Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts

Saturday, July 29, 2023

The Lord Is - - July 2023

 


    JEHOVAH QANNA
(pronounced yeh-ho-vaw' kan-naw')
        JEALOUS

Exodus 34:14
For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Hebrews 12:29
"For our God is a consuming fire."



TEHILLAH
(pronounced teh-hil-law')
MY PRAISE

Jeremiah 17:15
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for You are My Praise.

Deuteronomy 10:21
He is your Praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome wonders that your eyes have seen.






QADOSH
(pronounced kaw-doshe')
HOLY

Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One Who is high and lifted up, Who inhabits eternity, Whose Name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite."

    Eternity is a destination, a place; a destination to be sought and found. It is one of the places where God lives. As this verse tells us, God also inhabits--lives in, dwells with--the person who is contrite (repentant) and of a lowly spirit (humble, meek) that He may revive us (restore, give new life to). 
    HOLY IS THE LORD
Exodus 15:11
Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You--majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?
Isaiah 6:3
And they were calling out to one another: "Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory."
Revelation 4:8
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, Who was and Who is and Who is to come.”
1 Corinthians 3:17
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.


TSEMACH
(pronounced tseh'-makh)
BRANCH

Zechariah 3:8
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you, and your fellows that sit before you: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth My Servant The BRANCH.

Isaiah 4:2
On that day The Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel's survivors.
Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.


EIRENE
(pronounced i-ray'-nay)
PEACE

Ephesians 2:13,14
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ. For He Himself is our Peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility.

{From Strong's:1515 eirḗnē (from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole") – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness). }

Ephesians 2:15
by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace.
Colossians 1:19, 20
For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.













Friday, April 7, 2023

A Crucified Life - - Speaks For Itself

 

2 Corinthians 6:8
By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No.
Evil Report: defamation, reproach, ill-repute
From the Greek word 'dusphemia' (pronounced doos-fay-mee'-ah).
Good Report: commendation, praise
From the Greek word 'euphémia' (pronounced yoo-fay-mee'-ah).

    Slandered. Spoken ill of for speaking the Truth. To share the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ is to expect people to come against you. As they came against Christ who not only speaks Truth but is Himself Truth, how can we expect any less to happen to us as His faithful followers? 
Jesus Himself warned His disciples that as many came against Him for the Truth of the Word which He spake, people would also come against them, against us. 
>John 16:1-3
>John 15:18-20
>Proverbs 29:27
>Matthew 10:22
>Matthew 24:9
    Knowing that even the very mention of the Name of Christ could get a person killed, how does the kingdom of God keep growing? Grace.Joy. Peace. Rest. Forgiveness. Wisdom. Love. Hope. Mercy. Of God. In Christ. Through the Holy Spirit of God. 
>GRACE: Ephesians 2:8
>JOY: John 15:11
>PEACE: John 16:33
>REST: Matthew 11:28
>FORGIVENESS: Ephesians 1:7
>WISDOM: Proverbs 11:30
>LOVE: 1 John 4:16
>HOPE: Psalm 39:7
>MERCY: Titus 3:5
    All of these things Christ is to us who believe. All of these are in us and need to be displayed to everyone else by our words and our actions. The name is the reputation. Whose name are you defined by? The faithful follower of Christ is defined by Christ's Name and carries His reputation with them wherever they go. 
    Philippians 2:7, 8
But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
     As such He did, so, too, do we, His followers. We make ourselves of no reputation, and yet, we are known by many for who we are. As Christ is known, both loved and hated, we who love Him and follow in His steps, are both loved  and hated. Though we desire no reputation of our own, we are given two. We are only slightly known to this world. But in God's kingdom we are fully known.

Clean Hands - Lauren Alexandria
Better Than Life - Phil Wickham
Here's My Heart - I Am They
No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus - Steffany Gretzinger
Nothing Without You - United Pursuit
I Belong To Jesus - Paul, Hannah McClure
Give Us Clean Hands - Caedmon's Call
I Speak Jesus - Here Be Lions
Hands and Feet - Audio Adrenaline
Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective
Known - Tauren Wells
    

Monday, January 2, 2023

Guard Your Hearts - - Obtaining His Peace

 

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 
Peace of God: one, quietness, rest, peace of mind, to join together as a whole, God's gift of wholeness
From the Greek word 'eiréné' (pronounced  i-ray'-nay). 

