Peace

You know that feeling when you have nothing to do, no where to be and all the bills are paid.  For a lot of people that is peace and don't get me wrong it's a great place to be.  In most of our lives it takes what we deem is the perfect day to get there.  Let's see what we can find in scripture about peace.

Psalm 34:14

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

 

Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

 

Isaiah 26:12

Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.

 

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

 

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

 

Alright, I have added verses from the Old Testament,  Psalms and a couple from John.  What stands out to you?  For me it starts with making sure I'm doing good and seeking peace.  How do we seek peace?  Don't do evil things.  Let us be honest with ourselves..when we do something bad does it keep you up at night?  If you tell a lie does it take all you can to keep the lie covered up?  That makes sense.

Seeking Peace?

It's often noted in the Bible despite me not posting scriptures that even Jesus needed time alone with God the Father.  In order for us to find God who the scripture above says gives peace when need that alone time.  It may be your drive to work or starting the day in prayer.  It might be when you go for a walk.  Those are just a few ideas.  If you wait until the end of the day it usually makes it tough to find that peace because you are physically and emotionally drained.

Peace I leave with you!!!

In John 14:27 Jesus says He leaves peace with you.  He goes on to say "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  If we believe He is who He says He is then we should know nothing is impossible for Him and that He also knows the hairs on our heads.  God is involved in our lives everyday.  How much you want to be involved with Him is totally up to you!  Our lives aren't meant to be lived from worry to worry or trial to trial.  We were made to live in peace.

Next time you feel that anxiety coming up in your mind, where you pulse is racing and everything is spirally out of control..STOP!  Find some time away with God by taking a walk, talking to God in a quiet place where not only you can talk but also listen.  I won't guarantee you will hear an audible voice but a scripture may come to mind.  You might find just getting it out to God makes you feel better.  Finally it will let you know how deep your faith really goes.

That's all for this month.  Have a wonderful Christmas and may God make it a peaceful one for you and those you share it with.  God Bless you!

 

 

 

 

 

Love

Love is one of the words that we probably all have some variations in our personal definitions.  We know when we feel love and the joy that it brings to our lives.  Lets take a look at some Bible verses on love.

Mark 12:31

The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Romans 13:10

Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

 

Alright lets take a look at just the few verses above on love.  We learn very quickly that we are to love others such as our neighbors and even our enemies.  That's not an easy thing to do but God gives us directions in how we are to love others.  In Romans 13:10 it says love does no harm to it's neighbor and in 1 Corinthians(13) basically the chapter what love is and how great love is.  To finish up we are to bear with one another in love.  I read that in my head to say to overlook flaws in love.  My opinion and not a fact.

 

So as you get up today I ask you...are you loving as God has commanded us to love?  Are you struggling to show love to someone who doesn't treat you that well?  Pray to God and ask Him for strength.  Ask God how you can show love to the people in your life that aren't so easy to love.  Because without love we are really missing the point in our faith.

 

 

 

 

 

He Can Use You!

Have you ever felt like God couldn't possibly use you?  Do you think that the life you lived before you came to know God is holding you back?  Here a few examples of men God used in the Bible.

Paul-the apostle Paul was a persecutor of the church.  He was out to stamp out Christianity.  But God revealed Himself to Paul and used him as the primary(most written) writer of the New Testament.

King David-King David was a man after God's own heart.  But he was an adult-er, murder, lied, etc.  But God still used him.

Matthew- Matthew was one of Jesus's disciples.  He was a tax collector.  One of the most despised jobs then and honestly they aren't very popular now.  God still used him and called him as one of the twelve disciples.

Peter-Peter was one of Jesus's disciples as well.  Peter was emotional, doubted and even denied knowing Jesus.  Still he was forgiven and God still used him after Jesus's death.

These are just a few examples of the many people God has used.  They like many of us could have made excuses as to why they couldn't serve God or be used by God.  They could have gone their own way or given up altogether when the times got tough.  God still had his hand on them despite their shortcomings in the past and some in the future.  Our job is to repent and trust God.  Does that mean we won't struggle sometimes?  No of course not.  Jesus is the only one who was perfect we strive to be like Him.  Jesus is the standard.  Not your neighbor, Pastor or the preacher on television.  When we give our lives over to Christ we put off the old things and are made new.  We don't seek out the things we did before we were saved.  We hunger and thirst for Him, His will and His plan.

Next time you find yourself getting down and doubting you are of any use to God, open your bible and see He can use anyone..that includes you!

Put on the Armor

This might be one of the simple posts I will ever make.  We are all in a battle if we aren't we are going to be in one.  So we need to put on our armor.

Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Each day I make sure I pray the armor of God upon me before I leave the house.  I also pray for a hedge of protection to be around me and my family.  Job 1:10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

God put a hedge around Job to keep him safe.  Satan himself had to come to God in order to attack Job.  We all need to put on our armor and get the hedge of protection up and around our families everyday.  God has given us the tools for protection and battle.  Take them up daily.

