BLOG #5 - PEACE

It's what I've been reading about these last few days ... Peace! Actually something I've been thinking on quite a bit over the last 12-18 months! How many people actually live with peace? I reckon we think it's a pretty tranquil sort of peace - maybe we think peace is quiet - I'm in the house right now & it's quiet - i know strange - well it was; Eden's come back home :)

BUT PEACE - I believe December is a month for peace - specifically this December 2008 - in a week where things in Mumbai(pray for Mumbai, in particular Ps Biju Thampy who is doing such an amazing work there), Bangkok (kind of crazy for me, I was in the airport for 8 hours 2 months ago)have been wild - in the middle of the Chaos is where Peace is most needed!

I've been studying the names of God this last month - one of His more well known names JEHOVAH SHALOM the Lord our peace - The Lord, who possesses all divine power, who desires intimate relationship with us - HE IS OUR PEACE! What does it mean then to experience GOD OUR PEACE - some thoughts to think about (these are NOT complex)

1. Believe in Jesus
- It starts the same as every other way to truly experiencing God - believe in Jesus! Believing in Jesus - GOD OUR PEACE IS EXPERIENCED IN THE PERSON OF JESUS! Jesus - the one we love, adore, live to be more like, am indebted to forever: JESUS! Kind of makes it interesting then for people who have never heard of Jesus or maybe have him represented as someone he is not ... a rule giver, a guilt bringer, a good man but not God ... how do these people, millions in the world now & in times past, experience the real Jesus ... maybe we'll chat about that one later ... not meaning to rob u of peace :)

2. Trust in Jesus & therefore don't worry
- How easy to say is that! "Don't worry"! usually much easier to say than do! But it's true worry robs us of peace - take worry to the "end result" - the extreme of worry! If u allow yourself to worry until you have worried all u can worry what ru left with? Exactly the same result as when you started worrying ... nothing!!! Its a journey that takes us no where ... the treadmill of worry! It slims us of trust, faith & peace!!! Our options - trust in Jesus or trust in ourselves ... trusting in ourselves = saving ourselves & saving ourselves is the NUMBER 1 TEMPTATION WE ALL FACE - saving ourselves - something we could never do & that's why Jesus did it for us - even Jesus was tempted to save himself - quite a lot actually - in the wilderness with satan & then exactly the same words were used by the Pharisees & Criminal when Jesus was dying. Maybe today we can begin to get off the treadmill of worry & walk the road of trust! JESUS HELP ME WITH THIS AGAIN TODAY!

3. Pray
- Told u this was simple!
a) Tell God what u need - he already knows but when we tell Him we are paying Him a pretty big compliment - our asking is actually worship if done with a pure heart - would be like if I went to you "can i have a million dollars ... by Wednesday?" It's either a ridiculous request or a pretty big compliment saying "I actually believe you could do this for me ...& want to as well!" TODAY TELL GOD WHAT U NEED ... For me it's "God, I need your wisdom & strength in being a Godly Husband, father, mature, Christ-like person - with nothing to lose & no reason to hide"

b) Thank Him for all he has done ... take 30 seconds & thank Him 4 as much as u can possibly think - the really normal things - like your spleen works properly - that you have eyes to see, ears to hear, clean water to drink, a home to live in, in the "rich list" of the world compared to most, that your children are alive today ... & then for the intangibles - JESUS, His love 4u, His Grace, He will never leave u, He's here right now ... I'll leave u2 come up with the rest!!!

Such a simple thought today ... PEACE! Might do part 2 later in the week ... probably should & deal to the apathy I've discovered I am facing ... oh boy another blog ... apathy!!!

TILL NEXT MONDAY! (or this Wednesday???)