God is faithful no matter what! Rev. D shares this short message on how you, like him, can live on purpose declaring “I WIN!” Spiritually daily.
Courage To Pray and Trust In God’s Providence
We are blessed to have Sister Cheryl DeGroat, my mom, provide us with another potent “shot” to fuel your soul. We all must develop a courageous willingness to trust in what God just does. There is much Biblical evidence to support this Divine characteristic of the Godhead. Mom is invested in exposing real truth by expressing God’s Word to expel any error that may cause you to miss out on what being a child of God is all about. Be empowered living the Conqueror Lifestyle. Enjoy and stay in the race!
Darrin
Prayer and Providence
There are two paths of communication between you and God:
(1) Searching the scriptures —the path by which God speaks to you.
(2) Prayer —the path by which you speak to God.
The Doctrine of ProvidenceProvidence is different from preservation. The doctrine of Preservation is God’s work in upholding and supplying the needs of that which He has created i.e. sustainment. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The doctrine of Providence is God’s continuous control over the entire physical and moral universe to fulfill His original intended purpose.His providence is:1. Universal (because He is omnipresent) 2. Powerful (because He is omnipotent) 3. Wise (because He is omniscient) 4. Holy (because He is Righteousness, Goodness, and Truth) Prayer and Providence go hand in hand. The prayer of faith petitions God’s care and control over any issue at hand. God provides for us in overwhelmingly, gracious developments which only He can manifest. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Isaiah 46:9-10 KJV Always remember this – God’s Providence is already in place every time you pray. Have the courage to trust in the fact that He already knows the plans He has for you. Your prayers will expose your faith in Him. You don’t have to know His plan for you to trust in Him. You have to know Him to trust in Him. Reading His Word regularly helps you get acquainted with who He is. The more you know Him the more you will possess the courage to trust in His providence. By faith in Him, the Holy Spirit will open your eyes of understanding to see Him through His Word. Trust Him when you pray and stay in fellowship with Him through His Word. Consequently, you too will know the plan as your walk, talk and lifestyle reveals His will for you. This is the Conqueror Lifestyle in action. Prayer changes things! The next “shot” will focus on your courage as it is revealed through your faith. Faith is both objective and subjective. Related articles |
Let It Go
When ANYTHING is keeping you from spiritual progress – “LET IT GO!”
Pick up your copy of “Qualities of a Conqueror – Volume 1” Today
If something is hindering you from moving forward, you are responsible for honestly identifying the problem and willingly letting it go. No one is going to do this work for you -GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ALL THAT YOU NEED TO EXPERIENCE BLESSED FREEDOM. Your ability to “let it go” is found in your belief in God’s faithfulness.
Hebrews 11 is a well known chapter in the Bible as it is often described as the “Hall of Faith.” There you will discover the actual definition for faith, specific instruction on how to access faith and realize ALL its benefits and a comprehensive account of several Biblical characters who demonstrated faith during their lifetime. Then the writer offers inspirational instruction on what to do when you are faced with matters that affect your progress in spiritual maturity through faith. He uses the analogy of a runner in a race to demonstrate the process of realizing your potential to move through the race of life victoriously living the Conqueror Lifestyle. Remember, the race is not given to the swift or to the strong, but to the person who is willing to endure unto the end. As you run this race (live the life God has called you to) you are going to have to LET SOME THINGS GO.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance (WEIGHT) and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The list above is based on my own personal account of weights that have served to affect my spiritual progress. Ultimately, God allows them so that you and I will be forced to trust Him more. The same applies to you and whatever matters are hindering you from moving ahead in faith. You are going to have to trust in infinite God, not in your finite self if you really want to move ahead. Otherwise, your momentum in the race is lost, you are not willing to change and your human endurance will give out. Stop giving the weight more strength to keep you in bondage. My book “Qualities of a Conqueror – Volume 1” will show you, among other instruction, how to LET IT GO and LET GOD ABIDE.
