THE PEACE THAT COMES FROM CHRIST

PROCLAMATION

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the words which Jesus spoke to His disciples to explain why He was leaving them and what it would mean for them.  Jesus said that after He left them, The Holy Spirit would come and guide them into all truth, (John 16:13) teach them, and increase their understanding.  What The Spirit will reveal to them would not be anything new, He will help them recall and understand the things which Christ spoke to them. (John 14:26 and 16:14-15)  Jesus told them that He would leave them, and they would lament and be sorrowful for a while, but their grief would soon turn to joy. (John 16:19-22)  He also told them that they would be scattered.  Then He told them that He was telling them these things so that they would have peace during the trouble they would face. (John 16:31-33)

 

APPLICATION

Jesus, The Christ, left heaven and came to earth to die.  He did not come here to stay; He had to leave and return to heaven.  His death and resurrection was necessary in order to pay for our sins and for our salvation.  Additionally, while He was wrapped in human flesh, He could only be in one place at a time, but His Holy Spirit could be everywhere all at the same time.  The Holy Spirit can guide us and teach us, each one of us as we need it, all at the same time.  We know that The Holy Spirit is working within us when we are glorifying God.  However, The Holy Spirit of God only dwells within those of us who believe in Jesus, The Christ, and who have accepted Him as our personal savior. (John 14:17, Romans 8:11, 1 John 3:24 and 4:13)  While we are in this troubled world, believers will have His perfect peace as long as our mind is on Him. (Isaiah 26:3)  We should not worry about the things of this world because Christ has already overcome the world. (John 16:33)

 

THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH

PROCLAMATION

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.  The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.”  Isaiah 65:17-18 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Chapter sixty-five of The Bible Book of Isaiah begins with the rejection of The Lord God by the Jews and His acceptance by the Gentiles. (Isaiah 65:1-7)  Then The Lord God states that He would preserve a remnant of His people. (Isaiah 65:8-10)  He goes on to describe what will happen to those people who forsake Him as compared to those who serve Him. (Isaiah 65:11-16)  After this He states that He will create new heavens and a new earth, then He briefly tells what life would be like in the new Jerusalem and how peaceful things will be for man and animals. (Isaiah 65:17-25)

APPLICATION

After the Rapture and after the Millennial reign, The Lord God will create new heavens and a new earth.  The old ones will have passed away. (Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1)   There will be no more crying there (Isaiah 65:19) and the wolf and the lamb will feed together. (Isaiah 65:25)  The weaknesses of infancy and the infirmities of old age will no longer exist. (Isaiah 65:20)   There will be joy and gladness there forever. (Isaiah 65:18)  Will you be there?

THE LORD GOD WILL COMFORT US

PROCLAMATION

“I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, creating praise on their lips.  Peace, peace, to those far and near, says The Lord.  And I will heal them.”  Isaiah 57:18-19 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Chapter fifty-seven of The Bible Book of Isaiah begins by stating that the righteous die in order to be spared from evil, and so that they may find rest and God’s peace. (Isaiah 57:1-2)  Then He presents the abominable idolatries which were committed by the children of Israel. (Israel 57:3-13)  Afterwards He states that He punished them because of their behavior but that He would revive them, restore them, and comfort the mourners among them.

APPLICATION

The Lord God knows our sins and He has seen the suffering which we brought upon ourselves.  He said that He would heal us and our land if we would seek Him and turn from our wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  He also said that He would guide us and comfort those of us who are mourners. (Isaiah 57:18)  We need to understand that death is a part of life and that people die for a reason. (Isaiah 57:1-2)  None of us came here to stay here forever.  When believers die, they transition from earthly labor to a heavenly reward. (1 Corinthians 3:8)  If they are absent from the body that means that they are present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  We may miss them and wish that they were still here with us, but that is us just being selfish because I am sure that no one wants to leave the presence of God and return to the suffering on earth.  We need to make sure that we will join them and be with Christ when our time comes.  That can only happen if we believe. (John 3:16, Acts 16:31, and Romans 10:9)

PEACE AFTER THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON IS PREDICTED

PROCLAMATION

“Come near, you nations, and listen … The Lord is angry with all nations; His wrath is on all armies.  He will totally destroy them, He will give them over to slaughter.”  Isaiah 34:1-2 (NIV)

