Tag peace

House Of Peace

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“Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Shalom!’ to the household. If a seeker of shalom is there, your ‘Shalom!’ will find its rest with him; and if there isn’t, it will return to you. Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for a worker deserves his wages — don’t move about from house to house.” —Luke 10:5-7

Peace, Shalom… Something we all desire, especially right now as there is so much chaos happening in many places.

My first thought as I sat down to write tonight was the word, “home.” When I began looking for verses about “home,” many were listed, but the ones above caught my eye.

I have heard comments from different people about the “House of peace.” I have actually heard people say that when they enter a new city/village they search for the “house of peace.” They search for a place that they are welcomed. A place they can join in and become family.

The times we live in should cause us to make our homes places of peace. We should desire to be a safe place for people to rest and find nourishment for their souls. We should be a secure haven for those who need a place to hide from the turmoil in the world around them.

I am not suggesting that we invite just anyone or everyone into our homes. We need to be wise. However, we have become people who “hide out” and never invite anyone in. I don’t believe that was God’s intent, or His heart.

The challenge for us today is to ask HIM for wisdom, and then follow through with actions. Actions that bring LIFE and LIGHT to our communities. Actions that bring PEACE and comfort to those who are hurting.

Offer a cup of coffee or tea. It doesn’t take much to make one. Pray with someone. Even better, laugh with someone! The world needs all of this right now.

Be a house of peace… be the respite that this crazy world needs.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rose Horton

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Chanukah Peace

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On night two of Chanukah the LOVE candle lights JOY and then PEACE.

What do you think of when you hear the word, “peace?”

Some people think of calm waters. Some think of no fighting. I’m sure that people who live in war torn countries think of no gun fire around them. Some people might just think of enjoying a peaceful massage or dinner. There are so many different ways that peace could be interpreted.

What does the WORD of God say about peace?

Isaiah 26:3 “A person whose desire rests on you, you preserve in perfect peace, because he trusts in you. (CJB)

Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please Adonai, he makes even the man’s enemies be at peace with him. (CJB)

Matthew 10:34 “Don’t suppose that I have come to bring peace to the Land. It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword!” (CJB)

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris (trouble). But be brave! I have conquered the world!” (CJB)

PEACE… there are things we need to DO in order to have peace.

Isaiah tells us we must REST in Adonai and TRUST in Him.

Proverbs says that when our WAY PLEASES Adonai, than even our enemies will be a peace with us.

If we skip to the verse from John it says that if we are UNITED with Jesus, than we may have peace. We are also to be BRAVE.

Too often we expect PEACE to be present everywhere. If we look at the verse in Matthew we can understand that this is not the case. Jesus clearly told His disciples that He did not come to bring peace to the Land. In fact, He came with a sword and knew that there would be divisions along the way. He knew that families, friends, and communities would struggle. He said there would be wars and rumors of wars. He knew that famines and earthquakes will shake the land and bring chaos. What do we do in these situations?

There are people who have missed their Messiah because they thought that the Messiah was going to bring PEACE to the world. Jesus did not bring peace to the world. Jesus brought peace to HEARTS. Jesus brought peace to the LIVES of people, but not to the world. This will happen when He returns and takes His place as KING over ALL the earth.

Those who are looking for peace in the world are missing the teaching of Jesus. Jesus wants PEOPLE to have peace in their LIVES. Adonai desires for those who trust Him to have PEACE in their HEARTS. It is more about what is on the inside than what is taking place on the outside.

Jesus tells us that in this world we will have trouble. We are to be BRAVE through it and stay UNITED with Him. When we stay close to HIM and follow HIS ways, HE conquers the world for us and we can have PEACE in our HEARTS. When we are FOCUSED on His words, than we have PEACE in our MINDS.

Are you looking for peace to come around you? If you are, STOP and focus inward! What are YOU doing to bring peace to your heart? Are you TRUSTING? Are you RESTING? Are you FOLLOWING HIS WAYS? Are you UNITED WITH HIM? In order to find peace, we MUST walk with Adonai. We must TAKE the TIME to LISTEN to Him and let Holy Spirit lead us and guide us.

Be a person of peace to those around you. Be the LIGHT He has asked you to be by finding a way to be PEACEFUL in the midst of chaos.

Here is a verse about LIGHT which, if we truly follow the LIGHT of the world, we will have PEACE and LIFE!

John 8:12 Yeshua spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life.” (CJB)

I pray that you find a way to have PEACE inside. When you have peace, than it spreads to those around you. May HIS LIGHT shine through you and bring PEACE and LIFE to others.

 

Love and Blessings,

Rose Horton

Calm Center

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Hurricane warning!  Strong winds!  Rising waters!  Sound familiar?  It is the sound of life, especially life in the fast lane.  Bills to pay, bosses to please, children to raise, friends that need us, and the inevitable sicknesses and eventual deaths.  What fun!

Maybe it can be.  Maybe if we stay anchored to our hope, the storms of life will swirl

around us and never get into our boats.

Maybe there’s a place of rest where nothing can touch us, not even sickness and death.

Maybe with our eyes fixed on Christ and our ears attuned to his voice, we will be rock steady even in the midst of the storm.

Much discipline is required.  We must quiet our souls, calm our minds, and rest our spirits.

We must know the word, be practiced in prayer, and be in community with our fellow travelers.

We must work when it’s time to work, rest when it’s time to rest, and pray when it’s time to pray.  We must talk a little and listen a lot.  

We must laugh a little and love a lot.  We must trust our lives to the one who cares and who is able to see us through.  We start by trusting him with our souls, then with our families, our friends, our finances, and even our faith.  

He must sustain even our faith!  

We trust him with our past, our present, and our future.  We surrender back to him the earth and keep our minds and our affections fixed on our heavenly destination where Our Lord, Our Father, and our loved ones wait for us.

What a day of celebration it will be!

As a preacher/comedian, Ken Davis, so aptly put it, “Let us live with nothing to prove, nothing to hide, and nothing to lose.”  Let us thrive, not just survive.  Let us live to give.”

  “May the love of The Father, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all” – 2 Corinthians 13:14.

~ Brad Heilhecker