The Key to Peace Part 2

When a person has confessed his sins with G.o.dly sorrow, and they are all under the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross, he is "born again"

and has become a new creature in Christ Jesus. (II Cor. 5:17). How precious it is to know that "old things are pa.s.sed away" and "all things are become new!" His wrongs have been made right, as far as possible, and according to his knowledge. Then he needs to walk in this kind of way and life. It takes some watching and praying to keep the peace in the soul that G.o.d has given. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can one continue in contact with G.o.d. After a person has fully surrendered himself to the Lord and has the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit in his soul, he is equipped to go forth and fight the devil who goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (1 Pet.

5:8). The devil is no respector of persons. He is more than a match for the child of G.o.d but when the child of G.o.d seeks grace and help from G.o.d, the devil has to flee. He now needs to know how to face the devil, so he can be "more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus."

We read in James 4:6-8 that first, we need to know that G.o.d gives grace or help to the humble. We need to humbly realize our need of G.o.d's help.

Then we are to submit ourselves to G.o.d, draw close to G.o.d and "he will draw nigh to you." Every step we take toward G.o.d, He will take one toward us. After we are in the will of G.o.d and have implored His help, we can then, in the name of Jesus, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." One brother said he talked to the devil just like he did to his dog. He said, "Get out of here!" The devil had to pack his bags and leave.

When a person is saved, one of the first things the devil tells him is that he isn't saved. This is a famous trick of Satan and it's sad to say, that he uses it over and over and it has worked on many souls. We need not be "ignorant of his devices." It's a pretty sure fact that you are saved or the devil would not bother about you. So don't let that trouble you, but "resist the devil," or he will take your peace.

Prayer is another thing we must do to keep our peace. G.o.d knows what we need before we ask Him, but His plan is for us to ask. Prayer is not just always asking G.o.d for something, but it's a means of fellowship with G.o.d. It's a communion between G.o.d and us that brings love, joy, peace, comfort and all that we need. It's a heart to heart talk to G.o.d.

In prayer we tell our Lord and Saviour of our great love for Him. In prayer we never cease to praise Him for dying on the cross and taking our punishment for our sins. In prayer we, so to speak, just lift our hearts and minds up into that heavenly realm and we touch heaven. A thrill of heavenly love flows from G.o.d down into the very depths of our inner being. Power, strength and grace is given, and with a deep inner joy we go forth and face the world. Others might wonder how we can have the courage to face the hard things, but it's because of grace gained through prayer. Prayer should never be neglected or we will feel our peace slipping away.

Prayer can be a groan, a sigh, a dropping of a tear, a smile, an inner praise going up to G.o.d, laughter in the spirit, or an inward or audible "praise the Lord!" Prayer is the sincere desire of the heart or an att.i.tude of the heart. Surely we can "pray without ceasing," as we keep a heart full of love for our Lord and a feeling of utter dependence upon Him. In living in this way, our peace will be abounding.

Another foe we must watch is self. Often it has been said that we must die out to self, but it goes deeper than just saying it. Self longs to live, but it must be crucified. We must remember that "ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify G.o.d in your body, and in your spirit, which are G.o.d's." I Cor. 6:19,20. If we belong to G.o.d then we do not belong to ourselves. We must be aware of the fact that self will make many concessions to live. Self sometimes will allow its owner to do many sacrificial deeds if it can live. It will even bear hard things, but it must go. Self must be crucified. We must die to good deeds, and to bad deeds, successes, failures, exaltations, humiliation, friends and foes. Oh, it must not be us but Jesus that will be lifted up in our lives! The Apostle Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of G.o.d, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20. So it must not be self that lives but Christ must live in us.

We need to watch our thoughts to keep our peace. We are told that G.o.d "wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isa. 26:3. When our peace is disturbed we need to check to see where our mind has been or what we were thinking about.

