Tag Archives: Peace

How to be Happy

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Question-MarkWant to be happy today?  I mean, really happy?

Have life and peace and joy and purpose?

Want to have a life that is truly worth living for?  Let me show you how.  Listen to what Paul says this morning in Philippians 2:4-8:

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Paul is talking about Jesus, and how even through He is God Himself, He humbled Himself to death, even death on the cross.  He is God.  He is the creator of everything.  He tells us in Colossians that through Jesus Christ everything that’s ever been made was made and that all things are held together through Him.

In other words, there is no bigger deal than Jesus.  Seriously. He’s the biggest deal in all the universe.  He’s it.  There’s nothing, no one  higher than Jesus.  He’s at the very top.

And so, how did the highest of the high, what did He choose to do?  He humbled Himself.  He served.  He didn’t live for His plan, but for His father’s plan.

You want to be happy today?  You want peace today?  You want to have purpose today?  How?

Follow Jesus – humble yourself.  Serve someone today.  Live for a purpose bigger than yourself.  Live for plan bigger than yourself.  Serve someone today.

That’s where happiness is found.  Not in serving yourself.  Serving someone else.  Not in living for yourself.  Living for Him.  Not in making yourself king or queen. But in making Him king of your life.

You want to be happy today?  Serve someone. Do something for someone else.  Live like that, as Jesus commanded us to do.  And in doing that, you’ll find more happiness that you can ever imagine.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Seek Peace

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the-peace-of-the-lodToday, seek peace. It could be very easy to seek trouble. To respond in anger. To respond in hurt. To respond in pain. To give back for what we’ve been given. To strike first. To lash out.

Don’t do it.

That doesn’t make things better. That doesn’t help. That doesn’t bring life or joy or peace. It only brings hurt. Listen to the words of Psalm 34: 11-14 today:

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Keep your tongue from evil. Turn away from evil. Do good. Seek peace.

Today, when you are tempted to respond from a place of hurt or pain or anger.

Don’t.

Today, when you want to give back to them for what they’ve given to you.

Don’t.

Today, when you want to strike back or lash out.

Don’t.

Seek peace. Do the right thing. Even it’s hard or it hurt or it is not easy. Seeking peace is the right thing. It will bring life. Even when it’s hard. Striking back is easy. But it will bring pain. Seeking peace is hard, but it will bring life.

Today, do the right thing. Seek peace.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones

Live in Peace

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I have a joke I make sometimes about how I want folks to see me. I never want someone to see me walking down the aisle at Walmart and think to themselves, oh no, there he is! And turn and walk the other way!

I never want to be that guy! I always want to, in my life, build community, make folks feel better, help folks experience grace.

I want to live in peace with others. And that can be hard. That can be a challenge. It’s not always easy to live in peace with each other. Sometimes it’s not even easy to be a peace with yourself.

But, as Christians, that’s part of our calling. To live in peace. To make things better. To be salt and light. To make a difference.

Listen to what Paul says today in Romans 12:17-19:

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

communityRepay no one with evil. Don’t respond to evil with evil. Our first response will be to respond back. Hit back. Hurt back. That’s what we want to do. That’s what comes natural. That’s what we feel like we should do.

Don’t do it. Respond with grace. Respond with love. Respond with peace.

Why? Because that’s where life is found. In not responding back with evil.

Well, Andy, what if I extend peace, and they bite my hand off? That’s why Paul says, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.

You can’t control them. The only person you have any response over is yourself. You can’t control what they do, what they say, what they do.

You can only control the grace you give. So, give grace.

Even when it’s hard. Even when it may hurt. Give grace. Live in peace. Be different. Be salt and light.

We can’t do this through ourselves. Only through Him.

Today, do it, through Him. Live in peace. Through Him. And in that, you’ll find more life than you think possible.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

See How They Love Each Other

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Yesterday we talked about what our most important task was, to stay connected to God. He is the vine, we are the branches. And, within that, if we stay connected to the vine, stay deeply rooted in God, we will bear fruit.

The branches that come from the vine, they bear much fruit.

But, what is that fruit? What are we called to bear? What is it called to look like? What happens in our lives?

