Peace or a Troubled Heart

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


I was reading John chapter 14 when I came to verse 27 and I noticed something which hit me. Jesus said “Peace I give you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” What caught my attention was while He gives peace, we let our heart be troubled and afraid. Jesus was telling His disciples this because He had just informed them He is going to depart and go to heaven. I would like to put ourselves in the disciple’s shoes for a moment. They had walked with God in human flesh who loved them unlike anyone else was capable. They saw Him walk on water, calm the storms, raise the dead, give sight to the blind and heal the lepers. No one had ever spoken with the wisdom or authority Jesus had. The disciples were on an adventure which parallels none. Now the adventure most likely appears to be coming to an end and Jesus is going to die and go to heaven! That must have been overwhelming and very troubling. Look at ourselves when we either suffer loss or know we are fixing to. It can be devastating, yet consider the loss being the Son of God! Of course we know Jesus was going to give them the Holy Spirit and He would never leave or forsake them. But Jesus would be in heaven and they would not see Him in the flesh anymore. The point I want to get to here is, Jesus told them "let not your hearts be troubled or afraid." That means, even in this, they let their heart be troubled. This applies to us also. Jesus gives us peace; we let our hearts be troubled and afraid. Most likely our situation is not greater than that of the disciples. Do not take me wrong, I do not want to minimize our situation because it is real. But His peace is available to each and everyone who is a child of God, no matter what our situation is.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7 NKJV)

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Lazarus

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25:26 NKJV)

Over the last few days I have been reading the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This is one of those passages when I read, tears come to my eyes. I think what it must have been like for Mary and Martha, the hurt they felt with their brother’s death. They knew Jesus could have healed him, yet He was not there. I am sure people must have been asking “why Jesus, why?” When Jesus arrives Martha comes to Him, but Mary stays behind. Martha tells Jesus “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus tells Martha that her brother will rise again. Martha believed this to be true, but in the resurrection on the last day. Then Jew’s were saying “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:36-37 NKJV)

People may have been questioning why Jesus did not come and save Lazarus. But Jesus had a plan. Not just a plan, but a mission. Could you just imagine what the people thought when Jesus said, “Take away the stone?” It is not everyday someone rises from the dead, so they question Jesus again. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” (John 11:39) But this day God would be glorified and Jesus would be glorified through it. He did this that His disciples would believe. (See John 11:4, 15) Our last enemy is death and Jesus proves He has power over death.

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:43-44)


This just blows me away. I am in total awe when I read this. WOW! What is our last enemy? It is death and Jesus defeated it! Thank you Lord Jesus, Thank you! You showed You have power over death and then You defeated it on the cross at Calvary.

Read the rest of the passage: John Chapter 11

Photo by Image Base.

Five Barley Loaves and Two Small Fish

John 6:5-9 NKJV

Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

Sometimes I think what I give or do is not of much value.  I am not a great speaker nor will I ever write a bestselling Christian book or stand before coliseums full of unsaved people preaching the Gospel.  There are too many hungry people both physically and spiritually, what difference can I make? I can easily think like Philip and Andrew; “What I have is insufficient.”

 

Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:10-13 NKJV)

The beautiful thing is I do not have to be a famous evangelist or a man with deep pockets. What little I give He can multiply and do wondrous things.  I do not have to solve the world’s problems, just be faithful to the Lord with what I have.

Bread Image: Rosemary Ratcliff / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fish Image: Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Light of the World

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  
John 1:10-11 NKJV


“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:19-21 NKJV

I have heard many people say “if God would reveal Himself, I would believe.” If this is you, I would like to ask you this: “would you really believe, or are you just using this as an excuse?” Please consider this: God did come to earth and revealed Himself, yet many still did not believe. They denied Him, yet the proof was right before their eyes. God has also revealed Himself to you. Please consider these passages.


For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:18-21 NKJV


Before I was saved I did not want to come to the Light because I loved my sin. I tried the best as I could to make God go away. But now I am so thankful Jesus did not give up on me and sent people into my life to tell me of Him.


To read the rest of John 1 click here.
To read the rest of John 3 click here.
To read the rest of Romans 1 click here.

I'm Gonna Let it Shine

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. John 1:6-9 

Two of my greatest witnesses to the Light of Christ in my life were my grandparents. I was always touched by the way they lived their lives for Jesus. Even though my time around them was limited because they lived in another state, the Lord used their testimony to bring me to salvation some twenty years after they both went home to be with the Lord. This was not the only thing He used, but it played a major roll. Out of love, my grandparents lived life to bring Him glory. I can remember my grandma, with her soft gentle voice, speaking of Jesus and telling me to follow Him.

We Christians, like John the Baptist, are called to bear witness of the Light. When you read the scripture account of John the Baptist, there is no doubt who he is serving and bearing testimony of. Likewise, there should be no doubt as to who we serve. In our fallen sinful state, we are tempted to serve ourselves. Many times, people around us may not even know that we are Christians. We may be afraid to share or else our heart and minds are on other things. For some, there may be no fruit of salvation and we may live like the world. In these things, we may end up standing in the way of someone else... that may have entered into the kingdom.

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
Luke 11:52

Lord, please help me to be faithful in bearing witness of Your Light and use me to bring people into Your Kingdom. I do not want to hinder anyone else from entering in. In Jesus Name, Amen. I pray this is your prayer also.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 Matt 5:13-16

Photograph: Image Base