..you’re on the winning side..

The final score is what counts.

MAY 30, 2007 (Wednesday) – Last night I joined some of our church members at Whataburger Field to watch the Corpus Christi Hooks win their game with the Arkansas Travelers.
At one point our team was down 5-1, but as Yogi Berra was fond of saying, “It ain’t over ’till it’s over,” and our home town boys won, 11-7. The score had changed during the game several times, and at times it looked as though our opponents would win, but we prevailed and victory was ours in the end.
You know, that’s sort of like the Bible Book of Revelation. The “score” at the end of the First Century seemed to be in the Enemy’s favor, but the game was far from over. That “game” is still going on today, and sometimes we may seem to be losing, but the clear teaching of the Book of Revelation is that Christ and His Church will win over Satan and his cohorts. In fact, that’s why the book of Revelation was written — to encourage suffering Christians not to lose heart because they will end up on the winning side of this long spiritual conflict.
Fact is, it’s not a game — it’s a war, between God and Satan, good and evil, and it’s going on all the time. So we are urged in Ephesians 6* to wear all of the spiritual armor** God gives us and to take our stand for Him, firmly resisting Satan’s attacks.
At the end of the First Century, Christians were tempted to lose heart because they seemed to be losing the battle. Believers were being arrested, jailed, crucified, thrown to wild animals, burned alive, buried alive, drowned, you name it. So Christ spoke to the Suffering Saints through John’s letter to them, and that letter came to be known as the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
So, when you feel like your team is losing, just remember the final score is what really counts. Take heart, accept the task assigned to you by our Lord, and give Him your best. You’re on the winning side!
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*Ephesians 6:10-18, “The Message” translation:
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
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** I would like to provide a link to an illustration of the armor worn by soldiers when Paul wrote of the spiritual armor, but found in my search that most materials are copyrighted. But you may want to search for “spiritual armor” in your own browser. It’s worth the time.