We live in troubled times. I doubt anyone would argue with me about that. A glance at a newspaper or a television newscast should convince anyone that if any day qualifies as the time Jesus predicted in Matthew 24, our day does.

The events Jesus said would be signs of His coming and of the end of the world seem to be going on all around us.

Wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecutions, afflictions…we've seen all these terrible manifestations of tribulation in our own day. But did you pick up on what Jesus said right in the middle of this catalog of troubles?

It's right there in verse 6 of Matthew 24: "See that ye be not troubled!" Here again, Jesus is saying to His disciples, "In the midst of all this trouble, you can have peace. Trouble will come, but you don't have to let it trouble you."

Remember One Thing
Now, I know you may be shaking your head and asking, "But, Brother Dollar, how can I help being troubled with all this going on around me? All this fear and anxiety and worry are kind of contagious, you know. I know I shouldn't be anxious, but sometimes it seems like I just can't help it! What can I do not to lose my peace in the middle of all this 'hell on earth'?"

Do you think the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, will roll over and quit just because trouble shows up? No. The gospel of this kingdom shall be preached.
- Creflo Dollar
You can keep your peace and walk in fearless confidence even in the midst of these troubled times if you remember one thing: God is in control.

Child of God, I'm telling you, God's in control of your finances. God's in control of your family and your marriage. God's in control over your job. God is even in control over the devil that's troubling you.

God is in control.

Make no mistake about it. The earth is still the Lord's and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1). The silver and gold belong to the Lord (Haggai 2:8). The devil's just the god - small "g," I remind you - over the world system, but God is still God over heaven and earth. And in the name of Jesus, He is about to show you and the rest of this world that He is still in control.

God is still in control, and He's the One who will decide when the end of the world will come. Sure, there's trouble and tribulation in the world, but there always have been. Jesus said this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in spite of whatever trouble is going on in the end times.

Do you think the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News, will roll over and quit just because trouble shows up? No. The gospel of this kingdom shall be preached. I don't care what trouble arises in this last day. I don't care what's going on in the economic system. I don't care what they're doing in the capitals of all the nations of the world. I don't care what they're doing in the United Nations. It will not stop the gospel of Jesus Christ from being preached!

No Excuse To Curl Up and Die
So now just because trouble is in this world, that doesn't mean we have to curl up and die. It's not a reason for us to give up, cave in and quit. Yes, there are some responsibilities that you and I have to take on. And as I've said all along, troubling our trouble is something we have to do.

I'm not saying you won't have any more trouble after you begin putting into practice what I'm teaching you. The devil is after your peace, and he will throw up a big mountain of trouble in your path every chance he can get to prevent the Word of God from bearing fruit in your life.

There's sometimes a long stretch of country between "Amen, I believe I receive" and the manifestation of the deliverance, healing, safety, protection, provision or whatever it is you're believing God for. But remember, the ultimate victory has already been won. Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).

God is in control, and if we'll do what the Bible tells us to do in between the prayer of faith and the answer, trouble will not be able to overcome us.

Don't Cave In!
One of the biggest enemies of the faith walk is weariness. Often, the answer to our prayers seems to be such a long time coming and there is so much opposition to our attempt to believe God that we become tired of waiting and tired of maintaining our position on the Word. And when we get weary, we can be tempted to give up and quit. The book of Hebrews warns us of the dangers of weariness:

"For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds" (Heb. 12:3).

According to this Scripture, if you allow yourself to get weary, you will faint in your mind - that is, you will lose the faith fight in your mind.

Why?

Because the mind is the arena of faith. You will lose the battle or you will win it in the arena of your mind.

Now the word faint means to what? It means "to give up, cave in, and quit." Therefore, the Bible tells us to consider Jesus - to keep the eyes of our faith fixed on Jesus and His Word - because if we don't, we will become weary, and then we will be tempted to faint, to give up, cave in and quit right in the middle of the fight of faith.

Source: How To Trouble Your Trouble by Creflo A. Dollar, Jr.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers