Do you have peace? Revisited

 

John 14:27

English Standard Version (ESV)

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 hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Remember before you got saved how you wondered if there was a heaven or hell and where you would go when you died.  That sounds minor to think about, but I firmly believe that those people who will not look to God for salvation are constantly looking to other things for fulfillment.  We as humans, have an inherent desire to know God and His peace.  He made us to need Him.

Every unsaved person in the world, whether they admit it or not, is searching for peace in their soul.  In today’s verse you see we are given this peace by God when we are saved.  It also says that we will have a peace unlike the world can give.  So to me, that means it is possible to obtain some kind of peace in your life through worldly passions, but it will not be an eternal or fulfilling peace.  I believe that having the peace of God does not mean you will never have stresses or sad times, but your peace will come from knowing that whatever you may be going through, this world is just temporary for you.

I think that, that is the peace He was talking about.  People can get some satisfaction, maybe even some peace from drinking, drugs, hobbies, work, rest, and on and on; but those types of peace are always temporary.  When you know 100%, that you will be with Jesus in heaven when you die, it makes bad things in life alot more bearable. 

It’s like if you were driving all over the desert looking for something and you became lost.  Now you didn’t know where you were and certainly didn’t know how to get where you were going so your level of stress and anxiety would be very high.  Why?  ( No direction and no hope of finding your way)  Now let’s say you found a map, and it showed you where you were and how to get where you were going; it even showed you where to get gas and food for the trip, wouldn’t that ease your stress? Why?  (because you no longer are wandering around aimlessly looking for your destination)

So, did you get what I was saying?  We are given the peace that surpasses all understanding when we get saved.  Nothing else can give you an eternal peace, because without salvation through Jesus,  you are just wandering around aimlessly doing anything you can to figure out where you are and where you are headed.

Pretty elementary today, but it’s what I felt led to write.  God Bless!

Rest

2.8

Rest

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matt 11:28-30 (KJV)

As we go through life after we have been saved, it is very easy to get pulled into the religious side of life.  We all do it, I mean we say to ourselves ok, I need to just read my bible and pray 4 times today and everything will be alright.  Or we say, ok as long as I go to church this morning and tonight I will feel better.

Truth is, if you are caught in this trap then you are very much like the people that Jesus was talking to in today’s verses.  The pharisees had turned faith in God into a set of rules and legalism.  It’s soo hard for us as believers to accept the fact that Jesus paid it all.  I mean there is nothing else for you to do but believe in Him and turn your life over to Him.  I don’t care what you may be going through, there is peace in knowing God is in control of your life.

Now, I’m not saying to stop going to church or start going and doing sinful things jusr because you are saved!  On the contrary, I’m saying that because you are saved you should not do anything that would cause anyone who is not saved to doubt your salvation.  But, back to today’s verses.......When you feel like the world is falling around you, and no matter how many times you pray or read your bible or go to church, it doesn’t make things better.  Remember what Jesus said,”Come to me all who labor in vain for your salvation”  “I am the only one who can give you peace and rest”  Of course that was the Steve Paraphrased Version, but I believe that is what He was telling us.

If you are like me, and life sometimes will hand you things that you don’t understand’ it is soo nice to know that all we have to do is turn our worries over to God because He is in control anyway.  Nothing we can do other than believing in Him and His Son Jesus can give us rest.(Peace)

If you have never felt the peace of knowing you are a child of God, and feel convicted

right now, all you have to do is tell God you are sorry for your sins; ask Him to forgive you; remember leave your sins at the foot of the cross because that is where they were taken care of;  Now turn from your old life and turn to a life of whatever God calls you to do.  Ask Him to reveal his will for your life to you.  Read your bible and pray.  Stay in His word because it is one of the ways He talks to us.

Happy Memorial Day!  God Bless Our  Veterans and Active Duty Soldiers!!

What drives you?

2.6

What drives you?

