Many of our readers do not know when in town I work as a substitute teacher at Brewster Middle School onboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. This is something God started for me, working as a substitute teacher at Department of Defense (DoD) schools, when I retired in Germany and He has not changed His mind in this area. We must be very careful when we change our lives around. We better make sure it is God changing our lives around and not our desire. Change is good only if God is the authority, because He then will be the finisher. When we returned (this is one reason why God moved us to Jacksonville, NC) to the States I knew I must seek out a DoD school to continue in what God has started and it has been such a great blessing in my life and in the lives of so many others.
Anyway, one day while I was working at Brewster a wonderful Christian lady who is a custodian at the school came up to me and asked (in sort of these words), “please keep me in your prayers today Pastor Dave I am under attack from the enemy and I need to keep my mouth shut.” Almost instantaneously these verses, especially verse 11, popped into my mind, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelations 12:9-11) I shared them with her and she went in peace. All I hear in the church and on Christian TV today is how to be an overcomer, books are written about it, conferences and seminars are held about it, songs are sung about it, sermons are preached about it, but few people if any seem to be overcomers. Now overcomers go over not around or under things. This is why they are called an overcomer. There must be an obstacle, a barrier something standing in our way that we cannot get over without God’s help. It seems we shun the obstacles and barriers in our lives, may be that is why there are so few overcomers in the church today. The Huguenot Bible Teacher and Author John Wright Follette often spoke of trouble as being our servant. What a strange thought, troubles in our lives as a servant to make us better Christians. Most people (to include Christians) think of a servant as one who carries our burdens and does our dirty work. Well not so, our troubles can carry us far in God if we have the eyes to see their value. Charles Haun taught me a new way to sing the song “Count Your Blessings.” “Count your troubles name them one by one, count your troubles see what God has done, count your troubles, name them one by one and you will be amazed to see what God has done.” Yes our troubles can serve us well if we do not get stuck in the trouble and learn the lessons they were designed by God to teach us. Yes, to be an overcomer we must overcome troubles and the biggest trouble to over come in our lives is our mouth. Please notice the three requirements in verse 11 to be an overcomer. The first is they “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” As Christians hopefully we need no reminder of the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for the remission of our sins. This is a divine spiritual principle that is a crimson thread of truth that runs from Genesis to Revelations; without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. The writer to the Hebrews said, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22) This was true in the Garden of Eden, in the Old Testament temple sacrifice covenant, and in the New Testament covenant of Christ’s death on the cross. This should already, as Christians, be understood and we need not re-plow this ground of understanding. But it is the other two areas I would like to focus on in this article. The next area was, “by the word of their testimony.” Please remember our real testimony is not what we say about ourselves, but what people see us do. I can tell you swelling words all day long how wonderful Jesus is to me and all of the great things God is doing in my life, but what happens to my words when someone sees me kick my dog, hears me yell and scream at my wife, or even steal or lie to escape punishment I rightly deserve? All of my words of how God is moving in my life and all of the mighty miracles God is doing through me have been thrown to the ground. Our real testimony is what people see in us and what they see us do. Did you know it is easy to see what we are made of? My friend, it is easy to see what we are made of just listen to what comes out our mouth. Jesus taught this lesson many times in the Gospels. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” (Matthew 12:33-35) If I want to know what you like or dislike, what your real interests are, or how you really feel about something all I have to do is let you speak and you will tell me everything I need to know about you. The opposite of this divine spiritual principle is also true; by what is not coming out of your mouth will tell me volumes about your character and nature. I can tell what is not in your heart by what is coming out your mouth, but that makes perfect sense because a man cannot give what he does not have. It is the same thought with prayer. I can tell where you are in God by how you pray. Do you pray telling God what to do and how to do it? Who and how to heal someone? Or what you want to see God do? How can we give wisdom and love if they are not in us? If they are in us then they will come out our mouth. They have to come out our mouth, because that is what we are made of. I often tell my wife I love her without thinking about it. It is automatic like breathing, and why? Because she is in my heart no matter where I go and when I think of her the love I have for her must come out my mouth. The third requirement of being an overcomer from Revelation 12:11 is the most difficult of the three, “they loved not their lives unto the death.” Now there are two components of this thought; the first and more dramatic is what most Christians go after and that is the laying down of one’s physical life. This thought, especially in America, leaves a sour feeling in our stomach, but did you know more people have been martyred for the Gospel in the last 20 years then in the last 250 years? Today in America the worse the church gets is to be criticized, yet many Christians fold like a house of cards while around the world Christians by the 1000s are being slaughtered for the Gospel and few people have taken notice. Well my American friends that all may change in the near future if the Lord tarries. Many people when talking about faith like to read the 11th chapter of Hebrews and stop about say verses 32 or 33, seldom do they venture on to the end, because these verses does not set well with their theology, fill seats, or offering