It is quite exciting to get to know about the awesome blessings which are lined up for those of us who believe, i.e. the over comers. The over comers are those who have accepted the beautiful gospel of salvation. There are really awesome goodies in store for us! It is however disheartening to learn about the wrath of God which has been prepared for the wicked. However, I shall not dwell much on the destiny of the wicked, as this has nothing to do with the over comers. There is nothing much to talk about anyway. Just a bottomless pit which explodes with the hottest and terrifying fire ever seen, burning with sulphur and brimstone.

To those who endure to the end, I mean the over comers, I have a case study of what shall be of them. Let’s consider the case of our brother in this faith, Apostle Paul, who wrote: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid for me the crown of righteousness , which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Paul raised important criteria on what it takes in order for one to be laid with the crown of righteousness. It takes a lot of fighting. Like Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali?? Well, brethren, the fight is not just a fight, but a good one. It is also about finishing the race. We all can compete in a race, but it is those who hit the ribbon on the finishing line, who win. “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Finally, it is about keeping the faith. It’s not about just keeping every kind of faith, but the correct one. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). “He who through faith is righteous shall live” (Galatians 3:11 RSV).

My fellow born again saints, we are not just being asked to keep our true faith intact for the sake of just keeping it. It is not going to be just a matter of giving a pat on the back to the sinless, and slapping the wrist of the bad-guys/sinners, at the end of the whole thing. Indeed, there are two extremes with extremely different consequences. There surely wont be a correctional service in hell, neither is there going to be parole, or some kind of pardon etc, as sinners shall be in it for it for eternity, and not forever. Guys, there is an important difference between forever and eternity. Forever has some kind of a beginning and no end. Eternity has no beginning and no end. So, please sinners, beware of the kiss of the serpent, as it leaves a fatal love bite on your throat. I further beg you to stop being bad guys, believe in the true gospel of the water and the Spirit, become over comers, and join us as we wait for the awesome blessings in store for us.

As I promised not to say much about the destiny of sinners, I think I should now address the title. But before I do, let me tell you about something. You know; the Americans (and some of their Western counterparts) have a certain saying, which has always fascinated me. It goes as follows: “(Honey), don’t you think you should see someone?” or alternatively; “You really have to speak to someone. I got a number, he’s good!” But I tell you what; no amount of speaking to someone (who doesn’t know the true gospel), no amount of professional help can heal the fatal wound of sin, or half this burden of sin in your heart, let alone blot the sin; it will continue to haunt and stalk you, like a stubborn demon. You will continue to feel empty; in fact you will be treading in the eye of the tempest in solitude. Have you been considering talking to someone lately? Well, I have no problem with you talking to someone, as most Americans do; but just make sure that that someone is a born again saint, who has the true indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so that he will break the good news to you. We are living in an era where the signs of the times are fast manifesting, wherever one sets eyes on. The manifestation is quite overwhelming, signalling how soon the chickens shall come home to roost.  Time is high when you should wake up from the complicated realm of sub consciousness and face the reality of the situation. The reality demands you to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep the faith.

If you know that you are a true saint, then you should start practising to walk like a king, to eat like a king, to talk like a king, to see a lion and see it as one of those pets around you, to see gold and diamonds and do nothing about it, to live without any medical aid, to live without any life assurance policy, to cry no more, to pay no rent/rates, to laugh all day, inter alia, saying the least. It’s really important that you get yourself used to the idea! I say so because you are going to be in for a real treat, as He shall surely spoil you rotten. Now, what are the awesome goodies in store for us? I am sure that the question has been burning in your mind all this while, as you were craving to check out some of these awesome goodies. When I say awesome I mean awesome indeed. Now, it defies logic to come to think of the fact that somebody actually chooses to forgo all the awesome goodies, I’m going to mention, for the devil’s cheap crap; when, in fact, they should be yearning for salvation. Perhaps if you know about those goodies in advance, you might decide to give your best shot and sacrifice to pay the price. Per chance, you might realise that Satan is walking the garden path with you, which soon shall come to a dead end. So, let’s check out what really is in store for the over comers, which is worth a fight and a run.

“To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God” (Revelations 2:7). Just a thought of being in Paradise is really mind blowing. What’s so special about the tree of life? It is really special! God allowed Adam to eat of this tree, in the beginning, though he couldn’t. Knowing that he (Adam) will not die if he ate of the tree of life, it was sooner rather than later, that the devil deceived him to eat of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, instead, so that he may die. The tree of life was found in the middle of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). But to the over comers, the devil shall not deceive them anymore. God Himself shall grant us to eat of this tree. He planted this tree Himself, long ago. What this simply means is that; by granting you to eat of the tree of life, the Lord shall grant you to live for eternity; not the paltry 70, 80, 90 years you are probably going to tarry here on earth.

“He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Revelations 2:11). What is the second death all about? The first death is when you die here on earth. The second death is that of eternal judgement of the sinners, in hell. “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murders, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death” (Revelations 21:8). This verse tells us that the second death is an eternal penalty, for sinners, which is served in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. But if you are sinless, you are cool, since you are covered. You will not be hurt by this second death.

“To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone, which no one knows except him who receives it” (Revelations 2:17). The history of manna dates back from the days of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Manna was picked every morning by the Israelites. It was fine as hoarfrost and flake-like, it was like a coriander seed, it was white, and made with honey, and it tasted like wafers made with honey. It was their bread to eat. The Israelites would collect manna, grind or crush it into flour, then boil it and make it into thin wafers (Numbers 11:9). It would fall from heaven in the morning (Exodus 16:14, 15 & 31). The last record of manna, that I remember, was that which was kept in a jar, inside the Ark of Covenant, for the testimony of the Israelites to the next generations. ''Put some manna in a jar and store it in the place of worship, for future generations to see'' (Exodus 16:33). We, the over comers, shall eat the hidden manna, which was prepared by God himself, and preserved for this occasion. From the description of manna above, you must have watered your mouth already, because the stuff seems to be really tasty. Come to think of a white stone, with a new name written on it, which nobody else know except you the respective over comer! Isn’t it incredible! It really is. The writing of a new name represents a new life, and the white colour represents the state of the new life.  

“He who overcomes and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and I will give him the morning star” (Revelations 2:26-29). Many battles have been fought, with many people killed in this world, in pursuance of power over nations. We shall be given power, without having to kill anybody. We shall not only have power over nations, but we shall rule them. We shall rule them with a rod of iron. A rod of iron symbolizes our strength. The morning star shall be one of your personal collections. Have you ever imagined owning a star? You shall be given the brightest of all stars, the morning star, and you shall own it. You shall shine bright. “Arise and shine; for your light has come! And the glory of God is risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).

“He who overcomes shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life, I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelations 3:5-6). We shall not put on the white garments on our own, mind you! In fact, we shall be clothed in white garments. Think about your kindergarten days, when your mom would bath you and clothe you, as a little kid. Likewise, you shall be clothed in white garments in that manner.  Jesus will not blot your name out of the Book of Life. This is really interesting. There are two books which are going to be opened on the Day of Judgement. If you don’t belong to one of the books, then you belong to the other.  There is the Book of Life, where all the names of the over comers are written. There is also the Book of Works, where all the names of sinners, and details of all their sins, are recorded. Jesus gave us much assurance that He will not blot our names out of the Book of Life. He will further confess your name before God and His angels. Just imagine Jesus as your witness; imagine the words He will be saying about you, to God. Your name shall be justified before God. You will be found to be without blemish. Have you ever obtained a recommendation letter from your former high school? I did. It was so touchy to read all the good things my high school class teacher thought about me. It’s even going to be much more fascinating on the Day of Judgement, when Jesus will confess your name before God and His angels.

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and 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 from my God, our of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelations 3:12-13). We always refer to our parents, or those people who are special to us, as pillars of strength. Has it ever crossed your mind that you shall be made a pillar in the temple of God? Being a pillar is really a special role. Firstly, it means that you are reliable and that you are of the right material (faith). Secondly, it means that you have the power to sustain, and thirdly, that you are always there (at the right place), fourthly that you qualify to be part of the temple of God. You shall never go out of the temple, as you shall always channel your energy towards supporting the temple of God. Jesus will write on you the name of God. What is the name of God? According to the Hebrew original manuscripts, the name of God is YHWH. This name is difficult to pronounce since it has no vowel(s). Some people have added vowels “a” and “e” so that the name can be pronounced YaHweH. Some have used a Latin approach. The sound of “y” in Latin is represented by the letter “j”, whilst the sound of “w” is represented by the letter “v”. They then replaced the letters “Y” and “W” from the name of God, YHWH, to come up with JHVH. They then added three vowels, “e”, “o” and “a” to come up with the name, JeHoVaH. However, to the over comers, He shall write on us the real name of God. He shall also write the name of the City of God, which is the New Jerusalem. The new name of Yeshua shall also be written on you. Have you ever been autographed on your hand by a celebrity? What you felt was just a drop in the Pacific of the joy you shall actually feel when all those big names shall be written on you.

“He who overcomes, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne” (Revelations 3:21). Do you know what this means? Consider the kings who sit on the thrones here on earth. The only persons, whom they sit with, on their thrones, are usually their sons (princes), daughters (princesses), and the queen of course. Sitting with Him on His heavenly throne automatically qualifies you to be heavenly princes and princesses. This is a great honour. You won’t be a subject, but a ruler. We all know how charming princes are, how beautiful princesses are, don’t we!

“To the thirsty I will give the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who overcomes shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son” (Revelations 21:7). Spring and mineral water cost a fortune. Water bills costs a considerable fortune too. But we are never satisfied with this water, no matter how much we drink it. We’ll find ourselves dehydrated and thirsty again and in desperate need of the precious liquid. No matter what amount of water we can possibly drink, it just won’t permanently quench our thirst, yet we have to keep on sinking in our pockets for more. Here is a real deal! Here is a promise of the fountain of water of life, without having to pay a single cent. “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14-15). There you got it! The entire heritage mentioned above shall be yours, without exception. Finally, He shall be your God, you shall be son(s) (and daughters) of God Most High. The father-son/father-daughter relationship is really awesome guys - we can be naughty too!!He shall be our Dad!  

Well, maybe I should talk about hell a little bit more, contrary to what I said earlier on. Consider this incident: “He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than it was won’t to be heated. And he ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was strict and the furnace very hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and they fell bound by the burning fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:19-23). Most of us are familiar with this incident, and we know that, in the end, these three men came out of the burning fiery furnace unhurt.

The furnace which was thrown in Daniel’s friends is a simple portrait of the hell fire, well maybe a couple of differences here and there. I don’t think the furnace was being powered with sulphur and brimstone, but in hell these two substances will power the fiery fire of the bottomless pit. Now I am not really well versed with fire stuff, but I did Metal Work at high school, and we would use gas fire to heat the metals we will be working on, in Forge Work. To upset a metal, you first had to heat it to cherry red (before you strike it with a hammer), with gas fire, and the fire was really scary. Now to talk of a burning fiery furnace, which was prepared seven times more than usual, is even much scarier. The guys who took up Daniel’s friends into the furnace were even slain by the fire, even though they were outside. Now please pay attention to this! Those guys didn’t actually get in contact with the fire, but they were slain by the fire. The men who actually got into the burning fiery furnace were not harmed. This portraits something really important about hell. Hell has power over sinners only. However, it doesn’t have power over us the righteous saints. Look here, the three men did time in the burning fiery furnace, but they were not hurt at all, despite the severity of the fire.  The fire was just like a cool night breeze to them. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were righteous servants of God Most High. They were God’s heroes. They remain standing firm when the cowards were falling down to worship the golden image. Those who stand firm in their faith shall overcome sin and shall have power over hell. They shall not be hurt by its flames. The fires of hell will be like a cool night breeze to them, as it seemingly did to Daniel’s friends. As for “the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murders, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur” (Revelations 21:8), which will burn them before they actually get into the fire.

Therefore, dear reader, consider the kind of destiny that you desire, and start living up to the expectations of that destiny. 

Yours in His Vineyard

Clemence Trevor Machadu (jnr)

www.nlmbookcafe.com/blog/clemence

clemencemachadu.blogspot.com  

www2.bjnewlife.org/shona.html