Shalom
to all,
I was
quite surprised to know that a space shuttle
exploded this morning amongst the many different
catastrophes that have been happening since Sept
11, 2001. Reason being, I was led to write on
the elements of Peace.
I was
also surprised this week when I heard Dr. Paul
Crouch said that on Sept 11, 2001 God told him
that his wrath will be no more poured out. My
intention is not to criticize him or T.B.N, far
from it; for as long as Christ is preach I’m
somewhat content as the Apostle Paul said in
Philippians 1:18. But God could not have told
him that after numerous prophecies in scripture
that made it plain that in these times
“desolation is appointed.” And it even went
further to say that it will be as never seen
before. I often wondered why this method is used
to show humanity how frail they, then I cited
this verse in the Book of Isaiah, “when thy
judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of
the world will learn righteousness. Let favour
be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn
righteousness” (Isa 26:9-10). You could call it,
not sparing the rod.
Nevertheless,
in these closing days and in every appointed
desolation, there are a chosen people that
escape the turmoils of life by what God gives
and calls peace. If you’re born again, then you
should posses this peace and it should rule your
heart.
THE
PEACE OF GOD
The
scripture tells us, “Let the peace of God rule
in your heart” (Col 3:15). In other words, let
this doctrine of peace supercede everything that
influences your heart and consequently your
life. Why? Because this peace (and the peace
giver) is assuring you that nothing that
disturbs you is worth giving any
thought.
It’s a
revelation of God that brings this peace;
knowing assuredly who God is and what he can and
will do; especially, as it concerns salvation
and ministry, for “he which hath begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ” (Php 1:6). If you believe this,
let it rule your heart and be in peace
regardless of doubt, fears and other obstacles!
For heaven and earth will pass away before any
of God’s words are altered which he has spoken.
For instance,
Can’t
pay your bills? “The LORD will give grace and
glory: no good thing will he withhold from them
that walk uprightly” (Psalms 84:11): Let the
peace of God rule your heart!
Enemies
surround you? “For he shall give his angels
charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways”
(Psalms 91:11): Let the peace of God rule your
heart!
Sickness in
your body? “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou
in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the
health of my countenance, and my God” (Psalms
42:11): Let the peace of God rule your
heart!
Church
folk verbally abusing you? “No weapon that is
formed against thee shall prosper; and every
tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment
thou shalt condemn” (Isa 54:11): Let the peace
of God rule your heart!
Buildings
blowing up, earth opening, comets falling from
the sky, sun turning black, sea giving up their
dead, wall street failing, stock brokers
committing suicide, a third of the earth dying
by starvation, another third dying by
pestilence, America filled with every ravenous
and evil spirits, the world is drinking from the
great whore, dictator rising up to blaspheme God
like the Romans did, mothers killing children,
children killing parents, assemblies filled with
Satanists, Bishops and deacons are not God sent,
word of God polluted, “the children of the
unmarried (so-called saved) are more than the
children of married (saved),” angels and demons,
“dragons” and sorcerers, deceits and lies,
principalities and powers, clear and present
dangers, far and forth coming torments,
nevertheless LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE YOUR
HEARTS!
Because you are
his! David said, “he will speak peace unto his
people, and to his saints” (Psalm 85:8). In
other words, the peace of God will allow you to
escape all this and by faith, receive what is
hoped for - eternal life and earthly provisions
- beacause you are his!
BE
CAREFUL FOR NOTHING
This
is why the scripture also tells us to “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” (Phil 4:6-7).
It is
good to have an understanding of the word of
God, because when I just got saved and was about
to take an important exam (cxc) one day, I read
that scripture and thought to myself not to do
anything as the bible said – “be careful for
nothing.” So with that ‘revelation’ I didn’t
study because it said we are just to pray – “let
your request be made known.” While others were
studying, I gallivanted, reaffirming myself that
I did what the bible said - ask for an A in this
exam and sit back and watch it come.
