Welcome to the Pearls from the Word program. My name is Miisu Piipari.
Today's topic is the Prince of Peace.
Let's start with a delicious Bible passage, Isaiah 9:6.
"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; -
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, -
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Let's continue with another passage, John 17:26.
"And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, -
that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
So Jesus came to show us the Father and to make His love known, -
so from this we can also conclude that the name Prince of Peace -
is something what Jesus is. It is His name, but peace is something -
the Father carries because Jesus showed us the Father.
Ephesians 2:14 says about God: "For He Himself is our peace..."
Let's talk a bit about the story of Gideon in the book of Judges.
We see that Gideon was scared when the angel of the Lord appeared him -
and he encountered the God of peace. Judges 6, verses 22-24.
"Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord.
So Gideon said, 'Alas, O Lord God!
For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.'
Then the Lord said to him, 'Peace be with you; do not fear, -
you shall not die.' So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it -
The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."
Amen. And this Prince of Peace, shalom, means perfection, -
stability, both physical and financial well-being, -
peace from war, especially peace between man and God, -
and peace between people.
So shalom refers to well-being, safety and happiness, -
and is a very wide and comprehensive concept.
It means peace for our whole life, for all the areas of it, -
and also peace for different phases of life, -
because God took for Himself this name Jehovah Shalom.
And because God walks with us throughout our entire lives, -
His peace also walks with us in the different phases of our lives.
In such a peace God brings we can grow in knowing it -
and in knowing God through obedience and trust.
And the more you learn to know God -
the deeper is the peace that grows into your heart.
If you need peace into your life, get to know your God, -
do what He asks you to do and fall in love with Him again and again -
because He first loves you. The peace of God will grow into you step by step.
Let's see how this peace influences us -
and what good fruit it bears. In Ephesians 2:14 we see -
that the peace removes quarrel and hostility between people.
So we see that God truly is our peace. It says: -
"For He Himself is our peace [eirene], who has made both one, -
and has broken down the middle wall of separation."
So God's peace truly removes quarrel and hostility between people.
Let's see what peace does according to John 14:27.
"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."
Here we see that peace removes sorrow and fear.
So far we have seen that peace removes quarrel and hostility -
and that peace removes sorrow and fear. Think about it.
Actually the Greek word eirene that has been used here for peace -
also means peace, rest and quietness -
and in the Christian faith a peaceful state of the soul, -
which is guaranteed by salvation through Christ.
Let's see what else this peace does. Philippians 4:7 -
"...and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, -
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
So when God gives peace into our hearts -
it turns our focus from people to God.
We no longer look to other people to fulfill our needs, -
but we turn to God. What He gives us satisfies the inner needs of our soul.
And one more effect. The peace given by God is something really deep -
and it liberates us to see the circumstances exactly as they are.
It helps us to see beyond our broken and traumatized soul -
that easily distorts God's messages that come to us through it.
When we are healed and restored, we see more clearly.
If you want to hear God's voice better, let Him heal and restore you.
The peace given by God also sets you free to have a revelation of God, -
amen, of His power and possibilities to operate.
So many times I've come to my Father if I've been afraid of something.
For example during covid we watched a lot of news, -
and I remember that when I went to God and told Him I was afraid, -
God always replaced my fear with peace. The fear left and peace came.
The I could look at the circumstances more peacefully -
and to think what I can and cannot do, with God's wisdom, of course.
Then we can act peacefully in the spirit of faith.
Think about David and Goliath. What chances could the teenager David -
have against Goliath who was two or even three metres tall?
Think about this. A huge giant against a little boy, -
but David was filled with a deep peace of God including rest -
and a reassurance of faith that everything is OK, we'll win this match.
God's peace also helps us to endure sudden difficult situations -
such as the deaths of our loved ones and sudden changes of life.
That deep peace brings into situations the rest and the ability to trust God.
You've probably heard of people with a serious cancer diagnosis -
whom God has filled with peace even though their family is afraid.
As a personal example I can tell of my mom's sudden death 2 years ago.
She was sick but she didn't die of any of the sicknesses -
that we had thought might have been fatal to her, -
but instead she died all of a sudden from something else.
It was a big surprise and caused a strong longing and sorrow reaction, -
but as I cried for God He poured peace into my heart.
It was so lovely and helped me to operate in those situations -
and to clear the matters of my mother's death estate.
God's peace also helps you to endure stressful situations -
such as pressure at work, schedules, relationships, crises at work, -
fears, anxiety and so forth, -
but for this we need the Holy Spirit, a close relationship to God -
and that we go to His care.
In the Passion Translation Jesus Himself says in John 15 -
in a sweet way something like this -
"Let God nourish your hearts such as I also let Him nourish Me."
In addition to this, God's peace brings rest into our hearts.
Did you know that the rest given by God will restore a man's soul, -
both our inner and outer beings?
This we can see in Psalm 23. I read it according to the Amplified version.
"He makes me lie down..." Notice that it's the work of God.
"He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; -
He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
He refreshes and restores my life (my self); -
He leads me in the paths of righteousness -
[uprightness and right standing with Him]", close to Jesus.
"...not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake."
In this Psalm we walk every moment next to Jesus, -
and when we do it this happens. We are being restored -
and it brings us an inner rest that refreshes us inside out.
So just being and walking beside Jesus brings forth wonderful things.
Maybe you remember that in Luke 24:32 the disciples walked -
beside the resurrected Jesus but didn't recognize Him.
When they finally realized it was Jesus they were full of excitement.
They said: "Did not our heart burn within us?" Something happens in us -
when only Jesus is near us. We are refreshed -
and we get God's fire, passion, joy and excitement He wants to give.
If you think of Psalm 23 again, Jesus is my Shepherd.
He knows the best places where to bring the sheep to graze.
He also knows the best resting places that are safe and bring shelter, -
and for this reason it would be good for us to hear Him and walk with Him.
So rest is an influence of peace.
When your heart has received peace, there is room for rest, right?
Encountering Jesus and abiding in Him brings peace -
and then you can grow in that rest.
From that comes hearing God's voice, and making decisions with Him -
is totally different from making decisions stressed -
in our own mind and with our own wisdom. It says in Proverbs 3:5 -
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, -
And lean not on your own understanding."
After many such moments when Jesus rose and started His work, -
after stepping aside to rest with His Father, -
we see what a peace He had for example in Gethsemane.
When He exchanged the pain and anxiety with God's peace in His heart, -
often in the Bible there were great miracles such as the feedings, -
casting out of the deaf and dumb spirit, the selection of the disciples, -
the healings of the daughter of the Canaanite woman and the lame man.
Before all these Jesus had been calming down -
and receiving the presence, love and advice of the heavenly Father.
So Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
He is for us peace, rest and the true resting place.
I want to bless you too with these restful moments, -
a chance to be near Jesus.
Go to Him and enjoy peace and rest. Amen.
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English translation: Anni Lähteenmäki / TV7