“And those The Lord has rescued will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”  Isaiah 35:10 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

In this chapter Isaiah prophecies about the War of Armageddon, the day when The Lord God will vent His wrath against all the nations who oppose Israel (Isaiah 34:8) and totally destroy them. (Isaiah 34:1-2)  Here The Lord God speaks to all of the nations through the prophet Isaiah and tells them that He is angry with them and then tells them what is going to happen to them. (Isaiah 34:1-15)  Then, after Armageddon, He tells them, in chapter thirty-five, that they will witness His glory and splendor as he blesses His people. (Isaiah 35:1-10)

APPLICATION

In the coming War of Armageddon, all of the non-believing nations that stand against Israel will be destroyed.  There is no mention of any great western nation coming to the aid of Israel.  So, either the United States is included among the non-believing nations or it has been weakened to the point of insignificance and cannot come to the aid of Israel.  As believers we will not have to endure this because it will all occur after the rapture of the church. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)  However, even now it is probably not a good idea to actively oppose or stand against Israel.  We cannot hate the Jews and claim to be believers. (1 John 4:20)  We need to learn to love one another, (John 13:34-35) to love our neighbors, (Matthew 22:29) and to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44)  Let us let the love and word of Christ dwell within us. (Colossians 3:16)

I PRAY THAT THE PEACE OF GOD BE WITHIN ALL OF YOU

Proclamation:

“For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’  For the sake of the house of The Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.”  Psalm 122:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It is a psalm of ascent that the children of Israel sang rejoicing as they went up to Jerusalem to worship and for their feasts.  This is the third song of ascent.  In Psalm 120, the Jews were in distress because of their neighbors.  In Psalm 121, they were travelling to Jerusalem and could see it in the hills.  Now, in Psalm 122, they are within the gates of Jerusalem.  David rejoiced with the saints who said to him, “Let us go to the house of The Lord.” (Psalm 122:1)  He prayed for peace for Jerusalem and for the people who lived within the walls of the city. (Psalm 122:6-7)  He prayed for peace for his family and friends. (Psalm 122:8-9)  He also prayed for the good of the house of God and the people of God (Psalm 122:9) because of his zeal for God’s house. (Psalm 69:9)

Application:

Most people do not have to travel as far as the children of Israel did to go to worship in the house of The Lord.  However, most of us pass by many churches in order to get to our church to worship because we no longer live in the neighborhood where our church is located.  When we pray, we should pray for every church where they worship The Lord, our God.  We should also pray for all of the people of God, where ever they may be, that they would be blessed with the favor of God and that they will prosper.

PRAY AND PRAISE THE LORD GOD SEVEN TIMES A DAY

Proclamation:

“Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous laws.  Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”  Psalm 119:164-165 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the twenty-first part, Shin, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David continues to tell The Lord God how much he loves His laws.  He states that he praises Him seven times each day because of His laws.  Seven times may be a literal translation or it may mean very often each day. 

Application:

I believe that most believers pray several times each day.  Most of us pray in the morning when we wake up, in the evening before we go to sleep, and before we eat each meal.  That would be four to five times each day but not seven times.  The Bible says that we ought to always pray, (Luke 18:1 and 21:36) and His praise should continually be in our mouth. (Psalm 34:1)  In order to pray seven times in a day, we would have to pray at least two or three times more than the traditional or habitual prayer times.  There are those who say that they pray when they get in their cars before they drive on these dangerous streets and freeways.  I would suggest that we also pray before we engage anyone in a conversation, before we answer a question, and before we make a decision.  Before we do or say anything, we ought to pray and ask for God’s help and guidance.  If we did that, maybe we would have great peace in our lives, and maybe we would not stumble into sin as often as we do.

I WILL LISTEN TO WHAT THE LORD GOD SAYS

Proclamation:
“I will listen to what God The Lord says; He promises peace to His people, His faithful servants, but let them not turn to folly.”  Psalm 85:8 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were thought to be written by the three sons of Korah, Asir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  They were descendants of Levi and thought to be the gate-keepers and musicians in the temple at Jerusalem.  The psalmist begins telling The Lord God that He had forgiven the people of their iniquity and sin in the past, and he asks that The Lord would restore them again. (Psalm 85:4)  He offers a petition to The Lord on behalf of the people, whom he represents, stating that even though they did not listen in the past, they would listen to Him now.  The psalmist knows that God’s Word is the gospel of peace.  Then he prayed that the people would not return to their sinful ways of idolatry, immoral living, self-righteousness, or blatant neglect of Christ and The Word of God.

Application:

Believers know that The Lord God speaks to us through His Word.  His Holy Spirit brings to our mind the remembrance of the things which we read and heard preached from The Word of God. (John 14:26)  The promises that He made to us are contained within His Holy Word.  The problem is with our lack of willingness to read The Word of God and to be obedient to it.  Some people hear the gospel preached but it “goes in one ear and out of the other” without the benefit of affecting anything in their brain as it passed through.  However, hearing and believing The Word of God will change an individual and transform their mind. (Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 5:17)  Then they will no longer want to do all of the sinful things that they used to do.  They will not become perfect, but they will change.  The more we listen to what The Word of God says, the more Christ-like we will become, and the more likely we will become a good and faithful servant.

MAY THE LORD GOD LET HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU

Proclamation:

“Restore us, O God, make Your face shine on us, that we may be saved.”  Psalm 80:3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, the director of music appointed by King David, who was also a seer who was said to prophesy. (2 Chronicles 29:30)  This psalm is a song and a prayer.  This verse is stated three times, maybe to add emphasis to it. (Psalm 80:3, 7 and 19)  The psalmist wanted The Lord God to return them, the back-sliding sinners though they may be, to Himself by repentance.  He recognized that they could not save themselves, and that only by the grace of God shining upon them could they be saved.  In verses seven and nineteen he addresses The Lord God as The God of Hosts, or The Lord God Almighty, as he repeats the verse.  In verse fourteen he again asks The Lord God Almighty to restore them but he uses different words.  He asks God to look down from heaven and watch over them.

Application:

When we pray and ask The Lord God to restore us, we want Him to forgive our sins, cleanse us from all unrighteousness, create within us a clean heart, and put us back in good fellowship with Him. (Psalm 51:1-12)  We want Him to remove our sins and look upon us only after He has cleaned us up so that we may bask in the sunshine of His love.  Asking The Lord to let His face shine on someone is a good way to ask for a blessing for them.  The Lord God spoke to Moses and told him to tell Aaron to bless the people of Israel by saying unto them, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord let His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:22-26)  So, I say may The Lord God let His face shine upon you.  May He give you spiritual guidance, bless you with His presence, look upon you with His love, and grant you His grace, favor and peace.

I SLEEP AND I WAKE AGAIN BECAUSE THE LORD SUSTAINS ME

Proclamation:

“But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, The One who lifts my head high.  I call out to The Lord, and He answers me from His Holy Mountain.  I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because The Lord sustains me.”  Psalm 3:3-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm of King David was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm deals with David’s predicament, his peace, and his prayer.  It is thought to have been written when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.  David knew that he had many enemies. (Psalm 3:1)  He also knew that The Lord God was his protection.  In his times of trouble David turned to The Lord. (Psalm 3:3-4)  He knew that God heard him cry out, and he knew that God would answer his prayers. (Psalm 3:4)  David knew that he could lie down at night and sleep in peace because The Lord God would watch over him, sustain him, and wake him in the morning. (Psalm 3:5)  David knew that from The Lord God comes deliverance and blessings. (Psalm 3:8)

Application:

We can learn a lot from David.  He was far from perfect, but he was a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22)  We know that it is The Lord that shields us and protects us from our enemies, and from all forms of hurt, harm, and danger.  The Bible states that The Lord is “my shield” six times. (Psalm 7:10, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 18:35, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 119:114, and Psalm 144:2)  Six times The Bible states that The Holy Spirit of God “lifted me up.” (Ezekiel 3:12, Ezekiel 3:14, Ezekiel 8:3, Ezekiel 11:1, Ezekiel 11:24, and Ezekiel 43:5)  The Lord can lift us up in many ways, including physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, socially, and intellectually.  There are so many ways in which He can and does bless us.  It is The Lord God that sustains us and delivers us.  We know that The Lord hears and answers prayers. (Psalm 120:1)  We can have peace in the midst of a storm.  It is only by the grace and peace of God that we can go to sleep each night and wake up the next morning.  God grants a peaceful night’s sleep to those that He loves. (Psalm 127:2)  We ought to thank Him each morning for watching over us as we slumbered and slept, and for blessing us to see a new day.   

