Our Heavenly Father, Thou does know the desire
of our hearts.
We ask of Thee only of one thing,
and that is Thou will reveal Thy Son
in us, more and full.
We want not only to see Him, but
we want to be filled by Him.
We do pray that as we together wait
in Thy presence, that it should be Thy
pleasure to do this very thing to Thy
people.
Lord, our heart is that Christ may be
exalted, that He truly may be all and
in all, that His love may fill our
hearts, that we may be unto the praise
of His glory.
O Lord, we ask that at this moment
Thou will deliver us from thinking of ourselves.
We pray that we may think only of
Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
We do commit this hour into Thy hands.
We ask Thee that if it should please
Thee that Thou will speak through Thy word
to us.
Thou will do Thy work tonight as Thou
has been doing since we began to meet.
We do praise and worship Thee together in
the name of our Lord Jesus and for
His glory.
I believe all you brothers and sisters agree
with me that even though we have met
just a few times, and yet I feel
myself, my heart is very full.
I do thank the Lord that it does
not need to wait until the end of
our time together to begin to realize what
He means to us.
I do praise the Lord that we may
experience what He means to us even from
the very beginning because He is the first
and we believe He is also the last.
Several months ago, as I was thinking of
this time that we will have together, I
was before the Lord wondering what He will
have us to consider together before Him.
And just one word came to me.
And during the past few months, I may
say that in the very beginning, I didn't
put too much thought on that one word.
That one word has been with me, but
I haven't really meditated upon it until the
Lord laid me aside.
And it was during that time that word
began to become stronger and stronger in me.
Many times I asked the Lord if this
is what He wants to speak through this
little instrument for this time, but somehow I
feel this is what the Lord wants to
say.
So I hope that during our evening times
together, if the Lord wills, that we will
consider together this one word.
I do not know if this has been
the exercise of your heart during the past
year or so, and that one word is
very simple.
And if I mention it, you know it
already.
And that is the word Overcomer.
Will you please turn with me to the
last book of the Bible.
Revelation chapter 5.
We'll read the whole chapter.
And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book
written within and on the back, closed sealed
with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with
a great voice, Who is worthy to open
the book and to lose the seals thereof?
And no one in the heaven or under
the earth was able to open the book
or to look thereof.
And I wept much, because no one was
found worthy to open the book or to
look thereof.
And one of the elders said unto me,
Weep not.
Behold, the Lamb that is of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, hath overcome
to open the book and the seven seals
thereof.
And I saw in the midst of the
throne, and of the four living creatures, and
in the midst of the elders, a Lamb,
standing as though it had been slain, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven spirits of God, sent forth into all
the earth.
And he came and he took it out
of the right hand of him that sat
on the throne.
And when he had taken the book, the
four living creatures and the four intended elders
fell down before the Lamb, having each one
a harp and golden bowls full of incense,
which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy
art thou to take the book and to
open the seals thereof, for thou was slain,
and this purchased unto God with thy blood,
man of every tribe and tongue and people
and nation, and madest them to be unto
our God a kingdom and priests, and they
reigned upon the earth.
And I saw and I heard a voice
of many angels round about the throne and
the living creatures and the elders, and the
number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a
loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that has
been slain to receive the power and riches
and wisdom and might and honor and glory
and blessing.
And every creative thing which is in the
heaven and on the earth and under the
earth and on the sea and all the
things that are in them, heard I saying
unto him that sits on the throne and
unto the Lamb, be the blessing and the
honor and the glory and the dominion forever
and ever.
And the four living creatures said, Amen.
And the elders fell down and worshiped.
We have a very glorious chapter before us.
It is a glorious scene in heaven.
I believe most people know that this is
a scene of the glory of redemption.
If chapter four of the book of Revelation
tells us of the glory of creation, then
here we have the glory of redemption.
There in chapter four verse eleven it says,
Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God,
to receive the glory and the honor and
the power, for thou didst create all things.
