Prince of Peace

Fruitful Day 5 Peace For Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 13
1 Samuel 25:1-35
Daniel 6:10-24
Romans 12:9-21
Galatians 5:22-26

Fruitful, Day 5

The storms of life can rage without warning,
just as unforeseen storms swept across the Sea of Galilee in Jesus’ time. (Mark 4:35-41)

Even after 5 years, it is hard for my husband, Michael, and I to wrap our minds around the betrayal and heartbreak from our last pastorate.
Our children grew up there.
It was home.
Once we could finally breathe after the breaking, we struggled with all the decisions. Do we find a new church or retire early? Where would we live? How would we survive?

Thankfully, God had already prepared me spiritually, drawing me closer and closer to Him. I was spending much time in Bible-reading and prayer. Although everything seemed unsettled, I felt indescribable peace. God had a plan for us!

Reading a Psalm or two each day was comforting; David’s words expressed exactly how we were feeling. The Shepherd’s Psalm has been my favorite for many years. Though it never mentions peace, I experience a calm in my heart every time I read it. I remember the farm where I grew up, and wonder if David reflected on his own childhood in his father’s pastures as he penned the words.

What does peace mean to you?

Many might answer world peace, or an absence of conflict, but God’s peace isn’t about laying down our weapons. In fact, Jesus promised His message would cause tribulation and conflict, because the true source of the battle is spiritual. (Matthew 10:34) We live in a fallen world, one incapable of manufacturing its own peace.

“They have treated my people’s brokenness superficially,
claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:14)

Laying down weapons (peace on earth) will only come when Jesus establishes His Kingdom on Earth. (Revelation 21:3-4)

On the other hand, Isaiah said Jesus is the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Through His propitiatory death on the cross, He made a way to peace between us and God. When we repent from our sins–turning away from following evil desires and toward following God–He will give us His Holy Spirit. Peace is one of the many gifts the Holy Spirit grows in a believer’s heart! This peace of God surpasses all understanding. (Philippians 4:7-9) God’s peace remains, EVEN when the world around us is stormy.

The Bible is filled with God-followers who found peace in relationship with Him, despite their circumstances. Daniel’s daily relationship with God gave him peace and faith that God would protect him from being consumed by lions. (Daniel 6) Consider Peter when he walked on the stormy water at Jesus’ invitation. (Matthew 14:22-33) As long as he remained focused on Jesus, Peter walked in peace in the midst of a literal storm. We can find this same supernatural peace by continually turning our minds and hearts to Jesus. (Isaiah 26:3)

Peace describes a way of living in a right relationship between man and God; peace should also pervade our relationships with other people. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul says, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18) Working to live at peace with others is only possible when we invite the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we are moving by His direction, He teaches us to become the peacemakers Jesus speaks of in His Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:9)

In fact, the Bible is filled with Spirit-empowered peacemakers! Abraham made peace with Lot (Genesis 13); rather than fighting over land, he allowed Lot to choose his portion. Abigail was an effective peacemaker when her husband, Nabal, refused to feed David’s army. Abigail gathered food and gifts and hurried to David to make peace. (1 Samuel 25)

Of course, Jesus is the Great Peacemaker. He explained, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33) Through the work of His Spirit within us, we can remain at peace, no matter what the world throws at us.

Theologian, Stanley Horton, writes, “Real peace comes only from the Holy Spirit. It includes a quiet spirit, but it is more than that. It is the consciousness that we are in a right relationship with God, a sense of spiritual well-being. It includes the assurance that we can trust God to supply all our needs. (Philippians 4:19) Along with love and joy it becomes the help of the Spirit for the development of the rest of the fruit.” (Journeyonline.org)

How can we experience this fruit of the Spirit, peace?

  1. Accept Christ into our lives. (Ephesians 2:14-22)
  2. Know God and be under His Spirit’s control. (Job 22:21)
  3. Trust God with all our hearts. (Isaiah 26:3-4)
  4. Love the Word of God. (Psalm 119:165)
  5. Live in righteousness. (Isaiah 32:17-18)

Sisters, as we are transformed by His Spirit, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

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He Day 10 Yahweh Shalom

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:11-24
Isaiah 9:6-7 
John 14:25-31

He, Day 10

I recently created a little playlist called “JOY,” full of songs that make my heart bubble over when I hear them. The songs are often classics and quite simple, a mix of hymns and Elvis, JJ Heller and Ingrid Michaelson, and, believe it or not … Mr. Rogers.

One of my fondest memories is sitting in the den at my grandparents’ house, watching Mr. Rogers while my Papa (who was quite like Mr. Rogers himself, but with a thick German accent and a beard) sat next to me. Hearing Mr. Rogers sing his simple yet deeply profound songs still fills me with joy. So, I added some of my favorites to my “JOY” playlist.  “Peace and Quiet” is especially meaningful:

“Peace and Quiet,
Peace, peace, peace [ . . . ]
We all want peace,
We all want peace.

Do you know what peace means? Peace is wonderful.

It sounds like a piece of bread or a piece of paper. But it’s so much more than a piece of anything. 