Of
course, I didn’t get as good grade as I should,
but this helped me to realize that is behooves
us as born again saints to study and understand
a verse before applying it.
The
Transliterated Word “Merimnao” for “careful,”
should have read, “Be anxious for nothing; but
in every thing….” Or, “Don’t be troubled by
nothing, but in everything….” In other words,
don’t let anything disturb the peace that is
ruling your heart but make your request be known
unto God and placidly do what you must, then by
believing in what you have asked for, let that
assurance give you peace.
The
element of peace was not experienced by simply
making a request, but it came because of the
assured fact that what you have asked for is
already granted; regardless of the visible
obstacles. That’s the reason this peace “passeth
all understanding.” Because, by the faith in
Jesus Christ, you can be at peace thought the
things hoped for are not seen as yet; and things
meant to oppose the things hoped for are
present. Making it difficult to understand why
I’m at peace in a sin stricken environment,
hoping to make it into heaven. And, by this
faith, that God gives, you would also be
propelled to do the things necessary to
accomplish what you’ve asked for: “By faith
Abraham, when he was called to go out into a
place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not
knowing whither he went” (Heb 11:8). That was
very dangerous! He went out amongst bandits,
thieves, wild animals (dragons were alive then
too) and not to mention the possibility of
starvation or an unknown plague. But only the
peace of God could have ruled his heart not to
fear but to do what God says do!
So
then, it’s after believing on what you have
asked for, which effects doing, then peace
comes. Because what you’ve asked for and what
you’re preparing to do, is backed up by someone
whose credentials are flawless. Someone who is
able to keep that which you have committed unto
him; someone who is able to keep you from
falling; someone they call “the only wise God;”
someone that makes it plain that if you ask, it
shall be given! Because of the magnitude of this
person, you can have peace in knowing the very
end from the beginning; because he controls all
things. Let me big him up a little,
“He is
the ‘I AM’ – to whom past, present and future
are equally today! Who is … without beginning
and without end, without succession of days or
change of conditions. He is the Omniscient One,
to whom all things are so absolutely known that
there can neither be anything hidden from Him
nor any increase of knowledge or intelligence.
He is the Omnipresent One, so pervading all
space and time with His presence that it is only
in an accommodated sense that He can be said to
be at any point of time or place....
He is
the Immutable One, who changes not. His absolute
perfection at once forbids change for the worse,
which would be improvement and imply previous
imperfection, since perfection cannot be
improved. Such a unique and solitary Being must
have His own ways, both of thinking and doing.
He has
his own lexicon, using language in a unique
sense and defining his own terms; that he has
his own arithmetic and mathematics, not limited
to man’s addition and multiplication tables; his
own calendar, reckoning time in his own fashion,
and dividing all duration into ages and
dispensations, to suit his eternal plan; that he
has his own annals and chronicles, writing up
history according to methods of His own, leaving
great gaps of silence, chasms of oblivion, where
he deems nothing worthy of record; that he has
his own grammar, using all the nice distinctions
of conjugation and declension, voice and mood,
tense and person, gender and number, with
discrimination and design. In a word, everything
about God and His methods shows that he lives on
a different plane from man [angels or any other
creature] and cannot be either restricted to
[their] notions or judged by [their] standards”
(World’s Guide To Understanding The
Bible).
Because of
belief in him, “Thy faith hath save thee: go in
peace” (Lk 7:50).
YOUR
SALVATION BRINGS PEACE
The
prophet Isaiah said, “The work of righteousness
shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness
quietness and assurance forever” (Isa
32:17).
Have
you ever done a good deed and you felt such
warmth, contentment and peace flooding your
soul? This is the same experience that is
promised to every born again believer even when
a good deed is not done. By faith in Jesus
Christ you have become righteous (Rom 3:22, Heb
10:14, Php 3:9). In other words, God has wrought
a righteous work in you. And according to
Isaiah, this work of righteousness must bring
peace. You can’t have righteousness and have no
peace; you can’t be born again and lack
peace!
