Jesus came into this world with shouts of peace, peace to His people on earth. In Christ we receive the peace of God and through Him we are saved.
We need to be as wise as the Serpent but as gentle as the Lamb.
Romans 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Colossians 2:4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
When we are distressed, we can trust that God hears our prayers and cries. When we need to feel God's steadfast love and goodness, we can humbly come before Him, thank Him for His presence and mighty work in our lives, and share His goodness with those around us.
The Gospel of John states that Jesus is "the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [Him]" (John 14:6). When we trust in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and live a life that walks in His Truth, our hearts are united with God as we experience His steadfast love. First5
Jennifer Gayle’s reminder, “When you look at life through eyes of gratitude, the world becomes a magical and amazing place.”
"In Hebrew the opposite of holy is chol, which is translated not as 'profane' but as 'empty'; in other words, 'not yet filled.'" writes Irwin Kula. "The word for holy in Hebrew is kedusha. A more accurate translation of kedusha is 'life intensity.' To be holy is to be intensely dynamic, ever-changing, and ever-realizing. Live as richly and passionately as possible; that's as close to meaning as you will get."
In this life, we can risk loving. We can risk living less than tidy lives. We can risk asking for less than perfection from others (and ourselves). SabbathMoments
Quote for our week...
Life is a series of tiny little miracles. Savor them.
Roman 16:17-20
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. The New King James Version
Paul adopts a surprisingly harsh tone to urge the Roman believers to be vigilant against false teachers who might cause dissension. He exposes the true motivations of these individuals and reassures the Roman believers that God will triumph over His enemies.
The early church consistently faced the threat of false teachers. Paul claimed that he warned the church at Ephesus of this problem “night and day”. The false teachers not only cause conflict among believers, but more seriously spread false doctrine in the church. Such false teachers fit the description of the wicked.
God of peace refers to the God who brings peace, in contrast to the discord caused by false teachers.
Satan is the enemy of God’s people who, like the false teachers, tries to disrupt the unity of believers.
God will soon defeat Satan and their enemies. All things are placed under the feet of Christ. Here Paul refers to all things being placed under the feet of believers to emphasize their participation in God’s victory. Faithlife Study Bible
To cause divisions means “to stand apart” or “to cause dissension.” In the New Testament it occurs only here and in Galatians 5:20. Strife and rivalry cause dissension, which eventually leads to divisions in a church. Such dissension causes offenses—that is, it becomes a snare or stumbling block to others.
Contentious, divisive people can cause others to stumble, so they should be avoided. Divisive people destroy the peace and unity of the church, but God, who is the source of peace, will crush this work of Satan through the wisdom and obedience of believers. The NKJV Study Bible
The blessing the apostle expects from God, is victory over Satan. This includes all designs and devices of Satan against souls, to defile, disturb, and destroy them; all his attempts to keep us from the peace of heaven here, and the possession of heaven hereafter. When Satan seems to prevail, and we are ready to give up all as lost, then will the God of peace interpose in our behalf. Hold out therefore, faith and patience, yet a little while. If the grace of Christ be with us, who can prevail against us? Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Philippians 3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
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