The Crown of Life

Believers in Jesus Christ receive the crown of life. Let’s remember that before Jesus came, God had made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Jesus came so that the Gentiles might also be saved, and that atonement might be made for the sins of all of mankind. Jesus is the Lamb of God, and he was the perfect sacrifice for all of mankind. (see John 1:29, 36)

Believers are not promised an easy life in the Bible. We are warned in 2 Timothy 3:12 that those who desire to live godly in Jesus will suffer persecution. We must stop and realize that the enemy would not be attacking Christians so desperately if we did not possess something of great value.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (Jas 1:12 NIV, emphasis added)

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev 2:10 NCV, emphasis added)

Trials of various types test a Christian’s faith, develop endurance in their lives, and help develop spiritual maturity in them. We can all read in 1 Peter how Jesus responded to persecution:

Although he was abused, he never tried to get even. And when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly. (1 Pet 2:23 CEV)

The Lord will give every believer the sustaining grace that they need to go through such trials victoriously. We just need to hold onto our faith in God and in His ability to uphold and sustain us spiritually, mentally, and emotionally through persecution.

Let’s consider how we can stand firm in our resolve to continue speaking the Word of Life boldly, even under the threat of persecution.

Before persecution begins, we must prepare for it by cultivating the Word of God in our hearts. This means that we memorize various passages from the Bible and review them regularly to make sure we retain them.

Scripture teaches that we carry the Word of God in two places: in our mouths, and in our hearts (see Romans 10:8, and Deuteronomy 30:14). Remember this vital truth: Whenever persecution attempts to silence the Word that is in our mouths, it is the Word that is in our hearts which will sustain us.

We carry the incorruptible Seed of the Word of God in our mouths and in our hearts, and we cannot begin to fathom the fruit that will come from that Seed. Hold fast to the Seed that has been sown in your hearts, brothers and sisters! It will uphold and sustain you, along with the very real presence of the Prince of Peace who never leaves us. Glory to God!

Pursue the Spirit of Wisdom

In this day and age, it’s more important than ever to pursue the Spirit of Wisdom.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the most glorious Father, would give you a wise spirit, along with revelation that comes through knowing the Messiah fully. (Eph 1:17 ISV)

Wisdom accomplishes many things in the life of a believer. Among its many blessings is revelation insight which is a result and a fruit of knowing the Savior entirely and fully. This is talking about an experiential knowledge of the Lord.

But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. ¹⁸When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice. (Jas 3:17-18 CEV)

Familiarity with the Spirit of Wisdom leads us to acquire these precious character strengths named in James 3:17-18. We who serve the Prince of Peace plant seeds of peace—which in turn harvest JUSTICE! Praise the Lord!

Justice means integrity, righteousness, and honesty.

. . . for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Pet 1:3 NASB)

Through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (Jesus), we receive the blessings of EVERYTHING that we need for a safe and good life as well as for our spiritual blessing (godliness).

Study the Bible and read through the book of Proverbs regularly. Reading one Proverb per day will take you through the book of Proverbs every month. Add to that study, reading other Bible verses pertaining to wisdom throughout the Bible. This is how you may pursue the Spirit of Wisdom.

Add to that your prayers asking the Lord to teach you spiritual wisdom, and He will hear and answer your prayers. Glory to God!

God Makes Wars Cease

Jesus is the Prince of Peace referred to in Isaiah 9:6. It makes sense that the Prince of Peace, sent by His heavenly Father, is opposed to war. Instead, He chose to make changes on earth through His love and His self-sacrifice even to the point of dying on the cross for us.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. (Ps 46:9) God’s mighty power extends all over the earth in every country, region, and land. He has power to demolish weapons and bring an end to war anywhere on earth.

Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. (Ezek 39:3) The Lord can cause weapons to be forcefully removed from human hands and to fall out of a person’s strongest hand! Wow!

He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isa 2:4) In God’s perfect timing, He will cause nations to destroy their weapons and cease from attacking one another.

Until that time, Christians are to “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14) The gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News for all human beings. It establishes peace between God and man through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.

We should always promote peace instead of discord, and be instruments of God to demonstrate His love, mercy, and forgiveness to all. We are blessed!

Peace Must Rule

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Col 3:15)

Synonyms of RULE: govern, administrate, lead or control.

Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6) He is our Savior and Lord, and we must follow Him in all that we do. We must allow His peace to control and lead everything that we do and everything that we pursue in life and in ministry.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Ps 100:4)

Praise, thankfulness and blessing work in beautiful harmony with peace. As we exalt, praise and bless the Lord, thankfulness arises in our hearts. The overflow of that thankfulness will result in our being a blessing and a joy to other people as we minister God’s love to them. And peace will be the result.

. . . and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)

God’s peace exceeds and transcends any other definition of the word. His peace goes so far beyond and is so much better than any human concept of peace that it will always outperform the human version of peace!

Therefore, allow yourself to be ruled by God’s peace, so that your life will be blessed and others will be blessed in your presence. Glory to God!

An Everlasting Covenant

Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. (Ezek 37:26 NKJV)

From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. (Jer 30:19 NIV)

For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. (Zech 2:5 KJV)

A covenant is an agreement, pledge, bond, or contract. The Bible reminds us that God cannot lie (Tit 1:2) and that His Word is tested and true. (Ps 119:140, 142)

God’s promises to His people, based upon the passages above, are that:

He will establish us;
He multiplies us;
He gives us His peace;
He lives within us;
He will bring us honor;
He guarantees that we won’t be disdained;
He protects us as a wall of fire; and
He is the glory within us.

He will establish us by confirming that our faith us genuine and that our relationship with Him is legitimate.

He multiplies us by adding other believers to our numbers, and by giving us literal children of our own, as well as spiritual children whom we parent as spiritual mentors.

He gives us peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7) because He is the Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

He lives with every believer because we are individually (and collectively) the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 6:19)

How does God bring honor to any believer? Some of the ways He will honor us is by hearing and answering our prayers for other people. When we lead people to accept Jesus as their own personal Savior, we are being honored by God. When God performs signs and wonders in response to our prayers for someone, he is honoring us. He is responding to the genuine faith that we are using by praying on behalf of other people. Hallelujah!

The final three promises are that we won’t be disdained; that He protects us; and that His glory is within each of us. These are things that we have to simply trust Him to perform. We don’t need to do anything about them; we just need to continue in our relationship with Jesus Christ and keep on serving our Savior, who is a Covenant-Keeping God. Glory to God!

Promote Peace

As disciples of Christ we’re called to promote peace in the world. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

What does it mean to “promote” peace? As servants of the Living God, we are directed to:

Encourage and support,
Sponsor and further,
Advertise,
Elevate and advance peace in every circumstance and situation.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. (Pro 12:20 NIV)

If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. (Lk 10:6 NIV)

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Ps 34:14)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Mt 5:9)

Just from this small selection of Bible passages we learn that:

Promoting peace brings joy—not only to us but to everyone involved;
People who sponsor peace will have peace rest upon them;
We should do good by seeking and pursuing peace; and
All peacemakers are blessed children of God. Hallelujah!

An invitation to promote peace is given to every believer in God’s Kingdom. Let us joyfully respond to this appeal from the heart of God.

Being Far Off

All mankind was, at one time, far off from God. We were far off from His presence, from His righteousness, and from His standards for living. Occasionally, it’s beneficial for us to remember how very far we have come by God’s mercy and grace.

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) who brought all believers near to God through the reconciliation of the cross. (2 Cor 5:18)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13 ESV)

All who have made Jesus Christ their Savior and Lord have been brought near to God through the blood of the Lamb. (1 Pet 1:19) Jesus is the Lamb of God. (Joh 1:29, 36)

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. (Ac 2:39)

The gift and promise of salvation is offered to every human being upon the earth—to every race, tribe and nation. The Lord calls all people to salvation, but not everyone accepts His free gift.

. . . and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. (Eph 2:16-17)

Jesus, our Prince of Peace, has put to death every hostility, unfriendliness, and antagonism by preaching peace to all. He has reconciled (reunited) us with our Father God. What an awesome gift from God!

We are no longer far off, but we have been made the children of God. (Joh 1:12; Rom 8:16; 1 Joh 3:1-2) All glory to God most High!

An Everlasting Throne

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has been promised an everlasting throne according to the Scriptures. Let’s consider this truth today.

