The Apostle Paul tells it All – Peace

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to everyone.
The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And the peace of God…we jump right from joy to peace. It says while we are celebrating in Him, He is near.

Near, close to me. When I talked about the birth of my daughter in last week’s podcast I can tell you that I still remember how near He was. While I should have followed my instincts and told my husband to stay I let the nurse dictate otherwise and when he left there was no one but me.

I wasn’t going to have that, no, I prayed and so wanted things to turn out right, and please make sure my husband comes back in time and please make sure those doctors and nurses are right…and please don’t leave me alone…I need peace.

That fruit of the Spirit, peace is so important. Look at that, it made the top three, Love, Joy, Peace…what do you know about that? As if connected by twine to gently gather together. We love, we rejoice, we find peace.

We have it on good authority where to find peace. Isaiah 9:6-7…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulder. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

And with that we can remember that “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” Psalm 85:10

Do you know where to find Peace? Have you found it in the Lord?

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

We are on to JOY! Is Pentecost still in your heart? It is still in mine and so is the spirit of Joy!

Phil. 4:4 says “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again – Rejoice!” There, it had to be said twice. REJOICE! Where does our joy come from? The Lord!

Surely we don’t need only the Lord for our happiness. Do we not know how to find happiness in our lives without the Lord? Maybe not, we aren’t finding joy in the grocery store, mall or work place…and we won’t find it easily on the internet either unless we are interested in Christian Joy the fashion designer. Well I did find some inspiration regarding Joy today despite that almost failed search.

At the blog Hem of His Garment Bible Study, I find a wonderful piece of scripture from Nehemiah in the Old Testament.

Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. Nehemiah 8:10

So, the joy of the Lord is more than joy itself, or being happy, it is about Him making us strong. That should be very important to us as the second fruit of the Spirit. We need to be filled with love and we need to be strong.

And I couldn’t have said it any better than Sonya Triggs at Urban Christianz Blogspot when she says:

“So, apparently, our joy is not be based on our circumstances, our outlook, our paycheck or our mindset. But on our relationship with Jesus Christ – and our abiding in him. And it can never be taken away or meddled with by man – it is durable, permanent – built rock-solid on Jesus’s gift of atonement to us. And, finally, that joy is found within the Holy Spirit – it shows up and is manifested as a result of His presence within us.”

Have you been confused with the whole joy thing? Did you think you had to be happy for the sake of happiness? Are you relieved that Joy is something we reach on a deeper spiritual level and it has nothing to do with our outward appearance to our friends as Christians?

Time and time again in the bible we are told He loves us and He will provide for us. If He cares for the birds, He will take care of us as well. Think of Job, he lost it all, but God gave him back even more.

He has given us Jesus, the Holy Spirit and blessings too numerous to count when we recognize them. We must remember how He will always love us. We must also remember how he calls us to do the same.

To close the week of love and the fruit of the Spirit, I thought I’d add a little family fun to the mix. Enjoy this video from GodTube.

Do you think love is the most important fruit of the Spirit? Do you think it adds something important to all the other fruits?

You will see the Lord save you today.
— Exodus 14:13a

If one were to look for something the Lord has done in one’s life everyday, it is amazing how many blessings there are from Him to us. Whether it is the life of a new baby, the kisses and hugs of a three year old who is too young to think more than one kiss and hug is enough, the compassion of a friend when in need, or the direction that all children need from their Father, no life is more blessed than the one who lives for God through Christ.

Many look for the meaning of life. I don’t know that life itself has a meaning to us outside perhaps the meaning we give it. The gift of life is complicated and while we don’t think about it everyday we may have our moments when we reach out and wonder, “Why?”

Someone thought getting a degree would make them happy, another married and had children. They both proclaim happiness but in a sense, it is not what they imagined. It wasn’t true happiness. Have they missed true happiness or did they just misunderstand it? Maybe true happiness is just being happy in whatever we find in our life, whatever hand we’ve been dealt.

We can find something important and find meaning in it. One thing that is important to me is the Bible. His greatest gift after Christ is the Bible. I find a few minutes everyday can bring one the greatest peace of mind. Everyday, you can visit with a good friend, be reminded of grace and mercy. Some days I might not be able to see what God has done in my life, but it is comforting enough to be reminded that He is doing something. While I may not find true happiness in everything, moments reflecting on the word and remembering what Christ has sacrificed for us brings peace of mind that I can be happy in all I am given.

May God continue to bless us all through His word.

Is there such a thing as true happiness? Do we give life meaning? What’s your favorite Bible? What time of day do you set aside to study or just read and reflect?