Battles are constant

In our lives we are going to go through plenty of battles.  Just because we get deeper into our walks with God it doesn't mean the battles quit coming.  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."  God calls us to have peace during these battles.  You can easily see if you have peace during these times by how many people you talk to about it(phone calls, emails, not being able to keep your mind off the problem).  When we have peace we spend that time with God.  I'm not saying it's not great to have people you can talk to but it's even better when you spend that time with God.

An example I like to use when thinking about peace is imagine you are in a small wooden row boat on a river.  At times the river is quiet and we can just drift along checking on occasion how the boat is doing and just making sure it's going in the right direction.  Life is calm and we are just enjoying the ride.  We have seasons of life where it is like this.  Everything is going our way and we can recover from previous battles and just be thankful it's over.  Then the rapids hit and the boat rocks and forth, we have to be careful of rocks jutting up out of the water, flipping the boat over or springing a leak in the boat.  How do we handle that?  Are you able to keep that peace that was there when the boat was drifting or are you so flustered you can hardly think straight?


Psalm 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  God will test you.  If you ask for things in your life like opportunities to serve, to move up in a job or to minister more He will try your heart.  I often think of it like this have you ever seen when someone put glass into a fire and shapes it into a lamp, or a pot?  The heat changes the shape of the glass and the final result is something very beautiful.  God will do that to us.  It's under the heat and pressure that He can really shape us.  How do you react when things don't go your way?  What do you do when the furnace breaks and you don't have the money?  What is your reaction when someone talks badly about you and tells lies?  He is watching you.  He wants to know that He can trust you so He can use you.

So when the battles come please keep your eyes on God and read His word, pray and I hope it helps you to remember the examples given above.  You aren't alone in battles and you won't outgrow them.  God is there and He's watching you too as they happen.

A few testimonies to share

Hey everyone!  I've been busy shooting testimonies for tv and youtube and thought I would share them.  Now testimonies are great because no two are the same.  Your story is different from my story.  Our experiences and backgrounds are different.  God uses us all differently.  So here are testimonies by Jeff Plummer and Jeff Smith.

A Sermon from Smith Wigglesworth

There are times when I am at a loss for words and I don't always have a message to post here.  So I will post a message from a man who truly served God.

A Life of Perfect Activity by Smith Wigglesworth

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
--Philippians 4:19

Scripture reading: Acts 5:14-42

Only believe! God will not fail you, beloved. It is impossible for God to fail. Believe God; rest in Him. The Bible is the most important book in the world. But some people have to be pressed in before they can be pressed on. Oh, this glorious inheritance of holy joy and faith, this glorious baptism in the Holy Spirit--it is a perfected place. "All things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17), because "you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1 Cor. 3:23).

God means for us to walk in this royal way. When God opens a door, no man can shut it (Rev. 3:8). John made a royal way, and Jesus walked in it. Jesus left us the responsibility of allowing Him to bring forth through us the greater works (John 14:12). Jesus left His disciples with much and with much more to be added until God receives us in that Day.

When we receive power, we must stir ourselves up with the truth that we are responsible for the need around us. God will supply all our need so that the need of the needy may be met through us. God has given us a great indwelling force of power. If we do not step into our privileges, it is a tragedy.

There is no standing still. "As He is, so are we in this world" (1John 4:17). "We are the offspring of God" (Acts 17:29), and we have divine impulses. After we have received, we will have power. We have been focusing too much on feeling the power. God is waiting for us to act. Jesus lived a life of perfect activity. He lived in the realm of divine appointment.

We must dare to press on until God comes forth in mighty power. May God give us the hearing of faith so that the power may come down like a cloud. Press on until Jesus is glorified and multitudes are gathered in.

Thought for today: God's rest is an undisturbed place where heaven bends to meet you.

Joy is Powerful!

In our lives as Christians(believers in God(Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who serve Him) we can get stagnant, bored at times and lifeless in our daily walk.  What can we do to find that joy that now might be alluding us?  What is joy?  Lets take a look at joy!

Joy is defined as a noun as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.  That's a pretty wonderful feeling.  For some of us it might be easy to see it in our childhoods, or in the life of our own child.  They have joy all the time.  Children bounce back quickly from many things that as adults we might tend to dwell on.  Think back when was the last time you felt joy?  

Let's look at some verses for joy in the bible!

Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

 

Psalm 30:5

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 

John 16:22

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

 

Philemon 1:7

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

 

Isaiah 12:6

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.

 

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Nehemiah 8:10

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

We see in the verses that joy is often accompanied by peace, encouragement, and in song.  The joy of the Lord is your strength stands out to me the most of these verses.  How do you feel when you are joyful?  You feel strong, confident, at peace, etc.  Joy is a powerful thing it can change a person with a downcast heart into a glowing, smiling, confident person that is contagious to others.  It brings life where ever it goes.  Joy is like a light in a dark place!

When we lack joy often we feel tired, discouraged, distracted and lost.  It's in that place we need God most.  Since He is our provider of joy how can we get it?  Lets find a few ways!