And because of thy will they were and
were created.
So here you'll find in chapter four the
glory of creation.
Or we may say the glory of the
Creator.
How glorious a scene we see in chapter
four.
And then following that we have this chapter
before us which is the glory of redemption.
Because we find it is mentioned here, Worthy
art thou to take the book and to
open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain
and dispurchased unto God with thy blood, men
of every tribe and town and people and
nation, and made them to be unto God
a kingdom and priest and a reign upon
the earth.
And again it says, Worthy is the Lamb
that has been slain to receive the power
and riches and wisdom and might and honor
and glory and blessing.
Here we find redemption is the song.
It is the glory of the Redeemer.
Whether you believe that this is also the
scene of the ascension of our Lord, whether
you believe that this happens at the time
of our Lord's ascension or not, I think
this is of not great importance.
Because anyway, redemption is eternal.
The glory of redemption is eternal.
But personally I feel probably this describes the
scene at the ascension of our Lord Jesus.
As he ascended up to heaven.
And there you'll find this glorious scene is
open.
For the sake of having some background for
what we will desire to fellowship this evening,
I'm afraid that we have to get into
some little kind of interpretation.
Now this is something I would like to
avoid very much.
Because we know that especially the book of
Revelation or how people interpret in so many
different ways and every interpreter feels that his
is the interpretation.
So I am very much afraid to offer
you another interpretation or to follow any interpretation
of any person.
So I do hope that you will bear
with me if I have to do a
little interpretation and if you don't agree with
me, I'm perfectly happy about it.
I certainly do not want to force you
into my interpretation.
I remember some years ago I was in
South America and when I was there I
met a servant of the Lord and we
began to have some time together and he
began to press upon me concerning certain passages
in the scripture, concerning certain things in the
scripture.
He pressed me, he wanted me to tell
him how I feel about them or how
did I understand these passages.
Now I tried to do my best to
avoid into such things but he pressed me
and I had no way out.
I knew what he was after but he
just cornered me, he wouldn't let me off.
Well I feel that I had to say
something so I told him that's how I
personally believe but I say I'm open, I'm
willing to change my interpretation if I find
out that that's not the most satisfactory one.
But even though I tried to tell him
in this way, you know he came back
saying that I did not believe in the
Bible.
The reason is because it so happened that
my interpretation was different from his interpretation of
these passages.
So I tried to tell my brother, I
said brother I do believe the Bible.
We may differ in interpretation but certainly we
believe the Bible but somehow his mind was
made up.
So I do believe that you will not
treat me this way because if you do
I would rather just sit down.
For the sake of just giving some background,
I'm afraid I have to do a little
interpretation and as I say if you don't
agree I'm perfectly happy.
You can keep on interpreting it in the
way that you used to.
Anyway the important thing is not the interpretation,
the important thing is that which we are
driving at.
Now if we can really see what we
are driving at then you can forget about
the interpretation.
Here you'll find a glorious scene in heaven
and I think it was a great suspense.
As you come to this chapter I believe
you should hold your breath because here you'll
find one who was sitting on the throne
and in his hand was a book.
But it was a sealed book and a
proclamation went forth.
Who is worthy to take the book from
the hand of the one who sits upon
the throne to open it and to read
it?
But after the mighty angel had made this
proclamation there was for a time no response.
No response in heaven, no response on earth,
no response anywhere in the universe.
I believe that if you are there and
we should be there it was a great
suspense.
You do not know what will happen and
if you really know what it meant you
will weep much as the apostle John.
When the apostle John waited and waited and
there was no answer, there was no response,
he wept.
Why?
Because he knew too much was involved.
It was not just a matter of a
person or a few people.
It was a matter that concerns, as our
brother said, the eternal purpose.
He wept because if there should be no
response then everything is really finished.
Then you remember an elder and say weep
not.
Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah.
The root he has overcome and because he
has overcome therefore he is worthy to take
the book to open it and to make
it known.
