Cdc 18th Nov 2019 Thou Will Keep in Perfect Peace

[background music starts] [Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Life Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] 1988, April. That was my about the second but first personal. The first my first encounter of God's visitation was in a group meeting where I received the Holy Spirit. But that '88 was the second outpouring of God but the first time it would be personal. I was just in the room trying to read my Bible. Just in my usual manner, I wake up, do the house chores. Once that is done, wait for everybody to go out. Once they have gone out, I lock the whole door then I prepare to meet with God. I may be like that from that morning because then I was out of school and I had not gained admission. I spent about four years at home. Thank God for that four years that God kept me at home. That was the four-year I knew that God made me, God met me and made me before I entered the university. For that four years I was at home. When people go, I'm at home. I'm at home. So one of the days I came just in the usual manner. And as I entered into the room, I noticed there was somebody also in the room. Nobody told me anything. Nobody said anything. Nobody had told me how the presence of God looks like. I've not heard it before. But one thing that was overwhelming. What it means to be in a place, you alone in the whole house, you have locked all the door, suddenly there is somebody in the room with you. What is the first thing that comes to your heart? Fear. But I just entered the room, I wanted to pray, and then I noticed somebody in the room. But one thing that characterized that encounter was peace. Even though I could not say who the person is, but now I can say who the person is. I could not say who the person is, but everything was just peaceful. I was just at peace. And I just sat down. I wanted to pray, just sit down. And I sat down. There was no fear. There was nothing. I was at peace. And then he started talking. I was just following the person. One hallmark of God's presence is peace. Is peace. When God is present in a life, one hallmark that God is present is peace. Peace. Let's try to think about some scriptures. The Bible calls him the Prince of Peace. The Bible says he himself made broke the wall of partition and brought peace with God. Is that not? In another instance, the Bible says being justified by faith, we have peace with God in Romans 5:1. In another instance, he says he was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement for our peace was upon him. If you go back in that scripture, he said surely he bore our sorrow and took our griefs. Surely, if you look at those scriptures, they are all pointing to one thing. What are they pointing to? Peace. Apostle Paul was speaking, he said the kingdom of God is not in eating and in drinking, but in righteousness and peace and joy. The hallmark of God's kingdom: righteousness, peace, joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength. If you leave that scripture, he says the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable. Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sons of God. So if we are to reverse that statement, just trying to reverse it literally, not blessed are those who don't broke out peace because they will be called sons of the devil. I'm just trying to bring out something about God, about the presence of God, about the workings of God, about God being in a life, about God working in a man, about God establishing his kingdom. And if you leave that scripture and you go yet a little further, what does it say again? He says follow after holiness and peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. In another point, he says as much as it lies in you, be at peace with all men. I don't know how many scriptures I've multiplied now in this very short time that I'm talking. All of them pointing to peace. Then I was just taking a study from Dake's Bible. And he says the word peace, if you notice it, every time God wants to speak to his people, the first thing is, "Fear not, I am with you." There's no time you bring something, fear not. If you check it, he says the word peace, peace, be at peace, peace unto you. He says it comes about 365 times in the Bible. He says he believes with that, one is for every day. That's Dake's commentary. I'm just trying to bring something out of all that I've said. That in Isaiah 26:3, the Lord said, "Thou will keep in perfect peace." Peace. I want us to draw something oh. We have been talking about peace, and now we are talking about perfect peace. Can we open to Isaiah? That's why I just wonder when she said God has been speaking to her from Isaiah 26 and I'm just wondering that my this point, my tab. Okay, let's see that scripture Isaiah 26. Let's just go there quickly. Isaiah 26. Maybe let me open my multi-translation Bible. So on this Bible I have Amplified, I have NLT, I have KJV. Which other translation do we have apart from those three? NLT? Okay, so we can have NLT from you. Nobody is having NIV? You have NIV. Good news. Who's having The Message? You also have The Message. Okay. So let's look at Isaiah 26:3. It's just like yesterday in the teenage church. I'm now working among the teenagers in the church. Some of the time when you come to church you may not find me in the big church, you find me among the teenagers. And yesterday we were just talking, talking, talking. Then at a point, one of the teenagers raised up his hand. We asked some of them, "Do you have a personal relationship with God?" Some said yes, some said no, some said not sure. So a few of them said not sure. So I was wondering, why shouldn't you be sure? Until we got to one of them who said, "Ah please, I really want explanation. What do you really mean by a personal relationship with God? Are you talking about when somebody is busy for God?" He was trying to use different things to explain. Then the others who said not sure, they now said, "Hehen, that's why we said we're not sure because we really have not understood what it means when you say having a personal relationship with God." And as we got talking, later one of the adults that were in class together then came back and said, "In fact, thank God for this class. These questions these teenagers are asking is making us to redefine some things in a way that even we adults need to get to understand these things better." Sometimes some words are just used, but the implication and the benefit of them we are not