Learning to be Led by God's Peace

For the kingdom of God is… righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17)

When you are born again - when you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life and you have entered the kingdom of God - then the fruit of that relationship will be righteousness (which comes as a result of salvation), peace, and joy. You can expect peace and joy to become a part of your daily life when you are a Christian - but just like all the other benefits of the kingdom of God, these attributes come at a price.
During the darkest days of the Revolutionary War, as George Washington tried to regroup during the winter of 1776, the great English writer, Thomas Paine, wrote a stirring essay on a drumhead that encapsulated the monumental struggle of that conflict. It was called "The American Crisis," and it so moved George Washington that he ordered his officers to read it to every soldier in the Continental Army, hoping that it would inspire them not to give up hope.

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country. But they that stand it now, deserve the love and thanks of men and women. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered. But the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its goods. It would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.

It is the same with the other "celestial articles," like peace and joy, and the other fruits and gifts of the Spirit. Things of great value, both natural and spiritual, come at a great price.
In response to an article I wrote on God's guidance for CBN.com, I received this e-mail question:

Years of making choices from voices that I thought were from God ended up causing me misery, grief, and heartache. Through years of experience, I realized that the voice I heard ended up just being from my own mind. Why does God make it so difficult for us to find Him or understand Him or to know we are hearing His voice?

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not easy. God's salvation may be free, but discipleship is costly. The gifts of the Spirit may also be freely given, but they are not cheap. In some ways, it is easier to be in the world. Our preparation for God's eternal purpose is as rigorous spiritually, as an Olympic athlete's training is, naturally - even more so, because the outcome of our training has eternal ramifications. Learning to hear God's voice is a lifelong process. God's preparation in our lives is part of His eternal design - and only He knows what that purpose will be.
There is a scene in the movie A League of Their Own in which Gina Davis' character wants to quit the women's baseball team to be with her husband who has returned wounded from World War II. Tom Hanks, who plays the manager of the team, travels to her house to try to talk this star player into coming back for the remainder of the season. She begins to cry at the thought of returning to the road with the baseball team, and she protests that "…it is just so hard." Tom Hanks' character gets right in her face and spouts back at her, "Of course it's hard. That's what makes it great."
Our walk with the Lord is hard. There are some, like the writer of this e-mail, who find that it is so difficult that they want to give up and go back to the pleasures of the sinful life. But Jesus said, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). We can't look back. We must press on in this walk with Christ - we must learn to hear His voice and obey His commands. Only then will we experience His joy and peace - and only then will we be the effective ministers of reconciliation that He wants us to be, and that the world needs us to be.
Being Led Forth in Peace
Without great trials, we would have no great victories. The Lord reveals Himself in the difficulties of life as our Deliverer, our Sufficiency, and our Lord. The psalmist tells us, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers [us] out of them all (Psalm 34:19).
If you are really serious about walking with God, He will teach you, and guide you, and comfort you, and yes, you will know His peace in your life. In fact, as you mature in your walk with the Lord, peace and joy will be multiplied to you. It is an interesting paradox that our heavenly Father orchestrates in our lives. On the one hand, our trials increase as we grow stronger in the Lord. On the other hand, the fruit of the Spirit - including peace and joy - develop to the point that we are given grace to weather the trials, and the rest of our lives are filled with harmonious fellowship with God.
We should expect to experience God's peace in our lives. If you are not walking in peace, it may be as a result of several different scenarios. It may be that you are in the midst of a particular test or trial sent from God. Or you may be under attack from the devil. Or you may have an area of your life that you have not yet surrendered completely to God. The Lord intends for you to have peace. If you are not experiencing God's peace on an ongoing basis, you may need to ask the Holy Spirit to show you:

• if you are experiencing a test that should be submitted to;
• if you are under an attack that you should resist; or
• if there is an area of continual sin, unforgiveness, anger, or some other hindrance that should be renounced and repented of.

Most pastors will teach that when you are seeking to find God's will, you can identify the leading of the Holy Spirit when you sense God's peace about a matter. I agree, and I believe that is absolutely true. The peace of God is one of the key indicators of God's guidance. Colossians 3:15 tells us to let the peace of God rule in [our] hearts. Peace is the umpire of our heart, telling us if we are "safe" in God's will, or "out," following our own path or the deception of the devil.
The prophet Isaiah wrote, For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace (Isaiah 55:12). God's best for our lives is that we will be led forth in peace and joy. Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm not going to allow these circumstances to rob my joy?" In making this declaration they are being absolutely biblical - peace and joy are our possessions when we are born again. The only way that you will walk in unrest as a mature believer is if you allow circumstances or the devil to rob you of your joy.
Larry Tomczak says, "You are the only being in the universe that can cause defeat in your life."
You may say, "The devil robbed my joy." The truth of the statement is that the devil attempted to rob you of your joy - but he only succeeded if you allowed him to. The life of the Christian is one of peace and joy.

