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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.
Second Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Second Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
One thing I notice when talking to many believers today is the lack of peace in their hearts. Most are afraid of the future and are worried about the things taking place in the earth today. We are constantly fed destruction and hate on our minute by minute news cast and so many have become afraid.
The saddest part of all is the ones who have been terrified from the pulpit by those who call themselves prophets and seers who predict a new catastrophe every day. It’s some funny colored moon or asteroid or virus or world shattering event. Even though their predictions are always wrong people keep going back for a weekly dose of fear and gloom. The funny thing is that even though they predict the end of the world they ask for your money or want you to buy a book from them. Where are they going to spend this money if the world collapses?
What about these verses?
Ephesians 3:21
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Isaiah 45:17
But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
It’s time we as a church stopped this madness. We must see them for what they are. The world is laughing at us because it’s obvious to them and they can see the greed at work.
Why would the world want what we preach? We tell them God loves them so much that he gave his only son to die for them, and oh by the way, he’s going to destroy you because you missed church last week. Or even worse, God is going to sneak all of us out of here and leave you behind to face the devil by yourself. So where is the dividing line for those who get to escape? If it’s on our own righteousness none of us would make it.
Think about this for a moment: Suppose you have three children at home. One of them went to church today and then stopped to feed the hungry and help the homeless. The other two skipped church and stayed home to play video games. You come home to find your house on fire so you run in and rescue only the good one and laugh at the other two as they die screaming in the fire. After all, they are only getting what they deserve. Really? Sadly that is what most believers believe about our Father. And we wonder why the world laughs at us and refuses to believe in the terrorist God that the church believes in.
Hebrews 9:27 says:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
So when is the judgment? It’s after we die. So why are we blaming all the bad things happening in the world on the judgment of God? There are bad things happening today, just like last year, just like last century, just like when Jesus walked the earth.
Romans 6:23 says:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So the bad things happening are not God’s judgment but the result of sin. Sin is trying to destroy the world and God is offering eternal life through Christ.
We are not called to be in fear but in peace and faith. I am amazed by those who call themselves believers and still can’t see that God is good and he is our protector and savior. It’s time the church to repent and believe the Good News that God loves the world and is offering salvation to all who will come to him.
This double mindedness must stop. This is one of the reason we don’t receive the things we are promised.
James Chapter one says:
2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
If we think God is going to love us one moment and destroy us the next we are doubled minded and unstable. God is not the problem. It’s the wages of sin that is trying to destroy the world and not God’s judgment. God is good and he is always good and he will always be good. He has done all he can do to save each and every person in the world and he is not angry with the world.
I don’t say these things to condemn anyone but I am trying to wake up the church to the goodness of our God and his gospel. He has been lied about and misrepresented long enough. It’s time to believe the truth and stop the lies. We condemn people to prison for their whole lives, and even put some to death for lesser offenses than what our Father is accused of every week from some angry preacher who doesn’t really know what or whom he is talking about?
So why does God allow these fire breathing, destruction loving people to keep preaching the lies? It’s simple. He loves them and wants to save them and not see them destroyed. He loves the man in the pulpit and the man robbing the liquor store the same. Not judging either one of them while they are still wearing fallen flesh, but patiently waiting for the day when all this is done so he can only judge the heart and not the sin ravaged body.
This is how much we are loved. This is why we as a church must grow up and speak the truth in love and put these lies from among us. So how do we do this? We spread peace and love and represent our Father as he truly is. Tell the world that God is good and prove it by loving them until they come into the kingdom. Pour out his love and mercy without measure until they understand how much they are really loved. Another way is to stop the spread of fear. Stop buying the books, stop listening to the fear and turn on the peace.
I’d like to leave you with a few verses to think about:
Isaiah 41:13
For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Psalm 91:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
What do we have to be afraid of? If we live, we walk with Christ living in us and if we die we go to heaven and live with him there. He promised to never leave or forsake us so when are we going to believe the true gospel?
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
What happened to the good news? It’s still alive and well, we just need to dust it off and go proclaim to the world that “He is risen!”
I hope you are encouraged by these words,
Until next time,
Grow Rich in His Grace,
I love you all,
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.
