Do you need the Peace of God?

“Nervous breakdown,” or chronic stress, is a common issue among all age groups in the United States and the entire world. The conflicts raging in Syria, ISIL bombing of civilians in Baghdad, the trouble with terrorists in many parts of the U.S., and persecutions of Christians worldwide including America are all examples.

Americans are feeling what the rest of the world has been facing for the last seventy-five years. ISIL, ISIS, IS and all the dogmatic Islamic factions are part of the world’s persecution, stress, and angst.

Going 180 degrees away from ISIS, singer and actor David Cassidy's words are so poignant. His last words according to his daughter were "So much wasted time". His words were about his family.

Contrast David's final statement with the Messiah's He made while preparing His group to face His death at the Last Supper. Let us review it again in a different translation, the Names of God version of the Bible:

"I'm leaving you at peace. I'm giving you my own peace. I'm not

giving it to you as the world gives. So don't let your hearts be

troubled, and do not be afraid."

Jesus words to us today seem to prepare us for His return after over 2,000 years outside time and space in Heaven. When He returns this time He is coming back as a King.

Jesus Christ made one of His greatest forward-thinking statements on His last day on the earth. Jesus Christ stated that when you have His peace of your heart

1) There is serenity.

2) In His peace there is power.

3) With the Lord's peace in you, there is the absence of nervousness.

I could go on, but I have made the point. There can often be a wide gap between the peace felt and stress in a person’s soul. There is a battle going on in the evil world today for your very soul. You will not find out about this struggle in the media.

To say this statement is important is an understatement. What you physically possess does not make you valuable or happy. What makes you happy or valuable is knowing who you are.

The next paradigm shift is critical to your understanding. "Peace is not when you are removed from the storms of life. Peace is where you are in control and have Jesus Christ's peace during the storms of life."

You only possess one thing that never expires. When I buy milk at the grocery store, it pays me to look at the expiration date. Your car, your smartphone, your home and everything you own has an expiration date.

It is your soul that never expires. God made you, and Jesus died for you, so your soul is eternal. If you are His, you can live in His peace. Psalm 34.14 says in the Amplified,

“Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it!”

That flies in the face of the way of the world. Crave peace and go after it and it will calm your soul and the Lord will give you His peace. That is a peace that you can count on. Give it a try and see for yourself.

I love the Amplified version of the Bible. We are to search out peace and when we do we depart ourselves from evil. We are to count on His peace everywhere we go. That is the only way to have real peace in this lifetime. Crave peace. Crave peace as much as you have for anything else in your life.

Pursue peace and go after it in the midst of the storms occurring in and around your life. If you want to live under the umbrella of protection of an eternal God, then our lives must reflect what He says for us to do.

Outside God’s umbrella of protection, there is turmoil, arguments, divisions, and death. David said,

“Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].” (Psalm 91.7-9)

Here you have the same David who messed up and lived outside the umbrella of protection of God. But God forgave David for his sins later in his life while making the above beautiful statement.

Nathan pronounced a terrible curse on David’s life for his actions, but God forgave him; putting David back under His umbrella of protection. God can do the very same for you when you call on Him and ask God into your life through Jesus Christ.

Depart from evil and seek, pursue, crave, and go after God’s peace in your life. It is so opposite to the ways of the world. But nevertheless, that is the truth if you want last peace in your life.

“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ” (1st Corinthians 11.3). If a man is under the Lordship of Christ and single, he best seeks a woman under the Lordship of Christ.

If a Godly young lady is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, she must find a man who is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If you want peace and a reduction of stress in the home, then make Jesus Christ the Lord of your home as well. The lack of He being the Lord of the home is the reason the divorce rate in Christian homes is not substantially different from the secular rate of divorce.

Live for the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we have the truth of God in a increasingly evil world on all sides under the control of Satan where the opposite is true (Isaiah 9.6) says Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace.

It reads, “For to us a Child is born, to us, a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace." [Re. Isaiah 25.1; 40.9-11; Matthew 28.18; Luke 2.11.]

The Prince of Peace is our Father, and we are His children who are growing in His knowledge, purpose, peace, and His Word. He says, “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33)

In Him, we may have peace if we do good and flee from evil. He gives us free will within that umbrella of peace to make our choices of a job, what car to buy and drive, what home to buy and live in, and life with Him.

If understood you will have peace that passes all understanding. It can start with you turning your life over to the Lord Jesus Christ. Others will see the change in you and inquire about what helped you to make so drastic a great change. Try it and see.

Seek, inquire, purse and go after peace. We are not to be taken out of the tribulation of the world, but in it, we may have peace in Jesus Christ. I am not talking about the Tribulation that is God’s wrath against those that have willingly not accepted Him as their Lord.

That is coming as well. However, God’s people will be with you through Him. I am talking about the tribulation that Satan's demons stirs up in individuals who are guided by him. We comprehend it in the headlines every day.

Some are bound up in lust, in possessions, in people, money, and jobs. The love of idols keep people from God’s Lordship, His forgiveness, and His lasting peace. Run from whatever idol keeps you from God.

Paul says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5.1) The entire chapter of Romans 5 is a study in the Lordship of Jesus. It is only when we make Jesus Christ our Lord that we have the peace of God in what we are doing.

John 10.10 states, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

Paul told some folks that had just come out of some strongholds that included sexual sins how to grow in peace. Chew on this verse if you want some real peace in your life. It is a great one to memorize.

He states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5.17)

The pathway out of idols and strongholds is to make Jesus Christ our Lord. Then, and only then, will we defeat whatever separates us from His umbrella of protection and peace in the midst of the storm?

Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14.2-3; Re. 1^st Thessalonians 4.13-18)

Let this promise help you overcome whatever separates and try to keep you from His promise return and take you with Him. Do not miss out on this. Cast aside the idols and replace it with His Word. You will grow calluses if you work for the Lord. Roll up your sleeves and get started.

I will end with this. A staunch grown up Christian, not a baby or young Christian, can say this with confidence.

“Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4.6-7)

The words of Jesus Christ say it all, "I'm leaving you at peace. I'm giving you my own peace. I'm not giving it to you as the world gives. So don't let your hearts be troubled, and don't be afraid." (John 14.27)

That is real peace.

I am not going to lie to you. Pursuing peace of your ultimate outcome will not be easy. But is living in the world is not easy either is it? Jesus Christ came to bring peace to the earth and was rejected by the world. He is coming back again to get those He gave real peace. The peace of knowing who we are, where we are going, and the final outcome when this life is over. That is real peace.

Thank you for reading the brief writing on peace. Please leave feedback at the end of the page below.

God's blessings, Gary

God's peace versus the World's peace

The Bible is true and does not chance because men do

Hermeneutics cleansing

Epistemology

I invite you to comment on the article. In addition, if you have a question please feel free to use the Comment section. As a Professor, I am use to get both comments and questions. Thank you and God's blessing.