Summer 1998
Becoming an Overcomer
Wade E Taylor

During World War II, due to the urgency of the hour, officers were trained in a ninety day course. These were called "ninety day wonders" by the enlisted men who resented them because they were ruling, but had never been ruled over.

Because there will be no "ninety day" wonders in the army of the Lord, He is presently preparing "officers" (overcomers) to participate with Him in the closing out of the Church age and in the setting up of His Millennial Kingdom.

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me
in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down with My Father in His Throne" Rev 3:21.

We become an overcomer by rising above, or over-coming our problems and temptations. But our trouble is that often we do not rightly relate to our troubles. We do not realize that we cannot overcome unless there is something to overcome. Therefore, when we have a problem, it should become a challenge to us.

Unless we are able to rule over these things that we presently face, we will not be qualified to rule in that day. In other words, if we cannot rule over our personal problems, how will we be able to rule over the problems of others?

Adam and Eve were placed in a perfect environment. They had a perfect marriage. They had only one thing to obey, yet they failed. Some of us may be saying to the Lord, "If my circumstances could be different" or, "if I were in a different place - then I would be all that I should be."

However, the Lord will tell us that He already tried that with Adam, and it did not work. The miracle is that the Lord is gathering an army of overcomers who have risen above the present tribulations of life as overcomers.

"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting
them to continue in the faith, and that we must through
much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God" Acts 14:22.

The reason some of us have so many problems may be because the Lord is giving us many opportunities to become an overcomer. Again, we cannot overcome unless there is something to overcome. Thus, the way we view and respond to our problems is very important.

When we recognize our inability to overcome, and come apart to "wait" upon the Lord, we exchange our weakness and receive His strength. Then, in His strength we are enabled to overcome.

"Have you not known? have you not heard, that the
everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends
of the earth, faints not, neither is weary? there
is no searching of His understanding.

"He gives power to the faint; and to them that have
no might He increases strength. Even the youths
will faint and be weary, and the young men shall
utterly fall."

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk, and not faint" Isa 40:28-31.

The Lord could take all of our troubles and trials away and place us in a Garden of Eden, but we would never become the overcomers He seeks to prepare for the coming day of His power. If we are to become an officer in His Kingdom, we must exchange our weakness for His strength, and rise as an overcomer to rule with Him.

Only as we wait upon the Lord and receive His life and strength will we be able to say,

"And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
shall reign on the earth" Rev 5:10.