I wish to encourage you in God’s peace. Often misunderstood, the peace of God is central to the Christian faith, with approximately 340 mentions in Scripture (ESV), peace is obviously important.

Peace is the one thing that most humans long for. Some think we can purchase it, we take holidays and buy property to accommodate it, we acquire countless possessions hoping they will stimulate it, we consume medication and attend counselling to induce it, yet it often eludes us. We evaluate relationships by its presence, or lack thereof. We change, rearrange, move and manipulate any and everything in life to get it, yet peace cannot be found in any of these things. Sometimes we go to extraordinary lengths attempting to convince ourselves and others that we have it, all the time our denial of its absence only increases the emptiness and lack of it.

God never asks us to be at peace with Him, rather, He wants to be at peace with us, so He made it possible. In our natural state, we enflame His righteous anger with our sin which violates His holiness (Isaiah 64:5-7). Our attempts to do righteous deeds are like a polluted garment to Him, meaning, we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This is where God stepped in, to do what we could not do, to make peace with God through the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15).

New Testament peace speaks of inner quietness and rest, where two are set at one again. Peace with God begins at the Cross because Christ himself is our peace… (Ephesians 2:14), making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:20). Putting our dependence in Jesus Christ, who took our place on the cross, meaning we have been justified (Acquitted of guilt) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Christ’s redemption (Payment of our sin debt), His reconciliation (Exchange of our sin for His righteousness), is activated within us by the indwelling Holy Spirit at the moment we believe in Christ for forgiveness – that’s Christ’s foundation for everlasting peace. God alone is the author of authentic peace which is supreme in its governing capacity, functioning at the soul level, permeating all spiritual and emotional layers of our hearts and minds, even impacting our bodies.

Philippians 4:6-7 details how we are able to experience daily peace in spite of circumstances. First, choose to not be anxious about anything. Secondly, we hand over everything in our lives, particularly those things which we are inclined to worry about, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving… letting ….your requests be known to God. Resulting in …the peace of God, the realisation of inner rest in oneness with the God you’ve just been praying to. This inner, spiritual calmness, which surpasses all understanding, will guard (be a sentinel to) your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God’s peace is relational, impacting everyone we rub shoulders with, as we strive for peace with everyone… (Hebrews 12:14), turn away from evil and do good; …seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11), …aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11),

Today, I pray you enjoy fulfilling God’s purpose, let the peace of Christ rule (umpire) in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15). Jesus comforting words spoken to the disciples remain true for us today; Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27), I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

Remember, God’s peace:

• Enables joy and empowers rejoicing
• Grants salvation’s assurance and convinces of eternal security
• Motivates prayer and grows confidence in the God who answers
• Develops trust that sees past the present circumstances
• Inspires loyalty, perseverance, and holiness
• Nurtures the desire to see life as God sees it
• Stretches faith for God’s glory and renown
• Sacrificially serves so that others can experience God’s peace also
• Grows a healthy discontentment with this world and it’s sin
• Longs to be with the peace giver – Come Lord Jesus!

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

 

I wish to encourage you in enjoying Jesus Christ this evening. It’s ironic how we Christians possess the greatest treasure in the universe, yet we can so quickly diminish our rejoicing because we have lost our joy of being “in Christ”.

For the believer, the Cross is the beginning and focal point of any and all joy. Repentance is the entrance into a life of joy in union with God, for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Once joy is established by the indwelling Holy Spirit, rejoicing becomes possible, because we …also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:11).

The born again child of God has reprioritised values. God gifted faith in the resurrected Christ enables us to acknowledge that though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory… (1 Peter 1:8-9). The Christ of Calvary is the pinnacle of joy for repentant sinners, and the centre piece of glory for God. This is why there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).

We have entrusted our lives, our souls, into the care of him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy… (Jude 1:24-25). For although we have all …sinned and fall short of the glory of God, we …are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith…(Romans 3:23-25). Our salvation is established in redemption, our acceptance before an appeased God is absolutely certain in Christ, and our destiny of eternal life is guaranteed in the Holy Spirit! Joy is the only sensible and God honouring response.

Resist the things that rob you of joy, look continuously to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith… (Hebrews 12:2). Train your thinking, renew your minds (Romans 12:1-2), centre your thoughts on Jesus often during your busy daily schedules, and joy will grow. See God in every event, and joy will become deeply imbedded in your character. Tell others of why you have joy and it becomes contagious. Praise God, speak well of Jesus Christ, and joy will be written all over your face.

Remember:

# Joy authenticates the reality of Christ to the unsaved world

# Joy over-shadows the pains and sorrows of hardship

# Joy strengthens relationships, particularly marriage

# Joy opens up opportunities to share the love and gospel of Christ with others

# Joy deepens the yearning for eternity and Christ’s return

# Joy is healthy for your body, mind, and soul.

# Joy elevates your spirit in heavenly pleasure while your feet are stuck on the earth.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).

 

I wish to encourage you in your expressions of thankfulness to God today. It’s so easy for our thanks to revolve around ourselves, instead, be thankful for those things which are God centred and Christ focused, things which would be appealing and satisfying only to God.