PEACE AND POWER

Proclamation:

“… My peace I give you … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples to comfort them as recorded by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Jesus had told them that He was going to leave them and promised them that He would return for them. (John 14:1-3)  He also told them that God, The Father, would send The Holy Spirit to be with them and to help them. (John 14:16-17)  He told them that they did not need to be afraid or fearful.

Application:

As modern day disciples of Christ, we have The Holy Spirit of God with us and within us.  The peace of God should calm all of our fears.  He also promised us that as long as we abide in Him and His words abide in us, whatever we ask for would be granted, as long as what we wanted gave God glory. (John 15:7-8)  The peace of God removes all of our fears, and all of our prayers will be answered and fruitful.  We can have His perfect peace and know that there is power in our prayers.  All this is ours, as long as we stay in His word and keep His word in us.  So, don't worry, be happy, we can get whatever we want; as long as what we want gives God glory.

HELP IN THE MIDST OF A STORM

Proclamation:

"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now 
full ... And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be still.'   And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm ... And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"  Mark 4:37-41 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Mark.  The situation was such that, because of the large crowd on the shore, Jesus sat in the ship on the lake and taught the crowd. (Mark 4:1)  After He had taught them a number of parables, He said to His disciples, let us go across to the other side of the lake. (Mark 4:35)  As they were crossing the lake a storm with strong winds arose causing waves that splashed water into the ship. (Mark 4:37)  The disciples were fearful and woke Jesus, and He calmed the wind and the sea by saying, "Peace, be still."

Application:

The disciples, who were followers of Jesus, The Christ, and who were with Him at the time, did not really understand who He was or the power that He possessed.  They were in awe that the wind and the sea obeyed Him.  Many of the believers today who are followers of Christ do not understand the power which He has.  Jesus does keep us from some things, but He allows us to get caught up in some storms to show us that He can bring us through the storms. (John 16:33)  He can calm the storms in our lives, but He can also help us to overcome the storms. (Romans 8:37 and 1 John 4:4)  Jesus is always in control of the circumstances in our lives, and we can access His awesome power to deal with them if we believe, pray, ask for it, and have faith that it will be done. (John 14:13)  We need to trust Him to help us when storms hit our life.  He may not choose to end the storm, but He will be with us through the storm.

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS

Proclamation:

"Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke during the beginning of His Sermon on The Mount as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew.  Peace makers are happy people.  They love, desire, and delight in peace.  They keep the peace that it may not be broken, and they attempt to recover it whenever is it broken.

Application:

Do you know someone who always seems to be trying to keep the peace, always trying to stop two others from arguing or fighting.  They never seemed to want to take one side or the other, saying something like “you are both right and you are both wrong.”  Peacemakers are not just sitting on the fence.  They are capable of making a decision, they have decided that we should all “just get along” and love each other.  The Bible teaches us that we should love our enemies.  Peacemakers are just trying to remind us of that, trying to help us engage rational thought instead of letting our emotions cause us to fly off the handle.  They are at peace with God and their desire is to live in peace with all men, and to have all men live in peace with each other. (Romans 5:1)  Their peace with Christ enables them to be ambassadors of God's message to a troubled world.  So, don't put down those who promote peace, they may be promoting God's message of love.  You may not agree with either side, but fighting is not the answer.

THE LORD CAN CALM OUR STORMS

Proclamation:

"Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him.  Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us!  We're going to drown!'  He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?'  Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.  The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"  Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)

Explanation:
In the gospel according to the Apostle Matthew, he records this account, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, regarding The Lord Jesus rebuking the wind and the waves.  Jesus spoke and calmed the storm. (Peace, be still. Mark 4:39)  He questioned His disciples and asked them why were they afraid.  Jesus already knew that they were men of little faith.   They did not yet really understand exactly who He was and is.  