Now dear brothers and sisters, what is that
book?
That is where the interpretation comes in.
I personally believe and I know many believe
the same way that this is the title
deed of the earth.
This book tells us of the right of
God over his created, you
know God created the earth.
The heavens and the earth.
God was not only the creator of the
universe he was also the owner of the
universe.
He had never given up his ownership though
he often gave stewardship but the ownership is
ever in his own hand.
Once upon a time if our understanding of
the scripture is correct once upon a time
God seemed to give the earth to an
archangel under the rulership, the stewardship of an
archangel.
That that archangel may rule the earth for
the glory of God.
But somehow unrighteousness was found in this archangel
and the whole earth entered into emptiness.
Then you remember God created man.
Before he created man he first made this
earth habitable.
I think one thing we should know and
that is God never works along a mechanical
line.
God is well able to restore the earth
mechanically, physically.
And he did to a certain degree.
But God's way is always along a spiritual
and moral principle.
He did restore the earth out of ruin
and made it habitable.
But that doesn't mean that God has restored
the earth.
The restoration waits upon something that runs along
a spiritual and moral line.
And that is the reason why God created
man.
God created a being a little lower than
angels.
And with that being he is going to
subdue the earth and to restore the earth
morally and spiritually into the very plan and
thought.
He did restore the earth physically but that
was only a preparation.
Then he created man and his hope is
with man.
That through man the whole earth, all the
created things may be restored unto God and
to the praise of his glory.
In other words, when man was created, you
remember he was created in the image.
Not only in the image of God but
he was given dominion over the earth.
He was created in the image of God
that he might communicate with God.
That he might receive God into him.
That he might know God and his way.
He was given dominion, power, authority over the
created things.
And we all know all these are for
the purpose of bringing the earth back to
God's intended purpose.
Dear brothers and sisters, from here we know
of one thing.
And that is man is created with the
purpose of being an overcomer.
God does not create man that he may
be defeated.
God created man with the purpose that through
man the adversary of God may be defeated.
In other words, man is created with the
purpose of being an overcomer.
It is only when man overcomes that God's
purpose will be fulfilled.
And God has made every provision for man
to be an overcomer.
He is created in the image of God
so that he may overcome.
He is given dominion so that he may
overcome.
He is given every opportunity, possibility of overcoming
the adversary.
And yet, we know Adam, he was defeated.
In other words, the stewardship of man.
But that doesn't mean that the ownership of
God is jeopardized.
Because we find that in the hand of
the one who sits upon the throne, there
is this book.
God still holds the ownership of this earth
and all the created things.
But he is waiting for man.
He is waiting for that man, the man,
the overcomer, to restore the earth.
And to bring everything back to the purpose.
Three thousand years, about three thousand years later,
we find in the book of Psalms.
There you'll find in Psalm number eight, David,
under the Holy Spirit, began to mention something
saying, What is man that thou art mindful
of him?
And the son of man that thou visitest
him, for thou hast made him but little
lower than angels, and crowned him with glory
and honor, thou makest him to have dominion
over the works of thy hands, thou hast
put all things under his feet, all sheep
and oxen, yea, and beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish
of the sea, whatsoever passeth through the path
of the sea.
About three thousand years later, you'll find God
has not given up his thought.
Here you'll find he is still talking of
man.
What is man that thou art mindful of
him?
And the son of man that thou visitest
him, thou hast made him a little inferior,
a little lower than angels.
But has crowned him with glory and splendor,
and has given him dominion over all the
created things.
Man, the first man, has failed.
But God has not given up the concept
of the man.
So in one sense you'll find, through David,
God reassured us that he had not changed
his mind.
He was still looking for the man, the
overcomer.
On the other hand you'll find, through the
prophet David, he foretells that one day the
man of God's heart will come.
And when he shall come, God's purpose shall
be fulfilled.
Then another thousand years.
