"You Are More Than A Conqueror"

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37

 

Before I got out of bed this morning the words to a song that I haven't heard in years began to repeat over and over in my thoughts. Let me share them with you. "We've been made more than conquerors, overcomers in this life. We've been made victorious through the blood of Jesus Christ." 

 

Daily I hear so many prayer requests. I can't get over how many needs there are among us. The list seems endless. The Bible says that the kingdom suffers violence, and that we have an adversary who comes to steal, kill and destroy, and that he is seeking whom he may devour. Jesus even told us that we would have tribulation in this world. But this morning I don't want to focus on the needs, the sickness, the problems, the trials. Instead I want to focus on the fact that in all these things we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. That is why this song was on my heart. There is no doubt that we will face difficulties while in this world, but because of Jesus and His victory we can say with the Apostle Paul- "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:8,9)

 

Let me share another verse of this song. "When trouble comes knocking at your door, don't be afraid it's not like before. Don't you give in, don't let it bring you down, you don't have to worry any more. Jesus said there would be tribulation, but He said, I have overcome. Brothers and sisters now is the time to stand. Don't you know the battles all are won."

 

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) If you are going through a battle/trial this morning, you need to look it squarely in the eyes and say, "I am more than a conqueror over you through Jesus Christ". As you do, some of you who are reading this will receive your deliverance, and for some you may still walk through it but you will receive the supernatural grace and strength of the Lord that will cause you to "run through a troop and leap over a wall". Either way stand upon God's word and hold fast your profession of faith- which is "I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ!"

 

Have a great day. "We've been made more than conquerors, over comers in this life. We've been made victorious through the blood of Jesus Christ." 

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 10:23

1 John 4:4

John 10:10

1 Peter 5:8

Psalm 18:29

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"The Flashlight"

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

 

God's word is many things to us. His word is a lamp and a light unto our path. Have you ever walked into a dark room or outside in the dark? My mother in law lives next door to us so many times we will just walk across the yard to her house. If we go late in the day and stay too long we have to walk home in the dark. There is no light outside to see by and if the moon is hid behind the clouds it is very dark. The darkness leaves us with the inability to see where we are going. Although I have walked that path many times, without a light I am still unsure of where to place my next step. Because we are unable to see we don't know what lies ahead of us making it easy to stumble or fall. At those times my one wish is for a flashlight. 

 

Life has its times of "light" and "darkness". There are times when we see everything clearly. We know where we are going, what we are doing, and have clear direction. But then there are times when it is "dark". The way before us is unclear, we don't know what to do, we can't see to make the next step. This happens on "familiar" paths of life-- those places we have been through before-- and on "unfamiliar" paths-- the places we have never been through before. On either path, the familiar and unfamiliar, we have one desire-- light! 

 

The good news is that there is "light" for us so that we don't have to walk in darkness down any path that we are on. That light is God's word. His word will give us light to "see" as we walk the path of life. It will give us the light of peace, of direction, of comfort and of joy. When we read God's word, hide it in our hearts and apply it in the situation, it is like having a "flashlight" with us to light up our path. Also, when we have Jesus living in our lives, He is the Living Word and the Light of men, His presence gives us light. 

 

As long as we have God's Word-- the written promises-- and God's Word-- the Lord Jesus-- in our lives, we will never walk in darkness. The Light will always be with us shining on our path of life. 

 

Have a great day. We need a flashlight when walking through dark places. When we come to dark places/times in our lives, we need a flashlight then too-- it is God's Word. 

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 9:2

John 1:1,4,5

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Seeking The Ark - part 2"

"Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood." Psalm 132:6

 

Yesterday we said that the ark represents the presence of God and the Israelites we searching for it because it was not where it was suppose to be. They did finally find it-- "in the fields of the wood". The commentaries say that this was a place- the "city of woods". 

 

Wood symbolizes humanity, flesh. When we "lose the presence of God" it is because we are giving into the flesh. When I say we "lose the presence of God", the presence of God is with us always-- He never leaves us nor forsakes us-- I am talking more specifically about the presence that we sense and know is actively involved in our lives. 

 

Giving into the flesh means letting your flesh do what it wants to do and have its own way. It means over indulging in worldly activities, spending too much time on things that your flesh enjoys, and less time on the things that provide a place for God-- Bible study, prayer, fasting, praise, worship. It also means spending your time worrying, gossiping, giving in to unforgiveness and bitterness, etc. 

