Last night I woke up about 1 AM. I had a podcast playing and what the man said caught my attention. He mentioned John 16:33. I listened for a while until I fell asleep and then today I listened to the whole thing. It was an ah-ha moment that happens to fit perfectly with today’s post! Had I not woken up at that time, I wouldn’t have heard it. I pray everyday that the Holy Spirit would reveal His Truth to me, as well as, to sharpen my spiritual hearing and eyesight. He sure sharpened my spiritual hearing! Even at 1 AM, I’m tuned in!
Also, the video at the bottom of the blog, The Life of Jesus Part 17, actually starts with John 16:33, then goes into chapter 17. So, this is all falling into place!
All Believers are Overcomers!
In John 16:33, Jesus told us…
33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NLT
Because HE overcame the world, WE also overcome the world! When you become a born again believer, when you come to faith in Jesus Christ, you become an overcomer! You do not die, but go straight to Heaven! In the Book of Revelation, Jesus writes letters to 7 churches. At the end of each letter He makes an important statement. Each of the church names are linked to there respective blog posts in the Revelation Study.
- Ephesus: 7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7 NKJV) That’s the same tree that was in the Garden of Eden. We’ll get to finally eat of the fruit and it won’t be forbidden!
- Smyrna: 11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death (hell).” (Revelation 2:11 NKJV)
- Pergamum: 17“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 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 NKJV)
- Thyatira: 25 “But hold fast to what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:25-29 NKJV)
- Sardis: 5 “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. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:5-6 NKJV)
- Philadelphia: 12 “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:12-13 NKJV)
- Laodicea: 21 “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. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:20-22 NKJV)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” 7 times Jesus repeats this phrase. And it’s found another 7 times in Scripture. Do you think God’s trying to tell us all something?! I believe that many of today’s churches — churches who call themselves “Christian”, have strayed from the Holy Spirit. They’ve gone blind and deaf to the Spirit, to the Word of God and to Jesus. So much so, that they don’t deserve to call themselves “Christian“.
Now, check out how Jesus prays for His flock. This is the Real Lord’s Prayer…. Pay attention, He’s talking to God the Father about YOU!
John 17
After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
6 “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.
20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
John 17 NLT
Is Jesus in You?
