Hello my dear friends!
For some of you, this piece will sound familiar, take comfort; you are not loosing your mind. I admit up front that much of this message was given in an article I posted several months ago. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to tweak it just a bit and ask each of us to allow the message to move past our minds and straight into our hearts.
Many of us are searching for God's peace. We know He promised it to us, but we just are'nt feeling it. We have bills to pay, we have health issues, we have family members who have not come to know the Lord--whatever the case may be, I pray this study will remind us that peace is not something we need to go searching for, and contrary to popular belief, it's not something we need to pray for. It is something we attained the moment we said yes to Adonay-our Lord Master.
It may be that you knew this at one point, but have lost sight of this truth, whether this is new information or a fresh reminder, today is the day to make this truth your own. It's not God's gift to everyone else--it is His gift to you--that's right, say it out loud:
"Peace is God's gift to me." Still not convinced? Say it again: "Peace is God's gift to me."
With this personal thought in mind, take in the following information as if you were the only person in the world it was written for. Because in a sense it is, If you were the only person in the world who received Christ, Jesus still would have allowed Himself to be nailed to that cross.
~~~~
Yahweh Shalom - "The Lord is Peace". Unfortunately, our English word peace does not adequately describe the full meaning of the Hebrew word Shalom.
On the surface, this might not have a great impact on how we view God's favor toward man. After all, it is probably safe to say that everyone knows the meaning of the word peace.
Unfortunately, putting it into practice is another story.
I recently did a study on the word Shalom. I am blessed and I wanted to pass the blessing on to all who read.
Let us look at these two words a little bit closer.
PEACE= (Man's perspective) Absence of war, to be silent, to be calm in heart and mind.
Although the English word peace can be used to describe internal serenity, more often than not, it speaks to external circumstances. In fact, in the world of gangsters it has become a catch phrase. i.e. "Peace-out man", slang for "stay cool and out of trouble".
SHALOM= (God's perspective) A greeting to pronounce a personal blessing on another in its fullest capacity. i.e. "Hello and may God's favor rest in you and give you a prosperous, satisfied, healthy, perfect and harmonious day."
Okay, I must admit, when I say hello to someone, I do not consciously include all of these well wishes. Sure, I mean it when I say have a great day. It can be assumed I mean all of the things above, but the point is I am not usually making the effort to think these things through or taking the time to be specific when I say have a great day.
I do not want this to be a mere study of words, however, but rather, I hope it opens the door for a second look at what this title is saying about the Creator God.
Yahweh Shalom is God's very name, a title that describes one of His many attributes. It points out that God is not merely one who gives peace, but that He IS peace. He is the sole source of true and lasting peace that is rooted in the internal man. This internal peace, when experienced in its fullness, is the only thing that will bring external peace.
Still, this is only part of why I am excited about Shalom. To be honest, the real reason is my need to feel loved, cared for, and accepted-unconditionally-warts and all. In short, I am human.
Even deeper still, is the fact that God feels this way about you and me! This is the best part because even though others may wish us the absolute best, they have no power to do anything about it--at least not to the greatest degree. By this, I mean we are human and we will fall short and disappoint each other at times.
BUT GOD! (My two favorite words in the entire bible,) He is not like man and cannot lie, nor will He ever go back on His promises. (Titus 1:2)
While studying Shalom, I looked up a few passages of Scripture, they took on a new meaning and I applied them to my life in a bigger way. Following is just one of the many.
"These things I [Jesus] have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:25-27
Have you ever stopped to consider what Jesus is really saying when He says "My peace I give to you?" Remembering that the Lord's name is Shalom, what Jesus is saying here is that I give Myself to you!! This tells us that when we receive Jesus, we receive peace. Peace, by the Holy Spirit lives within each and every child of God! This is great news!
So why do we struggle--searching and looking for peace? Perhaps it is because we do not realize it is already inside.
Okay, so what do we do once we realize this truth? We have a choice. We walk in this truth--not by feeling, but by faith. We remember that when Adonay--our Lord Master says I have given Myself to you, we believe it. No matter what our external circumstances may be.
I pray you have been encouraged. Take some time to dig a little deeper. I am including a few Scripture references, look them up, and see just what God desires for us and from us.
