Uncertainty: Faith’s Bench Press

Posted on by conquerorshots

The Age of Uncertainty
How much faith are you benching?

Take a moment and step into yesterday’s happenings and get a bird’s eye view of how my faith muscles got a good workout on life’s bench press of uncertainty. I must admit I never understood the benefits of a series of events that are designed to “work out” my faith like this.

In the past, when uncertainty presented itself during the course of a day, I would allow it to rob me of any peace that was present. Uncertainty has the ability to get us all caught up in hypotheticals, ego, pride, fear, shame, guilt, and most of all ANXIETY. I am so glad to have Philippians 4 as a source of encouragement to fuel my spirit. It is one of many gold mines throughout the Pauline epistles that NEVER dries up.

I pulled up into the church parking lot that was almost empty at the height of the early morning service. STRANGE! While walking up to the entryway a friend informed me of the power outage secondary to a car accident. The first service was cancelled. Inside, several saints, including our beloved Pastor, were housed throughout the vestibule. There was a hint of light from the 12′ high windows above that filled that powerless dwelling place. Also present was an unspoken uncertainty filling the air as we engaged each other. Although we were in an unexpected situation, fueled by uncertainty about the future, being there was somehow a heavenly experience. We laughed, had fellowship and collectively affirmed our faith in God‘s power to rectify the matter. After 45 minutes the power was restored. I thought nothing of the wait time.

Church began and we experienced a heavenly service from the devotions, to the praise team, to the choir and most of all the pulpit. Our Pastor preached a sermon tailor-made for me once again. Church ended.  Here is where uncertainty grabbed a hold on me for the next 5 hours. My phone’s home button had stopped working causing routine operations to become tedious. I tried to avoid an unhealthy reliance on the smart phone but to no avail obviously.  I had to go to a store for it to be fixed. I was also very hungry. Furthermore, my GPS was not working properly and I had to trust God rather than the machine to get me there. He did.

The young man at the phone store took my phone and proceeded to troubleshoot the issue. He dialed the tech support team for assistance and took my phone to work on it. I sat and waited patiently while my hunger was increasing. I was in the store for nearly 45 minutes before I got the phone back. I immediately went home and ate a bowl of cereal. I picked up the phone to make an important call that was scheduled and to my surprise the files that contained the call stats and contact info were gone along with SEVERAL other files of HIGH IMPORTANCE.  UNCERTAINTY WAS IN FULL EFFECT.  I will state the obvious – the young man did a factory reset and did not back up my files. They are gone for good.  My immediate response – OK God what are you up to? 

I could have become livid over this. In times past that would be my natural response. Not yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I did loose my cool on one occasion and even feel some expletives surfacing. I was forced to make numerous calls to handle the issues. The more calls I made the more anger I felt. Furthermore, the uncertainty about the data I lost – and how others and myself would be affected – was trying its best to fuel anxiety, fear, etc.  Yet I continued to look up to my ceiling and say “Ok God, what are you up to?” I continued to acknowledge Him in the midst of the uncertainty. I was on the bench press doing faith reps.

At one point when a four letter word surfaced I had to get down on my knees and pray. I poured out my frustrations and all my feelings to the Lord. It was time to “get low & get real” with God. “Father, I need you to give me peace. I believe that you are working all things out for my good, help me see your goodness in this……..” was a key request in that prayer. I had no idea what was about to happen next. 

I had discovered my Bluetooth was not working and I did all I could to pair the devices. I needed to call in yet again. I was soooo regretting having to call in again. But I did. Amazingly, I got a tech support agent almost immediately. That interaction was the beginning of my breakthrough. The dynamics of the call are consistent with me having the opportunity to share my experience and God’s constant presence throughout my day. It became apparent that uncertainty was fueling my experiences but God was “holding His position.” My direct response to all things uncertain was a continued FAITH in His will. We talked and shared our faith. I forgot all about the issue with the phone as I was able to praise the Lord during the call.  It was in the praise that I received my answer to my request for seeing the goodness of the Lord. The agent gave me specific information to get the blue tooth going and I got a credit on my account that covered my next bill payment. This was a need I presented to the Lord last week in prayer.

Ultimately yesterday’s uncertainty made me have to do steady reps of faith in God’s will yesterday. The more I acknowledged my need for Him the better I responded to all that was going on that I was not sure of. I often want to know the “why” and have the right responses to a situation. It seems that God has given me that desire for sure. This bench press – uncertainty – makes me lie down on the presence of God’s will, accept my inability to have all the answers, and practice faith in El Elyon. Lifting up faith in Him is the workout. “Tis SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS. He is an on time God, yes He is.