Application:
Today, we act like we do not understand just how powerful The Lord God really is.  Everything on earth is subject to His will.  When Jesus, The Christ, rose from the dead, He said that all power in heaven and in earth is given unto Him. (Matthew 28:18)  When we were created, we were given the free will to choose to serve God, or not to serve Him. (Joshua 24:15)  We have the option to believe in Him, or not to believe. (John 3:15, John 3:16, and Acts 10:43)  He will knock on the door of our hearts, but we must open it and invite Him inside. (Revelation 3:20)  If we choose to believe in Him, He can calm the storms in our lives.   He can also give us His peace and protection in the midst of our storms and troublesome situations, and deliverance through them. (Jonah 2:1-10)  Sometimes He will move our mountains and calm our storms, and other times He will give us the strength to endure them.  As He told the Apostle Paul, His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  

MAY GOD BLESS YOU WITH JOY AND PEACE

Proclamation:

"May The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of The Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in the church in Rome.  Paul was praying for God's blessings upon them.  He wanted them to receive God’s joy, peace, and hope, by the power of The Holy Spirit.

Application:

Just like every other good and perfect gift come from The Lord, (James 1:17) joy is a gift from God.  Jesus said "If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His love.  I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:10-11)  Jesus also said "... and no one will take away your joy." (John 16:22)  As the song says, "... This joy that I have, the world didn't give it, and the world can't take it away."  Only with the help of God can we count everything that happens in this life as joy. (James 1:2)  And, the only real peace is God's perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3)  The only way to be blessed with the gifts of joy and peace, is to believe and obey The Word of God, because both of them are gifts from God through The Holy Spirit.

DO IT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Proclamation:

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts ... Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly ... And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of The Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God The Father through Him." Colossians 3:15-17

Explanation:

These The Holy Spirit of God inspired words were written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Colossi.  Paul wanted them to have faith and let God rule their lives.  He wanted them to keep The Word of God in their hearts and let it guide their thoughts, words, and actions.  He wanted them to do all that they did in the name of Jesus so that God The Father would be glorified.

Application:

In this mean, stressful, hateful, war torn world in which we live, the only peace of mind we can enjoy is when we have the peace of God in our hearts.  Only if we believe in, and live by The Word of God can we praise God and give thanks to Him regardless of our situation in life.  As believers, The Holy Spirit of God dwells within us and if we let Him control us, then our words and actions would give God glory.  We have been blessed and the power of God has been shared with us to allow us to do things in the name of The Lord Jesus, The Christ. (2 Timothy 1:7)  We should do our best at whatever we do since all of our work is for The Lord and not for man. (Colossians 3:23 and 1 Peter 4:11)  May The Good Lord make us worthy of His calling, and that by His power may He bring to fruition our every desire for goodness and every deed prompted by faith.  May the grace of God enable us to behave in such a way that the name of The Lord Jesus is glorified by what we say and do. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

GOD'S PERFECT PEACE

Proclamation:

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.  Trust in The LORD forever, for The LORD, The LORD, is the Rock eternal."  Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)  In the King James version of the Bible it reads: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.  Trust ye in The LORD for ever; for in The LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

Explanation:

The Prophet Isaiah, often referred to as the greatest of the prophets, said that God will grant His perfect peace to those believers who have their mind fixed on Him, and who trust in Him, for in The Lord God there is everlasting strength.

Application:                                                                                                                                             The concept of God's perfect peace is beyond human comprehension and explanation.  The Lord God could allow someone to attain such a state of peace here on earth.  However, the conditions for attaining this would require being someone whose mind was focused on The Lord all of the time, and who trusted in The Lord for all things and in all situations.  The best way that I can explain it is that God's perfect peace would not only be the absence of conflict, strife, suffering, and turmoil, but it would also include all of the blessings of a right relationship with God, and all which that entails.  This may be possible for a believer to accomplish during and shortly after periods of effectual fervent prayer and meditation.  This will be an inner peace and an outward peace.  It will reflect having peace of mind and being at peace with God, a period of no earthly concerns.  Although it may be possible through prayer for us to experience this for a few brief moments here on earth, for most of us, perpetual perfect peace will only be attained after death when we are in the presence of The Lord.  Enjoying God's perfect peace should be the goal of every believer.

MAY THE GOOD LORD GOD GIVE YOU HIS PEACE

Proclamation:

"Now may The Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The Lord be with all of you."  2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

Explanation:
The Apostle Paul wrote these words as he closed his second letter to the believers in Thessalonica.  Paul knew that the believers in Thessalonica were being persecuted and they were troubled by the spiritual battles which were taking place around them. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8)  He wanted them to be at peace, in spite of their situation.  He wanted the peace of The Lord God to be with each one of them at all times.

