Spiritual Discipline

Return to Our First Love

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Return to Our First Love

Do you remember?

Who can forget their first love?  The excitement we felt when that special person entered the room.  The anticipation of seeing them and the connection that was made as eyes met.  The experience of first love, with all its innocence and purity, was never to be repeated—for that is the way of “first things”.

Remember the first time you professed your love for Jesus Christ?  With that experience came the same excitement and anticipation as our first earthly love.  Unlike most first things that eventually lose their luster, it is important for us to make every effort to nurture and cultivate our personal relationship with our First Love, Jesus Christ.

How’s love today?

Are we feeling distant and estranged from God?  Do our prayers appear routine and repetitive?  Is our praise predictable and puny?  If we answered yes to any of these questions, then it’s time for us to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) and see what is hindering our personal relationship with the Lord.  God never changes (Malachi 3:6) nor has God moved.  Maybe it’s time to return to our first love for Jesus.

The church at Ephesus had persevered and endured hardship for the Lord.  This was a critical part of the early church’s responsibility to insure a clear and true presentation of the gospel (Eph. 4:1-2).  In general, this church had continued in its faithful service to God for more than 40 years.   While all these “efforts” were important in the development of the early church (as it is now), there was something noticeably absent.  They had left their first love for Jesus.

Time to return.

Jesus lays a charge of carelessness in Ephesus’ relationship with Him in Revelations 2:4:  ” Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

In the literal translation of today’s text, the order of the words in Greek emphatically denote the strong rebuke directed to the church. “Your first love you have left!”  This second-generation of believers, had retained purity of doctrine but were lacking in deep devotion to Christ.

As believers, we must ask ourselves if we too are careless in cultivating our relationship with the Lord.     Remember the first time we professed our love for Jesus Christ?  With that experience came excitement and anticipation.  Are we now guilty of taking our eyes off the Lord?  Are we more concerned with our personal agendas than practicing the presence of the Holy Spirit?  Have we left our first love?

And what can we say about the Church, Christ’s bride (Rev. 19:7-9)?  The Church needs to heed the same warning given to the Ephesians.  Orthodoxy and service is not enough.  Christ wants hearts as well as our hands and heads (Matt. 22:37).

How can I return?

Last week, we agreed that repentance is the starting point to return to God.  Once this has taken place, we might consider the following strategies to return to His side (1 John 1:3).

Recommit ourselves to Him.   Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Rom.  6:16) Recommitment involves renewing your loyalty to Christ and His lordship over your life.  This includes directing your time, talents, and treasures to the service of the Lord.  We are so grateful that there is nothing that can ever separate us from God’s love (Rom. 8:39).

Renew our love for Him.  I will love You, O LORD, my strength (Ps. 18:1).  Tell the Lord how much you love Him.  Although He is all-knowing, He still wants to hear us tell Him how much we adore Him.    We must let Him know that we desire Him with all our heart and soul (Ps. 42:1-2).  Let us show our love for Him through our praise and worship.  We are never closer to Him than when we “love on Him” (Ps. 22:3).

Reprioritize our life around Him.   Christ set the standard for priority when He said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt.  6: 33).  However, to make God the center of our life is counterculture.  When we place Christ first in our life, we are assured that we have chosen the “Good Part” (Luke 10:42).

It’s time to return to our first love!  He is waiting for us (Isa. 30:15, 18).

Spiritual Discipline

Return to Repentance

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The truth sometimes hurts.

As part of my devotions today, I read Isaiah 59.  Although I have read individual verses from this chapter before, today’s full reading of this chapter struck a “spiritual nerve”.   Isaiah 59:2,  in particular, caught my attention.

Your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.  (NRS)

It’s all about us!

Isaiah 59 was not written for people who had no knowledge of God; people we refer to as  “the unsaved”, but it was penned for those whom God had entered into a special covenant relationship with.

Israel had been hand-chosen by God from all the nations in the world (Deut. 7:7-9) to carry out His purpose and plan of salvation.  They were to be a “holy nation, a peculiar people that would show forth His praises” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Unfortunately, instead of heralding God’s praises, Israel went a “whoring” after other gods (Jer. 3:2; Ezek. 43:7), relying on itself and other nations.  The result was punishment—70 years captivity in Assyria and Babylon—away from the land God had promised and given to them.

How do we measure up as a nation?

In reading Isaiah 59, I see an unsettling similarity between the events leading up to Israel’s exile and where we find ourselves today as a nation and yes, as the Church.

As a nation, we have walked away from the spiritual guidance and direction of God.  If you survey our social institutions and political systems, you will see remnants of what we once knew as “one nation under God”.  We have exchanged our “moral compass” for “individual rights”.

The lines of “right and wrong” are no longer determined by God’s holy standards but have been replaced by political affiliations and social relationships.   Man has placed himself on the throne of his heart—doing “what is right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).  Servility and kindness, community and brotherly love have all been sacrificed on the altar of man’s selfishness.

How about the Church?

As the Church, we have retreated into the safety of our church walls.  Internally focused, we are more concerned with our personal needs and how we can achieve “our purpose to be all we can be”.

We have forgotten about the helpless, the homeless, and the hungry.  Jesus went outside the walls to serve mankind versus being served (Matt. 20:28).  Jesus came “to preach, to bind, to proclaim, and to open” (Is. 61.1).  Can we as the Church do any less?

There is hope!

Hopefully, one of the key outcomes from reading Isaiah 59 is that we will begin to recognize and repent from those “iniquities that have separated us from God” (verse 2).

God wants to be reunited with this nation and His Church.  That’s why Jesus Christ came that our sins—personally and corporately, might be forgiven AND our relationship with the Father restored (2 Cor. 5:18-19).

The Redeemer (Jesus Christ) “did come to Zion” (verse 20) and to the rest of the world—that we might turn from our transgressions.  Let us pray continuously that we as a nation and the Church will repent of those behaviors and attitudes that cause us to transgress against God.

Victorious Living

In Search of Peace: When will we find it?

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In Search of Peace: When will we find it?

We seek peace.

What peace are we seeking and when will we find it?  Because of God’s grace and mercy, we experience various degrees of peace even in this fallen world.  We are no longer in enmity with God because of Jesus’ gift of life (2 Cor. 5:18).  We on occasion see glimpses of peace between nations and groups divided because of preference, politics, or social agendas.  However, even that peace is tenuous and subject to change with the next difference of opinion.

The search for peace is a pursuit that will continue until we transition to eternity.  So why are we trying so hard to achieve it now?  Because it is God’s desire that we live in peace with each other and experience peace within.  Without peace we will be hindered from accomplishing our divine purpose which includes glorifying God.

Peace was God’s First Choice

When God and man lived in the Garden of Eden, their world was designed to accomplish a specific purpose.  God would provide for His creation—food, clothing, shelter.  Man in turn would be obedient to his Creator and reverence God.  They would enjoy an intimate and harmonious relationship. There was peace.   Of course, we know what happened to the plan of creation.

Although many attempts have been made through the institution of covenants and laws, man has always been troubled with contention, strife, and war (Hab. 1:3; James 4:1; Rom. 2:8).  The biblical text relates attempts by God’s prophets and priests to bring peace, but none could be found—externally nor within.

Only Jesus Christ, the Promised Messiah, could bring the “peace” that would reverse the ravages of sin that resulted in broken relationships and shattered hearts (Isa. 9:6-7; Mic. 5:4-5).

Peace is a hard issue.

Early in our study we defined peace as a stress-free state of security and calmness, everything co-existing in perfect harmony and freedom.  Let’s be real.  Man cannot orchestrate this kind of peace while we live in this fallen world.   And this is the world we must live in right now.   The peace described in this definition will be possible when Jesus Christ returns and rules physically during the Millennial Age.

