One of the phrases repeated throughout the letters in Revelation is “those who emerge victorious” (Common English Bible). Often it is translated, “the one who overcomes.”

Each of the seven churches have their issues. For a couple of them, very little is going right. For a couple of them, they are doing well spiritually but are suffering persecution. There are others who are a “mix bag” of doing something right and something else needing correction. But at the end of each one is the encouragement to “those who emerge victorious.”

I picture in my mind scenes from movies or shows where there is a crash, a ball of fire, a cloud of smoke, and the viewer is wondering if the hero is going to emerge. It is done dramatically, and, of course, it is done as a spoof at times in shows.

One of the best scenes where you wait to see what will happen (even though EVERYONE knows how it will turn out) is Apollo 13. Houston and the world awaits for Apollo 13 to break out of radio silence. The three minute window has passed and there is still no word. Four minutes pass… Every time I watch that scene I get emotional. And I know what will happen!

We need to hear this word from the Lord: “Those who emerge victorious.”

Whatever the train wreck, whatever the explosion, whatever the disaster… good times… hard times… what the letters to the churches teach us is we CAN emerge victorious. We hold firm to Christ. He holds firm to us. He is the love that will not let us go.

Hold on to Christ. Emerge victorious.