by David J. Stewart | March 2016
John 14:26-27, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
What a precious promise from our dear God
and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! What a beautiful statement and truth:
“MY PEACE I GIVE UNTO YOU: NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, GIVE I UNTO YOU.” I
love that, Jesus not only promises to give us TRUE PEACE, but He contrasted it to
the FALSE PEACE that the world gives, and assures us that His peace is very
different than the world's. The world's peace is temporary, unfulfilling and
vain. God's peace is everlasting!
I got to thinking, how does the world give a person peace? The word “peace” in John 14:27 comes from the Greek word eirene, which by implication means “prosperity.” I love that! Jesus gives us true prosperity, which is the peace of God that passes all understanding. There is no greater wealth. In sharp contrast, the world equates “prosperity” with worldly success, wealth, fame, pleasures and good health. But the Word of God teaches that true prosperity is having peace in your soul with God, knowing that your name is written in Heaven, and that you are presently right with God in your daily walk.
My friend, you can be totally broke financially, very sad, emotionally hurting, dying with cancer, and all alone in the world; yet you can have great peace in your soul if you are saved and right with Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The reason why we can have such great peace through prayer is because God sees what we cannot see. We don't have to fear tomorrow, because God is already there!!!
I recently noticed something in the Bible that I hadn't noticed before. For decades I was very familiar with Hebrews 13:5, which is God's promise never to leave nor forsake us. But I had never noticed the next verse, and it is precious...
Hebrews 13:5-6, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
THE LORD IS MY HELPER!!! I WILL NOT FEAR WHAT
MEN CAN DO UNTO ME!!!
There is Peace in Knowing That God Will Right All Wrongs In Eternity
Have you ever found yourself perturbed, upset about a situation, frustrated that there was nothing you could do while someone was wronging you? I have been defrauded, oftentimes. God's warnings against defrauding one another applies to Christians too. 1st Thessalonians 4:6, “That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” One thing that I have learned in the Holy Scriptures about the justice of God is that every sin must be accounted for.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” I love that!!! I love it because I spend my private time working on my website ministry. One day my labors will be openly rewarded. This also means that the wicked, horrible and monstrous things that people do in secret will openly be revealed and judged in eternity. Those self-righteous sinners who criticize, gossip and condemn others the most here on earth, will be the most ashamed and harshly dealt with in eternity by God the Father.
Here on earth, people categorize sins and don't place any priority on hundreds of crimes, simply because the local government cannot afford to pay the police to respond, investigate, process or prosecute them. In other cases, people just don't consider many sins a crime, but they are in God's eyes. Americans don't consider a woman walking nude along the beach a crime, but it is an abomination in the sight of almighty God. Our nation has deteriorated so much, that even same-sex unions and abortion are no longer considered sins and crimes. Man's laws do not superceded God's laws. It's the other way around. God's laws always trump man's laws!!! Men are capable of the most inhumane evil when they abandon God, and as history evidences, men never learn from their mistakes. America's youth are utterly confused about right and wrong, because our society has abandoned the moral standards of the Holy Bible! As Americans increasingly tolerate sin, each succeeding generation of youth become more amoral (no morals), and the Illuminati come that much closer to confiscating everyone's guns and establishing a Godless Thug Totalitarian Communist Police State!!! Ugly perilous times are ahead for Americans!!! God will not be mocked, sin always undermines a nation!
Whatever people do unto others, that is exactly how God is going to treat them. It's called the “Reciprocating Law Of Life.” Matthew 7:1-2, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Even though redeemed Christians cannot be punished (damned) for their sins in criminal court at The Great White Throne of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), they can and will be chastised (disciplined) and suffer loss of rewards in God's civil court at The Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 3:11-15; 5:9-11).
