PROVISION of PEACE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Blessed are the peacemakers…Matthew 5:9

Despite the promised blessings, in our culture this is a lost art; peacemaking.  Media doesn’t practice it. Often our leaders don’t practice it.

Why?

It is not easy. But it should be.

You might say how can we…

Keep the peace when the pressures and pain of the past continue to creep into our present? Wouldn’t a good lash out work better?

Keep the peace when our culture rewards the snarky and vulgar even with someone just a few feet away?

Keep the peace when we have been hurt or when our enemies are levying their best shots?

But friends, bitterness and offense rob us of OUR PEACE and without it how are we to fulfil the request of our Master Jesus of being a peacemaker?

MLK Jr. said this,

“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation -- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.”

Dr King was right on the money.

We are to take the latter course in our responses to “less than peaceful” situations. 

We are to keep the peace. 

We are to levy the peace.

Jesus said, “pray for those who persecute you – Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

It can be transformative!

Yet often the question is, “How do I become a peace-maker and a peace keeper?”

By first recognizing that as FOLLOWERS of CHRIST we have been given the gift of PEACE from CHRIST HIMSELF!

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 (CEB)

And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds. Philippians 4:7 (ERV)

That means HIS PEACE is our peace my friends.

That means it is HIS PEACE that is ours to extend. 

HIS PEACE is now ours to distribute! 

We don’t have to manufacture it to share it!

We just need to EXERCISE IT!

Jesus has done the hard part!

Jesus modeled it.  Now that is our example to follow!

That is wonderful news!

Yet to do our part we must lay down our grievances and pettiness, so we CAN extend this great gift to others.

We must constantly remember that it is HIS peace that transcends our human minds and gives us the ability to BREATHE peace into situations and circumstances that would otherwise remain broken and tarnished in bitterness.  

For it is HIS peace that allows us to pray for those who persecute us and to “be at peace with all men” whenever possible as we are asked to do.

If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

- Romans 12:18 (AMP)

So, can be peace makers and keepers today?

YES!

It is possible thanks to Jesus.

Extend HIS peace today. 

JESUS will bless you!

He promised!

” Peace Isn’t The Destination, Peace Is The Way ”

 – Author Unknown

Love you all

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE

GREATNESS GRANTER

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ― Mark Twain

Are you an encourager, a GREATNESS granter?  Do you look for ways to positively impact the lives of others?  Do you strive to “believe the best” in people; seeking ways to lift them up?

Didn’t know if you knew this, but that is what Christians ARE CALLED do.

2 Corinthians 13:11, Hebrews 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:18 are a few little “encouragements to be encouragers”

Along with this one…

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)

Yet sadly, our culture would rather glorify the “put down”, the “Oh no he/she didn’t” and the criticism.  It’s more entertaining. Folks would rather throw rocks at someone rather than share THE ROCK with the hurting or down.

So today the message is to “encourage” the “encourager” in us.

I want all of us to ask God to help us to be more sensitive to the needs of others, to seek his wisdom to learn how to be better encouragers!

Sometimes it takes a listening ear—just showing we care by really listening to what one has to say. They might have a problem or an idea they are hesitant to move ahead with and by allowing them to unpack it might make the difference between success or continued perceived failure. 

Someone may be facing a unique challenge and just knowing that someone values them enough to listen and offer time can be an encouragement.

Perhaps they need a WORD, and nothing is more encouraging than a little dose of GOD’S WORD, shared from loving hearts and lips.

So, let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. - Romans 14:19 (MSG)

This journey is challenging enough for all of us and it sure doesn’t need the extra burden of criticism, jealousy and gossip adding weight and difficulty!

THEREFORE:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, fighting and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31(NIV)

INSTEAD

…think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

KNOWING

…an encouraging word cheers a person up. Proverbs 12:25 (NLT)

Have an ENCOURAGED weekend!

I love you all! 

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE

A GLIMPSE of HEAVEN

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,

    the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.

I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—

    the feeling of hitting the bottom.

But there’s one other thing I remember,

    and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,

    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.

They’re created new every morning.

    How great your faithfulness!

I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).

    He’s all I’ve got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,

    to the woman who diligently seeks.

It’s a good thing to quietly hope,

    quietly hope for help from God.

It’s a good thing when you’re young

    to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,

    go off by yourself. Enter the silence.

Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:

    Wait for hope to appear.

Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.

    The “worst” is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won’t ever

    walk out and fail to return.

If he works severely, he also works tenderly.

    His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. – from Lamentations 3 (MSG)

In recent days I have leaned on this passage as a response to a couple of dear friends who are “in a bottom”.

Lucado once remarked that “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” 

And in my opinion that sometimes takes a little “CROSS-LIKE TIME”; a time when we “go through hell” to see heaven more clearly.

Go back and read the account of Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:54-60ish).  He too while going through a hellish time, a life-ending experience, was granted a glimpse of heaven and that made all the difference. 

GOD didn’t leave Him, rather He showed up in a powerful and inspiring way!

What I am saying today is sometimes we do go through some hellish times on this planet, but as the passage above CLEARLY states and as STEPHEN experienced, GOD’s LOYAL LOVE does not run out, it does not diminish in the face of the disaster. 

Rather HIS LOVE is THE HOPE, the glimpse, the assurance that on the other side of the pain is a purpose, that on the other side of the hurt is healing, that on the other side of the bottom is most assuredly a BLESSING (Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

I pray that you aren’t in the same boat as my friends or as a couple of others who learned of cancer this week or who are having to end life support for a loved one or that are facing severe sickness or the challenging journey of a little one’s progress after a difficult start. 

I pray that you are not.

But if you are, remember.

Mercy met you this morning.

God is faithful.

His stockpiles of love are immense.

Face the trouble.

Fix your eyes on heaven.

Don’t run from the challenge!

It won’t and can’t consume you.

Wait for HOPE!

It IS coming.

The Master hasn’t left.

“There is more safety with CHRIST in the TEMPEST than without CHRIST in the CALMEST of waters.” – Alexander Goose

I love you all! 

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE