Topic: God’s Kind Of Peace [Friday July 6, 2018]
Text: John 14:21-31 (KJV)
Key Verse: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
MESSAGE:
In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before the execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to comfort him, but he declined the offer, saying that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life.
Jesus spent the remaining part of His earthly ministry to develop and train His disciples. He prayed for peace to abide with them and promised them the Comforter who shall comfort and assist them to succeed in ministry. He told them not to be afraid or troubled when persecutions come. He shared and imparted all of Him to His disciples.
The kind of peace Christ promised differs from the world’s understanding. The peace of God is not the absence of crises and troubles. Evidently, all but one of the disciples suffered martyrdom of different forms. John, the only disciple who died a natural death, was banished into the island of Patmos after miraculously escaping death in a pot of boiling oil. Christ Himself was crucified. Yet, His peace abides with His people with joy unspeakable.
Present-day believers are not immune to trouble. The faith of our fathers still resides in us in spite of dungeon, fire and sword. The more a believer is persecuted, the more he rejoices in hope because of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. It is a mystery to the world how we rejoice in the midst of crises. To enjoy this kind of peace, sinner and backsliders must turn to the Saviour in genuine repentance while believers must remain uncompromising.
Thought For The Day: God’s peace abides even in times of trouble.
Bible Reading In One Year: 2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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