John 16:33 (Amplified Bible)"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"
We are told in the Word of God to "guard our hearts" and "cast down imaginations". Watching world events, listening to people's opinions and interpretations about what is about to happen, can lead to fear and anxiety in Christians hearts. The truth is no one really knows. If I had lived my life by all the predictions people have made over the past 44 years of being a Spirit filled Christian, I would have been in a mess emotionally and spiritually. In fact, I don't know of one that has come to pass, of the many I have heard.
The truth is, in life, we will experience, tribulation, trials, distress and frustration, because this is an imperfect world and things go wrong. But God has already done something about it through His Son. Jesus often said to those who were fearful or discouraged, "Be of good cheer". The amplified expounds on the word "cheer" [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]
Those four words, courage, confident, certain, undaunted, speak of learning to trust God implicitlly, that He will "make a way for us in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" Isa 44:19. We must not let our negative thoughts rule our behaviour, but trust Him to bring us through. Jesus then proceeds to state "I have over come the world", and the amplified adds, [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"
Jesus is saying in fact "no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper", (Isa. 54:17) I have taken away it's power over you. We are to get our eyes off of the weapon and onto the magnificent triumph that Jesus wrought on our behalf. He has "depirved" it of it's ability to harm us and conquered it for us. He is saying, "I've done the work, now you rest in it"
In Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible) we read "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
We are commanded not to be fashioned after the external and supercicial customs of the world, but from the inside of our minds and souls to be transformed with new ideals (moral beliefs) and new attitudes (mental outlook). Those new moral or core beliefs and mental outlook's, come from God and are fashioned by the Holy Spirit in us, so that we change from being fearful, negative, depressed. We begin to line up and agree with the purpose and plan of God for our lives. His plan cannot fail as long as I am not sidetracked by all that the world offers to me daily.
BE OF GOOD CHEER, Jesus has made it possible for you to succeed.
Be blessed
Gil Howard-Browne
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