IT IS WHAT IT IS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE ONLY

Image result for CLIP ART SHOWING A CONQUEROR  In chapters 14-17 in John, Jesus is teaching His disciples.  This is called the Upper Room Discourse.  With all that He has spoken and taught, He sums up chapter 16 with this reminder and do we ever need to hear it today: "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." John 16:33  The disciples have walked with Him for three years and He has taught them of the Truth-Speaker who is to come and live in them.  He wants to assure them that they are not orphans and left alone. I well remember a favorite statement of my first son who succored to the ravages of a stem cell transplant from Leukemia in January.  One day as we were talking, as I was trying to encourage him, he replied, "It is what it is!"
We do have troubles...BUT we are over-comers.

Paul also reminds us as over-comers, conquerors, in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 , "But thanks be to God, WHO always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of HIM.  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  to the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task?"  This old world has so lied to us and wants us to coddle ourselves and  to retreat running in fear as if we are victims.  This Scripture reinforces the same truth which Jesus spoke...we are over-comers in Him.  

At the end of every victory in Rome, the prisoners were led in a procession an displayed as treasures of the Roman general and warfare.  The general, the victor, would be the one who headed the procession and a cloud of incense would be burned for the gods to praise them for the win.  Regardless of what this world shows us, we are the captives of the Lord Jesus for we have chosen to serve HIM, the General, and it is HE who is leading us out as VICTORS AND NOT VICTIMS!  We are HIS treasures.  HE has overcome and we are overcoming in this process called daily living!  To the world observing us, we are foolish, but we are the fragrance of life.  We are only equal to this task by the indwelling and empowering Holy Spirit within us as Christ followers.  We are in triumphal procession regardless of how we think or feel.  The real truth: It is NOT what it is!  Dear Beloved, we must align our minds and hearts with the Truth of God's Word and not sink down into the pit of defeat and morass of lies. We have been encouraged to have a renewed mind Romans 12:1.  The choice is yours.  Forever learning.  In process.  #IHAVETHREESONS.       

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