Jesus Amazing Peace

This is the second Sunday of advent.

During this time of the year we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of our Lord and savior and to remind ourselves that He is coming again.

The word advent in the Latin means “coming”

Christians around the world use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

Jesus came to give us His Peace. His amazing Peace

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Shalom in Herew, i-rah-nay in Greek

The definition we have for peace is

freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility:

Shalom means

According to Strong's Concordance 7965

completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

This is the peace that Jesus wants to give each of us

He is the prince of peace

Isa 9:6  For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

How do I receive His amazing Peace, Shalom?

Peace is a choice

1 Welcoming the kingdom of God

2 Eliminate what robs your peace

3 Offering sacrifice of praises.

Let’s pray!

1 Welcome The Kingdom of God,

daily,

I don’t know about you, but my peace is very limited, and usually disappears quickly.

Sometimes I just begin to think about all that I need to get done during the day, I look at the circumstance around me and my peace is gone, I begin to few anxious.

I need to make a choice, about what kind of day I’m going to have about who is going to rule my day.

I remember as a child, a raining day was a bad day, growing up in Rio, a storm meant floods on the streets and heavy traffic, not a good idea to go outside, for many years I would get depressed if was raining, when I became a Christian, I understood that this is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 after that my attitude towards rain completely change, I like rain.

We need to welcome the kingdom of God, to make His kingdom a reality around us, every day.

Mat 6:9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Mat 6:10 'Your kingdom come, Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

we need Shalom, the peace that Jesus gives, to receive it, I have to consciously, welcome His kingdom. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

We need to go after Jesus Shalom, every day.

We live in this tension, every day all day, where the reality of God and his peace are being opposed by the circumstances around us.

Everything in this fallen world, pulls us away from God, opposing His word.

Peace does not come by trying to take control, but by realizing you are deeply loved by the God who is already in control. Loui Giglio

Ex: I’m always amazed listing to people who are often, looking for circumstances, as encouragement or for guidance.

If you are hoping for everything to go well, and the absence of problems to assure you, you are doing the right thing, it will not work when you are following Jesus.

2Ti 3:12 Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith].

2 Eliminating what robs your Peace

Our attitude, sin, and believing the lies from the enemy, are the top reasons why we lose our peace.

The way we respond to offenses, will lead us to sin, justifying our actions. We always have a choice to pick up or let it go of offenses even if the offense is intentional, but as soon as we pick up an offense, we head down a dark road.

The enemy not only tries to distort what you see and hear, but he also drops hints of what it means. He is a liar.

Joh 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what it natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.

Satan is the father of lies, one who is always trying to deceive us, he will interpret dreams for us and say anything we allow him to say, his desire is to mislead truth and make us afraid of him,

When your car breakdown, your appliances stop working, light bulbs blows up it doesn’t mean anything except you are being harass by the enemy.

Don’t let Satan rob your peace.

Whom shall I fear

Psa 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation-- Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the refuge and fortress of my life-- Whom shall I dread?

Fear is satan’s weapon of choice, every time after you evaluate a situation and your heart is filled with fear and doubts, Satan probably spoke to you.

3 offer sacrifices of praise

There are many moments in our lives, that the last thing we want to do, is to give praise, things are not going well, sickness, broken relationships, lack of finances, praises is not in our minds.

Praises will be a sacrifice,

only here on earth we have the privilege of offering to God a sacrifice of Praise. We wont be able to do that in heaven.

Heb 13:15 Through Him, therefore, let us at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.

Why is a sacrifice, because it will cost you something, it takes you beyond normal reasoning, now you are exercising your faith.

Father you are wonderful and faithful,

God Is Our Fortress

Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Psa 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,

Psa 46:3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.

Psa 46:4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

For the past 8 months, we have tried to live in a world with covid-19, it has impacted everyone, we know that God has the power to remove this virus and to protect us from any harm, right now we don’t see it, this is a great opportunity to begin to praise Him for His solution, it may be a vaccine but something even better and simpler can be discovered.

The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims, including some 675,000 Americans.

30% it was cleared with vaccine and medications, 70% was homeopathy

God can and will provide solutions, offer your sacrifice of praise.

God never changes, He is the same yesterday today and forever,

when the sky is cover with dark clouds and the rain is coming down, with lighting and thunder, we forget that the sun still there shining, bright as ever,

God still sitting on the throne, relaxed, not pacing up and down desperate, in all glory and splendor, mighty and powerful able and willing to clear the heavens above us, and give us His peace, His Shalom.

If your desire is to receive Jesus Shalom, this morning

Welcome the Kingdom of God

Eliminate what robs your peace

Offer sacrifice of praises.

Make Jesus the Lord of your Life

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16

To receive Jesus we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, asking Him to be our Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner,

I’m sorry for my sins,

I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 For I received from the LORD what I also passed on to you: The LORD Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,

24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the LORD's death until he comes.