    This Peace of God is only made possible when the born again believer is IN CHRIST. We know He is in us when we exercise our faith and believe in Him as our Lord and Savior. But we are In Christ when we are in The Word, when we live The Word and The Word lives and thrives in us. Do people see Jesus in you when they look in your direction? Has a total stranger come up to you and said, "You're a Christian. I can tell," without you ever having said a word? This has happened to me a few times. I am so very thankful that Christ is in me and I am in Christ. 

    To get the full gist of this verse we need to read the verse previous and the verse after:
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

    The psalmist wrote (Psalm 42:5), "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence." In Christ there is no reason to be downcast, to be sad, to be anxious. In Christ we have peace. The psalmist had hope as he reminded himself (and us). He had hope in God: in God's Word, in God's presence. 
FILL OUR MINDS CAREFULLY
    Be anxious for nothing, Paul writes to the church in Philippi. The church must have been suffering, going through hard times. For unknown reasons Paul was urged by the Spirit to encourage the church in Philippi to be "anxious for nothing". Don't worry, don't stress. Instead, bring your requests to God. He was reminding them to pray. And to pray diligently. 
    Paul also reminds the church to be careful of how they think; to think with intelligence and wisdom:
  • Whatever is True (don't harbor lies)
  • Whatever is Honorable (have integrity)
  • Whatever is Right (uncorrupted)
  • Whatever is Pure (no impure thoughts)
  • Whatever is Lovely (no unpleasant thoughts)
  • Whatever is Admirable (no shameful, despicable thoughts)
  • Excellent (not ugly, not crude, not detestable thoughts)
  • Praiseworthy (dishonorable, disrespectful thoughts)
    The opposite of all these positive ways to think is a distraction from how God wants us to think. How do we obtain God's peace? By reading God's Word. By praying God's Word. By living God's Word. By speaking God's Word. In other words, God's Word is essential to the church's, to the born again believer's way of life, which includes how we think. 
Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
    When we pray, we are to pray expecting. Expecting God to keep His promise: His Peace will guard our hearts. In Christ. The believer is in Christ through the power of God's Holy Spirit. And Christ is most definitely in the believer through the power of God's Holy Spirit. 
    What thoughts are more wonderful than thinking on God's Holy Word? What thoughts are more powerful than thinking on God's Holy Word? None. Once the Word of God is in us, it is up to us to keep it at the forefront of our thinking. 
    Waking up with thoughts of praise and worship are wonderful ways to greet our day. Keeping those thoughts there is the challenge. It is then that we call on God to guard our tongues, as well. To keep us near Him and speak only what He wants us to speak, that our words be gentle, kind and loving. The frustrated heart should keep the tongue silent. 
GOD IS JUDGE
    The church is living an age when all the forces of evil are again coming against it. The only secure refuge is in God. Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass." And again, in Psalm 37:1, 8 1. "Do not fret over doers of evil; do not envy those who do wrong." 8. Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret--it can only bring harm."
    In other words, let God handle the wrong that is being done to the church and in the church. Be aware now that God will accomplish His purpose in the church first before He moves onto they who come against her. So we need to be "strong in the LORD and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10). His strength and His power is, after all, part of our uniform, so to speak, part of our soldiers of Christ gear. 
    Acts 17:31 "For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” 
     Christ will judge the thoughts of mankind, too. Which is why The Word warns us against thinking bad thoughts, unkind thoughts, unloving thoughts. When we love like Christ ("love one another as I have loved you" [John 13:34]), it is impossible to have ugly thoughts roaming our mind. 
    When we live In Christ, we live in the Love of Christ. We are His temple, His residence. Our bodies are in His body, His service. It is our job to keep the temple clean. 
    We sweep away the cobwebs of thoughtlessness and think with purpose, a higher purpose. We wash the floors of dirt and grime (impurities) and walk in The Word that is in us. We scrub the walls of our minds and brush off the years of thinking outside The Word, that thinking on The Word of God will be etched and embedded within us. We make room for The Word of God when we, first, ask Him into our hearts, and second, read and study His Word faithfully. 
KNOW GOD, KNOW PEACE
    God's Word must be in us in order for us to think wonderful thoughts that His Peace would be able to guard our hearts and our minds. Let us come into His presence with humble hearts, ask and receive His forgiveness for our arrogance in thinking we can do it all by ourselves. We can't do anything on our own. We need to be faithful in our prayer times, even as His Word says, "Pray without ceasing." 
    If we are in constant communication with our God, then we know that we have this Peace. Why wait until you're at the end of your rope to reach out to God, to cry out to God, when you can talk to God before you ever touch the rope? Ephesians 2:12 "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."

