Dear Reader,

Peace. With all the news about the discord between people and nations, I've found it more important than ever, to cultivate peace. Peace in my surroundings, peace in my thoughts, peace in my considerations and in my decision-making and relationships has become vitally important to me. It has become important to all of us, I believe.

Our defeated foe the devil, (and he is defeated), has sown seeds of discord(Matthew 13:24) and deceit among the nations. Those tares twist words from mouth to ear, manipulating perceptions. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to believe if we do not have  God's word as the plum line with which we measure what we hear and trust. The Truth of God  has been revealed to us in the written Word and by His Spirit. This Truth is dependable and makes it possible to discern right from wrong, truth from falsehood. (Eph 4:12 and 2 Cor 10).

We need to know the Word and be sure of what we believe or we will believe anything that sounds reasonable whether or not it is Truth.

The Peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding; The enduring and everlasting peace is possible. And it took me a while, but I finally came to the realization that  the only way to live in that peace is to first realize, it isn't my peace. I don't own it. I was gifted with it.

Before I understood this, I spent a lot of time  striving to maintain peace. I thought it was something I was responsible to create,  to control and maintain. That striving worked against my ability to rest in the knowledge of Christ. It was the resting I really wanted from peace. I wanted my mind to stop spinning with possibilities, solutions and all the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" thinking. If I try to create peace it is dependent upon my circumstances and what passes through my mind then my peace is in jeopardy if the circumstances change or if I have unsettling thoughts or concerns. This leads to further striving to  manipulate my thinking or surrounding to have peace.

John 14:27 says, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

According to this verse, peace isn't something I should have to work up or create. The peace in Philippians 4 is the 'Peace of God" and in Galatians 5:22-23 it is from The Holy Spirit within. It is the very character of Christ in us. Therefore, the peace I have is a gift. It comes with the package of Christ in me and me in Him at conversion. With the source of the peace being Christ, and Christ is in me (John 17:23; Gal 5), than I should also experience and exhibit the reality of that Peace. So when I feel a lack of Peace and the cares of living successfully and happily seem out of reach, it isn't that I am without peace and need "more." I simply need to avail myself of the peace provided to me through Christ just as all the fruit of the Spirit are available to "tap" such as love, the joy, the patience and so on... (The picture of tapping a maple tree for the making of maple syrup comes to mind...)

Easy to say but not so easy to do, I know. Takes practice and bringing our thoughts into the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10).

Without the knowledge of the tools of faith we receive in Christ, it is difficult to see, let alone deal with, the attempts to steal what is rightfully ours available at conversion. I remember the difficulty of maintaining peace of mind as a teenager and young adult. I experienced a bit of anxiety for various reasons. New places, new people and situations caused my head to spin a bit for a solid ground upon which to stand and feel secure enough to engage comfortably. I felt the need to prepare for unseen obstacles (or disasters) so as not to be "ambushed" as I moved into a new situation. It was difficult to relax and just "be". I didn't now what to do. I would strive for a peace and contentment, but something held me back from living freely in Christ. I just couldn't put away the inner conflict of knowing I should be secure in Christ and how I actually felt.

Because a contributing factor was the importance I placed on what other people thought of me, I was sensitive to reactions and nonverbal communications. The problem with this is that it is impossible to really know what another person is thinking and a smile for one person can appear to be a smirk to another. And the interpretation most often is due to a sense of self worth. As a result, I searched for significance and meaning to life, to my existence. Why was I here? How would I take care of myself? How do I.... you fill in the blank. My struggle was not unique nor was it unusual for my age. A growth spurt of sorts was happening, I just didn't understand it in in the midst of the struggle. The defining of who I was and what I was meant to be seemed so Important to know immediately so my mind could be at rest and I could experience the peace I wanted.

If you head is spinning with this rat race of reasoning, imagine how I felt(or anyone feels) in the midst of the battle!

I did realize that my difficulties were because I was "missing something" and not because God was not faithful or the word was untrue.  I knew there were answers, but I didn't know r where to look for them other than where I had already been searching. "They" said Christ was the answer, but I wasn't really sure what that meant. I just claimed the cliche as my own belief even though it was a revelation of someone else's. It was an easy answer to the questions of confusion. What "they said" didn't really help me very much.

It was in a totally different part of the Gospel message where I found what I was missing. While I had been concentrating on the "how to be a good Christian" I just assumed I understood everything about what Jesus did. However it was that very part, what Jesus did, that  was missing. I did not truly understand the fundamental, non negotiable truths of what He accomplished for humanity. And it was that understanding that made all the difference.

It is what Jesus taught throughout His ministry, the Gospel that Peter Preached on Pentecost and Paul's messages in   Acts 13,  Philippians 2, and Ephesians 4 that connected all the dots for me. "They" were right. The answer IS Christ, but not as I thought. It wasn't a magic word that fixed everything. It was the revelation of who Christ is and what did He has done that made all the difference. His Lordship infiltrated all areas and aspects of my life lifting the veil of religion and revealing the treasure available at my finger tips for living life as citizen rather than a slave of the Kingdom of God. The missing piece for me involved knowing Christ and what He had done in hell.

Yes, hell.

The Lower Regions of the earth.

Not paradise.

Jesus wasn't taking a nap, nor was he in a coma....

He was in Hell.

