In Isaiah 9:17 it says, “…everyone is godless…”

I'm writing about these three words because they put every one of us in the same boat – in need of God because we are imperfect.

Have you ever considered what it means to be god-less? The suffix less means, "without." If I say something is worthless, I am saying it is without worth. If you told yourself it would be harmless for you to spend some time with the elderly, you would be saying that spending time with the elderly would be "without harm" to you or them. 

Many of us are peaceless. We are without peace because we pursue peace in this world, but truly get what the world offers, nothing. This is God’s point in Isaiah 7 to king Ahaz of Judah. God said to the king, “Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint…” (Is. 7:4). God said that He would protect Judah if Ahaz trusted Him.

But Ahaz says, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test” (Is. 7:12). Sadly, God wanted his trust. Instead, Ahaz sent word to the largest nation there was for help, Assyria. For this decision God determined Ahaz’s outcome was death – not peace. But the point is this: Who did Ahaz trust in? He trusted in something other than God!

Do you have peace? Many say yes for various reasons. But what would happen if this source of peace were taken away from you? If your father was your stronghold, what happens when he passes away?

I don't want a peace that comes without God. I've read too many stories in the Bible about what happens to those who live life without Him. I don't want to squeeze Him out of my schedule; I don't want Him to be an after-thought in everything I do and every plan I make. That only leads to cold, dark, lonely and fearful days which we know leads to death. There's no peace, happiness, security or refuge in that life. I don't want to be godless; I want to be full of God.

I want God to be always with me - in this life and not just the next. I want His conscience to pour into mine. I want to have, at minimum, a millionth-of-an-ounce of His wisdom to guide my way. I don't want to arrive in heaven one day and meet my Maker as if I’m meeting Him for the first time. I want to know Him as fully as I possibly can in this life.

Living without God is not living at all. It’s vain. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. He spent many years searching for worth, fulfillment and peace in the things of this world. In the end, he reasoned that all is vanity without God.

Praise to God for His love for us that makes all this possible through His Son who died for this relationship.

What about you? Do you feel the need for peace? Consider these two verses: Phil. 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And Rom. 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It is only through Jesus that we can have peace.  So I suppose the real question we should ask is this, do you have Jesus?

Additional Resources
Seeking Peace Without God- Bible Study Guide 
God's Concern for Us- Sermon by Curtis Pope 
Lamb of God - Hymn from Annual Singing with Tim Stevens

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If you want to know more, contact us and let us help. Better yet, visit us. You will find a group of Christians intent on doing exactly what the bible says. No less and no more. You will find truth uncompromised.

A Youthful Perspective

Peace Through Friendship

By Byron Wood

As a child, did you ever try to get two magnets to stick together?  If so, then you remember that magnets will only stick together if you have them facing the right direction.  If you have the same sides facing each other, then it is impossible to get them to stick together.  They will always war with one other, no matter what.  On the other hand, as soon as you flip one magnet over, you get that satisfying “click”.  In fact, if at least one of the magnets is strong, it can become almost impossible to pull them apart. 

Have you ever felt like that in your own life?  There are times in our lives that seem like we are at war with ourselves.  It is like our hearts and the lives we actually live are the same sides of a magnet that will not go together, and no matter how we try, they will not click.  This becomes wearisome to the point that, sometimes, we feel like just giving up.  We know something is wrong, but we cannot figure it out.  Would it comfort you to know the apostle Paul felt that exact same frustration? In Romans 7:14-15, Paul wrote, “…For, I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

What are we missing?  Why can’t we get our life magnets to work?

It is because we are warring with the purpose for which we were created – obeying God.  In the Old Testament, Jacob took advantage of his brother, Esau, and traded him a bowl of soup for his inheritance, and later, stole his lifelong blessing.  It is no wonder that Esau hated him so much that he wanted to kill him!  Jacob feared Esau from that time forward and was sent away.  Later in Jacob’s life, God tells him to go to the land of Canaan where Esau resides.  We can read in Genesis 32 that Jacob is wrestling with himself on how to go about passing through Esau’s land and waivered in his confidence about this travel.  While alone, Jacob goes out and encounters a man, and they begin to wrestle (Genesis 32:24-32).  After striving with the man all night, Jacob is injured by a simple touch.  It is then revealed that Jacob had been wrestling with an angel of God.  Jacob was warring with the command God had given him because of his fear of his brother.  When he changed his will to align with God’s will, he was blessed by God, and his brother welcomed him with open arms.

In the New Testament, Paul recounts the story of when Jesus spoke to him.  Jesus said to Paul, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads,” (Acts 26:14).  A goad was used to encourage a stubborn ox to move in the right direction. The more an ox kicked the goad, the more painful it was for the ox. Jesus is teaching Paul the same lesson that Jacob learned in the Old Testament.   Fighting against God’s will is as difficult as it is pointless. As our Creator, He knows what we need and what we need to do to be fulfilled on this earth.

Trying to make God’s will change to bind with our will is like forcing warring magnets together; it will result in nothing but internal war.  However, just like the magnets, when we make the decision to align our will with God’s will, a bond is formed. We gain peace from this bond with God and become even stronger than we were before. Are you weary of warring against our Father? Are you tired of kicking against the goads? We can help you form that bond that brings peace and strength. Let us show you how.

