Overcoming The WorldOpening words:
I wrote this story when I had been a believing Christian for many years. I was going through one of those times of trouble, that all God’s Saints go through at one time or another. This trouble was particularly tough and I believe God gave me this story to comfort me and build my faith in Him.As I was struggling through this trouble, I was spending extra time in God’s Word, and in prayer talking to God about my troubles. As God would have it, Easter was coming soon. I was drawn to read Scriptures about Jesus’ death and resurrection. In the twenty fourth chapter of Luke’s gospel there is a short passage about two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ crucifixion. In this passage the two disciples were apparently kept from recognizing Jesus as He joined them on the road. As they walked, the risen Savior had an interesting conversation with the two men. They were explaining what they had just witnessed at the crucifixion, and Jesus could tell that they were very sad.
Then Jesus said to them:25 … “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Luke 24:25-26Then Jesus began to speak with them about the Scriptures, beginning with Moses and the Prophets, as they continued walking. It was not until later, after they were at their destination and sitting down to eat, that they watched Jesus bless and break the bread, and they recognized Him.31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. Luke 24:31
I was struck by the disciple’s lack of understanding what they had just seen at the cross, and their inability to connect it to the prophesies that they knew so well. Also, Jesus’ response seemed strange to me. I would have expected that these two disciples of Jesus might have been able to make a connection between what they had been taught from the Scripture about a suffering Savior, and what they had just seen at Golgotha.And it sounded like Jesus had kept them from recognizing Him for quite a while before their eyes were opened. As I thought and prayed about it, God sat me down at my computer, gave me this story of a Jewish disciple who had struggled with a similar problem. As this disciple watched the scene at the cross, and heard Jesus’ words while he hung there, he felt abandoned by his Lord. He was in the dark about what it all meant. This was like my experience of living for three decades blind and deaf to the gospel, before I had been given a new heart and new eyes. My eyes had been opened in Jesus’ good timing, like this disciple had his eyes opened at just the right time. And like the two disciples on the road had their eyes opened at the table with Jesus. I hope that God might use this story to open your eyes to the Story of the Suffering and Conquering King.
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Mourner to OvercomerA Fictional Story About TruthBy Mark Applewhite What started as a day of dashed hopes and complete confusion ended as a day of encouragement and enlightenment. What happened to me that day was the last thing that I expected. My years of Hebrew training and tradition had mixed perfectly with the immediacy of the present moment. As I watched my Lord die, the Scriptures came alive. I had been well trained. I had memorized literally thousands of lines of the Holy Scriptures, a good portion of which was from the Psalms. I had been so well trained that most of the lines would come back to me immediately with the right prompting. In fact we had been trained to hear the first line of a passage of Scripture as a sort of cue, and then to chime in with rest of the words that followed. It had been years since the days of my training. As I was growing up into a man, I thought that I had figured out most everything there was to know about life. Then came Jesus. He had turned my world upside down with His teachings. And not only my world, but everyone’s world that He came into contact with. It was obvious to me that His Words came from God. He spoke wisdom in ways that resembled the prophets of old. His words fulfilled the old covenant, and at the same time ushered in a new one. This was so foreign to me that it was hard for me to accept, but I knew that His teachings were special and that I should listen. At times I had even hoped that just maybe He was the One. The Messiah, the anointed one sent by God. And yet this Jesus didn’t really fit the picture that I had in my head of the coming King. But that day, all my hope that Jesus might be the One who had come to reign as King had been dashed. It was so hard to believe. Earlier today, I had witnessed His death. A terrible death. He had been falsely accused, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross. He was crucified between two criminals. The sight of Him hanging there, while the guards below Him mocked Him and cast lots for His clothing, was almost too much to bear. After 400 long years of God being silent with His people It had seemed that Jesus would be bringing new hope. I thought that I was going to see the King of Glory come to free His people. And now He was dead. I didn’t understand. Could I have been so wrong about Jesus? Could it be that God had forsaken His people and would continue to be silent for who knows how much longer? All of a sudden I remembered some of the words that Jesus had spoken when He was hanging on that cross. All of a sudden my training as a youth was doing its work. I was seeing a glimmer of light. Jesus had said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” At first, when I heard Him say those words I simply asked God the same question. But then, the prompt that I had remembered so well rang clear in my mind, was from the first verse of a triplet of Psalms written by King David. The Psalm triplet consisting of Psalms 22, 23, and 24 was one of my favorites. When I heard that first line my memory took over and in my mind I began to recite those three Psalms written a long, long time ago. As I went through David’s words, it was as if David was writing to me. It was as if the words weren’t really about David, but were a prophecy of a coming event. I realized that the scene that I had vaguely pictured in my mind, when I had first learned the words, was now the real life scene that I had witnessed this very day. Words from Psalm 22 like:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? …15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalms 22:1, 15-18 I was one of those who had been looking and staring at Jesus, His bones, and His pierced hands and feet. But how could it be that David could have written those words centuries ago? The only answer could be that God’s Holy Spirit had inspired David with those words. And those words of despair, “Why have you forsaken me?" take on a whole new meaning, if they were meant to be words of encouragement to me (and any other well-trained Hebrew that was there). My memory served me well when I remembered how the triplet continued. It started with a cry of despair, but then continued with words of great encouragement, and ended with words of triumph (like many of David’s Psalms do). Psalm 22 moves from despair to:27 All the ends of the earth shall rememberand turn to the LORD,and all the families of the nationsshall worship before you.28 For kingship belongs to the LORD,and he rules over the nations. …30 Posterity shall serve him;it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,that he has done it. Psalms 22:30-31 Psalms 22:27-28, 30,31. This crucifixion was not the end to a sad story. It will be remembered, and people will turn to the Lord, and nations will worship Him, and He will rule, and grandparents will tell their grandchildren about it. Hallelujah! The story then continues with a passage of comfort and encouragement—the much loved Psalm 23. 