If joy is lacking in my life there are a few things I tend to do to get myself back on track.  Here we go...

1. Sing and listen to praise and worship music. (You can't help but be uplifted as positive, joyful, Godly music pours into your soul.  You have probably heard you are what you eat, well it applies to our media consumption as well.)

2.  Read Psalms in the Bible.  (These chapters and verses are once again praising God and they lift our spirit by reading positive, encouraging and of course the Word of God.)

3.  Let worry go and focus on the things you are thankful for.  (Starting the day thanking God for the many blessings you have like running water, electricity, heat, air conditioning, food, eyes that can see, that you can breathe is a great place to start every day!)

4.  Pray!  (Realize that life is not hopeless!  God is in control and He is listening to you!)

So if you are going through one of those tough seasons in life find your way back to the Word of God, pray, praise, worship, and thank Him!  He is still there no matter what season you are in!

 

 

 

 

 

Worrying

Worry is something most of us do from time to time but what does it mean?  Worry is defined in the NIV Bible as to feel anxious or uneasy.  It's easy to picture someone pacing or not being able to sit still.  You just can't get comfortable.  What do you worry about?  What does worry say about our faith?  Lets take a look at the subject of worry.

Matthew 6:25-34

New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In this passage we can clearly see that Jesus is telling us how much we are worth.  He compares us to birds?  Our worth is more than those.  He then goes on to question how much faith can we have if we worry about things such as clothes, food, and drinks.  We learn that non believers run after such things but we being believers should not worry but seek God and these things will be given to us. 

 It sounds so easy but often we will go and complain to a friend, coworker, family member about our fears of having enough.  It's our job to seek God and trust Him, to have faith He will provide.  In the Concise Bible Commentary by Don Fleming it says Believers should trust in God and put the interests of His kingdom first.  They are under His rule and they should trust that as day to day difficulties arise, He will provide the answer.  Let's look at some other verses.

Luke 12:24-34

New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[a]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

John 14:27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Proverbs 12:25

New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart,
    but a kind word cheers it up.

Proverbs 28:26
Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
 

 We see in the verses above that once again we are worth much to God and two we are told that worrying can not add a single hour to our lives.  Worrying/Stress leaves us feeling fatigued and often frustrated because we are trying to figure everything out on our own.  In other words to do things under our own power instead of trusting God.  

In John we see that peace God gives us.  He tells us to not be troubled or afraid.  Are you able to do this in your everyday life or are you left with your heart pounding in your chest at the end of the day unable to sleep.  Lets see if we can dig a little deeper about why we worry.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Our fears come from not trusting God and trying to figure things out on our own.  We drive ourselves crazy with questions like what if?  why?  how?  when?  It's in those moments we are trusting ourselves to make sense of things we aren't meant to make sense of.  We are putting strain and stress on our minds and bodies because we are not resting, trusting and praying.  So what can we do?



 Psalm 55:22

New International Version (NIV)

²² Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.

 Philippians 4:6-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  

To sum things up we are to cast our cares, worries, fears, anxieties on God in every situation.  We are to pray and thank Him.  Our minds should be at peace trusting God and guarding our hearts so that worry doesn't return to our hearts.  We have to believe that He knows what He is doing and that He knows best.  That is faith!  It is essential to our walks and belief in God.   So I leave you with one last verse to think about before you turn to worry.

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Who Get's The Glory

When we have success in life, relationships, business, etc who get's the glory.  Are we just soaking it up and saying yes I did it?  Oh thank you it was such a sacrifice.  I am just so talented, so smart, so gifted, etc.  That's not the way it's supposed to be.  We shouldn't be getting the glory.  It should be going to God.  Don't believe me let's see what the Bible says.

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV / 

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Romans 11:36 ESV / 

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Well it really says it all in the first verse.  We are to do all things to the glory of God.  The second verse tells us more that all things come from Him and through Him.  He gets the glory.

Is it easy to give God the glory?  If we aren't spending quiet time with Him, listening to Him, truly loving Him,..it's not easy.  No matter what we are going through or where we are in life He should be getting the glory.  You might be thinking I did the work, where was God when this happened or when that happened?  Well since God created you didn't He do the work.  He knew you before you were even born.

2 Peter 1:21 ESV / 

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The scripture above tells us the prophecy comes from God.  The Holy Spirit brings it about.  We can't get into a mindset where we get up and tell everyone what God wants to do in their life without it coming from God.  It's clear.  He doesn't need our opinion or plan.  He will send it when He wills it.

Mark 10:17-22 ESV / 

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

We cannot do anything good apart from God.  The scripture above is basically a man of pride.  Nobody can live a perfectly sinless life.  We are just not that good.  It doesn't matter what we think we have done.  Our blessings, talents, gifts, finances, relationships all came through God.  He provided.  He is our provider.

Psalm 29:11 ESV

English Standard Version

May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

 

Give Him the glory!  Let's not take the credit anymore.  We are not perfect only God is!