Faith

Finding God’s Peace

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 ESV

Sometimes it may feel as if God is playing a game, by putting the peace that we need under one of three shells, and leaving it up to us to guess where He has it hidden. But, Jesus makes it clear that the peace we need so much can be found in Him, and He didn’t leave our finding it to chance. I like the way that the King James renders this verse, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might find peace.” When Jesus says, “These things,” He means, all of His teachings, from loving our enemies, to forgiving our brothers and sisters, or trusting in Him alone for salvation, were spoken, not to make us miserable. Instead everything Jesus ever taught was so that in Him we could have peace. God already knows about our problem, and He is not asking for us to guess where to find the answer as we face it. He has promised that in troubles of every kind, we can find peace in Him, because He has already overcome them. He endured the terrible agony of the cross, still remaining faithful until death to His Father’s will, so that we could have His amazing and miraculous peace. In what area of your life do you desperately need God’s peace today? Bring it to Him in prayer, trusting that He already knows and has already overcome and He longs for you and I to have His peace in every situation because He loved us more than His own life.

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The Faith of Rahab

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments 
By faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. Hebrews 11:32 ESV

Who wants to have the faith of Rahab? Hmm, I’m not seeing any hands, and that is probably because, her occupation makes us question her character. Yet, Rahab is one of only two women listed in this list of the heroes of faith (the other being Sarah). So, to better understand her story, let’s turn to the Old Testament book of Joshua. In chapter two, we learn that two spies were sent to check on the situation in Jericho. There in Jericho, they stayed at the house where Rahab lived. Now, before getting the wrong idea about why they picked that house, consider that this was probably an inn for travelers. Furthermore, it was probable that her Father owned it and had put his children to work, cooking meals, cleaning guest rooms and to Rahab he assigned an occupation that brought him a little extra cash, Wow! Now that shines an entirely different light on things. Rather than being a woman of ill repute, Rahab was more like an abused daughter. From that perspective, Rahab was in fact being quite courageous by taking in the spies and hiding them. She also chose to put her faith in the God of Israel. For any doubters, lets listen to her words:

The LORD, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Joshua 2:11b

Also notice that neither her dad, her brothers or sisters offered to help, but Rahab, did and she also made sure that the family who had taken advantage of her, would be protected.

Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign Joshua 2:12 ESV

Lastly and most amazing of all, Rahab is not only listed here next to Abraham, Moses, and David, but she is also included in the family line of Jesus Christ. This amazing, courageous woman displayed a faith that is an example for us all. So now, who wants to have the faith of Rahab? Put me on that list!

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Since Jesus Came Into My Heart

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments 
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 ESV

Some people of late, have fallen into the habit of dismissing the sinner’s prayer of asking Jesus into our hearts as non-biblical. But though they are correct that the prayer of asking Jesus into our hearts, is nowhere, word for word recorded in scripture, it embodies in a childlike manner the truth that being a Christian is all about the life change that occurs when we become a Christian. No one can become a Christian without a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It would be like trying to become the member of a motor cycle gang without ever having ridden a motor cycle! If you would show up at a rally offering to join, the other guys would probably give you a long hard stare, before breaking into hysterical laughter. In the same way you have to know what it means to be a believer by personal experience. No one gets into heaven by osmosis, because of their parent’s faith or by some ritual done for them by someone else. We only be Christians by bowing our knees to Jesus Christ, before the miraculous transformation, by God’s grace can begin in our heart. The words: “I have light in my soul for which long I had sought.” were written by Rufus McDaniel, not long after the tragic loss of his son. In the midst of his grief, Rufus found comfort, strength and grace to go on, and then he passed along to us this cheerful tune, filled with joy, because Jesus had made all the difference! HAs Jesus made a real difference in your life? He can, but it all begins with when we invite Him in, to our hearts and invite Him to sit at our table. Then according to His promise, He will sit down and share a meal and a lifetime with you!