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Tuesday, December
9, 2008
Peace And Harmony
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. (KJV)
Strong’s definition for ‘peace’:
1515
eirene (i-ray'-nay); probably from a primary verb eiro (to join);
peace (literally or figuratively); by implication, prosperity: KJV-- one,
peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.
Thayer’s definition for ‘peace’:
1515
eirene-
1) a state of
national tranquillity, exemption from the rage and havoc of war
2) peace between
individuals, that is, harmony, concord
3) security,
safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep
things safe and prosperous)
4) used of the
Messiah's peace, the way that leads to peace (salvation)
5) used of
Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through
Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot,
of whatsoever sort that is
What brings peace to your life; is it
something that happens in the outward, or do you rely more on the inward
peace despite what is happening or appears to be happening in the outward
carnal realm? As we see, God has a peace for us to rely on, while the enemy
has a cheap imitation that he would like to see God’s people fall for, and
that is the peace of this world. What are you in harmony with today; who
are you one with or likeminded with; is it God, or is it the god of this
world and the cheap unstable imitations he will try to lure you with? As
you look at the different definitions for peace, what brings quietness and
rest to your soul; where do you find safety and security; is it in your
bank account, or are you banking more on the things of the Spirit,
something that will last forever and not change?
John 16:33 These things I have spoken
unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (KJV)
The world is full of tribulation, and so
will those people be who continue to abide in that realm and not step into
the peace that our Lord provided for His people, for any and all that would
call upon His name. If any be in Christ, they will abide in His peace because
they are now a new creation abiding in a new realm which is above, and will
not be entangled with the affairs below. As long as we are in this world we
will be surrounded by trials and tribulations, but it doesn’t mean we have
to get entangled in them or let them rob us of the peace of God. Many have
been called, but few end up chosen and used of God because rather than rely
on and hold fast to His peace they end up entangled and chasing the peace
of this world which is based on outward unstable happenings and not on a
consistent firm foundation which is Christ, the only one that will
withstand the winds of doctrines the enemy would like to see God’s people
pursuing rather than the true peace of God.
Jeremiah 16:5 For thus saith the LORD,
Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them:
for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even
lovingkindness and mercies. (KJV)
You know, not everything or everyone that
claims they are of God is based on truth; in fact our Lord is very clear to
warn us that there would be many, not a few false prophets that will arise
and deceive many as well. So how does one avoid this pitfall that many fall
into? Well, if it isn’t peaceable, if something just doesn’t sit right with
your spirit then that would be the first indication that it is not of God,
but rather a false peace. You as a believer need to know that if the peace
of God is not there, no matter who or what the situation is, then it would
do you good not to get involved with it but rather withdraw yourself, or
never enter into it in the first place. There are a lot of congregations
out there that claim they are of God; you know that term people use so
loosely like ‘those of other faiths’, which the Bible is very clear there
is only one faith. So obviously when they put titles or denominational
names on ‘the faith’ and attach it to God they have basically removed God
from the equation which then removes His peace.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God
rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful. (KJV)
One of the definitions of rule is to
umpire, so what is it that you base your decisions on, is it the outward or
the inward? When a situation arises, say an opportunity for a job, do you
base your decision solely on just the pay when dealing with a job? Do you
base your decision to pursue a relationship as well on just the outward
package, or do you let the peace of God rule and decide what is best? You
know, there are many attractive packages out there that come gift wrapped
in such pretty apparel but inwardly it can be a gag prize of the enemy
trying to get you entangled and falling for a cheap imitation. So basically
what it comes down to is this, that if there is not peace in a situation
despite how good it looks on the outward you need to trust in His peace and
act accordingly if you desire to stay in good standing with our Lord.
Isaiah 57:19-21 I create the fruit of the
lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith
the LORD; and I will heal him. (20) But the wicked are like the troubled
sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. (21) There is
no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. (KJV)
Have you ever heard people that don’t
have the peace of God in their life, yeah like a troubled sea always
digging up the dirt on others, mostly pointing out their own faults and
shortcomings that they see in others, though they won’t admit to the latter
part? My own life before my conversion was basically like that, I was a
bottom feeder taking whatever the world had to offer rather than finding
the true peace and contentment which is only found in Christ. Are you at
peace today, in harmony with our Lord and His plan of salvation, or are you
drowning in destruction and despair, falling for the cheap peace of this
world and those of it? What do you truly rely on when you make decisions in
your life? Is it truly the peace of God no matter how it looks to the
outward man, or are you looking for something in the outward that you think
will satisfy the inward?
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