“Where can peace be found? All I want is peace!” No doubt, this is the cry of many hearts in this day and age. With all the clamor of the day’s troubles and unrest amidst mass shootings, weather disasters, food recalls, job layoffs, pestilences, scandals, etc., peace is what we all want.
Achieving a level of peace where there is no worry for what each day may bring is available to those of us willing to humble ourselves to accept the solution. He is described in the Bible as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). His peace is not like the peace we find in this world. His is a supernatural peace that far surpasses what we can manufacture.
God’s peace is one fruit of the Holy Spirit freely given to men to enjoy. We know peace on earth to be freedom from disturbance or calmness. However, God’s supernatural peace provides this calm even in the presence of disturbance or trouble.
We who accept and love the Son of God, Jesus Christ, have peace with the Father, God. This peace was declared in Luke 2:14, “… on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Then when Jesus left the earth for heaven, He stated, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
Therefore, we can put our confidence in the fact that, per Philippians 4:6-7, if we determine not to be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God; the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
We should ask ourselves if we truly have the peace we desire in our lives. If not, we should simply ask the Lord for it. We should study our bibles to remind ourselves of His promises regarding peace as well as be aware of those things that rob us of it. We should be watchful as our enemy loves to lie, manipulate, and cause stress at every turn of our stories’ pages.
So we must seek and allow the Lord’s authorship of our stories, freely relinquishing all to His care, trusting Him to fulfill His promise of peace to us. His ways most certainly won’t fully be our ways, as His kingdom is not of this world. However, we can even ask for help with this, that we would trust His ways for us are just and secure though we may not always understand them.
Though I am grateful for all of the ways the Lord continues to provide financial abundance to His people, I’m reminded to embrace His perspective on the value of money. Almighty God who has all power and authority understands well what’s most important as relates to resources for His children. He has promised throughout the Bible to take good care of His own and encourages us not to worry about things such as what we’ll eat or wear.
Knowing who God is as much as we are able, should help us to feel a great measure of confidence in His care for us, as His children. He knows our propensity towards greed and misunderstanding of what is most important in our lives. As such, He tells us in Matthew 6:19-24 not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where those things can’t reach them.
He also tells us that where our treasure is, our heart will be also. So one thing we can gather from this is our focus will be on where we’ve placed our treasure. Is it on heaven or earth?
The Lord goes on in this passage to remind us of the importance of our eyes as they are the lamp to our bodies and their health will determine the health of our body. How and what are we seeing: darkness or light? Are we discerning who we are actually valuing most: money or God? I have to ask myself this question often. We’re reminded we can’t serve both (which I’ve sometimes been inclined to wonder why not?) God answers we will be devoted to one over the other. If we have two masters, one will get more attention than the other. One will be loved more than the other. Same with God and money.
I asked God what it actually means to serve money, and He immediately led me to Luke 12:21: “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” This was the result of the parable of the rich fool in Luke 21, who had such an abundant harvest thought, that he had no place to store his crops. So, after reaching a great increase, he’d tear down barns he had, build larger ones, then after years of great increase relax, eat, drink, and be merry–yet only to die unexpectedly.
So, it is to our advantage to remember that “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” It may not be held as the most popular wisdom of today, but Jesus warned us in Luke 12:15, to “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Thankfully, God has also provided wisdom in his word about saving money and how one should give:
“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” (Proverbs 13:11)
“Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up…” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)
“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.” (2 Corinthians 8:12-13)
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
Though people within and outside the Body of Christ have debated long, with scriptures, over the paying of tithes today, we see that God has a great love for His church and we should be willing to support it.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (Malachi 3:10)
““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”(Mark 12:41-44)
Another observation I’ve made in scripture regarding giving is God’s strong passion for poor people:
“Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14)
Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31)
The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)
Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. (Proverbs 28:27)
In any event, God has given us many teachings on money and perhaps one of my favorite verses on it is, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) This means we’re set and don’t really have a care in the world. The Creator of heaven and earth is with us. We simply have to believe it!
Now I must mention that in this day and age, as was in the past, there are many charlatans, false prophets, and wolves in sheep’s clothing who use methods of intimidation, manipulation, and deception to steal from God’s people. However, again, remembering who is with us, listening to the Holy Spirit’s voice, and availing ourselves of God’s wisdom and knowledge through prayer and Bible study, will keep us in the way of truth.
