Behold the Overcomer

Today’s word from above is “overcome”. But first we need to behold!

Jesus is an Overcomer. So was the apostle John, who in his 90s boldly stated, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” And he went on further, “And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” (5:15) ~John the Apostle

John fully qualifies to say this. He was the only apostle among the original twelve remaining alive up to a hundred years old. He followed and witnessed Jesus, the Son of God, from the beginning of His ministry to His ascension into heaven, and remained alive and active to witness and experience the supernatural birth and powerful multiplication of the early Spirit-filled churches with many miracles, signs and wonders, despite extreme persecution. In the tumultuous first century John personally experienced and testified the truthfulness and faithfulness of God’s words, the reality of God and all that He has spoken and eventually written and which constitutes today’s Bible.

He wrote the Gospel of John, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and the three Epistles I John, II John and III John. He was exiled to the prison island of Patmos for hard labor in his 90s and there he saw and recorded down the vision of Jesus Christ.

What does the word “overcome/defeat” mean? I would quote some Bible verses from the above Scripture. Let us read, meditate and visualize a bigger picture of Christ’s victory and God’s assurance for the people of God.

(In addition to my study notes, I have included below in italics some excerpts from concordances and commentaries.)

Strong’s Concordance: 3528. nikaó : conquer, overcome, prevail, to get the victory.
Usage: I conquer, am victorious, overcome, prevail, subdue.

Christ the Conqueror:carry off the victory, come off victorious: victorious over all his foes

Revelation 3:21: AMP He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne. Also read Revelation 5:5.

Christ the conqueror of his foes, Revelation 17:14 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (“Overcome means to deprive it of power to harm, to subvert its influence”)

    Overcoming by Christians, “that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and their temptations and persecutions”: (Addressed by Jesus to the seven churches)

    Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; Revelation 3:5, 12, 21 (Read Revelation 1:10-11, 2:1-3:22)

    Revelation 21:7 (read Revelation 21:1-7) 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth…He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

    John 16:33 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

    Christians to conquer and thereby free themselves from the power of the beast: Revelation 15:2: And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

    Overcome the devil: “in constancy and courage to keep himself unharmed and spotless from his adversary’s devices, solicitations, assaults”: 1 John 2:14 I have written to you, fathers,Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.I have written to you, young men,Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,And you have overcome the wicked one. (“Having God’s Word abiding in them was the reason they were strong and had overcome the wicked one.”)

    Revelation 12:11: 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

    1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (”The spirit part of us always overcomes. If we aren’t overcoming, it’s because we are not walking after the spirit.”)

    How did the apostle John become an overcomer? He was an apprentice of Jesus. He beholds the One who really matters. Overcoming requires close relationship with the Lord. He stayed very close to Jesus and even identified himself as the beloved disciple among the twelve. The Bible did not say why but Jesus took with Him only three: Peter, James and John on special assignments: the transfiguration on the mountain, raising Jairus’ daughter from dead, and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane prior His arrest. On the cross Jesus entrusted His mother Mary to John (as her son). Not only that, Jesus revealed to John the final visions and instructed him to record them in the book of Revelation.

    Our eyes behold the triumph of Jesus Christ, the glorious and victorious Son of God, who triumphed over death and hell; who arose triumphant, salvation to obtain; that we might behold gladness and joy, and walk triumphant through Jesus Christ, through the blood that washes “whiter than snow.” ~John G. Lake (The Science of Divine Healing)

    Kainotes, 2023-05-24

    December 18, 2021 making a choice

    A DICTIONARY FOR NAVIGATORS ON SPIRITUAL ROUGH WATERS chapter 4: the ingredients for books

    “One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.”― C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia. Racing against time is the crux of my Christian life. Writing several subjects at the same time, I find myself like drawing a brand new map and adding new discoveries of the locations of cities, boundaries, roads, mountains, rivers, and coastlines and many other things we deem interesting and important and relevant as we walk the terrain in the mind and the spirit.