You, O Lord, remain forever; Your throne from generation to generation. (Lam 5:19)

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. (Ps 45:6)

But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations. (Ps 102:12)

This truth from the Bible is information designed to strengthen and to sustain our faith, and give us confidence in the Lord. Our Savior is the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings. (Isa 9:6; 1 Tim 6:14-16)

Here is some additional insight into the Lord’s everlasting throne:

When the angel was announcing to Mary the conception of the Messiah, these promises were reiterated. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end“ (Lk 1:31-33). These promises will be eternally fulfilled some day. “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'” (Rev 11:15). Source: https://www.blueletterbible.org/devotionals/dbdbg/view.cfm?Date=0630

One day ALL of the nations of the earth will worship and glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! (Ps 22:27; 72:11; 86:9; 102:15; Isa 2:2; 40:5; 45:23; 66:23; Jer 3:17; 33:9)

As God’s own people and joint heirs with Jesus Christ (Rom 8:17), let us be faithful and obedient to acknowledge and praise our Sovereign God and King now! May we be continuously aware that we serve the God whose reign will never end. We will spend eternity with the Lord in sweet fellowship and harmony with Him. Glory to God!

The Great Calm

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. (Mk 4:37-39)

When Jesus rebuked the wind, and commanded the sea to be still, the Bible says that there was a “great calm.” This great calm . . . where did it originate? [Originate means begin, commence, or come from]

You may say, “It was the elements being obedient to the command of their Creator.” And that is absolutely correct. I believe that all of the animals and even the earth, itself, recognize the voice of their Creator and Lord.

Another way to answer this question is that the great calm originated within Jesus, Himself. Jesus IS the Prince of Peace! (Isa 9:6) He has peace within Himself, and that was why He could peacefully sleep in the boat in the midst of a storm. He wasn’t frightened or threatened. He wasn’t unsure of the outcome.

Jesus is able to convey the peace that exists within Him to the people and/or the world or elements around Him!

Several Bible verses quote Jesus as saying, “Peace to you.” (Lk 24:36; Joh 20:19, 21, 26) The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of peace. (Ac 10:36) Jesus Christ came to reconcile mankind to our Father God—making peace between mankind and the Father.

We are promised that the peace of God, which is beyond all human understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)

Seek His peace now, dear friend. Jesus loves to answer our prayers and to meet every need. Most of all, He imparts His peace to our hearts and to our life circumstances if we will simply look to Him and expect Him to meet our needs. God bless you.

How to Deal With Offenses

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (Ps 32:1)

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. (Pro 19:11)

But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mat 6:15)

Some synonyms for the word OFFENSE are: crime; wrongdoing; transgression; insult; affront; barb; attack; sin; or assault.

When we offend someone, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it is crucial for us to seek to understand how it happened, and to try to soothe and calm the situation. This can only happen through the grace and wisdom of God. The Lord will help us and support us with His guidance so that we may work through these situations.

Seek the Lord and pray for His wisdom and guidance in dealing with any offense that you have committed. Ask the Lord to forgive you, and ask Him to give you wisdom, and also ask Him for divine favor with the person whom you have offended.

Go to the person that you’ve offended and ask them to forgive you. Be sincere in your apology, and remain contrite during any discussion so that the person may see that you are truly seeking reconciliation. Try, as discreetly as possible, to understand what exactly gave offense because you seriously don’t want to repeat it.

If you are the person who is offended, think about what happened and determine what specifically made the exchange offensive or hurtful to you. Take it to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to heal the wound and to give you His grace to forgive the person who offended you. He is the Prince of Peace and will bring His peace to your situation and to the relationship if you will put it in His hands.

If the person asks to meet with you, agree to it. When they ask you to forgive them, do it as unto the Lord. If the person isn’t a Christian or doesn’t seek reconciliation, then it’s a matter best handled between you and the Lord. You can forgive and release that person from their offense, and the Lord will see your heart and your sincerity. He will bless you for your obedience to His Word. (Ps 32:1; Pro 19:11; Mat 6:15)

We keep short accounts by reviewing the day’s events in the evening. In a quiet time with the Lord, determine if there are any offenses that you committed and if any were committed against you. Try to deal with them as quickly, Biblically, and wisely as possible.

It’s vital that we live in such a way that we don’t give offense to others because in 1 Corinthians 10:32 and 2 Corinthians 6:3 we’re instructed to be inoffensive to all.

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Tag: Prince of Peace