This kind of peace is something very comfortable. When you have it, you feel inside yourself that the people you live with care about you, and you care about them, too. And what’s more, you care about yourself. 

Peace means you can talk with people and tell them you’re happy or sad or angry or anything, and they’ll understand, and they’ll tell you how they feel, too.” 

I love Mr. Roger’s simple explanation of peace, because we can all understand the feeling he describes, even though our lives aren’t always peaceful… that is, not everyone around us has cared about us.

It’s amazing how significantly the presence of peace can be affected by our companions. My daughters and I recently spent the morning with friends and, as we sat in their backyard, I found myself breathing deeply as I recognized the peaceful atmosphere surrounding me.

Kids were laughing, our conversation ebbed and flowed, but because I was with people of peace, I felt peace. Like Mr. Rogers said, I could feel the care of my friends embracing me, and felt my own care for them in return.

In John 14, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.”

He’s given us His peace.

In fact, Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, the Prince of Peace, hundreds of years before His birth.

And even further back in history, humans recognized special peace from the Almighty.
Travel back with me to our war hero, Gideon (remember, the young guy empowered by God, who conquered the Midianites against all odds?)

Before Gideon conquered the Midianites, he was called into battle by none other than Yahweh Shalom.

Gideon was beating wheat while hiding from the Midianites, who’d been oppressing Israel for seven years. Israel had nothing, certainly not peace.

As Gideon was laboring in the hot sun, a stranger approached him and proclaimed,
“The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” (Judges 6:12)

The Lord is with you.

He’s with you.

Now I could talk at length about the words of affirmation and prophecy delivered when he called Gideon “valiant warrior,” but I want to focus on the first words spoken.

The Lord, Yahweh, is with you.
You aren’t alone.

But Gideon is confused, asking the angel, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why has all of this happened?” (Judges 6:13)

Gideon recognized the utter absence of peace in his community; if there was no peace, how could the Lord of peace be with them?

The angel commands Gideon to prepare for battle, because the Lord was going to use him to bring justice and ultimately, peace throughout Israel.

Gideon knows he’s the youngest member of an already weak family, and therefore, by any human calculation, the least likely to conquer the mighty Midianites. He’s confused and he’s scared . . . and then he realizes he’s talking with an angel of the Lord.

Petrified.

But the Lord reassures him, “Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.” (Judges 6:23)

The Lord knew Gideon’s heart, understood his deepest fear, and addressed it directly.

“Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”

While “peace to you” was a common phrase used when coming or going, on this day, Gideon perceived it differently. Perhaps, like a puzzle finally completed, Gideon realized Yahweh Shalom was with him, and His presence was peace.

Gideon commemorated this sacred moment by building an altar, calling it: “The Lord is Peace.”

Yahweh Shalom.

Not just, “He brings peace” or “He gives peace.” No.

The Lord is peace.

The Lord is our peace.
Because He is with us.

Remember how Isaiah declared the coming Messiah would be called the Prince of Peace?

Jesus came. He was with us. He walked this earth, breathed this air, lived life within the fleshly limits of the mankind His Father created.

The Prince of Peace.

Yahweh Shalom. 

We know Jesus isn’t physically with us today, and, in John 14, when Jesus told us about the peace He’d give, He knew He’d be returning to His Father in Heaven. Therefore, He spoke to us of the Holy Spirit, who would come and dwell in every believing heart, teaching us and guiding us.

God with us.

Yahweh Shalom. 

We all long for peace, as Mr. Rogers reminded us, and peace will never be found apart from God, because

He is peace.

The Prince of peace.

The Giver of peace.

Yahweh Shalom.

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Questions Day 2 In The Presence Of Sin: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out In The Presence Of Sin!

The Questions

1) The author includes four “there is no one” phrases in this passage. Why does the author draw attention to humanity’s shared sinful state?

2) Why does the author include a list of body parts in verses 13-18?

3) How can we better understand what it means to have a “fear of God” (verse 18) from this passage of Scripture?

Romans 3:10-18

As it is written:
There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Original Intent

1) The author includes four “there is no one” phrases in this passage. Why does the author draw attention to humanity’s shared sinful state?
Before we dive into this passage, we need to set the stage. Paul is the author of Romans, and he addresses this letter to believers in Rome, the economic, political, social, religious, and cultural center of the most powerful empire in the Western world. Like many new Christian churches, the Roman church included both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews). Due to the religious, cultural, and political divides between these two groups, Paul recognized there was growing tension between Jews who rigorously upheld Old Testament teachings (i.e., the law) and Gentiles who thought the Jewish law was obsolete. Paul then sought to bridge the gap between these theological positions by articulating this truth: the law establishes all of humanity’s natural sinful state and points us to our need for a Savior, who is Jesus Christ. In this passage from Romans, Paul seeks to unite Jew to Gentiles by alluding to readings from the wisdom literature, which include Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes. For example, the expression “there is no one” is used in Psalm 14:3, “All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.” The writer of Ecclesiastes 7:20 also uses this phrase, “There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.” Yet, the verses from the Old Testament do not provide a permanent source of redemption for our depravity. Paul’s letter in Romans reminds his original audience that good behavior and the law cannot save us, but our perfect, righteous savior Jesus Christ can.

