Tag: Prince of Peace

Jehovah Shalom, Peace a gift from God

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Peace is something we all strive for as we think, if we achieve it all will be good and calm. However, the only one who can truly grant us peace is God. Gideon was called of God to rescue the Israelites during the time of the Judges. Judges 6:22-24a “ Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace,” Jehovah Shalom in Hebrew was Gideon’s name for God, The Lord of Peace, and describes how he felt after this encounter with God. Many other writers in scripture use God’s name, Lord of Peace, as a form of blessing or to describe the quality of peace that God can bestow upon the believer! Gideon felt God’s peace and was ready to move into action. God’s peace motivates us to live for Him and surrounds us with His comfort too.

Paul used the name, Lord of Peace, as a sign off in Romans and 1 Thessalonians. Romans 15:33 “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When they were departing by ship, walking or with a letter, they wanted the receiver to know that God was with them always and that He is the granter of peace in our lives. Paul wanted them to look to Jesus for their peace.

Another aspect of God’s peace is action oriented and we can depend upon this peace to produce action or results in our lives. In Romans 16:19-20 Paul wants his readers to know that the God who gives peace also will take care of evil. He will crush Satan as he has promised. “For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Action also involves focus on Him. You can’t get peace without keeping your mind on Him as we are told in Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” I love this action as it is a promise that we are assured peace if we remain focused upon God.

Jesus told us in John 14:27 that He was leaving peace for us, from God, and it will keep your troubles from becoming overwhelming and keep away fear! “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Paul expanded on how to access this peace of God in Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Do you want to know the peace of God or the Lord of Peace? Scripture tells us it is ours as a gift from God. Nothing is required other than faith in Jesus and trusting Him. He will give us the peace that passes all understanding, and He will see that our hearts and minds are guarded in Him. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know, feel and live in God’s peace as the Lord of Peace is always with me! Be assured that God is the God of peace, but Jesus himself is known as the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus is our prince always bringing us peace! Thank you Jesus.

Linda

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Advent Day 22, 4th Sunday of Advent, Lighting the Love Candle on our wreath

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Today’s scripture is from Isaiah 9 and describes the coming Christ. It tells us that He will come as a child but his potential for impact will be enormous. All of creation will rest upon Him and His kingdom will be eternal.

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen!

As you reflect on the Love of God that caused Him to send Jesus to provide for us, to redeem us and reconcile us to Him, say a prayer of thanks for his generous love. John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It was love for you and me that motivated God to send Jesus. I am continually touched by the message of Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He loves me that much! He loves you too. Turn to Him this season and feel His love.

Linda

Love, the motivating factor in the story

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In our journey this Advent Season we have walked with Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zachariah, Anna, Simeon, the shepherds, the angels and the Wise Men, from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt and back to Nazareth.  We have seen our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Sovereign God in control and guiding all events.  Today, Christmas Eve, let us look at the prophesy Isaiah gave concerning this Christ Child, Emmanuel-God with us.  Let us marvel at God’s Love for us.  The depth, width and scope of what He would do to show His love so we could be reconciled to Him.   Isaiah 9:6-7 was  written 700 years before Christ’s birth.

Isaiah-9-6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

God is loveJesus was the full expression of God’s LOVE for us.  He loved us before we first loved Him.  His love is complete, eternal, uncompromising, faithful, true and unchanging.  Scripture tells us that God is love. “ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8   Here are a few scriptures describing God’s love:

Deuteronomy 33:12 ““Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long,  and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”

Psalm 63:3 “Because your love is better than life,  my lips will glorify you.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:16 “ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 

God loved us so much that He sent His beautiful, wonderful Son to accomplish our reconciliation and redemption.  John 3:16  “ 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.”  Thank you God for loving me so much and saving me.

Linda

 

 

Jesus is this and so much more!

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Today we are at a point in the Messiah that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it sung or read!  Isaiah spoke of the light coming into the world that will dispel the darkness of sin in 9:2 and then in 9:6 he fully describes this coming Savior.  He will come as a babe and will be amazing!

Isaiah-9-6“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Is this your Jesus?  He came as a baby,  Luke 2:7 “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”  He was the Son of God given for us and is expressed by Jesus and Martha in John 11:25-27 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”    Philippians 2:9-11 describes a future time when Jesus will reign in power and might. He will be all the government we will need.  “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  

Isaiah then describes attributes of Messiah’s character.

  • He will be called Wonderful Counselor. Psalm 32:8 describes what God does for us. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  John referred to Jesus as the Word making these words from Psalm 119:24 come to life. “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.”   
  • He will be called Mighty God.  Job 35:5 ““God is mighty, but despises no one;  he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.”  David spoke of God in Psalm 89:8 “Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?  You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.”   
  • He will be called Everlasting Father.  1 Chronicles 29:10 “ David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.”  John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” 
  • He will be called Prince of Peace.  Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”   John 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.”

Jesus is all this and so much more.  Praise Him today!

Linda