“Oh Taste and See”

Posted on by conquerorshots

Psalms 34:8-9 KJV
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Every morning this week I have awakened to a songs from my youth that depict God the Father and Son being “sweet.” I have posted the songs on my personal Facebook feed with numerous responses. But the idea of the Father and Son being a sweet taste is not a literal translation. After all, we have to use our mouths in order to get the sweet taste to register in our brains.

In all my years of Bible study, training, preaching, teaching and counseling I still have not experienced the actual sweet taste associated with my faith in Jesus Christ in a physical manner. Trust me, I truly have a sweet tooth and love desserts – with the exception of cheesecake and exclusively chocolate creations. I mostly enjoy the sensation of peach cobbler, Haagen Dazs Dulce De Leche ice cream and french vanilla flavored coffee constantly registering my sweet taste buds as I savor the individual flavors as long as possible. In my vast experience with sweet tasting treats, experiencing the sweetness associated with faith in Jesus Christ is extremely more satisfying.

David’s sentiment implies the urgency he developed for trusting in the LORD. He was on the run from King Saul at the time of the writing. He feigned being a madman to avoid harm to him. He had no human aid he could trust in. Yet day by day, the LORD kept David alive, safe, secure and provided all his needs while on the run for his life.  When you read the back story of Psalm 34 in 1 Samuel 21 and 22 you get a deeper sense of his personal need for Divine Providence. God provides for His children!

ConquerorShots will always make the distinction between Old Testament lessons and New Testament Christian theology. We must all adhere to the urgency David writes about with fervor and diligence. With regards to David’s faith, the LORD is translated as Jehovah – the self revealing one. In other words God revealed His character through the names of Jehovah. David, being a son of Jesse, was an Israelite man with great promise attached to his bloodline. The Davidic covenant directly lines up with the millennial Kingdom prophesied through the Old and New Testaments. A Earthly promise which has yet to be fulfilled. Therefore, Christians have a completely different faith experience regarding God. Christianity allows for a specific faith in CPR² that David did not have available to him.

Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection changed the way in which mankind relates with God making Christianity totally different from religion.

We can identify with David’s experience “tasting and seeing that the LORD is good” but we have a more intimate connection to His goodness. Christian faith insures the Spirit of Christ in us adopting us into God the Son and making us joint heirs with Him eternally. THIS IS A HEAVENLY PROMISE THAT IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE EARTHLY PROMISES MADE TO ABRAHAM REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CHOSEN RACE ISRAEL.

Undoubtedly there are blessings directly related to trusting in God from an Old Testament perspective. But the book of Hebrews (New Testament) declares that “without faith it is impossible to please God…Hebrews 11:1” Faith has ALWAYS been a standard God has presented to mankind. But Christian faith and Jewish faith are not the same unless the common denominator is CPR².  The Heavenly promise allows for a man to have a hope David knew nothing about. Christian faith in CPR² provides us with blessings both earthly and Heavenly. Furthermore, as Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us because of our Spiritual position IN Christ.

This blessed assurance provides us with a Spiritual sweetness words can’t describe and human senses can’t interpret. The faithful, merciful blessings of the LORD are still new morning by morning.  The current state of affairs in this world can weight us down humanly. But our position IN Christ maintains our Spiritual footing and we are equipped to stand against any adversity. If you have not tasted of our Savior’s Spiritual sweetness, please get to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Every attribute of Jehovah in the Old Testament will become a rich part of your spiritual development as you walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.  This is how we can soar through life living the Conqueror Lifestyle!

 

How to Live the Conqueror Lifestyle & “WIN” Daily

Posted on by conquerorshots

 

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.

Jesus Is Lord & Savior; NOT a Good Luck Charm

Posted on by conquerorshots

 

 

People in the world are quick to attribute success to good luck.In the same manner, they will attribute failure to bad luck.Good luck is not in the Lord’s repertoire.Luck is NOT associated with any of His characteristics.The Lord is Great in ALL He does.