2) Why does the author include a list of body parts in verses 13-18?
Paul does not mince his words here. If you are familiar with the Old Testament, you might find some verses oddly familiar. Like verse 13, the writer of Psalm 5:9 observes, “For there is nothing reliable in what they say; destruction is within them; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongues.” Paul also draws on the same imagery of Psalm 140:3, “They make their tongues as sharp as a snake’s bite; viper’s venom is under their lips.” Do you see a trend here? Once again, he pulls from passages in the Old Testament to point Gentile believers to the whole story of Scripture and to demonstrate the corrupting nature of sin. He also references Psalm 10:7 in verse 14, Isaiah 59:7-8 in verse 17, and Psalm 36:1 in verse 18. Additionally, Paul ties this list of body parts to negative words and images; “open grave,” “deceive,” “venom,” “shed blood,” and “ruin and wretchedness” paint a terrifying portrait of humanity. In other words, sin leads to death, and apart from Jesus Christ, there is no escape.

3) How can we better understand what it means to have a “fear of God” (verse 18) from this passage of Scripture?
The “fear of God” would have been a familiar phrase for much of Paul’s audience. For example, the Old Testament writers described the most faithful and wise as having a fear of God (Proverbs 1:7; Job 28:28; Psalm 19:9). These writers do not define fear as a type of dread or phobia but as, “more the feeling of reverent regard for…God, tempered with awe and fear of the punishment of disobedience.” As the Psalmist writes, “For the LORD is great and is highly praised; he is feared above all gods” (Psalm 96:4). After all, He is a “great and awesome God” (Deuteronomy 7:21), “A great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2), and none are like Him (Jeremiah 10:7). In the broader context of Scripture, to not fear God is foolish and impious. Paul’s statement, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (verse 18) means we are prone to forget our primary purpose is to worship our indescribable God. In our natural, sinful state, we go down a path of ruin rather than a “path of peace”. (verse 17) The only right way to peace is through the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), who restores peace between wayward humanity and God.

Everyday Application

1) The author includes four “there is no one” phrases in this passage. Why does the author draw attention to humanity’s shared sinful state?
Our church today is not very different from the first-century Roman church. We often applaud external behavior modification over considering the posture of an individual’s heart. Have we not seen many a social media influencer praising their self-righteousness one minute only to find themselves caught in an ethical scandal the next? However, we were never supposed to put our salvation hope in a Christian leader. Instead, Paul points his readers to the extravagant grace found in the Gospel for “all who believe”, “But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-24) As Paul makes clear, every person, whether rich or poor, black or white, man or woman, are united in their need for a Savior. Unlike the celebrity in your Instagram feed, Jesus Christ died a death he did not deserve so you might live and have eternal life. (John 3:16) Paul’s letter then speaks very much to our moment as it did to those early believers two thousand years ago.

2) Why does the author include a list of body parts in verses 13-18?
Death is not something we like to dwell on. In today’s culture, self-lauded experts encourage us to eat right, exercise, and, if needed, visit the plastic surgeon for a little “nip-tuck” to look our best well into old age. But here is the universal truth, despite how well you eat, how much you exercise, and how wrinkle-free your skin is, you will die. The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us of this fact, “No one has authority over the wind to restrain it, and there is no authority over the day of death…”. (Ecclesiastes 8:8) From the moment in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve committed the first sin, death entered the world. Not only does sin alter our physical bodies, but it also leads to spiritual death because we now cannot enjoy eternal life with God. The writers of Scripture also make clear that we cannot resolve the death problem on our own (Isaiah 24:1-6; Matthew 19:16-22; Romans 8:5-11, Romans 8:18-25; Hebrews 9:22). Even Paul admits this situation seems hopeless when he writes, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”. (Romans 7:24) But in the very next verse, Paul rejoices, because our hope is in our perfect savior, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord…” (Romans 7:25). The writer of Hebrews puts it this way, “For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever”. (Hebrews 7:26-28) This high priest whom this writer speaks of so highly? He is none other than Jesus Christ.

3) How can we better understand what it means to have a “fear of God” (verse 18) from this passage of Scripture?
Fear can be a good thing. When teaching my three-year-old son the ways of the world, I have taught him the stovetop is hot, to look both ways before crossing the street, and not to talk to strangers. I am trying to ingrain in his little mind that a healthy dose of fear can prevent unnecessary pain, suffering, and, in some cases, death. While Christians should not live in a constant state of fear, the Old Testament writers, and Paul, demonstrate how the fear of God is a gift. Paul writes that we should not only “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), but also that we should “cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God”. (2 Corinthians 7:11) When we rightly respect and worship God, we are more likely to live a lifestyle of confession and repentance. Ultimately, Jesus modeled how to we are to fear God. He demonstrated genuine love and reverence by laying down His life for humanity’s sin so we might enjoy eternal life, not death.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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