PEACE OF GOD VS. PEACE WITH GOD

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you" ~ John 14:27 

 

Peace on earth--that's what everybody wants. But nobody can guarantee external peace because nobody can control other people or circumstances. Nations sign and break peace treaties with frightening regularity. Couples lament that there would be peace in their home "if only he/she would shape up." No one can guarantee peace at home or on the job site. However, we should always strive to be peacemakers. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). Paul instructed, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).

 

 

But let's face it: Peace with others isn't always possible, because peace doesn't just depend on us. Peace on earth is what we want; peace with God is what we have; the peace of God is what we need.

 

Peace with God is something you already have (Romans 5:1). It's not something you strive for; it's something you received when you were born again. The Prince of Peace reconciled you to God by shedding His own blood.

The peace of God is something you need to appropriate daily in your inner world in the midst of the storms which rage in the external world (John 14:27). There are a lot of things that can disrupt your external world because you can't control all your circumstances and relationships. But you can control the inner world of your thoughts by allowing the peace of Christ to rule in your heart on a daily basis (Colossians 3:15). There may be chaos all around you, but God is bigger than any storm. I keep a little plaque on my desk which reminds me: "Nothing will happen to me today that God and I cannot resolve."

 

 

The peace of Christ will rule in your heart when you "let the word of Christ richly dwell within you" (Colossians 3:16). And when you turn to Him in prayer, "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

 

Prayer: Prince of Peace, rule in my heart today. Give me Your peace and make me a peacemaker in all my relationships.

LIVING FREE FROM FEAR AND SHAME

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth....” ~ Isaiah 54:4

I was reading in the newspaper awhile back on my iPad and saw a wonderful testimony about a couple that eloped when they were in Bible college. They’d never spent time alone together—that wasn’t allowed at this particular school—but they’d been slipping around and getting to know each other on campus between classes.

He was 21 and she was 18 when they eloped, and they just celebrated their 50^thwedding anniversary. A reporter asked them if they had any advice for maintaining a strong marriage. So the wife said, “Live every day so as not to be afraid of tomorrow or be ashamed of yesterday.”

That’s not just good advice for marriage; it’s good for life. And when we commit our lives to Christ, we don’t have to be ashamed of yesterday or afraid of tomorrow. Our sins of the past have been completely forgotten and our future is in the hands of a Father who loves us and will work everything out for our best.

In Christ, you can live free from fear of tomorrow and shame of the past. Only in Him can you truly live for today. So instead of worrying about the past or the future, live each day in the power of the Spirit to the glory of God!

THANK GOD THAT YOU CAN LIVE FREE FROM FEAR AND SHAME BECAUSE YOUR PAST SINS ARE FORGOTTEN AND GOD WILL GUIDE YOUR FUTURE!

SMALL SLITS SINK SHIPS

He must become greater; I must become less. - John 3:30

Did you know scientists now believe a series of slits, not a giant gash, sank the Titanic? The supposedly invincible cruise liner went down in 1912 on its first voyage. Fifteen hundred people perished, making it the worst maritime disaster of its time.

Until recently, the most widely held theory was that the ship hit an iceberg, opening a huge gash in the vessel’s side. But an international team of divers and scientists has used sound waves to probe the wreckage, buried in the mud under two-and-a-half miles of water. The damage was surprisingly small. Instead of a huge gash, they found only six, relatively narrow, slits across the watertight holds.

Small slits can sink great ships. What are the small slits in your life that might have serious consequences? Is some shoring up in order? If you don’t know what exactly needs shoring up, or you do know but don’t know how—seek some help—from a friend, your pastor, or a professional counselor.

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” -Unknown
 

LOST AND FOUND

I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).

How much do you matter to God?  Three parables in Luke 15 compare the value of a lost coin, a lost sheep and a lost son to the value God places on each human life.  In each case, these three things were highly valued and diligently sought after when lost. 

And, in each case, there was much rejoicing when found. Jesus tells us that likewise, and in much greater measure, God and His angels rejoice over even one sinner who was lost and is found.  That's the reality of how much God loves you. 

Hebrews 2:7 tells us, "God has crowned us with glory and honor."  We have the ability to live like royalty as sons and daughters of The King.  But first we must recognize that our crowns are broken because of sin, turn to Christ for forgiveness and trust Him to restore us to our royal position through the power of the cross.  Are you living up to the value God has placed on your life? 

Take your flimsy and broken crown to the the feet of Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, and let him give you a new crown of eternal glory.  And start living like royalty!

CLARITY VERSUS TRUST

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. - Isaiah 50:10

When the philosopher and professor of ethics, John Kavanaugh, went to work for three months at the “house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking an answer about how to spend the rest of his life. His first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she inquired.

He voiced his pressing burden: “Pray that I have clarity.” Mother Teresa firmly refused!  When the bewildered Kavanaugh asked why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”

When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Are things in your life so clear that there’s no room to trust God?

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. ” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

UNDER SPIRITUAL ATTACK

1 Timothy 4:1 ~ "The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons"

 

 

A seminary student stopped by my office to tell me he was having difficulty getting to school on time. What should have been a five-minute drive lengthened to 45 minutes because a voice in his mind kept telling him to turn at intersections. Not wanting to disobey what he perceived to be the "still, small voice of God," he was treated to a tour of the city almost every morning.

 

A pastor's wife, desperately needing the comfort of the Holy Spirit and desiring His leading, passively believed that whatever entered her mind was from God. She soon found herself bound by fear and plagued by condemning thoughts.

 

These examples underscore the wisdom of John Wesley's words: "Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions or revelations to be from God. They may be from Him. They may be from nature. They may be from the devil. Therefore, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be from God" (Martin Wells Knapp, Impressions , Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1984, p. 32).

 

In a survey of 1700 professing Christian teenagers, 70 percent admitted to hearing voices, like there was a subconscious self talking to them. I don't believe they are psychotic or paranoid schizophrenic. There is a battle going on for their minds. I have shared with many tormented people that they aren't going crazy but are under spiritual attack. They usually respond, "Praise the Lord, someone understands." It's freeing to know this truth, because if there is a battle going on for our minds, we can win that war.

 

Prayer: Lord, today I choose to test the spirits and assume my responsibility to think upon that which is true.

TRANSFORMING A WORKPLACE

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:1-2).

A cab driver in the Philippines became radically saved. He was taught that he now had the power of God in his life to transform his community. Because he had not had any prior religious training to the contrary, he took a literal approach to believing what the Bible says about prayer and miracles.

He decided that the best mission field for him was the local bar in his neighborhood. So he began to visit this bar to find the most qualified sinner he could find in order to minister to him. He met the bartender and determined that he was a great prospect because he was also a gay drug addict and a pimp to 65 prostitutes. The cab driver visited the bar regularly and got to know the bartender while drinking his "usual" Coke. Eventually, the Lord used the cab driver to bring this man to Christ.

The power of God moved greatly in the bartender, and he was delivered from his homosexual lifestyle. He began to change his life and share Jesus with the prostitutes. All 65 of them became Christians, and they began meeting in the bar for Bible study.

Soon, the owner of the bar began to notice the change in these people, and he also was saved. The bar became a church, and the group started 10 cell group churches in the neighborhood. Now that is a miraculous transformation!

No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we should always remain aware that God wants to intervene. He desires a moment-by-moment relationship with us, and He wants to demonstrate His loving power to others through us. We can approach God about any situation, for there is nothing that is too small or too great for Him.*

Ask God to be a transformer in your workplace and city.!!