In this, I’m also reminded of Matthew 23:1-3: “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” Reading this, it may be that we have some questionable leaders sitting in Moses’ seat in our churches. However, even when giving to God via those who may be hypocrites, as we receive the authentic word of God’s Bible from them, He will reward our actions of obedience.
In our giving we can rest assured that according to 2 Corinthians 9:10-11, “…he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
Our aim is a simple instruction in Luke 6:38: “Give and it will be given unto you pressed down shaken together and running over will men give unto your bosom.”
To all of this, my reply would be, Lord, “turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” (Psalm 119:36)
Do you know that you are an overcomer? As one who believes and abides in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, you are! You overcome the annoying trouble and evil of these last days because of the greater one who lives inside of you. That’s something to praise the Lord about! Give glory to God, though the weapons may form, they won’t prosper against us!
The Greek definition of overcome in Strong’s Concordance is to conquer, prevail–nikao/nike– “victory”, properly, conquer; to carry off the victory, come off victorious. Merriam-Webster’s definition: to get the better of: surmount; overwhelm; to gain the superiority: win.
The Lord is faithful to give us examples of this word–overcome–in the Bible, and I’ve highlighted a few that I find especially important to remember.
In Matthew 16:18, we find God’s message to his disciple, Peter, after he declares Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” It shows the foundation upon whom the Lord would build His church and the power of its existence; that even Hades itself would not be able to defeat it.
Another occurrence is when Jesus speaks to his disciples in preparing them for events that were to come, relating to his departure from the earth, as He was soon to return to His Father in heaven: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)
Jesus wanted to encourage His beloved people with the fact that, though he would be leaving, he’d send an Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, and though they’d experience grief, it would be turned to joy. Also, they would be able to ask the Father, in Jesus’ name, for whatever they desired and they would receive it.
Though the author never revealed himself by name, it is believed that the book of 1 John was written by the apostle John who wrote in 1 John 2:13, “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.” John, in this event, is describing his reasons for writing them and addresses loving other believers, not loving the world, or denying Jesus, and sin.
In 1 John 4:4, the apostle referred to the spirit of the antichrist which was coming and even then was already in the world. In this passage, John taught the believers how to recognize the Spirit of God and how to recognize false prophets. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
1 John 5:4-5, shows us that “.. everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” These verses are pretty clear about who overcomes the world. So if we’ve accepted Jesus as the Son of God and have become born again, acknowledging Him as our Lord, what does that make us?
In light of what God has already done by sacrificing His Son as the atonement for our sins, and having grafted us into His wonderful family, how do we practically overcome these evil and last days upon the earth? The answer may not appear as one would immediately think, as perhaps war and revenge might surface first. However, Romans 12:21 tells us “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” But how?
Romans 12: 9-20 gives us an interesting view of overcoming:
Love sincerely.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, the Lord will repay.
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If your enemy is thirsty, give him something to drink.
I’m reminded of an event in the Old Testament that speaks of overcoming when feeling inadequate because of the perceived lack of the tools to succeed; an awesome revelation of God’s purpose, plan, and outcome to a young prophet, Jeremiah. “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:19)
This was a portion of the Lord’s word to Jeremiah beginning with the Lord stating how before He had formed him in his mother’s womb, He knew him and set him apart. The Lord’s reply to Jeremiah’s concern of not knowing “how to speak” and being “too young” was that He had appointed him, told him of what was to come, to get ready, to say whatever he would give him to say, and not to be afraid. Surely, we all can note lessons from this word.
Further, we have the benefit of overcoming in Revelation 3:4-5: “… They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life[sic], but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” Then, in Revelation 3:21: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Moreover, Revelation 12:10 speaks of “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, and has been hurled down.” Then Revelation 12:11 says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Some Bible translations use the word “overcame” versus “triumphed”.
In any event, authentic believers are overcomers; which brings to mind the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:20-21: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
As we experience the events of our present and future times, let’s hold close to our hearts Hebrews 12:1-3, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Photo:Associated Press and EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer
It’s absolutely fascinating what God has provided for those who love Him. I wonder how anyone would not want a relationship with Him. Sometimes, I just want to count our blessings.
