Divine Peace

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. John : 14:27

Our peace certainly is different from the world. The peace of God can be described as a tranquil state of appreciation and faith when submit to and trust the commandments of God.

It requires a mixture of humility and courage to experience God’s peace seeking beyond the abilities of our own understanding.

As I write this I think the world is in such chaos. There are so many distractions. Many people also full of themselves it’s impossible for them to find peace.

The peace of God transcends all understanding it is the harmony and calmness of body, mind, and spirit that supersedes any earthly circumstance.

As I’ve lived my life in chaos for over 35 years. I never thought I person could find any kind of peace. Raising my children, and taking care of my family. Dealing with every issue that came around. That was my purpose. I was not called to be at peace. That was just the way it was,and I just had to “suck it up” and deal with it alone.

Then I began reading Paul’s word in the Bible, of course after my children were raised and out of the house. Why, didn’t God save me from everything I had already been through? I didn’t know, God says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and not lean on your own understanding. All I knew was what I was doing was not working. So, I decided to do it God’s way. And imagine that, I found the peace, mercy, and grace I needed to heal every hurt I’ve ever had. It took time, and I’m out saying everything is perfect. But things are so much better with Jesus than not.

Nearly all the letters that Paul wrote in the Bible started with the phrase “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.” Throughout scripture, you’ll find that peace is defined as a blessing from God and harmonious with His character.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

If God is inherently peaceful, then to appreciate God is to live in His peace. The closer we move to Him, the more of His peace we can experience. Thankfully, the Bible provides us specific guidance about how to grow closer to Him.

May “The Grace and Peace With You From God Our Father And The Lord Jesus Christ.”

What Is The World Coming To?

Exactly What Jesus Said It Would

What ever happened to the “good ole days”? Times were so much better then. You could leave your car unlocked without fear of it being stolen or the things inside of it. You could live with the door of your house unlocked. There was less crime. We live in a anything goes World. No morals, values, and respect of anything.

But we shouldn’t be shocked or dismayed. The world is coming to exactly what Jesus said it would come to, and this actually gives a lot of hope, for the ones who follow Him.

A Godless World

The simple reality is that we live in a godless world. Of course, I don’t mean that there isn’t a God, or that the true and living God is not active in our world. I mean that the natural state of every person is wickedness, godlessness, and evil. It has always been this way, and it always will be this way.

God looked down on the earth and was grieved by what He saw:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of His heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 6:5

God brought the great flood upon the earth because the wickedness of man was great. Every intent, every desire, every thought, bent toward evil. Doesn’t that sound any different than today, does it?

Acts 17:16 says, “Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.” As Paul walked through the city of Athens , he became acutely aware that the city was packed with false gods. Athen was not a moral, upright, virtuous city. It was full of idolatry.

Last weekend I visited a large city for the weekend. As I walked down the street I was in shock. The city was full of so much evil. My thought was “how can people be okay with living this way.” Then I remembered that in New York they have a 8 foot horned statue paying homage to abortion. And alters of Baal going up every where. People are worshipping evil gods.

But, when we see evil and wickedness in the world, we shouldn’t throw our hands up in despair. We shouldn’t be shocked or surprised . Evil and wickedness is not an anomaly; it’s the norm. The evil we see in the world isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s not like things have suddenly gotten out of control in the last 50-years. Wickedness has been standard practice since Cain killed Abel.

Satan is playing his final hand, to gain as many people as he can to killed, steal and destroy them.

Have Hope

So, why should this give up hope? Because Jesus will be coming soon.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but things are going to get worse. Before Jesus returns, evil and wickedness is going to increase in the world. Concerning the last days, Jesus said:

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Matter 24:12

Lawlessness, wickedness and godlessness aren’t going to decrease; they are going to increase.