Psalm 122:6-8, Isaiah 26:3, Galatians 5:22, Psalm 34:14 – I am making it a point to remember that the Biblical word (Hebrew in the Old Testament) is always Shalom. I will never take the word peace for granted again.
Peace is with you--take hold of Him today!
~~~~
Yahweh Shalom, my Lord and my friend, thank you for this great gift. Forgive me for loosing sight of this truth and allowing my circumstances to blur my vision. Help me today Adonay, remind me that as my Lord and Master, I will believe all that you have promised me. Help me to remember that wherever I go; whatever this life will throw my way--I have Peace living in me and You have promised to never leave me nor forsake me. And now that I am reminded, I can have confidence no matter what comes my way.
Thank you for all the friends and family you have blessed me with that are a direct reflection of your goodness. Help me to focus on the smile that brings warmth to my heart. Calm my fears this day Lord and help me to take a deep breath and surrender to the Peace within.
In the name of my precious Lord Jesus--my master and my peace, Amen
(C) Teresa Ortiz
Nov 27, 2008
Hppy - Sad- Joyful
My mind is a whirlwind, my heart torn in two-one minute happy, the next one blue.
Hey, sounds like a poem- a poet maybe? Nah, better not quit my day job.
I think I'll just write a little-never mind rhymes and grammar, just a way to organize my thoughts.
Next Thursday my husband will be leaving for Arizona. He was offered a job a few weeks ago and we have been praying and debating if this was God's answer to prayer. Funny how it works sometimes. I feel like Gideon, we layed out our fleece before God- Lord, if it's your will, make it clear, if nothing comes up here at home, we will know it's your way of providing. Days go by, nothing comes up- Lord, please bring work in, what's going on?
I can almost hear God saying, "Duh, I gave you the answer, what more do you want"? Okay, so maybe God didn't say duh, but I'm pretty sure the answer was clear.
So here we are, preparing for him to leave. We have never been apart longer than 2 weeks-and that didn't work out to well for us being he came home with a TATTOO, not that I have issues with that, all has been forgiven. In fact I have my appointment set for my Budweiser tattoo Friday morning. (Not really, but sounded good.)
I am happy for God's amazing provision. I am excited about the bigger picture. But then it is in my nature to always look at the bigger picture-some accuse me of not living for today, but for me, I can't live for today without it. Especially in this case. Not looking ahead at exciting possibilities would only cause me to look at God and say, why would you take him so far away? Why not give him a job here at home-I don't get you.
But then I am sad because I am going to miss being with him at the end of everyday. It's my comfortable routine and this will not be the case for quite sometime. I don't mean to whine, I know many of you have done this and are doing it know, but it is all new for me.
My son is already stepping up. Art is going over everything and making sure we will be equipped to deal with the uncertainty of winter in Oregon.
To make myself feel better, I have made a list of things I will do to keep busy in the evenings:
1. Catch up on my list of books to read.
2. Dust off the treadmill, put the junk away, stand on it and consider turning it on.
3. Unpack the last of the boxes from our move.
4. Catch up on my list of books to read.
5. Write another Bible study.
6. Stand on the clean treadmill, turn it on, then turn it off.
7. Go out on a date or two with my boyfri-I mean son. (Don't be startin' rumors.)
8. Thank God for my incredible husband for his willingness to provide for his family.
9. Stand on the clean treadmill, turn it on, keep it on and get in great shape for my gorgeous hunk of a construction worker husband.
10. Rejoice in the Lord for His goodness.
Okay, I am done rambling. Thanks for listening and bear with me these next few months as my stories go from happy to sad to joyful.
Teresa Ortiz
Hey, sounds like a poem- a poet maybe? Nah, better not quit my day job.
I think I'll just write a little-never mind rhymes and grammar, just a way to organize my thoughts.
Next Thursday my husband will be leaving for Arizona. He was offered a job a few weeks ago and we have been praying and debating if this was God's answer to prayer. Funny how it works sometimes. I feel like Gideon, we layed out our fleece before God- Lord, if it's your will, make it clear, if nothing comes up here at home, we will know it's your way of providing. Days go by, nothing comes up- Lord, please bring work in, what's going on?
I can almost hear God saying, "Duh, I gave you the answer, what more do you want"? Okay, so maybe God didn't say duh, but I'm pretty sure the answer was clear.
