More Than a Conqueror Devotional #11

Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy – Matthew 5:7

It seems unavoidable in times of crisis and turmoil to turn inward and act in the interest of self preservation. Human nature dictates that we build our own individual silo, a bomb shelter that will protect us from the outside influences. We cut ourselves off from family, friends, even God. We just want to survive and hang on; we do just enough to make it through the next day. We think that by cutting ourselves off we can be protected, if we mind our own business and don’t stick our neck outs we will survive, but in fact the exact opposite is true. Christ continues his sermon on the mount with a lesson how we can obtain care and consideration. We are blessed when we invest our time and energy into caring for others because when we give care, we when show and share love then God express that affection back to us.

We are more than conquerors today because when we stop being careless and self focused and more careful and focused on God and others then we will experience the full measure of care that comes from the Lord. Our natural inclination is to be so focused on ourselves and meeting our own needs that we do not have time for, or an interest in others, however Christ is looking for more. The Lord cannot bless those who are determined to bless themselves. When we are not careful for others we send a clear message to the Lord that we no longer need his assistance. It is only by helping and caring for others that we earn the assistance of the Heavenly Father. Brothers and sisters in the Lord you will do well to remember that mercy can only be received when it is given. Place your cares and concerns on another today; by giving of yourself you leave room for the Lord to add what you have subtracted.

More Than a Conqueror Devotional #10

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled – Matthew 5:6

At some point in our lives each of us has experience hunger and/or thirst. You may have felt hunger while you were fasting, perhaps you happen to skip a meal because of time constraints or financially you could not provide for yourself and as a result went hungry for a period of time. Whatever the root causes may be we all have experienced hunger. There is deep yearning that grows inside of us, we get uneasy and start to feel uncomfortable. Depending on how long it has been since we ate last a sense of desperation can set in. This is what happens when we long for a natural meal; however Christ encourages us to develop this kind of mentality for spiritual nourishment. It is a real blessing when we develop a hunger and a thirst for the things of God.

We are more than conquerors today because God has promised us when we hunger for His righteousness we shall never miss a meal. There is a blessing in being hungry for the Lord, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). When we are truly hungry for the bread of heaven we will be steadfast and consistent in our pursuit of the Lord and as a result we will be fed daily. Many times after we eat there is a feeling of being full, satisfied or complete. However after we sup from the Master’s table and partake of His righteousness we want more, our hunger grows, our need for more from the Lord increases and the more we want from the Lord the more He gives us. It is a beautiful cycle of need and nourishment, of wanting and receiving. The next time you feel hungry sit down at the Lord’s dinner table and be ready to dine on the most decadent cuisine imaginable. For when you eat with the Lord it is always fine dining.

More Than a Conqueror Devotional #9

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth – Matthew 5:5

Jesus third blessed attitude is one that leads us to a place of natural blessing and abundance. The Lord teaches us that real wealth comes from a feeling of peace and contentment with who we are and what we have. At some point we have all heard the expression, keeping up with the Jones’. This expression refers to innate sense of competition we all have. When a neighbor, or friend or even a member of our family gets something new, we feel the need to have it as well. All be it a new TV, or piece of furniture or even something as large as a new car, as soon as the Jones’ have we also have to have it. This mentality has existed for all time. “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (I Samuel 8:5-6). The people of Israel arrived at a place where all of the surrounding nations had their own kings and instead of continuing in a place where the people are ruled and led by God they desire a king like all the other nations. The people of Israel thought this was going to bring them more material wealth and prosperity, but instead in actually ended up costing them more. In verses 10 – 17 of chapter 8 in the first book of Samuel he articulates all that will be required from the people of Israel in order to have their king. Yet Israel still desires to have a king. We cannot truly be blessed as a people until we have a mentality of contentment.