Psalm 16:8-11 ESV / 4 helpful votes

I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore

Matthew 6:31-33

English Standard Version (ESV)

³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Hebrews 13:5 ESV / 63 helpful votes

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you

I was thinking about this yesterday and found these verses this morning.  I’m probably only going to talk about a couple of these today but please read over them.  First let’s look at my favorite. Matthew 6:33.  Before this verse He is saying “quit worrying about everything” “God knows better than you what you need”  Then He says to SEEK HIM FIRST.  That means over your job, money, even family.  Like I’ve said before, we are supposed to be fishers of men first, then everything else will be added to us as God sees we need it or can handle it.

I’ve recently noticed a good trap set by Satan to make us slaves whether we know it or not.  You know when you start thinking about buying stuff even when you can’t afford it, I mean you tell yourself things like “oh, Ill cut back on this or work extra hours” then once you get whatever it was ou know when you start thinking about buying stuff even when you can’t afford it, I mean you tell yourself things like “oh, Ill cut back on this or work extra hours” then once you get whatever it was YOU are now enslaved to it.  That is bad because you have less time to focus on your relationship with God.  Pretty good trap huh?

Anyway, this is a trap I have fallen into many times and am enslaved to right now.  So the purpose of today’s message isn’t really to down anyone for going into debt, it is to simply let you know that there is alot more peace in turning everything over to God than trying to live a lifestyle that you really can’t.

We should strive to be content with where we are in life.  The only thing we should feel in debted to should be Jesus and what He did for us.  Also ask God to give you peace in your situation.  Be a Christian first, don’t let your situation cause your relationship with God to fall aside.  If You are a child of God and You know that He takes care of your needs, then don’t let your situation be the factor that makes you happy or sad.  Be happy that Jesus saved you from Hell, and be sad that He had to.  

Father, please help me to turn things over to you.  I know you will supply all of my needs.  Teach me to be content in any situation I’m in.  Please help me to remember that my main job on this earth is to tell others about YOU.

God Bless!  Remember Memorial Day

Who's your master? Re-Post

Matthew 6:24-25  ”No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?


Have you ever wondered why it said in the bible that it's hard for rich people to get into heaven? I think these verses shed a little light on the subject.  It all comes down to where your heart is. Could you be loyal and happy with your spouse if you focused all of your attention on another person?  No, of course.  Same thing here, if the object of your devotion or faith is in anything other than Jesus, then you are trying to serve two masters.  I say trying because God expects total devotion from us, so if your focus is on anything else then you are really serving yourself.

This can go a lot deeper than just money too.  You can be trying to live for  God, while focusing all of your attention on a job, spouse, or anything that you have put in front of God.  God hates idols, and anything that you have in your life that blocks your view of Him is an idol. 

The verse says for us not to be anxious about anything. This is a hard one for most people, especially me. We say we love God and believe in Him then we feel like we have to fix all of our problems ourself.  And most of what we worry about isn't really of importance to to God according to what I read.  It says life is more than what we eat or drink, or even our body, so that being said, when you worry about money and how much it would take for you to be less stressed; then you are really saying to God that you do believe in Him, but you really need to live a certain way or buy certain things. If this is you, please read the verses again.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think God wants us to be poor and not have anything, He just wants us to depend on Him to give us what we need in life and not on ourselves.    Believe me when I say that today's message was meant mainly for me.  Praise God for conviction and His direction for our lives.

Remember, the main and only goal for us in this life is to tell others about what Jesus did on the cross.  Everything else is secondary.  All of us who have been saved by the blood of Jesus are to b e fishers of men, we should pray that God would put people in our lives who need to hear the gospel, and He will i promise.