Blessed Freedom
I have not written a ConquerorShot in quite some time. My life’s journey has allowed me to realize new opportunities to write, speak, teach and live the Conqueror Lifestyle. Yet I have missed this outlet to share truth relative to life situations and how we experience the “more” in Romans 8:37 . This month’s principle is INTEGRITY. Today, in my awakening, the resounding voice of truth of the blessed freedom we, children of God, possess, gave me clarity of mind and spirit as I reflect on God’s faithfulness. I pray that every reader and follower will rejoice with me in knowing that John 8:36 says “So if the son sets you free, you will be really free.(NET)” “Our God IS FAITHFUL.“
On Tuesday morning my awakening was a source of thanksgiving and reflection. Often times family matters between husband/wife, father/son, father/daughter, brother/brother and brother/sister offer challenges that affect us to the core. The saying is true “no one can hurt you more than family.” I can testify to that from both perspectives – the hurt and the hurtful. “Yet I have come to realize in my reflection that God is ALWAYS in control of ANY given situation and my readiness to acknowledge His Sovereignty in ANY gut wrenching situation is how I continue to experience His blessed freedom. The Conqueror Lifestyle© can preserve and provide you with this outlook on any given day.” (Rev. D)
I was awakened by a phone call from my daughter (progress) “Daddy, I need you to come here… I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT… HURRY DADDY!” As the urgency in her voice called me to immediate action to “get there” I rushed to my 2 car garage (progress) and got in my car (progress) to go and see about my “baby girl.” I was too “busy” to pray, ponder a principle, reflect on Scripture or anything concerning my spiritual hygiene and therefore it was on “auto.” Similarly, I had not brushed my teeth, washed my face or showered my body. My call to action only gave me time to “get there.” When I pulled up I immediately noticed her car. Then I saw her standing there on the side of the curvey, 2-lane, slippery road. To my surprise she was standing, tall, unharmed in any way from this obvious loss of control with life-threatening potential. I had to contain myself concerning my visceral response to what I realized driving up. As I hurried over to her my heart was pounding with overwhelming joy for God’s faithfulness. “He protected my daughter once again!”
As I grabbed her into my arms I could feel her tension as she was in shock. Her embrace was firm until she exhaled and sobbed in anguish over what she had just experienced. The obvious loss of her car was annunciating her regret as she was just starting to get used to her freedom of having her own vehicle in her fourth week. As I listened to her lament over this apparent “MTaC” moment, the Lord reminded me of this passage of scripture:
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good ; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!(Psalm 34:7-8 NASB)
While I was on my way to “get there” God and His angels “were already there!” There was no other way to help her than to share my thanksgiving for the faithfulness of God concerning my daughter and His child. He gave His angels charge over the entire aspect of her first accident. What I knew as I drove up was she was driving in the same direction I was, yet her car did not hit the tree HEAD ON! The impact was TOTALLY absorbed by the rear of her car as it amazingly was ‘TURNED AROUND.” She could not explain how it ended up in that position as she described the spinning experience as she braced herself for impact. But God was fueling my spirit with the POWER, THE SAME POWER, that managed her miraculous outcome. He was the reason for her protection, safety, and most of all her blessed freedom to walk away from that accident without ANY injury to her body.
I COMMENCED PRAISE & THANKSGIVING by testifying of His goodness, grace and faithfulness all around that accident scene and reminded her of the evidence as she was standing there, tall and beautiful, unharmed with no visible scars. There was no need to visit the ER and, as she would later prove, she was in good enough condition to go on to school later that morning and take a physics test, pass it and maintain her A average. There is Blessed Freedom in knowing God IS able!!!
In the same manner, I am fortunate enough to have an ongoing experience with Blessed freedom as the Conqueror Lifestyle continues to make my pathway straight. I told you I had not performed any spiritual hygiene or bodily hygiene as I rushed to “get there” But the fact that I have routinely upheld my responsibilities towards personal and spiritual hygiene daily prior to the accident, there was evidence of it as I had to interact with my daughter, the officers, the tow truck driver and even myself. The qualities of a conqueror include being prepared to walk in the freedom that is realized as I maintain my position In Christ. His blessed freedom is possible because I continue to trust in, rely on and believe that His Power is in me. If you know Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, He will sustain you, protect you, provide for you, mature you and most of all bless you with “more than you could ever ask or think of.” We serve a Mighty God with unlimited resources. It is in your best interest to allow for your integral attachment to the Spirit of Christ, through His death, burial and resurrection to sustain your integrity in Him on a daily basis. The results include Blessed Freedom to realize His faithfulness. “John 8:36 says “So if the son sets you free, you will be really free.(NET)”
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Be Honest: Give Credit Where It’s Truly Due
Here at Conqueror Ministries we love sports. Athletes depict the Conqueror Lifestyle so brilliantly. Last nights game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami was no exception. At the top of the game the commentating focused on prior dialogue between Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant.
