Harmony

On October 18, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 22: 24


Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man.

Truth be told, it is no fun being around someone who is prone to angry outbursts. Should it be a surprise that God has specifically given us instruction to avoid associating with these people?

Some people walk around full of anger. They do their best to contain it, they wrap iron bars around their hearts in an attempt to control their anger but it always turns out to be in vain. The smallest thing sets them off and their reaction goes far beyond what is merited. The reason they have such uncontrollable and out of scale reactions is because of the hurt which is within them every minute of the day. They have nursed these hurt feelings for years or worse, have stuffed them down into their subconscious. They lie to themselves saying they have it all under control but you only need be around them for a short time to see that they are far from in control. It is easy for these angry people to become further crippled by substance abuse as well. They will look for any remedy for anesthetizing the hurt.

What happens when you associate with these people? You will get hurt and you will be influenced by their anger issues. You may even find yourself responding in anger because of the need to defend your sensitive spirit from harsh and angry language and behaviors. There is a larger concept involved here too. Jesus is the Lord of peace. A brief search of the New Testament on the word peace yields 93 instances where it was used. I like what Jesus said in Mark 9: 50, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” We are to live in peace. He also said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace (John 16: 33). We could go on and on because Jesus is the Prince of Peace but let me end with something Paul wrote, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8: 6). Here we begin to see the crux of the argument revealed. Jesus is peace and the mind, or the person, set on the Spirit of God is peace. Another way of saying this is that peace follows the one whose mind is stayed on Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You cannot intertwine your life with Jesus and be a person of anger, turmoil and chaos. Jesus brings order and peace. So God recognizes that the person who is angry is not surrendered to the Trinity. These people sow friction and discord wherever they go.

This is not the way which the Lord has ordained for us. We are meant to live in peace and harmony. So, don’t go with a man given to anger. You will not be in the presence of the Holy Spirit but rather with a spirit of conflict. It is not good for you; it is not good for your spirit or even your health. Pray for those people but do not associate with them. So says God.

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Trust Me

On October 6, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 26: 3                 NIV

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Father God will keep your mind in perfect peace. How does that sound? Imagine, no matter how much stress or turmoil is going on around you, your mind will be abiding in perfect peace. But wait a minute, does that describe you and every other Christian you know? Are we all perfectly peaceful? No. This promise comes with a condition. God will give us perfect peace when we trust in Him. So, to state it a bit differently, “For those who trust in you, Father, you will keep their minds in perfect peace.”

There are a lot of verses which encourage us to trust our Father. The most well-known is probably Proverb 3: 5 – 6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” That is such an inspiring verse that you would expect us all to make a Herculean effort to put all of our trust in God. So why don’t we?

We have learned too much from the world and we just hold on too tightly. It is hard to let go of the things about which we have concerns. However, we can begin by acknowledging Him in everything and that will help us to move into deeper trust. That means that we include Him in everything we do. You know, the Bible says that we are to pray at all times (Ephesians 6: 18). Praying all of the time makes perfect sense if you are going to acknowledge Him in everything you do. Of course, prayer has to get real if you are going to do this. If you think and expect prayer to be amazingly eloquent and formal, you are never going to make it. Prayer is just talking with your Father. When you make it an ongoing conversation, as if you are talking with a friend who is going to accompany you all day, then it becomes really easy to pray at all times. There is another verse which says to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5: 17). How are you going to do that if you ritualize prayer? The answer is that you are not. This relationship with the Father needs to get out of church and into your life.

Another big factor is just lack of experience. Once you begin giving Dad your trust it becomes easier to do it next time. A friend of mine just sold a house. She had written down exactly what she wanted and expected in a buyer. Well, there were two contracts which fell through. What? This had been prayed over. Here is where trust comes in. She never lost her peace, never left the facts dissuade her from what she believed God was going to do. She placed her trust in the Father and He kept her in a constant state of peace and her mind tranquil. Do you want to know the end of the story? Yep, the house sold for the full asking price and everything else she asked for when she wrote down what she wanted also came through. Her trust and faith had been built by years of trusting God with small things and then bigger things. How much easier do you think it will be for her to trust Him next time? Nothing breeds success like success.

Trust me in this as I attempt to entice you into trusting the Father. I am being honest with you. The Father can keep you in perfect peace but first you must let go. You’ve got to give Him the reins and expect, and trust, that He is going to come through for you.

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Hope

On September 15, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 15: 13


Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our God is hope. We have an uncommon peace because it is the peace Jesus left for us. It is the peace that comes from having faith in the Holy One; from knowing that He is on your side and is watching over you.