• That is why Paul and Silas could sing praises to God in the Philippian jail (Acts 16:25).
• That is why the apostles praised the Lord after being beaten by the teachers of the law, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame in Christ's name (Acts 5:40-41).
• That is why Stephen could praise the God of heaven as he was being stoned for his bold witness (Acts 7:55-60).
• That is why the apostle Peter wrote, But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy (1 Peter 4:13).
• That is why the apostle Paul, at the eve of his martyrdom, could write, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
You'll notice that the promise of peace carries with it a condition - to trust in God. Once again we come back to the necessity of living a lifestyle of faith. Paul wrote to the Romans, For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6). A carnally minded person is one who is self-interested, self-indulgent, and self-sufficient. There is no peace in the selfish life. The spiritually-minded person puts God in the center of their life. They are interested in doing the will of Christ. They are motivated by the Lord to minister to others. They recognize that they are nothing outside of Christ - He is their sufficiency. It is from this attitude of surrender to the lordship and headship of Jesus Christ that peace comes into our lives.
There are times, when we are seeking the will of God and we reach the point of decision that we experience supernatural peace. This is an important aspect of discerning between good an evil, and it comes by reason of use (Hebrews 5:14). The peace of God is like a compass for our souls, leading us in the direction that the Holy Spirit intends for our lives. We can take great comfort in knowing that the sovereign God is so involved in our lives that He would supply us with this internal compass as we seek to do His will.
At the same time, the mature Christian will recognize that there is another way that God uses the fruit of peace to direct our steps. As we surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives, He brings us to a place where we experience His blessed peace on an ongoing basis. Instead of anxiety, anger, or depression, the peace of God becomes the normal state of mind for the Christian.
I have a friend named Daryl, and when I meet him in the hall at work, I ask him how he's doing. In a declaration of our biblical position in Christ, he always quotes the famous hymn, "It is well with my soul."
If I am in Christ, it truly is well with my soul. I am at peace with God, and I should be walking in peace in this world. That's not to say that each one of us won't have our share of problems - and sometimes we will have even more difficulties because of the spiritual warfare that swirls about us - but because we are God's children, and His Spirit comforts us and guides us, we can be at peace in spite of the circumstances.
So as maturing believers, when we are seeking after God's plan for our life, we must also be sensitive to a lack of peace in a particular direction. This absence of God's peace in the form of anxiety, stress, anger, or confusion, is also a strong indicator warning us that we are stepping out of the will of God. Just as the Lord will grant special peace to the believer when he or she discovers His plan, He will also remove His peace when a Christian strays away from His course for their lives.
Now I need to clarify that you don't leave your problems behind when you come to Christ. It might take years of working through the issues of your life until you come to the point where you are experiencing the peace of God on an ongoing basis - but it is God's desire for you. Even when you reach the maturity level where you are walking in God's peace, you will continually experience the testing of your faith.
I remember a song on Michael W. Smith's first album that illustrated our experience in Christ remarkably well. "On the day you were saved heaven and hell marked it down. Angels praised; devils raged; life became a battleground. So when hell starts to move and the enemy marches on you, stand strong, it's a fight. You've been marked by the army of night. You're a target."
But the song doesn't end with the battle. It continues, "When things get bad and you can't stand to look, it's time to read to the end of the book. Don't put it down 'till you get to the end, when Jesus comes and His kingdom begins…"
"…for the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). The peace comes in knowing that the kingdom of God is here and now, and yet to come.

How to Pray and Receive the Desires of Your Heart

Have you ever prayed for something, but felt like God wasn't listening when you didn't receive it? It's important to remember that praying isn't a sure ticket to getting what you want. Increasing your faith and finding happiness in His guidance will eventually bring about your heart's desires. Once you've strengthened your relationship with God, you'll start getting what you want out of life.

Steps

Address the problem--not in the negative--but by going straight for the answer with unwavering faith in your Father's will and His favor to do good things for those He loves. Do what you can. 

 Present your requests in-faith/positively (not begging and pleading) as the greatest of teachers always prayed to "Father" in a manner such as: "Father, I pray that I do well on this, and recall everything I possibly need to get through it with good results. Lord, I expect Your blessing as Your will is done in my life." This approach holds true in business, at home or in school. Ask the guidance of our Almighty Father. Always ask his permission and blessing in everything you do; don't forget to pray about your dreams in life. 

 Study, make sure that you understand your responsibilities and the subject; learn and show yourself as one who does not need to be ashamed when you have done your part to and have aligned you desires to do God's will! Then trust God to strengthen you. 

 Be a good workman or student who knows your own strengths and skills. Know your privileges of asking for assistance in the situation and overcome your doubt. God blesses those who believe Him and act on that faith with confidence in Him. The second you need to do is hard work to reach your dreams. Always think positive about your dreams. Always remember this saying "If others can do it, why can't I?" 