Until you'll find in Hebrews, and there you'll
find in Hebrews chapter two it says, but,
maybe we started a little earlier, what is
man that thou art mindful of him?
Or the son of man that thou visitest
him, thou hast made him a little lower
than the angels, thou hast crowned him with
glory and honor, and hast set him over
the works of thy hand.
Thou hast put all things in subjection under
his feet, for in that he subjected all
things unto him.
He left nothing that is not subject to
him.
But now we see not yet all things
subjected to him, but we behold him who
has been made a little lower than the
angels, even Jesus.
Because of the suffering of death, crowned with
glory and honor, that by the grace of
God he shall taste of death for every
man.
For it became him for whom of all
things, and through whom of all things, in
bringing many sons unto glory, to make the
author of that salvation perfect through suffering.
Here you'll find, after probably four thousand years
later, in Jesus, in Christ Jesus, God has
finally found his man.
And here you'll find it is connected with
Revelation chapter five.
There you'll find this man, the overcomer.
Here you'll find he ascended up on high.
And there he was given to open it,
to make it known.
In other words, he alone is worthy to
execute the plan of God concerning the earth.
And of course, all the created things.
So dear brothers and sisters, probably, in this
chapter five of Revelation, we find the glory
of the Redeemer.
Here you'll find Christ, the overcomer.
You know, very often, when we think of
the word overcomer, we used to start with
ourselves.
How can I be an overcomer?
How can I overcome?
And we try to overcome.
I think the very thought of overcomer is
too self-centered.
And probably this is the reason why we
are overcome instead of overcoming.
The right concept of overcomer in the Bible
must begin with Him.
First we must have a vision of Him,
of Him, of Christ, the overcomer.
Unless we know Christ as the overcomer, you
will never overcome.
Our whole possibility of being overcomer rests upon
Him, the Lord.
So I do look to the Lord, dear
brothers and sisters, that we should not start
with ourselves because if we do, we are
hanging ourselves too.
We will never get out of ourselves.
I believe that the Lord wants us to
see Him, to behold Him.
The word says, behold.
There is no overcomer except one who is
worthy.
No one is worthy.
But He, behold, the man.
You know, in the book of Revelation, you
find very often it is written in symbolic.
Here you find the elder comforted, the weeping
apostle saying, now weep not.
It is not as hopeless as you think.
Actually, it is very hopeful.
Behold!
The lion of the tribe of David, of
the tribe of Judah, the root.
Behold the lion!
Now, of course, you are not looking for
a real lion.
It is a figurative way of speaking.
Behold the lion of the tribe of David.
This lion character this lion feature of Christ
describes to us an inward character.
And with this character, He overcomes the lion.
And then later on, as He tried to
look for the lion, He saw a lamb.
So, if you are really looking for a
lion, you won't find it.
Because you saw a lamb.
And again we will say, even this lamb
is symbolic.
Representative.
It reveals a lamb character.
Our Lord Jesus is the overcomer.
And He overcomes on the basis of these
two characters.
How does He overcome?
He overcomes as a lion.
And He overcomes as a lamb.
In these two features, He accomplishes.
Let us look a little bit into these
two features.
First, now when you see a lion, or
when you hear the word lion, what is
the impression that gets into you?
When you think of a lion immediately, you
realize that a lion is the king of
the beasts.
Majestic, powerful, full of strength, bold,
fearless, accepts every challenge, never retreat.
All these thoughts will come into you.
Our Lord Jesus is the lion of the
tribe of Judah.
As we read the four Gospels, you will
find through the life of our Lord Jesus,
a lion character in Him.
Let us describe a little bit.
First of all, you'll find that in the
life of our Lord Jesus, there is that
singleness of purpose.
That utter devotedness unto the Father.
There is no looking to the right or
to the left, or even looking backward.
But you'll find our Lord Jesus sets His
face as a fleet.
He is like a lion.
He never goes back.
You'll find that He sets His heart upon
the will of the Father, and there He
goes.