“Every good and perfect thing is from above and comes down from the Father of lights…” is how James 1:17 makes the point in our title. All God does is good. The book of Job reveals that any evil in our lives is allowed by God. God allows evil in the lives of His children to build our faith in His Power to prevail over the evil. We are on display for the angels and all the evil spirits in the heavens to see God’s powerful goodness revealed in and through us. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

God uses His children to maintain His Sovereignty over evil.Therefore, good luck is in no way associated with God’s goodness, grace, mercy, compassion and love for us.Luck and Jesus do NOT add up.

Those who are content to base their experiences on luck – whether good or bad – are living in darkness.They are awake naturally but ASLEEP Spiritually! This begs the questions, are you walking in your blessed life awakened to God’s goodness?  Do you associate everything thing that is good in your life with good luck? Do you equate your luck with God’s wrath? Are you believing that bad luck indicates God’s wrath? If so, be deceived no more.

Jesus is Light and in Him there is no darkness.David declares in Psalm 8:9 “How EXCELLENT IS Thy Name” as he concludes the 8th chapter.He starts the chapter declaring the same phrase.Loosely translated, the quote means The Name of the LORD is the most wonderful name in all the earth.His name initiates praise throughout the heavens‼️

David references Jehovah in the Old Testament where over 40 characteristics define His name.Here’s a few:

•Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)

•Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)

•Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)

•Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)

•Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)

•Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

•Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)

•Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

David considered all the wondrous works He has done.He looked up to the sky & marveled at His Divine handiwork of the sun, the blue sky, clouds, moon & stars.Then David looked at mankind, God’s handiwork.He marveled at how precious human beings are in His sight.David was convinced of God’s sovereignty!

Every aspect of our humanity demonstrates God’s excellence.Consider the nervous, pulmonary and cardiac systems & how they draw from each other.

The human body is a model of the Body of Christ solely exposed in the Pauline epistles. The Apostle Paul was given the commission to preach the gospel of the grace of God to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected it.(See Acts 13) Jesus told Paul to preach the gospel – Christ died on the cross for our sins, that He was buried and rose again from the grave on the 3rd day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor.15:1-4)

This is the Divine purpose of Paul’s ministry:

Act 26:18  “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

What more does God need to do to prove to you How excellent is His name?

It is a travesty & shame how humans – men, women, boys & girls- both then & now have gone from reverencing God as Creator to reverencing themselves as gods.

You see it in every arena:

•In the homes

•In the churches

•In the communities around the country

•In the world

People are worshiping each other & themselves more than God

Their blatant disregard for the fact that God is the source of their life-giving air for respiration and blood flow – PROVES why Jesus had to equip Paul with the gospel of the grace of God REVEALED in Jesus Christ’s death, burial & resurrection

The Power of this revelation revealed to Saul changed everything about his life

•his name changed

•his belief changed

•his message changed

God Empowered him to preach, teach and live the gospel of the grace of God

Every detail surrounding his changes were not due to luck – good/bad

IT WAS DIVINE PROVIDENCE! 

SALVATION IS A DIVINE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO RECEIVE & BENEFIT FROM Spiritually

•You will go through hardships

•You will go through disappointments, uncertainty, and yes CHANGES

But DON’T LOOSE YOUR FAITH

GOD IS GREAT & GREATLY TO BE PRAISED NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION OR CIRCUMSTANCE IS.

GOD NEVER FAILS & THERE IS NO FAILURE IN TRUSTING JESUS AS Lord & Savior.

WHEN YOU PUT ALL YOUR TRUST IN Jesus Christ, LUCK is not a part of your experience as a child of God & member of the Body of Christ.

DIVINE PROVIDENCE IS ALWAYS THE CASE‼️

Included in Paul’s ministry is our final point concerning the title “Jesus is Lord and Savior; NOT a good luck charm.”

As Savior He saves us in 3 ways:

  • He is our source for salvation from our past & present sins. We must have faith in the blood of Jesus.
  • He also SAVES us from the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness in this world and spiritual wickedness in high places on a daily basis. We must have faith in the Power of the resurrection of Christ.
  • He will save us from the penalty of sin which is eternal separation from God. We are saved from the judgement the world & the Devil are guaranteed‼️ We must have faith in the gift of eternal life.