When we are hurt or wronged, by prayer we need to place the matter into God's omnipotent and caring hands for judgment. If we don't pray, then we limit God's hands because of our pride. James 4:6 teaches that God resists THE PROUD, but He gives grace to HELP IN TIME OF NEED (Hebrews 4:15-16) to THE HUMBLE (those who pray and trust upon the Lord). God cares my friend, more than you could ever know. The big question is do you care? The very moment that you ask God to avenge you of wrongdoing against you by others, He marks that incident down and schedules it for a court date in eternity. Luke 18:7, “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” When someone hurts you, in any one of a thousand hurtful ways (even if to be unkind to hurt your feelings), the Lord will avenge His children, especially those who request to be avenged. Matthew 18:6, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Romans 12:19 promises that God
will avenge His children of all evils committed against them (and vice versa
if left unreconciled). Jesus warned in Matthew 12:39 that men will be held
accountable even for their idle words. How much more shall men be held
responsible for their hurtful, lying and critical words against others! It
is a matter of faith. The unsaved man has no right to claim any of the
promises of God, except spending eternity in the Lake of Fire.
There is Peace in Serving God and Doing Right
Ephesians 5:12, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” Evil has always been done under the cover of darkness, to conceal it. This is why there are secret societies, because they are evil. Freemasonry is evil. Bohemian Grove is evil. Skull and Bones are evil. Jesus said that He spake openly and in secret said nothing. John 18:20, “Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.” I have perfect peace in knowing that I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of in serving God. It is an honest undertaking. I love playing musical instruments, which is a good and honest thing. It is the abortionists who operate in their private clinics, because they are too ashamed to operate in hospitals. It is the homosexuals who masquerade in society, refraining on Wikipedia from declaring their gay marriage status. It is the strippers who are ashamed to do their dirty dancing in the light, so they come out at night under cover of darkness to expose their unholy flesh.
Young people, if you do what is right, then you can walk tall in confidence and never have to flee in fear. Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” What a beautiful Bible verse!!! I was listening to an episode of Pacific Garden Mission's UNSHACKLED today, and I heard the story about a troubled young man running from the law. He and his friends had stolen some merchandise at a local store. When they saw a police car, they sped away in panic, and led the police on a high-speed chase, which resulted in a tragic crash that landed them all in critical condition in the hospital. It turns out that the police officer had only intended to pull them over because of an inoperative taillight. But you see, those boys knew they had done evil, and were LIVING IN FEAR. That is what the Bible means when it says in Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” If you always purpose in your heart to think no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and do no evil, then you'll be as bold as a lion in the presence of the legal authorities. It is criminals who live in fear, and flee when no man pursueth.
I believe this is what the Bible means in Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” They are FEARFUL because they know they are living in rebellion, wickedness and defiance against a holy God. They know their day of reckoning is coming, but they don't care!
I care! I care because God cares, and I have
the love of God in me as a Christian. I have made many mistakes in life, and
am far from perfect, but I want to be perfect like my dear Savior Jesus
Christ. I have peace in my Savior. Ephesians 2:14, “For
he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us.” That “middle wall” was the
dividing partition that once separated a holy God from unholy men. The
sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, removed the wall. Ever since,
every Christian has full access to the throne of God because of the blood of
Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15-16).
There is Peace in Casting All Our Cares Upon the Lord In Prayer
In my early Christian life I was taught to memorize key verses of interest in the Bible. This is still widely taught today in religious circles. But I've learned over the decades as a believer that there is an inherent flaw in such thinking, because so many times popular Scriptures are quoted out of context. It is a bad thing to focus upon a single Scripture without considering the surrounding text. For example: I had always quoted 1st Peter 5:7 to myself from memory (i.e., Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you), but then became frustrated when God didn't immediately show me some sign that he really cared. Then one day I studied the surrounding verses and it changed my way of thinking about 1st Peter 5:7...
1st Peter 5:6-10, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
When you just focus on 1st Peter 5:7, it gives
the impression that anytime you have any kind of burdens, problems or
difficulties, you just hurl them God's way and then He does something about
it to make things better. That's what I felt for years. When things didn't
get better, going from bad to worse, I became discouraged. But carefully
notice verse 6, which says God will exalt us in “DUE TIME.” I looked up the
Greek word for “exalt,” which is hupsoo, meaning “to elevate
(literally or figuratively): to lift up.” The Greek word for “care” is
merimna, meaning “solicitude,” which is “a feeling of excessive
concern.” In other words, when we have feelings of excessive concern over a
matter that is burdening us greatly, making us miserable or distracting us
from everything else, consuming our mind, God instructs us to throw those
worries and concerns to Him, and then be patient, knowing that in God's
proper time, He will lift us up out of our afflictions.
