By Nick Parson Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 14:27, 16:33
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO US? Here in the Book of John Jesus expresses his term peace several times, in effect, of the salvation that Christ’s redemptive work will achieve for his disciples – total well being and inner rest of spirit, in fellowship with God. Jesus was telling his disciples this to affirm them of his soon to be victory through his death, burial, and resurrection. For us to understand, starts with understanding the peace offering God made with us through faith in Jesus Christ. As a result this supernatural gift from God, through the Holy Spirit, gives us an inner peace and calm beyond comprehension. This also exhibits confidence we have in our relationship between God and us. HOW DOES THIS LOOK TO US? We will suffer trials, persecutions, some form of loss, and anxiousness of many kinds. It’s in the midst of losing a loved one, a break up in a relationship, losing your job, not getting that promotion you worked hard for, battling some form of disease or cancer, anxiousness of feeling single and lonely, coming from an abusive background, or maybe being raised by a single parent wondering where your other absent parent is. You have the Peace of God, in the midst of all those things described, when you can give thanks to God no matter the outcome, to remember He is Good, He created you as his image bearer with unique gifts and talents, knowing God is in control, Sovereign, and is with you to the very end. My thoughts and prayer in closing are best described from the Apostle Paul, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:5-7 Let us Pray
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John 2:23-24 NIV23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 NIV5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” In John 2:24-25 Jesus was attracting quite a crowd due to the miracles he was performing but he was also careful not to put his trust in others when they were praising him and not be disillusioned by the fact that All man fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). He was focused on doing God's Will regardless of good or bad input from others. There are many times when he was being persecuted that he had to trust in God and remember Who God says he is. Disillusionment is defined as having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly. Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone. I encourage you that when you see imperfections (sinner) in others or yourself to see what God's grace has done in your life and how God's Grace is bigger than any sin whether its sin against you or how you have sinned against others. Remember who God says You are and remember he says the same thing For your fellow brothers and sisters. Redeemed, Children of God, Chosen, and Forgiven!!! |
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