(Romans 8:37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
(Romans 8:38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
(Romans 8:39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Everyone wants to have a happy holiday season. Whatever your celebratory practice may be, you want the experience to be pleasurable. Let us not take our blessings for granted.
I am shocked that there are record breaking shopping statistics this holiday season in the retail market but our national economic status is that of a recession. This implies that there are many people without work. If you are not working then money is scarce. So how are you shopping like there is a surplus of jobs, money and wealth nationally?
Debt is dangerous. But people accumulate debt simply because they are motivated to give in order to have a pleasurable experience over the holidays. Consequently, some may even have such expectations on the receiving end.
The commercial appeal that this holiday maintains is assuredly designed for the sole purpose of removing Christ out of Christmas.
You decide which way you want to celebrate. However, you decide know this;
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.
The season is destined for Joy when He is in His rightful place. Money does not determine this reality.
May your holiday season be forever inclusive of the presence of Christ.
|
There is a song for Psalms 121. The first time I heard this song I was singing in the choir of my church home here in Georgia. Miss Carol sang the song so beautifully and I was absorbed by the spirit of the song as I was learning it in rehearsal. At that time in my life I was transitioning from my home state of New Jersey to Georgia. It was a tumultuous time in that I was separated from my wife and children for what I thought would be indefinite.
This was a valley experience and there were steep hills and mountains all around me. I was overwhelmed with the devastation of the situations that led up to our separation. Dealing with failure, powerlessness and unmanageability honestly for the first time in my life, this was the beginning of the tearing down of some major strongholds in my life during the end of 2000. I had to get real with God about the issues that were destroying the goodness that He provided in my life. I would go to church every Sunday and the more I showed up the more I heard The Spoken Word of God. My sin-sick soul needed to get the willingness to let that Word penetrate from my head to my heart. It took the repetition of being around the Word of God during those months in order for it to become alive and at work in me. These were painful times but they were Heavenly times.
The song presented me with the truth of the source of my help. It gave me the confirmation that all along my journey to get to that place of healing, the Lord was my keeper, the Lord was my shade upon my right hand. He was preserving my soul even forever more. MY HELP, MY HELP, MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD.
At that time I needed help to get up and walk by faith and not by sight. Life had beat me down to where I was not walking spiritually. I was crawling because of the affects of manifest sin at work in me. When you do not stay in fellowship with El Elyon – The Most High God — The Possessor of Everything Heavenly and Earthly – by way of His Word, you are destined to live in sin. Over time, if you are His child, that lifestyle makes you have to yield to Him. In those moments of initial ascent towards Him you will be met with God’s Help. He desires to help his children always.
(Click the underline) The issue becomes this – YOU CAN NOT TELL HELP HOW TO HELP!!!!!!!
Being more than a conqueror means having the acceptance that God is God all by Himself. He does not need you to guide Him; YOU NEED HIM TO GUIDE YOU!! He makes it possible for you to realize just how proficient He is at leading when you begin to abide in Him by staying in His Word and allowing His Life to affect EVERY aspect of your life. This is how you live as “MORE THAN A CONQUEROR”.
This song ministers to my spirit the message of God’s Determined Will at taking care of His children. Though it was addressed to the Nation of Israel, the principles of God depicted in this chapter are applicable to us today as Christians since we are ALL God’s children today because of the Blood of Jesus.
|
|
I continue to experience the reality of God’s Sovereignty in and over my life. You know what I mean? There are times when things come up and you have to immediately respond. Sometimes you may deal with the change willingly – with a peaceful tone; but when you are engrossed in the current situation and God allows something to surface that requires your immediate attention, a harsher response is often times the case. Why is that?
Change is not comfortable. Change is not always the best choice. However, CHANGE IS NECESSARY. If one is not changing that begs the question “are you living?” In my life the matter of change can surface with simplicity. I can be walking one moment and needing to sit down the next. Now I want to continue to walk but pain will cause me to have to stop walking. There is nothing I can do about that other than SIT DOWN. Amazingly, I have put myself through so much more difficulty because of this dilemma of not wanting to change. See I had worked hard at gaining the momentum in my mobility. I had a particular goal in mind and my walking was required for me to arrive at the planned destination. So I learned the importance of perseverance.
That principle helps me to keep God present during the hardship and endure it like a soldier engaged in battle. When the battle becomes intense the soldier can’t just lay down and say “I am not going to fight any more!!!” He has to stand in the circumstance, realize his mission and persevere through the intensity and employ all of his skills and training to emerge victoriously. Being More Than A Conqueror means that, just like the soldier, you too stand in the situation – REALIZE YOUR MISSION (trust God, stand on His Word), ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO INFLUENCE EVERY THOUGHT, DECISION, PLAN AND GOAL, and BELIEVE THAT, just like Christ resurrected from the grave, WE ARE ABLE TO CONQUER ALL HARDSHIPS VICTORIOUSLY. “If God be for us, WHO (what) CAN BE AGAINST US.
You know how you get when you are NEEDING to call someone and talk? The friend I call on is Jesus I did not get to complete my message about “MY Friend”. Just review the words to the hymn “What a Friend We Have In Jesus”
I pray that you will develop a thirst for the Word and a hunger for His Presence. I also hope that you will continue to support this ministry as it develops.
God bless you.
|
ConquerorShots 