Category Archives: Bible Studies

3 Ways to Be in God’s Peace

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If you are going through difficulties in your life that are causing worry and fear—as I sometimes do, here are three points to follow in order to keep you in God’s peace.

1. Ask God to help you overcome your troubles and fears and He who is the God of peace will keep your heart and mind in His peace.

    Philippians 4:6-7

    Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

    2. Know that He is the God of love and power and since we have the mind of Christ, we have this same love and power. And so, with this mind we will be able to cast out, in Jesus name, any spirit of fear; it is of the devil.

    1 Corinthians 2:16

    For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

    2 Timothy 1:7

    For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

    3. I noticed that if my mind thinks of good and Godly things my mind is more at peace and less fearful. God and His peace are with me.

    Philippians 4:8-9

    Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

    It’s All Good

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    Today two comic strips spoke to my heart and made me laugh. First, Dustin:

    Sometimes, like Dustin and his dad, I want to find whatever refuge I can and hide from all the trouble. But instead of the pillow fort (pictured), a better refuge can be found in the Lord—in the “secret place of the Most High.” From Psalm 91:1-6:

    He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

    2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge

    and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

    3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.

    4 He will cover you with his feathers,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

    5 You will not fear the terror of night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

    6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

    Second, Hagar the Horrible:

    I use to be this way in my painting jobs, saying, it’s all good. I remember the first house I painted. I didn’t know you were supposed to spot prime the bare wood first. The owner ask me about it and I said, “Everything’s good. With the super good paint I used, primer is not needed.” Of course, that wasn’t exactly true. I also remember the first time I wallpapered a bathroom. The guy said, “Aren’t you suppose to match the pattern?” I said, “Oh no, it’s all good.”

    My attitude is so changed now. Now everything has to be perfect. That’s good I guess. But I think I am too perfect—too much of a perfectionist. I almost wish I was the way I use to be. But I know I can’t.  All I can do is ask God for His help to do all things right, and then He will make it good. He will give His angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways. Psalms 91:9-15:

    If you make the Most High your dwelling —

    even the Lord, who is my refuge — 

    10 then no harm will befall you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

    11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways;

    12 they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

    13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

    14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

    15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;

    I will be with him in trouble,

    Israel: A Time for War

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    I understand when people—good people—say that Israel should stop the shooting; that there has been enough killing. I heard a good man the other day say that there is anger and hatred on both sides—from Hamas and Israel. I have heard also that the war is senseless; also, that the Palestinians have a right to live there in peace.

    Well, I sort of understand; but I don’t think that these people quite understand Israel’s situation. Israel wants to live in peace and they have been giving the Palestinians every chance to live in peace in Israel. But the Palestinians, and especially Hamas, are a people of war and terror. They hate Israel and constantly plan to some day push them into the sea—to destroy them and claim all the land. But Israel’s land was promised to the Jews by God (Gen 12).

    Ever since God gave them the land many waring nations have come against them and terrorized them—like the Philistines and the Amorites. And it is the same today. Hamas and the Palestinians (backed by Iran) have been terrorizing them with rockets; and they hide in tunnels ready to pop out with surprise attacks.

    In Israel’s history, under the leadership of king David, Israel was constantly at war with their enemies. And God was in favor of it. In fact, He commanded it. War for them was absolutely necessary to keep them at peace, to keep them safe. Solomon even wrote in his book of Ecclesiastes that there is “a time for war” (Ecc. 3:8).

    I think we should recognize now in this day that God has given the leaders if Israel wisdom in seeing that for them it is also “a time for war.” They know that they cannot sit back any longer to let their enemies terrorize them. They must protect themselves. They must rid themselves of all those who are hiding in every corner and in every tunnel with every intent to kill them. We have heard that it will take a good year longer to wipe them out and finish the war. I don’t know why we (US) and the rest of the world can’t back them up and support them in this war effort (or at least leave them alone. This war is a good work they are doing, and from God!

    The Power of the Word

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    I have been reading on Martin Luther. His whole life he clung to the power of the Word of truth. For example, during the Peasants Revolt in the mid 1500’s (against the rich upper class), Luther faced the movement not by violence, but by speaking the truth. He said,

    “I will preach, speak, write, but I will force no one; for faith must be voluntary. Take me as an example. I stood up against the Pope…but without violence or uproar. I only urged, preached, and declared God’s Word; nothing else.”

    Luther also said of the devil when he sees men using violence: “He sits with folded arms behind the fire of hell, and says with malignant looks and frightful grin: ‘Ah, how wise these madmen are who play my game…But when he sees the Word running and contending alone on the battlefield, then he shudders and shakes for fear.”

    Luther said: “The Word is almighty, and takes captive the hearts.

    In reading these words, I thought of what my part is. Instead of taking part in demonstrations and marches, I think it is better to continue with blogs to spread the good Word of God. I will continue to write books (mostly for my benefit) but always with blogs. I think it is a more peaceful way. This is a world now of social media, and we need more Christian influence. And we know that the Word will not return void. As Isaiah wrote,

    For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

    And do not return there,

    But water the earth,

    And make it bring forth and bud,

    That it may give seed to the sower

    And bread to the eater,

    11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

    It shall not return to Me void,

    But it shall accomplish what I please,

    And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isa 55:10-11)