Look what Jesus tells us today in the next passage in John 15: 12-14:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

LoveOneAnother-e1299879079356This is His command for us, this is the fruit that He wants us to bear today. Love. Love each other. Be there for each other. Care for each other.

One of the early Christian writers Tertullian once wrote this, “See how these Christians love each other.” That’s a powerful statement to me. When others, when the world, we every one sees us as Christians, they shouldn’t say,

Man, those Christians love to fuss and fight.

Man, those Christians just can’t get along.

Man, those Christians, they just are tough to deal with.

That’s not what God wants for us. What is this new commandment that Jesus has left for us? To love.

And if we stay connected to the vine, live out of Him, we will bear much fruit. We will love.

Today, may we focus on our walk with Him. And may that walk produce His love in our lives. May we bear that fruit!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Contentment

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urlAre you content?

Not happy. Not complacent. Content?

Well, to answer that question, I guess we have to first know what contentment is. There are a lot ways that you can define contentment. Some would it say it’s being satisfied. Some would say that it’s not worrying. Some would say that it’s not being stressed.

I guess those are all good answers. But, I see being content as being “home.” Knowing you are where you need to be. Knowing all is right, all is good, all is as it should.

Well, to put it like that, then none of us should be content. None of us are in that perfect place, none of us have life like we’d love it to be, none of us have that feeling.

Well, I don’t know about that. Let’s see where this contentment comes from. Listen to what Paul says today in 1 Timothy 6:6-7:

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Paul says that there is much to gain from Godliness with contentment. We brought nothing into the world, we take nothing out. That’s the source of contentment.

Not the “stuff” of the world. If we are striving and living all of our lives after the things of the world, then we will never be content. If your life revolves around those things, money, success, fame, power, attention, status, things such as that, you will never have enough.

You will never be content. You will always need more. You will always want more.

But, if come to this realization this morning, you will find contentment. You are loved. God loves you. He died for you. He gave Himself for you. You are His.

Your identity, your worth, it is not tied to these things, it is tied to God. It is tied to what God, through, Jesus, has done for you.

You can be content. For you have all that you could ever wish for. You have all that you could ever desire. You have all you could ever want.

You are loved. You can be content in that.

Rest. Rest easy in that. You are loved. You prized. You have worth. Rest in that. Be content in that. The other stuff will pass. This will last.

You are a child of God. That’s where contentment is found.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

It’s Stormy Out Today

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It’s stormy out today.  Wind is blowing.  Rain is falling. Thunder is rolling. This devotional is later than usual because my kids are terrified of bad weather and I wanted to be with them, and get them safely to school before sitting down to right.

It’s stormy out there right now.

And, maybe you don’t live in Petal, or Hattiesburg, or Mississippi.  Maybe you are reading this from some other place this morning.

And it may be stormy in your life.  Maybe not a litteral storm, but emotional. Spiritual.  A real storm.

Listen to what Jesus does today in Mark 4:37-41:

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

urlMy favorite part of that passage is when they ask, do you not care that we are about to die?

Do you not care that we are in a storm?  Are you uncaring? Do you not love us?  Do  you not love us?

It’s scary out there. It’s stormy out there. Don’t you care?

And what does Jesus do?  Peace.  Be still.

He speaks peace.  Because He is peace.

Yes, it’s stormy out there today y’all.  Maybe a literal storm.  Maybe a storm of unforgivness in your life.  Maybe a storm of sin or worry or regret.

Yes, it’s stormy our there today.

And know this.  Jesus is your peace.  Peace. Be still.  He is with you.

Do not fear. Do not be afraid.  He is our peace. And He will calm the storm.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Come Together

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Jesus is always drawing us to Himself. The Bible says that when He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself. When He is the center of attention and the center of focus, we will be drawn to Him.

But today’s reading doesn’t just tell us that. It tells us about something else that happens when Jesus is in the center of it all.

Listen to what Paul writes today in Ephesians 2:13-16:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

e72bde771d613f1e6e208766895c6af5In Jesus, those that were far off have been brought near, for He is our peace.

