Peace is a Fruit..Craig Denison Ministries

 

Peace is a Fruit

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the most powerful marks of a believer is transcendent peace. This world offers us no reason to be peaceful. It offers us no reason to be without stress, burdens, cares, and total frustration. But we serve a God who offers us peace in the midst of any circumstance. We serve a God in whom all true peace finds its source. May you discover the heart of your heavenly Father to bring you peace this week.

Scripture: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

Devotional:           

Living with true peace can only be done by allowing the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of his presence in our lives. Galatians 5:23-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” How incredible is it that we can have peace in this world through relationship with the Holy Spirit! The fact that true peace is solely a fruit of the Spirit takes the weight of peace off our shoulders.

It’s impossible to bear the fruit of peace apart from connectivity to God. It’s impossible to force peace in our lives because it’s impossible for us to bear fruit in our own strength. John 15:4 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Peace is the fruit of abiding in the Holy Spirit. It’s the fruit of surrendering our perspectives, relationships, words, actions, thoughts, and emotions to him.

If we are living without peace, it is because we have yet to allow the Holy Spirit to fill an area of our life with his presence. If our thoughts aren’t marked by the peace of God’s truth, it’s because we have yet to allow the Spirit to renew our minds with the Scripture he authored. If we’re without peace in our relationships, it’s because we haven’t allowed him to reveal to us his heart for ourselves or others. If the opinion of man continually robs us of peace, it’s because we haven’t centered our lives around his opinion of us. The list continues but the point remains the same. To live with peace is to allow the Spirit to permeate every area of life with his powerful, loving, and transformative presence.

Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” May you choose to seek the kingdom of God above all else today. May you allow the Holy Spirit to bring heaven to earth, not only in your life but everywhere you go today. Seek a greater measure of communion with the Holy Spirit today and enjoy the fruit of peace that comes from his nearness.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the nature of peace as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” Galatians 5:22

2. Where is your life not marked by the fruit of the Spirit? Where is your life not filled with the peace of his presence?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into a deeper level of communion with him today. Take time to receive an awareness of his nearness.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Romans 8:9

Growing in relationship with the Holy Spirit is like growing in relationship with anyone else. He is a person of the Trinity just like the Father and Jesus. It takes time to get to know someone. It takes effort to learn their wants, desires, and personality. If you pursue a deeper connection with the Spirit you will find it. May you grow in your awareness of your union with the Holy Spirit who dwells within you.

Extended Reading: Romans 8

A Revision of “Vision”..Bob McCabe

 A Revision of “Vision”

By Bob McCabe

In the early years of my Christian experience, I heard some messages on Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he”. The gist of these sermons was that effective Christian leaders have visions, the ability to set goals for the future, that result in church growth or some other facet of ministry. If the goals are not followed, “people perish” in the sense that a ministry will become stagnant and irrelevant. In other contexts, people perish in the sense that they lose their sense of vitality.

I am convinced that this is an illegitimate understanding of this verse for three reasons.

First, we should note that it does not take into account the entire verse. A contrast is set up between the first and second half: the positive results of obedience to the law and the negative results from having a lack of “vision”. This is to say, on the one hand, by keeping God’s authoritative law, one experiences blessing; but, on the other, by not having something equally authoritative (“vision”), one receives the obverse of blessing.

Second, a major problem with this type of interpretation relates to the fact that the Hebrew term translated “vision” is never connected to setting long-range goals, whether church growth or otherwise. The term “vision” is a translation of a Hebrew word (hazon). This noun is used 35 times in the Old Testament. It is related to a verb (hazah), which means to “see” or to “receive by revelation.” This term refers to special revelation and should be understood as a vision that contained a prophetic word from God, a “revelation.” Thus “vision” forms an appropriate parallel with “the law,” in v. 18b.

Finally, the word translated “perish” is derived from a verb (para‘), which generally means to “let go” or “let loose.” The translation of this verb as perishing is highly unlikely when it is considered that of its 16 uses in the Old Testament none of these are translated in this fashion. It is used of uncovering (letting loose) one’s head when a turban is removed as a sign of mourning (Lev. 10:6, Lev. 21:10). The Israelites (Ex. 32:25) are unrestrained in the sense that their moral restraints were removed (they showed no moral constraint while Moses was on Mount Sinai). This passage may be the background for Proverbs 29:18, and would, therefore, suggest that this verb has the sense of letting loose, a removal of moral restraints.

Therefore, this proverb should be understood to mean that when there is no special revelation, people cast off moral restraints; however, when people obey God’s word, they are blessed: “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction”. This verse has tremendous theological and practical significance for us. There is a direct correlation between our moral state and our knowing and submitting to God’s special revelation, the Bible.

A Prayer for When Your Future Feels Unknown..Molly Law

 A Prayer for When Your Future Feels Unknown

By Molly Law

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11

Time is just a construct — we all view it in the terms of past, present, and future. We have already lived in the past. Some memories leave us with such pleasant feelings that we wish to return to those simpler times, but some have been past traumas that haunt us as we strive to seek healing in the present.

