356-The Promise of True Peace#
356-The Promise of True Peace
(JP Text Group - Huang Jihong Compilation)
The topic of sharing is: The Promise of True Peace
Let's read this passage of scripture together, John 14:26-27,
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 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.
Let's pray together
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for loving us so much. After Jesus returned, you sent the Holy Spirit down, and the Holy Spirit is always with us. No matter where I go, the Holy Spirit will not leave. The Holy Spirit will guide me on the path ahead and help me walk in your peace. Today, please lead us to understand the promises of Christ, to know the truth you want to give us, so that wherever we go, we carry this truth and face any environment with our hearts filled with your peace. Bless all the brothers and sisters who seek you, that they may receive your provision. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
John 14 actually talks about the promise Jesus gave us after His death and resurrection, that He would send the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Holy Spirit is to guide us to peace. Peace does not mean the absence of trouble or smooth sailing, but rather having hope and strength within, allowing us to face any environment calmly. Even in the midst of a storm, if you know your Lord is keeping you, you are still a person of peace. Peace is not defined by the tranquility of the external environment, but by the calmness of your heart. No matter how the external environment changes, your heart remains peaceful and stable. When Jesus Christ preached on earth, He also encountered many problems and troubles, but He was never flustered because He had peace within.
Many people lose their peace because they are influenced by the external environment. When the environment is good, we feel peace; when the music is pleasant, we feel peace; when we are prosperous, we feel peace. However, when everything outside changes, our hearts begin to be affected, losing peace, leading to impatience, worry, anxiety, and even restlessness.
Jesus Christ set an example for us. He was filled with strength, not for any other reason, but because He had the Holy Spirit within Him. The Holy Spirit dwelled in Jesus' heart, allowing Him to have a peaceful heart to face all things in the world, including death. If we possess the strength of Christ and see the ability of Christ, we can have inner peace regardless of the environment.
After Jesus' resurrection, He brought the Holy Spirit down, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, which is our assurance of peace. No matter where you go, the Holy Spirit is with you, helping you and guiding your path ahead. How do we know the guidance of the Holy Spirit? First, you need to place God's truth in your heart; simply put, you need to read the Bible. You must allow the Holy Spirit to have some words to reveal to you. Some say they forget after reading, but that’s okay; when needed, the Holy Spirit will remind us of Christ's words.
The first point of sharing is that the Holy Spirit reminds us of everything Jesus said, which brings us peace.
In 1 Corinthians 12:7, it says that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.
Remember one thing: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit down to benefit you. What does it mean to benefit? When you are in difficulty, when you are worried, when you feel helpless, the Holy Spirit is your help, your provision, your comfort, Amen. This is what is truly beneficial to us.
Let's look at a passage of scripture, John 16:8-13,
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
Here, Jesus explains what the Holy Spirit will do when He comes. Many people say the Holy Spirit will illuminate your sins and remind you of all the sins you have committed in the past, but this has no biblical basis. Here, Jesus personally teaches us that the Holy Spirit comes to guide us into all truth and to bear witness to the words of Jesus, Amen. What we did not understand in the past, now through the Holy Spirit, God will help us understand. Many people say they cannot understand the Bible; before reading, pray: Holy Spirit, please guide me so that I can understand the Bible, and the Holy Spirit will guide you and let you see the light.
Before making a decision, you can pray: Holy Spirit, please help me, give me wisdom to make the right decision, and the Holy Spirit will give you a prompt. You will have a very small voice in your heart, but you will know it is from God, right? Brothers and sisters, the coming of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth. Always remember, the Holy Spirit does not come to point out your sins; He comes to lead you into the truth of Christ, to bring you into God's words, and to understand His revelations.
Some may ask, what does verse 8 mean? Of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, what does this mean? Verse 8 says, when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
Please pay attention, the Bible has many words spoken to the world, that is, to those who do not believe; some things are spoken to us. He came to reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, making them blame themselves. Some things, the world knows are wrong, so the Holy Spirit is actually reproving them, leading them to repent and believe in Jesus.