Additional Resources
Warring Magnets  - Bible Study Guide 
Be Still - Sermon by Curtis Pope 
Nailed to the Cross - Hymn from Annual Singing with Tim Stevens

Did you enjoy this article? Please help us reach others. Share it using the social media links on the left side of the page. If you're not on social media, we also have a PDF version that is great to print or email.

If you want to know more, contact us and let us help. Better yet, visit us. You will find a group of Christians intent on doing exactly what the bible says. No less and no more. You will find truth uncompromised.

A Youthful Perspective

Spiritual Conflict Resolution

By Lindsey Embry

There are times in life when we feel like we are at war with ourselves.  In school there are days when it feels like I will never get it together. The homework will never be done on time, I’ll never choose a college, my room will always look like it was hit by a tornado. But there are bigger things to consider. My friends want to experiment with alcohol or drugs, or go to a dance. Should I participate in these things? How do I make these decisions?

The answer to all of these can be found in God. The Creator of this universe laid down some simple rules for us in His word, and life works best when we follow them. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your path.” When I focus my life on God and try to follow His word, life works better. That doesn’t always mean that everything goes perfectly. But through my faith in God I am able to remain peaceful and make decisions that can have positive, eternal effects.

What does it mean to have peace?  Most people think about peace in the physical sense.  The first thing I think about when it comes to the idea of peace is not being at war.  Without peace there are casualties, people get hurt and even die.  Only maniacs and lunatics want this.  Peace helps to preserve our physical lives.  So what about spiritual peace? 

Just as physical peace preserves our physical lives, having spiritual peace preserves our eternal lives. Jesus came into the world to bring spiritual peace to anyone who would obey His teachings.  This was predicted in Isaiah 9:6.  This verse says, “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Having spiritual peace is knowing I’m fighting for God and not against Him.

Spiritual peace doesn’t mean we’re free of any and all conflicts. We are no longer fighting against God, but we are at war with the sin in the world.  Everywhere we turn we encounter different temptations to go against what Jesus came to this earth to teach us.  When I let my guard down, I'm robbed of my peace with God. I get wrapped up in everyday life. My thoughts aren't focused or worse yet, my thoughts are impure. I lose sight of what God has set before me.  We all need to be reminded of spiritual things every day in study, in meditation, in prayer and in fellowship with God’s people.

I remember when I didn’t have spiritual peace.  I was already a Christian but I was letting my friends influence me in ways that were against God’s teachings.  I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I still did it.  I was seeking acceptance from my friends at the time.  I remember literally thinking “I hope I don’t die tonight.”  It was a scary feeling.  I knew that I wouldn’t get to live with God in Heaven.  I have since made things right with God.  But how many people go through every day hoping they outlive their mistakes and have just enough time to seek forgiveness? That is torturous. It’s the exact opposite of the peace God wants us to have in our lives.

It is a much better feeling knowing I have spiritual peace than when I knew I didn’t.  The spiritual peace that we as Christians have, allows us to get through many trials other people struggle with.  We know that this world is temporary and that we are looking to the next life.  Hebrews 13:14 tells us, “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come”.  If we truly have spiritual peace, people will see that we endure more patiently the trials that come our way. 

Ultimately, the only way to achieve spiritual peace is to learn what God wants and to do it.  He is patient and He doesn’t want anyone to be lost.  2 Peter 3:9 reads, “The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”.  We also read in Mark 16:16, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but we who has disbelieved shall be condemned”.  How about you?  Do you have spiritual peace?  Maybe you’re not sure.  Let us help you get to the point in your life where you can achieve spiritual peace.

Additional Resources
Trying to Outlive Mistakes - Bible Study Guide 
Therefore - Sermon by Curtis Pope 
Till the Storm Passes By - Hymn from Annual Singing with Tim Stevens

Did you enjoy this article? Please help us reach others. Share it using the social media links on the left side of the page. If you're not on social media, we also have a PDF version that is great to print or email.

If you want to know more, contact us and let us help. Better yet, visit us. You will find a group of Christians intent on doing exactly what the bible says. No less and no more. You will find truth uncompromised.

A Youthful Perspective

Wouldn’t You Rather Have Peace

By Jonathan Holden

Peace.  The word brings thoughts of being safe at home, nothing to worry about.  Not worried about what the next day will bring.  But there are two kinds of peace: Physical, which we all know and crave for in this world and what we usually think of when we think of peace, but there is also spiritual peace, peace with God, our Creator. Peace knowing that if we die, and we lived according to His will, we are granted eternal rest in His bosom.  John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

While both kinds of peace are important, wouldn’t you rather have spiritual peace? Physical peace may protect our earthly bodies, but these bodies are not eternal like our soul is.  Having spiritual peace with God guarantees that our souls will not be lost away from our Father.  Which would you rather have?

I myself have struggled with having peace, spiritual and physical. Being the worrywart I am, I constantly stress over the little things, be it school, friends, or just time constraints, when I should just give all of my problems to God. Giving our problems to God not only shows we trust Him, but it prevents us from stressing on the things that we shouldn’t. Trust in God and seek his commandments.