The mind is the battle ground. The devil has access to the mind as well as G.o.d. We are tempted through the mind. The devil will present wrong thoughts and then the Lord is right there to bring us good thoughts or suggest the right thing to do. We need to separate our thoughts. We need to cast out the wrong thoughts and only think on the good thoughts from G.o.d. The devil is like a persistent salesman. He will talk and talk at the door and if you are not careful he will get the door open and have his foot in it. If you give him any encouragement he will be sitting in your living room and have his wares all spread out before you. So we must not let the devil get past the door of our mind. Just tell him right off, "I am not interested."

We think of the children of Israel in Egypt, when G.o.d told them to put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts one night, so their eldest son would be spared when the death angel pa.s.sed over. Ex. 12:12,13. The blood on the door was the powerful warning to keep evil from the Israelites on that night when the Egyptians were visited and death was in every home. Just so, dear Grandson, the blood of Jesus on the door of our heart and mind will keep the devil from coming into our mind, sitting down and displaying all of his wares of evil. When tormenting thoughts, thoughts of fear, thoughts of unjust deeds of others done to you, thoughts of self-pity, anxiety, doubts, unforgiveness, mistrust of G.o.d, or evil of all kinds appear to take up your thoughts, just resist them and point to the blood on the door of your heart. Those thoughts will have to flee. Sometimes a person can think upon an unjustice done to him and it will grow bigger and bigger. The mistake is made by not resisting it in the beginning and forgiving the injustice. G.o.d's ways are right, if we will follow them.

When bold and daring thoughts move in and are persistent, trying to fill every corner of our mind, we need to point to the blood. They have to leave. Bring the mind under subjection to the blood and think of good things. "And the peace of G.o.d, which pa.s.seth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things." Phil. 4:7,8.

Obedience to G.o.d's Word

Be careful to obey the Word of G.o.d, and do not let others influence you to do wrong. Be strong and courageous to stand for right and truth. Dear Grandson, there will be many in the world who will sneer at you for your stand for right. Some will persecute you, but don't let this influence you to let down your standard from G.o.d of what is right. G.o.d expects us to obey Him. Others might try to make you think that the way they have figured it out is right, but still we must obey the Lord.

When I was about 13 years of age I learned a lesson on obedience and resisting others influence that I never forgot. I let others influence me to disobey my father's command. It was presented to me in a way so that it seemed that it would be all right, but yet it was a direct disobedience.

Unexpectedly, my parents were to be gone on Sunday. Early that morning my father came upstairs to my bedroom, and told me about their going, and told me to take the three younger children to Sunday school and church services, and then come home, prepare dinner and stay at home until they returned in the late afternoon.

After the morning services, some of the young people wanted me to go home with them for dinner and then in the afternoon they were going to another town close by, and have young people's meeting. I repeated what my father said and told them that I couldn't go. One girl especially began to beg me to go by saying that she was sure my father would not care. I still refused to go, so she talked to her mother about it. Her mother told me that she would take care of the three smaller children if I wanted to go with the young people to the meeting and she was sure my father would know they were in good care. This over-persuasion was hard to turn down, so I went home with them for dinner and to the young people's meeting in the afternoon. I didn't feel very good over it as I knew what my father's command was and I knew that when he told me to do something he expected me to do it. Needless to say, when my father heard about it, I was punished for disobeying him. He also had prayer with me, instructing me to seek G.o.d's forgiveness. The good intentions of others did not sway him. He told me I should not let others influence me to disobey him, regardless of what they presented. It grieved him very much to think that I didn't do as he had told me, and he said that he didn't know if he could trust me again. I was very sorry and grieved also, as I did want him to trust me.

My dear grandson, G.o.d is grieved when we let others influence us to do wrong, even though it may seem right to them. They might present a plausible thing, but if G.o.d said for us not to do it, we must not. We must obey G.o.d. We are individually responsible to G.o.d to give an account for our deeds. We can't tell G.o.d that others thought it was all right.

That will never excuse us.

We read of Saul, the king of Israel, who let the people persuade him to keep the sheep, oxen, etc. of the wicked nation of the Amalakites, when G.o.d had told him to completely destroy everything. The people said that they should take the best and offer them as a sacrifice to the Lord.

This might have seemed plausible, but it was a direct disobedience to the Lord's command. The Lord told Saul, "to obey is better than sacrifice." Saul's punishment was great. Samuel, the prophet of the Lord said, "thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel." I Sam. 15:20-26.

G.o.d expects us to obey Him and when we do, we will have peace in our souls. Disobedience will bring the disfavor of G.o.d upon our soul and it will have to be punished.

Jesus has said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15. Love for G.o.d will make us careful to keep His sayings and He will give us a peace that the world cannot take away from us. We can't find soul peace in the world. And after all, my dear grandson, we want to live so we can live with our inner self. G.o.d created us with a part of Himself in us.

There is something within us that looks up to a Creator. Some will disregard the true G.o.d and worship the G.o.ds of stone etc. They think that will satisfy the longing in their souls but it doesn't. Only when we are in contact with the true G.o.d can we find real peace.

Now my dear grandson, and all who read this, take the true key to peace and let it open your heart and by prayerfully seeking G.o.d, you can have peace in your soul. I love the souls of all mankind and want everyone who will desire peace in their heart with G.o.d, to make it into heaven by observing the Word of G.o.d.

--Grandma Miles (A. Marie Miles)

"I Can Handle It"

"What does Jeff's death mean to me? Well, some kids will probably stop dropping flippies for awhile. I mean, you got to watch that stuff and know what you're getting so you don't take some with too much rat poison in it. Me, I know what I am doing, I can handle it."

This was the answer to a question asked of one of Jeff Stewart's friends who came to the cemetery, with other barefooted friends, who were clutching wild flowers, to place on his grave. Jeff Stewart was the son of a Methodist preacher and had refused to listen to his parents. They had pled with him in tears to turn away from drugs. He had gotten into it through others' influence, but when his parents tried to help him, he would generally say, "I can handle it."

Jeff Stewart was a handsome boy, so said his mother, and a B student. He was only 17, but had died of an overdose of barbiturates on August 22, 1970 in a shack that he and his drug addicted friends had built on a side street in Hopewell, New York. In the midst of "rock music" he and his friends "smoked marijuana" and "dropped acid," (LSD) regularly.

At times Jeff wanted to get off drugs and had told his mother that he wished he had never started taking drugs, was a little boy again and could start life all over.

There is a struggle going on in the minds of every young teen-ager. At times he is a carefree person but then at other times he tries to act grown up or feels that he knows what he should do and the path he should walk. These are difficult times in a teen-ager's life. Influences from within and from without will cause him to decide upon his course.

Parents see this indecision and they try to guide their teen-agers in the right direction. The pastor, Sunday school teacher, and the young people's leader are all interested in the teen-agers and are trying to show them the right way. At times the teen-ager thinks his parents or other spiritual instructors are right, but the crowd at school, and often the teacher, use their influences to pull him the other way. Day after day he is making decisions. The wrong influences seek to turn the teen-ager away from morality and G.o.d's Word but they do not give anything to take its place in his heart or erase guilty feelings.

Therefore he finds emptiness within, so is compelled to continue to seek something else to satisfy him. Then he is led deeper into grosser evils, trying to "handle" his inner longings.

Some might say, "But how do you know?" I know because I went through those years and I know the influences to which I was exposed. One time I wanted a certain thing or would want to do a certain thing but then later I didn't like or want it. Some at school would present their ideas and my parents and spiritual advisers presented their ideas. In my mind I was continually weighing out what was right or what I really wanted to do.

As we think of the young boy who died of continually taking drugs and felt that he could "handle" his own life, we see how he chose to travel the wrong road. Even though his buddies saw what had happened to him they were so stuck on drugs that they, too, thought they could still "handle" their lives. What a mistake they are making and I am sure you are convinced of that fact. None of us are able to *handle* our own lives. When we are born we have within our very nature a bent toward evil. That bent toward evil has to be curbed. G.o.d gave children parents because they needed help to face life and to curb that which was within them that would lead them to the wrong path. Children and teen-agers should recognize this fact and listen to them. Even if you do not want to admit it, you can't *handle* your own life without the aid of your parents. Furthermore you can't handle your life and walk the right path without G.o.d's help. The devil works through the influences of others to lead you astray. Only through the power of G.o.d can the power of the devil be broken, the bent toward evil be destroyed, and you be able to do the right or choose the right path. Never feel that you can *handle*

your own life. No man, woman, child, or teen-ager can *handle* his life or obey the Word of G.o.d, which teaches him the way to live in this life and be ready to die, without help from outside of himself.

In my early teen-age life there were two verses of Scripture that I had learned by memory which were a guide to me. One was, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right," Eph. 6:1. The other one was, "For G.o.d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. The first one made me know that G.o.d would bless me if I obeyed my parents. Many times my idea of what they required wasn't the thing that I wanted to do, but I obeyed. Why? Because I loved Jesus. I was convinced that I was doomed for h.e.l.l, but Jesus had loved me so much that He came to this world, lived, and died on the cross and arose again for my salvation. If it had not been for Jesus taking my sins and loving me so much I would be eternally lost. That was a great influence in my life and today I am very glad that I obeyed my parents and also let Jesus handle my life and lead me in a right direction.

When teen-agers rebel they are headed for trouble and oh, what great trouble! Let us remember the young man who thought he could handle his life but had a tragic ending and was eternally lost. Dear Grandson, remember the Bible has the answer to every problem, and Jesus will help you handle your life if you will let Him.

"Two Italian boys of New York City were returning from a swim. They were each about fifteen years of age. Pietro had picked up a piece of copper wire and thought he would have a little fun with the third rail of the New York Central track, along which they were walking.

"He poked away around the wooden covering of the rail, but nothing happened.

"'That's funny,' he said. 'I guess I didn't touch the right spot.' Then he pushed the point of the wire down underneath the covering.

"There was a flash of blue flame and a shriek of pain as 11,000 volts of electricity shot through the wire. In a moment Pietro's clothing was on fire and his hair and eyebrows were burned off. He tried to drop the wire, as it hissed and sputtered at white heat, but it wouldn't let go.

He tried to pull it away, but it stuck to the rail as if it were soldered there. The other boy tired to pull him away, but he was hurled to the ground with a terrific shock. Then the brave fellow threw his rubber coat around Pietro and pulled him loose.

"Pietro started to run but fainted and fell. They took him to the hospital, and the doctor said, 'One chance in a thousand to recover.'

"The boys said they knew there was something dangerous about that rail.

They had heard other people say so, but they didn't think it would hurt to play around with it a little.

"Just so, sin is dangerous. It scorches and burns and kills, like the live third rail. People know it, and yet they play around with sin.

Many times there are signs near high voltage wires--_Danger, Do Not Touch_! G.o.d has put up some signs, too. In His Word He warns against the danger of sin. If we want to be safe, and happy, we will heed these warnings."

"A minister of Geneva, on a trip to Paris, one day fell into a conversation with a man who began to reason with him about Christianity.

The minister answered every argument with a quotation from Scripture--not venturing a single personal remark or application. Every quotation his companion evaded or turned aside, only to be met by another pa.s.sage. The skeptic became enraged. 'Don't you see, I don't believe your Bible! What's the use of quoting it to me?' he shouted. The minister's reply was another thrust of the Sword of the Spirit, 'If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.' Years pa.s.sed, then one morning the minister received a letter. Opening it he read, 'You took the Sword of the Spirit and stabbed me through and through one day, and every time I tried to parry the blade and get you to use your hands, and not the Heavenly steel, you simply gave me another stab. You made me feel I was not fighting you, but G.o.d.' It was signed by the former skeptic in whom the 'seed of the Word' had finally been mixed with faith.