Finding Peace in Times of Distress

When the hour is dark, when the situation is desperate, when we are humbled and brought very low, we finally begin looking and longing for God’s peace. Trembling, we grope through the darkness, longing to know that all will be well.

When the angel of Jehovah appeared to Gideon (Judges 6), he was crouching in the dark confines of a winepress, threshing wheat in secret to protect it — and himself — from the Midianite invaders. This was not a new way to thresh grain, it was cowardice. Listen to how the angel of the Lord addresses Gideon.

The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? …the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The LORD looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:12-14)

At first Gideon questioned this angel of the Lord and complained about his circumstances. How could God really love Israel? How could God really care about Gideon when they were all in such distress, danger, and poverty?

Gideon did not yet know to Whom he was speaking. This angel spoke as Jehovah Himself, and when Gideon finally realized he’d been discussing politics and religion with God — face to face — he was rightfully terrified:

“Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” The LORD said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. (Judges 6:22-24)

When do we first encounter the name Jehovah-shalom? Where does God first reveal His name as The Lord is Peace?

In the presence of a man who is desperately afraid… a man who is literally walled in by circumstances… a man who is worried and discouraged and has no peace in his heart.

When Gideon’s eyes were at last opened to see that the Lord had taken a personal interest in his situation, that God was present with him in the midst of all this darkness and fear, he worshiped the Lord by a new name — Jehovah-shalom, The Lord is Peace.

In the days to come, the Lord was going to put Gideon in some very unpeaceful situations. In some ways Gideon would face more stresses and challenges than he had ever faced in his young life. Learning this business of being a “valiant warrior” wasn’t going to be easy.

But no matter what happened from this point on, Gideon could look back to an altar. He could look back at a moment in time when Jehovah-shalom said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear.”

Beloved, do you ever feel as if you’re trying to thresh wheat in a winepress? Surrounded by an enemy who presses in on you and tries to steal every grain of peace and gladness out of your life? Do you ever begin to wonder where your God is in the midst of your hurt and worry?

How rightly Gideon named that altar, The Lord is Peace. True peace cannot be found in any other place than in a right relationship with God.

We cannot base our peace in the circumstances and situations of life.We must not let our peace be centered in another man or woman — no matter how dear they are to us.

We dare not allow peace to depend on sunny skies, a full stomach, a balanced checkbook, a healthy body, or a harmonious home. I believe the Lord sometimes allows situations that strip away the shallow, surface peace on which we have come to depend. He allows us to be distressed and in turmoil and unable to find the answers we need from our husbands, wives, friends, or counselors.

In those times, as with Gideon, we need to discover that God is Jehovah-shalom.

As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “He Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). Once you really understand this and worship God as Jehovah-shalom, you can have peace no matter what storms sweep over the horizon.

Jesus told His disciples this very thing in the last few hours before the Cross. These men were in terrible turmoil, and things were about to get much worse. Here is Jesus’ promise:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Where do you run when you need peace? Is your first response to go looking for a person or to pick up the phone?

Before you do, Beloved, run into the shelter of His name. When you find Him, you will find peace because He is Peace.

Fear Not My Child

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
I John 4:18
Fear is something that entered the world as a result of the Fall. Before they sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, the Bible says that Adam and Eve walked and talked with God being transparent to the point of nakedness. Yet after the deed was done God came to spend time with them in the cool of the evening only to find them hiding. His inquiries brought out the sad fact that their eyes had been open to things that God did not intend for them to see. At the same time, fear became a factor not only for Adam and Eve but also for all of mankind.

God found them hiding because they were naked and afraid—thus the beginning of a battle that rages in each of our lives at one time or another. Often times we become fearful, afraid and, as a result, we too hide from God or stand paralyzed to the point that the enemy finds us to be easy prey. It is a horrible state to be in and one we have all experienced from time to time.

I have been thinking a great deal about fear with all that is going on in the world today. We have experienced terrorist attacks, bomb scares, and the threat of biological warfare. Many Americans have been shaken to the very core of their beings. People are coming to the Lord, and others are coming back to the Lord. Even the sale of Bibles has risen some 40% since the bombing of the Twin Towers rocked our world. Those are some of the blessings that come from an otherwise devastating occurrence. I see God’s hand at work as always to use even this terrible tragedy that He did not cause but did allow for a purpose: That purpose is to conform us into the image of His Son Jesus, according to Romans 8:28-29. My heart is warmed by many of the stories that have emerged from the rubble, and I find myself thanking God for His faithfulness at all times.