There is no deviation.
There is no compromise.
There is that singleness of heart and purpose.
A determination.
There is no fear.
That's the lion character.
When He was twelve, you remember when He
reached the age of being a son of
the Lord.
He went with His earthly parents to Jerusalem.
But He carried them.
Finally, they found Him in the temple, asking
questions and answering them.
And when His earthly parents said, Well, why,
child, do you treat us this way?
And our Lord Jesus said, Should I not
be occupied with my Father?
Even when He was twelve.
You may say this, or you may even
say this is the age of accountability.
He was certainly accountable before the Lord.
And here you'll find His heart when He
was thirty.
There John the Baptist was baptizing the people,
and He went.
He asked to be baptized.
John hesitated.
John said, I shall be baptized by you.
And how come that you come to be
baptized?
But the Lord Jesus said, Suffer it.
It is for the righteousness.
There you'll find He offered Himself as a
sacrifice for the sins of the earth.
And ever since that time, you'll find our
Lord Jesus had His heart set.
He was in the wilderness tempted forty days
and forty nights.
Oh, how Satan tried to draw Him out.
Tried to make Him claim.
That is His rightful claim.
Because He is the Son of God.
If you are the Son of God, turn
these stones into bread.
He is the Son of God.
He certainly can turn these stones into bread.
But the Lord Jesus, and He says, Man
does not live by bread alone.
But by every word that proceeds from the
mouth throughout his life, you'll find that singleness
of purpose.
That utter devotedness unto the Father.
He said, your time is always ready.
But my time is not yet come.
You can do anything you like.
But I cannot.
I speak because my Father has spoken.
I do it because I have seen Him
done it.
You'll find that our Lord Jesus has committed
Himself fully to the Father.
And there He goes.
Without any.
Even in the Garden of Eden.
Garden of Gethsemane.
You remember.
His prayer was, not my will, but Thy
will.
This is the first feature of a lion.
This steadfastness of spirit.
Determination of heart.
Singleness of mind.
Wholly committed and devoted to the Father.
Oh, there is such a holy boldness in
our Lord.
You know, when you read the four Gospels,
you'll find, our Lord Jesus was not afraid
to uncover the mask.
He was not afraid to tear off the
pretension of traditionalism.
He was bold as a lion.
He overcomes.
He overcomes because He is the Lion of
the tribe of Judah.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, of course, we
know one thing.
And that is, most basic.
If you want to overcome anything, the first
thing is, you must overcome yourself.
If you have not overcome yourself, you won't
be able to overcome anything.
However small that thing may be.
You see, we always try to overcome this
thing and that thing.
If you start that way, you will discover
that even though that thing is a very
small thing, it overcomes you.
If you want to be an overcomer, the
first thing is, you have to overcome yourself.
And look at our Lord Jesus.
You'll find our Lord Jesus, how He denies
Himself.
His holy self.
His self is not like ourselves.
Our self, there is no good in us.
That is in ourselves.
In our flesh.
But His is different.
His is a holy self.
And yet you'll find, in the life of
our Lord Jesus, how He completely denies Himself.
He has full control over Himself.
Never for a moment, He gives in to
Himself.
To His holy self.
We must say it.
Now, it's almost beyond understanding, because we do
not have this experience.
We do not have this experience of holy
self.
But here you'll find our Lord Jesus is
so holy and blameless and spotless.
Even Himself.
And yet, He says, not my will.
He has full control over.
And because He has overcome His self so
completely, you'll find He overcomes.
That which is towards the end of His
life, He said, you will have tribulation in
this world.
But you do not need to be afraid.
For I have overcome.
He is in the world.
But He is not of the world.
The world tried to get into Him.
The world tried its best to get into
Him.
But towards the end, the world realized they
had to get Him out.
Because He will never let the world get
into Him.
He has overcome.
Do not think that overcoming the world is
just overcoming this thing or that thing in
the world.