However, right now God’s peace is guaranteed by His unchanging promises and can be found through faith in Jesus Christ.  It is possible spiritually through the Holy Spirit living within us. The Holy Spirit fortifies us as we live in this fallen world.  He sustains us even in the most desperate of circumstances (Gal. 5:22).

Peace that passes all understanding.

The Apostle Paul, while imprisoned in Rome, appealed to the church in Phillipi, to “rejoice in the Lord”.  Strange message considering Paul’s situation.  But while experiencing the backlash of living in a fallen world, he found peace in his situation.  He offered the same to them (Phil. 4:6-7, NLT).

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Chrysostom, Eastern church father and archbishop of Constantinople wrote these words on “how this peace—God’s peace—passes all understanding”.

The peace of God, which He imparts to us, passes all understanding. For who could have expected and who could have hoped for such benefits? It transcends every human intellect and all speech. For His enemies, for those who hate Him, for the apostates—for all these He did not refuse to give his only begotten Son, so as to make peace with them. The peace which will preserve us is the one of which Christ says, “My peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.”  For this peace passes all human understanding. How? When He sees that we should be at peace with enemies, with the unrighteous, with those who display contentiousness and hostility toward us, how does this not pass human understanding?[1]

God’s peace is what we need for 21st century living.  Peace that will not only exceed our expectations but also guard our hearts and minds, from fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and despair.  Our “call to action” as believers is to, like Jesus’ Disciples and the Apostle Paul, become agents of peace and ministers of reconciliation to a “peaceless” world.  In the world’s search for peace, let us be the light to show them where they can find it (Matt. 5:9).

[1]  Ancient Christian Commentary of Scripture, New Testament VIII, Mark J. Edwards

Victorious Living

In Search of Peace: Perfect Peace or Peacelessness?

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Perfect peace or peacelessness?

Peace Recap

We closed last week’s session by putting forth the truth that true peace can only be found in God through Jesus Christ.

Through Christ’s sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, we as believers have peace with God (Rom. 5:10), the peace of God (2 Peter 1:3-4), and peace from God (2 Cor. 4:8-9).    God’s peace is underwritten by His unchanging promises and experienced through the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us.   So why is there so much peacelessness?

What causes “peacelessness”?

Is there such a word?  I don’t know but, for me, it is the perfect description of what we are experiencing while living in this fallen world. Increases in depression, anxieties, and mental distress.  Conflict and violence in our world, in our nation, in our communities and our families.

Even nature is experiencing peacelessness as we adjust to the effects of global warming and climatic changes.  Peacelessness (no peace) is one thing we can all agree is going to be difficult to attain in our immediate future!

Why peacelessness?

For both believers and nonbelievers, the difficulty in finding peace lies in where we are looking for it.  Unfortunately, we most often look for peace in the wrong place and from the wrong source.   We place our dependency on the world and on self.

    • The world offers a false sense of security and hope that it cannot produce. Its knowledge and technology are God’s gifts of wisdom, but it cannot replace our all-knowing, all-seeing, and everywhere present God.  The world’s “fallenness” makes it neither trustworthy nor truthful (1 Cor. 7:31).
    • Our flesh, our pride, and our disobedience often lead us down the wrong paths for our life. When we lean on our own understanding, we are placing our trust in the fragility and the weakness that is innate in humanity (Prov. 3:5-7).

We must also consider the influence of Satan’s lies and deception. All these factors result in the same outcome which is the failure to hear and accept God’s offer of peace.

God, however, offers a solution to the peacelessness (lack of peace) in our life.  The God of hope wants to fill us with joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope, through the   power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13).  How can we access this joy and peace?  By believing in God and in His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  By faith, God offers “shalom shalom”—perfect peace.

Perfect Peace

The prophet Isaiah gives us both the outcome and the pathway to God’s peace (Isa. 26:3).