So graciously, our Father has given us:
Jesus Christ–His Son, the atoning sacrifice for our sins, who is the Lamb of God, yet King of kings and Lord of lords. He is also wonderfully known as Immanuel (God with us), Prince of Peace, Savior, Our Good Shepherd, Redeemer, the Bread of Life, and Light of the World, among other names. He’s provided forgiveness for our sins, with the ability of repentance and sanctification, along with new mercies, daily. He’s our ever-present help in times of trouble.
The Holy Spirit–the power of Himself living within us to be witnesses for Christ, and to live a holy life before the Lord. He’s our Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, and Spirit of Truth among other blessings. He’s the presence of God within us; providing His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Also, He’s our security in knowing He’s resident inside of us, and sees, hears, and faithfully assists us toward His will for our lives. Furthermore, He’s made available His presence for experiencing the joys of protection, prayer, counsel, companionship, and abundant compassion and mercy.
Eternal Life–now and forever, as our spirits, and later our transformed bodies, live with Him for eternity, never to experience death again.
Bible Promises–the Old and New Testament scriptural guarantees and covenants as blessings and warnings to help us live successfully for Christ.
A Heavenly Home–the loving care of living luxuriously forever in the Kingdom of Heaven, a home of unimaginable pleasure, and total freedom from all evil, sickness, and pain, with God and other families of believers from the beginning of time.
A New Heaven and New Earth–a new planet, still called Earth, and a new dwelling called Heaven, that our God will create for His and our enjoyment. And we think the old are spectacular!
TheExperience of Glorious Events–adventures of awesome glory that include the catching up of God’s people to live with Him, the return of Jesus to the earth to battle evil, and the Millennial Kingdom.
These are just a few blessings I’ve mentioned. Are there any others you can count?
Ever think about who or what we as individuals represent? Thankfully, the Bible tells us that believers are ambassadors for Christ, beloved children, a chosen race and royal priesthood, and God’s workmanship among other things. (2 Corinthians 5:20, Ephesians 5:1, 1 Peter 2:9, Ephesians 2:10).
However, sometimes, in our attempts to live as faithful Christians, we struggle with the battle between flesh and spirit, desiring to do what is good, but not carrying it out. Yet God is faithful to walk with us and counsel us as we represent Him effectively on the earth.
It’s important to note that the Bible tells us that 1 John 2 was written so that we will not sin, “but if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father–Jesus Christ, the Righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.“
So, as Christ’s representatives, loving is important, and understanding what it means to love is critical. The truth is seen in Christ and us: loving one another and living in the light, versus hating one another and living in darkness. Further, His Bible tells us the word of God lives in us and we have overcome the evil one! Now, our message as ambassadors or representatives of Christ is “Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20/NIV).
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19/NIV)
In addition, where there’s no place like home, as representatives of Christ:
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:18/NLT)
“Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.” (Colossians 3:19/NLT)
“Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20/NLT)
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17/NLT)
Embracing 1 Peter 2 of the Bible can be a tough pill to swallow, yet it is forever necessary. Perhaps the hardest action within it is submitting to every human authority, not only the good and considerate, but those who are harsh. The Bible is very clear on this instruction in 1 Peter 2:13 and 18. Moreover, this behavior is deemed in the Bible as “for the Lord’s sake” and shows a “reverential fear” of God.
This passage of 1 Peter 2, starting at verse 11, urges us to abstain from sinful desires, and to live good lives so that people will see our good works that glorify God even though we might be accused of doing wrong. We’re told that in doing good, we silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Also, it’s comforting to know that, the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:16 that we are to live as free people, but not to use that freedom to cover evil. Our aim should be to live fully submitted to God.
In addition, we’re encouraged to show “proper” respect for everyone. This entails: loving our family of believers, fearing or reverencing God, and honoring the “Emperor,” or for us today, the head of government. Further, we are shown in verse 20 that it is commendable before God if we suffer for doing good and endure it. And we all know that Christ modeled suffering well for us, that we might do the same.
Moreover, “He committed no sin and no deceit was found in His mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22) We are now encouraged to even love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use and persecute us (Matthew 5:43–44).
