Yes you can

Yes you can

SIBKL. Elder Koon Tat, 5/11/11

In the late 70s, a new designer sports shoe came into the market and overtook the generation. Before that, sports shoes were mainly for sportsmen, but this all changed overnight. One pair cost RM500 in the 70s, the monthly salary of most people. Its brand name in Greek means victory, overcome or conquer. The company understood the power in the meaning of the word and this word is often found in the pages of the Bible. The name is Nike.

What is it that will give us victory in life? 1 John 5:4-5 tells us clearly
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” He who believes Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world. In this Scripture as well as in many others, there are three main things we must do:- Acclaim the promise, acknowledge the problem and apply the principle.  

When the Scripture says that everyone born of God overcome the world, it means that victory is our birthright. It is in our DNA, it is done. Victory always belongs to the kingdom of God and His citizens. As a child of God, it is our destiny to prevail against the weapons of warfare waged against us in this world. In John 16:33, Jesus says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Acclaim the promise

Wilma Rudolph was born 2 months premature into a large black family, as was very sickly as a child, picking up scarlet fever, measles, chicken pox, double pneumonia and later polio which caused her leg to be twisted. Doctors told her mother that she might not walk again. Nevertheless, Mrs Rudolph, a devout Baptist never gave up on her, praying fervently for her daughter to be restored to fullness. She continued to claim Jeremiah 29:11 for her daughter “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Wilma’s mum would take her 40km away every week to the nearest hospital that would treat a black child. Mrs.Rudolph continued to tell Wilma that she would walk again and did not cease to pray for her. She also taught her siblings to massage Wilma’s legs. Mrs Rudolph persevered for eight long years, enduring the humiliation of the segregated buses and the racial taunts. Finally, at the age of 12, Wilma shed her braces. Thereafter, things began to improve very rapidly and Wilma joined the basketball team. To improve her basketball, Wilma also joined the athletics club and that’s where the Tennessee state track and field coach Edward Temple noticed her and took her under his wing. In her first few races, Wilma finished far behind. However, she continued to improve and made it to the state and national team. In the 1960 summer Olympics in Rome, she became the first African American woman to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics. Who could have imagined that Wilma could rise above polio and braces, and the circumstances in her life to become one of the greatest sportswomen of her generation. Only her mother never wavered in her faith that God ‘s plan for her daughter was the very best. The girl the doctors said would never walk again became the fastest woman in the world. Both Wilma and her mother were invited to the White House where they met President Kennedy where Wilma was conferred the highest civilian award. God had honored the prayers of a mother who continued to believe. Despite her fame, Wilma shunned the limelight and after finishing her education, went back to teach little black children and encourage them to rise above their circumstances in life. Buildings, a bridge, and a highway were named after her. The national courage award was given in her name. She was even voted as the greatest sports personality of the 20^th century ahead of her hero Jesse Owens and Muhammad Ali. In her autobiography, she said that every one has a God given potential for significance. Yes, you can! It’s our God given birthright! Never give up on your family, your children and yourself. God has promised the very best!

Acknowledge the problem

The word overcome suggests that something stands in the way -  a storm, a problem. Life is not a breeze. There are challenges in life that we need to overcome. Bruce Lee famously said “he who denies or is unaware he is walking in darkness will not seek light”. Carmen Sanders at the age of 40 had saved enough money to own a gas station. For many years, he lived a comfortable life, but at the age of 65, Sanders encountered a major problem. His petrol business went completely belly up when a new Interstate highway was built that bypassed his station. After paying off his debts, he was reduced to relying on Social Security to survive. Looking at his first cheque of only $105, he knew he would not survive if he simply waited for the next cheque. So Sanders took out a piece of paper and wrote down the gifts and talents that he had. First of all, he wrote that he was a disciple of Christ, and God had always helped him overcome his problems. He did not have much education and had been a farmhand, a railway mechanic, a handyman and an insurance salesman. Then he remembered that travelers had always complimented him on the chicken that he cooked for them using 11 spices. Liking that last idea, he cashed out his $105 and began traveling from county to county cooking batches of chicken for different eateries. If they liked it, he would draw up a contract where he would receive 5 cents for each chicken cooked. 9 years later, Sanders had signed up 600 restaurants and sold off his franchise for 2 million dollars. Today, Kentucky Fried Chicken still uses his face as their logo, and his recipe is in 109 countries. All this began when a 65 year old man acknowledged his problem, cashed his cheque and went traveling to start a small business. Sanders understood an important point. The real issue is not the problem, but our response in the face of the problem. Because God is in the picture, we can have assurance. As the song goes, there is no problem too big God cannot solve, and no need so great that He cannot meet. Whether we can overcome or not has nothing to do with the difficulty of the circumstances. Rather, it is who is inside us. 1 John 4:4 says “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”. If God is for you, who can be against you?

Apply the principle

What principle? Coming back to 1 John 5:4, it says - This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Our faith overcomes the world. We exercise faith every day. When we sit down, we have faith the chair will not break. When we take a plane, we have faith that the pilot and plane is safe. However, faith here is different.

In vs.5, we see that “only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world”. It is about our faith in Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, and He is sovereign over every situation. It is faith that allows us to believe in Him. Faith in action in a real storm can be seen in Mark 6:45-55. The disciples were in a storm, and toiling away until Jesus came and commanded the wind to cease. Like the disciples, we are often confronted by storms, when problems threaten to overwhelm us. However, we need not be so because of our faith in Jesus. This passage teaches us three sureties. The Lord sees, the Lord sustains and the Lord saves.

Now, we can see that the disciples went towards Bethsaida upon the instruction of the Lord. We may be in the centre of God’s will and still walk into a storm, but the Lord sees. Jesus saw the disciples straining at the oars. The Greek word used for “see” means to discern, to perceive, to know, to be aware. Jesus knew that His disciple were straining. God is a God sees everything. In the desert, Abraham’s servant Hagar called God “El-Roi, the Lord who sees (Genesis 16:13). 2 Chronicles 16:9 says “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. The disciples had been in the storm for 9 hours. God will never keep us from going into a storm but Jesus will keep us in the midst of a storm. Isaiah 43:2 says “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

The Lord saves. The most important resource to survive a storm is knowing how is with us during the storm. The Scripture assures us Jesus is with us but we need to call on Him. Until Jesus came, none of his disciples called on Him. After 9 hours, they would have been completely tired out. When Jesus came to them, they did not recognize Jesus. In such situations, we may become easily frightened and see the worst in everything. If we read the passage carefully, we see that Jesus was about to pass them by. They fought the storm in their own strength and did not recognize the Savior. If our problem is so big that we do not recognize Jesus, we have a big problem indeed. Jesus said “Do not be afraid, it is I”. The “I” used here is a very emphatic word, like “I am”. Jesus’ name means Yehoshua – Yahweh saves. The Lord saves.

In the far northern mountainous region of China, there is a unique flower that blooms in the early days of January, in the coldest day of winter. When temperatures drop to below 40 degrees, this flower bursts forth into full bloom, bringing life to a dreary landscape. This flower is a good picture of an individual who in the strength of God bursts forth in adversity, fragrant and radiant with the beauty given to one who overcomes. It is in our DNA. All of us were made to overcome for He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world.