GOD IS THE GAME CHANGER

A conqueror is someone or something that gets control of a community/ a person/a thing by fighting. It could be a person or a thing who gains control over someone/ something that is difficult using a lot of efforts.

Every territory has a conqueror in the ancient time. You can not be a ruler of a territory for long without going to war or signing treaty with a superior powers to remain in charge.

In ancient Bible time, we see Sennacherib, King of Assyria coming up against all the fenced cities of Judah and out of fear, Hezekiah asked him for what he wanted. He demanded for three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. Hezekiah without consulting God went into the house of the Lord and into the treasures of the king’s house and gave him all he demanded for (2 Kings 18: 13-16).

Hezekiah in the above passage has given Sennacherib the reins but it was not enough! Sennacherib wanted all of Judah! He sent three of his generals from Lachish to humiliate Hezekiah openly .Why? You may ask. It is because according to the record, Assyria is a conqueror who has conquered Hammath, Arpad, Sepharvaim and some other powerful kings and won’t stopped until Judah is added to the list (2 Kings 19: 13). This, Sennacherib purposed to achieve in a most humiliating way for Hezekiah.

It was at this point Hezekiah remembered The Lord of Host (2 Kings 19: 14-19) and God through Isaiah in verse 20-33 spoke of the destruction of Sennacherib. If his problem had been with Hezekiah alone it would have been better for him but now, God had been drawn into the battle by the prayers of a despirate king. Once you report a case to God in prayer, you by so doing set a limit upon your enemies advancement and nothing is more troublesome for the devil than prayer of faith cemented with trust in God’s ability to intervene and triumph in the matters of men.

At a time in history, Nebuchadnezzar, a conqueror also dealt with Israel but God showed him His supremacy by turning him to an animal for seven years (Daniel 4: 31-35) in a fiery judgement over a pride filled conqueror of kings. Conquerors are bad slave masters and controllers of destinies. They hold men in captivities against their own will for as long as the one that is conquered is unable to receive help and deliverance to set himself free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).

There are conquerors of old and presently, there are many conquerors around us and in our lives. What or who is in charge of your life? Is it money, your spouse, television, tradition, sex, self, work, service in church, your children, parent, friend? Who is in control of your life or what is in charge of your life?

You are a Christian, very good! You have given your life to Christ our Lord, that’s also wonderful, but something is in control of your life apart from JESUS, THE RISEN LORD. You cannot go anywhere without your earrings or make up as a woman. Your jewellery is in charge! You cannot go to church because your favourite football or basketball team is playing. It is in charge! You cannot go a day without sex as a married man / woman, even if it mean satisfying your urge from other sources outside your marital bed but you can go a week without studying the word or praying. Sex is in your conqueror!

Who is charge of your life? Is it Jesus, you or another lord? The Bible enjoins us in Romans 12: 1 to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God as our reasonable sacrifice. Whatever you yield the control of your life to is your conqueror.

A girl in JSS II was told by her friend that she could have any amount she want from any man if she so desired. Out of greed and curiosity, she asked how. She said with an incision on her arm, she only needed to touch the place with her tongue each time she wanted to make her demand. She did the first time and demanded for fifty thousand in exchange for sex and the man gave her. That was how she got hooked! She was so deep into it that she did not know when she got pregnant and have a child. She became very rebellious and rude to her parents. The mother suspected a foul play and one day without telling her, the mother who happened to be a Christian bundled her to church for deliverance and the truth came out. She had been initiated without her knowing due to love of money. She was conquered.

Who is your conqueror? Are you a lawful captive or a prey? I know ancestral issues could lead to something controlling us without us knowing if we don’t seek help but what about the ones we deliberately walk into? God has made provision for us in Isaiah 49: 24 where He asked, ‘Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered?’ In verse 25 He says, ‘Even the lawful captives of the mighty shall be taken and the prey of the terrible delivered: for I will contend with them that contend with thee and I will save thy children.’

No matter what has conquered us, the Lord Jesus has made provision for our deliverance in the scripture above and when He said on the cross, ‘It is finished!’ (John 19:30).

Who is your conqueror? Is it Christ, the risen Lord or the flesh and its destructive works or Satan and his demon? Check yourself today and run to the Cross and lay it all down for the burden bearer to carry your load and set you free as He is still calling out, ‘Come unto me , all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11: 28). If He helped Hezekiah and Judah was delivered, He will set you free too, if you run to Him in prayer, believing like Hezekiah did. It doesn’t matter who the conqueror is or how long you have been held captive and the reasons you got there in the first place won’t matter much once God is invited into the situation. Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near.