Tag: told you

18.m. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you”

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

 Isaiah 32:15-17     until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.  Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.  And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

 Romans 8:6    For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

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

The peace this world has to offer is often based on deliberate blind and deafness, half-truths and lies, and a host of other shiny bright distractions or false alternatives. The peace which the world offers us is the peace of escape, the peace which comes from the avoidance of trouble and from refusing to face things.” (Barclay) Jesus offers a better peace, a real peace, a peace that passes all understanding. 

When Jesus is our refuge, hope, rock, courage, and strength we find peace.  This does not mean freedom from trouble but rather Peace of Mind.  We are definitely living in troubling times.  Good is called bad, bad is called good, and lies and half-truths fill media news.  Fear is being sold at every opportunity and the problem is that way too many Christians are buying it, cowering to it, and even proclaiming it.  Love, faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ casts out all fear.  The arrows of fear never strike.  The arrows of fear pass us by as we stand on the Rock of our salvation.  David said; “You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge”

“Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”

Peace comes at a price.  That price is total surrender to the author and finisher, alpha and omega, creator, and all-powerful heavenly Father.  Too often we think that the more we are in control the better it will be, the more peace we will find.  Only when we surrender all we have and all we are to Jesus Christ will we find the peace that passes all understanding.

15.c. “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

John 3:31  He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Philippians 2:9-11     Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Ephesians 1:20-21   that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

John 3:12    If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

 John wanted everyone to know where Jesus came from. Jesus was different from everyone else because He came from heaven. He wasn’t an exceptionally spiritual or wise or good man; He was and is God, from heaven. Jesus is not only different from everyone else; Jesus is also greater than everyone else. If we want information about a family, we will get it at first hand only from a member of that family. If we want information about a town we will get it at first hand only from someone who comes from that town. So, then, if we want information about God, we will get it only from the Son of God; and if we want information about heaven and heaven’s life, we will get it only from him who comes from heaven. (Enduring Word)

There is a heavy price to pay for rejecting the Son of God.  When Jesus is rejected, so is God. Why does a man think they can reject the Son of God and somehow still receive eternal life? This is not possible and is a delusion, lie, and a fool-paradise.  The wrath of God awaits every soul that rejects the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The wrath of God is not fading away.  It is being held in check by His grace, mercy, and love until the fulfillment of His purpose and plan and timing.  Those that die while still rejecting Jesus Christ will enter eternity, but not in heaven.  Hell is their eternal reward for this rejection of salvation, redemption, and forgiveness.  Torment, darkness, pain, and anguish for eternity.  It is an intentional choice to receive or reject the gift of life through Jesus Christ.   Eternal consequences are the direct result of this choice.

God is Great

“for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

Psalms 95:3  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Psalms 86:8-10   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.  All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.  For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Psalms 96:4     For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.

Psalms 97:9    For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

Psalms 145:3     Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

Jeremiah 10:6-7     There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.  Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.

Jeremiah 10:10     But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.  Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”  It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.  When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.  Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.  They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.  Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is his name.

Isaiah 44:8    Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

People believe many things contrary to God.  Much of what they believe is found in various types of media.  (TV, radio, books, internet, magazine articles, video’s) All proclaiming there is no God.  All of these comments are placed in these various forms of media by someone.  No one would believe they just appeared there by chance or developed on their own.  These authors have placed their thoughts for others to see – to convey a message.  Many who read/watch these have no doubt the author exists even though they have not met or seen this person(s).  God has communicated in a much grander way -through creation of all there is.  One only has to look up into the sky at night, or at a seed sprouting in the spring, or a new born baby, or the mountains, or laws of physics.  There is no delusion in His creation – it it there for all to see the work of His hand.  And yet there are those who choose to believe a lie proclaimed in some form of media by a person they have never met.  These people see the work of God’s creation and choose to call a “chance happening”.  God is very much alive and very real and ever present.  See God through His creation, know God through His word, and desire to live to honor, glorify, serve, follow and obey Him.

I go prepare a place

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

John 14:1  “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going.”

John 14:18     “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Matthew 25:32-34    Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

2 Corinthians 5:6     So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,  for we walk by faith, not by sight.  Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

1 John 3:2    Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 22:3     No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

We will see Him.  He will be our light. We will be with Him forever.  We will be like Him.  We are His children.   We are blessed and have a kingdom to look forward to.  God loves us. He will not leave us.  He will come to us.  He will prepare a place for us. He will take us to Himself.  Our home will be with Him.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.  We walk by faith and have courage because of this faith. Our faith is built on Jesus Christ and through Him these promises are ours.  Through these promises we have reason to live and can face whatever troubles come our way.  We have peace that passes worldly understanding because He lives and is coming again to take us to Himself.  Will He find us waiting and looking forward to His return?  Set your mind on humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him until we see Him again and live with Him forever and ever.