The Lord's Day
He That Overcomes
What Exactly Did Jesus Overcome?
It is by faith that we overcome the works of Satan and this evil world.
Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ( 1 John 5:5)
The Lord's DayOn this day, the Apostle John--the disciple whom Jesus loved—received revelation from the Lord. He was given messages for the seven churches in which Jesus admonishes and lovingly reassures His people of their remuneration they would obtain for their triumph over their times of tribulation. He That Overcomes1. Revelation 2:7 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. 2. Revelation 2:11 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. 3. Revelation 2:17 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. 4. Revelation 2:26-27 - The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 5. Revelation 3:5 - The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6. Revelation 3:12 - The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 7. Revelation 3:21 - The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. What Exactly Did Jesus Overcome?He overcame the world! He overcame his tests and trials. That should be enough to encourage us to take hold of these truths and promises. It is by faith that we overcome the works of Satan and this evil world. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ( 1 John 5:5)
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The word “gospel” has lost a bit of its meaning in our modern culture. We say that things are “the gospel truth” that really aren’t the gospel truth. We use the word to describe styles of music. And Christians sometimes talk about taking a stand for the gospel in reference to various political and social justice issues. But the word has a rather rich and very specific meaning.
The “gospel” is literally good news. Good news about what? Or rather, about whom? The gospel is the good news about Jesus. The good news is that while creation is lost, bearing the marks and scars of sin, separated from the perfect and glorious God, God has acted to redeem all people and all things to Himself. The good news is that the long-awaited Savior and Messiah, Jesus, finally arrived and paid our ransom, dying on the cross to cover the penalty of our sins. And the good news goes on to tell us that He rose again from the dead in absolute victory over sin, death, and the grave and that He reigns eternally over all that He has redeemed. Paul wrote about the gospel to the believers in Colosse and defined the good news this way: “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14 NLT) In a world filled with negative press, shocking headlines, and bad news, here is some really good news from God. Jesus came to rescue you from sin’s penalty, sin’s power, and even sin’s presence someday. He adopts believers into His family, transfers our citizenship into His own Kingdom, and invites us to live and reign alongside Him for all of eternity. The gospel is not political in nature, it’s personal. It’s not religious, it’s relational. And it changes everything. But it must be willingly received by anyone who hears and believes its message. Have you put your roots down into the good news about Jesus yet? The word "abide" in the Greek means "menò" which means to "remain or to stay." Where do you call a place where someone lives? A home, right? You can also call it your "abode." This is the place where you reside; where you feel secure and comfortable. This must be the same concept we have in Christ Jesus. God wants us to rest in Him, but at times that can be challenging when life seems to be spiraling out of control. When the weather is unstable and the storms are perilous, no one runs outside to quiet it down. Instead, they stay inside their home where they will find safe refuge--shelter. Often times when life is arduous and the storms of life beat up against our house we are tempted to run outside of the will of God, because we are afraid. Afraid that God cannot do what He said He will do. We know what He is capable of—we have seen Him do it many times before—but somehow we convince ourselves that He cannot do it in our situation. God is not limited. Our circumstances do not faze Him. When we submit to Jesus and realize that He is the only one in control, we allow Him to do the impossible. We cannot step outside and tell the storm "Peace be still," (we can attempt to, but we will look foolish and be soaked while we're at it) and expect it to obey us, but He has and still can. The same Jesus that told the winds "Peace be still" is the same God we serve today. [click-to-tweet] Whatever you're facing in your life, whatever is burdening you the most, I challenge you to lay it down at His feet. Now how do we do this? We acknowledge the fact that WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL. We do not run anything. Our lives are not our own. When we acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, we must also accept that He is our Lord, we must submit to His Lordship, or we will continue to walk in frustration and inquietude. Jesus tells us this: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7) You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15) The storms in life are inevitable, but no matter how great they may be, they are no match for our God. They are no match for the one who stands on God's Word. [click-to-tweet] Trust in Him. Abide in Him. Be still and know that He is God. Scriptures to Meditate on: Luke 6:46-49 About the author:
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