine way that we become  well acquainted with the fact that He intimately allows for all of us to experience human needs so that He can make us realize His Sufficiency in all things. When we are willing to give cheerfully God meets our spiritual needs in amazing ways.

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

You, me and every child of God need the Lord to be of service.  Be honest with Him starting today.



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Fit For Service

				

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Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.


 


Do you ever get overwhelmed during the course of your day?  Does caos push you towards your Savior or away from your Him?  When you are consumed with the failures of your life and your can’t feel good about yourself in the moment, how do you become fit for service? Physical fitness is a great metaphor for spiritual fitness. They both require a consistent daily commitment to working out.  You get fit for Service when you “work out your own salvation” with a daily commitment to stay yoked up with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His yoke is easy and his burdens are light. We realize just how sufficient His grace and mercy is to us when we are willing to stay fit spiritually to serve Him.


Yoke
Yoke (Photo credit: Ludie Cochrane)


The answer to these questions is found in Jesus’ directive to the Hebrews in the text above.  It is helpful to know that Jesus was giving them an alternative to the traditionalism and ceremonialism associated with the legalistic platforms of the Hebrew elders at the time of His earthly ministry. The rites associated with legalism among them were burdening them to the point where they were in yokes of bondage that were detrimental to their service to Him. The bondage of legalism – a human response to sin sickness – categorized them as sinners in need of becoming fit for service. The Hebrews did not have the gift of God living in their individual spirits at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry like we do today.


 


They were  “overwhelmed” with the consciousness of their transgressions, the constant external and internal berating over their sinful past and their unrealized spiritual condition being dead in their tresspasses and sins. At the point in the text they were trembling at the peril of the  dangers of sin, and seeking deliverance. Why? The death of John the Baptist signified the rejection of the preaching of the Kingdom to the Jews and was forecasting  the rejection of the Son of man which would result in His crucifixion.  The killing of John the Baptist was a demonstration of Israel once again being fit with the yoke of bondage described in Lev. 28:13 where they were under the lash of bondage and servitude to the evil associated with the Egyptians. You can be fit for service to render evil if you are not fit for Godly service. Human beings are predisposed to serve the sinful conditions of their hearts. This is why Jesus is opening the window of opportunity for them to come to Him and become fit for His service by taking on his yoke.  Today, when His yoke is secured over your life, you too can walk upright and experience the Conqueror lifestyle.


 


Leviticus 26:13 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.


 


Thanks be to our God now that we all have the opportunity to come boldly before Him in our prayer lives and committed time in His Word. We can experience spiritual fitness for His service because of the finished work at the cross and His powerful resurrection which validates His worthiness to come to Him just as you are with a heart that is willing to trust in Him for all your spiritual needs. Jesus told the Jews – as an alternative to the elders religiosity and the Pagan rituals – to take His yoke upon one’s self and carry what has been raised up.  He was laying the foundation for the culmination of His death, burial and resurrection being available to them and us all. The yoke symbolizes being brought together with Him and under the authority of God’s Mighty Hand on a daily basis. Ultimately, His yoke – being a bond servant to him and carrying the message of salvation- is easier and the burdens are far better in Him.


 


Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.


 




 


 


 


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A Choice To Serve

				

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Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.


Choices
Choices (Photo credit: Sky Noir)


Every day you realize you are awake and able to live another day, you have a choice to make.  In addition to the choices about what you will wear, what you will eat and what you will do first as you survey your list of options, you are responsible for an even greater choice. If you are not willing to make this choice, your decision is made for you. You can thank Adam for that. Whether you are God‘s child, or not, the life you live will always present opportunities for you to become willing to make a choice to serve the God who created the Heavens and the Earth or the gods of this world.


The choice is found in who you will serve –  who you will work for through the service of your life.  We all are destined to be used by God – goodness and evil are all manifested by God’s Sovereignty. Many of you seperate good from evil and designate good as being of God and evil exclusively being from Satan.  We need to consider Psalm 24:1 A Psalm of David and I Corinthians 10:26 An Epistle of Paul’s – “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” – EVERYTHING THAT IS HERE AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS HERE IS BECAUSE OF THE LORD’S SOVEREIGNTY. If you fail to accept this truth then your choice will always be manipulated by your own ideas.  Even the evil that manifests through you is under the authority of Christ today. 


Joshua was nearly at the end of his life when he delivered this sermon in Joshua 24. It gives attention to doctrine and application.  The doctrine is represented by all of the deeds in which the Lord God Almighty provided for His people. From the calling of Abraham, the birth of Isaac, the deliverance out of Egypt and through the Red Sea and their warring victories into the Promised Land, God proved His determined will and put it on display for the world to know. The Hebrews were recipients of the consistent manifestation of God’s Sovereign Power.  They had proof to know that no other god is comparable to the God of the Heavens and the Earth.  But it is the application of the sermon where we find the purpose of the choice to serve.


Your acquaintance with good and evil notwithstanding, it is a fundamental Biblical truth that when your flesh is controlled by sin you can not please God. You sow seeds of sin through all types of lifestyle choices.  Every decision you make is based on your pursuit to manifest and fulfill the desires of the flesh.  Joshua was reminded of Moses who declared the importance to choose life with a heart that loves the Lord, His Word all with a willingness to serve Him daily. Read Deuteronomy 30:11-20.  You can offset any affinity towards sin when you make a choice to serve God by praying for the knowledge of His will and the power to be all that He has created you to be. You can be of maximum service to God, realize the Conqueror Lifestyle  and serve Him and others effectively, when His power is working in you and through you conforming you to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But you can make this choice to serve God only because of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ which gives you access into His grace.


Others realize your choice by every word that comes out of your mouth, every deed of your hands and every direction that your feet move towards. The heart decides which choice is to be made.  A heart that is willing to freely surrender to God’s Sovereignty is a direct result of a quickened spirit connected to the power of the resurrection at work in you. It’s not hard at all to make Jesus your choice when you accept all that He has freely done for you.  You willingly desire to serve Him because of how effectively He serves you.  Stop trying to be your best you independent of God’s spiritual blessings at work in you. You will know true service as He manifests His good works in your life when you make the choice to depend on and serve Him in all that you say and do. Agree with me and Joshua and make your choice THE LORD.


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