You are an Over-comer!

Happy Sunday!

“You are an Over-comer!”  “You are a Survivor!”   After all you've experienced in your life, you are still here!  By the Grace of God you are alive!.  Yes, life can be depressing, difficult, and disappointing.  You may suffer set-backs, reversals, and struggles.  But you must remember you are an over-comer! 

Bishop Thomas preached from Revelations 12:7-11.

Revelation 12:7-11 (New Living Translation)

 ⁷ Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. ⁸ And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. ⁹This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
 ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
   “It has come at last—
      salvation and power
   and the Kingdom of our God,
      and the authority of his Christ.
   For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
      has been thrown down to earth—
   the one who accuses them
      before our God day and night.
 ¹¹ And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
      and by their testimony.
   And they did not love their lives so much
      that they were afraid to die.

If you remember the story, the Apostle John was banished to the Island of Patmos for preaching about Jesus.  Historians believe he was forced to work in the rock quarry, but was allowed to worship one day a week.  While worshipping one day he experienced visions and wrote about what was revealed to him.  In this text he writes about a war in heaven.  Not the normal place you would expect a war to be going on.  He describes the fight and explains what caused the winners to prevail over their enemy.  These same things will help you to win in life.

Their “Covering” – The Blood of the Lamb –  In the story of Moses, the last plague visited upon Pharaoh was the death of the firstborn.  God instructed the Israelites to kill an unblemished lamb and place the lambs’ blood upon the doorposts.  When the death angel saw the blood, he wouldPassover.   The Egyptians suffered the loss of their firstborns because they did not have the blood covering.  Jesus is our sacrificial lamb and he paid the price for our protection.  

Their “Confession” - The Word of their Testimony - The Psalmist wrote, “Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so!”

Psalm 107:2 (The Message)

    Oh, thank God—he's so good! His love never runs out. 
   All of you set free by God, tell the world! 
      Tell how he freed you from oppression, 
   Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas. 

We win by letting others know what we have overcome.  Too often we don’t share our testimony with others.  We suffer and those around us suffer because we are silent.  We are afraid to let people know what we’ve been through and where we’ve come from.  But your testimony will encourage the right people to continue when they feel like giving up.  There are people who are experiencing things right now that you have already overcome.  Let God lead you. 

Their “Commitment” – The did not love their lives more than the cause of Christ – Galatians 2:20 (New King James Version)  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

I often think about our ancestors.  Maybe your ancestors came to the United States in the Nina, the Pinta, or the Santa Maria.  Maybe your ancestors were "Native" to this land.  Maybe your ancestors came through the "Middle Passage". However they arrived, they were survivors!  They endured untold horrors and uncertainty, but they survived.  They experienced the death of loved ones, separation from family and friends, loss of property and belongings.  They went hungry, they may have been financially bankrupt.  They were raped, beaten, and cheated!  But they survived, I know they did!  Because you are living proof!  You come from very good stock!  You can make it!  You are an over-comer!  You are a survivor! 

 Have a wonderful week!  Remember who you are!  Cynthia