    One of my current assignments is to read the Chronicles of Narnia again. In an ironical way I am pleased that I am old enough now to read fairy tales again. I listen to the audio book and read the printed text at the same time so I would not miss anything. I have finished four out of seven books in the series.

    Reading Narnia, in all its brilliant splendor with magnificent richness in depth, breadth, width and height, of both contents and language, I felt like giving up my intention to re-write my five children’s books. It was quite hopeless to carry on with mine in the language (the main ingredients) that I find lacking. How to compare with the world class Chef de Cuisine in my humid backwater damp wood burning kitchen shed with a chipped earthen pot and smoke in the eyes? Yes, you are right, a man’s faculty to dream is subject to the constrains/availabilities of the supplies of words in the formation of his thoughts. And thoughts are the ingredients for books. Language feeds the thoughts. Thoughts feed the writing.

    Well, just plod on. My spirit says. So I decide to plod on. Here is a conversation from the Dawn Treader encountering pitch darkness spoken by the Lord Reepicheep in reply to Captain Drinian,

    “But what manner of use would it be ploughing through that darkness?’ asked Drinian.

    Use?’ replied Reepicheep. ‘Use, Captain?’ If you mean by filling our bellies or our purses, I confess it will be no use at all. So far as I know we did not set sail to look for things useful but to seek honour and adventures. And here is as great an adventure as I have ever heard of, and here, if we turn back, no little impeachment of all our honours.”
    ― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”

    A DICTIONARY FOR NAVIGATORS ON SPIRITUAL ROUGH WATERS chapter 4: D for day

    Day: A specific time or period. This is the word for today. The word is neutral. But in most cases it comes with other words which bring a sense of foreboding, for example, the terrible day of His, your day of reckoning, in the last day, they will, how terrible that day will be, the great and terrible day of the Lord, watch for the day of the Lord, great and dreadful day of the Lord, that great judgment day of the Lord. However, there are happy and positive ones too:

    2 Corinthians 4:16b Our spirits are being renewed everyday.

    1 Thessalonians 5:4 My brothers and sisters, it will be different for you. You do not dwell in the darkness, so that day will not surprise you like a thief

    Acts 2:16-21

    16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:

    17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
        ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
    Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
        Your young men will see visions,
        and your old men will dream dreams.
    18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
        even on my servants—men and women alike—
        and they will prophesy.
    19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
        and signs on the earth below—
        blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
    20 The sun will become dark,
        and the moon will turn blood red
        before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
    21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
        will be saved.’[c]

    One thing about being a human is that we all have the faculty to choose. making choices in life is an inalienable inborn nature and right, starting from the first man and woman on earth. A man’s choice will impact his life, or a process in space and time of life. Similarly, the choice he makes will determine whether the phrase “the Lords’ day” will mean good or bad when that day finally comes to him. Every one has a day of the Lord. Moses said this in his final speech,

    Deuteronomy 30:19
    Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

    kainotes, 2021-12-18

    [https://freemindconfession.wordpress.com/2021/12/18/a-dictionary-for-navigators-on-spiritual-rough-waters-chapter-4-the-ingredients-for-books/]

    Use the Sword of the Spirit chapter one: Effective for ALL

    Sword of the Spirit new series to counter the year of ridicule

    All had been through together. No exception. The year of ridicule. What are the words for the remains of the days in 2021? For those who have sailed above the uncharted water, or are still sailing through it, let us plunge into the Bible treasure chest and pick up some word gems to shape and guide as our spiritual compass, and continue to brave the journey ahead. Let us be led by the Holy Spirit, in identifying His words in alphabetical order, during the last 20 days of this year 2021…Use the Sword! (Please read on in my Sound Mind blog. This is an entirely new series continuing what I left off in September 2017)

    The A word is ALL. When pondering on how to start with the alphabet A, I realize we do have a lot of words to choose from. But when I started typing this journal note, the phrase “the word is ALL” comes into my mind without hesitation. How appropriate! All have been through together the year of ridicule. No exception.