 Pray: it's your key, but your faith not only puts the key in the lock but also turns it when you believe for God's answer: "You must believe". God promises to show you His will in John 16:13, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." Jeremiah 33:3, ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 

 Thank God in advance: "I know you have given me a sound mind and good ability. Help me to show your Love to others. Pray with thankfulness: "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2 

 Forgive those who wrong you. Forgive so that you can be forgiven! Be a peacemaker and peace keeper... 

 Have the things that you say agreeing in the faith: it is spiritual law that you can. Words of faith in God are the most powerful things in the Universe. God said, "Let there be light" and there was light. It was His will. Yes, it's like the law of gravity will tell you that you can't last very long walking in the air. So you must believe God's promises (His will.) are laws that are as sure as gravity. Believe to receive. 

 Rejoice in the answer which is already yours! That is what it is: it's yours. You must continue praising God for the answer whatever it is--even if you do not agree with the timing or the way it comes. 

 Choose to fulfill conditions like continuing to do "good," "trusting," "committing" (all of your ways) -- and "delighting" in the Lord.

 Align your desires to good: loving and helping others, and with that which is "humble, acceptable, good and pleasing" for others and especially to the Lord... 

 Raise your head up. Go forward believing; look up and expect the answers to happen, and leave them to the power of the will of God. If your dreams don't come true don’t get depressed and most of all don't loose hope. Always remember that God may be preparing a better dream for you to fulfill. Remember also that in every failure and success there is always a reason. When God closes one door, He opens another.

 

Grace: The Power Of The Gospel

The Gospel is the most basic, foundational message of the New Testament, yet it’s the most misunderstood. Today’s religious system is not preaching the same Gospel that Paul did. They mix it with the Law, and that isn’t the Gospel at all.
The book of Romans was written to explain the Gospel so that anybody could understand it. Paul, the writer, made it so simple that you’d have to have somebody help you to misunderstand it. And, unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of help!
Paul started off with this statement in Romans 1:16:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
That is a radical statement. This word “gospel” in the original Greek is a word that was seldom used at the time this was written. Nobody talked this way, because the word literally means nearly-too-good-to-be-true news. It referred to news that was so awesome, nothing really justified using it. Nothing was nearly too good to be true.
But Paul said he was not ashamed of the Gospel. Why? “For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The Gospel is the power of God, and that’s talking about grace. Acts 20:24 and Galatians 1:6 both use the terms “gospel” and “grace” interchangeably. It’s saying that when you understand the Gospel, or the grace of God, it’ll release the power of God into your life. That’s huge!
The next verse in Romans 1 says,
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Notice that righteousness is not revealed from Law to Law, from good deed to good deed—it’s revealed from faith to faith. Here’s a good piece of information to consider: Sin won’t stop the power of God for salvation in your life but trusting in your own good works will. That’s what “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith” means. You receive the righteousness of God by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8)! God won’t withdraw His power because of sin in your life. That’s why it’s nearly-too-good-to-be-true news.
When you talk like this, people with a religious mindset immediately say, “Well, what about sin? This sounds like you’re just giving people a license to sin.” Not so! Last I checked, people were sinning without a license! I’m not advocating sin. But, see, this is the immediate reaction when you start talking about righteousness by faith. They think you need to make people aware of their sin and the wrath of God.
But that’s why Paul said in the next verses,
For the wrath of God is [already] revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; [19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Romans 1:18-19, brackets mine