 

Related articles

Revival: The How & Why of It

Posted on by conquerorshots

How do Christians experience revival? What happens in them that causes such a need? I was presented these questions in a conversation yesterday. The first question’s answer is “faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” The second question’s answer is “sin.” We are all born in need of spiritual rebirth. Spiritual revival occurs through faith.

The first question requires some personal identification to our “REVIVAL” experiences. I know what it is to be an ACTIVE participant in sin which directly supports a spirit in need of revival. Sin separates us from God eternally. Salvation revives our spirits and attaches us to the Holy Spirit. This attachment is a Divine characteristic of Christianity. ACTIVE participation in Christianity keeps the spirit revived in three ways:

HOLY SPIRIT - FOIX

  1. Prayer to God,through Christ and reading God’s Word, experiencing new life in us through the Holy Spirit.
  2. Regular fellowship with other Christians via worship service, Bible study and various gatherings.
  3. Consistent service to both Christians and non-Christians via ACTIVE participation in various ministries.

The condition of our spirits is well-maintained when these three ACTivities are in place in our weekly routines. Revival denotes a need for a “life source” to infuse its life into lifelessness.  When it is done properly, revival works. Otherwise, the lifelessness continues and the need for revival gradually becomes eliminated by death.   Spiritual revival is solely dependent on Spiritual Life.

The second question reminds me to review the Psalmist’s situation in Psalms 85. This chapter, worth reading, gives us clarity on what happens when sin and disobedience to God’s Word are at hand. But it is REALLY important to notice the element of HOPE in God for restoration. That is key. Hopelessness is a subtle foe. It is a derivative of a sinful lifestyle.

The Old Testament Israelites were notorious for getting deliverance from God and then falling away from God and into the ways active sin.  The natural human condition is to run away from God. Adam and Eve depict this in Genesis 3:8.  New Testament Jews revoked the opportunity to develop faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Therefore, their spiritual revival has not been established and they are waiting for their human, earthly promise of the millennial Kingdom to be instituted by the coming Messiah aka Jesus Christ. There is a Divine divide between the Heavenly promises and the Earthly promises that is necessary to apply to Psalm 85. 

THIS IS TRUE FOR MANKIND: SIN SEPARATES US FROM THE LIFE SOURCE. REVIVAL RESTORES US TO THE LIFE SOURCE. 

JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIFE SOURCE

Faith in His death is the source of the forgiveness of our sin – through prayer on a regular basis. Faith in His burial and resurrection signifies the absolute “new life” experience Christians can experience over the course of their lifetime “in the faith.” We transition from spiritual “death” to spiritual “life” through faith IN HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION.

Related articles

What A Mighty God We Serve

Posted on by conquerorshots

Can your heart identify to these words? “He is so good to me, oh yes. He gives me victory, oh yes! Oh what a mighty God we serve…….He opens doors for me, oh yes. Doors I’m unable to see, oh yes. Oh what a mighty God we serve.” I woke up with this song of my youth. This tune is not the popular version we know today but one that seems to have vanished from the archives. I learned it in the 70’s.

Hope is the principle we are focused on this month. Yesterday I had a belief in the Giants victory that was fueled by hope. I am sure many of you did as well. At half time they were behind and the Patriots seemed to be gaining momentum going into the third quarter. I remember tweeting after a failed drive that “it was clobbering time” in the Giants camp. (I am a Fantastic 4 fan too!) To my surprise I was right. The game shifted and the Giants went on to win in the last 2 minutes of the game. What an exciting game but it also serves as a lesson in the benefits of HOPE.

My statement was fueled in hope. I hoped that the defense would prevail because of their history. I hoped in Eli being the better leader because of his history. I hoped in the receivers being in sync with Eli and running the field because of their history. The Giants did not start out the season on top but the history of the season yielded significant evidence to fuel my HOPE. We got to see the Giants, in all their splendor, win the game, the trophy, the rings and the celebration began. OH WHAT A TIME!!

Mighty Mighty (song)
CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW!

Romans 5:2 reminds us “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” HOPE is vital because of the process of justification at work in my life. It is necessary to do a daily assessment of the HOPE in my life. There may be times when I have nothing “going on” to hope in. If my heart and mind is not settled in “rejoicing in HOPE of the glory of God” I could find myself hopeless in certain situations. Hopelessness is a direct result of a conquered lifestyle.

