Bill Bremer
Senior Member
Joined: 02/29/2016 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 81
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Posted: 05/07/2016 at 5:39am
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The kingdom of God is … peace in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17
In our gentile understanding, peace
means: to join, one, set at one again. The Jews understood many more of
the implications of peace than we do because they had a much richer
word for peace—“shalom.” Shalom is the environment of God’s kingdom in
which His new covenant community of people thrive. This shalom comes to
us because God makes us right with Himself and incubates inner peace,
peace with one another and to an extent with His creation (Mar 4:39).
Thus peaceful harmonious fellowship and wellbeing in the community of
the King flows from God our Father. By the blood of the Lamb, He has
made us holy from the inside out and by His Spirit, He enables us to
relate according to His righteousness, in the shalom mode. Those of the
Hebraic culture use shalom as a good way to say hello and good-bye.
Shalom!
In the kingdom, each of us is free to minister shalom to our brothers
and sisters in the Lord, to the hurting, and to God’s creation. We can
bless one another with shalom just as Paul often did in his letters. “May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace/shalom” (Eph 1:2 AAT).
God is the God of peace
The God of peace established the eternal covenant. Paul writes many
blessings in his letters to those who follow Jesus. The following
blessing is a wonderful blessing we can speak or write to our spouse,
our children, our extended family and one another.
Now may the God of peace, who by the
blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the Great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good to do
his will, accomplishing in us what pleases him through Jesus, the
Messiah. To him be glory forever and ever! Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21 ISV
Peace made by the blood of Jesus on His cross
God our Father has blessed us by lavishing the riches of His grace
upon us in His dear Son and giving us shalom. He has reconciled us,
joined us, and made us one, set us at one again in Messiah Jesus, thus
giving us the blessing of shalom. Through this peace, Messiah Jesus
enables us to relate in harmony with God our Father, His people, and to
an extent, His creation.
…Thank the Father, who made you fit to share everything the holy people/saints have in the light.
He rescued us from the tyranny of
darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, who
paid the ransom to forgive our sins and set us free. He is the image of
the invisible God, born before and above everything created, since in
Him was created everything you can see and cannot see in heaven and on
earth – thrones, lords, rulers, or powers – everything was created by
Him and for Him. He was before everything, and He holds everything
together. He is the Head of the church, which is His body. He is the
Beginning, the first among the dead to become alive that He may be first
in everything. God decided to have His whole being live in Him and by
Him to reconcile to Himself everything on earth and in heaven in a peace
made by the blood on His cross. Colossians 1:12-20 AAT
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1 KJV
The wisdom that comes from heaven is peace-loving
The wisdom that comes from heaven starkly contrasts with the wisdom
which is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. We, who follow Jesus show our
understanding by our good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes
from wisdom. That makes for shalom in the community of the king.
Who is wise and understanding among
you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility
that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish
ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such
“wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual,
demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find
disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven
is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full
of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in
peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:13-18 ISV
Peace comes forth as we walk in the Spirit
There is a huge difference between being led of the Spirit and
walking to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Paul urges us to walk in the
Spirit in contrast to the ways of the world, the works of the flesh.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the
works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are
Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Galatians 5:16-24 KJV
One another relationships in the shalom of the kingdom
We thrive in shalom relationships that are described by words derived from the Greek words, koinonia, koinoneo and koinonos.
Koinonia is translated as communion, community, communication,
distribution, fellowship, and partnership. Our actions are identified
with koinoneo, translated as share, communicating and distributing and
is closely related to koinonos meaning a companion, partner and
partaker. Those are the share words of shalom in the kingdom. Beloved,
let us love God and one another and thrive in shalom. In the community
of the King, we share with one another partakers as we let the shalom of
Christ rule in our hearts.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one
another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the
Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds
them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be
thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach
and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and
songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And
whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:12-17 ISV
Seek peace and pursue it
Let us be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all our hearts.
To sum up, all of you be
harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing
instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit
a blessing.
For,
“THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS,
MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.
“HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD;
HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.
“FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS,
AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER,
BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.”*
Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but
sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a
defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is
in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good
conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who
revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 1 Peter 3:8-17 NASB *Psalm 34:12-16
Blessed are the peacemakers
Those who let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts are peacemakers. They have perfect peace.”You
will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because
they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord
himself, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4 NIV). Peacemakers focus on what is right and attempt to live in peace with all people. “Do
not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is
right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on
you, live in peace with all people” (Ro 12:17-18 ISV). They, “… pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace together with those who call on the Lord with a pure hear” (2 Tim 2:22 ISV). They shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9 KJV
__________________ Bill Bremer Kingdom Relationships http://billbremer.org
billbremer04@yahoo.com
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