Notice it says it’s manifest in them, not to them, for God has shown it unto them. God has put in every single person who has ever breathed an intuitive knowledge that they are a sinner and that they deserve rejection instead of acceptance. You don’t need to tell people this; they already know it.
We aren’t called to convict people of their sin but to convince them that the only way they can obtain righteousness, or right standing, with God is through putting faith in what Jesus did for them, not through something they’ve done. That’s why I spend so much of my time on this, and it’s what many of my teaching materials are devoted to.
Let’s look at Luke 18:9-14 to verify this:
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: [10] Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
This is a powerful parable. Let me ask you: Are you like the Pharisee or the publican? I’m not talking about your actions but your trust. Do you trust in what you do for the Lord or what He has done for you? If a person is putting faith in all of their religious acts—all of their holiness—then that will actually block them from righteousness and relationship with God. But the person who maybe hasn’t been as good, yet they’ve humbled themselves and cried out to God, this is the one who enters into right standing with God.
That’s what it says in Romans 9:30-32a:
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. [31] But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. [32] Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.
This says there are two types of righteousness: a faith righteousness and a righteousness that comes by the Law. Righteousness by the Law is a righteousness based on performance. Another way to say it is “self-righteousness.” The truth is, nobody can perform well enough to get Law righteousness, because the Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” And James 2:10 says that if you keep the Law and yet offend in one point, you are guilty of breaking the entire thing. In other words, if you did ninety-nine out of a hundred things right and one thing wrong, according to the Law of righteousness, you would be unrighteous. BUT! If you put your faith in Jesus, you would receive His righteousness—faith righteousness—even though you did ninety-nine out of a hundred things wrong! What a deal!
There are many people today who wouldn’t consider themselves to be seeking after Law righteousness, but they really are. Their only hope of entering into heaven instead of hell is that they go to church, they try to be good, they live up to some standard of morality. That’s what this is talking about when it says the Jews weren’t seeking righteousness by faith but by the Law. They were trying to earn what God had given as a gift.
The rest of Romans 9:32 says,
For they stumbled at that stumblingstone.
It is offensive to people, particularly if they have a lot of holy actions to their names, when you tell them that all their good deeds don’t make them righteous before God. Then when you tell them sinners who only put faith in God are more righteous than they are (Matt. 21:28-32), that really puts them over the top!
They say, “You mean I’m not any better than the person who’s been out living in sin?”
That’s exactly what I’m saying. That’s exactly what Paul and Jesus said.
“Well, what have I been doing all this for?”
Good deeds will help you, to a degree, in your relationships with people, but they won’t give you any clout with God. You could have more holy acts than anyone you know, but who wants to be the best sinner who ever went to hell? All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
We need a Savior! The only thing we have to offer is faith. We just believe the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news that Jesus died for us and paid a debt we couldn’t pay and gave us a righteousness we couldn’t earn. It’s faith righteousness!
“Well, I believe in Jesus, but I believe I also have to live holy to be accepted by God.”
That’s saying Jesus’ payment for sin wasn’t enough—that you have to add to what Jesus has done—and I believe that is the greatest sin of all! Jesus either paid for it all, or He paid for nothing at all! It’s not Jesus plus you; it’s Jesus or you! It’s not you doing the best you can and then Jesus making up the difference with grace and mercy. If you try to mix the two, you have totally polluted what Jesus has done. It’s either faith righteousness or your righteousness, but not a combination of the two (Rom. 11:6).
It takes a supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit to be able to understand this. But once you do, it’ll transform the way that you view God, the way that you relate to God, and the way that you receive from God. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. I encourage you to just humble yourself and ask God for a supernatural revelation of this truth. It’s tremendous.
When you truly get a hold of the grace of God, I guarantee you, it sets you free from sin, not free to sin. You’ll wind up living holier accidentally than you ever have on purpose. You’ll serve God out of love stricter and stronger than you ever would have out of legalism.
Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). It’s not truth that sets you free; it’s the truth you know that sets you free. But before you can know it, you’ve got to hear it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).

PICTURE MESSAGE

PROPHETIC DECLARATION FOR THIS WEEK!

You will never be stranded again in your life in the name of Jesus!
God of all possibilities will visit you uniquely this year!
Your breakthrough will attract multitude to Christ!
The oil on your head will never run dry in Jesus' name!
Anywhere you step, things will open up.
Every fighting noise ceases from your home, only joyful noise will be heard in Jesus name.
Receive the breakthrough anointing over your life.
It shall be said of you this year, what manner of man/woman is this by the wonders God will do through you in the name of Jesus!
You are returning with three striking testimonies on Sunday!
No jobless person will end this month jobless, God will position you for favor!
That breakthrough anointing is released over your life!
No force in hell will draw you from following Jesus Christ.
You will get to strange positions this year!
Everyone's hidden star must shine this year in the mighty name of Jesus!
By the anointing, I decree your access to the deep things of God!
Every poison, hereditary diseases are flushed out of your life Christ!
Go in peace, return with manifold testimonies!
You will come out of obscurity into limelight in the name of Jesus!

God opinion

Get God?s Opinion! (1)
'...The Lord does not look at the things man looks
at...' 1 Samuel 16:7
David's father didn't think he was qualified to be
Israel's next king. So when Samuel came looking
for a successor to King Saul, he presented his
oldest son Eliab, who was a general in the army.
Samuel was impressed. '...Samuel saw Eliab and
thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands
here..." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not
consider his appearance or his height, for I have
rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things
man looks at. Man looks on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'' (vv.
6-7 NIV). When it comes to your life's calling, only
one opinion counts-God's! In order to fulfil his
destiny, David had to overcome his family's
opinion of him. One author writes, 'Any time you
see people pursuing a mid- life career change, you
can be almost certain that they have been living
someone else's dream and lost their way.' Nobel
Prize winner for literature Joseph Brodsky
observed, 'One's task consists first of all in
mastering a life that is one's own, not imposed or
prescribed from without, no matter how noble its
appearance may be. For each of us is issued but
one life, and we know full well how it all ends. It
would be regrettable to squander this one chance
on someone else's appearance, someone else's
experience.' It's not too late to become what God
wants you to be, and do what He wants you to do.
If you've been living somebody else's dream, ask
God for a dream of your own and He will give it to
you

THE BLESSEDNESS OF PRAYER AND FASTING

Fasting is one of the commandment of scriptures (Matthew 6:16-17). The height of every boy is determined at the foundation, every flight of an air craft is powered from the ground. Fasting empowers is to overpower our adversaries.

WHY WE FAST.
1. To overpower all satanic gravities in our life, don't leave your destiny unserviced (1 Corinthians 16:9).  Fasting is a platform for empowerment.

2. To build spiritual energy reserves(Isaiah 40:31) (psalm 87:7) (proverb 24:10). Don't get ready you live ready.

3. To provoke speedy intervention (Isaiah 58:8).

PROTOCOLS TO GET ANSWERS TO PRAYERS AND FASTING.
* Thanksgiving, praise and glorifying Hid name (psalm 100:4).
* Come boldly and not begally (Hebrew 4:16) (proverb 28:1).
*we must come in faith (Hebrews 11:6) (Matthew 21:22) (mark 11:24).
* Kingdom promotion prayers (psalm 102:13-15).

BLESSING ATTACHED TO PRAYER AND FASTING.
1. It facilitate empowerment for dominion (psalm110:2) (Isaiah 58:6).
2. It is a platform for outbreak of revelation (Isaiah 45:19).
3. It empowers our access to the high places of life (Isaiah 58:14) (2corithians 11:27) (Luke 3:21-22).

FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness in the Bible is a prominent theme. Yet, it's not uncommon for Christians to have questions about forgiveness. The act of forgiving does not come easy for most of us. Our natural instinct is to recoil in self-protection when we've been injured. We don't naturally overflow with mercy, grace and understanding when we've been wronged.
Is forgiveness a conscious choice, a physical act involving the will, or is it a feeling, an emotional state of being? The Bible offers insight and answers to these and many more questions about forgiveness. We'll take a look at the most frequently asked questions and find out what Scripture says about forgiveness.

Is forgiveness a conscious choice, or an emotional state?

I believe forgiveness is a choice we make through a decision of our will, motivated by obedience to God and his command to forgive. The Bible instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us:

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.(NIV)

• More on What is Forgiveness?

How do we forgive when we don't feel like it? How do we translate the decision to forgive into a change of heart?

We forgive by faith, out of obedience. Since forgiveness goes against our nature, we must forgive by faith, whether we feel like it or not. We must trust God to do the work in us that needs to be done so that the forgiveness will be complete. I believe God honors our commitment to obey Him and our desire to please him when we choose to forgive. He completes the work in his time. We must continue to forgive (our job), by faith, until the work of forgiveness (the Lord's job), is done in our hearts.

Philippians 1:6
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.(NLT)

• More on How to Forgive

How will we know if we have truly forgiven?

Lewis B. Smedes wrote in his book, Forgive and Forget, "When you release the wrongdoer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumor out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free, but you discover that the real prisoner was yourself." • More Forgiveness Quotes
We will know the work of forgiveness is complete when we experience the freedom that comes as a result. We are the ones who suffer most when we choose not to forgive. When we do forgive, the Lord sets our hearts free from the anger, bitterness, resentment and hurt that previously imprisoned us.
Most times, however, forgiveness is a slow process.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.(NIV)

This answer by Jesus makes it clear that forgiveness is not easy for us. It's not a one-time choice and then we automatically live in a state of forgiveness. Forgiveness may require a lifetime of forgiving, but it is important to the Lord. We must continue forgiving until the matter is settled in our heart.

What if the person we need to forgive is not a believer?

I have found that prayer is one of the best ways to break down the wall of unforgiveness in my heart. When I begin to pray for the person who has wronged me, God gives me new eyes to see and a new heart to care for that person. As I pray, I start to see that person as God sees them, and I realize that he or she is precious to the Lord. I also see myself in a new light, just as guilty of sin and failure as the other person. I too am in need of forgiveness. If God did not withhold his forgiveness from me, why should I withhold my forgiveness from another?

Is it okay to feel anger and want justice for the person we need to forgive?

This question presents another reason to pray for the person we need to forgive. We can pray for God to deal with the injustices, for God to judge the person's life, and then we can leave that prayer at the altar. We no longer have to carry the anger. Although it is normal for us to feel anger toward sin and injustice, it is not our job to judge the other person in their sin.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(NIV)

Why must we forgive?

The best reason to forgive is because Jesus commanded us to forgive. We learn from Scripture, if we don't forgive, neither will we be forgiven:

Matthew 6:14-16
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV)

We also forgive so that our prayers will not be hindered:

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.(NIV)

In summary and in closing, we forgive out of obedience to the Lord. It is a choice, a decision we make. However, as we do this "forgiving," we discover the command is in place for our own good, and we receive the reward of our forgiveness—freedom.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

May 26, 1985

• by John Piper
• Scripture: 1 John 4:17-19
• Topic: Fear & Anxiety
• Series: Let Us Walk in the Light: 1 John

In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.

Verse 17 tells us how to have something everybody wants to have. And verse 18 tells us how to get rid of something everybody wants to get rid of.

