Have you been resting in the peace of the Lord lately? If you are like me, this is probably a struggle at times. We know that nothing is too hard for the Lord, but we feel that our current trial is too messy or worse, we don’t want to bug Him. Here Jesus gives us a promise of peace and when Jesus makes a promise, He keeps it. When you are feeling restless and peace seems to escape you, remember this promise of peace. Let not your heart be troubled or afraid, lay it in the hands of Jesus.
For the King,
Daniel Batistelli
When I was younger I played sports. As with anything, if you want to do well, it requires training. Sports required physical and mental training. You can train or study for anything as much as you want, but if you are not mentally ready for what you are preparing for, it will begin to show outwardly and the same goes for us spiritually!
This verse is a continuation from Romans 12:1 where Paul strongly encourages us to give everything we have for God. That cannot happen unless our minds and hearts are renewed by God. We can do all the right stuff outwardly, but if the insides are not continually being renewed by the Word of God, we eventually end up being very religious and not truly transformed from the inside out. Pray that the Lord would renew from the inside out so we can genuinely and truly show the true transformation the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers!
Blessings,
Pastor Sean Boehm
This verse is a conclusion of some amazing events. The disciples had endured Jesus’ crucifixion, witnessed His risen body, and physically watched Him ascend into heaven. Now they had gone back to Jerusalem to the Upper Room to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. And what did they do? They prayed. But here’s the amazing part. They were “with one accord.” They had absolute unity.
The 11 strong-willed disciples were not arguing over who would have the best seat in the kingdom; Peter was no longer concerned about what John should do; Thomas wasn’t pouring cold water on things; Philip wasn’t asking for a sign; and Jesus’ family was not demanding special privileges. They were one in purpose, one in heart, and one mind. They were all looking up to Jesus at the same time for the same thing. Oh, what a difference Jesus’ finished work should make in our lives!
Dwelling together in unity,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
It can be difficult to watch the news nowadays. The Bible tells us in the last days evil will be called good and good will be called evil and you can certainly see that in the latest headlines. It certainly does seem like the wicked are prospering.
That was Asaph’s complaint in Psalm 73. He spent the first part of the psalm complaining about the good life of the wicked. It didn’t seem like there was any benefit to following the Lord when those not following Him lived the good life.
But in verse 17, it all became clear to him. When he attended the synagogue and heard about the fate of those who don’t follow God, he realized he was wrong. If you read the internet and see the prosperity of those who couldn’t care less about the Lord, remember their ultimate destination. These aren’t people who should be admired, they are people who need prayer and God to enter their lives. As Christians, this life is only temporary and we have a lot in which to look forward – eternal life with our Jesus!
Teach me to look up and not around,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
David’s words, recorded in our verse, were spoken to his brothers when David, hearing the jaunts, jeers, and threats of Goliath, expressed his shock that not one in the army of the living God was stirred enough to go and stand for the Lord against this offending Philistine. Instead, Saul had offered lots of fleshly incentives to any volunteer but still there had not been any takers!
Today we live in a world that continues to move further from the Lord and often we as believers offer little to stem the tide. But saints, isn’t there a cause for us to fast and pray, to reach out and share, to invest ourselves in preaching God’s love found in Jesus? Today, in your busy day, I pray God gives you an opportunity to speak up for Him because the cause is good and fields are white and the laborers are few.
Speak through me, Lord,
Pastor Jack Abeelen
The Greek word for united in this verse is a term from the field of biology and means “parts united so as to form a single part,” such as when two branches of a tree fuse together. The first half of the verse reinforces the truth that we have been baptized into His death (Romans 6:3). Ponder that for a moment. Being united with Jesus means that we participated in His death (Galatians 2:20).
The second half of the verse explains that it logically follows then that we are united with Jesus in His resurrection (also see Romans 6:8). God sees us as being on the resurrection side of the grave! May our walk be propelled by the joy of that knowledge.
Jeff Mericle
After Paul lists off the last piece of battle armor that we are to put on to fight the enemy, he points us to the glue that truly binds all the armor together and makes them effective — prayer. Prayer is what binds us to God because prayer is the means by which we talk and communicate with God. Without talking to God, there is no fellowship, no communion, which boils down to no relationship. Without an intimate relationship with God, our armor becomes just something fancy to look at it, but ineffective when it comes to battling our enemy.
Paul elaborates a little more on prayer in saying that it should be done always with great perseverance because it is easy to get sidetracked from it. He also points out that prayer comes in different forms, whether it be just general talking with God or supplications where we ask God for very specific things. Lastly, he reminds us that prayer is to be made for all the saints because we are all facing the same spiritual battle and we all need God’s help collectively and individually as believers.
Praying for us all,
Pastor Jason Witt
How does our prayer life look when those around us attack us for our faith? Peter and John were arrested for healing a man. They were told not to preach in the name of Jesus, but when they were with their brothers, they asked for boldness to speak His word.
I really like the way they leave it in the hands of the Lord. They could have complained but instead, they ask for boldness. When things don’t go my way or I feel like I’m being mistreated, I tend to complain to the Lord that it is not fair I go through this. Not only do I complain, but I tend to go back to my little box and hide. May we be like the apostles and go back to our group of Christian friends and ask for boldness. Not to hide in our little group but to be encouraged to go out and speak God’s word.
Asking for boldness to share His word.
Joshua Navarro
When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church the first time around, he held nothing back in addressing the immorality and ungodly behavior that was running rampant in the church at that time.
By the time 2nd Corinthians was written, Paul was glad to find that his stern warnings originally given were heeded by the people. The result in their hearts was not merely sorrow, but godly sorrow. The kind of sorrow that leads to repentance and change for the better, rather than the hopeless sorrow that leads to despair.
If you find yourself realizing that you have fallen short of the Lord’s call for right living and are left feeling deep regret and sadness, don’t let it stop there. Turn immediately to the One who offers grace, forgiveness, and a brighter future. Embrace the opportunity to move forward, changed and renewed by the power of His Spirit.
Jeff Deal
As the American culture moves away from God and His design, people have adopted false ideologies in His place. They pursue these false doctrines believing that there is truth and joy to be found in them, only to find out that they are chasing a lie. As a result, they are more lost than they were before and they are left hopeless.
In his second letter, Peter talks about the devastation of false doctrines. When we pursue these false doctrines, it is like trying to draw up water from an empty well, depressing and devastating. As Christians, it is important that we heed Peter’s warning and stay within the confines of scripture. When we part from the Word, even in the slightest, we find devastation and sorrow. We have the Words of life that lead to joy, let us keep these words and share them with a world that needs Him more than ever.
For the King,
Daniel Batistelli
