Peace Not of this World

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives to you, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Peace that the world gives is not everlasting. People cry out for world peace, and the end of wars. Even this last week, Israel declared war on Hamas-Palestine after they were attacked. There is no peace in the Middle East. Nations war against nations, and people are oppressed across the world. A time of peace will someday come. The word of God declares that Jesus will return to earth and set up His reign and there will be peace for 1000 years. But until then, there will always be conflict and oppression. Jesus says that the peace of this world is not the peace that He wants to give the world. His peace is like a river that flows from deep within, from the presence of God. The war is over within the heart. We are at peace with God and our soul. His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is the indwelling presence that brings peace. We can rest in the Almighty, our sins have been forgiven and our hearts are no longer troubled. We don’t have to fear the future and what man can do to us. The song writer wrote, “The world didn’t give it to me and the world can’t take it away .” (Gaithers). How true it is to have this wonderful peace given to us from the Father above.
“Peace, peace, wonderful peace Coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray In fathomless billows of love”- Warren D. Cornell / William G. Cooper

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubles

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Becoming anxious about the future and events that may or may not happen has a way of troubling the heart. We fret and worry about many things. We are afraid that life will take us down a road that will cause pain and suffering. We look about us and we see friends and loved ones that are facing difficult situation and it is only a matter of time that we will come face to face with our own troubled heart. It will come, but Jesus say, don’t let it consume your life, don’t let it trouble your heart. I promise peace during times of trouble. I will send One who will comfort the heart when it is troubled.  When the rubber hits the road, and the reality of life’s troubles are at our door step, there but only one who can bring peace, it is peace that comes from the Father above. When your hearts becomes trouble, trust not in the peace of this world, but believe God that He will give you peace that will calm the storm that troubles your heart.

My Father's House

John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

This world is not my home, am only passing through. In my Father’s house, Jesus has gone to prepare us a home. Mansions that will blow us away. Many songs have been written about these mansions that Jesus is preparing for us in heaven. They say that, “home is where the heart is”. That the physical structure is not what is important about heaven, yet it was important enough for Jesus to mention that there will be a dwelling place when we get there. We all look forward with anticipation to someday enter our Father’s house. As wonderful as this is, the true joy is knowing that Jesus will be there. He will be what makes heaven home. That is where the heart is, to be with Him and see him face to face. This world will is full of troubles, but Jesus has made it possible for each of us to be trouble free. He invites us through the cross to give our lives to Him, forsake the temporal things of this world. hold loosely to this earthly home, and keep our eye set on our Father’s home.

Temporal vs Eternal

2 Corinth 4:8,9-  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down. Not exactly a wonderful life. We daily face things in our lives that stress us out. The cares of life and the responsibilities we face each day alone can cause our blood pressure to rise. We worry about things we don’t understand and are unable to fix. Then there are those that are set against us for our faith and belief in adhering to the commands of God to live holy and righteous lives. We become discouraged of our inability to do the work that God has called us to do. Cast down and defeated in spirit. The temptation to “Throw in the towel” and quit trying knocks at our door. But, we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. The things that we face here on earth are temporal, they will fade away with time, but the things that really matter are those things we hold true in our heart. those things that are eternal. Our faith in God, the glory of the cross, and eternal life through the cross. For all things that happen are for our sake, that God’s grace will work through us to the glory of God.

Jesus Understands

John 11:33 “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled”- 

The sorrow of death touches the very heart of all people. We sorrow because life as we know it has been silence and our loved ones are no longer able to respond to our touch and our expressions of love. We weep for those who feel the pain of loss and separation of relationship on this earth. Jesus wept, for He was moved with our own feeling of infirmity. He understand that loneness of separation. But, we sorrow not like others, for in our weeping we can rejoice in knowing that Jesus is the resurrection of Life. For those, who put their faith and trust in His death and resurrection will someday be made alive and live with Him for ever. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? We live today for Christ that we may die tomorrow to live with Him eternally.