Furthermore, the Bible reminds us that when people cast insults at Jesus, he didn’t retaliate, and when he suffered, he didn’t make threats. Who doesn’t know this to be a major temptation to threaten someone who is harassing you? It does indeed take a dying to self to act as the Lord did when encountering offenders or submitting to someone in authority who may be rude and prideful. Yet it may offer some solace to know the Bible tells us in Matthew 18:15-17 how to handle an offense among spiritual family:
““If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
Well, we know how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors–with grace and truth–remembering when, in one passage (Luke 3:12-13), we see Jesus instructing two tax collectors who came to be baptized, not to collect more money than was required. Also, in Matthew 9:9-13, we see Jesus choose Matthew, a tax collector seated at his booth, to follow Him as one in the first group of his disciples. So we still see the Lord offering a gracious chance for a relationship.
Further, we are reminded of God’s grace toward us in Romans 11:17, “And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.”
Also, Romans 13 gives us a very clear view of the authorities that God has established and how we are to relate to them. We are told that there is no authority except that which God has established and those that exist were established by Him. As a result, if we rebel against them, we rebel against what God has instituted and bring consequences on ourselves. So, when all is said and done, we are given the freedom to decide if we will include God’s Holy Spirit and His principles in our choices.
In his mercy and wisdom, God allows us the ability to make choices in employment, homes (buildings, cities, states, countries), schools, spouses, churches, purchases, etc., and with those choices, the responsibility to submit to the authorities ruling those areas, thereby choosing our officials.
When there is error or negligence in those choices we’ve made, there is God-given wisdom available through the Bible, wise counsel, and prayer on how to rectify those situations. Sometimes the remedies may include separation or staying and making adjustments. Nevertheless, our actions should be in a spirit of honor and respect for God’s word in keeping the right attitudes and representing Him well. Though imperfect, we are not without hope or help.
Hence, all of these things assist us when contemplating the obedience required in submitting to those in authority over us. Thankfully, we can look to our Lord for help in carrying out his instructions remembering “He bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24-25) We’ve been healed by his wounds so that though we were once going astray, we’ve now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
Now, submission is for all of us as Ephesians 5:21 tells us, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” So, though it may be very difficult at times to follow Christ’s example of submission, we can do it. Let’s help each other through it!
On this National Day of Prayer, I’m reminded of an event in the Bible in Luke 11:1-4/KJV where the Lord responded to his disciples when they asked him to teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples. The Lord gave them a simple prayer that encompasses everything we need today. He started by telling them that when they prayed they were to say:
Our Father which art in heaven, We can now pray to the Father in the place He resides, which the Bible tells us is Heaven, though Jesus also lives in us. “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high…” (Psalm 113:5/KJV)Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?(2 Corinthians 13:5)
Hallowed be thy name. The Lord’s name is holy, consecrated; set apart “Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you,” (Leviticus 22:32/KJV)
Thy kingdom come. The Lord introduces His kingdom to his disciples as well as the blessings that come with it. “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke 10:9/KJV)
Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. The Lord desires His will to be done where we live as where He lives. This can happen by renewing our minds via the Bible, thereby forgoing the ways of the world, which results in change. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2/KJV)
Give us day by day our daily bread. As our heavenly Father, God can be trusted to supply all of our needs. He created the earth and everything in it. He is omnipotent; all-powerful. This is easy for Him. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19/KJV)
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.
God is merciful and gracious to forgive our sins, but He does require that we forgive others when we’ve been offended. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15/KJV)
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. We can rely on God to order our steps and deliver us from every form of evil. “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18/KJV) “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13/KJV)
Many other factual words of encouragement can be given to uphold these verses in the Lord’s teaching on prayer. However, I’ve only provided a few in my minutes of sharing with you. Nevertheless, I’d like us to remember the following words when our needs or the needs of others come to mind:
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14-15/KJV) “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Luke 11:9/KJV) “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:24/KJV) “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11/KJV)
Today I wanted to start my prayer time by reading aloud from the Bible’s book of Psalms as a prayer of my own. I arrived at one of David’s prayers and could not continue because it sounded so much like a curse against his enemies. Nevertheless, I understood his emotions having read all he had experienced from his adversaries in life. However, now we live in a new era after Jesus’ death and resurrection. We have been given a new commandment; a new edict, order, or rule: “Love one another.” (John 13:34) Moreover, this also includes loving our enemies as is taught by Jesus in Luke 6:27.