working in it. We are not working in the benefit and implications of those things because we have not really understood it in the fullness of its content, in the fullness of its implication. And that's why I just want us to look around. The word peace is a very common word. It's just like the word love. But if you try to define love today and you try to redefine, you know that people don't even understand the word love is, even though love is a word that is mostly used today. Even when you are destroying the girl, you say you love her. Now let's look at Isaiah 26:3. So let's try, brother, your NLT, let's see what it says. [Speaker 3] "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you." [Speaker 2] You will keep in perfect peace. We are trying to look for a scripture that might remove the word perfect. Are you following me? We have been talking about peace. But now we are on that scripture that's talking about perfect peace. So you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts—I want you to note the plural something there—thoughts are fixed on you. Who is giving us NIV? [Speaker 4] "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." [Speaker 2] Those whose mind. So the word thoughts have been replaced with mind. Thought and mind may be synonymous. Our thoughts are in our mind. So whose mind are steadfast. What does it mean for something to be steadfast? Consistent. Another word? Unwavering. Step put on something. Does that bring your mind to something quickly in the New Testament? That a double-minded man. A double-minded soul. When we say double-minded man, a man whose thought is not fixed. A man whose thought—please be looking at the word mind. The reason why I'm taking different translation have dwell on these things. It took me to other dimension. And I was just excited. Wow, God, so this scripture is out for, wow. I was just excited. Now because your mind should quickly run to James. He says a man, a double-minded man is like, he describes him as something. He's like what? [Speaker 5] Wave of the sea. [Speaker 2] He's like a wave of the sea that is what? Tossing. So what is tossing it? Wind. We are looking at a very simple thing oh. But we are looking at something very practical. Something very common with us. But something we have not really taken time to note. We have not taken time to note it. And so many times we miss out of our blessing. Many times we miss the visitation of God. That's what I want to show you. Now Isaiah said, we have been talking about peace, but Isaiah now talked about perfect peace. In talking about perfect peace, he's showing us the way to perfect peace. He said the man whose—one scripture says whose thought, another scripture says whose mind—is stayed on God. Now I now took you to James. Maybe somebody should go to the James and read. James chapter 1, is from around verse 6. Who's reading for us? James chapter 1, go to around that verse 6. [Speaker 6] "But only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering, no hesitating, no doubting. For the one who wavers, hesitates, doubts is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind." [Speaker 2] The person should ask with no wavering, no hesitating, no doubting. For the one who wavers, who hesitates, who doubts. Please note the word, the one who wavers, who hesitates, who doubts. He's like a billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. So he's blowing here and there. I hope you know what she's trying to say now. The wave, it'll be doing like this. Now please, tossing you will still continue the reading. Now please, what I'm trying to ask is this: when you talk about wave, you talk about restlessness. Is that not true? Wave, we talk about troubles. Is that not? Now please, what does wave carry? What does wave carry? What do you see that you call wave? It carries water. The water will go up, "make way". You understand me? What we are calling wave, like my dad who was a sailor for 10 years was telling me about the tidal wave. He said the tidal wave is such that once it comes like that and the water goes up, he said the strength of that wave, if it comes down like that on the ship, it will cut the ship into two. He said it will cut it into two. So what they do, that once they see the tidal wave up, they don't wait for the wave to come on the sea, rather they go to the base. They could take the ship to the base. So it will fall on the water, the ship will seek refuge at the base of it. So once it goes up, you don't wait for it to, you don't stand where it will come down. You come to where the base is, so that it does not wipe you with that. If it wipes you with that, he said the ship will cut to two. Now, I'm just trying to draw attention to something. The Bible says when somebody is hesitant, somebody is doubting, somebody is not steadfast, when the mind is not steadfast. You're looking at steadfast now in terms of to be fixed on God. It's not fixed. It's on God, it leaves God, it's on God, it leaves God. He says it's like a wave of the sea that is tossed to and fro. Now that thing you are calling wave, that thing that I told you that carries water. Now what does water represent? We wash by the word. We sanctify by the word. We cleanse by the word. Ephesians chapter 5. Husbands love your wife as Christ love the church, that might sanctify her by the washing of water by the word. Are you understand what I'm trying to bring out? Now when we say a double-minded man, somebody who is not steadfast, somebody whose mind is not fixed, what does it tells you about the word inside that person? It's being taken here. Are you understanding me now? Why he said it's like a wave of the sea. Because water represent the word. It'll be carrying the water like this. So the water cannot take root down. It's not "it is written". Jesus said it is written. Man shall not live by bread, and he's there. Elijah said, "They that be with us are more than they that be with them," and he was fixed. Paul said, "Nothing is going to happen, for I've been shown, the Lord that I serve spoke to me this night and he said nobody will die." He was not, "I hope, I hope." Are you getting what I'm trying to bring out? Nothing is tossing, nothing is carrying it here and there. But in going down that place, he said let that man not think he can receive what? You know what makes me afraid? The Bible did not say let that man not think he will receive what he's asking from the Lord. He said let him ask in faith, not doubting. Are you understanding me? If you