In this world you will have troubles

In John 16:33 Jesus says, “ I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

You take this even to another greater notch we can look at Matthew 24:9

Jesus says, “ Then you will be handed over to be persecutedand put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. “
In this world we will have trials, challenges, and problems but Jesus promises he will be with us as we go. He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemy’s.

The struggles are real and they must be resisted through prayer, fasting, and fellowship. If we truly want to live with biblical integrity and holiness in a fallen world we must fight the battle.

All too often we are taught to fight through busyness, and expelling energy. This will not win spiritual battles! Spiritual battles will only be won with spiritual weapons. This why Jesus speaks of some only coming out through prayer and fasting.

Because of the victory that Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection we are still guaranteed certain victories and blessings, but there are still some that we will only have access to through fighting spiritual battles. Let me explain… A promise of God will always be kept on his part. He will follow through always without question. It is not God that has to adjust for us, it is us that must adjust so that we can begin to comprehend rightly. Your definition of God does not make it true. He is constant and never changing, so if anyone is wrong we can safely say it is not him.

In light of that, if he has certain promises in his word such as, I will never leave you nor forsake you. When you feel like he is not there it’s something that needs to adjust in you because his promises are always yes and amen.

Back to my original point! There are certain things we can access that are not promises, such as… this one will only come out through prayer and fasting. This implies that without action on our part it will not happen.

It is these areas in our life that we must seize. It is our responsibility! When I first got saved certain spiritual leaders in my life used to tell me something along the lines of: God has a plan for your life and he is faithful to bring it about. While there is certain truth that can be taken from that statement. The statement in and of itself just is not true. He will not fulfill our part for us. It is our responsibility to fulfill those prophetic words and callings over our lives.

The prophetic word is the glimpse of what we can accomplish but it is not a guarantee. If we look at the life of Joshua and even Caleb. They both got a glimpse with their own eyes of the promised land, but because of 8 other unbelievers they had to wait an additional 40 years to fulfill it.

Finally we see in Joshua 1 where God says to Joshua, 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant,
2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. – Joshua 1:1-7

God had brought the prophetic destiny back around to Joshua and this time he wasn’t with those who didn’t believe.

Joshua owned his calling and began to take the land. For many chapters later we read of all the battles and opposing lands that Joshua conquered. This was his prophetic destiny and now he was actually doing it.

It is the same with us nothing has changed. Our prayers should be: God changed me into the man or woman who is capable of fulfilling that which you have prepared for me.

let’s be like Joshua! Let’s believe that this land is ours and take hold of the spiritual disciplines  it requires to birth our destiny.