Interestingly, Jesus indicates it’s no big deal to love those who love us, and for most, if not all of us, even this is a difficult task. Yet the real demonstration of God’s love is loving our enemies (Luke 6:32-34). After all, this is what God does regularly showing His mercy and grace to everyone, though society sometimes represents this action as weak and wimpy behavior.
It’s actually scary to me sometimes, the thought of loving someone who may verbally or even physically abuse me. Yet God has ways unlike our ways and knows what is beneficial and wise for us in our responses to evil. We live to please Him. The Bible says to do good to them and lend to them without expecting anything in return. We are told to be kind and merciful to them (Luke 6:35-36). He tells us to bless and not to curse them and to pray for those who mistreat us. He even tells us if someone slaps us on one cheek, to turn to them the other also, and If someone takes our coat, to not withhold our shirt from them (Luke 6:28-29). Now mastering these incredible feats really gets our Father’s attention and we will be rewarded by Him.
Nevertheless, I’m convinced that it is impossible to consistently love everyone without the help of the Holy Spirit. He’s the only person who can infuse us with the power to truly love someone who hates, hurts, and harasses us. Yet He doesn’t require us to repay them with like behavior. He is God and knows every unique fiber of their being and doing. So it is only God’s right and authority to handle them accordingly. Thankfully, God is love (1 John 4:8)!
May God give us the strength and courage to love everyone, including our enemies. Despite what society, and even some of our own brothers and sisters, teach us about self-preservation, we are commanded by God to live and respond differently–biblically. As a parent with children or a teacher with students, we may not always enjoy some methods of loving when we aren’t hearing or receiving exactly what we want at the time. Nevertheless, love in its many expressions, is an amazing blessing.
A Christian’s journey is a life of submission to a king and kingdom unlike any we’ve ever known. One that is not worldly, but where love is the chief commandment for living a holy and righteous life. In it, our aim is to do no wrong to a neighbor, even if he’s an enemy. By this we glorify the Father, acting like our Dad.
To me, in some ways, it just makes life easier; love them all! No need to pick and choose who gets the love. Though costly, God repays. Our enemies’ evil issues are not ours to transform. We can only say and do what God says. However, we leave it to God to change hearts in His highest sovereignty and wisdom, while we continue in prayer and obedience as an authentic follower of Christ. As we fellowship with our Father who is love, may we mature in expressing His kind of love to others.
What does it mean to be different? What does it mean to be set apart? Being different is described as being dissimilar, distinct, unlike, or separate. As God’s holy people, His set-apart ones, we carry the spiritual presence of our Father wherever we go. Though every word and action may not have reached the full level of perfection, there is a noticeable difference between ourselves, patterning our lives based on God’s standards, versus the world’s or society’s trends and human methods or desires of thinking. As we recognize humans are flawed in many aspects, we remain as such in our thinking, without the influence of our Creator who is all-knowing, everywhere, and all-powerful.
Thankfully, God has provided statutes, commandments, declarations, and attitudes based on heavenly principles that far differ from those of this world’s system. For example, God tells us in Matthew 5: 43-45, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ‘ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Yet the world encourages us to hit back if we are hit. Also, God tells us in Luke 6:38 to “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Nevertheless, the world elevates getting money–more and more–even if you have to step on others to do so.
If we live within a system that functions differently from God’s kingdom, we can expect to be ridiculed, mocked, misunderstood, and even slandered or bullied, much like the children who appear to be weird or odd compared to their classmates. Yet interestingly, if we find the world and those who love it, adore us, we might need to self-reflect to see if we’ve actually become just like them.
Jesus already told us in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. …” He also told us in John 15:20, ” ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” Hence, we are faced with the choice of faith in the Way, Jesus Christ of the Bible, or human logic, philosophy, and reason. This entails God’s way of faith–believing without seeing, over human understanding–God’s Kingdom over our worldly culture.
We as believers have found in Jesus a new and better way of living differently based on life in the spirit, versus life based solely on our own wants and needs. For this, we need God’s Holy Spirit active within us, alive and active in our everyday lives, His word, the Bible, strong in our thinking and doing.