Of sin, why are they called sinners? Because they do not accept Jesus. Of righteousness? Because Jesus has gone back to the Father, and now the work in the world is done by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only reveals to the righteous but also continually reveals to sinners, so their hearts can turn back and believe in what Jesus has done in the past.
Of judgment, the Holy Spirit also wants to tell today's believers that the prince of this world has been judged. Jesus explained this very clearly; we should not add anything more. The prince of this world refers to the devil, Satan. After Jesus was crucified and resurrected, the devil was completely defeated.
So what does the Holy Spirit come to do now? It is to remind all who believe in Jesus not to fear the devil; he is already a defeated foe. Do not be deceived by him. I have given you the truth; do not listen to his lies; I have given you the truth, and you will be able to discern everything. Many people always promote what the devil has done, how the devil disturbs people. If you do not read the Bible, the devil is happy; if you do not gather, the devil is happy; if you are weak, the devil bullies you, and so on... talking about many things the devil has done, as if Jesus has done nothing, as if the Holy Spirit has no power.
But Jesus has already told us that the peace we can have today is because we know the power of the Holy Spirit is as great as that of Jesus. Jesus, when He was on earth, had already overcome the devil and the world, and so does the Holy Spirit. He came to lead us into the truth of Christ, to speak what He has heard, to tell us things to come, and what is the purpose? To give us peace, not to be afraid, Amen.
Many people in the world, when faced with great matters, even say there are some things they cannot be sure of, will be very afraid. But we are different; we know we are in Christ, and peace is within us, Hallelujah. Many people say they cannot remember what they read in the Bible. God knows our memory is limited, so just read it repeatedly. When you need it, the Holy Spirit will suddenly remind you of a verse you have read before. The premise is that you have to read it first, right?! If you do not read at all, how can the Holy Spirit reveal it to you when you need it? In fact, if you first place the truth within you, when you need a certain verse, the Holy Spirit will give it to you, and it will solve your current problem.
John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
The Holy Spirit mentioned earlier, later Jesus tells us: "I have told you these things, that in me ye might have peace." Jesus knew He was going back, and now the disciples must have lost their peace, lost their rest. They did not know how to move forward, but Jesus said: "I am going; I will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to guide you and give each of you peace in your hearts." Jesus said very clearly, "I am telling you these things so that you may have peace in me." Peace is a promise.
When do you need peace? When there is tribulation, when there are problems, when you are in a low valley, you especially need God's peace. At this time, Jesus said: "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Knowing that the Lord you believe in has overcome the world, overcome sickness, and overcome death, you can be at ease, and naturally, you will have peace. Paul was a person who knew peace. When Paul preached, he also encountered many troubles, but he always brought messages of peace to people, allowing the church to have peace, fearing the Lord in everything, and being comforted by the Holy Spirit.
Let's look at a passage of scripture, Acts 9:28-31
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. 29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. 30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. 31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
This talks about Paul's process of preaching the gospel. Paul was in Jerusalem, coming and going with the disciples, boldly preaching in the name of the Lord. If the Holy Spirit did not dwell in his heart, they would have been very afraid. Not only Paul, but do you remember that after Jesus Christ died, when the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, the disciples were afraid every day, locking the doors and praying in hiding.
Later, when the Holy Spirit came down on Pentecost, these people were filled with power, came down from the upper room, and began to boldly preach the gospel of Christ. At that time, 3,000 people repented, 5,000 people repented, and the name of the Lord was greatly proclaimed. This is the power of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit filled them with peace and strength, so it did not matter how the external environment was. The environment was still the same, still a terrible environment, a persecuted environment, but after the Holy Spirit dwelled in their hearts and filled them, everything changed, as if the environment no longer bound them. They could break through the environment, break through the crowd, and the things they used to fear, they were no longer afraid of.
Now Paul begins to go out and preach the Lord's way boldly. What do those people want to do? They want to kill him. If the people of that city do not accept him, Paul will go to the next city, but what about the Lord's way? The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace. What does this mean? The environment was not good, but the people in the church had peace.