As all of you have, I have had discussions with many people about what is happening in America. Everyone seems to want to talk about what is going on, but I have noticed that many of the people I have talked to, though they are Christians, are extremely fearful. They are bogged down with fear even to the point of becoming ill with worry. Recently I asked God why so many of His people were so afraid. His reply was, "Because they are not all My people. They worship Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me." That totally blew my mind for a moment, but as I studied the Word the statement became much clearer to me. I would like to share some of my findings with you:

There are several reasons why people who claim to be Children of God are very fearful at this time. Ezekiel 33:31 says, "So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain."

There are many folks attending church regularly who profess salvation but refuse to obey the Word of God—they say the right things but they have impure motives. Many of them have been doing this for so long that they have deceived themselves into believing that these actions make them a Christian…a Child of God. Sadly enough, they are mistaken. God’s kids are known by their love for God and each other; they are also known for purity and obedience. If you are in a state of fear, perhaps it is time for you to examine yourself and see that you truly are a blood-bought, born-again believer for if you find evidence lacking, there is no time like the present to surrender to Him.

Another reason why people who claim to be Children of God are very fearful is because they have not fully accepted the love of God in their hearts. For many reasons, people often have certain areas in their lives that they are not willing to let God help them deal with. That is because they are not confident of God’s love and, as a result, have secret areas that they want left untouched.

II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Also, I John 4:18 tells us that, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." If you find yourself to be ridden with anxiety and extremely fearful, then you need to go to God and begin accepting His perfect love. It will cast out fear and give you a sound mind.

There is much more that could be said concerning our frailties and the reasons we find ourselves fearful. Sometimes we do not seek God in times of fear so He can deliver us (Psalm 34:4.) At other times, we do not let the Peace of God rule our hearts, and we not thankful for His Blessings and Presence in our lives (Colossians 3:15.) People often live in fear because they are "god" in their lives and eventually experience something that is far outside their realm of control. They never really let Jesus be the Lord of their life. They never learned to walk in the Spirit. Most grievous of all they never developed a relationship with God. They did the things that they were taught when they should have sought the Lord for the truths of His Word.

The good news is that it is not too late. Many are already surrendering themselves to God, and others are coming back to Him. It is my burden and the cry of my heart that the Holy Spirit will convict with an increased intensity. As He examines the heart of all who claim to be a Child of the King, may the bondages of religious spirits be broken and the truth illuminated. People need the Lord. They need Him on Sunday. They need Him on Monday too. In the good times and the bad times, He alone will get people through.

I am so glad I have such an Awesome Heavenly Father. I once lived a life in bondage to fear and anxiety but He sent His Word and healed me. As we talk to people in the days ahead, let’s keep our spiritual antennas up. When we hear fear, let’s do a little investigating. This is to be a great time of harvest…even within the four walls of the church. Don’t miss it! Don’t let others miss it either.

"Fear not my Child, I have redeemed you. I have called you by name…you are MINE." Clasp tightly onto this truth and you will see fear flee.

Beware of Missing God's Plan for Your Life

It is possible for a believer to miss God's perfect will for his life. Saul was chosen by God to be king over Israel, but eventually as a result of his impatience and disobedience, God had to reject him. True, he remained on the throne for some years more, but he had missed God's will for his life. Solomon is another example. He pleased God in these earlier years, but fell away later through marrying heathen women.

Twice in the New Testament we are exhorted to take a warning from the example of the Israelites who perished in the wilderness. God's perfect will for them was that they should enter Canaan. But all except two of them missed God's best through unbelief and disobedience (1 Cor. 10:1-12; Heb.3:7-14). Many believers have similarly missed God's perfect plan for their lives through disobedience and compromise - often in marriage or in the choice of a career.

