05/03/2002 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

THOSE WHO OVERCOME

From the earliest days of man until the end times in prophecy, Yahweh puts great importance on overcoming.

Let's take a look at WHAT we need to overcome,

HOW we can do it, and

WHY it is important to us.

The first mention in the Bible is in Genesis 4:6-8

So Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7. If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies in wait at the door. And its desire is for you, but YOU SHOULD RULE OVER IT."

Of course we know that Cain did not rule over the sin. He went on to murder his brother Abel.

WHAT DOES HE EXPECT US TO OVERCOME?

HOW CAN WE OVERCOME IT?

To overcome means to subdue or conquer.

The Greek word is translated: overcome, prevail, and get the victory.

So, over what must we get the victory? And Is there a way to do it?

There must always be a way to overcome. We have this promise:

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but Yahweh is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but WITH THE TEMPTATION WILL ALSO MAKE THE WAY OF ESCAPE, that you may be able to bear it.

OVERCOME THE WORLD

Yahshua is our example. What did he overcome?

John 16:33 "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."

What is this "world" we must overcome? Yahshua explains:

Mark 4:18-19 "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."

But He really puts it in perspective later:

Matthew 16:26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Israel thought the world looked pretty good. They wanted a king like the nations around them:

1 Samuel 8:19-20 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, 20. that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."

King Solomon ended up yielding to the world in a big way:

Ecclesiastes 2:12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king [ME]?; Only what he has already done.

In other words, "No one can ever be greater than I am"

Contrast this with the loving words of Yahshua "You will do greater works"

John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

Solomon also shows his worldliness in this verse:

Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything.

He says MONEY IS THE ANSWER! And to think, he used to be a wise man!

We must overcome these worldly attitudes as Yahshua did. Here is how:

1 John 5:4-5 For whoever is begotten of Elohim overcomes the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world; OUR FAITH.

5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Yahshua is the Son of Elohim?

1 John 5:4-5 For whoever is begotten of Elohim overcomes the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world; OUR FAITH.

5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Yahshua is the Son of Elohim?

sorry

Our faith in Yahshua is the tool we need to overcome worldliness. This faith has to be an active faith as explained by Jacob/James.

James 2:14-17 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?

15. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16. and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

17. Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

In Ephesians 6:16 Paul calls faith our shield.

Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

These darts look a little like the thorns Yahshua talked about in Mark 4:18 above.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove [demonstrate] what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of Yahweh.

Our living faith is the way Yahweh provides for us to overcome the world.

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OVERCOME EVIL

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We know that we have evil enemies. Paul tells us:

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Even when it looks like we are in contention against evil people, we may be sure that there is a higher power behind it.

Here are two verses about young men who have overcome the wicked one [Satan].

1 John 2:13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.

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 Yahweh abides in you, And YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE.

How did these young men do it?

Here are a few verses that give us a clue:

1 John 4:4 (NKJV) You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them [false prophets],

because HE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.

Yahshua told us about the power of His presence within us:

John 15:4-7 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

6. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."

He also told us about the power of doing good works:

Matthew 5:42-45 "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

Matthew 5, 6 and 7 are full of similar statements.

Consider the power in this verse:

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things?

If Yahweh is for us, who can be against us?

Paul sums it up nicely:

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

So we need to overcome evil people and evil spirits

by the righteousness of Yahshua who lives within us.

If we ask in Yahshua's name we can overcome the strongest enemies!

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WHY SHOULD WE OVERCOME?

WHAT BENEFIT DO WE GET FOR IT?

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The rewards for those who overcome are extremely rich. All the best fruits of salvation are included. Listen to what the spirit tells the congregations about those who overcome:

I want to list them first, then we'll talk about them.

"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of Elohim."'Revelation 2:7

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."' Revelation 2:11

"To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' Revelation 2:17

"And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations " (Goyim) Revelation 2:26

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." Revelation 3:5

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." Revelation 3:21

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his Elohim and he shall be My son. Revelation 21:7

Taking a closer look at some of the promises Yahshua makes:

The tree of life has not been seen by mankind since Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden. We find it only in the New Jerusalem:

Revelation 22:1-2 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb. 2. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

That's good news!

But what about the statement, "He who overcomes shall NOT BE HURT BY THE SECOND DEATH." Revelation 2:11

Doesn't that mean that those who fail to overcome will be struck down by the second death?

The second death is an eternal death from which no one is resurrected.

The hidden manna was put into the ark of the covenant by Moses and Aaron. Isn't manna wonderful! If you left it overnight the third day of the week it rotted and stank. On Sabbath it would keep over night. And in the ark it would keep forever!

That would be great to have a taste of that manna from the ark; but that is not the hidden manna Yahshua was speaking about.

Yahshua told us in John chapter six:

John 6:48-51 "I am the bread of life. 49. "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50. "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

I believe this is the hidden manna Yahshua meant for us to eat in the kingdom.

Yahshua talked about having power over the nations during his ministry.

Matthew 24:45-47 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46. "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47. "Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

Luke 22:28-30 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29. "And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30. "that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

The white garment Yahshua promises are the wedding clothes of his bride.

Revelation 19:7-8 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

To be seated on his throne with Yahshua is an exclusive privilege. Only about 144,000 people will sit there. :)

I make a little joke but I don't mean to diminish the value of this position. We are to be joint rulers with Yahshua and will have great power and responsibility.

The last gift for overcommers is surely the greatest.

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his Elohim and he shall be My son. Revelation 21:7

To have an everlasting personal relationship with Yahweh as his beloved son is truly a prize worth any effort.

Brethren, we have been given a challenge of overcoming, conquering and winning the struggle against the world, and against evil powers from above and from below.

We have also been given the tools and weapons needed for the fight - faith, love, and righteousness. Yahshua will fight along with us from his position within us if we remain with him.

The prize is great beyond our imagination.

Steel yourself for the battle!

Take up the weapons provided!

Be one of those who overcome!

Follow Yahshua's banner on to the victory!

HalleluYAH !