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.3 He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake.4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow meall the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the LORDforever. Psalms 23 It seems that this Psalm, too, was written as a beacon of hope for me to focus my attention on, after the storm of Jesus’ death had passed. This Jesus is my Great Shepherd who will lead me, restore me, and walk with me through the trials of life and death. When I am surrounded by enemies, He will comfort me. His goodness and mercy will follow me, and I will dwell with Him forever. Hallelujah! Those Psalms had comforted me when I was a child, but now they were comforting me in a whole new way. I had been so shocked by the events of the crucifixion, and so saddened when I heard Jesus say “ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?.” I had selfishly made it my own prayer, and asked God why He had forsaken me. Now though, I know that God hadn’t forsaken me. Instead He had done just the opposite. It was amazing! When I looked at all three Psalms together it looked like a letter. God had written me a letter of encouragement a thousand years earlier through his man, David. He then taught me the words of that letter through my teachers when I was a child. He then spoke those words to me and to anyone who would hear, at a most opportune time, through His Son. And now He was whispering those words to me by His Spirit. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! My cup, like David’s, was running over.The words of the end of the triplet then poured into my mind like a refreshing drink, on a steamy day. From Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,the world and those who dwell therein, …7 Lift up your heads, O gates!And be lifted up, O ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is this King of glory?The LORD, strong and mighty,the LORD, mighty in battle!9 Lift up your heads, O gates!And lift them up, O ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is this King of glory?The LORD of hosts,he is the King of glory! Psalms 24:1, 7-10 I now know that my fears were gone, and my original hopes for Jesus were still true. He is the Lord. He is the coming King. Not exactly as I had expected, but in my heart I knew with certainty who this Jesus was. Even though I had just seen Him die, I knew for sure that He, my redeemer, was alive, and that He would return. What seemed like the end was bound to be a beginning. Nothing is impossible with God. I spent the next few days in thankful prayer and praise to my awesome God. When I heard the disciples begin to talk about Jesus being resurrected from the grave, it all made perfect sense to me. My heart soared and I sang songs of praise. The words He had spoken while He was alive were now melding perfectly with the words of the Holy Scriptures. The day that I had watched my Lord die had become the day that the Scriptures came alive. Now instead of feeling forsaken, I felt loved and provided for. Instead of wondering why God would forsake Jesus on that awful cross, I now know that the whole scene of the crucifixion was supposed to happen just as it did, and that its’ ultimate purpose would result in blessings. Instead of wondering why God would allow Jesus to die, I now know that He had to die and go ahead of us to the grave, and ahead of us in resurrection, and that He and I would someday dwell together in his house forever. Now I must obey some of the words of this Psalm triplet which say: 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! Psalms 22:22-23 Praise be to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Amen------------------------------------------------------------------------Writing this story was just what I needed in my time of “suffering through trials.” And I never could have written this story on my own. Instead God touched me in a very personal way, putting the words to this story into my mind and heart, just when I needed them.This story is sort of like the Gospel of the Bible. The Gospel of the whole Bible is so much more than just a story about a suffering King. A King that died. And yes, He died for a good cause. But there is so much more than that. He Is Risen. The fact that He is risen changes everything. My mourning turns to joy. My darkness turns to light. My night turns to morning. My winter turns to spring. From a self-centered mourner, to a forward-looking saint of the Most High. My purpose in life turns from self-promotion, to overcoming the world, in Christ. How does a Christian overcome or conquer the world? 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 You see, that word overcome in the Greek can be translated overcome or conquer, and is translated both ways in the Scriptures. And we see in John’s epistle, that we who believe that Jesus is the Son of God have overcome/conquered the world with our faith. That same faith that was given to us by God as a gift. (Eph. 2:8,9)And in his letter to the church in Rome, Paul calls all believers “more than conquerors.” He says, that in the middle of a spectacular passage, about how nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God.As a saint of the Most High I should expect that I will face trials and tribulation, but never be forsaken. Instead I can be sure of comfort and peace from God’s Word, and that I will grow deeper in my understanding of God’s Word, stronger in my faith, and increase in my trust, over time. And My Shepherd will walk with me through all trials, even the valley of the shadow of death, but goodness and mercy shall follow me, and I will dwell with the Lord forever. Wow!What a Father,what a Shepherd,what a Savior,what a Comforter,we have in our God!!!
