God's Promise: Peace

 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” NIV 

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart because I have overcome the world."  NLT

"I told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  You will have suffering in his world.  Be courageous!  I have conquered the world."  CSB

John 16:33

    The promise of peace is not a promise of a perfect life.  It is the promise of hope that gets you through the hard times.  It is a promise of a happy ending.  It is a promise that you can find peace of heart and mind even if life is chaotic, dangerous, or difficult all around you.  Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  He is the living promise. 

    Jesus gave this promise during the last supper.  He knew that in a few shot hours he would endure abuse, lies, injustice, and a criminal's death to make sure that this promise would happen.  He lives out the promise by being in peace while he endured horrible things.  He shows you the way.  You are lucky that you will probably never face what he faced, but if you did would you face it like him?

    The reality is that life is full of trouble, trials, and conflict.  You bring the majority of it upon yourself by attitude, decisions, and how you react.  However, sometimes bad things happen that you had no part in making it happen.  Now is the time to decide on how you will handle it.  Make a choice and then take the steps to make the choice a reality.  You have to decide for yourself how you will follow Jesus and face persecution for that relationship.

    Following Jesus was never easy.  It requires a lot of sacrifice, but it is the only way to true peace and the happy ending.  Jesus is the source of peace.  When you remain loyal to him, he is loyal to you.  He will protect you from the worst of it.  He never promised that you would live forever.  He promised that he would be with you.  His way leads to eternal victory even if you loose your life for faith now.  It takes courage and resolve to follow Jesus in faith.  Take comfort in having peace with God because of Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6, John 14:27, 16:33, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14, Colossians 1:20, & 2 Timothy 3:12

God's Promise: True Freedom

 

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." NIV

 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."NKJV

"So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free." NLT

John 8:36

    Jesus stated this promise during a discussion with religious leaders.  It is a simple statement that holds a lot of power, but that was Jesus.  He was flamboyant.  He was simple and impactful.  He always told the truth.  He was kind, but not nice.  He words were promises and direction to freedom.  Faith and salvation through him are the only true freedom you will ever experience.  His freedom frees you from sin habits, inherited sin, and strongholds.  There is nothing more powerful than that.

    Sin bounds you into slavery.  It is a kind of slavery that you may not even realize that you don't have control over your life.  Everything is about how Satan has manipulated you and how he can keep controlling you.  He hates you and takes pleasure in any hurt, harm, or doom he can cause in your life.  He turns Christianity into a religion that doesn't look anything like Jesus' life.  The truth is that if you do not follow Jesus, then you are not a true Christian.  You can claim the religion, but you can't claim the title that makes you an inheritor in Heaven.  You have to open your eyes to the truth and accept it to become truly free.

    Jesus came to set you free because he loves you.  He wants you to live, thrive, and become strong.  The strongest thing in life is love which is taught by Jesus.  The love that Jesus gives and shows you how to obtain is liberating.  Love is more than politics, society rules, and religion.  The love that Jesus provides opens your eyes to the truth where boundaries become a gift.  Forgiveness enables you to move on with your life.  Death is no longer something you need to fear.  God's love is truth and it will keep you from the bondage of sin if you allow the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out.  

John 8:30-36, Romans 8:1-2, 2 Corinthians 3:7-8, & Galatians 5:1

God's Promise: Salvation

 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." NIV

"For this is how God loves the world: He gave his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  NLT

John 3:16

    The promise of salvation is conditional.  It is an opportunity for every living person, but it is conditional because you have to walk in faith.  You have to allow God to change you from your heart, mind, and soul.  It is equal to everyone, but not everyone will accept the terms.  It is your choice.  God has left it up to you.  You can't blame God if you do not have salvation.

    This promise came to Nicodemus when he was having a meeting with Jesus.  Nicodemus was a Pharisee.  He knew who Jesus was and wanted to know more.  However, the Pharisee political party aka religion hated Jesus, so Nicodemus had to sneak to meet Jesus.  He did not have time to beat around the bush.  He needed to make the most of the time he had.  That is where Jesus met him.  Jesus didn't have time to play around either.  His time was limited in a way that no one understood yet.  