Many people always think: "Lord, change the environment, let this environment be a little gentler; let people change, let them be a little kinder, then I will naturally have peace." But our Lord's way is that He fills you with the Holy Spirit, and you can overcome all current environments, including people and things you fear. When your heart is filled with peace, you have the ability and assurance to do things, Amen. You see, after they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they feared the Lord in everything and were comforted by the Holy Spirit. So a person whose heart is filled with the Lord's peace will fear God. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, right?
If this thing truly comes from the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will guide us to fear God, let us benefit, and let others benefit. This is the comfort the Holy Spirit gives us, and the outcome will definitely be good. What was the result? At that time, many people believed in Jesus when the environment was not satisfactory, and the number of people in the church increased, Amen.
I hope that the brothers and sisters listening to the sermon today do not complain about your environment. Let the Holy Spirit fill you. If you can speak in tongues, please pray in tongues; if not, start by reading the Bible and let the Holy Spirit guide you. Please remember, at the moment you believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwelled within you, but please let Him work; let the Holy Spirit fill you and guide your life, and you will no longer be afraid.
Because peace has already been given to you, this is God's promise, a promise for everyone; it is just that some people are unwilling to accept the name of Jesus. They knock on the door time and again, but they are unwilling to open it. This is a door of the heart, but we have opened the door of our hearts, and the Holy Spirit has already dwelled inside. We just need to learn to use the Holy Spirit to guide us into the truth. Once we enter the truth, we will no longer fear our current life and problems.
The second point of sharing is that Jesus' peace is true peace, which comes from within to without.
Many people, when feeling anxious, will listen to some softer, quieter music. Does it have an effect? Of course, it does, because music is also created by God. This music can indeed bring temporary peace to people; this is peace from the outside to the inside. Watching a funny movie or TV show, or listening to some jokes, can also temporarily bring peace to a person's heart. But the peace that Christ wants to give you is true peace. Why is it true peace? It means it is not affected by the environment; it is peace that comes from within. We always long for peace from the outside to enter within, but in fact, the Holy Spirit has already dwelled within you. You just need to let peace flow out from within you, and your external environment will naturally be peaceful.
John 14:27, "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."
Jesus said He gives us His peace. He is going back, but before He goes back, He did not say, "I will take everything I need with me." He left everything behind, among which we need most is His peace, which He has given us. Jesus said very clearly, "What I give is not like what the world gives." This means that when you are sad in your heart, when you are feeling down, when you are discouraged and in despair, the world can also give you some comfort to bring you some peace, such as today's psychologists, encouragers, and some philosophies of the world... all can temporarily bring some comfort to people, and we must admit this.
We cannot believe in Jesus and deny everything else in this world; that is not correct. There are indeed some things in the world that can bring people temporary peace and rest because our God loves all people. This person who has not accepted Jesus needs some things in the world to find inner peace, such as music, films, or some sayings from ancient people, etc.
But Jesus said, "What I give is not like what the world gives; let not your heart be troubled." What the world gives you may be a temporary peace, but afterwards, there will still be sorrow. For example, some people feel particularly uncomfortable in their hearts, so they go to KTV and sing loudly, feeling much better. But when they return home and see that environment again, they fall back into the emptiness of the past, back into the fear of the past.
We are different. Jesus said, "The peace I give you is that your hearts are not troubled or afraid." That is, if you can use the power of the Holy Spirit and let Him work, even if your environment is still there, your heart has already overcome it, and you no longer see it as a problem. What should we do? You say, "I prayed, but I still feel it is a problem." Then you need to continue praying before God, letting the Holy Spirit guide you into the truth. As long as you are in God's truth, God gives you a word, and you can instantly overcome your environment and no longer be afraid, Amen.
Many people in the world often have peace based on what they currently possess, such as being very wealthy. They think, "Once I have money, I will have peace." They believe that having money can buy the things they want. But Jesus said very clearly, our lives cannot be exchanged for money. When life is threatened, can money help you and give you peace? No. There are too many examples; many people are very wealthy, but they have terminal illnesses. Many say they would be willing to exchange all their wealth for life, but they cannot. They have already lost peace, right?
Today, you know that what Jesus gives you is to fill your heart with His peace, so you are not troubled or afraid, Amen. Now, when you see a problem, remember Jesus and what He did on the cross; He has already risen from the dead. The Holy Spirit now dwells within you. Although we may be affected by these environments, as long as we return to the truth, our hearts will quickly find peace. Let's look at a passage of scripture; in the Old Testament, there was a person who prayed only to God when faced with problems.
2 Kings 4:25-27,
25 So she went and came to the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child?" And she answered, "It is well." 27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me."
What happened? Let me briefly explain. At that time, there was a prophet named Elisha. At that time, prophets were not wealthy; they had to go around saving people, performing miracles, and delivering God's words, etc. Elisha often passed by the house of this Shunammite woman, who was very kind-hearted and wanted to provide a room for Elisha to stay in when he passed by, so he could rest at noon. She really did this and did not ask for any return from Elisha. Elisha felt very guilty and asked, "What can I do for you?" The woman said, "I have nothing I need; I just want to help you willingly."
Later, Elisha felt he had to do something for her. His servant Gehazi said, "This couple does not lack money, status, or fame; they just do not have a son." Elisha said, "Call the woman." He prophesied to her that she would bear a son the following year. This indeed came to pass, but unexpectedly, when the child was not very old, at the age of innocence, one day the child died.
Brothers and sisters, if we encounter such a situation, we might panic and even say God is a liar. What should we do? Now that there is a problem, it would have been better if you had not given me this child; at least I would not be so sad. This Shunammite woman went to Mount Carmel to see the man of God. In fact, neither her family nor the people she met knew how serious the situation was.
You can see this dialogue: In verse 26, "Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child?" She said, "It is well."
Brothers and sisters, can you say peace when everything is well? Anyone can do that, but when faced with great trauma and great blows, can you still say you are at peace? This is what makes this Shunammite woman different. She only spoke her true feelings when she saw the man of God; when she saw others, she said everything was well, that all was peace.
Many people do the opposite; when they encounter problems and blows, they complain to everyone, "Why doesn't God hear my prayers? Has God forsaken me? What use is my faith in Jesus?" They complain everywhere and refuse to come before God. "I prayed, but He didn't listen; I pleaded, but He didn't hear; I declared, but He didn't listen."
But look at this Shunammite woman; she does the opposite. In front of everyone, she conveys the message that everything is fine, that there is peace. Only when she comes before the man of God, Elisha, does she hold onto his feet. Do not forget, this is in the Old Testament; to find the man of God is equivalent to finding God, just as you find Jesus as your mediator. In the past, the prophet served as this mediator, and she told Elisha her situation. After Elisha heard her situation, he went down to help her.
2 Kings 4:32-35,
32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. 34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
Brothers and sisters, we should not imitate the actions that follow. Many times I tell everyone that many people like to imitate. You say it is not easy for Elisha to raise the dead; he lay on the child to warm him up... In fact, the focus is not on these actions; it is on the part where he shut the door, and only he and the child were inside, and he prayed to the Lord. This is what we need to learn.
Many people throw away the previous part and say, "Okay, I will try this method." Do not try these methods; they are useless. Because when you pray to God, He gives you a word, and perhaps that word is very easy and simple, but it is what God gives you. Others may imitate it, but it will not work.
Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone can know that the Holy Spirit dwells within you. The methods of the Holy Spirit are numerous; you need to pray to Him. We need to imitate Elisha's prayer to God. At the same time, we should imitate the Shunammite woman; she also prayed to God. However, in the Old Testament, people could not pray directly to God; they could only find the man of God. We are different now; we are in the New Testament. You do not need to find a pastor to be your mediator to pray to God.
Of course, when you are weak, you can have the pastor pray with you, but the key is that we need to pray to God. In the New Testament, Jesus is your mediator, and it has become very easy to pray to the Father for anything. Moreover, you have the Holy Spirit within you.
Romans 8 says very clearly that the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.
In Greek, it means He prays with us. The Holy Spirit knows that the Father will surely accomplish this for you, right? We should know that the Holy Spirit will help us. Even if you search the world and find no one can help you, the Holy Spirit can still help you, right?
Brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, and wherever you go, He goes with you. Moreover, when the power of the Holy Spirit is as great as that of Jesus, your heart will naturally have peace. You will feel that the storm is nothing, that the environment is nothing, because it is not greater than the Holy Spirit, who can overcome it. Jesus overcame all environments and all problems, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit within Him, Amen. This power is placed within you; it is just that many people do not know how to use it.
In the last part of Ephesians, it mentions that we should put on the whole armor of God, one of which is to take the sword of the Spirit. The other pieces of armor protect us, like the breastplate and shoes; these protect us, but only the sword of the Spirit is for attack. This means you can use the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome your environment and open a way for you. Too many Christians have never drawn the sword of the Holy Spirit. The sword has always been there; they are constantly attacked by the devil and the environment, only able to defend. Every time the environment comes, they are afraid, but they have not really been hurt. They just do not know to take out the sword of the Holy Spirit. As long as you swing it at your environment, the environment will part a way for you.
Some may ask, what does this mean? When we encounter spiritual warfare, we need to use God's truth to overcome it, Amen.
In the morning, someone sent me a testimony saying: "Teacher Ren, my body was very poor. When I listened to your sermon on the authority of prayer, today my problem is completely resolved, and my body is completely healed. I have already checked." Brothers and sisters, he has believed for many years, but he has never used the name of Jesus to command this problem to leave. Have the past years been spent in vain, worrying for nothing?
If you know the power of the Holy Spirit and often use it, peace will become your assurance. You will know there is no problem; any problem is not a problem before our Lord. The fear is that we do not know how to use it. The power is already within you; He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world, Amen.
When you know these things, peace will naturally be within you, and that peace comes from within because true peace dwells within you. Many times, Christians are deceived, influenced by the environment. When they look at the environment, the problems, and the surroundings, and people say negative things and are fearful, we begin to panic. What they do not know is that the Prince of Peace is within, that there is truth within, and there is no need to be fearful like the world, Amen. When faced with any problem, we are people of hope, Hallelujah.
Let's look at a passage of scripture, John 20:19-22
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, "Peace be unto you." 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, "Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
This was the first day of Jesus' resurrection. At that time, it was not yet Pentecost, and the disciples did not have the work of the Holy Spirit, nor the presence of the Holy Spirit. They were very afraid. There was not one who was not afraid because the external environment was really terrible. They locked the doors for fear that the Jews would kill them or take them away. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood in their midst. He did not say anything else; He did not reiterate the truths He had previously spoken to them. He simply said, "Peace be unto you." In Greek, it is one word: "Shalom." After seeing them, Jesus did not say, "Do not be afraid; what is there to fear?" Jesus said, "Shalom!" He gave them His peace, which is true peace.
Let’s see what this true peace of Jesus brings us. After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. This is very important. Why? Because when they saw Jesus' hands and side, they saw the wounds He bore for them and that He had risen from the dead. This is evidence. Jesus did not deceive them; what He had previously said to them is now fulfilled. When they saw Jesus' hands and side, it represented Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. The disciples rejoiced when they saw what Jesus had done. Peace must come before true joy; the true peace of Jesus will bring joy and hope, Hallelujah.
When you lose peace in the midst of problems, you need to look at Jesus' hands and side. Some may say, "I cannot see." Believe that Jesus shed His blood for your sins on the cross, and He has risen from the dead. If you say you still cannot imagine, I suggest that when you are weak, you should watch the Passion of the Christ; this will help you. Why? Because that is what Jesus did for you on the cross. His hands and side prove one thing: He has overcome this world, and today He places the Holy Spirit within you.
At that time, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." This was because Pentecost had not yet come. But today, we do not need to do this. The moment you accept Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Now you just need to see Jesus' hands and side, and you can rejoice.
If you always look at the environment and the problems you encounter, the more you look at the problem, the more headaches you get. The more you look, the more it seems the problem cannot be solved. It is better to turn your eyes to the cross of Jesus and see what Jesus has done for you on the cross. When you look up at the cross of Jesus, you will find that Jesus opens His arms to welcome all who have problems. He takes our curses, our diseases, and our problems upon Himself. He died for our sins and rose from the dead three days later.
