"Peace" is a saying that gained speed in the 1970's from hippies in flower painted vans. Everywhere they went, they were trying to spread a message of love and peace. "Love everybody," they would say, and, "Peace man," in both coming and going. They had the right idea through trying to fill the void in their lives with peace and love to everyone, except many didn't have the right source of peace to calm their always troubled heart. They shared an empty peace.
The Lord Jesus on His last night before being betrayed told His disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." (John 14:27) I can tell you frommy experience that this isn't an ordinary peace, but rather one that calmed a troubled soul on a night 13 years ago this month. Instead of knowing that an eternity in hell was in the makings, I found peace. The peace is a result of knowing that there was a horrific scene of darkness, pain, agony and death all for and because of my sins. That spring evening, a soul filled with terror was transformed into one overflowing with joy.
The Lord goes on to say, "not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14:27) This peace isn't the peace you can find in finding a quiet house after a noisy day. We might try to say it is like watching a calm river flow gently with the backdrop of a magnificent sunset, but our feeble attempts to make an analogy fall well short. The earth can show us peace, but it doesn't compare. The world might try to give us peace through the almighty dollar, but the economies of the world fail. Families give us peace until the coldness of death rips loved ones from our realm into the next.
Then finally, "let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) His peace is so wonderful and marvelous. There is no better feeling than knowing that your sins are forgiven. That same Lord who is omnipotent has comforted us by letting us know that He has left His peace with us.
How amazing it is. In times of any problem, we know that we have a Lord and Saviour who loves us and cares for us. We can go to Him at anytime, any place and in any situation knowing that He'll hear our prayers. It's a peace that is beyond our understanding. It's a peace that guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. There is no peace without a Saviour. Peace.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
How Discouraging!
There are often events in our lives that leave us discouraged. Usually I get discouraged when things don't turn out quite like I had hoped. Maybe a friend leaves town and you won't see them for a while, or rent goes up, or your car gets stolen or hit and ran and it just leaves you down in the dumps.
1 Kings 17 presents a series of discouraging circumstances for a widow and Elijah. Elijah takes a message against the evil king Ahab and has to run away to live alone by a brook where he doesn't know where the next meal is coming from. Later the brook and source of water dries up. Then he finds out that the woman who is supposed to help keep him alive is a widow who has nothing herself. How discouraging to the widow, who all of a sudden has another mouth to feed though she is going to cook her last meal before starving. Then to cap matters off, her son dies. Discouragement after discouragement.
But as you look through the story, each discouragement is met with encouragement.
How will Elijah survive in the wilderness? God will provide Him food in an unlikely way. Where will he get water and food since his brook dried up? God provided Him food in an unlikely way. Where will the widow get enough food to feed Elijah, herself and her son? God provided them food in an unlikely way. What will this woman do now that her son has died? God provided him life again in an unlikely way.
I think you've figured out the theme that is over this chapter, "God will provide." God knows our needs and can meet them. It is easy to act on our own power if we don't see God working in the way we want. In 1 Samuel 13 king Saul loses patience with Samuel and God to save him from the Philistine enemy, resulting in the announce of the end of his kingdom.
To know that God has all our best interests in mind is a comforting thought. All we need to do is to keep the issues before Him in prayer, and He will take care of things for us. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." What an encouragement to know that the most powerful, the creator of the heavens and earth hears us and will fill our hearts with a peace that is beyond understanding if we leave our burdens with Him. Let your heart be encouraged because of our sure resource of prayer and a caring God.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
1 Kings 17 presents a series of discouraging circumstances for a widow and Elijah. Elijah takes a message against the evil king Ahab and has to run away to live alone by a brook where he doesn't know where the next meal is coming from. Later the brook and source of water dries up. Then he finds out that the woman who is supposed to help keep him alive is a widow who has nothing herself. How discouraging to the widow, who all of a sudden has another mouth to feed though she is going to cook her last meal before starving. Then to cap matters off, her son dies. Discouragement after discouragement.
But as you look through the story, each discouragement is met with encouragement.
How will Elijah survive in the wilderness? God will provide Him food in an unlikely way. Where will he get water and food since his brook dried up? God provided Him food in an unlikely way. Where will the widow get enough food to feed Elijah, herself and her son? God provided them food in an unlikely way. What will this woman do now that her son has died? God provided him life again in an unlikely way.
I think you've figured out the theme that is over this chapter, "God will provide." God knows our needs and can meet them. It is easy to act on our own power if we don't see God working in the way we want. In 1 Samuel 13 king Saul loses patience with Samuel and God to save him from the Philistine enemy, resulting in the announce of the end of his kingdom.
To know that God has all our best interests in mind is a comforting thought. All we need to do is to keep the issues before Him in prayer, and He will take care of things for us. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." What an encouragement to know that the most powerful, the creator of the heavens and earth hears us and will fill our hearts with a peace that is beyond understanding if we leave our burdens with Him. Let your heart be encouraged because of our sure resource of prayer and a caring God.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Repentant Attitude
Has there ever been a time where you know you did something wrong against someone else? Sometimes they are the last person you want to see, but it always seems that they are the next person you see. If you don't see them, you have a sense of paranoia where you are afraid you may see them around the next corner, on the next bus, or at the next restaurant. Your fear and anxiety is because of an non-repentant heart.