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Mourner to OvercomerA Fictional Story About TruthBy Mark Applewhite What started as a day of dashed hopes and complete confusion ended as a day of encouragement and enlightenment. What happened to me that day was the last thing that I expected. My years of Hebrew training and tradition had mixed perfectly with the immediacy of the present moment. As I watched my Lord die, the Scriptures came alive. I had been well trained. I had memorized literally thousands of lines of the Holy Scriptures, a good portion of which was from the Psalms. I had been so well trained that most of the lines would come back to me immediately with the right prompting. In fact we had been trained to hear the first line of a passage of Scripture as a sort of cue, and then to chime in with rest of the words that followed. It had been years since the days of my training. As I was growing up into a man, I thought that I had figured out most everything there was to know about life. Then came Jesus. He had turned my world upside down with His teachings. And not only my world, but everyone’s world that He came into contact with. It was obvious to me that His Words came from God. He spoke wisdom in ways that resembled the prophets of old. His words fulfilled the old covenant, and at the same time ushered in a new one. This was so foreign to me that it was hard for me to accept, but I knew that His teachings were special and that I should listen. At times I had even hoped that just maybe He was the One. The Messiah, the anointed one sent by God. And yet this Jesus didn’t really fit the picture that I had in my head of the coming King. But that day, all my hope that Jesus might be the One who had come to reign as King had been dashed. It was so hard to believe. Earlier today, I had witnessed His death. A terrible death. He had been falsely accused, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross. He was crucified between two criminals. The sight of Him hanging there, while the guards below Him mocked Him and cast lots for His clothing, was almost too much to bear. After 400 long years of God being silent with His people It had seemed that Jesus would be bringing new hope. I thought that I was going to see the King of Glory come to free His people. And now He was dead. I didn’t understand. Could I have been so wrong about Jesus? Could it be that God had forsaken His people and would continue to be silent for who knows how much longer? All of a sudden I remembered some of the words that Jesus had spoken when He was hanging on that cross. All of a sudden my training as a youth was doing its work. I was seeing a glimmer of light. Jesus had said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” At first, when I heard Him say those words I simply asked God the same question. But then, the prompt that I had remembered so well rang clear in my mind, was from the first verse of a triplet of Psalms written by King David. The Psalm triplet consisting of Psalms 22, 23, and 24 was one of my favorites. When I heard that first line my memory took over and in my mind I began to recite those three Psalms written a long, long time ago. As I went through David’s words, it was as if David was writing to me. It was as if the words weren’t really about David, but were a prophecy of a coming event. I realized that the scene that I had vaguely pictured in my mind, when I had first learned the words, was now the real life scene that I had witnessed this very day. Words from Psalm 22 like:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? …15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalms 22:1, 15-18 I was one of those who had been looking and staring at Jesus, His bones, and His pierced hands and feet. But how could it be that David could have written those words centuries ago? The only answer could be that God’s Holy Spirit had inspired David with those words. And those words of despair, “Why have you forsaken me?" take on a whole new meaning, if they were meant to be words of encouragement to me (and any other well-trained Hebrew that was there). My memory served me well when I remembered how the triplet continued. It started with a cry of despair, but then continued with words of great encouragement, and ended with words of triumph (like many of David’s Psalms do). Psalm 22 moves from despair to:27 All the ends of the earth shall rememberand turn to the LORD,and all the families of the nationsshall worship before you.28 For kingship belongs to the LORD,and he rules over the nations. …30 Posterity shall serve him;it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,that he has done it. Psalms 22:30-31 Psalms 22:27-28, 30,31. This crucifixion was not the end to a sad story. It will be remembered, and people will turn to the Lord, and nations will worship Him, and He will rule, and grandparents will tell their grandchildren about it. Hallelujah! The story then continues with a passage of comfort and encouragement—the much loved Psalm 23. 