A TV commentator said in recent weeks, “The mission is to conquer Covid.” The word conquer is the same word as Jesus used in Revelation 2:17. Some translate it “overcome”.
Dr. Roger Birkman would often make this statement:
“The reality of life is that your perceptions—right or wrong—influence everything you do. When you get a proper perspective of your perceptions, you may be surprised how many other things fall into place.”
As we travelled together and I stayed with him and Sue at their home in Houston, often late into the night, Dr. Birkman and I talked about how God does not always remove obstacles, rather, He wants us to stay the course and overcome in His strength.
I am praying that God will reveal a vaccine to the world scientists (and I am grateful for the World Health Organization who are encouraging them to work together). That being said, we will not eradicate this virus, it is here to stay and it is yet to be determined how a new vaccine will protect us.
Overcoming or conquering according to Jesus comes from the Greek word, “Nikao” which refers to a victor, champion being victorious. It is from this word that the founders of Nike took their corporate name.
Jesus used the word “Nikao” to say to early believers facing huge obstacles (some of which would take their lives) and to us today facing Covid, to rise up like a mighty spiritual army to defeat the enemy. He also used the tense of continuous action, to be consistently undeterred in our efforts to overcome, to have the right perception, and to understand we do not face it alone.
You see, Jesus is not interested in us just winning small skirmishes. No, the stakes are so much greater than this and the battle much more intense.
This is a great challenge and encouragement to me. I need to face this obstacle, for it is real and I am not immune to it. As I do, I so need to daily realign my perception of who Jesus is; His tangible reality in my life and the world. You could say, the obstacle continues to be there. It is my perception/perspective that needs to be realigned daily.
In Ephesians 5: 6-17, we are given three imperatives we need to do every morning as we face each new day in boldness and confidence because of who Jesus is.
- Think about how you will walk through this new day. Realign your perceptions to give you a proper perspective.
- Ensure that you make the most of this new day. Do what is right. Be thankful and listen to the voice of the Spirit who lives in you.
- Proper perspective leads to understanding what God’s will is for me today. Remember, that in the Lord’s Prayer, we are to ask for our Father to provide us with what we need for today, not tomorrow, today. For a “Type A” Planner, that is a challenge, yet, I am gripped by this directive.
May we live our lives today and this week flooded by this “Revelation-Light”.
Love,
Pastor Bruce