Confidence Before God

In verse 17 John tells us how to have confidence or boldness on the day of judgment. And in verse 18 he tells us how to cast fear out of our lives. These are simply positive and negative ways of saying the same thing: getting rid of fear is the negative way of saying become confident.
So the main point of the text is clear: John wants to help us enjoy confidence before God. He does not want us to be paralyzed or depressed by fear of judgment. Nothing would make John happier (1:4) than to produce a generation of Christians who were utterly confident that God would accept them on the judgment day.

Taking the Day of Judgment Seriously

I hope we all take the day of judgment as seriously as John does. I sometimes wonder if we have abandoned real belief in God's judgment and in the torment of hell which our Lord Jesus spoke of so vividly and so often (Matthew 5:22, 29f.; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; 10:15; 11:22–24; 12:36–42; John 5:22–30). The word "hell" (gehenna) is used 12 times in the New Testament—11 of them on the lips of Jesus. And besides that, he spoke of judgment and "the day of judgment" just as John does in 1 John 4:17. For example, Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 10:14f.,

And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

The Lord has warned us so clearly: it is appointed unto man once to die and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). He has spoken vividly of the horror of hell,

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:47–48)

Do We Really Believe in the Horrors of Hell?

One of the reasons I say I wonder if we really believe this is the public zeal with which so many Christians warn against the possibility of a nuclear holocaust and how earnestly they work to avert it. And I ask, "Does the coming holocaust of divine wrath at the final judgment startle us as deeply and mobilize us dramatically?"
The nuclear holocaust is only a possibility; but the holocaust of divine wrath is a biblical certainty. The nuclear holocaust would only snuff out life that is temporary and earthly; but the holocaust of divine wrath will snuff out eternal life and will bring a misery to unbelievers that is worse than any disease caused by nuclear radiation.
So I hope we all take the day of judgment as seriously as John did. I hope that when your heart recoils at the tragedy of a possible nuclear holocaust, you will let that legitimate concern overflow the limits of earthly considerations and take in the tragedy of eternal divine judgment as well. I hope that when you feel an impulse to save the world from the bomb, you will enlarge your heart to long for the eternal salvation of your neighbor and the millions of unreached peoples of the world.

Approaching the Day of Judgment with Confidence

According to 1 John 4:17–18 there is a way to approach the day of judgment with fearless confidence. No one who is willing to follow John's teaching needs to be frightened at the approach of death. None of us who accepts this teaching will have to approach the judgment seat of God with our fingers crossed, wondering if we are going to make it. John wrote this book to give us "confidence for the day of judgment" and to "cast out fear."
How does it happen?

Three Clauses in Verse 17

Notice, there are three clauses in verse 17:

1. 17a, "In this is love perfected with us,"
2. 17b, "that we may have confidence for the day of judgment,"
3. 17c, "because as he is so are we in this world."

It says that the result of having love perfected with us (17a) is confidence for the day of judgment (17b); and it says that the reason perfected love gives confidence is that it shows that we are like Christ (17c).
Let's take them one at a time.

1. What Is Perfected Love?

17a) What is perfected love? "In this is love perfected with us." What does "this" refer to? The words just before it say, "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected with us." So I would take the "this" to refer to our abiding in love or abiding in God and God's abiding in us—when you abide in love, love is perfected in you.
God's Abiding in Us and Our Abiding in Love
What this means you can see from the connection in 4:12. The same two ideas are both here: God's abiding in us and love being perfected in us. "No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." In other words perfected love refers to God's love in us coming to completion or coming into action as we love each other. "If we love one another . . . his love is perfected in us." So "perfected love" is the love of God expressing itself in our love to each other.
Not Flawless Perfection
It is very important that we understand this, because it is different from what most people think of when they hear the word "perfected." Most people, when they say something has been perfected, mean that it was changed from a state of flawed imperfection into a state of flawless perfection. But the Greek word that John uses (teleioo) does not usually mean that in the New Testament. In the New Testament the word generally means finished, or completed, or accomplished. When something, like a trip or an assignment, attains its goal, it is said to be "perfected."
Other Uses of the Word for "Perfected"
For example the same word is used in John 4:34 where Jesus says, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work." The word "accomplish" here is the same word which in 1 John 4:12 and 17 is translated "perfected." It does not mean that Jesus took the flawed work of God and made it flawless. It means that he took an assignment of God and turned it into action and so completed it (see John 5:36).
In John 19:28 it says that Jesus said, "I thirst" in order to "fulfill" the Scriptures. The word translated "fulfill" is the same as the one translated "perfected" in 1 John 4:12 and 17. It does not mean take a flawed Scripture and make it flawlessly perfect. It means take a Scripture promise and put it into action and so complete it.
James 2:22 is a very important parallel. "You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works." The word behind "completed" is the same as the word behind "perfected" in our text. How do works perfect faith? Not by making it flawless faith but by making it active faith. In other words faith is imperfect until it reaches its goal in good works. Then we can speak of it as "perfected" faith—not because it is flawless and beyond the need for improvement, but because it has attained the goal of action.
A journey can be complete or finished even if it is not a flawless journey. That is the way Paul uses the word for "perfect" in Acts 20:24—"If only I might accomplish my course and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus!" He did not mean that he expected to have a flawless ministry. He meant that he fully expected to finish putting into action what the Lord had assigned him to do—even if it was not "perfect" in our usual sense of our word.
God's Love Reaching Its Appointed Goal
Now we come back to 1 John 4:12. It says, "If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us." Following the normal usage of the word, we would take this to mean NOT that our love for each other is a flawless expression of God's love, but that it is God's love being put into action—God's love reaching its appointed goal in practical human love. Perfected love is not just an incomplete idea or emotion or potential in the heart. It is completed, accomplished, put into action—and in that sense "perfected."
So the meaning of the first clause of 1 John 4:17 would go like this: "In this, that is in your love for each other, God's love is put into action and so reaches its appointed goal. It does not remain at the imperfect stage of mere talk, but reaches the stage of action."
So in these verses perfected love is not flawless love. Perfected love is when you don't just talk about the need to share Christ, you do it. It's when you don't just talk about the hungry, you feed them. It's when you don't just talk about floundering new believers, you disciple them. And so on.

