PEACE
Tuesday – May 16, 2017
Greetings from Patti and me at The Three Minute Word publications. It is our honor and privilege to bring this teaching to you each weekday.
I want to take a moment to remind us all to be praying, interceding, continually for the governments and the peoples of this nation. We are coming out of this morass and onto a more sure foundation than the one of the founders. As impossible as it may seem today there will be a coming together and a moral clarity with Christian purpose as a nation emerge just before the end. The journey has begun. Now to our Bible Study.
Ephesians 6:21-24 (KJV)
21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Today I will pick-up with the twenty-third verse and we will be thinking about and talking about peace. Generally when we think and talk about peace in the Christian community it is making reference to an emotional milieu free of turmoil concerning a specific topic or in general. It is common to hear the phrase “I have peace about x, y, or z”. This peace that is commonly talked of and at times seems to be the main focus of our endeavors is elusive and deceptive as an objective in and of itself. This peace associated with a lack of emotional turmoil is a byproduct of Bible peace not the peace itself. To complicate the matter, the devil may help us rationalize into a feeling (emotion) of peace.
You and I brother and sister due to the Cross of Calvary have not only peace with God but the peace of God. The Blood Covenant initiated with Abram/Abraham and ratified for eternity on Calvary’s Tree by Christ Jesus eliminated the gulf between us and our loving Creator. Lucifer sinned, rebelled, was at war with God and thrown from Heaven to earth. That rebellion and war persists to this day. In our rejection of The Blood Covenant we were in the kingdom of darkness, the kingdoms of this world, ruled by Satan (Lucifer fallen) and were also at war with God.
Romans 5:1 (KJV)
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By accepting Jesus Christ as Lord we were instantly joined with God and became citizens of the Kingdom of God. However, beyond that, in our joining with Him (God) His prosperity became our prosperity (in every arena), His quietness (lack of emotional turmoil) became our quietness, His rest (provision) became our provisions, and as a result we were again one with Him. We were in time past one with the devil whether we thought so or not but praise the Lord we are now one with our Creator!
Now let’s take a look at the peace of God. I know that we recently looked at this during our discussion of the whole armor of God and aspect of having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Philippians 4:7 (KJV)
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The preceding verse tells us that this “peace of God” is beyond natural understanding however for those who are spiritual the knowledge and reality that we have the same peace as God will guard (hem about, protect) our decision making process and inner most beliefs and capacity to sort out the Truth and the lie. As you will recall, peace, is a fruit of the spirit. I like to think of these fruits of the spirit spoken of in Galatians as the useful product of spiritual organs. Just as natural organs have a function that empowers us to function optimally in the physical realm so do we have spiritual organs that empower us to function optimally in the spiritual realm.
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
There are three major supports or legs of the Kingdom of God which are peace, joy, and righteousness. You and I are made in the image and likeness of our Creators spiritually and physically just as our natural children are made in our image and likeness. You will notice from our text (Ephesians 6:23) that all three things Paul wants the brethren to have are from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Our natural children would not have arms and legs if we the parents didn’t have arms and legs. Likewise because our Creator has these nine fruits of the spirit so do we, thus they are from God. Not only are peace, love, and faith all fruit of the spirit (we are born with them) but they are integral to victory in the Kingdom of God. Peace, love, and faith from our text are feminine in gender and singular in number. This means that given the right seed, generally the Word of God, we can move forward obeying the seven original mandates of God to be fruitful, to multiply, to replenish the earth, to subdue the earth, to be good stewards, to guard the Kingdom, and not mix our knowledge of good and evil.
A major take away for today is that we are one with God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) therefore why do we think of ourselves as being alone!? Since we are in Blood Covenant with God and all of His resources are at our command as are ours at His command why do we look only to ourselves? Can you imagine that God is fidgeting around on the throne of Heaven as He looks upon us and the earth? Since we are one with Him and share in His quietness and rest why are we fidgeting? We are seated with Him on the Throne of Glory in Christ Jesus!!
Ephesians 2:6 (KJV)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Let each of us commit to cement in our thinking this oneness with God. We are not standing alone, we have His faith, His love, and we stand as He stands invulnerable and invincible.
Until our next publication I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
Contact e-mail: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
Mailing Address: 3 Rosswood Green Lane, Unit Two
Oakland, Maine 04963
