And The Peace of God…

Peace is the world’s cry from the time sin entered it. Peace is the presence of God, bringing joy, happiness and tranquility to the soul. There are many enemies of peace, which are ever trying to destroy the mind’s ability to function. There is a battle for the mind of men in order to separate them from God’s principles, His peace and joy. To discredit His attributes and Who He is, to doubt His love and His word. We live in a world of confusion for not embracing His Word as true and powerful as we read in Hebrews 4:12: “for the Word that God speaks  is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and spirit, and of joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”  YAHSHUA warned us saying, “Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34). The path of life is many times uncertain. In many ways it will lead us where we don’t want to be. Decisions we make significant or not, will have consequences good or bad. The least will take us out of our comfort zone sometimes for a long time. When we embrace anxiety and everything else in its family, they will control our emotions and disease our body. The will of God is that we be free from anxiety. We are to make our requests known to Him by prayer, supplications and thanksgiving. Then He will bless us with His peace, the peace that transcends all understanding and He will guard our hearts and minds in Christ YASHUA (Phil. 4:6-7). That’s a promise worthy of our consideration as part of life. But as it is, we keep asking for things God has already promised or given us. The missing link here is lack of faith in many cases, denying us the fulfillment of His promises.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God; and God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ YAHSHUA.” Because sin has taken peace away from us and replaced it with anxiety, worries and fears, these are the first things that come to the mind in times of trouble. It is certain that physical diseases will follow, if we do not correct our feelings. As it is said, worries lodges in the stomach and heart; fear in the kidneys, anger in the liver. We stay sick because we do not consider the word of God to have answers for our problems.  It should be embarrassing to every Christian to live a life doubting the Word of God. The Lord said to the Prophet Jeremiah, “I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it” (Jer. 1:12b); “For as the rain and snow come done from the heavens and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that is may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but It shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent” (Isa.55:10-11). What our Lord God promised us; He will fulfill in His time. “God is faithful by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son YAHSHUA Messiah our Lord” (I Cor. 1:9). “The Word of the Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Ps.119:89). It was by the Word of God that the world was created. The Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God Himself. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being” (John 1:1-4).

The Approved Servant of YAHWEH

(I Thessalonians 2:4; II Timothy 2:2-8, 15)

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to Yahweh approved a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing the Word of Truth (II Timothy 2:15).

Study and be eager, these two words are words of command and guidance to the servants of Yahweh. Eager implies great enthusiasm and zeal; knowledge with zeal is like fuel in a car; Knowledge acquired from the Word of Yahweh positions the servant of Yahweh in readiness to serve Him; it opens the eyes of understanding and insight into it. Knowledge of the Word of Yahweh positions the servant of Yahweh to be in agreement with His Holy Spirit and takes him to another level of spiritual perception and understanding; knowledge of the Word of Yahweh opens the ears to hear the voice of His Spirit; knowledge with eagerness and excitement makes us perform the work entrusted to us. But when we exercise zeal without knowledge, we find ourselves to be ignorant of the root cause and taking a stand for the wrong thing.

To The One Who Has, More Shall Be Given

(Mark 4: 2- 11; 23-25; Luke 19:12-26)

And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them: Give attention to this! Behold, a sower went to sow (Mark 4:2,3). From the time that the Israel’s authorities hardened their hearts to the teachings of Yahshua and considered Him do be under the influence of demons, He then used the meanings of parables to teach them. Everyone was left in the dark except His disciples whom were given the interpretation, as He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God; but for those outside everything becomes a parable (vs. 11). As we see in this parable, the hearts of men –hard as a path, hard as rocks, difficult and stubborn as thorns, failed to receive the Word given them. Only those whose hearts are soft to hear the Word, will be blessed with the understanding of it.  Yahshua said, If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. That means, let him be making a conscious effort to hear, to take advice; to pay close attention to, to grasp mentally and understand.

The truth we hear must be received with a conscious and mental effort to acquire a deeper understanding and insight into it. Yahshua said that the measure in which we give attention to the truth we hear will be the measure of insight and understanding that will come back to us and more, and that’s why he who has, more will be given. In his diligence and faithfulness to the Word of Yahweh in his diligence in studying it and applying it to his heart, the Christian will be diligent in obedience. For him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away (Mark 4:23-25).

