Have you read the book of Revelation lately? I hadn’t. Its been a while since I was just sitting around thinking….boy….I’d like to dive in there! But, that’s just where I found myself lately. I’m drawn to the graphic imagery and endless Glory it pours out to the Lord. I got wrapped up and could not stop reading….. 12 chapters later….. I just soaked in worship for a while to drink it all in. He is so Holy!! He is so Beautiful! He is so Good! As I read, I found an interesting word repeated as the angel of the Lord was speaking over the 7 churches…. Overcome ….’To him who overcomes’ to be specific. It talks about challenges each church faced, and then outlined the good thing in store for the people who persevere and overcome. Here is what an overcomer can look forward to…. (Revelation Chapters 2 & 3 various verses – NIV)
1. To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
2. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
3. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
4. To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations…just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.
5. He who overcomes will, like them (who are worthy), be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
6. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God…and I will also write on him my new name.
7. To Him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Are you an overcomer? The list of things each church was challenged with were talked about as “I have a few things against you”. The Lord is Holy and is against sin. He is not against you as a person, but against the sin itself. But, when we persevere and overcome (we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony Rev 12:11) we have such a great thing to look forward to! You can do it! You can overcome! No matter how deeply rooted your sin feels or how many are against you…you can overcome! That is the message I want to bring to the World….that they too can overcome sin because of the blood of Jesus and can share an eternity in heaven with our father. In this world, we will be disregarded and trampled and covered in dirt…..but when we overcome we are seated in heavenly places and treated as royalty! We are made white and clean, and marked by the name of our God!
Can you believe that there are those who do not know what Glory awaits those who call on the name fo the Lord and trust in the redeeming work of the Cross! We need to tell them! Tell those around us…those next to us…..and those far away. Send Me Lord!!!! Send me now where I am …. Send me in my future where I am going. Send Me! Let this be your prayer too. He will use you!