We are more than conquerors today because the Lord has blessed us with a mind to be at peace with all that the Lord has provided for us. Dear believer let us be clear; this is not an endorsement of sloth or complacency. Christ has called us a holy nation and His royal priesthood. We are heirs to the promise God made to Abraham and in turn have access to that inheritance. However material gain should not be our focus or motivation. In fact the Lord tells here that we will only inherit the bounty of the earth when we are content with who we already are and our current state of blessings. Keeping up with the Jones’ never benefited anyone and furthermore as Disciples of Christ we should live such that the Jones’ want to keep up with us. My dear reader be at peace today with who you are, because only than we will find yourself in a place true prosperity and material wealth.

More Than a Conqueror Devotional #8

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted – Matthew 5:4
February 9, 2010

The Lord continues his teaching from the mountain top by describing the next blessed attitude that will bring about holy living. There is a blessing in loss. There is a blessing in the feeling of emptiness. The Lord is not able to fill us unless we are first empty. Loss brings about a necessary emptiness that our Lord and Savior than uses to fill us; “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13). If the God of hope is going to fill us with joy and peace we must first be empty. The emptiness or feeling of loss that Christ refers to here is not simply the mourning that comes with death, but it is the loss of something very dear to us, something that we might look to for strength, something or someone we might depend on. For many of us it could be a loved one, a spouse or best-friend; however it could also be our careers, our cars, our positions or in some cases even our afflictions. The Lord says we are blessed when we lose the things that are most dear to us because than He can take the position of being that which is most dear.

We are more than conquerors today because we are blessed when we develop a mentality of emptiness. Christ says that we are blessed when we experience loss because than we will be comforted. How much more of a blessing would it be if we did not have to actually lose something, but rather adopted a mentality of loss or emptiness so that Christ could always fill us. “Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves” (Proverbs 7:18). We are truly blessed when our attitude is so blessed that we adopt a philosophy of mourning thereby allowing the Holy Spirit to constantly comfort us. Christ does not like to see his people in pain; however the Lord knows that the feeling of loss and emptiness makes room for him to enter into our hearts. Beloved disciple of the Most High, the Lord wishes to fill your heart today, therefore empty yourself and pour all your cares on the altar of peace so that love may fill your temple.

More Than a Conqueror Devotional #7

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven – Matthew 5:3
February 3, 2010

These words are the opening to Jesus’ first sermon. As Christ begins his ministry he makes his up into a high mountain, his disciples, those that pledged their service to the Lord followed him. The reward for those that were able to follow the Lord was a sermon that detailed the founding principles of all Christ’s teachings that would follow. The beatitudes or blessed attitudes are a collection of guiding principles that govern how humanity should conduct themselves with one another as well as with our Lord. The first of these principles describes how the Lord intends us to live in order to obtain salvation. We are blessed when we come to a place where we no longer have the strength to carry on because when there is less of ourselves than the Lord can be exalted. To be poor in spirit means to be abased, to arrive a place in our lives where we need to rely on the Lord’s strength because we have run out of own strength or ingenuity. When we are poor in spirit we cannot supply our own needs and recognize the need for the Lord’s intervention.

We are more than conquerors today because we understand that in order to overcome we must be entirely dependent on the Lord. There are times when we come to the end of our rope, when we no longer have the ability to char our own course. We may lose our job, a dear companion or loved one may die, we may become ill. There are circumstances that force us to be poor in spirit, occasions that bring us to a low estate. The Lord is looking for his disciples to develop a mentality of being poor in spirit regardless of our circumstances. The apostle Paul said I know how to be abased and to abound…both to abound and to suffer need (Philippians 4:12). If we wish to obtain salvation, i.e. the kingdom of heaven we must live a life that relies on the Lord and Him alone. Being poor in spirit is a state of mind, a lifestyle not more so than an economic status. As heirs to the throne of Christ we do not have to live in poverty, we can reap the harvest of the latter and former rain; however in our abundance we are to maintain a mentality of poverty. The kingdom is ours because we are the Lord’s.