We get a glimpse of heaven in Revelation 4:8-9, where the four living creatures, …never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, …giving glory and honour and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever. The eternal voices of Heaven shall be preoccupied with worship. We believers in Christ start our eternal expression of worship and thanksgiving now, giving thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1Thessalonians 5:18). Just as there will be no moaners in heaven, none of us in Christ should be characterised by moaning now.

The apostle Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians 4:15 says that as God’s grace extends to more and more people resulting in salvation, the body of Christ will proportionately increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. We, the beloved in Christ, are the handiwork of Christ for the purpose of thankful glory to God, WHAT A PRIVILEGE!

Follow the example of Paul, who gave thanks to God always for you (each other) because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:4). Paul looked past personalities, he recognised the eternal significance of God’s grace at work in others, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints (Colossians 1:12).

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). This is a Holy Spirit transforming work within us, producing thanksgiving and glory that is squarely centred in God through Jesus Christ.

Today, we thank God:

• For souls saved through repentant faith in Jesus Christ as Lord
• For salvation, eternal forgiveness in Christ and the indwelling, sealing of the Holy Spirit
• For increased understanding and wisdom gained through God’s Word -The Bible
• For answered prayer, particularly those which were outside of our control or influence
• For the fruit of personal sanctification, especially when following personal character pruning
• For the hope of Heaven and Christ’s soon return to gather His bride, the church, to Himself – Come Lord Jesus!
• For the privilege of dispensing a little of God’s mercy into someone else’s life
• For each other

Above all else beloved, speak well of the Saviour today!!

 

I wish to encourage you in living out the selflessness of Jesus Christ. Most of us are familiar with the apostle Paul’s precise exhortation in Philippians 2:3. As those who have the Spirit of the resurrected Christ living within us, we should do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Obviously, we agree with Paul, and we’re stirred by the supreme example of Christ who emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, …he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death (Php 2:7-8), yet, in our humanness, we struggle to genuinely duplicate this wonderful trait.

Be assured, our Lord does not expect us to become something which He has not equipped us by His Holy Spirit to become. Obviously, He seeks our willing involvement in developing more of Christ into our characters. Remember, the mark of a true Christian, is their growing Christ likeness (2Co 3:18). Following are a few brief pointers which I pray will assist you:

• Do not allow memories of your old self, your old sinful character from before Christ became your Lord, to keep you repeating the same faults. Rather, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Php 3:13), we should commit our mind’s resources to becoming Christ like, particularly in regard to humble selflessness.
• Think often of …the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my (your) Lord (Php 3:8a). Remember that when you repented, you happily …suffered the loss of all things (all self-righteous efforts) and count them as rubbish, in order that I (you) may gain Christ (Php 3:8b)
• Remind yourself regularly, that the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit really does enable you to …know Christ and the power of his resurrection… (Php 3:10).
• Be careful that your heart does not deceive you (Jer 17:9) into using selflessness as a means of self-righteousness. Spiritual pride can be terribly seductive and appealing to our human senses.
• Resolve to …hold true to what we (you) have attained (Php 3:16). Set your determination to never step backwards spiritually. On those difficult days, accept that it’s OK to stand still, to stand your ground. But exercise all you dogmatic focus, all your stubbornness, on NOT turning backward.
• Focus your thoughts on your citizenship which is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Php 3:20). Our Saviour is coming to snatch you and I away from the struggle of this life. He shall take us to be with Himself, to be in our true spiritual home for all eternity.
• Reposition your friendships to enable yourself to join in imitating me (the apostle Paul), and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us (Php 3:17). Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1Co 15:33 NIV).
• Pray, pray, and pray.

Realise that Christ’s selflessness:

• Empowers you to serve others without expecting recognition
• Emboldens your desire to tell the unsaved of Christ
• Invigorates hope in God and Jesus Christ’s return
• Enables forgiveness without retribution
• Empowers desire for sanctification
• Ignites true Christ like love

 

I wish to encourage you to Pursue love… (1Co 14:1). As the apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthians, …faith, hope, and love abide… but the greatest of these is love (1Co 13:13). I was reminded today by my good friends Kevin and Cheryl Bartlett of the simplicity of stepping momentarily into someone else’s life and dispensing a few minutes of genuine, unassuming love on behalf of Christ.

You see, God’s love is applicable to every relationship you will ever encounter. While there are various characteristics and expressions of love, we can rest assured that …God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom 5:5), equipping us to administer His love.

As believers in Christ, it’s important to develop the discipline of daily giving thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love (which) endures forever (Psa 136:2). It’s important to keep yourselves in God’s love… waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life (Jude 1:21). While we wait for the Lord, pray that the Lord will predetermine the events of every day, allowing you specific opportunities to invest His love into someone else.

For the love of Christ controls us… (2Co 5:14) compelling us as ambassadors for Christ (2Co 5:20) in using our lives as instruments expressing His love:
– To pray for your enemies
– To comfort those in distress
– To forgive those who offend you
– To strengthen those feeling weak
– To correct those walking into sinful behaviour
– To uplift and encourage those struggling in weakened faith
– For those mourning a loss or enduring the inevitable certainty of losing someone precious
– For your spouse, your child, your parents, your siblings
– For a lost world

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:9-21).

Simply speak well of our Saviour tomorrow beloved.