So the risen Lord now shows the disciples what He has done for them, and this peace instantly enters the hearts of the fearful disciples, and they rejoice and are no longer afraid. Because their Lord has overcome even death, how much more can He overcome the problems we face? Immediately, Jesus said to them again, "Shalom, peace." He said peace twice, proving that this is really important to us. This peace is not something you can have only after achieving something or doing good deeds; it is not necessary. Jesus first gives you peace. Once you have the peace of Jesus, you can easily face your environment.
Some may say the environment is too big. No, it is not the environment that makes you lose the peace of Christ. If you are filled with the peace of Christ, the environment will not be big, and the problem will not be a problem. God will use countless ways and methods to solve your problems. Let us first let the Holy Spirit fill us and help us understand God's truth. Please remember the words we talked about at the beginning: the Holy Spirit comes to lead us into all truth. When you are in the truth, you have wisdom; you have the ability to solve all matters and problems, Amen.
Jesus said, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
How did our Heavenly Father send Jesus? The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; this is the beginning of Jesus' ministry of preaching the gospel. First, the Holy Spirit was upon Him, and then He did things with the power of the Holy Spirit. This is how our Heavenly Father sent Jesus. Is it the same for you today?
Before doing things, can you first pray before God? Holy Spirit, please guide me on the path ahead. If you say, "I do not know how to pray," it is very simple. When you go out, can you pray: "Holy Spirit, I know you are with me; please guide me on the path ahead, let me have peace on my way to work, because you are the Prince of Peace, you dwell within me, and with you with me, my heart is at ease." This way of conversing with the Holy Spirit will change your heart, Amen.
Many people wake up in the morning and first look at some negative news, some gossip news, who has encountered what problem, which country has encountered what terrible issue. After seeing these, can you not be afraid? Brothers and sisters, we are in the world, but we do not belong to this world; we are people of Christ. We can bring the good news of Christ to the world, especially when everyone is panicking and losing peace. When you live out the peace of Christ, it will be a great comfort to the world, Amen.
When Jesus said, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you," what did Jesus send the disciples to do? To preach the gospel, which means good news in Greek: good news. You must bring good news to the world. They have lost peace; you bring them the good news of peace. Many believers have lost peace; you bring them the truth, and they will naturally have peace and joy.
We always tell others not to be afraid, not to panic, not to lose heart. These do not work when they are in despair and losing heart. You give them the truth, and the truth will lead them into peace. We give the Holy Spirit to everyone, allowing them to use the power of the Holy Spirit. It is very easy for you to have peace.
Finally, let's look at a passage of scripture, Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Be careful for nothing; this is God's word to us, and it is also the word the Holy Spirit wants to give you. I know many people are worried; the environment is so bad, and they do not know how to handle their business this year or how to get through family issues. There are many worries, and there are legitimate reasons. "I cannot do anything, Lord; I cannot help it." I know, and I believe God sees it too. Be careful for nothing; this is God's word to us. What does He want you to do? In everything by prayer. Brothers and sisters, when we are worried, we lose peace in our hearts. In fact, it means we have drifted away from the truth. You need to pray, "Lord, please comfort me, please help me." Right?
We need to return to God's words and refocus on our God, and you will no longer worry. You also need to pray with supplication. What does supplication mean? It can be understood as after praying, you can make some declarations and speak to your environment. This also requires truth; otherwise, after speaking, there is no confidence. Many people imitate others and say some truths, but they do not have a foundation inside. Therefore, when others say it has an effect, when they say it, it has no effect. As a result, they say, "I declared it too; why does it not work?" In fact, God's words cannot be relied upon just by surface imitation; the key is that you truly understand the truth and make it your own, Amen.
This is like eating; when someone eats lamb meat, they are filled with strength afterward. You just smell it and think, "Hmm, this is nice," but it is completely different. They have digested the lamb meat and turned it into their strength, while you are still hungry and have no strength after just smelling it. The difference is here! Many people just smell the flavor: "I know!" They declare as others do, but that is just smelling the flavor.
