Finding Peace

Peace is sorely lacking in the world. It seems the further we progress into the the last days the more divided and violent people become as moral breakdown and decay occur in all strata of society.

God's word says that he is not a God of disorder but of peace:

"For God is a God not of disorder but of peace."-1 Corinthians 14:33.

And without a doubt contemplating God's creation, gazing heavenward on a clear summer night, pondering a pristine mountain meadow, listening to the gentle waves of a calm sea lapping against the shore, bring a measure of peace. Medicine for the soul.

God is at peace. He is pure and upright and all his ways are holy and righteous. He is above all a God of love who takes interest in us as humans. Even though we are but mere dust in his eyes. He wants to share his peace with us.

Listening to God communicate with us draws us closer to him. We are drawn to his wondrous qualities, above all his unfathomable love, that he displays, and we perceive as he answers our prayers. God is speaking. Are you listening?

Prayer is communication with God, speaking to him. What if one person was always doing all of the talking? But does God communicate with us? Does he really share his mind and his heart with us? Jehovah says:

“‘For I well know the thoughts that I am thinking toward you,’ declares Jehovah, ‘thoughts of peace, and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope."-Jeremiah 29:8.

"But the decisions of Jehovah will stand forever;
The thoughts of his heart are from generation to generation.."
-Psalms 33:11.

God's thoughts are in the Bible. It is like a mirror. For it reveals to a person who they really are. By praying to Jehovah and then reading his word we let his holy spirit direct us as he communicates. And the more he reveals himself to us, answering our prayers, teaching us his love and his care for us, the more we draw closer to him, the greater our faith becomes, the more alive and real he becomes in our lives.

Righteousness is what we have, what we show when we do what is right according to Jehovah's standards, principles that govern the way we deal with each other. As the sovereign of the universe Jehovah determines what is righteous. That is what the tree of knowledge of good and bad represented. God is the one who sets the standards for what is right and wrong. Not any human. And those standards are set forth in his holy word we know as the Bible.

So in order to have peace one needs to live by God's elevated moral standards. But false piety, over-righteousness, and self-righteousness is not true righteousness.

"The result of true righteousness will be peace,
And the fruitage of true righteousness will be lasting tranquillity and security.
My people will dwell in a peaceful abiding place,
In secure dwellings and in tranquil resting-places."
-Isaiah 32:17-18.

Following Jehovah's standards of right and wrong, not those of any human, or what is the latest trend for fad, or going with the crowd, rather being chaste and pure, loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbor as oneself brings real peace. True righteousness causes peace. On the other had those who disobey God do not have peace:

“There is no peace,” says Jehovah, “for the wicked.”-Isaiah 48:22.

This does not mean God has to take their peace away. It simply means it is impossible to be at peace practicing what is unrighteous.

On the other hand, those who have been blessed from listening to Jehovah as he guides us to his scriptures find peace of mind, a feeling of security, well-being. In fact perhaps we are facing a situation that seems unsurmountable. Our frail human minds cannot understand the way out. But God can give peace that surpasses human knowledge:

" Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.-Philippians 4:6-7.

One may be at their wits end, but by prayer, supplication, petitions to God, Jehovah's holy spirit and his peace that is far superior than human wisdom, rests upon his servants, and they enjoy real peace and security.

And God is speaking to everyone. Drawing them with his word of truth. Teaching us how to live and how to behave so that we may have righteousness like the waves of the sea, unending. Eons of years into the past, and eons of years into the future the waves at the seashore will continue. So will be the righteousness of those who listen to God. And their peace like the flowing rivers without end.

Does God really communicate to us? Listen:

"This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel:
“I, Jehovah, am your God,
The One teaching you to benefit yourself,
The One guiding you in the way you should walk.
If only you would pay attention to my commandments!
Then your peace would become just like a river
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea."
-Isaiah 48:17-18.

Nice reminder thank you.

If we want heat we go to something that provides heat, if we want cold we go to something that provides cold.