Ignorance- the Lack of Knowledge

(Hosea 4:6; Proverbs 19: 2)

“Father, grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, by having the eyes of my heart flooded with light, so that I can know and understand the hope to which You have called me.” (The prayer of Paul)

Knowledge is something acquired through life’s opportunities. The world is full of the knowledge of God. Everywhere we go, we see His handiwork pointing to Him. So knowledge is the awareness of facts acquired through experiences, through books of all kinds. Knowledge is the soul eye opener. Having knowledge with understanding is a must in life; it will guide in important decisions. When man accepts knowledge it will enter his heart and understanding will rule his emotions and will. Having knowledge without zeal is indifference. Many lives have been lost for not having been warned. But many lives have also been lost for rejecting knowledge. The Lord speaks through the Prophet Hosea concerning His people saying: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4: 6a). He blamed their priests in that they had rejected the knowledge of Him. Priests, in many ways, are responsible to impart spiritual knowledge to the people. They are held responsible before God for the spiritual wellbeing of the people.  The Lord told Ezekiel that if he did not warn the wicked, and they died on their sin, their blood will be required from Ezekiel’s hand (Ezekiel 3: 18). Having knowledge is a privilege and a light in dark times. But unshared knowledge has personal consequences.

He Performs What He Planned for My Life

(Job 23:14)

The words of Job spoken thousands of years ago still resonate strongly in our ears today when we read them. He desired that his words were written; that they were inscribed in a book; that with an iron pen and lead they were graven in the rock forever (Job 19: 23-24). Yes, God heard the prayer of His righteous servant, Job and years later, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Job’s words were inscribed in a book that has lasted thousands of years. They have encouraged many in their valleys and strengthened their faith because they came from a man in his suffering and not in his days of prosperity. He said, He performs [that He has] planned for me, and of many such matters He is mindful (Job 23:14). Job could see beyond all God’s faithfulness in completing in him His purpose for what He created him. He knew that God was aware and mindful of all his sufferings. We are blessed to have these words written in order to know without a doubt that God is aware and mindful of everything that happens to us, too. When God created a life, He created with a purpose. The destiny of every one is written in His book. David said, Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them (Psalm 139:16). Every human life is precious to Him; He was involved in every detail of creating us. He formed our inward parts; He knit us together in our mother’s womb… (Psalm 139:14a). After all, He gave us life. Not one single life created – born or unborn is a waste.

Faith Regulates the Believer’s Walk

For we walk by faith not by sight (II Cor. 5:7). These words from the apostle Paul denote a strong demand on the way we live. Since faith is the assurance of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality (Heb. 11:1), we must stand firmly holding faith’s banner for all to see. It is easy to walk by faith when all seems to be going fine, when faith is not challenged. But that is not faith at all, since faith requires hope for the reality of some things we expect to happen. When faith regulates the believers’ life, circumstances cannot alter the way we feel in times of trials, for it elevates the believer upward where our Lord YAHSHUA is sitting at the right hand of God. Faith is much needed while we are in our temporary tent for our existence on earth. As Paul said, In this tent we groan and sigh. Our spirit groans to be clothed with the non-corrupted body, for it does not belong in this temporary tent, since it was made a true life in Christ and regulated by faith. It is a gift we all should desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord. Faith conquers our fears and anxiety; it stands stronger than the enemy’s strength. Confident courage is the result of active faith and in it there is victory; the enemy is subdued under the power of faith. Only by faith we can believe in God, in His promises and be established in Him. The Lord told Israel, If you will not believe, you surely will not last (Isaiah 7: 9b), because it is faith that will sustain and uphold us with victory.

YAHSHUA – The Power, the Wisdom and the Word of God

(I Corinthians 1: 24; John 1:1-4; Revelation 19:13)

John makes a declaration that made us realize the importance of YAHSHUA in the creation of the world and everything in it. He was the Word spoken commanding existence of everyone and everything being created. John said, In the beginning was the Word (YAHSHUA), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God, all things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being (John 1:1-4).