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The Joy of Peace

THE JOY OF PEACE

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Do you tend to worry or feel stressed out a lot of the time, or live in a state of constant anxiety?  Well, I can definitely tell you, that when I was younger I had many stressful days and sleepless nights.  You see even though I was a Christian, and I prayed and read my Bible almost daily, I still worried when I felt like things were out of my control.

Over the years as I continued to spend time studying my Bible, and growing in the knowledge of God and His character, I truly came to realize that He can always be trusted no matter my circumstance.  As I look back over my past, I can clearly see that time after time, He came through for me, and usually in ways that far exceeded my expectation.

It is our human nature to want to be in control of our circumstances, but I am here to tell you, that we are not in control of anything at all. God runs the show, and He is the boss of you and me, and the sooner we realize that the more we can relax and live the peaceful life that He intended for us to live.

To live a life free of worry, stress, and anxiety, is to live a peaceful life, and the only way to have that life is to spend time with the Prince of Peace, God Himself.  He will give you peace in the midst of your storms, He will give you peace when the rest of this chaotic world is going crazy.

When you are wearing this peace that passes all understanding, others will know that God truly has imparted it to you.   They will notice that you go through life happy and joyful.  They will notice that you are smiling when most would be crying.   They will also notice that you don’t sweat the small stuff and rarely will anyone be able to rattle your cage because you are trusting God to work out your difficult situations.

The true joy of peace is being ok with whatever God’s will is for your life and knowing beyond a shatter of doubt that that His love for you, will only allow Him to do what is best for you at all times.  So continue spending time with the Prince of Peace and before you know it, you will be at peace.

Are you currently lacking peace in some area of your life right now?   Below I have listed some scriptures on the peace that are sure to bring you comfort.

John 16:33
33 “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.”
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast,   because they trust in you.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
1st Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.”
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 4: 8
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
Psalm 29:11
The Lord gives his people strength.  The Lord blesses them with peace.
2nd Thessalonians 3:16
16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
Isaiah 54:10 
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken  nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 9: 6
For a child is born to us,   a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.  And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[a] Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions,  he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

 

What Does It Mean To Live Holy

What Does It Mean To Live Holy

Recently my husband and I watched a video, regarding a new album that a famous recording artist has released.   This video was made by a Christian brother, who wanted to express his view, as to why Christians should not be supporting this type of music.  When he shared the lyrics that are on this new album, my husband and I were totally shocked at the level of vulgarity we were hearing.  It was absolutely appalling as well as disgusting.

 My heart broke first, for the artist who apparently, had no moral standards whatsoever.  My heart broke secondly, for our youth as well as adults, who will listen to this music and get caught up in the beat and may or may not even be listening to the offensive lyrics.  And thirdly, my heart broke for our society in general, and how far we have gotten away from what it means to live holy.

God’s heart has to be broken, as He looks down and sees this kind of thing.  After much thought about this, I decided maybe I should share straight from God’s word, what the Bible has to say about living holy.  You see how we live matters because we are ambassadors for Christ and we should hold this assignment as something sacred. 

What we watch and what we listen to matters.   How we dress and how we carry ourselves matters. 

This is a test that I encourage you t take.  When you are partaking in something that you don’t quite feel comfortable with, ask yourself if Jesus came back right now, would I want Him to see me like this?  If your answer is no, then more than likely what you are doing would not fall under the category of holy living.   Let’s commit to living in a way that God would be blessed and others would be influenced for good. When we live holy it allows God’s light to shine brighter in this dark sinful world.

Below I have listed the definition of holy as well as some scriptures that encourage us to live holy.

What does the word holy mean? According to the dictionary to be holy, is to be dedicated or consecrated to God, it means sacred.  A person dedicated to the service of God.   Will you choose to live holy today?

Holy Living

1st Peter 1:15-16
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy because I am holy.”[a]

Romans 12:1
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

2nd Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Romans 13:14
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[a]

Ephesians 4:1-3
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1st Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

2nd Corinthians 6:14-18
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”[b]
17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
 and I will receive you.”[c]
18 And,
“I will be a Father to you,
 and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”[d]

1st John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1st Peter 2:11
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.
James 3:10
10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
Romans 13:8-10Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Prayer + Praise = Power

Prayer + Praise = Power
Psalm 145[a]

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;   they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b]They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, 
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all;  he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts  and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,  and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises  and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The Lord upholds all who fall  and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,  and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,  to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Have you been waiting to see God’s power released, regarding something that you have been praying for?   When you want to see things shift in your life, start praising God.  I am talking about authentic, sincere praise for who He is, and not just for what you want.  God knows our hearts and he will certainly know what’s sincere and what is not.

Praise may not always change our circumstances, but it can certainly change how we view our circumstances.  Praise takes our focus off of ourselves, and our situations and it puts our focus back on God.  Through our time of praise we will be given the strength, to wait a bit longer and to trust God’s timing for right solutions to our problems.

Praise is like a medicine for our souls.  It calms us down and removes our anxieties, it restores our joy and it reminds us how sovereign and mighty our God is.  It also reminds us that He and He alone, is in control of everything and that our total dependency should be on Him.  When we exalt Him, He exalts us.

Don’t fret and don’t worry, just pray and praise.  Remember prayer plus praise equals power!

Here Are A Few Great Scriptures On Praise

God Is Our Praise

Deuteronomy 10:2
I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark.”
Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Give Praise To God

  Psalm 34:1
 I will extol the Lord at all times;  his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 147:1
Praise the Lord.[a]
How good it is to sing praises to our God,  
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
Hebrews 13:15
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Isaiah 25:1
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.
Psalm 150:1
Praise the Lord.[a] Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Psalm 100:1-5
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
  It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
 we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
 give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

A Thankful Heart Is A Heart That Praises God
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 105:1
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;  I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord.[a]Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;  his love endures forever.
Psalm 108:3
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;  I will sing of you among the peoples.
Psalm 92:1
It is good to praise the Lord  and make music to your name, O Most High,
Psalm 109:30  NLT
But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, praising him to everyone.

Praise Him Even In The Midst Of Trials
Acts 16:22-25
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.