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.3 He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake.4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow meall the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the LORDforever. Psalms 23 It seems that this Psalm, too, was written as a beacon of hope for me to focus my attention on, after the storm of Jesus’ death had passed. This Jesus is my Great Shepherd who will lead me, restore me, and walk with me through the trials of life and death. When I am surrounded by enemies, He will comfort me. His goodness and mercy will follow me, and I will dwell with Him forever. Hallelujah! Those Psalms had comforted me when I was a child, but now they were comforting me in a whole new way. I had been so shocked by the events of the crucifixion, and so saddened when I heard Jesus say “ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?.” I had selfishly made it my own prayer, and asked God why He had forsaken me. Now though, I know that God hadn’t forsaken me. Instead He had done just the opposite. It was amazing! When I looked at all three Psalms together it looked like a letter. God had written me a letter of encouragement a thousand years earlier through his man, David. He then taught me the words of that letter through my teachers when I was a child. He then spoke those words to me and to anyone who would hear, at a most opportune time, through His Son. And now He was whispering those words to me by His Spirit. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! My cup, like David’s, was running over.The words of the end of the triplet then poured into my mind like a refreshing drink, on a steamy day. From Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,the world and those who dwell therein, …7 Lift up your heads, O gates!And be lifted up, O ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is this King of glory?The LORD, strong and mighty,the LORD, mighty in battle!9 Lift up your heads, O gates!And lift them up, O ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is this King of glory?The LORD of hosts,he is the King of glory! Psalms 24:1, 7-10 I now know that my fears were gone, and my original hopes for Jesus were still true. He is the Lord. He is the coming King. Not exactly as I had expected, but in my heart I knew with certainty who this Jesus was. Even though I had just seen Him die, I knew for sure that He, my redeemer, was alive, and that He would return. What seemed like the end was bound to be a beginning. Nothing is impossible with God. I spent the next few days in thankful prayer and praise to my awesome God. When I heard the disciples begin to talk about Jesus being resurrected from the grave, it all made perfect sense to me. My heart soared and I sang songs of praise. The words He had spoken while He was alive were now melding perfectly with the words of the Holy Scriptures. The day that I had watched my Lord die had become the day that the Scriptures came alive. Now instead of feeling forsaken, I felt loved and provided for. Instead of wondering why God would forsake Jesus on that awful cross, I now know that the whole scene of the crucifixion was supposed to happen just as it did, and that its’ ultimate purpose would result in blessings. Instead of wondering why God would allow Jesus to die, I now know that He had to die and go ahead of us to the grave, and ahead of us in resurrection, and that He and I would someday dwell together in his house forever. Now I must obey some of the words of this Psalm triplet which say: 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! Psalms 22:22-23 Praise be to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Amen------------------------------------------------------------------------Writing this story was just what I needed in my time of “suffering through trials.” And I never could have written this story on my own. Instead God touched me in a very personal way, putting the words to this story into my mind and heart, just when I needed them.This story is sort of like the Gospel of the Bible. The Gospel of the whole Bible is so much more than just a story about a suffering King. A King that died. And yes, He died for a good cause. But there is so much more than that. He Is Risen. The fact that He is risen changes everything. My mourning turns to joy. My darkness turns to light. My night turns to morning. My winter turns to spring. From a self-centered mourner, to a forward-looking saint of the Most High. My purpose in life turns from self-promotion, to overcoming the world, in Christ. How does a Christian overcome or conquer the world? 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 You see, that word overcome in the Greek can be translated overcome or conquer, and is translated both ways in the Scriptures. And we see in John’s epistle, that we who believe that Jesus is the Son of God have overcome/conquered the world with our faith. That same faith that was given to us by God as a gift. (Eph. 2:8,9)And in his letter to the church in Rome, Paul calls all believers “more than conquerors.” He says, that in the middle of a spectacular passage, about how nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God.As a saint of the Most High I should expect that I will face trials and tribulation, but never be forsaken. Instead I can be sure of comfort and peace from God’s Word, and that I will grow deeper in my understanding of God’s Word, stronger in my faith, and increase in my trust, over time. And My Shepherd will walk with me through all trials, even the valley of the shadow of death, but goodness and mercy shall follow me, and I will dwell with the Lord forever. Wow!What a Father,what a Shepherd,what a Savior,what a Comforter,we have in our God!!!