If we want peace we go to the One that provides peace. To try to find full peace elsewhere, besides the source of peace, will never work. The endless list of idols that are supposed to bring peace are consistently shown to be insufficient.

a reply to: randomuser

You combine Christianity New Testament with Old Testament Judaism, that’s new wine in old skins, it’s mixing different faiths
The promise to Israel is not the promise To christians, you have made a dogs dinner of the word.
No different than a tv evangelist with empty promises to morons who line up to be fed free swill
Jesus was not at peace when He walked, nor the apostles, no disciples were at peace, they all were martyred except John.
Prison, abused attacked and stoned, since Christianity, daily followers have been martyred, isolated and attacked. Families broken, this world is suffering
Anyone cautiously reads the bible and no Christian recorded was at peace
Where you get this nonsense is beyond my bible study

The world is broken, you will suffer loneliness, friends will come and go, some will betray you and you will probably die horrendously in pain and alone.

This is not Gods world but, the promise of God returning and making it better, peaceful and full of love and compassion is a reality in my heart
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done

a reply to: randomuser

And as a JW, your peace is not in God, it’s in your church
Your church is your God, it’s not my God
Walk away from your church and your peace evaporates, turn to God and see how your church treats you
I see no difference in JW teachings from the watchtower and Catholics and the papacy

Jesus said to take up the cross, indicating suffering, Jesus said His road was hard, love and forgiveness is hard
Jesus said His reward is greater than all the suffering we will see on this earth
Jesus said a future peace is coming

You say it’s here now if we take it?

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: randomuser

And as a JW, your peace is not in God, it’s in your church
Your church is your God, it’s not my God
Walk away from your church and your peace evaporates, turn to God and see how your church treats you
I see no difference in JW teachings from the watchtower and Catholics and the papacy

Jesus said to take up the cross, indicating suffering, Jesus said His road was hard, love and forgiveness is hard
Jesus said His reward is greater than all the suffering we will see on this earth
Jesus said a future peace is coming

You say it’s here now if we take it?

Jesus said:

“Happy are the peacemakers, since they will be called sons of God.."-Matthew 5:9.

We have to do more than just be peaceable. We need to actively make peace. That is a part of the fruitage of God's holy spirit. And it is a most attractive quality to people. Overlooking other's faults, debts, sins.

Remember when Paul and Silas was thrown in prison and the angel freed them? What were they doing while in prison? Yes, they were praying and singing praises to Jehovah. Certainly persecution cannot take away our peace.

"After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. Because he got such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God with song, and the prisoners were listening to them."-Acts 16:23-25.

And then the angel freed them. How did they react when the jailer wanted to commit suicide when he thought they had got away? Did they not empathize with the jailer and prevented him from taking his own life?

"Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the jail were shaken. Moreover, all the doors were instantly opened, and everyone’s bonds came loose. When the jailer woke up and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out with a loud voice: “Do not hurt yourself, for we are all here!”  So he asked for lights and rushed in, and seized with trembling, he fell down before Paul and Silas.".-Acts 16:26-29.

That is part of being like Jehovah our God. Jesus said that the people were used to hearing that you must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But Jesus told us something different:

“You heard that it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good and makes it rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous."-Matthew 5:43-45.

Yes, God makes the sun shine on both good and wicked people. And we are not judges. We are to love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us, we need to be like God in word and deed. We need to pursue peace and grab firm hold on it!

Pursue Peace 01

Pursue Peace 2

a reply to: randomuser

Yes Jesus called us to love but didn’t say it was going to be easy and we would be in peace on this world
you are selling pop christianity, a prosperity gospel
Life is hard and it’s going to get harder

God is justice and justice requires judgement
Peace is a promise of the future

As for mixing Judaism and Christianity, just like a catholic

a reply to: randomuser

Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mt 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Lu 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Lu 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Genesis tells us this about the days of Noe

Ge 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Ge 6:11-12 ¶ The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Women in the streets fight to have the right to murder their unborn child. I don't know what could do more violent than any thing else than to kill you unborn child.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

www.cgg.org...

Jesus Christ gave many "indicator markings" to help us to determine when His second coming is near. One of these is mentioned in Luke 17:28-30:

Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Jesus shows us that an indicator of His imminent return is that the society around us will be similar to that of Sodom when Lot lived there nearly four thousand years ago. People will be going about their everyday lives seemingly unconcerned about the egregious evils in society, unaware that their lifestyles are abominable in the eyes of God. Thinking their ways of life are "normal," they will not expect the calamitous events that will befall them.

