Tag: #peace

EPISODE 329 MOUNTAINS OF HOPE

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The title of today’s episode: MOUNTAINS OF HOPE

Our faith walk is often referred to as being on the mountain top or in the valley. Each strategic place has something to offer. It is in the transition times that we find life to be the most difficult. When we are climbing to the top and are no longer in the valley. Or when we are moving fast almost in a free fall to the valley. All is important for our journey. Mountains all through the bible are significant places of revelation, hope and spiritual growth.

We cannot be too down when we find ourselves in the valley. All stages of our walk are necessary. In the valley, there is a place of rest. Often God will isolate us from people to spend time with him. He is the lily of the valley. He goes with us through all the stages of our faith walk. In the valley, we can find peace and strength. We can get into the secret place with God and allow him to pour into us. He will strengthen our spirit and equip us for the next stage in life. He will strengthen us to climb up the mountain once again. He knows what we are facing and will prepare us to handle the climb.

Today, I want to focus on the mountains of hope. Some are in the word of God, others are in our path. When Noah’s Ark landed on Mt. Ararat. It was a sign of hope that God would take Noah’s family and replenish the earth. All was not lost in the flood.

Just as Abraham took his son up Mt Moriah to sacrifice, I am sure the climb was hard. But once on the mountain top, God provided a sacrifice to spare his son. Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh meaning the Lord would provide. So this was another example of a mountain of hope.

Jehovah Jireh people use often to just mean financial. But he will provide whatever we need, encouragement, health, healing, strength, peace. He will not let us go without what ever our need may be. He sent ravens to feed Elijah during a famine. He will not let us down.

Although Golgotha is referred to as a hill, it may have been the most difficult to climb. Jesus climbed that hill, knowing that all that he was struggling through would be worth it to save mankind from sin.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He endured the cross to give us all the greatest hope of all, a hope of eternal life and peace.

Another mountain of hope would have been Mt. Olivet or the mount of olives where Jesus often taught. The top of the mountain was also where he ascended into heaven.

I am sure the sadness of his departure was hard to walk through. It was with heavy hearts that his disciples followed him to the top. Knowing he would leave them; however, he promised that he would not leave them comfortless. He promised to send his Spirit to lead and guide them.

His ascension into heaven made Mt. Olivet the greatest mountain of hope. Because it was on this mountain that he promised to come again and receive his people into heaven with him.

If you find yourself in the valley, thank God. Praise him in the valley. Ask for his guidance and wisdom. It is in the valley that we gain strength for the climb. Remember, when climbing, we have an expert survival guide. The Holy Ghost lives within the believer. He will be our guide.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Our expert guide will lead us in the path we need to walk. He is our protector, comforter, teacher and will show us things to come. We can find hope in our Lord. He has promised to never leave us. Even in the lowest valley, the highest mountain or somewhere in between; we are safe. We know there is hope for the proper outcome. It doesn’t matter how big a mountain is in front of us. We can call it a mountain of hope, because God has already gone before us. We will never climb alone; we have security and hope. And our hope is always in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 224

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: TYPES OF PEACE

After I finished shooting Episode 223 Intentional Christian Part 3 for this morning. I felt like God really wanted the one I had planned on for Friday. I thought about it and prayed into it. I feel like someone really needed this video today about peace. So they will be uploaded out of order. But I this is God’s channel. I want to always do what I feel he wants for me to do.

There are three main types of peace. Peace with God, Peace with yourself and peace with others.

First, I want to discuss Peace with God. If we surrender our lives fully to God we can have a peace that passes all understanding. There is a comfort in knowing that God is not separated from us. When we walk in sin, God is separated from us. If we do not repent of that sin and make things right, we will end up in hell for all eternity.

The peace in knowing we can say and truly mean, “It is well with my soul.” is the greatest peace known to mankind.

Romans 5:1-5 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.

When the Spirit of God comes into a believer’s life to dwell, He brings peace.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

The second type of peace that is a little harder to achieve is peace with ourselves. It is easy to look around and get caught up in the opinions of the world. We compare ourselves to how the super model looks and we feel bad about ourselves. We look at the rich and famous and their home, clothes and cars. It is easy to then have a tainted view of our own surroundings. We find that when life doesn’t go the way we wish that we internalize it and allow fear, anxiety and depression to take charge of our thinking and our words.