We all live in the present, and the majority of the time, the present feels tedious and mundane. We may wake up and have coffee, work a standard 9-5, make sure our family is fed and ready for their day, and do it all over again five days a week. This is why we plan vacations and daydream about what our futures might hold — anything to escape our provincial lives. 

The present may not just be boring, we may be facing hard times — times of suffering. This is exactly when the Lord speaks of the future in Scripture — when His people are in turmoil and have little hope that life will ever look differently. 

When they finally left their long captivity as slaves in Egypt, God promised them that they would have a home — a land flowing with milk and honey. God reiterates his promise after their disobedience and the subsequent consequence of wandering in the desert for 40 years. Although their present was the desert, God kept and fulfilled his promise for their future.

He did the same during their exile in Babylon, this is where we get the famous verse in Jeremiah. And again, as the Roman Empire set up its rule in Jerusalem, the Jews looked forward to the long-awaited Messiah. Although they refused to see or were blinded by the promised future before them, the Messiah came — He came to save the world.

We know that God is with us and with our futures. It can be really easy to live in a future hope — so much so that we can miss the present — our once future. Even though we have so many hope-filled promises about the future, Jesus also reminds us to take care of what will happen today.

• "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34).
• “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” (Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off).
• “Gone, like yesterday is gone, Like history is gone… Gone, my high school dreams are gone, My childhood sweets are gone, Life is a day that doesn't last for long” (“Gone” by Switchfoot).

There is another reason why we are reminded to be present in our lives as they are right now. From the immortal quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the poignant words from the song by Switchfoot, life moves so quickly — so quickly, in fact, that if we are busy reminiscing the past or dreaming about the future, our lives will be gone by the time we realize what has happened. 

So, how can we reconcile past events that live rent free in our minds and the natural desire for a better future with our present?

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, I can’t help but think about my future. I often do not feel satisfied with how my life is going at the moment. So, I dream, agonize, complain, and live for the future I hope to see. I know this way of thinking does not bring you glory, it is not good for my mental health, and then it becomes all about me.

I forget to praise you for my many, many blessings. I forget to look around and see the good that is in my present life. If I do not stop to look around at my present blessings, I know that in the blink of an eye, they will be gone, and I will regret not living in the present as it becomes firmly set in the past. 

I pray that you will be with us all as we navigate our past experiences, live our lives in the present, and have a healthy desire and longing for our futures. I pray that you will be with the future that is unknown, and that your will and glory be done in our lives — past, present, and future.

We love and trust you with all of our hearts, Our Lord and Savior.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Step into the Light..Meg Bucher

 Step into the Light

By Meg Bucher

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” Luke 1:78-79 NLT

The tiny screen lit up my path just enough so I could make sure not to trip over the dog on the way down the stairs. In the darkness of the morning, I cherish my time with God. But I need a little bit of light to get there! 

Light is something that makes things visible. We turn things towards the light to get a better view, and we turn the lights on to see where we are going. At night, we drive with lights on so others can see we were are going, too. The light of a candle gives a warm peaceful glow, Christmas brings outdoor lights to the long, dark days of winter …and when the light breaks the dawn to begin the day we witness a work of art. 

Today’s verse is a piece of Zachariah’s Prophecy. The Father of John the Baptist, he knew the capability of the Light to shine the truth into life’s circumstances. Unable to understand how he and his wife, Elizabeth, could conceive a child at their age, Zachariah’s doubt cost him the ability to speak until the child was born. The first thing he spoke was to name his son, John, in obedience to the Lord. John the Baptist paved the way for our Lord, Christ Jesus! The Light was coming!

“The morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,” Zachariah said. The sky comes alive long before the sun rises. It’s light brightens up the horizon before we can visibly see the sun, itself. In the same way, before Jesus arrived on earth, the light from His presence was already being felt! John the Baptist preached powerfully. It brought many to baptism. But even John knew, there was One greater than he coming. Luke wrote:

“Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am- so much greater than I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’”  - Luke 3:15-16 NLT

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Jesus is the light of the world. “I am the light of the world,” He said, “If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT) When we shine who He is into our daily circumstances, we are able to see with more clarity. Through the lens of His light and love, we see with a brighter perspective.

Hopelessness is an epidemic. So many of us wrestle with anxious thoughts, worries, fears, and depression as we walk through our everyday lives. We do need to consult the aid of pastors, mentors, and counselors at times. God designed us to live in community, and to love and be loved by the people He has purposefully placed around us. If we seek His help to unravel doubts and worries, sadness and despair, we can step into the Light. The Creator of the Universe doesn’t want us to suffer needlessly. Though pain and trials are certainly a part of this world, His mercies are new each morning. He loves us, and seeks to bless us in the midst of the mess. He is our healer, able to shine light in the dark places of our lives. 

When we allow Jesus to shine His reality into our situation, we will find the Hope …in Him …we’ve been looking for all along. “Realize that you are forgiven, you no longer sit in darkness,” The Life Application Bible notes advise, “and you have been given the path to peace.” The Holy Spirit, for every believer in Jesus, is alive and active in our lives. The third person of the trinity, He illuminates the Word of God, translates the mumblings of our prayers to heaven, and shines light on the Lord’s will for our daily lives. 

Further Reading
Isaiah 9:2

\Malachi 4:2