Coptic 'tradition' has it that Jesus spent his childhood in Egypt – and that the 'Nativity' occurred in the Fayum at Ahnas (Heracleopolis Magna), which just happens to have been a cult centre for Arsaphes, son of Isis! The 'Flight to Egypt' in Matthew, was probably written into the story by the Church of Alexandria – it appears in none of the other gospels and contradicts the return to Nazareth.
The Palestinian fantasy of a Jesus Christ was endemic in the religious milieu of Egypt when Constantine gave the Faith its seal of approval. In the hands of 4th century bishop Athanasius, the key aspect of the Egyptian god/human interface – "Begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father" – entered Christian theology. Athanasius wrote:
"The Word, then, visited that Earth in which He was yet always present... 
Coming as God and as Man... Revealing Himself, conquering Death, and restored to life."
– On the Incarnation.

Thus the religion of the Pharaohs was recast in Christian form – theology, iconology and the whole glorious paraphernalia of priestcraft

a reply to: randomuser

I’ve tried to point you in the right direction but you seem intent on ignoring good advice. The Bible you are constantly quoting was corrupted in ancient times by the Church of Rome. Why do you think religious leaders hate archaeologists and scientists so much? For 1850 year the only thing known about Christianity was the bible. It was only 150 years ago that archaeologists and scientists started to find evidence that the ancient church had created a dogma to suit themselves and to support that dogma they changed, adapted, rewrote and deleted many of the bibles books to support their narrative. Which puts you in a difficult position by keep pushing Roman Christianity on everyone.

Didn’t the apostle Paul warn?
“If any man, or angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you. Let him be accursed”Galathians 1:9,8

originally posted by: infolurker
a reply to: ChesterJohn

www.cgg.org...

Jesus Christ gave many "indicator markings" to help us to determine when His second coming is near. One of these is mentioned in Luke 17:28-30:

Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Jesus shows us that an indicator of His imminent return is that the society around us will be similar to that of Sodom when Lot lived there nearly four thousand years ago. People will be going about their everyday lives seemingly unconcerned about the egregious evils in society, unaware that their lifestyles are abominable in the eyes of God. Thinking their ways of life are "normal," they will not expect the calamitous events that will befall them.

Without a doubt. If you read what Jesus mentioned about these things, they are ordinary everyday things of life that all people practice. Eating, drinking, getting married. These things in themselves are not wrong. In fact we are told that there is nothing better than to eat and drink and see good for all your hard work under the sun. The more important factor is that the people did not take note that the end was upon them.

So today we have the signs that we are in the last days. Jesus likened it to the sky. He said:

"“When evening falls, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is fire-red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be wintry, rainy weather today, for the sky is fire-red but gloomy.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but the signs of the times you cannot interpret."-Matthew 16:2-3.

The signs of the times indicate that we are deep in the last days.

And of course like another poster pointed out part of being a true Christian is bearing our torture stake. Jesus did not say it was going to be all fun and games, or even easy following him. He told those who wanted to follow him:

“If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and keep following me."-Mark 8:34.

This torture stake would be the suffering the Christian would have to bear by becoming a follower of the Christ. In another place Jesus said that the broad road, the easy road, leads to destruction and many people are on it, whereas cramped and narrow is the road leading to life and few are the ones finding it.

The OP wasn't stating that doing what is right was going to be easy. But those who have Jehovah's favor have peace. They are at peace with those around them, as far as it depends on them, even those who persecute them, but more importantly they have peace with God.

Doing what is right brings a good conscience, freeness of speech with God and man. And with that comes peace. And notice what awaits the righteous in the future, when the wicked are done away with:

"The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it."-Psalm 37:29.

Yes, long after the wicked cease to be, the righteous will live on, forever, on earth. And what type of peace will they experience?

"But the meek will possess the earth,
And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."
-Psalm 37:11.

Yes, not just peace, but an abundance of peace, and not just delight but exquisite delight.