There is Peace in Using Our Suffering for God's Glory to Help Others
Notice in verse 9, that we are instructed to consider that our sisters and brothers in the Lord are enduring the same afflictions around the world. We are not alone!
Also, notice in verse 10, that the Bible says God's grace uses such afflictions to strengthen us, make us perfect (complete), stablish us (set in the right direction), and settle (lay a basis for, erect, that is, God uses the miseries in our life to lay a foundation to build a meaningful life upon). Nearly everyone (including most believers) have a pity party, complain and wallow in their problems and afflictions; but the Scriptures teach something very different. The Bible teaches that in order for God's power to rest upon us (believers) and our ministry for Him, WE MUST SUFFER...
2nd Corinthians 12:9-10, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Without personal suffering we cannot mature in the Lord. Without lemons you cannot make lemonade. As only God can do, He takes the inexplicable pain, loss, abuse, suffering and misery in our life and uses it to shape us further into the image of Jesus Christ. God is truly amazing! The Lord truly does work in mysterious ways! The Word of God is strange indeed! What other book in existence teaches that all the sad, mean, unfortunate, bad and hurtful things that happen to us in life are WORTH MORE THAN GOLD??!!
1st Peter 1:3-7, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
Do you know what the last part of that verse
means? It is beautiful. The Bible is saying that hopefully the problems,
burdens, pain, misery, loss and tribulations in our life have been put to
good use, bringing honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Jack Hyles
preaches a wonderful message about this truth in his awesome MP3 sermon
titled,
WASTED SUFFERING.
The Insane, Ungodly, World Has No Concept of True Peace of Soul
If you have been a born-again Christian for enough years, as I have (over 35 now), then you truly know the different between the peace which the world has to offer verses the peace that the Holy Spirit and the inspired Words of God give the believer. The younger generation naturally esteems “prosperity” with a high-paying career, generous career benefits, a decent retirement plan, a big home, financially well-off children, a university degree, et cetera. But the Bible says that character is more important than wealth. Proverbs 19:22, “The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.” We live in a nation of liars today—from lawyers, to judges, to realtors, to those who file for divorce, to false preachers, to the government, to the Bible-corrupting movement, et cetera.
What a blessed truth in John 14:27 from the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that Jesus mentions the gift of the “Holy Ghost,” the promise of the “Comforter,” in John 14:26. Do you know why the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the Holy Ghost? A “ghost” is a spirit that has returned from the dead. Amen! The “Holy Ghost” is the resurrected Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). The reason why a Christian believer can have a peace beyond anything the unsaved world could ever know, is because of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. The believer's physical body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 3:16-17 - Note: All references are only to the trustworthy King James Bible). Every believer has God's Holy Spirit living inside his or her physical body. God is amazing!!!
When I am troubled—because I am having a bad day, am mistreated by people, learn some horrible news, find out about something sad, have to deal with problems caused by incompetent employees at a medical clinic or billing department, have to deal with life's difficulties, am cheated by someone, am overwhelmed with life itself, or just plain depressed knowing that most of the world is headed straight for the Lake for Fire—I am reminded by the indwelling Holy Spirit of numerous encouraging Scriptures:
Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:22, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
Psalms 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
2nd Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Hebrews 13:5-6, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
There is Peace in Having God's Promise of a Wonderful Future in Eternity
Rejoice Oh Christian, for the light afflictions of this world pale in comparison to the awesome blessing, peace, joy and splendors which are ahead in Heaven; Especially to those who love the Lord, live for others for Jesus' sake, and serve Him day and night faithfully furthering the preaching of the Gospel to get souls saved...
