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Friday, July 3,
2009
Keeping The Peace
Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (KJV)
The word ‘careful’ means to be anxious,
which we see the area that we need to be concerned with is narrowed down to
nothing. If I was to honestly ask you how many things you were concerned with
and anxious about today, could you still say nothing? We take so much
thought for things that in the end we really can’t change or do anything
about. So what would your life be like if you really turned it all over to
the Lord, and then see where He would lead you? I would be willing to say
much better, to say the least.
Romans 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is
death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the
carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please
God. (KJV)
You can paint any scenario, or picture
anything that you want, but if it is more carnal than Spiritual it will
lead to a dead end. When you enter the Lord’s realm you need to leave your
own thoughts and desires at the door if you wish to stay in good standing
with Him. Basically speaking, in order to grab hold of the things of the
Spirit one needs to let go of the things or thinking of the world. However,
when one decides to grab hold of the things of this life then they will
have to let go of the Lord in order to grasp it.
James 4:1-4 From whence come wars and
fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in
your members? (2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and
cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (3) Ye
ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon
your lusts. (4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God. (KJV)
All that commotion that is going on
inside of you, you know, that place that was at peace at one time is now a
war zone? Yeah, you got into something or someone that wasn’t of the Lord,
and that new life you promised the Lord is now dying out, and His voice is
being drowned out by your own desires and things that you think you need. A
friend of the world is someone who hasn’t renewed their mind to the things
of the Spirit.
2 Timothy 1:9-10 Who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began, (10) But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour
Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel: (KJV)
You know, if you truly desire to keep the
peace of God ruling in your life then the things and supplications that you
are making to God will be more in line with the Spirit and less with the
flesh. When one truly enters into God’s rest and cease from their own works
it is because they realize that someone else had a much better plan and
purpose for their life, one that was drawn up in heaven and not in their
minds.
Ephesians 1:10-12 That in the
dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (11) In whom
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (12)
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (KJV)
Remember what our Lord said about
Jerusalem, how He would like to gather them together like a hen gathers her
own under His wing? Well, Spiritually the Lord would like His people to
gather together with Him, being likeminded and of one accord so that they
walk according to His counsel and not their own. Oh, but how few really put
their first trust in the Lord and not lean to their own understanding.
Ephesians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, (KJV)
What does predestination really mean?
Remember what our Lord said, that He was going to a place that He prepared
for us as well. When you make your prayers and requests to God are you
truly seeking His will and desire for your walk, or are your own desires
and thoughts still getting in the way and hindering you from moving
forward? This is where the peace of God comes in and assures us that we are
on that path that He chose for us, even before the foundation of this
world.
Romans 8:28-31 And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them
he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (KJV)
God is for us and desires to work in and
through us as well; now the question becomes, who will let Him? It is vital
that we on a daily basis stop what we are doing, take the time first thing
in a day to seek first the kingdom of God and what will keep us in right
standing with Him, and then all that is needed is provided. God made a plan
for your life before the foundation of this world, now seek His peace, and
let His peace rule in all your decisions, so that you can know and be
assured of the fact that you are on that path that He ordained for you
personally. Now that sounds peaceable, doesn’t it?
1 Peter 3:10-13 For he that will love
life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips
that they speak no guile: (11) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him
seek peace, and ensue it. (12) For the eyes of the Lord are over the
righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the
Lord is against them that do evil. (13) And who is he that will harm you,
if ye be followers of that which is good? (KJV)
What are you really pursuing today; and
is it keeping the peace?
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