You (God) will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

    • “God will keep”. God will guard and watch over us.  Just as a watchman in a high tower of an ancient city continually surveyed the terrain for potential problems.  God watches over us.  If there is a problem, the watchman will defend and protect.  So will our God.
    • “our mind”. Our intellectual framework “continually processes” the daily trauma we’re exposed to.  It guides our decisions as to the best solutions for the problems we face.  It holds our thoughts and our imagination.  It also houses our fears and brokenness.
    • “in perfect peace” (shalom shalom). Why is it perfect?  Because God is its source.  God commands the “right resources” we need to address life’s situations.  His peace is underwritten by His promises, His presence, and His power.  He is the Great I Am (Exod. 3:14).
    • “he trusts”. Trust, translated, means “to have confidence; to make secure”. This is our part to perform.  Our trust is reflected in our obedience to God’s Word and in our allegiance to Him.  Trusting in God is a non-negotiable.  Rather we are “abound or abase” (Phil.4:12-13) or “pressed on every side” (2 Cor. 4:8-10), we trust God!  (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
The Final Peace

God alone can give us the peace we so desperately need in our life and in this world.  I leave you with these words from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  While He shared them with His Disciples in the moments prior to His crucifixion, He speaks to us today.   Read them; meditate on them.  God is our peace (Eph. 2:14).  He is our “Shalom Shalom”.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (John 16:33, NLT)

Victorious Living

In Search of Peace: Whose peace do we want?

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In Search of Peace: Whose Peace do we Want?

In Search of peace.

As we learned last week, peace can be defined in many ways. From a world perspective, peace is a stress-free state where there is perfect harmony and freedom. However, peace from a biblical perspective provides us with more precise descriptions on which to focus our attention.

Both the Old and New Testaments use the root word, salom or shalom to capture the meaning of peace as “completeness, contentment, rest, and harmony”.

Peace by any definition can be very elusive and subject to change because of external influences.  That’s why we need to be clear as to what we’re looking for and where we think we may find it.

Loss of our Peace.

At one time man experienced “perfect peace”.  That peace was found in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve.   There was completeness, contentment, rest, and harmony.  On Maslow’s Hierarchy they were “at the top” of the pyramid.  Their peace, however, ended with the entrance of sin.

In the beginning, all creation was in a state of shalom, and this is the environment that Adam and Eve entered into. This Shalom was a perfect peace, where the infinite Creator of all things was in complete communion with his created beings Adam and Eve. Yet sin destroyed that shalom and cast the world into a place of brokenness. The fallen world we live in, with its violence, heartache, pain, and death are very visible results of the Shalom that was lost so very long ago.[1]

As we view the challenges of living in the 21st century with its social challenges, spiritual deficits, and moral vice, we might ask if peace can become a reality in our lifetime.  Peace can be achieved but it must begin with an understanding of the true source of peace.

Man-made peace.

There are two types of peace we can experience.  The first is man-made peace which is based on the creation of external systems to ensure safety and security.  It also includes safeguards to support peaceful interactions between individuals, groups, and communities (relationships).  On a large scale we see governments (local, state, or national) serving in these roles.   Our best efforts in fabricating peace will only leave us in disappointment and despair because our skewed understanding of peace is dependent upon things outside our control![2]

God-given peace.

The other option we have is God-given peace. The pursuit of God-given peace begins with being spiritually reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10).  Because of our sin nature, our relationship is estranged.  The way back to God is only possible through acceptance of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sin (Rom. 5:8-9).  Once reconciled to God, we are no longer in enmity with each other.  We have peace with God.

Once we have peace with God, we become heirs of salvation and part of God’s Kingdom (Rom. 8:17).  As children of God, we receive the Holy Spirit who dwells within us to comfort and strengthen us during difficult times. The Holy Spirit brings peace by reminding us of the faithfulness of God.  The Spirit speaks to the promises and blessings that are ours because of our righteous standing made possible through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Peter 1:3-4).   We have the peace of God.