The emphasis was on D.Wade’s wrist bands titled “note to self(see them here)” about comments KD made about replacing Wade in the top 10 list with James Harden. KD’s palpable drive to overcome his 2nd place status to the Heat in the finals and the MVP award to LeBron James. The reference inferred KD’s inferiority to the Heat. My attention to the game’s outcome heightened when, during the pregame interview with KD, he referenced Proverbs 27:17 “irons sharpen iron” as a way of spiritually demonstrating his appreciation for the heightened camaraderie between the Heat players and he. We applaud Kevin Durant’s response. People can motivate people to rely on God’s sovereignty.
Proverbs 27:17 (NASB) Iron sharpens iron,So one man sharpens another.
The game did not disappoint. The Thunder experienced a 20+ point deficit in the first quarter before taking their place as leading scorers. The fact that the Thunder faced the stellar starting five – Wade, Chalmers, Bosh, Battier and James,- who were responsible for the championship win in 2012, made it seem that once again Miami was not going to lose an important game at home. Why was this game important to the Heat? Simple. They all have egos that demand a win against the #1 Western Conference team to supersede their #2 Eastern Conference standing. It is obvious that the team is without their other star player, Russell Westbrook. Therefore, the Thunder’s vulnerability to the Heat’s starting lineup was a prime opportunity to establish momentum in their efforts to move to #1 in their conference. However, the Heat failed miserably.
I am certain that the 2 stars Westbrook and Durant are sharpening other iron on their own team as well because the sudden rise of Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb, both sharp as tacks on offense and defense. And the veteran Derek Fisher just seemed unstoppable in his 3 point shooting. Ibaka and Sefolosha were both defensive dynamos as the Heat struggled in a cycle of turnovers that was ongoing throughout the second half. As the Thunder’s went on to win it 112-95, Kevin Durant emerged once again as the star scorer with over 30 points. His leadership qualities as a Conqueror made the post interview with Doris Burke a stellar MTAC moment. When she asked Kevin “what goes into a streak of winning like you have had over the last 12 games,(see it here)” Kevin’s response was humbly “God – Jesus Christ.” Doris was waiting for Kevin to take the credit for his athleticism and the victorious outcome and Kevin’s motivation to BE HONEST AND GIVE JESUS CHRIST THE CREDIT HE DESERVES shut out any opportunity for vain egotism to prevail.
Christians and MTAC’s worldwide watching this post interview should appreciate this opportunity to see the Conqueror Lifestyle in action publicly last night. If you missed it, check out the link above. Kevin Durant gave us our Conqueror Shot for the day.
Your honesty with yourself about your need for your Savior, Jesus Christ, should always be on display.
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I Honestly Need The Lord To Be of Service
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.
“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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Humbled To Find Humility
(A Short Story from the ConquerorShotMaker.)
Darrin was leaving the sanctuary that was releasing over 6000 attendees from the Sunday morning worship service. His spirit was elated with the Heavenly fruit of the Spirit and the joy of the Lord was upon him. In transit towards the west wing exit, he was met by one of the brothers from the church choir. Arthur was notorious for being a zealous soul, full of gratitude for His Savior’s love. On this day Arthur’s head was hung low as he walked directly into Darrin’s right arm. The meeting was surprising to Darrin as he embraced Arthur to slow him down. In the moment that Arthur realized it was Darrin now holding his arms firmly as he saw his lips moving but was unable to hear the words. Arthur was overwhelmed by the noise in his mind as the thoughts of terror associated with the loss of his life-savings plagued him thoroughly. He too was in the same service.
How is it that 2 Christian men can be in the same church service and leave with 2 different realities?
The dichotomy is associated with the condition of each mans’ heart spiritually. We all are inundated with the human conundrum of the mental and emotional contributions we receive from our heart. From a Biblical perspective we learn the following about our hearts’ human potential:
Genesis 6:5 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.
Pro 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
Pro 19:3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.
Pro 19:21 There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man.
