You may be in a situation where you're doubting God, but the apostles also faced similar doubts.
The key to overcoming despair is to remember what God has already told you.
The apostles left everything to follow Jesus, but when He died, they felt hopeless.
However, they remembered Jesus' words and saw God's unprecedented touch, leading to their resurrection day.
You may be in a situation where you're saying, John, I'm not doubting God, I believe God, but I do not know if I can still hold on. I do not know because the reality is sinking in. I do not know how I'm going to sustain. I do not know if I should still hold on, still cling on. I have all these doubts coming against me. I do not know if I heard God right. I do not know all these things, John. Are you in a similar situation today? See, one of the things you need to understand about the apostles. Many times we overlook this aspect But think about this We look at the apostles Who left everything that they had And followed Jesus for three and a half years In fact if you look in Mark chapter 1 It talks about four different apostles John and his brother James Peter and his brother Andrew When Jesus calls them John and his brother James Leave the men and their father And the boat and everything And then they follow Jesus Peter and his brother James leave the nets and the boat and everything and they follow Jesus their only source of livelihood their only source of connections they left what they had they didn't just leave just because they didn't have anything else to do they left what they had and they followed Jesus they all took up a step of faith and followed Jesus they all took up something it was not an ordinary thing for them to leave what the only thing they had it's not like they have such a big business that they can just forget and go they had what their only source of livelihood was they left it and they followed jesus for three and a half years they followed him they saw the miracles they saw jesus do amazing stuff there were times when jesus asked and they said you know what we believe you are the messiah you are the christ everything was fine but they came to a point of understanding and seeing that the one whom called them the one whom on whom they put put their trust and followed the one for whom they left everything they had and followed was dead They were like club desperado Think about it What they went through was not an ordinary ordeal Jesus, the one who called them, was no more. And can you imagine that situation that they would have gone through, the pain they would have gone through. They left all they had. Now their faith was shattered. now many times we look at Peter and kind of judge him and say see Peter says you know let's go fishing man let's go back we kind of judge him when we look at him and say see he's a backslider but can you put yourself in that shoes and see if you were in Peter's position who knows maybe you would have done the same thing and that's the thing I want you to understand that they would have gone through questions in their mind was he really Christ was what I heard about him whatever he did was he really true was were we all following or were we just hallucinating or what you know all these doubts could have come crafting him were we all going wrong when we believed in this guy you know now their lives were at stake they were the people who tried to kill Jesus would have been trying to kill them so They were trying to hide themselves. They were all so scared. Can you put yourself in that? Because they do not know what the next step is. They do not know. They are so worried. They are so caught up. But here is the thing. You may be in a similar position. And everything is going out of your control. You may say, John, it is easy for you to say this. But you know what? Everything is going out of control. It is going beyond the limits, John. I do not know if I should still hold on. I do not know if anything can ever turn around. And that is the exact situation the apostles were facing. Because they do not know if they should still wait for this God whom they believed and went But now he is dead Or should they just leave and go back Peter took the initiative and said I know what I going back But can you see, are you in a similar position today? That you are like, you know what, I do not know and I feel like going back from trusting God. Feeling like, you know, frustrated because things are not working out. But I want to tell you, keep holding on. Just because things are going out of your control, doesn't mean it's going beyond the control of Almighty God. See the disciples, everybody thought this is the end of Jesus. We do not know what to do. They were in fact planning to go back into fishing, going back to where they were before. But out of the blue, they saw God's unprecedented touch like never before. When they saw that Jesus was able to rise back to life and Jesus came out and showed, you know what? I am the resurrection and the life that's the way I want you to know that your resurrection day is coming just as you see the apostles they were in a club desperado but they didn't understand that their resurrection day was coming that Jesus whom they hoped for was not a dead guy he is coming back and he is going to go and conquer every enemy that was set out against and that's the thing you need to know that you and your dreams your promises that you are holding on to don't give up don't lose hope no without a shadow of a doubt your resurrection day is coming see how do you face these kind of circumstances in your life is see it's interesting that what jesus did if you read through in matthew chapter 26 32 jesus had already told them that you know what there's all these things are going to happen it already told them i'm going to see you in galilee in fact if you see even when the apostles and disciples everybody they are all so in a caught up situation but you see the first message everybody received about the resurrection of Jesus was if you read in Mark 16.7 or Matthew 28.7 it says without a shadow of a doubt you know what? remember he has already listened exactly as he told you already in Galilee you know Jesus had already told them that he was going to come back Jesus had already told them you don't have to worry everything is already done Jesus had already told but what was the problem when life struck when the reality struck them in the problem was they had forgotten what Jesus had already told today I don't want you to forget what God has already told you don't forget the dreams he has already placed in you don't forget the promises he has already given you yes the reality the enemy tells you you've got no chance you're dead you're made you're not going to make it through in life No, remember the steps of the righteous is, you know, getting brighter and brighter. The path of a good man are ordered by the Lord. I know that my best days are in front of me. When the enemy looks at your mistakes and says, see all the reasons why you don't stand a chance, you messed up big time. No, say what God has already told you. Remember yourself. You know what? As far as the east is from the west, the Lord has already removed my transgressions from me. And he has made me whiter than snow. And I'm a new creation in Christ. When the enemy tells you look at all your past, just remember. You know what? Jesus has given me a clean new slide and I know to forget the former things because he is bringing out something big in front of me. And when the enemy tells you this is all that you can have in life, no, remember what he has already told you. I'll make you the head and not the tail. I'm going to make blessings to chase after you. I'm going to ensure that you are placed in high places. That you need to know and start remembering the word of God in your life. The key to reign in life is to remember what He has already told you. Don't look at what the reality is. Start remembering what God has already told you.
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