2. How Is Confidence Gained for the Day of Judgment?

17b) Now the second clause of the verse says that the result of having love perfected with us is that we have confidence for the day of judgment. "In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment."
By Putting God's Love into Action for Others
In view of what we have seen now about perfected love, how is it that we gain confidence for the day of judgment? Answer: by putting God's love into action for other people. We don't gain confidence because we are sinlessly perfect in the way we love. That would contradict 1:7–10 ("If we say we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves") and we have seen that it is not what the word "perfected" means. We don't gain confidence by being sinlessly perfect. We gain confidence by putting our money where our mouth is.
Love Not in Word or Speech but in Deed and Truth
The flow of thought is very much like 3:18–19. "Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth." That is the same as saying, "Little children, let the love of God be perfected in you. Let the rubber hit the road. Complete your talk with your walk."
And what will be the result in the next verse? The same as in 4:17. "By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us." In other words the way to have confidence before God on the day of judgment is to love each other with the perfected love of God—that is, love that doesn't just talk but turns into deeds. (See also Matthew 5:7; 6:14; 7:1; James 2:13.)
The Recurring Theme of the Book
So this text is not teaching anything contrary to the thrust of the whole book—loving each other is the reassuring evidence that we are truly born of God and bound for eternal life: "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren" (3:14). Today's text simply stresses the same thing that 3:18–19 did, namely, that the love which can give us confidence before God is not mere talk but love that has been perfected into action—"not in mere word or speech, but in deed and in truth."

3. Why Does Active Love Give Us Confidence?

17c) The last clause of verse 17 says that the reason active (i.e., perfected) love gives confidence for the day of judgment is that it shows that we are like Jesus. "In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world."
Having the Spirit of Jesus
The assumption is that at the judgment day God won't condemn people who are like his Son. Living a life of active love shows that we have the Spirit of Jesus. It shows we belong to the family of God. And that gives us confidence before God. You can't live at odds with the character of Jesus and then expect to have any confidence when you stand before his Father at the final judgment. But if the current of your life is like his, you can have confidence before his Father.
Seen Throughout the Book
We can see the same sequence of thought in 2:28f.

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him.

In other words, the way to be sure that you are born of him and that you will have confidence when he comes to judge the world is to abide in him (v. 28) and thus do right as he is righteous (v. 29). "As he is so are we in the world."
1 John 3:2–3 argues the same way:

Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Notice the tremendous confidence of verse 2: we know we will be like him when he comes! That's boldness at the day of judgment! Now what is the proof of this confident hope? Verse 3: "Every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." The proof is the same as in 4:17, "As he is so are we in the world." We share his purity and so assure ourselves that we truly hope in him.
Summary of Verse 17
To sum up verse 17, we can paraphrase it like this: When you love each other with love that is more than just talk, when the love of God reaches its practical goal of action in your life, you will experience a deep and unshakable confidence before God. Much talk of love with few deeds of love destroys assurance. We've all experienced this from time to time. Our conscience condemns us because we think of deeds of love and don't do them.
But if we put our money where our mouth is, or put our time where our tongue is, then we will have a deep sense of the reality of our own faith and will feel confident for the day of judgment, because then we are acting the way Jesus acted.

The Same Thing at Stake in Verse 18

Now for verse 18.
It seems to me that exactly the same thing is at stake in verse 18 as in verse 17—how to get rid of fear about the day of judgment. Verse 17 is positive: how to have confidence for the day of judgment. Verse 18 is negative: how not to have fear for the day of judgment. And both give the same answer: "perfect" or "perfected" love. Verse 18:

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.