The verses are clear. A human heart absent of the blood of Jesus is permanently darkened with these conditions. No matter how “good” you may be, your heart is subject to manifest itself as described above. The reason why is because God said so, not me. Many people have such a darkened heart that they REFUSE to receive this truth. Arthur is struggling with this truth as he and Darrin interact in the vestibule. Darrin is startled as the reality of Arthur’s distractions are immense. He continued to look into Darrin’s eyes with a blank stare absent of the presence of joy. Darrin was not inclined to let go of his arms. Despair and anguish were written all over Arthur’s face. At that moment Darrin’s spirit awakens him with the truth of the Word of God:
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like…………
and 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ‘s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Arthur was overwhelmed with a heart that was actively being humbled as a result of the affairs in his life. Today he was made to realize how sin sick he had become. He was a hard worker and quite successful at making a living. His long-term relationship with his wife and children ended abruptly as they were killed in an accident. He was left with a brain injury from the accident that rendered him disabled. He was no longer able to drive himself around after the incident. Public transportation and help from others were his transportation options after years of self-sufficiency being mobile. He was learning to live alone without any direct interaction from family after years of having direct family involvements. And now, in the past week, he learns that a man, who he met in church and trusted to manage his life savings, took all his money and now his life’s brokenness includes financial hardship.
Arthur was overwhelmed with the internal dynamics of the “how” and “why” questions. His heart was consumed with grief and his flesh wanted to retaliate in some way. In fact, he desperately needed to escape this pain by any means necessary. He was perplexed with the thoughts of how he could end it all and go home to be with the Lord. Yet, he was determined to trust God. In the church service they were leaving, the pastor delivered a powerful message.
I Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: The sermon title: HUMBLED TO FIND HUMILITY.
The sermon confronted his heart’s condition as he heard the pastor deliver the point that God allows suffering “to
make somebody feel less important: to make somebody feel less proud or convinced of his or her own importance.”
That stung Arthur’s heart but good! Arthur’s trust in God included regular church attendance. The payoff for his commitment initiated. In the midst of all his loss and his need for human involvement after loosing all family ties, his heart was still egotistical, prideful and driven by a spirit of human arrogance. With all the loss, he still had a human will to “be strong and never let them see me sweat” attitude. In his alone time he was consumed with anger, envy, hatred, wrath, strife and the works continued to manifest. His current living conditions, coupled with a regular spiritual battle with God’s unending love, was a recipe that called for God’s intervention. The pastor proclaimed, “GET LOW BEFORE CALVARY AND FIND HUMILITY.” Arthur was stunned with the truth in the power of the cross.
The pastor’s final words were: “God’ knows how to use our circumstances to get our hearts right before Him. Will you give Him yours today?”
Arthur was too weak to answer but troubled nonetheless. He stayed in place throughout the rest of the service. The time came to exit. He walked aimlessly through the vestibule in fear of what he would do to himself if he left the building. The fear and uncertainty became so overwhelming as he made up his mind to go. Just then he ran into Darrin who grabbed him and would not let him go.
Darrin knew this warfare between flesh and spirit all too well himself. With a discerning spirit, he began to sing in the space of the vestibule they occupied,
“Give me a clean heart. So I may serve Thee. Lord, fix my heart so that I may be used by Thee. For I’m not worthy of all these blessings. Give me a clean heart and I’ll follow Thee.
I’m not asking for the riches of the land. I’m not asking for high men to know my name.
Please give me Lord a clean heart so that I may follow Thee. Give me a clean heart and I’ll follow Thee.
I am up sometimes I am down. Sometimes I am almost level to the ground.
Please give me Lord a clean heart so that I may follow Thee. Give me a clean heart and I’ll follow Thee.”
A song that Arthur sang in the choir years ago, that would illuminate his zealous spirit so many times during choir rehearsals and worship services, was now ministering to Arthur’s troubled heart as the inhabitants throughout the vestibule – transient and gathered – joined in on the singing of the chorus. Arthur was now standing upright, his head held up and his facial countenance being restored through the illumination of the Holy Spirit. The tears streamed down his face as the joy of God’s presence lifted his heart and his arms were now lifted up high above his head as he sang to the Lord, pleading for God to fix what was broken. Arthur’s sorrow, as he was obediently yielding to the truth of his inferiority and need of God’s superiority, allowed him to find the willingness to modestly and respectfully stand in the presence of God and receive the healing his heart desperately was in need of. The praise in the worship service continued in the vestibule as the unity of the saints worked together with the Spirit of Christ and a humbled heart found the grace and love of God in due time. Arthur’s commitment to trust God resulted in newness of life that day. like Darrin,his instinctual fervor for a conqueror lifestyle is serving him and others today. God is good ALL THE TIME.
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- Humility is Beautiful (peacefulwife.com)
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- Attitude Check….. (wordofgodspeaktome.wordpress.com)
- Humility Hinders Our Walk (highlyfavored74.wordpress.com)
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- Humility vs Pride (graceandgritforlivinglife.wordpress.com)
ConquerorShots 