"OVER-come"

             Revelation 12:11
 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 


Image taken from google search "overcome"

The month of November was declared by my pastor at the Judahfire Ministries International- City of Praise as a month of overcoming, I want to believe that when he was choosing the month it was perhaps due to transition or hurdle we have just crossed over as a church body leaving a house of worship we embellished from scratch to another space that we do not have full access to but still have the opportunity to worship God twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The unique thing about the word overcome is how it’s parallel to the month of November I find. As I meditated on the word it give me deeper understanding of its roots. Overcome is two words that form a compound word, joined they become a verb and a verb indicates action or a state of being. Hence as one word, overcome holds a strong relationship not just with the English grammar but spiritually. Spiritually overcome is how you defeat social, emotional and physical stressors of life. It is how you triumph over unforeseen situations because of the relationship you have with Christ. Spiritually   the action of overcoming is the reaction you get from deep within  that results in the outward expressing of  emotions of joy especially if it was a situation you agreed that no one but God intervened for you. It is a feeling that is indescribable to a reader but can be understood by someone who shares the same faith with you. It is a feeling where you have an aha moment with God and say I knew I could trust you!

Separating the two words Over means several things like greater than, above, resting on top, end etc. My favorite of these I choose is “end”.  I choose end because when God ends a matter on your behalf, when God chooses to restore you for His own glory, no man can stand before you and say a word because instead of spreading the bad report they will start to say, if God can bless that prostitute, murderer and more He can truly change my own circumstance, He can truly help me to overcome my own issues as well. Come means arrive, draw closer, approach…but I like “moving towards”

        

Having defined these separate words, together overcome means something has ended and you are moving towards a new awaking of God’s truth in you. Overcome means we have gone from a place of thinking that we can build the church on our own fundraising abilities, to a place where God is preparing that we will do His work without any strain. Overcomes means you triumphed over the action He took on your case. Finally Overcome means you agree with God that He has delivered you “by the blood of the Lamb” and He has given you the authority to proclaim His goodness via the “word of your Testimony”

Image taken from google search
 "Christ overcoming the grave..."                      

Now lets determine how it relates to November. Throughout the year till this November 2012 God has showed Himself mighty on our behalf giving you the will power to stand despite the many obstacles and hurdles you encountered. As we are moving into the month of December it was a perfect and profound declaration for November to be the month of overcoming because as we reflect and thank God for his many blessings December soon comes around to enlighten us of the birth of the sacrificial Lamb. It was by that Lamb’s blood shed on Calvary that you and I if we choose to believe are made whole and created new in Christ. Jesus Christ the Son of God is the sacrificial lamb that was slain in death to redeem us from our transgressions. God loved us so much to do that for us! Because Christ died for us and did not stay in the grave, He overcame death and it was not the end of him because as God He did this for us to show us that we are also more than conquers if we choose to believe and follow the truths of His words. 
Christ redeemed us that we may also be over-comers.

But who is an over-comer?  An over-comer is someone who conquers a problem. An over-comer is someone who wins despite the odds or obstacles that are at stake in their lives. An over-comer is someone who defeats the enemy. An over comer is someone as pastor usually puts it “God brought them from nowhere and placed them somewhere”. The best of all these definitions of an over-comer is someone who has an undeniable faith and trust in God to complete that which He said he would do if we cast our cares upon Him. Lastly  an over-comer is one who believes that Christ is the center of their lives helping them to prevail over the undesirable circumstances of life.

Are you an over-comer? Think about it, how many times God has intervened on your behalf. How many times have you acknowledged Him for intervening on your behalf? How many situations you’d found you were able to get through without realizing how? How many?

Image taken from google  search "overcome"

When we overcome we share our testimonies with others to strengthen their faith in Christ. By doing so we build their feeble confidence and reliance in God. When we testify of Gods goodness we fulfill not only the scripture of Revelation 12:11 but we also build upon the move of God working endlessly to remind us of His reliability and unfailing love and quest to see us enter His Kingdom someday. 

Tell someone the good news of how you overcame and shamelessly proclaim God’s goodness in your life. For as you do so, you honor God with your lips. However be mindful that your heart is right with Him as you testify that the truth of your testimony will tough the heart beat of God Also.

     

      Catherine K.