I feel for the people who do not know God. They are without hope. But no matter what our problems; whether sickness, a lost loved one or any of a multitude of things, we have hope because we have God. There are people out in the world who have no hope. They have no expectation that things are going to get better. We can have hope even when we do not see any way for our circumstance to improve because we know God and know Him to be a miracle worker. Maybe you have been in a hopeless situation and seen God deliver you. In Him there is always hope and that is a truly great thing. Our hearts need not be burdened with the worry because we know He is there for us.

I pray, along with Paul, that you will “abound in hope” and be filled to the fullest by the Holy Spirit. Don’t let the problems get you down because where there is God, there is always hope. May you be filled with the joy and peace that comes from believing in Him. May you overflow with gratitude that you always have a hope and a prayer.

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Compassion

On August 11, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 54: 9 – 10

“For this is like the days of Noah to Me; when I swore that the waters of Noah should not flood the earth again, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has compassion on you.

Jesus was often moved by compassion. Often we think of this as simply and emotion that Jesus experienced but in truth it was so much more. You may hear people talk of the angry God of the Old Testament. Well, here is irrefutable evidence that God is not angry with you. He loves you and is compassionate.  And this is from the Old Testament.

This is the compassion that moved Jesus to heal and bless people. He was moved by the compassion of his father. Through the prophet Isaiah God delivered a promise of compassion and lovingkindness. By the time Jesus graced the earth God’s heart of compassion was well established. God, the Father, gave us a covenant of peace, not of anger. This is why Jesus is the Prince of peace. He is an extension and expression of his father.

God certainly had every reason to be angry with His people. He would be completely justified in being angry with us as well but He chose love, compassion and peace instead. It wasn’t an angry God that sent His only son here to die for us. Love nailed Jesus to that cross.

You are encapsulated in a covenant of peace with the creator. Let this be your revelation. Peace surrounds you and even if the mountains shake still God’s lovingkindness will remain with you. His love will never forsake you.

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Fearless

On May 10, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 112: 8           (NIV)

His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

This is just one of the benefits that belong to the person who reveres the Lord. We are supposed to come into a place within our faith that we no longer fear those who strive against us. Our hope and our trust are in Him, our Lord and provider. In Him is victory. In Him is peace, the kind of peace that makes us secure regardless of the circumstances. We can come into a place wherein our thoughts of Him and our faith in Him are bigger than any other person or thing we encounter. We only have to keep our eyes glued on Him and His word and speak His words instead of the doubt of this world.

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Peace, Sweet Peace

On April 28, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 20: 21

Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

Jesus appeared to his disciples after his crucifixion and ascension. First of all, how cool is that? I would like to have been there. Today’s verse comes from one of those visits. When he first appeared to them he said, “Peace be with you” (v. 19) and showed them the holes in his hands. The scripture says that then the disciples rejoiced. Well, I guess so. So then he said again, “Peace be with you” before he launched into what he wanted to say to them. 

One of Jesus’ many missions in coming to earth was to bring us peace. He is called the Prince of Peace because that is one of his anointings. Jesus spoke the same kind of message to his disciples as he was preparing them for his departure. He told them, “I go away and I will come to you … I go to the Father” (John 14: 28). He told them that his time was at an end but before he revealed the end he said to them, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (John 14: 27). 

You see, Jesus is always, and I do mean always, sending us his peace. This is important to know because there is always peace where Jesus is. If you are entering a business deal and there is not peace, then you can bet Jesus isn’t in it. If you say something and peace flies from you, then you might want to rephrase or apologize. Even in decision making, you can follow peace and if you don’t have peace, wait until you do. There may well be a third option that you aren’t considering.

Also, when you are in difficult times, pursue peace. Let Jesus come in and minister peace to your heart. He is the author and thus the source of peace. If you are in trials or your heart is challenged then he is that peace that you need. Seek him and find peace.

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God of Peace

On March 8, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 23: 2

He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.

Our God is a God of peace, not chaos. He does not lead you into places that are full of bedlam and stress. He leads you into quiet places. He causes you to lie down in green fields; fields which are well watered and with plenty of grass or sustenance. When he leads you, he leads you beside the quiet waters not the raging mayhem the world dishes out. He wants to lead you into a tranquil, quiet place so that he can refresh you and talk with you. You won’t be able to hear him in the pandemonium of the world because it is just too loud and busy. He is leading you into that still quiet spot where the two of you can be alone together. Believe me, it is easier for you to get a much needed drink of water at the quiet waters than from the raging torrent. Find your quiet peaceful place with him and let him fill you back up.

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