Welcome to the June 15, 2008 edition of Her Christian Blog Carnival.

And what better way to start off our carnival on The Fruit of the Spirit then with a few messages sending us out as God did the disciples at Pentecost. Here are those messages from Crystal Nichols posted at Christian in the Corporate World.

Read Go! The Lord has gone ahead of you! Crystal says, “In Judges 4, Deborah was having a busy day. As the judge-prophetess for Israel, she was busy solving disputes for the people when God spoke to her.”

And in her message Faith in the Workplace: Planting Seeds she says, “One of the reasons I started this blog was because I have lot of trouble expressing my faith, especially at the office. The idea of “planting seeds” gives me a lot of encouragement and also scares me a little too! Make that a lot.”

Kathleen Gage presents A life can be changed by a few simple words posted at Daily Awareness, saying, “Words have power. How often have you heard this and yet, how true is it? Learn how one affirmation can change your life forever.”

Claudia Riley presents The Greatest Joy posted at Standing Straight.

Julie presents Living Green – Dominion and Stewardship of God’s Creation posted at M4K Parenting & Family Life.

Christopher Johnson with a wonderful idea to bring Christian’s together presents a message about a new site called His-Friends posted at christopheraaronjohnson.net, saying, “I need your help to build a Christian community where everyone can come to make friends, keep in contact with friends and family, and give and receive support and encouragement.”

Theresa L. Twogood at OLIN e-Book e-Publishing presents three reads for us with Turn Back Because, Big Picture Progressive Exposure and Daily Prayer Journal.

We also welcome our friends who would like to share their messages on Business, Finance, Politics and Other:

Big Larry presents Dealing with Debt Biblically posted at Holy Cash Cow, saying, “Being overwhelmed by debt doesn’t just exact a financial toll, but an emotional and spiritual one as well. Churches are rapidly becoming a crucial support system for those that find themselves financially over their heads.” This is a GREAT site, I hope you can check it out.

J. Karlin presents The Best Fundraising Idea posted at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas.

Michael Snyder presents The Picture Of The Hindu God That Barack Obama Carries For Good Luck posted at Shattered Paradigm.

Recoil presents Pavlina Says Jesus was a Fictional Character posted at Double Barreled Opinions.

That concludes this edition. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Yesterday we heard from Mike Walsh on his post “Dear Christian” and I think while there are many points to argue, my message is not about arguing. As God’s servants we are called to facilitate the work of God in many different ways. Also as God’s servants we are all one in the same a Christian, each with a background from a multitude of beliefs.

What we are not is perfect. We are all sinners and perhaps maybe some have a bit more sin in them then others, but sin is sin. There are those we could even question as to whether or not they are real Christians based on their actions but we know that we are not to judge.

Having patience seems core in living with others, Christian and otherwise. I also am of the belief that the wrongs of one do not necessarily represent or take away from the good of others in a group. I would no sooner generalize all Christians as evil or hating as I would Muslims.

I’m concerned with the generalizations of missionaries. There are missions too numerous to name that have facilitated giving regardless of a person’s belief system, in the name of God, not to force God on anyone, but to do a true service for God. I would not consider the actions of Mother Theresa, Amy Carmichael, Dr. Albert Schweitzer just to name a few, anything perpetrated by an “evil group of humans.” These people are the very essence of patience, people who made great sacrifices in their lives so others could live a better life.

In using missionaries as an example, it is quite appropriate to note in our study of patience that we are all missionaries of one sort or another and yesterday’s post has one incredible point that Christians should consider. In the bible we are directed not to send any away from the fold. Our actions sometimes speak louder than our words, and to do more than what God has equipped each of us for can sometimes send another away from God.

As such we have to have patience and represent our Christianity through our actions and words. We should feel that we’ve touched others in a positive way. Mike said it simply:

If God is the truth, He will find me. Don’t sell Him to me.

I ain’t buying.

I can’t say it any plainer; God knows when each will come into the fold. We don’t need to sell Mike anything. We have to remember it’s free for all and if we live a good life and share the fruit of the Spirit and are patient in sharing God with others by how we live, act and speak, then all will see what a Christian life can be about. It is not always about TV evangelism or beating down doors. It is having an open door and an open heart to all you come in contact with.

Have you been giving the tough sell to your family, friends or co-workers about being a Christian? Have you lost patience with them or they with you over the discussion of religion?

Today I’m going to post something from Mike Walsh, better known as Mikey the Rhino at Election-Coverage.com. Tomorrow I can give you my take on what exactly this has to do with this week’s theme, Peace and our study of the Fruit of the Spirit.