So here we are, preparing for him to leave. We have never been apart longer than 2 weeks-and that didn't work out to well for us being he came home with a TATTOO, not that I have issues with that, all has been forgiven. In fact I have my appointment set for my Budweiser tattoo Friday morning. (Not really, but sounded good.)
I am happy for God's amazing provision. I am excited about the bigger picture. But then it is in my nature to always look at the bigger picture-some accuse me of not living for today, but for me, I can't live for today without it. Especially in this case. Not looking ahead at exciting possibilities would only cause me to look at God and say, why would you take him so far away? Why not give him a job here at home-I don't get you.
But then I am sad because I am going to miss being with him at the end of everyday. It's my comfortable routine and this will not be the case for quite sometime. I don't mean to whine, I know many of you have done this and are doing it know, but it is all new for me.
My son is already stepping up. Art is going over everything and making sure we will be equipped to deal with the uncertainty of winter in Oregon.
To make myself feel better, I have made a list of things I will do to keep busy in the evenings:
1. Catch up on my list of books to read.
2. Dust off the treadmill, put the junk away, stand on it and consider turning it on.
3. Unpack the last of the boxes from our move.
4. Catch up on my list of books to read.
5. Write another Bible study.
6. Stand on the clean treadmill, turn it on, then turn it off.
7. Go out on a date or two with my boyfri-I mean son. (Don't be startin' rumors.)
8. Thank God for my incredible husband for his willingness to provide for his family.
9. Stand on the clean treadmill, turn it on, keep it on and get in great shape for my gorgeous hunk of a construction worker husband.
10. Rejoice in the Lord for His goodness.
Okay, I am done rambling. Thanks for listening and bear with me these next few months as my stories go from happy to sad to joyful.
Teresa Ortiz
I'm a New Christian--Why is Everything a Mess?
So you have surrendered your life to Christ-congratulations! I rejoice with you, Jesus, and the angels.
When I first gave my life to Lord, I was excited and nervous. Many times, I felt out of place. I didn't know anyone at church, but I didn't want to continue to live the same life that God had rescued me from.
Nobody told me being a Christian was going to be tough--I thought it was just a matter of professing a faith in God.
The truth is, becoming a Christian is not about joining a club, or adding a religion to your life. It is about exchanging your life for the life of Christ. It is about recognizing your need for the Savior and repenting of your sin. Granted, in the beginning, most of us are not aware of the depth of our sin. Sure, we acknowledge that we "make mistakes" every now and then, but to classify ourselves as a sinner might be a stretch.
Still, we choose to accept Jesus into our hearts because we hear about God's unconditional love and grace--we hear about how much peace and joy we will have as a result. Every word of this is true, but it's not the whole story.
If you are a new Christian, you might be asking, "Where is this peace I was promised? Why didn't all my troubles go away--everything is a mess." The whole Christianity thing might even disillusion you--even has you thinking about moving on, or going back to what you had before.
If this is you today, keep reading. I pray from the depth of my soul that this information will help shed some light on the subject. Believe me; I know where you are coming from as I experienced it first hand. For many, accepting Christ as their Savior is only a matter of time. They are raised in the church; they have many Christian friends, or they believe in God and practice a faith, which soon reveals the need for total surrender and repentance.
This was not the case for me--God called me at a time when I was doing my own thing, not giving one thought to Him or His people. I just didn't care one way or the other.
Nevertheless, God had other plans and He began to complete the work He started in my life when I was 16 years-old, this being the age I quickly said a prayer to invite Jesus into my life, just to shut someone up. I didn't mean it and had neither intention or desire of changing my ways. Having to and wanting to are the key differences between joining a religion and entering into a relationship with God.
With this being said, let's look at the main theological--or spiritual thing that takes place the moment we ask Jesus to come into our life.
Spiritual birth becoming a child of God
"And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience." Eph 2:2
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him, who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." 1Pet 2:9-10.
Then we have the words from Jesus that we need to be born again. Meaning, everyone is born physically, but only those who respond to the call of God are born spiritually and given the right to be called a child of God. (John 1:12; 3:1-6)
Understanding darkness is the key to understanding the battle that begins to take place in our hearts. When we become a Christian, we are given a new nature. The Bible often refers to this as the new man and is contrasted with the old man. The books of Romans, Ephesians and Colossians have a lot to say about how these two natures are in extreme conflict with one another.