When we fall into this pattern of behavior, we are not having any form of peace with ourselves. We cannot even allow the peace of God to flow in our lives. There is no peace in fear of the unknown. It is easy to get caught up in the what if’s and become anxious. When we realize that God loves us and that he made us all unique it is a little easier to find peace.

We are in charge of our thinking. We are the only ones that can control the words of our mouth that are poisoning our lives. We can find peace within ourselves when we learn to see ourselves through the lens of God’s word.

Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Peace is a fruit of the spirit. The more we walk in God’s ways the more we develop the fruit of our Christian walk. It all starts with Peace with God then it carries over to peace with ourselves. We soon learn to forgive ourselves. We learn to accept who we are and our limitations. Embracing what God made us to be and do will give us that peace with who we are and why we were created in the first place.

The third type of peace is having peace with others. It is impossible to get along 100 percent of the time with certain people. They are miserable and want everyone around them to be miserable. They hate us for being happy and do not want to hear or embrace our answer for their misery. The answer of Jesus Christ.

Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

We need to try to walk in peace with everyone. Sometimes the only way to have peace with someone is to part ways. This is never easy, we have an instinct to want to be liked by everyone. It doesn’t mean that we cannot pray for them to find Jesus. But when their presence steals your peace on a normal basis, it is time to pray about cutting them out of your life. A move like this should only happen when you feel like God lets you.

Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

God wants us to try to get a long with people and have peace if possible. Sometimes it is not possible. That is when we turn it over to God and just let the situation go. Once in God’s capable hands we will get peace about the situation even if we don’t have peace with the individual.

God always works everything out for our good. He will either change them or remove them from our lives. We can walk in peace of all types as long as we have Jesus.

Do you have peace with God? Do you have peace with yourself? Do you have peace with others? Something to think about as you go about your day.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 138 — WALK IN PEACE

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: WALK IN PEACE

Many opinions have been aired in the past days since the attempt on President Trumps life. I want to share mine. We are in unstable times. But make no mistake God is in control.

As children of God, we cannot allow ourselves to be overtaken with anger. I have been through the emotions of shock, anger and overwhelming sadness for the victims that were minding their own business and their families. My heart goes out to the family of the shooter. Any life lost is a potential soul that the church allowed to slip through our fingers.

I want to encourage you today, that we need to be united more than ever as the body of Christ. There is not a devil in hell that can stand against us, if we walk in love and unity. Because there is a strength in that unity, it concentrates God’s power on earth. In the middle of the worst chaos, we can walk in peace. Because our peace doesn’t come from our circumstance. Our peace comes from the Lord.

Phil 4:7 – And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It doesn’t matter how much chaos is going on around us, we can have peace. This is a peace that only God can give because it passes all understanding. It is impossible for our human mind to comprehend how we feel peace, when logically we know that we should be feeling anything but peace.

Psalm 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

God’s truth is our shield. He will give us peace and strength to face each new day. There is safety and when we put ourselves in God’s care, he will protect us and give us strength.

Part of having peace is to not allow fear to overtake us when we see horrible things happening. The opposite of faith is fear. The enemy will insert fear at every turn. As we see bad things unfold before our eyes, we cannot give in to the enemy and allow ourselves to fall into fear.

When we see these things happening, we need to hit our knees. Prayer will overcome the emotions of fear, anxiety and all that the enemy tries to put on us.

I know I say this a lot,

2 Cor. 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

We cannot look at how scary things appear. It is a scary thought that someone tried to kill our president. It is scary when we get personal news that looks like there is no way out of the situation. Many things will come our way in life. It is how we deal with them that affects the outcome. Do we cower and get into our emotions of fear and anxiety? If we do, things will take a bad turn. But if we stand strong in our faith and face the enemy, he will cower.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

If we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil he will flee. Because when we submit to God, we come under his covering. We have power over the enemy. When we resist and not allow him to fill our minds with negativity and fear, we gain the strength to keep going.

Do not be discouraged, keep praying, keep looking up. God is with us if we are with him. That is the key, America is going to have to turn to God and resist the devil.

I am remined of the story of Jehosophat. It seemed like the enemy was all around and there was no hope. But they changed their focus from the enemy to God. They began to worship.

2 CHR 20:15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

I say to the enemies of all mighty God. You will not prevail. The more you do to put God’s people in fear. The more we are going to worship our God and look to him.

To my brothers and sisters I say, Pray for our country, Pray for the victims of this assassination attempt and their families. Now is the time to make sure we are walking in God’s peace and love. Keep the faith and stay strong. The battle is not ours, but God’s.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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