As I mentioned earlier, if there is a problem, you should imitate Elisha's prayer and actions, but that will not work. The focus is on the previous part, Amen. It is still the same; I often encourage everyone not to imitate superficial things. Those things are too exaggerated. The key is to strengthen our hearts and have God's truth as your foundation.
The bigger the environment, the more we need to read God's words. Many people do the opposite; they say they are busy and do not have time to read God's words or get close to God. In fact, the busier you are, the more time you should set aside to be close to God because this is your source of strength; this is your treasure for being careful for nothing, Amen.
Thank the Lord. I hope this word helps everyone. Through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. What does thanksgiving mean? No matter how the environment is, can we say: "All is well," and then pray to God? In front of people, we say all is well because even if you pour out your troubles to people, they cannot help you with much. Of course, if you are truly weak, we can share with someone whose faith is greater than ours, but do not share with someone whose faith is weaker than yours, as that will cause them to stumble. This is a principle of our spiritual service.
Find someone with greater faith; they can understand you and comfort you. If you find someone with less faith, and you say, "What use is believing in Jesus? It is no different from unbelievers..." After you hear that, you will be even more discouraged, right? We see that those with great faith, when faced with any situation, know that God will surely make a way for us. They will give you God's words and comfort you.
You see, Jesus, when faced with great matters, could thank the Father. I will give two examples: The first is when He fed the five thousand. At that time, Jesus took the little boy's five loaves and two fish and looked up to heaven and gave thanks. What did the disciples see? They saw this little bread in front of so many people; what is this? Isn’t it? It is completely different. Jesus had the truth in His heart and knew the power of His Father, so five loaves and two fish were enough. He could give thanks to the Father, Amen. Let your requests be made known unto God, Hallelujah.
This is very important: let your requests be made known unto God. Whether through prayer, supplication, or thanksgiving, you can tell God. Do not worry about your method; the key is your heart. Your heart must fully trust Him, knowing His great power, knowing He loves you, and knowing He is willing to help you. Then your heart will naturally be filled with joy.
The second example I want to share is at the tomb of Lazarus. Most people around said, "He must be stinking; he has been in there for four days, and with such high temperatures, can he come back to life?" But Jesus still thanked our Heavenly Father and then said, "Lazarus, come forth." He was not influenced by the words of those around Him because He had the truth in His heart. If we have the truth in our hearts, we will not be influenced by the words of those around us. Even if they all say, "He is going to die; he is going to die; there is no way to live," do not imitate their words. You should speak the words of Christ, believe in His words, and through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, tell God what you want Him to do.
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Did you notice? God did not say, "Whatever you ask for, I will give you." God first gives you peace, letting your heart be filled with His peace. God first keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Many times we say, "Lord, if you solve the problem, I will have peace immediately." God's way is just the opposite. God first gives you peace, then keeps your hearts and minds, and afterwards solves your problems. Because at that time, you have the strength to solve your problems and the power to use God's words. This is God's promise to us, and we must grasp it. God loves us this way; He wants us to be careful for nothing, and He is willing to give us His peace.
Brothers and sisters, the word "Shalom," which Jews say when they meet, contains very rich meanings, including abundance, joy, peace, hope, and so on. Everything you need is in this word. Therefore, God says, "I will give you peace that surpasses all understanding." This is something the world cannot give you, Hallelujah. Today, God wants to give you this peace, so that in Jesus Christ, your hearts and minds will be kept, and you can overcome the environment, overcome your problems, and overcome all your current lows, Hallelujah.
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for allowing us to receive your peace through such words today. When we accept you, the Holy Spirit has already dwelled within us. We are willing to use the great power of the Holy Spirit, praying more in the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth and remind us of everything Christ has said to us. There are many promises Christ has made to us that we often forget, but the Holy Spirit can remind us.
You have given us peace, and in any environment, your peace allows us to overcome all. The peace you give is true peace; my heart is not troubled, nor am I afraid. Lord, thank you for loving me so much. At the beginning of this week, through your truth and your words, you will surely keep my heart and mind, enjoying your peace in Jesus Christ. I will also bring peace to those around me, bringing them comfort and the good news of Christ. Thank you and praise the Lord. Please use me. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen. Bless you all.