As we daily walk in newness of life with the Holy Spirit as our guide, we begin to act like Jesus.  We are told to be conformed to the image of Christ who provides us with the model of how we act and react while living in this fallen world.  We have escaped the corruption that is in the world through our knowledge of God—His power, His purpose, and His presence.  This provides us with great confidence even when pressed on every side (2 Cor. 4:8-9).  We have peace from God.

True Peace

Jesus promised to give His Disciples peace.  Jesus’ peace quiets the inner turmoil that comes with danger.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you: I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled, or fearful.” (John 14:27, CSB)

The Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians that God’s peace is true peace.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7, Living Bible)

Whose peace do we desire?  True peace can only be found in God through Jesus Christ.  God’s peace is underwritten by His unchanging promises and experienced through the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us.   God’s peace meets the perfect biblical standards.  It is complete, leading to contentment, giving us rest (from worry), and creating harmony in our relationships.

[1] Jason Soroski, “What does shalom mean and why is it important?”, Crosswalk.com.   

[2] Samuel Stephens, “The Pursuit of Peace”, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.

Victorious Living

In Search of Peace: What is Peace?

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In Search of Peace: What is Peace?

The Pursuit of Peace

With all the chaos in the world, contention in our country, and personal stress in our life, it is no surprise that one of the things people want most but can’t seem to find is peace.  Whether we’re talking about world peace, peaceful relationships, or peace-of-mind, there just never seems to be enough peace.

What is peace?  A biblical counselor asked their patients to work through an exercise which has them lists the qualities and characteristics of peace.  The results with both Christian and non-Christians are to help people understand that, many times, the peace they seek is “situational, temporary, and experiential”.

It (peace) is seen as the absence of conflict or the removal of hinderance to personal happiness. “When I’m not fighting, when I’m appreciated, when I’m happy, when I’m financially secure.”[1]   

What does OUR list look like?  Take a minute and write down what you think peace looks like.

Do we want peace?

Silly question!  Who doesn’t want peace?  Well, of course, Satan doesn’t want it.  Whether it’s peace in the world or peace of mind, Satan loves confusion, conflict, and division.  So do Satan’s followers: “principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness of this world” and “spiritual wickedness in high places”, i.e., political, commercial, social, religious (Eph.6:12).   Before we answer the question of do we want peace, let’s agree on what it is.

What is peace?

A general definition of peace is a stress-free state of security and calmness that comes when there is no fighting or war, everything co-existing in perfect harmony and freedom.[2]  Is peace a feeling?

Webster adds to this definition by highlighting the “freedom” aspect of peace: “freedom from disturbance, from war, from civil disorder, and even freedom from disputes and dissension between people.”  Is peace based on our circumstances?

I am enjoying this study on peace.  From a biblical perspective, it gives me an opportunity to closely examine the words that were “carefully” chosen by the Holy Spirit to best represent God’s intended meaning of peace.  It becomes a point of spiritual clarity for me.  Whether it is Greek or Hebrew, the word meaning adds to the “precision” I need to know what peace really looks like.

Peace by any other name!

The biblical concept of peace is larger than what we might read in our modern dictionaries. It rests heavily on the Hebrew word root (slm) which means “to be complete” or “to be sound”.  The verb peace conveys the meaning—”to be complete or whole” or “to live well”.  It is from this root that we get the more familiar word, salom or shalom. 

In the Old Testament, this fine distinction of peace can be grouped into four general categories of shalom:

  1. Wholeness of life or body, i.e., health. (Ps. 34:18; 147:3; Jer. 33:6)
  2. Right relationship or harmony between two parties or people, often established by a covenant. (Numbers 25:12-13; Ezek. 34:25-26)
  3. Prosperity, success, or fulfillment (Lev. 26:3-9)
  4. Victory over one’s enemies or absence of war (Isa. 9:6-7)

The New Testament word for peace, eirene, has been greatly influenced by the Hebrew use of shalom.  It occurs in each book of the New Testament.  Eirene originally referred to the orderly, prosperous life that is possible if there is no war.  Only much later did philosophers begin to apply the concept to an inner, personal peace.