If you are reading this and feel like Maybe you have lost focus, or haven't been living for God like you should, just ask Him for forgiveness and for Him to redirect your life to be in His will not your own.  If you feel convicted and sorry for you sins and have never been saved, just ask God to forgive you for your sinful life and the things you do and have done.  Thank Him for sending His Son Jesus to suffer and die for YOU!  Focus your life on Him and His Way, turn from your old ways.  Picture yourself just placing a container full of your sins at the foot of the cross, and you look up and see Jesus dying in excruciating pain.  Then He looks at you and says I'm doing this for you.  Don't worry this will take care of your sins, it's sufficient. Just focus on Me now not yourself.  Now pick up your bible and read because that is one way he communicates with us.  Pray for His guidance.  Now Praise Him for saving you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you at war?

2.5

Are you at war?

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

2 Cor 10:3 (KJV)

Have you ever wondered what was meant by spiritual warfare?  I have.  In a battle we are supposed to know our enemy.  Have you ever heard of going to war but not knowing who you are fighting?  Part of our lives as Christians is knowing how satan can and will attack our lives.

I have noticed that the closer I get to releasing my book, satan is coming at me from all sides.  Too many times I think we think it is too far fetched to believe that there is a battle going on all around us and at stake are people’s souls.  I can tell you 100%, that since God called me to write down my thoughts in blog and book form, I have been attacked in every imaginable way.  As most of you know, I almost got divorced, and now I find myself in a terrible financial bind.  This bind is completely of my making, but satan is definitely using it to slow down the process of releasing my book.

Now today’s verse assures us that as Christians we will be walking in the flesh, but our war will be with satan and his demons.  I have realized that I am blessed to be in this war.  Why?  Because if I wasn’t being attacked by satan it would mean that I was  not a valid threat to his ongoing battle to win souls.  I have recently realized that I should consider it a blessing that he has taken the time to harass me because that must mean he has something to lose by me writing blogs and books.  Praise God!

People, be real today.  If you are really doing what God wants you to do then satan will have to be attacking you anyway he can.  So my simple question to you is”  Are you at war?”  If you are not then please look at your life and try to see why the devil is leaving you alone.  Is it because of your lifestyle?  Just remember, if you are not a threat to satan, then he has no need to bother you!

If you feel like you aren’t where God needs you to be, then is it a possibility that you are not saved?  Please dont let the sun go down with you not knowing for sure if you are saved.  Just ask God to forgive you for your sins.  Tell Him you are sorry and know that His Son Jesus had to die and be tortured for YOU.  Turn your life from your own desires to what God wants you to do.  Read your bible and pray, because that’s the only way you can communicate with Him.

God Bless!

Christian Guilt

2.4

The guilt of sin

Romans 7:15-16 (ESV)

I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good.

Romans 3:23-24 (ESV)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His Grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Luke 13:24 (ESV)

Strive to enter through the narrow door.  For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

I’m going to do alot of rambling today so bare with me.  I hope I get the point across that I am trying to make.

OK.  So Paul, who is probably one of the greatest biblical teachers of all time, says in our first verse that he does things that he hates to do.  He also says he doesn’t do the things that he should do.  That should sound familiar to all who are saved.  He is abviously disgusted with himself for doing and not doing things the way God would have him too, but I think He is also trying to explain to us the grace of God.  If Paul talks about his shortcomings and still knows he is saved by God’s grace through Jesus, then we all shouldn’t let satan beat us up about sins in our life.

Now, am I saying to just go ahead and sin because we are saved?  Definitely not.  In our second verse it does say that ALL have sinned and FALL SHORT of the glory of God. But in Romans 2:13 it says that It is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the DOERS of the law who will be JUSTIFIED.  So yes, we are saved by Grace and there are no works we can do to get us into heaven, But we are to strive to do what God wants us to do.  

Another verse important in today’s message is Luke 13:24.  I want you to pay close attention to the first word “STRIVE” to enter through the narrow door.  Strive means to try.  So to put it in “STEVE” terms, I think what is meant here is that we shouldn’t get saved and then stop trying  to do God’s will, on the contrary we should try harder.  People that get saved and then never try and search for God’s will for their life are just a gigantic waste of space because if they don’t try and draw closer to God then He won’t draw closer to them.  Then  in that case, they won’t have a clue what God wants for their life.

