The Gift Worth Opening
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4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
God’s Benefits Through Justification!!
God’s Benefits Through Justification!!
These can only be released when the heart opens of the gift and is set before it.
Safety consists not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God.
Source Unknown.
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1. We have peace with God
1. We have peace with God
State of Peace
Peace Treaty:
An agreement between two or more hostile parties.
Usually countries or governments ,which formally ends a state or war between the parties.
PEACE
PEACE
I rest beneath the Almighty's shade,
My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.
Charles Wesley.
Safety consists not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God.
Source Unknown.
Society of International Law, in London, states that during the last 4,000 years there have been only 268 years of peace in spite of good peace treaties. In the last 3 centuries there have been 286 wars on the continent of Europe alone.
J.K. Laney, Marching Orders, p 50.
Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.
Source Unknown.
The Power of Peace
As I perused an old copy of The Wonderful Word edited by Leon Tucker, I came upon a tremendous sermon by W.H. Griffith- Thomas entitled "The Power of Peace." He gave an exposition of 2 Thess. 3:16, "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means." His outline should prove helpful to Christian workers.
I. The Nature of Peace
1. Peace of a quiet conscience (Rom. 8:33-35; three questions)
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
2. Peace of a restful mind (Phil. 4:7)
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
3. Peace of a surrendered will
4. Peace of a hopeful heart (Isaiah 50:7)
7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
5. Peace of loving fellowship
II. The Source of Peace
1. Peace with God (Rom. 5:1)
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2. The God of peace (Rom. 15:33)
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
3. The peace of God (Phil. 4:7)
4. The Lord of peace (2 Thess. 3:16)
16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
III. The Channel of Peace
"The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means" (2 Thess. 3:16)
IV. The Duration of Peace
"...give you peace always."
V. The Secret of Peace
"The Lord of peace Himself give you peace..."
W.H. Griffith, The Power of Peace.
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.
As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.
A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.
A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
2. Access to God!!
2. Access to God!!
Example :
President of the United States
Prince Charles
3. We Hope of Glory of God
3. We Hope of Glory of God
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
4. We have daily confidence
4. We have daily confidence
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
5. We experience the Love of God.
5. We experience the Love of God.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
LOVE OF GOD
LOVE OF GOD
A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on "The Love of God." As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say.
Source Unknown.