In many ways, the two renderings of peace overlap, especially regarding relationships and harmony between people and nations.   It describes:

  1. Harmonious relationships (Luke 14:32)
  2. Freedom from harassment (rest from war) (Luke 11:21; Acts 9:31)
  3. Order, rest, and contentment (Matt.10:13, John 14:27)
  4. Harmonized relationship between God and man (Acts 10:36; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14-17)

Shalom is still used in both greetings and farewells.  It is meant to act as a blessing to the one to whom it is spoken.

Where is my peace?

In answer to my earlier question, “do we want peace?”  Of course, we do! So, if we all want peace, why don’t we have it and why is it so elusive?  As stated earlier, many times the peace we seek is situational, temporary, and experiential.  If we base our peace on the things of “this world, our peace is tied to an unstable, ever-changing world (1 John 2: 15-17).

Unfortunately, we often allow this type of peace to dictate our feelings and our emotions.  We may feel safe, secure, and calm; that is until there is a change in circumstances.

Peace may appear to elude us because we don’t know what REAL PEACE looks like.  That is the purpose of this series to better understand what real peace looks like.  Once we have a clear understanding of what it looks like and its true source, we will find shalom as we navigate the tumultuous waters of 21st century living.

May your life be filled with health, prosperity, and victory.

May it be filled with God’s shalom.

[1] The Pursuit of Peace, Samuel Stephens, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, April, 2020

[2] Vocabulary.com

Spiritual Maturity

Peacemaking 2023

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Revisiting the past

A few years ago, WordBytes featured a series on the Beatitudes (Matt. 5: 1-12).  One of our teachings in that series dealt specifically with “peacemakers”.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.”  Matt. 5:9 (NRS)

I returned to this teaching today as a result of several events that have occurred this week.  The first was a Facebook post from a college classmate.  Although I’m not a close follower of Facebook, when I received the following invitation to “check it out”, I was moved and challenged.

I am tired.  There is too much hate and too many who want to keep hate going!!!!  Breaking News:  In these difficult times, we all need to show our love to one another.  I am challenging at least 20 of my friends to comment, “Love ya”, and them put this on your status and see who actually says Love ya! 

I’m not going to share the results but, in my mind, my classmate is a peacemaker.  What role do we each play as peacemakers?  How willing are we to callout bad behavior and redirect people to what Jesus taught?  Did Jesus mean what He said?  Absolutely!  He wasn’t talking just to hear Himself!

Another story of peacemaking

This morning this news banner came across my phone: “Congress tries to break fever of incivility amid string of vulgar, toxic exchanges”.  

They live a mile apart in Columbus, Ohio. And they shop in the same produce aisle at the same grocery store. US Reps Mike Carey a Republican and Joyce Beatty, a Democrat, often bump into each other at the airport and see each other all over the neighborhood.  Over glasses of orange juice and ice water in May, they even talk about the importance of being seen together at work, talking, and planning. Carey and Beatty have formed a Congressional Civility Caucus, seeking to inspire a more civil discourse between the two parties.[1]   

These two individuals could be poster children for what peacemaking looks like.  How do you think “the world” will view their actions?  Do a Google search on “civility in Congress” and see the various articles written about this topic.  There are as many against civility efforts as in favor of it.  Sad so sad!  How can there be peace if there are no peacemakers?

What does a peacemaker look like?

Peacemakers are intentional in creating opportunities that mirror God’s heart of peace in the world. They look for opportunities to both prevent potential conflicts and encourage peaceful relationships even if it means personal sacrifice and self-deference (1 Cor. 9:22).

They understand that peace is not the result of external factors or human effort but is the internal “heart work” of the Holy Spirit, who is daily conforming believers to the image of Christ, the Ultimate Peacemaker (Rom. 8:29).  Peacemaking finds genesis in the heart of God.