LET US PRAY by Steven Curtis Chapman

PERSON IN CHRIST  by Tenielle Neda

PERFECT PEACE by Bec Armour


HERO by Seph Schlueter


    

Saturday, December 3, 2022

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Angelic Announcement


 Luke 2:13, 14
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 
Angel: messenger, delegate
From the Greek word 'aggelos' (pronounced ang'-el-os). Spiritual beings created by God to serve His plan, convey His messages to people. They are servants and attendants of the Most High God. 
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 134 and 136
Praise: praise, laudatory discourse
From the Greek word 'ainos' (pronounced ah'-ee-nos).

To laud is to:
1. To praise, honor, or exalt in words or song.
2. To praise in words alone, or with words and singing; to celebrate; to extol.
3. Laud is from the Hebrew word 'shabach', which means 'shout'. 

Romans 15:11
And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 
Psalm 98:4
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Such a wondrous birth needed a wondrous choral announcement. "The Lord is Here! Shout praise! Sing of the glories of God! that such an unusual event is taking place! Come and See! Come and Worship! Your King is born!"

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST
Glory, Honor, Renown, The Unspoken Manifestation of God, Splendor, His Infinite, Intrinsic Worth (Substance, Essence)
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all.
Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
AND ON EARTH PEACE
God's Gift of Wholeness, One, Quietness, Rest, When All Essential Parts Are Joined Together
John 16:33
Psalm 85:8-11
8. I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.
9. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.
10. Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together; righteousness and peace have kissed.
11. Faithfulness sprouts from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN

In Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2107, the two-word phrase "good will" reads as "God's good pleasure requires something is done through His work of inbirthing faith. Good or beneficial to men (meaning all of mankind, including women; for the Word is not just for some but for All). 
Kindly intent, Delight. 

Ephesians 1:9, 10
9. And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
10. as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

PROCLAMATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
Psalm 111:1
Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
Psalm 118:26
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
Luke 
Luke 19:38
"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Luke 10:36
He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
John 12:13
They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: "Hosanna!" "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"


Have you heard the good news? A Savior has been born! He saves us from our sins, from all our unrighteousness. He saves us from death and the grave and hell. For this purpose God sent His Son to this dark earth: to reveal the Light of God's Holy Love to all men everywhere. 
Can you see His Light? Rejoice that Jesus is here! SHOUT to the LORD all you people! Truly we sing, with the heavenly host, and all the people who have gone before us, "GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!" 
Our hearts ring out with JOY. The cry of our hearts is, LORD SAVE US! and He does. Have you cried out in the night for God to come near? He's right there. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Sweet, sweet Name of Jesus. Hold me in Your arms that I might not wander from You. 
Let's walk this last little bit of our journey together, hand in hand, side by side. 






 

Thursday, April 8, 2021

A Different Peace

 

 

John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid."

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Even now this world calls for peace. But beware. One will come who will declare peace and delude people into thinking he has created peace. But it will be a false peace. 

There is only one peace that will last for ever and that Peace is the Peace of God. Him who declares that the Prince of Peace is Jesus Christ has sent us His Peace to save our souls. Not only that but He has sent us His Holy Spirit to sanctify us and make us holy that we may for ever live in the presence of God. That's peace.

That's a peace that passes understanding and can only be obtained by faith in the name of the Son of God: Jesus Christ. 

Stand your guard, discipline yourself, watch and pray that we may be alert, ready. aware. 

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.



Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:17-18
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Peace. A much sought after product, but seldom found by today's diggers. What does it mean to be a peacemaker? They who promote peace, instead of war, instead of division. They who introduce peace by way of the gospel, instead of hate. 
To be a Peacemaker is to reflect the heart of God, for God is Peace. "But now is Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He Is our Peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us....For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Ephesians 2:13-14, 18
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Peacemakers are trouble-brokers, they settle disputes, disperse justice and judgment fairly. They disperse blessings on their attackers instead of vengeance: peacemakers do not  get even. Nor do they sue the wrongful, but leave everything in a situation in God's hands and let Him settle things, beginning with themselves. 
In this way, the Christian is recognized as a child of God. For only a true Christian, a true follower of Christ, will be proven by their actions and words of peace and blessing where none would be expected to be found. 1 Peter 2:8-9 "Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion on one another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing." 