Don't go to this place or don't go
to that place.
Or give up this thing and give up
that thing.
That's overcoming the world?
Not at all.
It may be included.
But overcoming the world does not let the
world have a foothold in your life.
That's overcoming the world.
Oh, He has overcome sin completely.
He was tempted in all things, just as
we are.
But, He has overcome sin.
Because of His utter devotedness unto them, He
has overcome the ruler of this world.
Oh, even towards the end of His life,
He said, the ruler of this world has
come.
But He has no place in man.
There is no place.
And because of this, He is able to
spoil the principalities and authorities and make captives
of them.
Because He has overcome the ruler.
And of course, lastly, He has overcome death.
The last enemy is death.
But here you'll find He has gone into
death.
Not trying to avoid death.
But He has gone into death.
He brings death to death.
And out He comes.
The life of our Lord Jesus you'll find
He overcomes as a life.
If, if we want
to be overcomers, there must be this line
in character in us.
We do not have it.
You may have very strong will.
I think it's easier to find strong wills
than to find weak wills.
One day a few of us, I think
five of us, were talking together.
And then one sister said, everyone is strong
willed.
I agree with her.
I think it's very difficult to find a
weak willed person.
Well, we are all weak willed in certain
things, in certain respects, that's true.
But, in the core of our will you'll
find we are very strong, all of us.
We may be very strong willed, but we
do not overcome.
This line in character is not in us.
But thank God, because Christ is the Lion
of the tribe of Judah.
He has overcome.
And dear brothers and sisters, how do we
overcome?
By being in union.
It is only by our being united with
Him in one.
Then you'll find His character begins to characterize
us.
That's how we are brought into overcoming.
Do nothing that to be an overcomer is
just by listening to some overcoming messages.
To be an overcomer just by claiming Romans
6.
Well, these may be included, yes.
But you'll find that it is not an
awkward formula.
Christianity is not a system of formulas.
By repeating certain magic words you overcome.
That's not Christianity.
The only way to overcome is to be
united with the overcomer.
It is His life, it is His character
that overcomes and nothing else.
But this is only one side.
We find there is another side when the
elder said, Behold!
The lion of the tribe of Judah.
Well, the apostle John began to open his
eyes.
You know, when you are weeping you don't
see very clearly.
So he tried to open his weeping eyes
and tried to locate the lion but he
couldn't see the lion.
And he saw a lamb slain standing.
You see, all these are paradoxes.
A lion cannot be a lamb.
A lamb slain cannot stand.
But here you'll find a lamb slain, yes,
standing with seven horns and seven eyes which
are the seven spirits of God that are
sent to all the earth.
Here you'll find the other side of Christ
the Overcomer.
There is the lion side and there is
the lamb side.
Naturally, lion and lamb cannot be together.
You have to wait until the millennium as
you'll find in Isaiah.
You have to wait until millennium to have
the lion and the lamb together.
But here you'll find in the life of
our Lord Jesus on the one heart side
there is a lion character and at the
same time there is He overcomes as the
lion.
Probably we can understand that.
But He overcomes as the lamb.
That's beyond human reason.
And dear brothers and sisters the greatest victory
of our Lord Jesus is through this lamb.
He is the lamb slain from the foundation.
Oh, you'll find in Isaiah chapter 53 when
the prophet prophesied about our Lord Jesus how
He described the lion, the lamb character of
our Lord.
He was oppressed yet when He was afflicted
He opened not His mouth.
As a lamb that is led to the
slaughter and as a sheep that before its
shearers is dumb so He opened not His
mouth.
By oppression and judgment He was taken away.
And as for His generation who among them
considered that He was cut off out of
the land of the living for the transgression
of my people to whom the stroke He
is the lamb.
He was born in a manger.
He was born as a little baby.
We will think that if the Savior of
the world should come He should come forth
as a full grown man.
Because He should be the symbol of strength.
Adam came forth as a full grown man
when he was created.
But this full grown man is a very
weak man.
Our Lord Jesus came to this earth as
a baby.
Weak.
Helpless.
And yet the greatest strength is in that
baby.
He was brought up in Nazareth.
No good things ever come out of Nazareth.
He was like a root out of dry
ground.
There was no calmness.
No outward beauty to attract.
And you know throughout all the life of
our Lord Jesus He said, I am meek
and lowly of heart.
Take my yoke upon you and learn.
He was reviled but He never reviled.
He is a lamb.
Humble.
Meek.
He never tries to hurt anyone.
When He is hurt He never answers back.
He is like a lamb led to the
place of slaughter.
And He is silent.
He is like a sheep under the scissors.
All His wounds are being sheared off.
All His beauty.
All His glory.
Oh how people shear Him.
Strip Him.
Take away everything for Him.
From Him.
He was willing to suffer.
He was willing to die.
The way of the lamb is the way
of the crow.
Dear brothers and sisters, why is it that
God has to use the lamb, sling, the
cross to overcome?
It is because of the recourse and the
consequence of the fall of man.
Man fell because of pride, of independence, of
self exaltation.
This is the cause of the fall of
man.
In order to deliver man the cross is
the only way where self is denied, is
crucified.
Oh by being the Lamb of God so
meek and lowly, suffer so much, endure in
silence, and finally die on the cross as
the Lamb slain.
This is the greatest victory in the universe
is obtained through this lamb character.
How can we overcome?
How can we ever be overcomers?
There must be this lamb character.
You know, sometimes we are as bold as
lions.
We devour everything.
There is no lamb character in us.
Where is the spirit of the Lamb?
Where is the spirit of humility?
Where is the willingness to suffer in silence?
Yes, sometimes we suffer.
But the whole world knows about it.
We are lacking in this self being taken
away.
We lack this lamb character.
Even though we are very bold, and sometimes
too bold, we do not overcome.
Dear brothers and sisters, there has to be
a combination.
And no one can put these two together.
Make a compound out of it.
No one can do that.
Only by union with Christ.
That is the only way.
So dear brothers and sisters, let us remember
one thing.
God is looking for overcomers.
His whole plan rests upon man as overcomer.
But to be an overcomer, there is only
one way, and that is by union.
That is the only way.
It is only when we are united with
Christ, then Christ the overcomer begins to characterize
us.
This lamb character and this lamb character begin
to grow in us.
And as Christ is gradually formed in us,
you see man as overcomer.
So let our eyes be centered, focused.
Do not look at yourselves.
If you look into yourselves, you will be
discouraged.
But let our eyes be focused upon Christ,
and see Him as the overcomer.
And you know, the lamb slain, that's resurrection.
With seven horns and seven eyes.
Horn speaks of power.
Full of power.
Eye speaks of discernment.
Full of wisdom.
These are the seven spirits of God that
are sent to all the earth, one, to
overcome.
And no wonder in this glorious chapter, you'll
find the anthem rising up throughout the universe.
Starting with the angels, thousands of thousands, tens
of thousands, and they were praising the Redeemer.
And they were responded, they were responded by
all the created things.
And ended up with amen and worship.
Oh, dear brothers and sisters, if only we
can see Christ as the overcomer.
That will bring us into a worshiping spirit.
Our Heavenly Father, we pray that we may
see Thy Son.
Behold the life, the Lamb slain.
Oh, we pray that we may see Christ
as the man, the overcomer, in whom all
Thy purpose is fulfilled.
Who is worthy alone to bring Thy purpose
into full realization.
Oh, how we praise and thank Thee that
we are by grace united with Him.
His victory is our victory.
Not only objectively, but because He is our
victory.
His very life is ours.
His very character is ours.
Oh, how we praise that Thou has been
so gracious to us that we may be
a part of Him who is the overcoming
one.
Oh, may all the praise and glory and
the adoration of our hearts be unto God
and to the Lamb forever and ever.