Because, “the
Lord of peace himself give you peace always by
all means” (2 Thess. 3:16). “By all means”
suggest that by any means necessary God will
make sure that you have peace. That’s why the
psalmist David said, “Mark the perfect man, and
behold the upright for the end of that man is
peace” (Psalms 37:37). In other words, look at
him, identify him, seek him out and check how he
flexes; notice that a righteous man is
characterized by great peace, he might even seem
careless because he is carefree. Or as the
revelator puts it, “they loved not their lives
unto the death” (Rev 12:11)! The congregation
and Pastor might call him mad, his mother and
relatives might spread the same lie and he
himself will wonder why he’s not gone crazy with
all this persecution. It’s because this peace is
given. You can’t work for it, buy it or borrow
it, it just is!
What
inspired me to write this letter is the Holy
Spirit, especially brought on by some spiritual
happenings this week in my life. I was so taken
aback that I stopped and asked God, “Why is it
I’m not afraid, though the very lions are beside
me with open mouth? How can I praise you or
repay you for this? I don’t understand how so
much is thrown my way and I’m not the least bit
uneasy? Why is it I could careless about my
enemies or even dying? I don’t understand this,
why am I so still regardless of…? I don’t know
how to praise you for this, what can I do to
make up for this?”
The
Lord reminded me of a few scriptures but
especially this one and the “I” was emphasized
while whispering it, “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” (John
14:27).
He is
the one who gives peace, not you or anything
else; it’s an unmerited favor. Even further,
it’s not as the world gives it. In other words,
the world says that you must have a car, house,
family and a large bank account to be at peace.
The world says that unless your congregation is
in the 1000’s and your ministry is
internationally renowned you can’t have peace.
The world says that if you’re not in my crowd,
wear certain clothing, eat certain places,
associate with certain people and possess
certain things you can’t have peace. The devil
is a liar! If I have nothing and have Jesus, I
have more peace than those who have everything
but lack Jesus. When a baby is crying, you give
it what it wants to pacify it. That’s the
world’s way. But God is saying, you who are
crying and have no peace, I’m not going to give
you that big bank account, that fancy car, that
large expensive house and television ministry,
BUT I SHALL BE YOU PEACE!
IN
PROPHECY
Most
Jews that I have spoken to about Jesus Christ
have often refuted him as being the Messiah
because they said that the Messiah would come
and bring peace to the earth; of which they
claim Jesus never did. I’m glad God allowed me
last year to read the Bible through thoroughly,
because all prophecies pointing to the Messiah
and Peace wasn’t speaking of an immediate world
peace, where the wicked will be at peace in the
same place with the righteous. No! He wasn’t
talking of all nations laying down their
weapons. No! He actually made it plain in the
scriptures that he will be that peace! Besides,
for world peace to be attained, the individuals
of each country have to first possess this peace
within. He said prophetically,
“And
he shall stand and feed in the strength of the
LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his
God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be
great unto the ends of the earth. And this man
shall be the peace…” (Micah 5:4-5).
Jesus
sanctioned and verified the prophecy when he
said unto his disciples, “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” (John
14:27).
No
other man on the face of the planet has ever
done that and will never be able to do that. He
alone can give peace as no other. In the first
letter of January I said that last year I was
striped away of everything I held precious to me
and things I possessed. Somehow I still can’t
comprehend how I calmed down and was filled with
peace beyond measure. Things like these make me
know that I’m saved! Jesus is that peace and
he’s offering it to you now and in the future
when it will be in abundance,
“Fret
not thyself because of evildoers, neither be
thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD,
and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land,
and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself
also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the
desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the
LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it
to pass. And he shall bring forth thy
righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as
the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait
patiently for him: fret not thyself because of
him who prospereth in his way, because of the
man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease
from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself
in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be
cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they
shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while,
and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt
diligently consider his place, and it shall not
be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and
shall delight themselves in the abundance of
peace” (Psalms 37:1-11).
Grace be
unto you,
Oneil.
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