Good Morning Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The world is growing crazier and more wicked by the day. If you pay attention to the news or read the newspapers or social media, you hear and see fear, doubt, worry, concern, trepidation, anxiousness, and hopelessness. You watch rulings from many courts, and it is clearly evident wickedness sits in the seat of judgment rendering injustice or when justice is leaked, the wicked rise up in arms against justice, against The Word of God. And from all this comes strife, discontent, anger, hate, malice, and the like. You’ll also notice more attacks against your family and you as the world grows more wicked by the day. But, as Jesus told His disciples, and us, “be of good cheer.”
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Notice the key to being of good cheer in John 16:33: “that in Me ye might have peace.” Why can we have peace in Christ? Because He told us, “I have overcome the world.” In this crazy world, you will only find peace in Jesus Christ. Seeking to find peace through the world, its wisdom, or its offerings will spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically bankrupt you. Yes, you may achieve something in this world, but at what cost? In Christ, we, as Believers, are able to achieve at NO COST. The cost was paid at calvary and in hell by Jesus – for us.
Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him [Christ] that loved us.
I have written previously that being “more than conquerors through Him” means we get to enjoy all the spoils of Jesus’ victory without ever having to pay the price Jesus paid or engaging in war against an already beaten and conquered adversary, Satan.
In speaking to many Believers, I’m finding fear becoming more prevalent because Believers are reacting to what they see and hear around them or what they feel. When we as Believers do this, we violate II Corinthians 5:7.
II Corinthians 5:7
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
This short verse says it all. “Sight” refers to our senses or to us walking by our senses. However, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, is instructing us to walk by faith – not our senses. We are to use our spiritual ears, eyes, and heart to walk through each day. We are to walk by faith in what God’s Word says about us and our time on earth. Our time in Heaven is already laid out for us. It is our time on earth which we have license over by our thinking, our believing, our confession, and our receiving. Do you remember the various times Jesus would say, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear”? Jesus was not speaking of one’s physical ears. He was speaking of one’s spiritual ears. Remember what is said in Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” You have to hear God’s Word with your spiritual ears for it to become faith in your spiritual heart.
Many Believers admit to struggling with faith in the face of all the growing calamities in the world. Sisters and Brothers, let me assure you it is going to get even worse. Hard to believe, right? But “be of good cheer.” Oh, great you say. I’m already struggling, and you tell me it is going to get worse. Yes, but we have assurances and promises from our Father, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His [God’s] purpose.
Notice the promise in Romans 8:28: “ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD.” How many things – all things. Anything Satan means to harm you, if you speak The Word of God, the promises of God, against it, it will be turned to your good. Remember, previously I wrote about speaking to your mountain, not speaking about your mountain. Don’t glorify the mountain and give it power in your life by speaking about it. Speak to it with The Word of God and level the mountain (read Zechariah 4:6-7). The mountain has no power to stand before you if you speak to it The Word of God in faith.
So, how do we as Believers, among the daily barrage of worsening conditions, sin, news, etc., keep from entering into fear? Remember, there are only two states in which you can exist: faith or fear. If you walk in faith, you walk in the Spiritual realm. If you walk in fear, you walk in the physical realm. The Spiritual realm has precedence over the physical realm – superiority, higher order. The way a Believer, us, handles the hurricane of evil all around us is to “enter into God’s rest and cease from our own works.”
Hebrews 4:10-11
10 For he [you and me] that is entered into His [God’s] rest, he [you and me] also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Simply put, entering into God’s rest means you completely trust God and His Word, and you stand in faith on what God’s Word has to say. If you cannot do this, you are automatically in fear and working under your own strength, wisdom, and knowledge. I can assure you, from experience, this is a losing proposition. As Andrew Wommack says, “Satan will eat your lunch and pop the bag.” God’s Word makes it clear in Hebrews 4:10-11 walking in fear will result in a fall. Walking in faith will have you in the center of God’s rest – His peace – and prospering.
Hebrews 4:11 says, “lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” This is Paul speaking about the Children of Israel, when they fled Egypt in the Exodus, they failed to enter the Promised Land, as God commanded, and ended up dying young in the wilderness walking around and around the mountain for 40 years. Why did they fail to enter the Promised Land? You can read Numbers 13 and 14 to learn the details but suffice it to say when they saw the giants in the land, they went into fear and stayed in fear. No matter that God had worked countless miracles for them delivering them from Egypt, sustaining them with food and water, protecting them in every conceivable way. However, irrespective of all of the signs, miracles, and wonders done for them by our Father God, they couldn’t get past their physical eyes, ears, and hearts. The giants were too much for them in their minds, hearts, and confession.
Don’t let the “giants” of today’s world, calamities, news, economy, Covid, disease, etc., cause you to go into fear. Once you do, you limit what God can do when He desperately wants to show out for you. Our Father wants the VERY BEST for us. He wants us to be healthy and prosperous (III John 2) so we can be the blessing to others He has called us to be in Genesis 12:2-3. Instead, enter into God’s rest, His peace, and know He will take great care of you through your confessed Word in faith. We have the power with our tongues and faith to change anything and everything. Was Jesus able to do this? Sure, and so can we.
In closing, what you allow into you affects your believing and confession. Keep the garbage of the world out of your eyes, ears, and heart. If you don’t believe this or find it too hard to try and do, then I can tell you right this minute what your results will be in this life. You’ll just have to hang on for Heaven. Things won’t be great for you on this earth. Why not bring God’s will from Heaven to earth as commanded by Jesus? You have the power through your faithful confession in Jesus’ all-powerful name.
Blessings to your family and you,
Larry