(12:10) If your stumbling block of repentance is that you think your sin is too bad, consider Zechariah 12:10-Zechariah 13:6. This section describes the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus when Israel will see the one who saves them from their enemies when all hope is lost, and realize that He is the one that they crucified: "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced." The first step of repentance, as displayed by the future remnant of Israel, is understanding that you have sinned against God.
(12:10-11) These people are so overcome by their guilt that they mourn even as those who will mourn at Armageddon (v11). The weeping and wailing will no doubt fill the country, as they realize their grave error in sending their Messiah to the cruelest of deaths. "His blood be on us, and our children," they said proudly at the Roman trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:25); they here understand their error. They cry out to God for repentance, knowing He is the one that they have sinned against and He is the one they need to approach.
(12:12-14) A true repentant heart wants to be alone. Outward repenters are all about show, whereas the true repentant heart understands the importance and shame of their issue and look to be alone with God so that they can be uninterrupted in their petitions. This characteristic is displayed by the people here, and from the highest (house of David), to the cursed (family of Shimei), to every family seeks to be alone with God as they ask for forgivness.
(13:1) No doubt the people of Israel don't deserve forgiveness; it might be rendered the greatest sin ever. God in His tremendous mercy opens a fountain for the people to cleanse them from sin and uncleaness. They will be able to come into the good of what Christ did on the cross. On the judicial basis their sins have been taken away, and justified to be called chosen of God. On a moral basis their sins have been washed away, cleansed here as God pleaded for the people to be in Isaiah's day, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) The people have been sanctified, and now worthy to be called chosen of God.
(13:2-6) The last piece of the puzzle is found in Zechariah 13:2-6, where we see the action taken by those who have repented. We know they have turned from their wicked ways because they cast out all idolitry and will kill all prophets even if they are family on the basis that the revelation by prophets has ended, so any who prophesies in the name of the Lord is false. The true fruits of repentence are realized through the outward actions, showing what has happened to their hearts on the inside.
If there are things on your heart that you need to repent of, I beseech of you to do so. Your love for Christ should compel you to go to the Father and ask for forgiveness. Understand that you have no right to the forgiveness of sins, except through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7). If you don't know the forgiveness of sins, ask for forgiveness with a repentant heart knowing you have sinned against God and He through His abounding grace will choose to remember your sins no more. If you have been redeemed by the blood and yet their is sin weighing on your mind, it clouds the fellowship between you and your God. That perfect fellowship needs to be continually restored on an ongoing basis until we see Christ's appearing, and will be made like Him (1 John 3:2).
(12:10) If your stumbling block of repentance is that you think your sin is too bad, consider Zechariah 12:10-Zechariah 13:6. This section describes the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus when Israel will see the one who saves them from their enemies when all hope is lost, and realize that He is the one that they crucified: "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced." The first step of repentance, as displayed by the future remnant of Israel, is understanding that you have sinned against God.
(12:10-11) These people are so overcome by their guilt that they mourn even as those who will mourn at Armageddon (v11). The weeping and wailing will no doubt fill the country, as they realize their grave error in sending their Messiah to the cruelest of deaths. "His blood be on us, and our children," they said proudly at the Roman trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:25); they here understand their error. They cry out to God for repentance, knowing He is the one that they have sinned against and He is the one they need to approach.
(12:12-14) A true repentant heart wants to be alone. Outward repenters are all about show, whereas the true repentant heart understands the importance and shame of their issue and look to be alone with God so that they can be uninterrupted in their petitions. This characteristic is displayed by the people here, and from the highest (house of David), to the cursed (family of Shimei), to every family seeks to be alone with God as they ask for forgivness.
(13:1) No doubt the people of Israel don't deserve forgiveness; it might be rendered the greatest sin ever. God in His tremendous mercy opens a fountain for the people to cleanse them from sin and uncleaness. They will be able to come into the good of what Christ did on the cross. On the judicial basis their sins have been taken away, and justified to be called chosen of God. On a moral basis their sins have been washed away, cleansed here as God pleaded for the people to be in Isaiah's day, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) The people have been sanctified, and now worthy to be called chosen of God.
(13:2-6) The last piece of the puzzle is found in Zechariah 13:2-6, where we see the action taken by those who have repented. We know they have turned from their wicked ways because they cast out all idolitry and will kill all prophets even if they are family on the basis that the revelation by prophets has ended, so any who prophesies in the name of the Lord is false. The true fruits of repentence are realized through the outward actions, showing what has happened to their hearts on the inside.
If there are things on your heart that you need to repent of, I beseech of you to do so. Your love for Christ should compel you to go to the Father and ask for forgiveness. Understand that you have no right to the forgiveness of sins, except through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7). If you don't know the forgiveness of sins, ask for forgiveness with a repentant heart knowing you have sinned against God and He through His abounding grace will choose to remember your sins no more. If you have been redeemed by the blood and yet their is sin weighing on your mind, it clouds the fellowship between you and your God. That perfect fellowship needs to be continually restored on an ongoing basis until we see Christ's appearing, and will be made like Him (1 John 3:2).
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