G Christian Weiss in his book, `The Perfect Will of God', tells of a teacher in a Bible School who told his students one day, "I have lived most of my life on God's second best". God had called him to be a missionary in his younger days, but he had turned aside from that calling as a result of marriage. He then began a selfish business life, working in a bank, with the primary purpose of making money. God continued to speak to him for a number of years, but he refused to yield. One day his little child had a fall from
a chair and died. This drove him to his knees, and after a whole night spent in tears before God, he put his life into God's hands completely. It was too late for him to go to Africa now. That door was closed. He knew that had been God's best for him, but he had missed it. All that he could do was to ask God to put the rest of his life to some use. He became a teacher in a Bible School, but could never forget that this was only God's second-best.

Weiss continues to say, "I have since met numerous people who have borne similar testimony. Usually these testimonies have been bathed, or at least marked, with bitter tears. For while, thank God, He has ways of using even those who have sinned and have gone past that single entrance into the channel of His perfect will, life can never be the way He originally intended it. It is a tragedy to miss the perfect will of God for one's life. Christian, mark well these words and this testimony lest you too miss His
first choice. God, doubtless, will use any life that is submitted to His hands, anywhere along life's pathway, but let us be among those who have sought and surrendered to His will at the outset of life's journey, and thus avoid those painful and shameful detours along the way."

We just cannot live the victorious life or be of maximum use to the Lord, or be a blessing to others in any place we choose. Some may feel that they can choose their own career and their place of residence and then seek to be a witness for the Lord wherever they are. The Lord may in His mercy use such believers in a limited way. But their usefulness in God's vineyard will be only a fraction of what it could have been had they earnestly sought His plan and remained in the center of His perfect will. Stunted spiritual growth and limited fruitfulness are but the consequences of a careless disregard of God's laws.

If you have disobeyed God in some matter, turn to Him in repentance now, before it is too late. It may yet be possible for you, as in Jonah's case, to come back into the mainstream of God's plan for your life.

Each of us has but one life. Blessed is the man who like Paul, can say at the end of it, that he has finished his God-appointed task (2 Tim. 4:7).

"The world and all its passionate desires will one day disappear. But the man who is following God's will is part of the Permanent and cannot die" (1John 2:17-JBP).

"Live life then with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life, but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days. Don't be vague but firmly grasp what you know to be the will of God" (Eph. 5:15-17- JPB).

What are things we can do to remain faithful to God?Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Think of this verse as a recipe for faithfulness. All of the things stated in the verse are very important. If you leave out an ingredient when baking something, the end result is not what was desired. These disciples devoted themselves to four necessary activities that spiritually fed them and strengthened their faithfulness. Let's examine each one.

The Apostles' Teaching
The apostles' teaching is something that should be important to you. As recorded in John 14-16, Jesus told the apostles the night before His crucifixion that He must go back to heaven and send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was to teach them all truth and remind them of all that He had said. When we read what the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write, we are looking at the truth. Two things convinced the early Christians that what the apostles taught was true: the Old Testaments documents (Acts 17:11) and the miraculous signs that accompanied their message (Mark 16:20; Acts 4:29-30; 5:12-16; 8:6; 1 Peter 2:2; Romans 10:17; 2 Peter 1:3)


Fellowship
The second ingredient in the recipe for faithfulness is fellowship (Acts 2:42). Fellowship comes from the Greek word koinonia, which means "lives interwoven together, interdependent on each other." Christians in the first century were of constant encouragement to one another. The same should be true of Christians today, that we build each other up and spur each other on (Hebrews 10:23-25).
Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Believers trusted and encouraged each other every day. They had all things in common, meaning they shared their blessings with one another. Their lives were interdependent and interwoven. This is what helped them remain faithful to the Lord.


Breaking of Bread
The third ingredient in this recipe to faithfulness is breaking of bread (Acts 2:42). This term is used to speak both of common meals and the very special meal that Jesus instituted on the night before His death. The context helps us understand what is being talked about in individual verses.
Jesus knew that we would need a constant reminder of the price of our salvation. He took the bread and wine of the Passover (the Jewish feast reminding the Jews of their release from Egyptian bondage) and made it a memorial feast for His disciples to remember Him.
Matthew 26:26-29
While they were eating, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
1 Corinthians 10:16
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are the one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
Acts 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread.
Again we find the Christians meeting on Sunday for the purpose of breaking bread (Lord's Supper). This weekly reminder of Jesus' sacrifice is something that God knew that we would need. This is an important element to our faithfulness.