So without further adieu I give Mikey the Rhino the floor…

Dear Christian,

Jokes and humor have been a major part of my blog posts. Time to put the jokes to bed. Maybe even bare my teeth a bit here.

God I like, as a concept, but I have trouble believing in Him.

The people who believe in Him have a nasty tendency to be, well, let’s face it, nasty. They make it hard to look at God and think “I want to be like these people and follow them into the Kingdom of Heaven”

Two examples of what I view as wrong with the men who work In God’s name follow. There are many more.

Missionaries, as one example of the wrong perpetrated in the name of God, are about as evil a group of humans that as had or will have ever existed. The point I have always had a problem with, is that of forcing religion down the throats of those they want to convert. Do you think the American Indians who first ran into the Spanish wanted a new God? The Chinese and Japanese I am pretty sure didn’t really need the Christian God that was foisted On them By missionaries several hundred years ago. I’m sure they were fine with whatever spirits they believed in.

And there are missionaries who do this even now. If people really wanted God, They would have sought Him out. Leave the people of the world be. That actually goes out to ALL religions. The world would be a better place without having God and religious beliefs forced on us.

Why do you think missionaries were killed or as religious types like to put it, martyred, as they were when Things went sour?

Another more modern group of “Christians” who are just wrong, In my opinion at least, are the modern preachers. Let’s look at one.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

As an American I was unhappy with his anti-American statements, but I could live with them. You have freedom of speech and can say what you like. No worries there.

But His anti-Semitic ranting and His anti-white talk are absolutely against all the good that is in the Bible, and the hearts of honest upstanding citizens.

He preached In church for 30 some odd years. I’m certain there are preachers like him and Robertson, Tilton and Bakker and the like of all colors and denominations who have preached similar hate and have taken advantage of others for their own gain, and have spoken with hate In their hearts to children, to mothers and fathers. Making it look like it is ok to hate. That it has God’s sanction. It is coming from the pulpit, how could it not look like that?

‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ Christ is said to have said this On the cross. The translation is “My God, My God, Why have you Forsaken me?”

He didn’t. But his forebears certainly have. The ideals upon which the church was to have been built, Love and Truth, have been undermined by those wishing to further their own aims.

And if you don’t see naked, blind ambition in either of the examples I gave, you aren’t looking hard enough.

There is no love In pushing God On those who don’t want it.

There is No truth in hate pushed from the pulpit, no matter the cause.

If God is the truth, He will find me. Don’t sell Him to me.

I ain’t buying.

Wanna argue any of the points I made here? I’d be more than happy to speak to you about it.

The Rhino

Next stop Patience…somehow I would hope if I have Love, Joy and Peace that certainly I would have patience. As a mom however, patience seems like the one thing I run the lowest on for most of my days. I set little bench markers of hope where I think if I make it to this point all will be well.

So basically when all the kids are four and older, there will be no more diapers and pull ups to manage and they will all be potty trained; when all the kids are six and older there will be no more daycare, preschool or half day kindergarten to worry about and all will be well. I don’t know that it takes a Christian to get through these things but most definitely I know the bible tells me all these great things about patience so surely, patience counts for something.

I know that the rules and the expectations change, what else will I have to manage with patience after age 6? Oh, please don’t tell me for I know worry will abound, especially with my oldest at eleven. I suppose worry is a bad word for Christians and after having three girls, worry soon becomes in low supply after one has broken some teeth on a skateboard, and another is always running this way and that into danger.

So maybe the waning of worry is actually a sign of better things to a stretched out mom. At some point maybe patience wins out, is it that point where others around us look at us as if we are crazy while we calmly hold a screaming boo-boo’d up child. Is it the point where we could just collapse if not for the fact that some little person needs us more?

Is that what it is to God? Are we boo-boo’d up and screaming and there is nothing less than he can give us than all of his love and patience?

Oh if I could have that for people every day of the week.

Do you have an ongoing struggle with patience? How do you overcome being short of patience?

Peace is not an easy Spirit. I can see why it only comes from Jesus. Can we share peace? Only the peace we know. Unfortunately, we can’t make another know peace, they just have to search for it and feel it on their own. How do we search for it? We remember Him and when we are walking on choppy water, we have to keep our eyes on Him so we don’t sink.

Can you remember Him?

2 Timothy 2 has some important messages about peace. It is a call to be mature, pursue things that are right with righteousness, faith, love and peace. More than just in God, we can apply peace to our daily lives. In 2 Timothy 2:22-23 says:

“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.”

The Peace Podcast

To read along…

Do you find it easy exemplifying Timothy’s commandments outlined in 2 Timothy 2? What are your struggles in keeping the peace?