I continue to WAKE UP  to the fact that “WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS”  in all my affairs. You have a best friend in Jesus that has affixed you into the Body of Christ so perfectly that you are victorious from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep.  All you need is a heart and mind that is settled in “rejoicing in Hope of the glory of God.” My HOPE in the Giants winning the super bowl was realized and lasted for one day and it was AWESOME!!!!

OUR HOPE IN THE GLORY OF GOD REVEALED TO MANKIND AND THE WORLD IS GOING TO LAST THROUGHOUT ETERNITY – IT WILL NEVER END!!!!!!!!!!

Can u hear me shouting????????  SHOUT WITH ME!

We are all CONQUERORS in Christ.

Related articles

I Have Hope

Posted on by conquerorshots

A Polish made Unitra turntable atop an Electro...
vinyl productions burned music on my soul permanently

Growing up I heard this classic Roberta Martin song “I Have Hope.” In addition to hearing it from the choir on Sunday mornings, I can recall the 33 playing on the record player ringing out the lyrics from the speakers in our living room on Aspen Place, Columbia Ave and Pennington Ave:

“I have hope, I have hope when trouble comes my way

I have hope, I have hope since Jesus has come to stay

I have hope, oh yes when things are not well with me

I have hope, it’s a beutiful hope and it sets me free

If your distressed , Jesus says come unto me. If your depresed I know he’ll give you liberty

Time may find you at the end of your line, but keep the faith its not too late the Lord will be on time.

I have hope, I have hope when darkness fills the sky

I have hope, I have hope since Jesus is ever nigh

I have hope, oh yes through dangers I can not see

I have hope its a beautiful hope that sets me free.”

http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/Roberta%2BMartin/similarartists is a link to this genre of music that features the Roberta Martin classics.

It was written in 1968 but the melody and message is timeless. Hope is a life principle that fuels my daily pace. It puts pep in my step and glide in my stride. Most of all it keeps a smile on my face that springs from true joy in my heart. The goodness of God is constantly present. Thank you Lord for saving me at Calvary. It gives me Hope, a beautiful Hope that sets me free one day at a time.

Related articles

The Beauty of Honesty

Posted on by conquerorshots

That’s what you are wearing? Really??? You can’t be serious? What do you mean by that? How are you going to do…….? Do you know what you’re doing?  These are some open-ended questions that I can either ask myself, someone else or they can be asked of me.  The theme of all of these questions, and many others,is they all come from our soul.  They are genuine responses to core issues that are apparent to the presenter of the question. The issue is evident because of particular actions that are obviously in need of questioning. Why?

Honesty is an important character trait that affects all our lives. When used properly it produces hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, love, forgiveness, discipline, awareness and service to others. Effective service is when you do something from the goodness of your heart – NSA(no strings attached) These spiritual principles are God-inspired traits we all must experience as time goes on.

English: Honesty (Lunaria annua) Honesty seeds...
The beauty of honesty

Lunaria or “honesty plants” give us defined characteristics that can really help us see the beauty in honesty. The caption under the plant below details how I can make the correlation to my own honesty.

Seeds of truth are the source of my intrinsic values that germinate honesty. When I was a child I received those seeds from my parental guidance, my elders and my experiences in the church. Fundamentally, each group had two key reference points – The Bible and the world. The experiences that I had, the lessons that I heard and learned growing up were “seeds” that were sown into my core which began to germinate into absolute truth which I base my thoughts, ideas, beliefs and goals on. John 8:32  “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

When the lunaria seeds are planted it is important not to cover them with too much soil. This is true about “the truth” in our hearts. Sin can do to our hearts what soil can do to the seeds, that is impede upon the growth process. David said in Psalm 119:11 ” Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Daily reading and meditation on the Word of God is essential to the manifestation of truth in our hearts. We live in a world where all kinds of distractions from the truth of God’s Word exist. 

ScriptureSeedsLogo
Source of truth

 

Once truth is at work in our lives the affects are many. It is regenerated repeatedly due to all of the seeds it produces in our lives and the lives of others. If you deposit God’s Word into a child’s life in the first two years on a consistent basis it has the power to manifest for the remaining years of his/her life. It can be grown in any kind of heart, under virtually any adverse condition and without a constant source of light. THIS IS MY STORY!!!! Proverbs 22:6 reads  “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. “

For many years I heard the scriptures. As a child I read them and even studied them. As a teen and young adult I began to share them with others. In my marriage and parenting I shared them even more and I found out about the personal attachment I had to them which was growing even when I was unaware of the growth they caused. All of my references to truth were systematically developing my character trait – honesty.

I always knew when I was being honest and when I was lying. The choice to allow truth to be the litmus test for my decisions and subsequent actions was learned behavior. Who was the teacher? God. What was the classroom? Life. Do I always make the choice? No. However, I see that there is a heightened awareness of my progress in this area.

I try to keep this really simple. When I am allowing honesty to work in my life it allows me to get some amazing results. The other 11 principles are the beginning of my reality that I like the affects of a lifestyle based in honesty. The more I experience the benefits of honesty the more I am willing to incorporate it into my daily activities.  Christianity is the central component of my life that affords me the liberty to realize just how magnificent honesty is. Every day I experience the truth of the Word of God faithfully revealing new mercies, faithfulness, grace and power.

2Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

English: Honesty (Lunaria annua L.)
grown from seeds;sow early in the season; cover lightly with soil;they can grow undisturbed for years and years;they will drop seeds and regenerate year after year;if you want flowers every year, you have to plant them two years in a row;can be grown in almost any soils;should have at least four to six hours of sunshine
Related articles

Need It Now

Posted on by conquerorshots

Want it, need it, gotta have it “and I mean now.” The idea of the “give it to me now” era we live in is frightening. Remember what life was like before the microwave or when you had to put a quarter in a public phone to make a call. Furthermore, when your phone had two functions – ringing and dialing.

English: Picture of a Western Electric candles...
Image via Wikipedia

It sure was simple when my memory was an active part of using the telephone.

Today we no longer memorize telephone numbers. What do you use those cells for now?

Memorizing scripture is a great practice. It promotes healthy brain stimulation which keeps the mind sharp. The bonus is threefold:

1. Life-Changing Content- Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.

2.A Constant Source of Light-Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to walk by,and a light to illumine my path.

3. Guarantee of Success in life-Joshua 1:8 This law scroll must not leave your lips! You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful.

Even with all the technology at our fingertips we still have to contend with the “wait” time. Postmodernism has made us more prone to irritability when faced with the idea of “not now, later.”

The benefit of God’s Word active in your life is the only source of constant readiness. It’s always ready, on time, and current. That is worth wanting now. NEED IT NOW? God specializes in making the impossible possible. Prayer changes things.

Related articles

Faith Works When You Work It

Posted on by conquerorshots

Being more than  conquerors is a spiritual principle that keeps you hopeful on a daily basis.  It requires continuous action.  Faith is the action Conquerors use daily. With all of the issues we deal with today – economic uncertainty for one – discouragement, by way of distraction, is a design to disrupt faith.  Dismay breads fear. It is extremely common for me to walk through the course of any given day and get overwhelmed by some situation that is not going the way I expected it to. Any circumstance with designs to overtake my faith and replace it with fear becomes an opportunity for new faith to develop.
Atlanta Skyline
Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Here in Atlanta 

the traffic can create varying results. Anger, stress, rage and distraction are in the forefront for me. Using MARTA does have its advantages. When I have left home two hours earlier to get to my destination on time and I have to encounter “a parking lot” on the interstate, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.  No matter how much I try to control the outcome and be efficient, I am forced to STOP! It is in this state of “stop” that being more than conquerors begins to minister to me. The traffic, i.e. hindrance to get where I THINK I need to be at the time I THINK I need to be there, is an opportunity to reaffirm who I am in Christ and my real purpose through allowing His Sovereign will to “be” the driving force in and over my life. Can you relate?

I must remember that I am “more than a conqueror through Him that loved us” by any means necessary.  I can live victoriously, not arrogantly.  Victorious living is derived from my spiritual condition and my spiritual position; arrogance is directly linked to my ego.  Biblical truth keeps my ego in check and it keeps me sane.  We can actively engage in ALL that we do as  “more than conquerors.” God has given us this infinite gift – JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

The scriptures will continue to serve you as a source of encouragement in these perilous times we live in.  I have created this site to actually assist you. Keeping my commitment to defining the “conqueror lifestyle” is a goal that God has given me and I will share it with you in various ways through Conqueror Ministries. This work is getting done one person at a time, one day at a time.  Your support by regular use of ConquerorShots and your personal willingness to learn to live a conqueror lifestyle will serve others as well as you. 
I am excited about hearing from you and learning how this principle works in your life as well.  Tell your friends, acquaintances and loved ones to join in.  Together we can stay in the race. 
Endeavor with me to maintain the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 
Related articles