“You May Have Peace” Part Two

Your Bible says that God is a “God of peace” (Hebrews 13:20). Nothing ever disturbs Him. No earthborn storms invade the holy calm of His presence. He is always at peace. With perfect vision He sees the end from the beginning. In the working out of His plans and purposes there is neither haste nor delay.

Can you imagine God being anxious? Impossible! There is no problem to which He does not know the solution. Nor is there any difficulty so great but He knows the way out. “There is nothing too hard” for the Lord (Jeremiah 32:17).

The Son of God is called “The Prince Of Peace,” and it is said of Him that “of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). That is because He understands the secret of peace. Having dwelt with His Father from “the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2, margin), He knows, as no other being can ever know, what perfect peace is and how it is maintained.

When He came to this earth and lived as a man among men, one feature of His life that deeply impressed both His friends and enemies was His perfect poise. Harsh criticism left Him unmoved. Unkind words never made Him angry. Rejection left Him sad but not revengeful. Even on the cross He prayed for those who drove the nails through His hands and feet.

Again and again He invited the weary, worried people who followed Him to share His placidity of spirit. “Come unto Me,” He said to them with loving sympathy and understanding. “Come and learn My secret.” “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

The farmers who heard Him say these words understood them perfectly. They knew that a “yoke” joins the animals who pull the plow. So to them this was an invitation to share their troubles and care with Him. It was an offer to carry the heaviest part of their load.

Many accepted this “yoke” and felt their burdens vanish. Tired mothers, anxious fathers, found peace in Jesus. They learned to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. See Psalm 37:7. They began to understood what the psalmist meant when he said, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee” (Psalm 55:22).

Especially concerned that His disciples discover the secret of peace, Jesus said to them again and again, in various ways, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). He was not afraid of the future Himself, even though He knew it would lead Him to Calvary, and He wanted them to share the peace that filled His soul. “Peace I leave with you,” He said to them, “My peace I give unto you” (John 14:27).

A little later they were disturbed again, this time by His statement that He was soon going back to His Father in heaven. So He added: “These things I have spoken unto you that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

They had no need to worry. His overcoming of the world, the flesh, and the devil, made certain the ultimate triumph of righteousness. His victory was theirs. They would share its glorious results with Him through all eternity.

So no tribulation or disappointment should ruffle our peace of mind or weaken our reliance upon the promises of God.

From “Your Bible and You”, by Arthur S. Maxwell, pgs. 138-141.

End Of Part Two

Extreme Teaching

England: Dr. Rowland Taylor

The people of Hadley begged Dr. Rowland Taylor not to go see the bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor. They knew the bishop was furious at the teaching of Dr. Taylor.

For nearly twenty years, the English Bible had been legally distributed in England. Dr. Taylor had simply taught all those in his church to read the Bible for themselves and to follow its teachings. In contrast, religious leaders under the brutal rule of Queen Mary 1 called for strict adherence to the customs of the church.

After being insulted and accused by the bishop, Rowland replied, “I am a Christian man. I have not blasphemed against the church. In fact, by your own charge, you are the heretic. Christ died once and for all for the sins of mankind. It is sufficient. You and your traditions can offer nothing more.”

For the next two years, Dr. Taylor was a prisoner. When he learned that he would be burned at the stake outside Hadley, he leaped for joy. He was not concerned for his safety. Instead he rejoiced at the thought of traveling through Hadley and once again seeing his brothers and sisters in the faith.

Dr. Rowland Taylor was martyred in the winter of 1555.

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching.” John 14:23 NIV

Love is spoken in many different languages. People need to hear love in their own language in order to recognize it. Some husbands serve their wives breakfast in bed to demonstrate their love. Still other spouses need a thoughtful gift in order to hear “I love you” loud and clear. Greeting card companies hope we’ll say it with words. Jesus, however, says that His love language is obedience. That is how we express our love to Him. When we obey Him, we show that we love Him. Taylor was martyred for teaching his followers to speak Jesus’ love language. He taught them to read the Bible and obey its teaching. Show Jesus you love Him, and honor Dr. Taylor’s memory today.

From “Extreme Devotion”, by The Voice Of The Martyrs

(C) 2001, The Voice Of The Martyrs

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

“You May Have Peace” Part One

The more you study your Bible the more clearly you will see how much it has to say about your life. It is full of good counsel as to how you can make the most of it. Obviously its Arthur is deeply concerned for your welfare and is anxious that you shall be happy, contented, cheerful, and a source of spiritual strength to your family and community.

Take, for instance, the subject of peace o mind, which has become so very important to multitudes in these trying times. While millions of nervously upset people visit psychiatrists and spend fortunes on tranquilizers, your Bible offers a most reasonable and inexpensive remedy.

All too many nowadays chain smoke “to sooth their nerves,” then drink stimulants to spur themselves on to do their work. But the peace they seek eludes them. They are never really at rest, never truly happy. Such living is a poor substitute for the good way of life revealed in that wonderful Book of yours.

True, your Bible states that “there is no peace… to the wicked” (Isaiah 26:3).

There is a reason for this, and it is given in the same beautiful passage:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is the rock of ages” (verses 3, 4, margin).

Peace is to be found in God because He is more durable than the mountains. With Him there is stability and permanence that invite the fullest confidence. He is ever the same, unaffected by forces that work changes in others. The passing of time brings no alteration to His person or His character. He endures “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:1, 2). Forever and ever all power in heaven and earth belongs to Him (Matthew 28:18).

How restful it is to trust in a God such as this–to have a Friend who never changes, whose love will never die! The very thought suffuses the soul with delicious tranquility. As the old hymn says:

“Unlike our friends by nature,

Who change with changing years,

This Friend is always worthy

The precious name He bears.”

There will never come a time when God’s love for His children will lessen. There will never be an occasion when he will cease to hear their petitions and supply their needs. Always He will be to them a tower of strength, a sure refuge. His wisdom will be to them a tower of strength, a sure refuge. His wisdom and power will ever be available to assist them in every emergency.

That is why peace of mind is to be found through trusting Him. With such a wonderful Friend ever thinking of us, ever caring for us, there can never be any need to worry.

From “Your Bible and You”, by Arthur S. Maxwell, pgs. 135-138.

End Of Part One