He suffered, Jesus suffered. On Cross that Jesus commended His Spirit to God. I believe, that at that point, even though God was still present everywhere,  Jesus went to hell alone with the weight of the sins of humanity on him (see Ps 71 and Matt 27:46). He suffered there for 3 days in our place.  This is difficult to understand. But it is what the scriptures indicate

[For some this is unacceptable to think Jesus went to hell. And I would replay to those who disbelieve,  just because we do not understand how God could do something, does not mean it did not happen. Our thinking is not above God's thinking. He is our measure, we are not His measure nor are we the measure of His word.]

So Jesus suffered for three days and....then GOD....and here is where it really gets GOOD! I get excited over this part.

Remember the great hymn, Up From the Grave He Arose??? Verse Three!

Death cannot keep its Prey,
Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away,
Jesus my Lord!

Chorus
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever,
With His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

(OOOO, BABY, THAT'S EXCITING!  I hope that song gets stuck on replay for you today! LOL! )

Holy Spirit regenerated Jesus in Hell and Jesus turned the tables on the devil!

The very devil who

• sowed the tares among the wheat to deceive the people
• who distorted the word of God over the generations causing Israel and other nations to choose false gods
• who thought he'd won by convincing the Jewish authorities to crucify Christ,
• the SAME devil who had access to the courts of heaven condemning humanity as the accuser of God's people

THAT devil was FOREVER defeated when Christ Jesus,

 having paid for the sins of humanity,

fulfilled the law and the prophets

made way for the new creation in those who believe,

He restored relationship with humanity with God made available forgiveness for all who would receive it and change their allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light 

THIS Jesus took the keys of hell, death and the grave away from the devil and unlocked paradise where all the Old Testament saints awaited for Messiah's day.

Imagine the joy in their hearts at seeing their Messiah come and get them and lead them out (Eph 4:8), then raising his own body from the grave (Matthew 24) he ascended to heaven and cleansed heaven (Hebrews 9) forever cutting off the devil's ability to EVER come into the presence of God the Father again and accuse His kids!

This revelation makes a continual difference for us NOW! We don't have to wait until "some glad morning" when we can "fly away!"

Consider Peter.  The Holy Spirit that was poured out on Pentecost. Peter and the other Apostles were testimony to the change of Covenant. Holy Spirit turned a man, Peter, from an impulsive, presumptuous person to a bold and courageous witness for Christ. The unity of that One Spirit among them, presented a united front to those who refused to believe and instead mocked and spread discord among the crowd. That unity through the presence of the Holy Spirit changed nations. The work of the Holy Spirit alive in each one effected the world around them . The Kingdom was made available to all. Their identity in Him was a firm foundation because it was rooted in the Truth of the Gospel of Christ.

The same is true for all who believe and are converted

 Our identity is as John says in John 1, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name."  [Children of God is defined as: those whom God knows to be qualified to obtain the nature and dignity of his children], Grabbing hold of the revelation regarding our identity in Him, will effect how we see ourselves. It will solidify the reality of who we are and to whom we belong. It will remove the deceit of the devil's influence through those who want to control and manipulate and create chaos. The Peace that passes understanding is a peace the world cannot give, or understand and one we cannot create. It is a gift rooted in the solid foundation of Christ and all He has done. Revelation and understanding that leads to wisdom is found through the Kingdom of God made available in Christ.

1 Cor 15:56-57 sums it up in this way:  

 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

It was the law of sin and death that is the root of chaos, anxiety, manipulation and so on. It is the focal point on which the devil has sway over those who are not converted with Jesus as Lord. When the revelation of Christ and His Kingdom, all that he did is fully embraced, then the veil of deception is lifted and we can embrace the Law of Spirit Life which is Life in the Kingdom: Righteousness, peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17)

 If we do not know who we are, the devil can tell us anything, our experiences and past can define us and our feelings can take us on some wild rides of insecurity, manipulation and deceit. This interferes with the peace available to us as believers. (2 Cor 4) Resting in the knowledge that God is Love comes from this place. He knows our heart and is faithful to His Covenant.

The Holy Spirit is working in every believer to complete what He has started in us individually and in us corporately. And with His motivation of love and compassion in us, we can set aside our own agendas and accomplish the plan of God. He chooses to work through His people, the Church He is Building. He places us within community and among a people with whom we can together accomplish His purposes. 

We can rest in the knowledge that Christ is King, unchangeable and consistent. We don't have to have all the answers figured out, we just need to take the first steps in obedience to the instructions given. He will make the paths straight and even out the bumps in the road. If you stumble, He will keep you from falling. If you fall, He will pick you up onto solid ground again.

So rest. In Messiah's day (today) the way has been made, the Promised fulfilled (the Holy Spirit poured out) so that we are free. And it was for freedom (from anxiety, from fear, from bondage to ideologies and manipulation) we were set free so that we can disciple nations.

Go to https://www.blueletterbible.org/ is a great place to start for studying the topic of peace and rest. I would encourage first to pray and ask God to lead your study. Then also to read entire chapters to gain the context of the scriptures rather than simply picking verses and putting them together into a personal theology, it is important to keep in mind both the author and to whom he was writing.

Happy Studying!

May the Revelation of Christ make clear the promises He has in store for those who believe..

Grace and Peace,

Anne