 

If we are walking after the flesh, instead of the spirit, then we are not yielding to the presence of God. We are not giving Him place, we are not making room for Him. You can't serve two masters. You can't yield to flesh and spirit at the same time. You can't walk in both simultaneously. You can't live in fear and faith both. 

 

Does the presence of God seem far away in your life? Do you lack the peace and joy that comes from His presence? Does it seem like He is in the distant or the back of your life? Then pay attention to what you are doing each day. Are you giving place and time to Him? Are you living after your own desires? Are you more involved with fleshly or spiritual activity? God doesn't live in flesh. The Israelites brought the ark back to its rightful place of belonging. The rightful place of belonging in our lives is in the spirit and not in the flesh.

 

Have a great day. If the presence of God seems distant in your life, it may be because you have placed Him among the "woods"- the place of flesh.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:24

Galatians 5

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Seeking The Ark"

"Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood." Psalm 132:6

 

The "it" in the verse was the ark of the covenant. The ark represented God's presence. The ark was not where it was suppose to be, so the Israelites were searching for it. They heard it was in one place but discovered that it was not there. After continually searching, they finally found it, but not where it should have been.

 

There are a few things I see in this. 1) We must "search" out the presence of God. While His presence is everywhere- He is Omnipresent- there are times when His presence is near to us in a special way. "Search it out" means to keep pressing in through prayer or praise, or both, until we have "touched His hem" and He fills us with His presence. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. If we seek Him, we will find Him. 

 

2) God's presence isn't always where we think it should be. We think His presence is only found in the good times, happy times, prosperity times and blessing times. When bad things happen, we think He has left and isn't with us. His presence is in the difficult times, the hard times and the trying times as well. You will find Him in the furnace, in the lion's den, in the pit, in the valley of the shadow of death, in the wilderness. He doesn't leave us in the bad times. 

 

3) Make sure God's presence in our lives is always where it should be-- first, front and center. We need to make sure that our lives evolve around Him always-- not just at church time, not just in hard times when we need His help, not just when it is time to perform some religious duty, not just when it is convenient for us. He has to have first place in our lives. He has to be Lord of our lives... all the time. 

 

Where is the "ark" in your life? Do you seek His touch/presence daily? Do you feel that He has forsaken you in the bad times? Have you "lost" that intimacy with the Lord? Do you give Him some place other than first place in your life? Where is He in your life?

 

Have a great day. Is the Lord where He should be in your life? 

 

For further reading:

James 4:8

Matthew 6:33

Psalm 105:4

Acts 17:27

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Trouble And Sorrows"

"The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow." Psalm 116:3

 

When I read this verse, I thought it was interesting that the Psalmist said, "I found trouble and sorrow." I have discovered that you don't have to go looking for trouble and sorrow, it finds you. Trouble and sorrow are always "seeking" us. Ecclesiastes 2:23 says that all a man's days are full of sorrow. Are you facing a time of trouble? Are you facing sorrow? 

 

The Bible tells us that life is full of trouble and sorrow and that it will come to all of us, but that is not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on what it says about it when it does come. Namely, Jesus' role in sorrow. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:3)

 

The Bible doesn't say we won't have times of sorrow or trouble, but it does tell us that Jesus has carried our sorrows. Jesus knows what it is like. He knows what you are going through. He has felt your pain; He is acquainted with it. He knows about the emotions that you battle during those times. He is touched by the feelings of your weaknesses. He is called "a man of sorrows". Not a "man of sorrow", but a man of "sorrows". There is no sorrow, no pain, no weakness, no trouble that you go through that Jesus hasn't gone through already Himself. He understands what you are going through. People may not always understand, but He does.

 

Reach out to Him today with your trouble. Reach out to Him today with your pain. Reach out to Him in your weakness. Reach out to Him through your sorrow. I assure you that He will not turn you away. He will not turn His back on you. He will not turn a deaf ear to your cry. He will not ignore you. He will listen, He will comfort, He will restore, and He will guide you through it because He has been there.

 

Have a great day. Trouble and sorrow comes to all of us, even Jesus faced it. Therefore, He understands what you are going through. Turn to Him.

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 53

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.