plates, “Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:34-40) Who wants to use their faith to endure troubles and hardships in God like these when we can use our faith to get God to give us pleasant and blessed things? Today in America we use the Gospel message to soften life’s hardships and not to allow spiritual growth and development in our lives. As I said my friend if the Lord tarries I prophesy, “America your days are numbered the die has been cast, unless you humble yourselves and repent, thus says the LORD.” We will see then what we will use our faith for. In the 2nd Chapter of the Book of Revelation we read where God gave the Church at Smyrna a word of praise and encouragement, “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” (Revelations 2:9-11) This is the same Church (located in present day Izmir, Turkey) were Polycarp (69 AD to 155 AD), who was discipled by John, was martyred for his testimony. If you get a chance please look up the account of Polycarp’s death, but here is his final prayer, “I thank thee that thou hast deemed me worthy of this day and hour, that I should have my portion in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, unto the resurrection of eternal life, both of the soul and body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. Among these may I be received before thee this day as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, even as thou hast prepared and made manifest beforehand, and hast fulfilled, thou who art the unerring and true God. On this account, and concerning all things, I praise thee, I bless thee, I glorify thee, together with the eternal and heavenly Jesus Christ thy beloved Son, with whom to thee and the Holy Spirit be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” Yes my friend, there is a price many have paid and will pay with their physical lives and we must never trivialize it, but also in the third requirement (in verse 11 of Revelation 12) to become (a process God works in our lives) an overcomer there is another thought (and I believe the main thought) John was expressing. Yes, physical death was a part of this verse, but I believe John also was talking about spiritual death to our self-life. We will never become an overcomer unless we can learn to die to our selfishness and self-seeking. It is our love for our “life” our rights, our way, our opinions and views, our many words, what we want to see happen, to get the last word no matter the cost all of this must be put to death in our lives. We must lose our life if we truly want to become an overcomer so that we will be able to find the life of Christ. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (John 12:24-25) Where did Jesus go to lose His life? To the cross to die. Where do we have to go to find our life? To our cross to die. Maybe not a wooden cross, but most certainly a cross made by our will and desires submitted and laid across God’s will and desires for our lives. This is the place of glorification and finding life in God, us dying to our self-life. Jesus told the disciples now is the time the Father is going to glorify me and they thought now Jesus will take the throne in Jerusalem, but Jesus was talking about His death on the cross, death before glorification. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die” there is no way around or under it we must die to our self-life. This is what the custodian did she put her mouth in the dust (Lamentations 3:29), she “loved not their lives unto the death” by not having to get the last word or retaliating to save her self she just kept quiet. Did you know dead people do not do a lot of talking? So too is the words of our testimony as seen and heard in silence. Written by David Stahl
Anyway, one day while I was working at Brewster a wonderful Christian lady who is a custodian at the school came up to me and asked (in sort of these words), “please keep me in your prayers today Pastor Dave I am under attack from the enemy and I need to keep my mouth shut.” Almost instantaneously these verses, especially verse 11, popped into my mind, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelations 12:9-11) I shared them with her and she went in peace. All I hear in the church and on Christian TV today is how to be an overcomer, books are written about it, conferences and seminars are held about it, songs are sung about it, sermons are preached about it, but few people if any seem to be overcomers. Now overcomers go over not around or under things. This is why they are called an overcomer. There must be an obstacle, a barrier something standing in our way that we cannot get over without God’s help. It seems we shun the obstacles and barriers in our lives, may be that is why there are so few overcomers in the church today. The Huguenot Bible Teacher and Author John Wright Follette often spoke of trouble as being our servant. What a strange thought, troubles in our lives as a servant to make us better Christians. Most people (to include Christians) think of a servant as one who carries our burdens and does our dirty work. Well not so, our troubles can carry us far in God if we have the eyes to see their value. Charles Haun taught me a new way to sing the song “Count Your Blessings.” “Count your troubles name them one by one, count your troubles see what God has done, count your troubles, name them one by one and you will be amazed to see what God has done.” Yes our troubles can serve us well if we do not get stuck in the trouble and learn the lessons they were designed by God to teach us. Yes, to be an overcomer we must overcome troubles and the biggest trouble to over come in our lives is our mouth. Please notice the three requirements in verse 11 to be an overcomer. The first is they “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” As Christians hopefully we need no reminder of the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for the remission of our sins. This is a divine spiritual principle that is a crimson thread of truth that runs from Genesis to Revelations; without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. The writer to the Hebrews said, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22) This was true in the Garden of Eden, in the Old Testament temple sacrifice covenant, and in the New Testament covenant of Christ’s death on the cross. This should already, as Christians, be understood and we need not re-plow this ground of understanding. But it is the other two areas I would like to focus on in this article. The next area was, “by the word of their testimony.” Please remember our real testimony is not what we say about ourselves, but what people see us do. I can tell you swelling words all day long how wonderful Jesus is to me and all of the great things God is doing in my life, but what happens to my words when someone sees me kick my dog, hears me yell and scream at my wife, or even steal or lie to escape punishment I rightly deserve? All of my words of how God is moving in my life and all of the mighty miracles God is doing through me have been thrown to the ground. Our real testimony is what people see in us and what they see us do. Did you know it is easy to see what we are made of? My friend, it is easy to see what we are made of just listen to what comes out our mouth. Jesus taught this lesson many times in the Gospels. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” (Matthew 12:33-35) If I want to know what you like or dislike, what your real interests are, or how you really feel about something all I have to do is let you speak and you will tell me everything I need to know about you. The opposite of this divine spiritual principle is also true; by what is not coming out of your mouth will tell me volumes about your character and nature. I can tell what is not in your heart by what is coming out your mouth, but that makes perfect sense because a man cannot give what he does not have. It is the same thought with prayer. I can tell where you are in God by how you pray. Do you pray telling God what to do and how to do it? Who and how to heal someone? Or what you want to see God do? How can we give wisdom and love if they are not in us? If they are in us then they will come out our mouth. They have to come out our mouth, because that is what we are made of. I often tell my wife I love her without thinking about it. It is automatic like breathing, and why? Because she is in my heart no matter where I go and when I think of her the love I have for her must come out my mouth. The third requirement of being an overcomer from Revelation 12:11 is the most difficult of the three, “they loved not their lives unto the death.” Now there are two components of this thought; the first and more dramatic is what most Christians go after and that is the laying down of one’s physical life. This thought, especially in America, leaves a sour feeling in our stomach, but did you know more people have been martyred for the Gospel in the last 20 years then in the last 250 years? Today in America the worse the church gets is to be criticized, yet many Christians fold like a house of cards while around the world Christians by the 1000s are being slaughtered for the Gospel and few people have taken notice. Well my American friends that all may change in the near future if the Lord tarries. Many people when talking about faith like to read the 11th chapter of Hebrews and stop about say verses 32 or 33, seldom do they venture on to the end, because these verses does not set well with their theology, fill seats, or offering plates, “Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:34-40) Who wants to use their faith to endure troubles and hardships in God like these when we can use our faith to get God to give us pleasant and blessed things? Today in America we use the Gospel message to soften life’s hardships and not to allow spiritual growth and development in our lives. As I said my friend if the Lord tarries I prophesy, “America your days are numbered the die has been cast, unless you humble yourselves and repent, thus says the LORD.” We will see then what we will use our faith for. In the 2nd Chapter of the Book of Revelation we read where God gave the Church at Smyrna a word of praise and encouragement, “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” (Revelations 2:9-11) This is the same Church (located in present day Izmir, Turkey) were Polycarp (69 AD to 155 AD), who was discipled by John, was martyred for his testimony. If you get a chance please look up the account of Polycarp’s death, but here is his final prayer, “I thank thee that thou hast deemed me worthy of this day and hour, that I should have my portion in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, unto the resurrection of eternal life, both of the soul and body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. Among these may I be received before thee this day as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, even as thou hast prepared and made manifest beforehand, and hast fulfilled, thou who art the unerring and true God. On this account, and concerning all things, I praise thee, I bless thee, I glorify thee, together with the eternal and heavenly Jesus Christ thy beloved Son, with whom to thee and the Holy Spirit be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” Yes my friend, there is a price many have paid and will pay with their physical lives and we must never trivialize it, but also in the third requirement (in verse 11 of Revelation 12) to become (a process God works in our lives) an overcomer there is another thought (and I believe the main thought) John was expressing. Yes, physical death was a part of this verse, but I believe John also was talking about spiritual death to our self-life. We will never become an overcomer unless we can learn to die to our selfishness and self-seeking. It is our love for our “life” our rights, our way, our opinions and views, our many words, what we want to see happen, to get the last word no matter the cost all of this must be put to death in our lives. We must lose our life if we truly want to become an overcomer so that we will be able to find the life of Christ. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (John 12:24-25) Where did Jesus go to lose His life? To the cross to die. Where do we have to go to find our life? To our cross to die. Maybe not a wooden cross, but most certainly a cross made by our will and desires submitted and laid across God’s will and desires for our lives. This is the place of glorification and finding life in God, us dying to our self-life. Jesus told the disciples now is the time the Father is going to glorify me and they thought now Jesus will take the throne in Jerusalem, but Jesus was talking about His death on the cross, death before glorification. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die” there is no way around or under it we must die to our self-life. This is what the custodian did she put her mouth in the dust (Lamentations 3:29), she “loved not their lives unto the death” by not having to get the last word or retaliating to save her self she just kept quiet. Did you know dead people do not do a lot of talking? So too is the words of our testimony as seen and heard in silence. Written by David Stahl
No comments:
Post a Comment