In fact, they’re going to increase to such a degree that many Christians will find their love for Christ going cold (you can see it’s already happening). That’s some serious intense, lawlessness. Contrary to what the Beatles proclaimed. It’s not going to get better; it’s going to get worse

Paul spoke of this in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 about the “man of lawlessness.“

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:9

At some point, the “lawless one“ will come and he will come in power, and false signs and wonders, He will be so impressive, so powerful, that many unbelievers will be deceived by him. The wickedness promoted and perpetuated by the lawless one will be on a colossal, sickening scale.

You think it’s already bad, but it’s going to get worse. But don’t throw up your hands in despair. There is good news.

Don’t Dispair

The good news is there still time for people to come to Jesus. In spite of the wickedness which fills the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ will continue saving sinners. Yes evil is powerful, but Jesus is more powerful. Yes, Satan prowls around like a roaring lion, but Jesus is the great lion slayer. Jesus encouraged Peter that the church would not be overcome, and would even stand against hell itself:

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of he,, shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

Jesus isn’t particularly concerned with the most recently report of the church growth study, or the state of Hollywood. He will build His church, and there is absolutely nothing that can stop Him.

Our job is to share the gospel to let everyone know the truth of Christ.

Even as Jesus talked about the spike of lawlessness, He also promised that the gospel would be proclaimed in ALL nations:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14

And when the big man ( the Antichrist) of lawlessness appears, Jesus will take care of him too:

And then the lawlessness one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of His coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:8

When Jesus returns, He will utterly decimate the man of lawlessness. Farewell, lawless one! Jesus has arrived.

Don’t Lose Hope

Should we be concerned about increasing immortality in the schools, and on television, and in politics? Sure. Where appropriate, we should stand for righteousness. And of course, we should instruct our kids how to think biblically about the sin they will most certainly encounter.

But I’d we’re constantly outraged, disgusted, discouraged, or panicked, then we haven’t come to grips with the Bible’s grim description of the world, and we aren’t fully trusting in our coming, conquering, reigning King.

Yes, it’s bad, and yeah it’s going to get worse. But the gospel will continue to triumph, Jesus will remain on the throne, and Jesus will finally rid the world of wickedness.

Your Focus Is Your Power

Where you direct your energy and attention determines your outcomes in life . Whether your striving to achieve your career goals, strengthening your relationships or trying to improve your health and well-being, your focus is the key to unlocking your full potential.

So, take a closer look at where you’re directing your attention and energy each day. Are you focusing on the things that bring you closer to your goals and dreams? Or are you bogged down by distractions and negativity that hold you back?

Your focus is your choice. You have the power to create the life you want by consciously directing your energy and attention toward the things that truly matter to you.

I encourage you to take action today, and start living your best life.

Fundamental Truths That Will Change Your Life

You can achieve amazing things if you stay focused on the right things.

It’s surprising how easy it is to lost sight of the important things in life. Busy schedules and regular routines have a tendency to put our brains an automatic.

When things aren’t going quite going the way you’d like them to, it’s often because you’ve lost focus on what really matters. But focusing on life’s fundamental truths can be difficult, especially when they remind you that you’re heading in the wrong direction.

The best things in life don’t comes easily, and failin to obverse yourself carefully is a sure path to mediocrity.

Socrates once said, “The unexamined life isn’t worth living.”

Life and business runs on questions, not answers. You should have be asking yourself regularly if you’re headed in the right direction.

Many of life’s essential truths need repeating. We need reminders that help us stay focused on them. He feels truth handy and they’re sure to give you a much needed boost.

Great success is often proceeded by failure

You will never experience true success until you learn to embrace failure. Your mistakes pave the way for you to succeed by revealing when you’re on the wrong path.

The biggest breakthroughs typically come when you’re feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck. It’s this frustration that forces you to think differently, to look outside the box and see the solution that you’ve been missing.

Success takes patience, and their ability to maintain a good attitude, even while suffering for what you believe in.

Being busy does not equal being productive

Look at everyone around you. They all seem so busy — running from meeting to meeting and firing off emails. Yet how many of them are really producing, really succeeding at a high level?

Success doesn’t come for movement or activity. It comes from focus – from ensuring that your time, is used efficiently and productively.

You get the same number of hours in the day as everyone else. Use yours wisely after all, you are the product of your output, not your effort. Make sure your efforts are dedicated to tasks that get results.

You are only as good as those you associate with

You should strive to surround yourself with people who inspire you, people who make you want to be better. And you probably do. But what about the people who drag you down? Why do you allow them to take part in your life?

Anyone who makes you feel worthless, anxious or uninspired is wasting your time and quite possibly, making you more like them. Life is too short to associate with people like this. Cut them loose.

You’re a living a life you’ve created

You are not a victim of circumstance. No one can force you to make you decisions and take action that run contrary to your values and aspirations.

The circumstances you are living in today are your own – you created them. Likewise, your future is entirely up to you. If you’re feeling stuck, it’s probably because you’re to afraid to take the risk necessary to achieve your goals and live your dreams.

When it’s time to take action, remember that it’s always better to be at the bottom of the ladder do you want to climb than at the top of one you don’t.

Fear is the #1 source of regret

When it’s all said, and done, you will lament the chances you didn’t take for more than you will your failures. Don’t be afraid to take risks.

I often hear people say, “What’s the worst thing that can happen to you? Will it kill you?” Yet, death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you. thing that can happen to you is allowing yourself to die inside while still being alive.

You don’t have to wait for an apology to forgive someone

Life goes a lot smoother once you let go of the grudges and forgive even those who never said they were sorry. Grudges led negative events from your past ruin today’s happiness. Hate, and anger or emotional parasites that destroy your joy in life.

The negative emotions that come with holding onto a grudge, create a stress response in your body, and holding onto the stress and have devastating health consequences. Researchers have found that holding onto stress, creates high, blood pressure and heart disease.

When you forgive someone, it doesn’t condone their actions; it simply free you from being their eternal victim.

Live in the moment

You can’t reach your full potential and tell you learn to live your life in the present.

No amount of guilt can change the path, and no amount of anxiety can change the future. It’s impossible to be happy if you’re constantly somewhere else, unable to fully embrace the reality (good or bad) of this very moment.

To help yourself live in the moment, you must do two things:

1. Accept your past. If you don’t make peace with the past, it will never leave you and, in doing so, it will create your future.

2. Accept the uncertainty of the future. Worry has no place in the here and now. Mark Twain once said, “Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.”

You’re self-worth must come from within

When your sense of pleasure and satisfaction, are derived from comparing myself to others, you are no longer the master of your own destiny. When you feel good about something that you’ve done, don’t allow anyone’s opinions are your accomplishments to take that away from you.

While it’s impossible to turn off your reactions to what ever think of you, you don’t have to compare yourself to others, and you can always take peoples opinions with a grain of salt. That way, no matter what other people are thinking or doing, your self-worth comes from within. Regardless of what people think of you at any particular moment, one thing is certain – you’re never as good or bad as someone says you are.

Life is short

None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Yet, when someone dies unexpectedly, it causes us to take stock of our own life; what’s really important, how we spend our time and how we treat other people.

Loss is a raw, visceral reminder of the frailty of life. It shouldn’t be.

Remind herself every morning when you wake up, but each day is a gift and you are bound to make the most of the blessing you’ve been given. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing is the moment it will start acting like one.

After all, a great day begins with a great mindset.

Change is inevitable- embrace it

Only when you embrace change can you find the good in it. You need to have an open mind and open arms if you’re going to recognize and capitalize on the opportunities that change creates.

You are bound to fail when you keep doing the same things you have always done in the hope that ignoring change will make it go away.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.

Life doesn’t stop for anyone. When things are going, well, appreciate them, and enjoy them, as they are bound to change. If you are always searching for something more, something better, that you think is going to make you happy, you’ll never be present enough to enjoy the great moments before they’re gone.

Bringing It All Together

Staying focused and asking the hard questions can be extremely uncomfortable. But we don’t learn to grow by sticking with what comfortable.