The need for peacemaking

For wherever there is jealousy or selfish ambition, there will be disorder and every other kind of evil (James 3:16, TLB)

Wherever there is strife and envy, you can betcha that Satan is the puppeteer behind the screen.   That strife can exist between strangers, friends, church members, or yes, even family.  This week in an article entitled, “Why So Many Young People Are Cutting Off Their Parents”, Karl Pillemer, a professor at Cornell University, found that 27% of Americans over the age of 18 were estranged from a family member.  Scary huh?

Children of God are Peacemakers.

The peace that Jesus speaks to in this Beatitude is not a “natural” habit or disposition of man. This peace is imparted to us during the process of salvation (2 Cor. 5:17).  Practicing peacemaking is not easy in the natural or our flesh.  Yet it is more than possible in the Spirit (Gal. 522).

What adjective do people use to describe us?  Are we portrayed as bridge builders or wrecking balls?   Do people see us as encouragers or dream crushers?  As silly as this exercise may seem, it is important that the world sees us as God’s peacemakers.

[1] CBS News

Spiritual Maturity

Clarion Word Classics: What if Jesus Really Meant what He Said?

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Expand our spiritual thought

Earlier this year, WordBytes launched a new learning format entitled The Clarion Word Classics.  The word “clarion” comes from the Latin word claru or ‘clear’.  Used as an adjective, it means ‘loud and clear’.

Our intent with this quarterly series is to make “loud and clear” what is ours in Christ (Rom. 8:17) and  the relevancy of our faith for this present generation (Matt. 24:34).

New thought

With The Clarion Word Classics we will share faith writings from key theologians who will strengthen and enrich our spiritual lives and faith walk.  Some from  sage theologians and writers  and also introduce contemporary writers who express spiritual answers to the challenges of 21st century living.

To kickoff this Clarion Word Classics (CWC), we introduce the book Red Letter Revolution:  What if Jesus Really Meant What He Said?  Listed among the most popular devotional books, we thought this may be of interest to our curious readers.  Shane Claiborn and Tony Campolo , offer interesting perspectives on how to make our faith real in a world with no absolutes and growing disbelief in God and Jesus.

Let the Holy Spirit guide you

In the Word Ministries provides CWC in our effort to “inspire authentic communities of faith, fellowship, and learning.”  It is in that spirit that we share this book.  This is not an endorsement or agreement with the views shared.  Here  is an excerpt from and about  Red Letter Revolution.  

Our Faith Walk

What is Your Eternal Net Worth?

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Spiritual return in heaven

Our recent study on eternity has awakened a sensitivity in me as to how I spend my time and resources.   Are the things I’m doing adding to the glory and honor of my King and His Kingdom? Or am I only concerned with what’s relevant to life right now?

Alstair Begg, noted preacher and theologian, added to my concern by questioning me (indirectly of course) as to whether I was more concerned with my IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) than my IEA (Individual Eternity Account).  Do I have an eternal net worth?

Net Worth by any other name

Net worth is a financial term used to describe the total value of all possessions minus all outstanding debt.  It reflects what we  earn for personal benefit.  If we apply this financial term to spiritual things, eternal net worth is the value of one’s works that will be accounted to our reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

What’s with the fire?

The Apostle Paul, in writing to the church of Corinth wanted them to be aware that the works done on earth would have a direct impact on the rewards they would later receive in heaven.

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” 1 Cor. 3:12-15 (NIV)

The Day refers to the time of the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Bema Seat (1 Cor. 3:13).  It is there where we will receive our reward for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10).

As the writer of Hebrew stated:  It is appointed to man once to die and then the judgment (Heb. 9:27). We will not be judge for our previous sins since Jesus Christ paid that price on Calvary.  It is here, however, where we will receive our eternal inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4,5).

A test by fire

At the Bema Seat, before issuance of eternal rewards there will be a “testing” of the worth of our completed works. The quality of our  work is judged on its eternal value. Works of eternal value result in expansion and extension of God’s kingdom on earth (Isaiah 61:1- 3).