The Negative of Verse 17
Let's look at the last part first: "He who fears is not perfected in love." This is the exact negative of verse 17. Verse 17 says that when love is perfected with us, we have confidence. Verse 18 says that when we are not perfected in love, we don't have confidence, we fear!
If we have been on the right track so far, we can say that a person "perfected in love" is not a person who loves flawlessly. He is a person who loves "in deed and truth and not just in words." In these verses perfection has to do with completion not flawlessness. "Perfect love" is love that does not die on the vine. It's love that comes to fruition. It's love that goes beyond desire and is completed (i.e., perfected) in a deed.
So the first part of the verse (18) says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment." In other words the reason there is no fear in love is that there is no threat of punishment for being a loving person. When you love someone with real practical deeds, you never hear a warning signal that says, "You're going to get punished for this." Fear is what you feel when you have done something that ought to be punished. But love is never threatened with punishment. So there is no fear in love.
On the contrary, when you love each other with "perfect love" (i.e., with the love of God overflowing and being completed in action)—when you love each other like this, it casts out fear! The way to boldness, the way to confidence and fearlessness, is to walk love not just talk love. Love is perfected not when it is sinlessly flawless but when it passes from talk to walk.
David Livingstone's Challenge
In 1857 when David Livingstone was home from Africa giving a challenge to the students at the University of Cambridge, he tried to convince them that a life of love in the service of others is no ultimate sacrifice. In doing so he gave a beautiful illustration of 1 John 4:17–18 (without realizing it, I suppose). He said,

Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter?

Notice the sequence of thought. He says that his labors of love on behalf of the lost have been healthful ACTIVITY. He has the consciousness of DOING GOOD. This is "love perfected"—love in deed and truth, love reaching its goal, love completed in action.
And what was the result for David Livingstone? PEACE OF MIND and A BRIGHT HOPE OF A GLORIOUS DESTINY HEREAFTER! Or to use the words of John: confidence for the day of judgment and a mind without fear.
A Chief Reason Why Many Have Little Confidence
Brothers and sisters, one of the main reasons why so many professing Christians have little confidence with God and little boldness with men is that their lives are not devoted in love to the salvation of the lost and to the glory of God, but instead are devoted (often by sheer default) to providing earthly security and comfort for themselves and their families.
When we try to say that we are indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, and yet we do not devote our lives to the eternal good of other people, there is a deep contradiction within that gnaws away at our souls and dissolves our confidence and leaves us feeling weak and inauthentic.
John wants us to discover the secret of David Livingstone—that a life poured out in the labors of love for the eternal good of other people yields a sure consciousness of doing good, a deep peace of mind and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter!
And where will you find the power to do that?
God Loves First in Jesus Christ
I close with verse 19: "As for us, we love because he first loved us." Our acts of love on behalf of others never cause God's love to be initiated towards us. It is always the reverse. God loves first. Then we know and believe the love God has for us (v. 16). Trusting the love that he has for us in Jesus Christ, he abides in us and HIS love overflows into action and is perfected with us. And we have confidence for the day of judgment.
It all begins with the love of God. "We love because he first loved us." If you lack the power to love, look to the cross of Christ and let the love of God for sinners fill you with hope.
The End

Added Note: Confidence and the Forgiveness of Sins

Of course confidence before God MUST include a sense of the forgiveness of our sins through the death of Jesus. The way this relates to active love as the basis of our confidence is as follows.
1 John 1:7 says, "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."
Here two things are combined to secure our cleansing from sin: one is the blood of Jesus; the other is walking in the light. Only one atones for sin, namely, the blood of Jesus. But it does not atone for everyone. It atones for those who walk in the light.
So our confidence before God on the day of judgment is based on the blood of Jesus as the atoning force that takes away all our sins, AND on a certain kind of "walk"—not because this walk atones for our sins at all, but because it confirms the genuineness of our faith. It confirms that we are in fact savingly related to Christ whose blood cleanses us from all sin.
Walking in the light and being perfected in love are the same thing. Neither atones for sin. Both certify that we are born of God and so attached to Christ in such a way that his blood avails for us.

THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST (THE ANOINTED ONE)

There have been different views on this name “JESUS CHRIST”, to some it’s a name of a savior while to some it just some name of whatsoever. The name of Jesus is a guarantor to whatever we need in this world or the heavens as long as it tallies with God plan. I’ll be showing you basically the power in the name of Jesus, how to use and it and what you would get from it with some biblical text to help.

WHATEVER WE ASK IN THE NAME OF JESUS IS GUARANTEED (MATTEW21:21)

Anything you ask in prayers, God will answer as it is written in john14:13-14 “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it”, his name is our guarantee to our answered prayers john16:23 "And in that day you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

   WHAT IS IN THE NAME OF JESUS

·        Everything bows to the name of Jesus (phililpians2:19-11)

·        Divine authority that will always prevail.

·        Gift of God that cannot be withdrawn (roman11:29)

·        Anointing in the name of Jesus in faith (acts3:16)

·        Access to God in prayers

·        Our guarantee for answers to prayers (mark 16:17) (acts3:6)

·        There is healing

·        There is victory

·        There is Love

·        Forgiveness of God flows

·        The spirit of the lord comes and dwell when we invoke that name.