Dying to the old nature and living in the new nature is what God desires of us. Changing our way of thinking and living--being made pure--is called the sanctification process.
Unfortunately, the older we are when we become a Christian, the harder it is to change our ways. This is one of the many reasons why God gave us his Holy Spirit. The Spirits' job is to convict us, comfort us, and give us the wisdom to move forward.
Upon receiving Christ, you may have felt sudden conviction; as if a light went on in your head, you might have been flooded with feelings of guilt and shame over things you did that you never gave a second thought to before. In addition, this probably didn't leave you with warm fuzzy feelings of peace. More than likely, you cried--I know I did--for what seemed like days.
The good news is this doesn't last forever, God is faithful and will not make you wallow in your shame. Soon you will feel light as you continue to confess and apologize for your sinful behavior and make a commitment to turn away from it. This is called repentance. Repentance simply means to turn away from one thing and run to something different. It's a bit more than this, but this is a good starting point.
Getting back to darkness--the devil, who is Satan, is the prince of darkness and ruler of this world. As Ephesians tells us, before Christ we were governed by the world's standard. The darkness will not let go of God's child easily, in fact, I can guarantee he will do everything in his power to discourage you. He will fill your head with lies, he will use your old friends to ridicule you and call you names. This too, will fade after awhile when he realizes you will not fall for it--in the meantime, be ready it will come. Again, God is his goodness makes provision for this.
"Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Eph 6:10-12
The key here is "in the power of His might. This too, is a foreign concept because in our old nature, we did what we felt was right, we relied on our own strength, and we certainly did not look to His word for truth. The challenge comes in putting his ways above our own, it is relying on his strength and wisdom to make our decisions and it is trusting that he knows what is best. The bigger challenge is accepting his word for what it is and not making excuses to continue in sinful behavior. Jesus said if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Granted, this will take time--remember the sanctification process. As you grow in understanding, you grow in love, which leads to a desire to be obedient. And really, its a better way to live and has fewer consequences anyway.
It is impossible for me to share everything in one article, but I do hope this explains some of what you might be feeling--and whatever you do, don't run from the greatest thing you have ever done. It is eternally worth it.
If you are not sure where to start reading in the great big book called the Bible, I would suggest starting with the book of Ephesians. It is a great summary of who is responsible for salvation, it explains redemption, it covers the old and new man, it gives us the tools to respond to our faith, and it does it all in six chapters! Read it several times before moving on--at least five if not 10. You don't have to be overwhelmed by the size of the Bible, take it one little book at a time.
From Ephesians, move on to 1 John, Galatians, and then the Gospel of John, but this is just a suggestion. Others read the Gospel of John first and move forward from there. For me, it was easier to start with the shorter books of the Bible. "Evidence for Faith 101" by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz is a great tool to assist you as you get started.
God bless you as you continue to grow in faith!
(C)Teresa Ortiz 2008 All rights reserved
When I first gave my life to Lord, I was excited and nervous. Many times, I felt out of place. I didn't know anyone at church, but I didn't want to continue to live the same life that God had rescued me from.
Nobody told me being a Christian was going to be tough--I thought it was just a matter of professing a faith in God.
The truth is, becoming a Christian is not about joining a club, or adding a religion to your life. It is about exchanging your life for the life of Christ. It is about recognizing your need for the Savior and repenting of your sin. Granted, in the beginning, most of us are not aware of the depth of our sin. Sure, we acknowledge that we "make mistakes" every now and then, but to classify ourselves as a sinner might be a stretch.
Still, we choose to accept Jesus into our hearts because we hear about God's unconditional love and grace--we hear about how much peace and joy we will have as a result. Every word of this is true, but it's not the whole story.
If you are a new Christian, you might be asking, "Where is this peace I was promised? Why didn't all my troubles go away--everything is a mess." The whole Christianity thing might even disillusion you--even has you thinking about moving on, or going back to what you had before.