But, it isn’t just that we are brought near to God and given peace with God, it’s this.

We are brought together. We are one. We can be one. We can be at peace, not just with God, but with each other.

That’s God’s will for us, that’s God’s hope for us. Peace with God. Peace with each other. The wall of hostility has been broken down.

We can come together. With God. With each other.

When Jesus is in the center of all it. When we are in the center, when we are in the middle when our stuff is in the forefront, peace is hard to find.

When Jesus is in the center, He is our peace.

Today, may we live in peace with our forgiving, loving, merciful God.

And through Jesus, may we come together. We we live in peace. May He bind us to one another. May we be one. For when He is lifted up, He will draw us all to Himself.

May we come together. As Christians. As churches. As believers. May we come together. And may we live in God’s peace.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Cause and Effect

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I’m a believer, most of the time, in cause and effect.

I do X, it causes Y to happen. I eat 3 dozen donuts, I buy new pants. You see how it goes.

Today’s reading has a beautiful picture of cause and effect. Look what happens in Psalm 119:48-50:

I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.

CauseAndEffectThe Psalmist says – I lift my hands to your commandments. I will meditate on your statues.

Ok, so then what happens?

This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.

The Psalmist remembers God’s hope and God’s promise. And because of that, he has hope, in the midst of the trials of life.

Cause and effect.

Remembering God’s promises gives hope in the midst of trials.

Today, that’s a good lesson for us to learn. Are you in trouble? Afraid? Worried? Stressed? Hurting?

Remember God’s promises. Remember what God said He would do. He will never leave your side. He will never forsake you. He will never forget you.

Remember His word.

Receive His peace.

Today, may we see that in our lives. May we remember who God is, and how He loves.

And may that knowledge give us peace!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

A Light has Come

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lightI’ve been reading and talking a lot about darkness recently. Part of was the text that I preached from Sunday was John 1, which talked about The Light coming, and how it shines in the darkness.

And the darkness has not overcome it.

Remember y’all, that darkness will not overcome the light. It’s not going to happen. Light will win in the end.

With all that’s happened in the world in the last week, it’s easy to think that the darkness is going to win.

It’s not. Light wins.

Today, we see this passage that we all know so well from Isaiah. Listen to what it says in Isaiah 9:2, 6-7:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.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. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The people in darkness have seen a great light. Light has shown on them.

The darkness has fled. It is gone. It has vanished.

Light has come.

Well, what is this light?

Isaiah continues. To us, a child is born. A son is given. He is wonderful counselor, might God.

Prince of Peace.

He is the Lord.

He is Jesus.

No matter what darkness you are waking in today, let His light shine on you. And in you.

Maybe it’s the darkness of sadness over Newton.

Maybe it’s the darkness of worry over your own children.

Maybe it’s the darkness of depression.

Of fear.

Of worry.

Of brokenness.

No matter what darkness you are in right now, a light has come. A light as shown.
Let it shine in your life. Let it shine through your life.

Let it drive out the darkness in you. Let it shine out the darkness through you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Quiet

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I don’t like being quiet. It’s not in my skill set, not is it my spiritual gift. I’m a big fan of talking and running my mouth.

I don’t know if I’m any good at it, but I sure do enjoy doing it.

So, the notion of being quiet is not something that I look forward to or enjoy. For me, it seems more like a punishment than a reward.

But listen to what the text says today in Zephaniah 3:16-17:

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

It says that the Lord is a mighty one who will save. That He will rejoice over us with gladness.

And He will quiet us with His love.

Sometimes in life, we do a lot of kicking. A lot of screaming (literally or metaphorically). We can get really, really, really worked up sometimes.

Listen to this. God will quiet you with His love. It’s ok. It’s alright.

No matter what you are facing. No matter what you are going through. No matter what is happening.

God loves you. He is here for you. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. He will quiet you with His love.

You are loved today. Breathe that in. Understand it. It’s going to be ok, no matter what you are facing. God will not leave you.

He will quiet you with His love.

Today, in this day, may we rest in His love. May we know that love, that mercy. That grace. May we rest in His love today.

And may we know the peace that comes from resting quietly in His grace.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.