I hope I didn’t confuse anyone today, but I really felt led to discuss this in today’s message.  Remember, If you feel convicted (sorry) for your sinful life and you know Jesus died on that cross for you, then just ask him to forgive you for your sins and turn away from the life you’ve been living and seek God’s will for your life.

Do you fit better in the wide gate or the narrow one?

Book 2.3

Do you fit better in the wide gate or the narrow one?

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it

Matt 7:13-14 (KJV)

Ever sat back and wondered if you were really saved or not?  I have.
 I have spoken on this passage before so keep reading because I’ve got some new thoughts on it. 
Here Jesus is basically saying that most of the people who have ever lived, were probably leading a life that wasn’t focused on God.  I mean He didn’t say that many people will make it to the narrow gate; he said most people will go through the wide gate.  A wide gate here could probably also be compared to a “path” filled with lots of people going the same direction. (Down)  Is it easier to walk with the crowd or against it?  Of course it’s much easier to walk like everyone else and not really get in the way of the flow of traffic.
Now, let’s say you are standing in a crowd of 1 million people who are all walking down a road and you decide to walk the opposite direction.  Wouldn’t you get noticed?  My point for thought today is this......If we never really go against the way other people are living, and never get noticed as a Christian: then are we really a Christian?
I get convicted of this all the time, I mean maybe I laughed at a joke that I shouldn’t have, or maybe I said something I shouldn’t, but I am blessed in the fact that God always let’s me know.  That’s the great thing about being saved!  Once you are saved you no longer have to wonder which direction to go because God will let you know.  More times than not, you will encounter plenty of opposition.  People who are headed for hell probably don’t want to know it, but it is our duty as Christians to at least tell them what Jesus has done for us. 
Prayer.....
Father thank you for always letting me know when I am becoming too much like the world.  Please allow me to never be afraid of telling someone about you and how you changed my life.  Please always help me to be in the way of the flow of the world so that just maybe someone will run into me and I can tell them about you!

Daily Renewal

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Daily Renewal

Rev 2:5

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.  If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you repent.

For those who may have been wondering, I have finally gotten back to the world of internet connectivity.  I will start updating the blog again, hopefully a couple of times per week.  Thanks for being patient with me as God was and is testing my faith in Him.

You know how when you first got saved, you were “on fire for God” and told everyone you know about Him and His son Jesus?  Then you kind of start becoming less excited and less disciplined about reading the Word and praying.  I think it happens to all of us along our Christian journey.  Jesus is talking in the verse to day, and I believe He was telling us to try and keep the same level of excitement and discipline we had in the beginning of our Christian life. 

My personal opinion here is that He is telling us that if we start falling away from our Christian path then we will be of no use to Him and His kingdom.  I think by Him saying he would remove our lamp stand, He is saying that our “pulpit” if you will, would be taken from us.  I’ve gone through some of the most trying times of my life since I started this blog, and I believe God has been testing me to see if I will be of use to Him.

In 1 Cor. 9:26 we are told to discipline our body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others we ourselves may be disqualified.  This really speaks to me because I have really been struggling with being the person God wants me to be, even if it causes me to be different or even appear strange to family and friends.

As of today, God has really been speaking to me to get His words back on the blog, so here they are.  I hope you are all blessed by the words spoken here. 

Remember, it is of the utmost importance that if you do not have a relationship with Jesus, that you ask to be forgiven for your sins.  Repent—turn away—from your former life.  You should be a different person.  Have you ever seen night and day at the same time?  Darkness can never be blended with light, meaning; if you are saved, then you and others around you will know it.

My good friend Lacy Hancock has helped me finish the editing on my book and barring any setbacks, it has now been set for release in July.  Ill keep all of you posted.

God Bless