Application:
There can be no peace without God, for He is The God of peace. (Hebrews 13:20)  There is a saying: “Know God, know peace; No God, no peace.”  Paul did not write this verse to the believers of today, but because it applies to all of the believers then, it applies to all of us now.  We are also undergoing tribulations, trials, troubles, and spiritual battles today. (2 Thessalonians 1:4 and Ephesians 6:12)  However, if we could see the angels which The Lord has surrounding us, and surrounding our enemies, ready to protect us and to do battle for us, then we would know the peace of God in troubling times. (2 Kings 6:15-17)  Thanks to The Lord God, we are able to relax and replace our troubled mind with an inner peace, His peace.  The storms in our lives occur for a reason.  So, don't pray to God for the storms to end.  It is much better to pray for God's protection and peace, as we go through the storms of life.  Now, may The Good Lord God bless you, each and every one of you, and give you His peace.

May The Lord Give You Peace

"Now may The Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The Lord be with all of you."  2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote these words as he closed his second letter to the believers in Thessaloniki.  He wanted the peace of The Lord God to be with each of them at all times.

There can be no peace without God, for He is The God of peace. (Hebrews 13:20)  Paul knew that the believers in Thessaloniki were being persecuted and they were troubled by the spiritual battles which were taking place around them. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8)  He wanted them to be at peace, in spite of their situation.  This also verse applies to the believers today, we are undergoing tribulations, trials, troubles, and spiritual battles. (2 Thessalonians 1:4 and Ephesians 6:12)  However, if we could see the angels which The Lord has surrounding us, and surrounding our enemies, ready to protect us and to do battle for us, then we would know the peace of God in troubling times. (2 Kings 6:15-17)  Thanks to The Lord God, we are able to relax and replace our troubled mind with an inner peace.  The storms in our lives occur for a reason, so don't pray for the storms to end, it is better to pray for God's protection and peace, as we go through the storms.

The Lord Can Calm Our Storms

"Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him.  Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us!  We're going to drown!'  He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?'  Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.  The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"  Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)

In the gospel according to the Apostle Matthew, he records this account of The Lord Jesus rebuking the wind and the waves.  He spoke and calmed the storm. (Peace, be still. Mark 4:39)  He questioned His disciples and asked them why were they afraid.  Jesus already knew that they were men of little faith.  They did not yet really understand exactly who He was and is.  

Today, we act like we do not understand just how powerful The Lord God really is.  Every thing on earth is subject to His will.  When Jesus, The Christ, rose from the dead, He said that all power in heaven and in earth is given unto Him. (Matthew 28:18)  When we were created, we were given the free will to choose to serve God, or not to serve Him. (Joshua 24:15)  We have the option to believe in Him, or not to believe. (John 3:15, John 3:16, and Acts 10:43)  He will knock on the door of our hearts, but we must open it and invite Him inside. (Revelation 3:20)  If we choose to believe in Him, He can calm the storms in our lives.  He can also give us His peace and protection in the midst of our storms and troublesome situations, and deliverance through them. (Jonah 2:1-10)  Some times He will move our mountains and calm our storms, and other times He will give us the strength to endure them.  As He told the Apostle Paul, His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  

Pray About Everything And Worry About Nothing

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

In a letter to the believers in The Church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote while imprisoned in Rome to encourage them, (Philippians 4:1-5), to thank them for their gift, Philippians 4:14-18), and to warn them.  He told them not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything.  He told them that they should present their requests to The Lord God in prayer, with thanksgiving in their hearts.  He also said that if they prayed and did not worry, that God would grant them peace of mind and heart through Jesus, The Christ.

The old saying is: "If you pray, then don't worry; but if you are going to worry, then don't pray." (Author unknown)  The Lord God did not give us the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)  Jesus said do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. (Matthew 6:34)  King David said do not worry about evil doers. (Psalms 37:1, 37:7, and 37:8)  His son, King Solomon also said the same thing. (Proverbs 24:19)  In fact, the phrase "fear not" is used sixty-three times in The Bible.  Additionally, we are encouraged to always pray. (Luke 18:1, Luke 21:36, and 2 Thessalonians 1:11)  If we pray and praise God continuously, then there is no need for us to worry about anything.  We should not let the devil steal the joy out of the present, by causing us to worry about the future, for we know who holds and controls the future.