Peace Like a River Part VI Conclusion

Please read “Peace Like a River” Parts I-V

The Christian walk is one of great exploration, affliction and responsibility. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). The body of Christ has a divine responsibility to portray to the world an astounding difference in our lifestyle. When the world is in turmoil and chaos, we are accountable to exhibit God's peace and Grace to the lost. If we are not presenting God's true nature to the world, we are shaming Jesus. Please allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in repentance. I pray that God's peace, like a river flows into your life, and the lives of your family members. Peace is not an outward state of circumstances, it is the condition of a heart devoted to Christ. Four areas of your life that are integral to obtaining peace are: repentance, hope, obedience and prayer. Of course Jesus wants every area of your life to be open to Him, but if you are lacking peace these four areas are a good place to start looking for the source of your unrest. God loves you! It is painful to examine our lives and repent for our sins. God understands every aspect of your life and how you came to the place you are now in. He is not interested in harming you; nor is He interested in helping you continue in sin. He wants what is best for us at all times. It can be very difficult to impossible to see this at times.  Romans 11:33 tells us, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"

If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, or if you would like to renew your commitment to Him today, I ask that you pray this prayer with me.

Dear Jesus,

I am a sinner, in need of a Savior. I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that You are the Son of God. You were born of a virgin, You sacrificed Yourself for my sin, and You were raised on the third day to sit at the right hand of God's throne. Jesus, please come into my heart, forgive me of my sins and teach me to live in obedience to You. Lord, please fill me with your Holy Spirit, Who is the promised Comforter. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer for the first time, congratulations! You are now a child of God. Please tell a trusted friend of your decision, begin reading the Bible, and seek a solid Bible-based church to worship and fellowship in.

Patti

Peace Like a River Part V

Please read “Peace Like a River” Parts I-IV

Lastly, there is peace in prayer. II Chronicles 7:14 promises, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” True humility is a realization that God is sovereign, and we are weak and unworthy. As we come to Him in prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on Him and our encompassing need for His blessing and presence in our lives. Ironically, God asks us to die to ourselves, to gain eternal life. He asks us to give up all things to Him to gain everything. This is quite the trade off. When we give up control, we gain peace. Philippians 4:6,7 instructs us to, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” How healthy is your prayer life? Colossians 4:2 teaches, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” An old saying proclaims, “Without God, you cannot; without you, God will not.” We are to pray with thanksgiving and expectantly waiting for our answer. Recently, I was waiting for the arrival of some friends who were coming for dinner. I frequently peeked out of the window, checked the time and prepared for them to arrive. The Holy Spirit quickened to my spirit that this is how we must behave toward God. If you fully expect someone is going to fulfill a promise, you will be waiting and watching for them to do so. Matthew 26:42 speaks of the poignant prayer of Jesus, “He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, 'O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.'” Jesus modeled perfect obedience in His prayer of petition to the Father. If we lay all things in His hands, as Mary did when she said, “. . .Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38) we are able to rest in the knowledge that our prayers are according to God's will. Ask God to teach you how to pray. He will surely answer you plea with the guiding of the Holy Spirit. I pray that God's peace rests upon you as you bring your requests before Him in prayer and supplication.

Patti

Peace Like a River Part IV

Please read “Peace Like a River” Parts I -III

Thirdly, there is peace in obedience. When we live our lives within God's parameters, we have peace in the knowledge that we are pleasing our Father. This is a logical peace as well as a spiritual peace. Enjoying the presence of the Lord ensues from obedience and friendship with Him. Exodus 33:11 speaks of this friendship, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” This is not to say that we must be perfect, as it is obvious that no man can be. Romans 3:23 informs us this truth, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” The Grace that the cross has afforded us allows Christ's righteousness to be imputed to us. We are covered by His Blood and cleansed by acceptance of His precious sacrifice. Whether or not we fall down under pressure or intentionally walk away in sin, Christ's blood covers both scenarios as we come to Him, repent and turn away from our sins. Are you obedient to Christ in your own life? Are there sins in your life that you know you have not repented of? The Psalmist David cried, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silent, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long” (Psalm 32:1-3). Jesus is asking that you repent of your sin and come to Him in obedience. Most definitely, there is nothing worth holding on to compared to the freedom and peace of living life in obedience to Christ. I pray that we bend our knees to Him and allow Him to cleanse us of every sin that so easily besets us. Jesus please help us to do just that. Amen.