Second Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Second Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
One thing I notice when talking to many believers today is the lack of peace in their hearts. Most are afraid of the future and are worried about the things taking place in the earth today. We are constantly fed destruction and hate on our minute by minute news cast and so many have become afraid.
The saddest part of all is the ones who have been terrified from the pulpit by those who call themselves prophets and seers who predict a new catastrophe every day. It’s some funny colored moon or asteroid or virus or world shattering event. Even though their predictions are always wrong people keep going back for a weekly dose of fear and gloom. The funny thing is that even though they predict the end of the world they ask for your money or want you to buy a book from them. Where are they going to spend this money if the world collapses?
What about these verses?
Ephesians 3:21
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Isaiah 45:17
But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
It’s time we as a church stopped this madness. We must see them for what they are. The world is laughing at us because it’s obvious to them and they can see the greed at work.
Why would the world want what we preach? We tell them God loves them so much that he gave his only son to die for them, and oh by the way, he’s going to destroy you because you missed church last week. Or even worse, God is going to sneak all of us out of here and leave you behind to face the devil by yourself. So where is the dividing line for those who get to escape? If it’s on our own righteousness none of us would make it.
Think about this for a moment: Suppose you have three children at home. One of them went to church today and then stopped to feed the hungry and help the homeless. The other two skipped church and stayed home to play video games. You come home to find your house on fire so you run in and rescue only the good one and laugh at the other two as they die screaming in the fire. After all, they are only getting what they deserve. Really? Sadly that is what most believers believe about our Father. And we wonder why the world laughs at us and refuses to believe in the terrorist God that the church believes in.
Hebrews 9:27 says:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
So when is the judgment? It’s after we die. So why are we blaming all the bad things happening in the world on the judgment of God? There are bad things happening today, just like last year, just like last century, just like when Jesus walked the earth.
Romans 6:23 says:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So the bad things happening are not God’s judgment but the result of sin. Sin is trying to destroy the world and God is offering eternal life through Christ.
We are not called to be in fear but in peace and faith. I am amazed by those who call themselves believers and still can’t see that God is good and he is our protector and savior. It’s time the church to repent and believe the Good News that God loves the world and is offering salvation to all who will come to him.
This double mindedness must stop. This is one of the reason we don’t receive the things we are promised.
James Chapter one says:
2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
If we think God is going to love us one moment and destroy us the next we are doubled minded and unstable. God is not the problem. It’s the wages of sin that is trying to destroy the world and not God’s judgment. God is good and he is always good and he will always be good. He has done all he can do to save each and every person in the world and he is not angry with the world.
I don’t say these things to condemn anyone but I am trying to wake up the church to the goodness of our God and his gospel. He has been lied about and misrepresented long enough. It’s time to believe the truth and stop the lies. We condemn people to prison for their whole lives, and even put some to death for lesser offenses than what our Father is accused of every week from some angry preacher who doesn’t really know what or whom he is talking about?
So why does God allow these fire breathing, destruction loving people to keep preaching the lies? It’s simple. He loves them and wants to save them and not see them destroyed. He loves the man in the pulpit and the man robbing the liquor store the same. Not judging either one of them while they are still wearing fallen flesh, but patiently waiting for the day when all this is done so he can only judge the heart and not the sin ravaged body.
This is how much we are loved. This is why we as a church must grow up and speak the truth in love and put these lies from among us. So how do we do this? We spread peace and love and represent our Father as he truly is. Tell the world that God is good and prove it by loving them until they come into the kingdom. Pour out his love and mercy without measure until they understand how much they are really loved. Another way is to stop the spread of fear. Stop buying the books, stop listening to the fear and turn on the peace.
I’d like to leave you with a few verses to think about:
Isaiah 41:13
For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Psalm 91:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
What do we have to be afraid of? If we live, we walk with Christ living in us and if we die we go to heaven and live with him there. He promised to never leave or forsake us so when are we going to believe the true gospel?
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
What happened to the good news? It’s still alive and well, we just need to dust it off and go proclaim to the world that “He is risen!”
I hope you are encouraged by these words,
Until next time,
Grow Rich in His Grace,
I love you all,
michael
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