If this is you today, keep reading. I pray from the depth of my soul that this information will help shed some light on the subject. Believe me; I know where you are coming from as I experienced it first hand. For many, accepting Christ as their Savior is only a matter of time. They are raised in the church; they have many Christian friends, or they believe in God and practice a faith, which soon reveals the need for total surrender and repentance.
This was not the case for me--God called me at a time when I was doing my own thing, not giving one thought to Him or His people. I just didn't care one way or the other.
Nevertheless, God had other plans and He began to complete the work He started in my life when I was 16 years-old, this being the age I quickly said a prayer to invite Jesus into my life, just to shut someone up. I didn't mean it and had neither intention or desire of changing my ways. Having to and wanting to are the key differences between joining a religion and entering into a relationship with God.
With this being said, let's look at the main theological--or spiritual thing that takes place the moment we ask Jesus to come into our life.
Spiritual birth becoming a child of God
"And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience." Eph 2:2
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him, who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." 1Pet 2:9-10.
Then we have the words from Jesus that we need to be born again. Meaning, everyone is born physically, but only those who respond to the call of God are born spiritually and given the right to be called a child of God. (John 1:12; 3:1-6)
Understanding darkness is the key to understanding the battle that begins to take place in our hearts. When we become a Christian, we are given a new nature. The Bible often refers to this as the new man and is contrasted with the old man. The books of Romans, Ephesians and Colossians have a lot to say about how these two natures are in extreme conflict with one another.
Dying to the old nature and living in the new nature is what God desires of us. Changing our way of thinking and living--being made pure--is called the sanctification process.
Unfortunately, the older we are when we become a Christian, the harder it is to change our ways. This is one of the many reasons why God gave us his Holy Spirit. The Spirits' job is to convict us, comfort us, and give us the wisdom to move forward.
Upon receiving Christ, you may have felt sudden conviction; as if a light went on in your head, you might have been flooded with feelings of guilt and shame over things you did that you never gave a second thought to before. In addition, this probably didn't leave you with warm fuzzy feelings of peace. More than likely, you cried--I know I did--for what seemed like days.
The good news is this doesn't last forever, God is faithful and will not make you wallow in your shame. Soon you will feel light as you continue to confess and apologize for your sinful behavior and make a commitment to turn away from it. This is called repentance. Repentance simply means to turn away from one thing and run to something different. It's a bit more than this, but this is a good starting point.
Getting back to darkness--the devil, who is Satan, is the prince of darkness and ruler of this world. As Ephesians tells us, before Christ we were governed by the world's standard. The darkness will not let go of God's child easily, in fact, I can guarantee he will do everything in his power to discourage you. He will fill your head with lies, he will use your old friends to ridicule you and call you names. This too, will fade after awhile when he realizes you will not fall for it--in the meantime, be ready it will come. Again, God is his goodness makes provision for this.
"Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Eph 6:10-12
The key here is "in the power of His might. This too, is a foreign concept because in our old nature, we did what we felt was right, we relied on our own strength, and we certainly did not look to His word for truth. The challenge comes in putting his ways above our own, it is relying on his strength and wisdom to make our decisions and it is trusting that he knows what is best. The bigger challenge is accepting his word for what it is and not making excuses to continue in sinful behavior. Jesus said if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Granted, this will take time--remember the sanctification process. As you grow in understanding, you grow in love, which leads to a desire to be obedient. And really, its a better way to live and has fewer consequences anyway.
It is impossible for me to share everything in one article, but I do hope this explains some of what you might be feeling--and whatever you do, don't run from the greatest thing you have ever done. It is eternally worth it.
If you are not sure where to start reading in the great big book called the Bible, I would suggest starting with the book of Ephesians. It is a great summary of who is responsible for salvation, it explains redemption, it covers the old and new man, it gives us the tools to respond to our faith, and it does it all in six chapters! Read it several times before moving on--at least five if not 10. You don't have to be overwhelmed by the size of the Bible, take it one little book at a time.
From Ephesians, move on to 1 John, Galatians, and then the Gospel of John, but this is just a suggestion. Others read the Gospel of John first and move forward from there. For me, it was easier to start with the shorter books of the Bible. "Evidence for Faith 101" by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz is a great tool to assist you as you get started.
God bless you as you continue to grow in faith!
(C)Teresa Ortiz 2008 All rights reserved
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