For those of you that are keeping up with these verses, here is week 4’s: John 16:33 “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.”
Jesus’ words are important here because at the beginning of the verse it does not say, “I have made a way for you to have peace,” but “IN ME you will have peace.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace. It is only through our faith in him that we can have a peace about us. Not a peace where there is no trouble, as indicated with the second part of the verse, but a peace with our future and with God. A peace that hopes for eternity with Christ.
As stated earlier, there will certainly be trouble. There will be different troubles for different people. Some may seem more severe, some may seem minor, and some may seem life-altering. We are not promised the same struggles and troubles as others, but we are promised trouble. Through these we do not have to curl up and give in. We do not have to forsake God and turn away from him. Although the troubles may seem unbearable, we can overcome them because we serve a risen Savior that not only overcame sin, but overcame the world! There has never been another like Jesus…and there never will be. No one has overcome the world, except him.
This verse simply serves as a reminder in the tough times that Jesus empathizes with us and makes it possible for us to have peace and get through troubles, but only with his help.
We continue to be blessed by those that are supporting our trip financially and through prayer. We have our malaria medicine and are getting ready to get the rest of our immunizations about mid-September. We will be having a special Sunday morning service on September 16 at Avoca Baptist Church, exactly one month before we will be in South Sudan. That Sunday we will be showing videos, pictures and simply talking about the mission at hand. Thank you again to all of you who are taking interest in what God is doing with and through us.
In Christ’s Love…Take Heart!
Josh
Mountain Movers 