Patti

Peace Like a River Part I

“. . .Peace be still. . .” These words spoken by Jesus in Mark 4:39 as He calmed the wind and the waves are desperately needed in the hearts of humans in the midst of the storms in our lives. Even as Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples had lost faith. Mark 4:40 tells us, “And He said unto them, 'Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?'” The power of His presence in our lives gives us the supernatural ability to overcome seemingly impossible situations and emerge stronger and more faithful. If you have given your life to Christ, or if you have never made that decision, may I ask you a question? Do you have peace today, if so, where does this peace lie? Do you have confidence in Jesus Christ as your only source, or in your own ability? Perhaps your peace lies in a bank account or a relationship. I certainly hope that your peace does not lie in financial stability in this chaotic economic time. Jesus is challenging you today to examine your life and relationship with Him. Let us pray. Lord, please open our hearts to ourselves today; allow us to see the sins that block our relationship with You. The scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Lord, in Jesus' name, please show us the idols that we have allowed to be before You. Please break them on the threshold, as the false god, Dagon, was broken in I Samuel 5:4. Lord, please cleanse us and fill us anew with Your Holy Spirit this day. Enable us to come to You in Spirit and in truth, so that we may receive Your peace as a precious gift. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today's title is “Peace Like a River.” These famous words were penned by American lawyer Horatio G. Spafford in his 1873 hymn entitled, “It Is Well With My Soul.”

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

These words were written by Spafford at the tragic loss of his four young daughters in the sinking of the luxury liner the Ville Du Havre on November 22, 1873. His wife and they had been traveling alone aboard it. Upon Mrs. Spafford's safe landing, she cabled him these tragic words, “Saved alone.” The Spaffords had previously lost a son to scarlet fever and most of their worldly possessions in a The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The peace that Horatio Spafford experienced that allowed him to cling to Jesus at thesd heart rending losses came from his deep relationship with God. He penned this hymn as he journeyed to England, his ship passing over the very area of the sea that his daughters had been lost in. True peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the condition of a heart committed to Jesus Christ. Isaiah 48:17,18 announces, “Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. . .”

We may find peace in God's love, mercy and Grace. I have a checklist of four areas of our lives to examine in our Christian walk. Please allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in repentance for any sin that may be blocking Him from flowing in your life. I liken this blocked state to a doorway that cannot be entered due to the clutter that is in front of it. The wonderful blessings of God are behind this door and due to our own willfulness and negligence the door is blocked by disorder. We must first remove the hindrances by repentance, and allow God to cleanse us of our sin, so that He may flow in our lives.

Please read subsequent blog posts for parts II through VI of this series. I pray that you are blessed.

Patti

Peace Be With You

               The means of attaining true peace in your life is in submitting it to the will of God.  Genuine peace isn’t the absence of turmoil or trouble; it is the quiet assurance of God’s love and providence. The book of I Peter was written in the AD 60s to the believers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.  It is an encouragement to those suffering for Christ, and it offers us a solid framework for gaining peace in our lives even in the midst of adversity.  The content of the book is as relevant to us today as it was to the early church.  Peter exhorts the faithful in I Peter 1:4, “To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (KJV).  A vitally significant element of the Christian walk is the consecration or hagios in the Greek, of our speech to the Lord.  I Peter 1:15 teaches, “But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (KJV Capitalization theirs).  Another vital factor in the Christian course is obedience.  I Peter 1:22 instructs, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (KJV).  The only sound foundation on which to build your life upon is Christ.  I Peter 2:6 reveals, “Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded”(KJV).  Believers are given liberty through the Blood of Christ and are called to behave in a manner befitting of Him.  I Peter 2:13 instructs us to be subject to government mandates, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme” (KJV).  We are to seek peace and follow God’s will.  As believers, we are not to be ashamed of our suffering, but we are to allow God to work in our anguish.  I Peter 4:19 tells us, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (KJV Capitalization theirs).  We are all on a journey, and each of us is at our own point on that road.  God doesn’t expect us to be faultless, He wants us to forgive, repent, pray and keep going.  Even in hardship this is the path of real peace.  Peter ends this book with I Peter 5:14, “Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity.  Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen” (KJV).