    Jesus meets each of us where we are in our sin and when you take the step of faith into salvation, he leads you out of your sin.  He took everyone's including your sin upon himself.  He took your punishment, so that you have the freedom to follow Him.  He went 99% of the way.  All you have to do is that one percent step into faith.  It is his love that transforms you and motivates you to change.  When you see sin for what it really is, you no longer want anything to do with it.

    Salvation is a promise made in love.  It is a gift that only God can give.  It can only be obtained through faith and walking life with Jesus.  It is sealed by the Holy Spirit living within you.  Nothing can imitate true salvation or God's sacrificial love.  This is why every religion is dead.  Christianity is not a religion.  It is a way of life.  It is a personal relationship with God.  It is only natural for Christians to gravitate toward each other because you need others that believe like you do and help you not stumble in your journey.

John 3:16, Romans 5:8, & 1 John 4:9

God's Promise: Certainty

 

"For the Word of God will never fail." NLT

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." KJV

"For no word from God will ever fail" NIV

"For nothing will be impossible with God." CSB

Luke 1:37

    This promise of certainty comes from the angel Gabriel as he tells Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah even though she was a virgin.  Angels know God.  His Word was a message to prepare Mary, but to help people also see that God always keeps His Word and how to find His promises.  God's promises are trustworthy and dependable.

    You have limitations, but God does not.  Do not place your limitations on Him or you will not be able to expand on your own.  There is no way Mary would have ever been pregnant with Jesus if it had not been for God.  He expanded her world and mindset in a way that was impossible.  In doing so, He has opened the door for you to be able to have a relationship with Him which was impossible before Jesus.

    God's power is limitless, endless, and boundless.  It is true.  It will always happen even if it is not in the way you may expect.  You can rely on His Word even if you can't trust the world around you.  If you follow Jesus, then there is nothing spiritually impossible for you.  You are still tied to the laws of natural science like gravity, but the spiritual world is open up before you.

      The promise of certainty is that you can be certain in what Jesus and God said throughout the entire Bible is true.  If it has not happened, then it will.  It should make you feel safe, loved, and seen.  It should enable you to walk in faith.  However, if you are not a true Christian, then there are parts that should scare you.  As a Christian this promise should empower you to follow Jesus with the Holy Spirit's wise counsel to accomplish anything God lays before you.

Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:17, Zechariah 8:6, Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37, 18:27, & Romans 4:21

God's Promise: Answer Prayer

 

"I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours".  NLT

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them" NKJV

"Therefor I tell you, everything you pray and ask for-believe that you have received it and it will be yours."

Mark 11:24

    This promise from God is to pray in faith without doubt and you will receive what you ask for.  It is about trusting Him with your heart desires, fears, anxiety, and everything else. He wants you to see how He is there for you.  He can and will provide even if you do not ask, but when you ask it makes you aware of His presence and what He is doing.  It is for your benefit not His to pray.

    The promises of God are ways to build your trust in Him.  The purpose is for your faith to grow, so you can have a stronger and more real relationship with God.  He can be trusted and He makes you more trustworthy in your journey throughout life with Him.  Faith is the key to prayer and your future.

    Prayer makes you more confident in approaching God, living life faithfully, and speak against evil boldly.  It changes every aspect of life.  It helps you work through things.  It purifies your inner thoughts.  It makes your faith active as you align with God's will for your life.  Your prayer life changes as you mature to become more like Jesus.  It is okay to pray for the impossible.  You get to watch what God does with that and how He makes it possible.  However, doubt destroys any benefits of prayer that you could receive.  