1 Corinthians 2:13-16 shows us how amazing it is to think like Christ. “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
As a result, we are different in what we believe, say, and do. With gratefulness, we have the freedom or right in this country to share our beliefs and to invite whoever we may to experience our way of worship and love. We are free to share the promises, gifts, and warnings the Lord has provided us for living the godly and abundant life the Lord has given us, remembering, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” ( John 10:10) Hence, he works with us to take part in this endeavor, by sharing with others.
So we aren’t afraid to be different or uncommon, unusual or rare. It is with us as it was with Jesus when He walked the earth. At least that is how we aim for it to be. “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:5-6) “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)
We recognize it is not by our own power or strength, but by God’s Spirit, that we can live life healthy and holy before Him. Moreover, God, in His Bible, makes it crystal clear, what is right and what is wrong. No method of changing or deleting it will matter. He has clearly instructed us on how to behave and how not to behave and left us with gifts to the Church to edify and instruct us on living this different life. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
Thankfully, God sanctifies and works with us to accomplish what He’s created us to do in life. To sanctify means to consecrate, set apart, and declare holy. In this, we are made different. The world as a result will see us as different and hopefully want to join us–a very good thing!
There is much that has been said about the definition and role of a husband in a marriage. A woman’s husband is her lover, leader, provider, protector, and companion. Her role as a woman is to respect and submit to her husband in love. Not to mention, biblically, we are to submit to one another. Ephesians 5:21 tells us that we should submit ourselves to one another in reverence to Christ, right before verse 22 which tells wives to submit themselves to their own husbands. Therefore, it would be most wise for a woman to know the man she plans to marry possesses these qualities before she marries him. Though there is only a certain level of familiarity a Christian woman can have with a man to whom she isn’t married, there are signs that reveal these characteristics in his behavior during their friendship.
Moreover, God has provided the union of a man and woman to be fruitful and multiply humans on the earth. Yet some women and men have chosen not to marry or found themselves without a spouse for various reasons. When this is the case, we can place our faith in all those promises that God has given us regarding His commitment to take good care of us as a husband would. He gives us those responsibilities that are ours and His in having a successful marital relationship. The Bible is full of God’s wisdom on maintaining successful relationships whether between a man and woman, the Father and His own children, a worker and supervisor, relatives, or neighbors.
The Lord references a love and marital relationship with Him in the following verses:
Isaiah 54:5/ESV For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
Hosea 2:19/ESV And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
Hosea 2:16/ESV “And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’
Revelation 2:4-5/ESV But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 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 lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
1 Corinthians 11:2/ESV For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
I find these scriptures to be amazingly special in how He has redeemed us and made us worthy to be called His own spouse. To see one’s self as a wife to the creator of the universe is beyond pleasing to my imagination. It causes me to question if I really know what this means. This union with God is a truth stated in His scriptures to be taken seriously, but takes some consistent study and prayer to really understand and get it settled in one’s heart.
Should one desire to prepare for marriage, what better head start than to cultivate one’s marriage with God? Learning to show Him the love, honor, and respect He deserves, which also entails doing that toward others can sometimes feel like a lifelong journey to master, but by God’s grace, we can do it!
These things can’t be accomplished without gaining sufficient knowledge and familiarity with the Lord and His ways, as with anyone we might desire to marry. What do they value, or believe? What do they love or hate? How do they feel about us and how do they relate to us? What can we do to show love and respect toward them? All of these things take time and patience to garner.
Nevertheless, while seeing my Lord as my husband is a beautiful thing, I feel I relate more to being a princess or queen in my Father’s kingdom, a daughter of the Most High God, learning and growing in the victory He’s provided me; staying close to my Dad, knowing He’ll protect and provide for me forever.
So, if you have no earthly husband, understand that as a believer redeemed by the blood of Christ, you have a husband whose name is God among so many other names. In carrying out His role as Father, He is also a husband to us and we can depend upon Him to fulfill His role excellently in that manner. Further, Ephesians 2:6 tells us “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Hence, let’s be joyful in not only knowing the King but also seeing ourselves as married to Him.
Ms. Rita's Minute 