Prayer
The fourth ingredient in the recipe for faithfulness is prayer (Acts 2:42). The Christians were known as people of prayer. God has opened His throne room and made it accessible to us through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19). Prayer is our communication with God.
Praying for others and knowing others are praying for you is very important to your faithfulness. God wants you to depend on prayer. He says that prayer has great power.
James 5:13-16
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call on the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Prayer is not coming to God with a long list of our requests and asking Him to agree with us. Rather, prayer is seeking to understand and submit to God's will. Prayer is our expression of dependence on God. He knows what we need even before we ask (Matthew 6:8), yet He still wants us to open our hearts to Him.
When you pray, you need to have this same attitude. God wants you to make your requests known but at the same time to recognize that He knows what you need better than you do. You must surrender to His will (Isaiah 55:8).

When you pray, address your prayers to the Father and express your praise of Him. Surrender your requests to God by asking His will to be done. Praying for daily needs expresses your constant dependence on Him. Forgiveness of your sins is your greatest need, but His forgiveness of you depends on your willingness to forgive others. Depend on God's guidance and strength to overcome temptation. Satan wants you as his disciple.


Conclusion
The Christian life is like a race, not a sprint, but a marathon. Your faithfulness to the end is vital to your eternal destiny. Seeking godly teachers and strong Christian fellowship is crucial; otherwise, you could be deceived and led away from God. The prayers in your life will draw you closer to God as you meditate on what he has done for you while Breaking the Bread.

You find each of these crucial elements of faithfulness during our Sunday Morning time together. The goal is that while we are together we may encourage one another to live a life of faithfulness to our Alimighty God.

SEARCHING FOR A VESSEL

The Master was searching for a vessel to use;
On the shelf there were many -- which one would He choose?
Take me, cried the gold one, I'm shiny and bright,
I'm of great value and I do things just right.
My beauty and lustre will outshine the rest
And for someone like You, Master, gold would be the best!

The Master passed on with no word at all;
He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall;
I'll serve You, dear Master, I'll pour out Your wine,
And I'll be at Your table whenever You dine,
My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true,
And my silver will always compliment You.

Unheeding, the Master passed on to the brass,
It was wide mouthed and shallow, and polished like glass.
Here! Here! Cried the vessel, I know I will do,
Place me on Your table for all men to view.

Look at me, called the goblet of crystal so clear,
My transparency shows my contents so clear,
Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride,
And I'm sure I'll be happy in Your house to abide.

The Master came next to a vessel of wood,
Polished and carved, it solidly stood.
You may use me, dear Master, the wooden bowl said,
But I'd rather You used me for fruit, not for bread!

Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay.
Empty and broken, it helplessly lay.
No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose,
To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.

Ah! This is the vessel I've been hoping to find,
I will mend and use it and make it all Mine.

I need not the vessel with pride of its self;
Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf;
Nor the one who is big-mouthed and shallow and loud;
Nor one who displays his contents so proud;
Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right;
But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.

Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay.
Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day.
Spoke to it kindly. There's work you must do,
Just pour out to others as I pour into you.

~ Author Unknown

They That Wait upon the Lord

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

This is one of the best-loved promises of the Bible, for it is easy to grow weary and faint in our mortal bodies, even when doing the work of the Lord. The answer, we are told, is to "wait upon the LORD."

But what does this mean? The Hebrew word (gavah) does not mean "serve," but rather, to "wait for" or "look for." It is translated "waited for" the second time it is used in the Bible, when the dying patriarch Jacob cried out: "I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD" (Genesis 49:18).

The first time it is used, surprisingly, is in connection with the third day of creation, when God said: "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place" (Genesis 1:9). That is, the all-pervasive waters of the original creation, divided on the second day of creation, now are told to wait patiently, as it were, while God formed the geosphere, the biosphere, and the astrosphere, before dealing again with the waters.

Perhaps the clearest insight into its meaning is its use in the picture of Christ foreshadowed in the 40th Psalm. "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry" (Psalm 40:1).

"The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary" (Isaiah 40:28), and His gracious promise is that we can "renew our strength" (literally, "exchange our strength," our weakness for His strength!) by "waiting upon Him." We wait patiently for Him, we gather together unto Him, we look for Him, we cry unto Him, we trust Him, and He renews our strength!