    Your heart transforms and you are able to start loving people that you found unforgiveable.  You can't help it.  When you pray for your enemy your heart softens.  It does not mean that you give them free access to hurt you, but you start understanding that God loves them as much as He loves you.  You want them to have a relationship with God that can remove all the evil in their heart.  Prayer enables forgiveness over time.  Unforgiveness puts barriers between you and God, so forgiveness is more about your relationship with God than the offender(s).

    This promise to answer prayers builds trust and wisdom.  You have to have faith for it to really work.  It builds wisdom because God rarely answers in the way you have in mind.  He normally will change your perspective and allow you to see things better or in a new way.  He changes your heart.  The miracles are more subtle because they are meant for you and sometimes only you.  It works because your prayer life is aligning with God's path for your life.  It works because you are confident and persistent.  It works because God is who He is.

Matthew 7:7, Mark 11:24, Luke 14:13, 15:7, 16:24, & James 1:5-6

God's Promise: Always with You

 

"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: Yahweh Shammah is with you always, even to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:20

    This promise is for all followers of faith, the people that walk like with Jesus.  It is it the last verse in Matthew given after the instructions of the Great Commission that Jesus gave his apostles before he ascended to Heaven still alive.  It is about how faith and obedience make you a true Christian.  A true Christian is in the family of God.  If you are in the family of God, then you can walk through life in confidence in all of God's promises, especially that He will never leave you.

    If you love God, then you are obedient.  That means you will spend time with God to know what His boundaries and expectations are.  Then you go and apply that to your life trying to do good in the world that hates what you have to offer.  You would never succeed if you don't have the Holy Spirit in you giving you wise counsel and comfort throughout the journey.  You are a student to build your relationship, then you become go out into the world with God to make disciples to be baptized, taught, and strengthened to carry on the good work.  Through this journey, Jesus never leaves you.

    Do not focus on just the reassuring part of the verse.  Look at the entire section.  Seek to become a Christian that works with Jesus the rest of your life instead of sliding by doing status quo or doubt.  Be confident in what you do and say.  Do not allow people to place doubt in your mind or have you second guessing what God has sent you to do.  It only reveals their lack of faith.  Become a teacher by how you live your life more than the words that come out of your mouth. Devote yourself to God's Word, fellowship with mature Christians, living faithfully in your community, and prayer.  You can do this because Jesus is with you. 

Matthew 28:16-20 & Acts 2:42

God's Promise: Find Rest

 "Jesus said, Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am bumble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." NLT

Matthew 11:28-30

    This promise is a promise of communication and God being the problem solver.  Go to God in prayer about every aspect of your life and trust Him to take care of it.  You can live life doing good and watch as He does all the big impossible things.  You can't do things as good as Him, so relax and let Him do His thing.  It takes a lot of stress out of your life and brings joy to watch Him work in your life.

    This promise is an invitation to have a real relationship with God.  Nothing is too heavy for Him.  There is no aspect about yourself that will scare Him away.  He loves you and wants the best for you, but you do have to admit that sin is sin.  You do have to repent and start walking with Jesus to have a real relationship.  He will heal what the world has broken and what sin has corrupted.

    The yoke is burdens, heaviness, and hardship in life.  It can be oppression, dealing with hard hearts, selfishness, trials, tribulations, or hurdles in life.  When you feel like you are buckling under the pressure of life, go to God.  Give Him everything you know you are carrying and pray that what is hidden is revealed.  He will take it gladly so you can keep going and doing good in the world.  

    This is a gentle love promise because He wants you to be able to keep going and facing life with Him.  He give you the Holy Spirit to direct you and lead you through the hard parts in life.  Don't give up on yourself and God.  Give up on what is holding you back.  Jesus is the way to living a triumphant life.  He is the source of energy to keep you going without growing faint.  He is your role model that was an open book to show you how to obey God and be strong.  Follow His steps into eternity of peace, harmony, and burden free.

Jeremiah 6:16, Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 11:28-30, John 13:15, Philippians 2:5-7, 1 Peter 2:21, & 1 John 2:6, 5:3