“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.””
We don’t need our circumstances to change to witness to others our hope and faith in the truth we believe in. We are not a product of our environment we shine in the midst of it whatever it looks like.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
Jesus fulfils all our needs and we can be strong in the power of that and demonstrate God wherever we are in our lives and the world.
The Holy Spirit will lead us if we trust Him and let Him lead.
When we are overwhelmed by God it displaces being overwhelmed by anything else that confronts us.
Our vision of Him fully occupies the space and we are saturated in His presence. Jesus takes centre stage always. Self centred is not the gospel message. Jesus centred is.
We deal with life from the inside out not the outside in.
The external giants are always smaller than the internal Christ.
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
We have a responsibility to be consistent and to always prioritise God thus praising Him.
To be part of His purpose to fight for His people to rise up in truth and love.C.S.Lewis said ‘aim at heaven we get earth thrown in, aim at earth and we will not get heaven.’
Our life is a momentary time with affliction. Eternity is blessed and affliction free.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,”
Times of crisis are a challenge and as church God desires us to be the life-line.
We have a wrong mindset of success being life without crisis in it and faith and church going will minimise crisis.
The reality is that in this world we will have trials
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.””
Jesus knows we are blind and have to be enlightened to this in our hearts by Him, to know the hope and inheritance that is before us.
“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”
We as the body cannot just be consumers of comfort and safety whilst we know there are many who do not have the knowledge that we have. We are essential workers not those shut down and deemed inessential.
If our hearts and existence do not always reflect the victory. Reflect that God has provided the success, it is not His fault. Jesus models victorious always, we need to pursue harder.
Both the double portions of anointing and blessings related in scripture in Job’s and Elisha’s lives were preceded by resistance and endurance and faithfulness. Valleys to be gone through.
Our theology is that death has been defeated. We may grieve for our losses but not without hope of the resurrection to a better eternal life.
We have to be open to the mystery of God and not be robbed by the lies of the enemy especially in times of crisis.
We cannot opt out of what we don’t want. We have to remain on point with our trust and hope in God. Connected to sound theology.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The illustration shows the Spirit filled Christian enlightened and afire.
Totally overwhelmed by God displacing all that the world would displace.
Light emanating to push back the darkness.
Six Scriptures that come to mind:
“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18 ESV
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 ESV
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 ESV
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18 ESV
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,”. Ephesians 1:3 ESV
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 ESV
The song Sound Mind Bryan and Katie Torwalt
Lessisgreater 