As Lord He is the Head of the body which is all those saints who, BY FAITH, believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is 1 Body and Jesus Christ Lords over it as the “brains” of the operation. Faith in Jesus Christ maintains His power to Lord (be Master)over every aspect of your life from day to day. 

In salvation you are baptized by the Spirit making you adopted into the family of God where you are complete in Christ. His baptism can never be undone‼️ God the Father becomes your Heavenly Father who is watching over you both day & night.Every name David rejoiced in is maintained in Jesus Christ. He has placed His Spirit in Us. This is what makes us “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

Jesus makes EVERYTHING happen – the good times, the bad times, the easy times & the hard times – HE MAKES ALL TIMES GOOD AND PERFECT‼️

And luck has NOTHING to do with the outcomes because He is Sovereign

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

We All Need Love

Posted on by conquerorshots

Human beings love in various ways. The variants stem from the origins of physical and emotional love which spring up in the flesh. In addition, spiritual love shows up in multiple manifestations as it is produced exclusively in a regenerated spirit.  Therefore, when we hear someone say “I love you” it is necessary to discern whether their love originates in the flesh, spirit

or both.

1Johnn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1Johnn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Love is a powerful emotion stimulating our beings from the annals of our soul and spirit.  Physical manifestations, whether overt or covert, can cause a man or woman to act out their character to the point where their behavior is almost animal like. This is extreme but true. The same scenario applies when emotional love creates all kinds of unwarranted, unrealistic expectations and demands on “loved-ones” absent of any rationality. This example is best realized when we love someone emotionally to the degree that “I don’t want them to be in pain – physical, mental, emotional – and suffer” is a driving expectation absent of any acceptance of God’s Sovereignty. Physical and emotional love originate in our souls where the seat of our intellect and emotions are.

The soul is the part of a human being that God gave life to when He “breathed the breath of life into him and man became a living soul.”

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Every human being’s flesh is controlled by the soul. The soul is realized in our thoughts, desires and feelings. It is a spiritual mistake to connect soulish tendencies with spirituality. Every human being is capable of love whether they are saved by grace or not.  What is most important to understand is the soul is where sin originates in us all. It is Satan who uses our souls to manifest sin in us. He uses our thoughts, desires and feelings to draw us away from God. Our mistake is when we trust our thoughts, desires and feelings to be Godly leadership when it is actually Satanic. See what James says:

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away (from God) of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Physical love and emotional love aka eros and phileo respectively, are natural tendencies. Unregenerate souls produce them. But when a human being hears the gospel of Jesus Christ -He came to save sinners from the penalty of sin which is eternal spiritual death by shedding his blood and being crucified, dying and resurrecting from the grave – and faith in the gospel originates, his/her spirit awakens from a deadened state because of the sin of our flesh.

Ephesians 2:1-10 confirms this:And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the]mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

We all need a daily infusion of the LOVE of Jesus Christ in our spirits. His blood that was shed has the POWER to cleanse us, save us and renew the spirit within us. Adam had this spiritual connection with God before the human race was infected with sin. From then to now man’s spirit is dead and in need of revival. Man’s spiritual renewal is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Christ which raised Him from the grave – in our revived spirits making it alive and occupied with God’s Sovereignty that produces an unlimited supply of AGAPE LOVE. The epitome of Godly spirituality is the regular experience of agape love.

Agape love is spiritual love as it can only come from God – man can NOT manufacture AGAPE love without a revived spirit. A revived spirit, makes the mind renewed (i.e. the soul is now under the control of the spirit now indwelt by the Spirit. A renewed mind manifests new life that is lived in our human bodies as a result of new spiritual life being infused in us daily.   Ultimately, we can know, feel, receive and give spiritual love that overrides human love. Spiritual love never fails. WE ALL NEED HIS LOVE!