1st Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Romans 8:32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
If you thought the 1971 movie, “Willie Wonka
And The Chocolate Factory” was something, you will love Heaven! If you
thought the Land of Oz was something in the 1939 movie, “The Wizard
Of Oz,” then you'll love Heaven! Do you think for a second that a fictitious
Hollywood movie will exceed the beauty, fun, joy and desirability of the
Kingdom of God and all that God has planned for the believer? Not a chance
in a quadrillion times a quintillion times a septillion!!!!
The Lord gives us peace through the Comforter, that is, the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Amen! We have PEACE WITH GOD THE FATHER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!!! Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven!!! Apart from the name of Jesus, there is no salvation (Acts 4:2). Having peace with God comes through faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, receiving His sacrifice on the cross as full-payment for your sins, believing that He was buried, and raised up from the dead three days later. That's the Good News (i.e., the Gospel) by which men are saved if they BELIEVE!!! Do you believe my friend? Know Jesus, Know Peace; No Jesus, No Peace!
The world seeks peace in all forms—financial security, marital security, owning a home, belonging to a club or group, religion, manmade tradition, secular philosophy, worldly principles, evolution, et cetera. Other seek temporary peace in sin—booze, sexual immorality, drug addiction, television addiction, et cetera. None of these things can bring lasting peace or satisfaction!!! The only true lasting peace and satisfaction come from knowing that you've been born-again by the Word of God (1st Peter 1:23). It is knowing that your name is recorded in the Lamb's Book Of Life in Heaven!!! When times are tough and the going gets rough, remember that everything is still alright in my Father's house in Heaven!!! Amen and amen! God is never surprised or caught unawares! God never says, “Oops!” Nothing ever occurs to God! Think about that! We don't have to worry about tomorrow as believer's, because God is already there!!!
So when you find yourself irritated, frustrated
with a situation, angry about something, perturbed, upset toward another
person, et cetera, just remember the Lord's words in the Scriptures
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with
you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
We can have such great peace because Jesus
overcame the world and conquered death. Jesus lived a sinless life! He died
and was buried. CHRIST IS RISEN!!! Because Jesus resurrected, He has sent
His Holy Ghost, as promised. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Keep Your Eyes On Jesus!
Always remember to KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS!!! If you look at people and circumstances, you'll get dragged into their conflicts, bickering and shallowness. Ah, but if you stay focused on eternal things and the Lord Jesus Christ, then everything will pale in comparison. Just love everyone and stay focused on your walk with God, by praying and abiding in His Word continually. HAVE FAITH IN GOD. Stay focused on the BIG PICTURE! In 100 years from now, none of this life will matter. The only thing that will matter then is whether you DIED IN THE LORD (Revelation 14:13), or IN YOUR SINS (John 8:24). All that will matter then for believers is what we did for Jesus' sake and the Gospel's (Mark 10:29-30).
When I find myself at times overwhelmed with life, emotions and people, or frustrated with a situation, I am always reminded of the promises of God in the Scriptures. The future couldn't be more bright for the genuine Christian. My heart is always comforted when I think of God's promises in the Holy Bible. If you want to feel extra close to the Lord, then stand for Him publicly. Witness the Gospel to others. Boldly let others know that you are a born-again Christian. This will bring persecution. 2nd Timothy 2:12, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.” Most Christians have a private faith, too private! Do your neighbours know that you're a Christian? Do your co-workers know that you're a Christian? Does your family even know? Lot's family in the Old Testament didn't even know that he was a Christian. They laughed at him as one who mocked (Genesis 19:14).
We are living in wicked times, an amoral generation of selfish pleasure-seekers, arrogant disrespectful youth, promiscuity and irresponsibility. The time has never been more important than now to walk close to God, to abide in the Scriptures, to pray without ceasing, and “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Satan's spirit works through the children of disobedience, i.e., the unsaved (Ephesians 2:2). As Christians, we need to be smarter than the average bear!!!
I shall never walk alone, so promises the Word of God. Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Here is a precious Scripture promise from Psalms 27:10, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” Isn't that beautiful? If you are all alone in the world, even if you've been forsaken by yours own parents, God will adopt you as His child (if you are born-again) and be your family!!! Hallelujah!