    Admittedly this is a crucial word today…

    25th day of November: take out treasure words old and new -Jesus’ prayer of thanksgiving Matthew 11:25 & John 11:25

    2021-11-25 Bible verses

    Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

    Matthew 11:25-26 25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

    Ezekiel 11:24-25 24 Afterward the Spirit of God carried me back again to Babylonia, to the people in exile there. And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem. 25 And I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.

    John 11:25-26 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

    Hebrew 11:24-25 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

    Exodus 11:1 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether.

    Psalms 25:14 The secret [of the wise counsel] of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning.

    Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

    Philemon 25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

    kainotes, 2121-11-25

    24th day of November: take out treasure words old and new Micah 5:2 and Mathew 2:4-6

    Matthew 12:18 Jesus brings justice and hope, wants evidence of faith

    We have all come to the valley of decision in the year 2021. This year ends soon. Time to reflect. 24th day of November (30 days to December 25): take out treasure words old and new Micah 5:2 and Mathew 2:4-6

    Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

    Matthew 2:4-6

    4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

    6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

    For out of you shall come a Ruler

    Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

    We know Jesus came and fulfilled the prophecies about Him in the salvation plan. What else did Jesus (the Messiah/Christ) come for? Can we have a glimpse though Christ of God’s purpose on our life on earth?

    The old Prophet Amos declared this message about God’s righteousness and that He wants to see justice being carried out on earth:

    Amos 5:21-24 New Living Translation

    21 “I hate all your show and pretense—

        the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.

    22 I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.

        I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.

    23 Away with your noisy hymns of praise!

        I will not listen to the music of your harps.

    24 Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,

        an endless river of righteous living.

    Note: today being the 24th day of November this verse from Amos 5:24 specifically lifts me as I meditate on God’s words.

    And this is confirmed by Jesus’ fulfilling the prophecy about Him (the Messiah to the Jews, the Christ to us gentiles) in Matthew 12:17-18

    17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:

    18 “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.

        He is my Beloved, who pleases me.

    I will put my Spirit upon him,

        and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

    Further statements made by Jesus confirming God wants to see justice done

    Luke 11:42

    “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

    Note: verse 42 describes the so called religious did just the opposite to justice. 42 is the reversal of 24. (A point to enquire further)

    Luke 18:7-8

    7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

    Note: Meditate on the way Jesus ended this very important declaration/prophecy that God will quickly grant justice to those who cry out to Him. Jesus asked a question which could not be answered even now by any man on earth. The question would imply that not many on earth will have faith when He comes again. Why did Jesus say this to the audience? Is He addressing the believers too?

    A point to examine further and deeper into ourselves. It is obvious to many that our familiar world (worldview and related lifestyle) went through a drastic change, and many God’s people were caught unaware and unprepared for challenges never before encountered. Decisions were made hastily. Regrets and blames without. Strifes and divisions within. Some hearts turned cold and hard as stone. Unmasked and unveiled. Former friends and foes switched roles.

    The Bible believing ones diligently search the Bible for clues and answers and directions. What does the Bible really say? Specifically asking questions like these: “Lord, is this Noah’s time?” “Lord, are you coming now?” “Lord, what should I do or not do on this or on that and then what?” Everybody needs the Holy Spirit gift of the word of knowledge and word of wisdom.

    What does Jesus say in Luke 18:7? 7 “Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

    Will He find faith” is the key question and key answer as well.

    What is faith? Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It makes hope a substance and exist in reality. It is a legal proof (evidence) of its substantiated reality.

    Back to God’s wanting to see justice being carried out on earth, what do God’s people hope for? If Jesus comes tomorrow, will He find the substance/evidence of faith in our lives up to that moment of truth?

    kainotes, 2021-11-24