Blessed are we who bless each other and are a blessing to each other, who show compassion and mercy fairly, with guileless hearts: for we shall be called the children of God. 


Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Real Peace

     There is a peace that passes all understanding. But we won't find it in philosophy. Aristotle can't give it. Ptolemy doesn't have it. Of the hundreds of philosophical ponderings throughout time, none can give that peace which passes understanding. 
     We won't find it in organized religion. Our denominations cannot give us peace that passes understanding. 
     Peace that passes understanding is not in our politicians or governments or even in our military status. Negotiations between countries gives a worldly peace, but this peace is temporary, it is not the peace that passes understanding. They cannot give us that.
     Avoidance of hot topics and news headlines is not peace: it is hiding your head in the sand like an ostrich, hoping whatever it is that frustrates, angers, saddens us will just blow over and leave us alone. That's not even close to peace. 
    Do you want real peace? An everlasting peace? A peace that passes understanding? Come to Jesus now. For He is our Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 
     He gives peace like no other: John 14:27 "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." 
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 

Only Jesus Christ has real peace, because He Is Peace. Without Him you can never know peace. To know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior is not only to have this real peace, but to live it, to know it, to breathe it. 
Since you are reading this, you know it is not too late to receive Jesus Christ into your heart, your life. Receive Him, receive His peace. 



Wednesday, March 7, 2012

My Full Potential


If the life you are living is not pleasing to God, 


then you are not living up to your full


potential. ~Me


What do you see 
when you look at me?
Am I a reflection
of God's redeeming grace?
What do you see 
on my face?



Am I living up to my full potential in Christ?
My heart is right with Christ.
I am saved from eternal damnation.
I am filled with the Holy Ghost.
I am serving in God's kingdom.

Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women's Day. 
It is a celebration of how far women have come in the history of the world.
It is an acknowledgement  of how much women have accomplished in their countries.
It is an awareness of the lack of women in business and industry;
of women in politics and science; of women in leadership positions.
The Day is focused on Women Around the World 
and their desire to improve their world 
by having women involved in decision making processes 
that would change the world for the better.
But, in all the articles I have read, from around this world I live in,
not one is written from a Christian woman's perspective.
Though a few were written by women, most articles were still written by men.
And a couple of these articles were dehumanizing to women.

Where are the daughters of God?
I am the handmaid of the Lord. ~Joel 2:29
Our voice is not silent:
In Ministry:


The daughters of God are actively seeking to improve the lives of all women.
We are joined at the heart in Spirit and in Truth.
We are raising our voice in shouts of Triumph..
Our hands are on our Sword as we wage war on
social injustice, poverty, abuse, addiction.
We are the Overcomers by Faith in the Power of God
to change our world one person at a time together.
We learn from each other.
We teach each other.
Our desire to change the world we live in is expressed by our actions every day.
As we learn from God, through the power of His Holy Spirit,
how to change our lives, we share our values, our journeys,
our joys, our wisdom, our tears and our pain,
our words reach millions on the internet.
And their lives are changed for the better.

God empowers women by calling them, also.
We, too, are called to serve in God's kingdom.
I am His servant.
And I will change the world.





Monday, April 12, 2010

Hiding Place

Psalms 91
I live in the secret place of the Most High where I abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I say of my Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress: my God; in Him I trust. He delivers me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He covers me with His feathers, and under His wings I trust: His Truth is my Shield and my Buckler.

I shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies (in my direction) by day; I shall not be afraid of the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor am I afraid of the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; but it shall not come near me. (All around me is death and destruction. The tongue kills quicker than the sword.) Only with my eyes shall I look and see the reward of the wicked. Because I have made the Lord, which is my Refuge, even the Most High, my habitation. My home, my dwelling place; therein shall no evil befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling.

For He gives His angels charge over me, to keep me in all His ways. His angels bear, lift, me up in their hands, preventing my destruction against the stones. I tread, heavily walk upon, the lion and the adder: the young lion and the dragon I trample under my feet. (Another section of the Bible says, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel." After walking on snakes and lions, I still have pretty feet.)

Because I have set my love upon Him, my Lord, He will deliver me: He will set me on high, because I have known His Name. I will call on Him, and He will answer me: He will be with me in troubled times; He will deliver me, and honor me. With long life will He satisfy me, and show me His salvation.