If what we have built survives, there is reward.  One of God’s moral qualities is justice.  It is here where God will fairly evaluate, not only the end result of our work, but also the motives and the attitudes behind them (Rom. 2:16).  To receive reward, our work must pass the holy scrutiny of God’s evaluation (1 Cor. 3:14).

Loss of rewards

If our works are burnt by the fire, we will suffer loss.  Our salvation will not be loss but how sad it will be for us to see our worthless works burn in the holy fire of God.  We will leave God’s throne with no rewards.  We will have no crowns to cast at the Savior’s feet. (Rev. 4:10)

Our works, though not redemptive in nature, will however,  reflect our obedience and submission to God’s plan and purpose for our life.  Let us remember that we are God’s fellow workers and His field (1 Cor. 3:9).  I leave you with this question.   Are we creating worth for God’s kingdom?  What is our spiritual net worth?

Knowing God

With Eternity in Mind: Where do we go from here?

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Where do we do from here?

Eternity Recapitulated

What have we learned about eternity?  Eternity is generally not a topic of discussion within most social circles, although it should be.  Why?  Because it represents not only where we will spend “forever and ever” but also will influence how we CHOOSE TO LIVE our life today.  Eternity begins the moment we are born and continues until our demise.  Everybody gets eternity!

However, believers also receive eternal/everlasting life.   Everlasting life is the blessedness in God’s presence.  This relates not only to the quality of life in this age, but also to both the quality and duration of life in the age to come.  Everlasting life begins when individuals accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Everybody may not get everlasting life!  

Because eternity is so important, it is imperative that we have a clear and accurate understanding about it.  What’s the threat?  The sway of myths, lies, and misunderstandings.  That is why we believers depend on the authority and inerrancy of the Bible to guide us.

The blessedness in God’s presence

The biggest learning, for me, is that eternal life begins NOW.  Scripture teaches that to experience the fullness of God’s glory we need to separate from our flesh—the part that temporarily houses our spirit.  Our spirit—our essence, the part that never dies—will ultimately enter the “spiritual place” prepared for us in heaven.  (John 14:1-2)

That is why it is important to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (2 Cor. 5:16-17).  Spiritual conversion (redemption and renewal) is needed to prepare us to enter God’s presence—on earth and in the future, in heaven.  While I am yet alive, the blessedness of God’s presence is possible through the gift of His Holy Spirit—a foretaste of glory divine.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 
(John 3:6)

What does blessedness look like?

How does the blessedness of God’s presence manifest itself?  What does eternal/everlasting life look like in my everyday life?  Here are several scriptures to begin answering those questions?

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  (Gal. 5: 22-24, RSV)

His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Thus, he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. (2 Pet. 1:3-4)

The greatest witness to God’s presence in our lives are the spiritual blessings we receive in Christ (Eph. 1:3-14).  God’s blessedness is shown in His love, His provision, and His protection.

God’s presence, the reality of eternity now, gives us a “living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3-7)—boldness, perseverance, and tenacity–to live out God’s purpose for our life (Eph. 2:10).  His presence guarantees it!

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory,
he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit. 
(Ephesian 3:16)

Where do we go from here?

Dr. Joseph M. Stowell, author of Eternity:  Reclaiming a Passion for What Endures writes:

Many Christians become disillusioned as their quest for peace and pleasure on this earth feel them with despair.  If you are one of these believers who senses you’re missing something—who have hoped for more—it may be that your perspective is distorted by your focus on this world. With heaven as our point of reference, we can learn to live a satisfying, balance, and victorious life even in a fallen world.

We MUST “reclaim our passion for what endures”—eternity.  We best serve The King and His Kingdom, by:

    • FOCUSING  our attention on eternity and things of God.
    • DEMOSTRATING to others what eternal life looks like in everyday life.
    • SHARING  the reality of eternity with both believers and nonbelievers.