How Peace of Mind Works

How Peace of Mind Works

“Peace through strength”---these were the watchwords used by President Reagan to convey his belief that a strong military was necessary for America and her allies to dwell in peace in a world filled with enemies.

As new creatures in Christ, we also find ourselves encompassed by enemies---the Flesh, the World and Satan. And in this spiritual battlefield, we are told by scripture how we can dwell in calm despite the flack and pressure weighing down on our heart and mind.

The key to peace of mind amid our battle is our spiritual helmet---the word of God, especially those words of hope that help us focus on our heavenly destination.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1John 3:2-3

When our minds are set on things above, we will be not wandering off the reservation of God’s word to a place where Satan can sift us as wheat---filling our hearts and minds with fear, despair, depression, strife, bitterness and so on.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:6-9

In other words, we are to tell our concerns to our heavenly Father by prayer with thanksgiving, and then put on our helmet of God’s truth about Jesus. This will position our hearts and minds to walk in a place where the Spirit of Christ will envelop us with peace. This is his peace that Jesus gives to his Body, which is wholly different than the peace the world gives to its own (John 14:27).

Hold your head up! Focus your affection

On things above not on things of the earth

Buckle that helmet up tight!

We Can't Handle the Truth

by Steve Popovich "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins."  Mark 2:22 You can't handle the truth! an angry Jack Nicholson bellowed to the lawyer played by Tom Cruise. It is one of Hollywood's most memorable courtroom scenes. But what was said in anger in that Hollywood courtroom, God says in love as He extends a merciful hand of salvation to fallen man. Jesus said that the joy of the Vine will well up in the branches as they abide in His word (Jn. 15:10-11). How can the stony dead heart of fallen man receive and keep words from the heart of God while being vessels of His joy? We need a bigger boat! We need a new expandable heart. Bingo! that is exactly what the Holy Spirit becomes for us. The Spirit is our new covenant heart; He germinates eternal life in us as we are born of the Father's word and bears fruit as we grow in that word. We now have a new heart that grows and grows and grows. It matches up perfectly with the word God as we take it in and live it out. Will these new hearts ever stop growing? Well, maybe a trillion years from now if God runs out of words to give us. A wineskin is a great poetic picture of the heart of a believer. Why? Because water in the Bible is a symbol of the word of God (Is. 55:10-12), and wine represents joy (Ps. 104:15). Put the two together and we see that the vessels who are keeping God's word are also experiencing joy. Water into wine...it's a miracle! And it's a truth we couldn't handle apart from the indwelling Spirit; He is our new wineskin. For those outside of Christ, God's word is the thundering waters of a curse. But for all who hear, repent and receive the word of the Gospel, His word flows through our new wineskin as a river of life and fountain of joy. *********************

Holy Ground

by Steve Popovich

"Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. Ex. 3:5-6

My not so fond memories of walking barefoot outdoors are bleeding feet from broken glass, being hobbled by discarded bottle caps and yelping like a scalded dog while scurrying across burning pavement. Since I now know that all these hidden evils are in the world, I have become disciplined enough to put my shoes on daily.

God uses symbols to help us understand his truths because a picture is worth a thousand words...even to God. And in God's manifold collection of types and figures, shoes represent a walk of spiritual separation from the cursed world; a manner of walking where we don't succumb to spiritual snares and minefields.

For forty years God led His people through the wilderness. In all that time the shoes of the Israelites never wore out.  

"And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot." Deut 29:5

Not only does this passage teach us about God's care in meeting the needs of His people, it tells us in a symbolic picture that those who are led by God are to walk separately from the spiritual wilderness of this world.

Not long before Moses led the Israelites from Egypt, Moses approached a burning bush in the desert where God command him to remove his shoes because the ground on which he stood was "Holy Ground". God was staying true to his types and teaching us through pictures that where He is, there is no need for a separated walk. In fact, the opposite is true; never should we walk separately from where God is.

Our daily prayer:

Lord, open our hearts to the Holy Ground of your word. May we have clear eyes and sure feet to walk according to your ways… but in the ways of the world, help us to have laced-up hearts with shoes that don't wear out. Amen

Biblical Separation of Church and State

Question

Java Asks

Can you please explain the following:

All authority, including political, is from God.

• We are to obey that authority.
• But that authority hates us.
• We are to disobey that authority.
• we are now disobeying God when we disobey political authority.

All of these are found in the bible. How are these points reconciled?


Answer
All explained by Peter and exemplified by Jesus:

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men....For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps...Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 2:13-15,21. 3:13-15 [our submission to the leading of God includes submitting to the earthly authorities, just as Jesus did---making us "model citizens" and earning the praise of those authorities.]

But "even if" we suffer at the hand of the authorities due to hostility toward righteousness, including false accusations by others, our defense and hope is set, not in the earthly legal system, but in the hope that is in us.

Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."John 18:35-37 [Jesus proclaims the hope that is in him as He sanctifies the Father's will in His heart]

If ever God leads believers to suffer at the hands of earthly authorities for righteousness sake, It is for reasons of eternal glory.

And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!". When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves." Matt 27:23-24 [through submission to unjust suffering at the hands of earthly authorities, the world's salvation came]

At no time did Jesus, or are we, to rebel against gov't authorities---they are there because God has put them there for His purposes..

So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." John 19:10-11 [Government authority over God's people is an extension of God's authority over us, therefore we are not to be rebellious toward it]

Steve