go up from where she was reading from, "Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering." Now what is the person asking for? Wisdom. "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of the giving God who gives to everyone liberally and upbraideth not." That was what now tell let him ask in faith, not wavering. For he that wavers. So what should have been the consequence of wavering is that he will not receive that thing. But that is not what the Bible used to answer. Bible say he will not receive anything from God. Are you understanding what I'm trying to bring out? He said he will not receive, let not that man think he will receive anything from God. The man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. Now the matter we are dealing with is he asks for wisdom. But now the response we are getting is with regard to he will not, he should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. Now what am I trying to show you? What I'm calling your attention to is this: that when a man is not steadfast, when a man is not steadfast, the issue is not that the man will not get what he's asking. The issue is that God, God is not at peace with that man. For without faith, it is impossible to do what? To please God. So the double-minded man is not only that he cannot get that thing, but there's a more fundamental problem. What's the fundamental problem? That life is not pleasing God. It's not just that the life will not get what he wants, but that that life is not pleasing God. It is by faith that the elders obtain what? A good report. Even though they did not get what they were looking for. But what did God do? He commended them for their faith. What they wanted. So you find that faith is not even about getting. Are you following me? It's not even about getting. Faith is about pleasing somebody. Are you understanding me at all? The elders, God was happy with them. Although he was happy with them, what they were asking for, did they get it? Did they get it? They didn't get it. But God was happy with them. He was glad. He was so happy because they pleased him. They pleased him. He was happy that they were rested on me. They pleased God. And so they were commended. And one thing characterized them. Go and check these elders. Their end was peace. God kept them in peace. You'll be thinking that peace and getting is synonymous. No, they are not. They are not. What they were waiting for they did not get it. The coming of the Messiah. I hope you know that was the thing that they did not get. They were waiting for it, they were looking at the prophecy, they were understanding it, they did not get it. They died in faith. They were commended that they were waiting, they were waiting. They were told it was not for them, and later he came to us so that they without us can't be made perfect. But you notice that God commended them, God was happy with them, and one thing characterize them. Go and check them. Their end was peace. You remember the case of Abraham. You know what God told Abraham? He said you, as for you, you will die in good old age and you bury with your father. In your first generation, your children will come back to inherit this place. So the land he was thinking to inherit, did he get it? But how did Abraham, how did he end? You see the peace that goes with them. Now, what I'm trying to relate to you and bring back and forth for you, let me show you another instance in the Bible. You remember the case of Jairus' daughter. Jairus went to meet who? To meet Jesus. What was the news? That the daughter is sick and at the point of death, that Jesus should come and pray for her. They were on their way. As they were going, there was an interruption. What was the interruption? The woman with issue of blood. As they were going, Jesus suddenly stopped and he said, "Somebody touched me." What was Peter's response? "Oluwa mi, exaggeration ko le leyi. Everybody is touching you. Everybody is pushing and touching you. How can you say somebody touched me?" Jesus said, "No sir, somebody touched me." He said because virtue left me. Which means so many people were touching Jesus, but the touch was not in a manner that pleases the Lord. So virtue could not leave him. You get the point I'm trying to make? But somebody did a touch of faith, and that was interruption. Then the woman finally came out and said it is me. She confessed that this was my problem. This was what I said. And when I touched, I was healed. What was Jesus's response? "Go in peace." What did he offer her? Peace. What brought the peace? "Your faith has made you whole." It was in the process of that interruption as he was finishing with the woman with issue of blood. Now I want you to imagine. Jairus that came to call Jesus and they were going, and that woman interrupted, what will be in Jairus' mind? What would be in Jairus' mind? "Who touch this Jesus come out now." You can just imagine that Jairus daughter is dying and the Lord was already going to his house then this woman now interrupted. What will be in Jairus mind about the woman and the interruption? He could not, he was just agitation would just be in his mind. And true to the word, go and check that story. Immediately that woman Jesus said go in peace, information promptly: don't bother the Lord again, the girl is dead. What do you think Jairus will say about that woman? "Ah, if not for this woman who did this. Ah, this devilish woman." You can just imagine. Jesus would have gotten to the house. It was one obirin kan to lo se nkan kan. You can just imagine. You know sometimes we don't see these things until the Holy Ghost open your mind to certain things. The person went to call Jesus and they were already going. You can imagine like your daughter is dying. And as they were going, Jesus just suddenly stopped. He was already going to Jairus house. You can imagine whether you're on a queue, you want to get something, as they want to answer you, somebody called the man, "Hello, eheh, daddy kini." What will be on your mind? "Kini yi o ya kope, how can you be talking now, you will not talk out." But in your mind you will be struggling, you will be troubled that let this thing be over now so that they can answer me. And so Jairus, agitation would just be in his mind. And true to the word, immediately that woman Jesus said go in peace, information don't bother the Lord again, the child is dead. But what did Jesus tell Jairus immediately? He said what? At that point Jesus said something to Jairus. He said, "Don't be afraid, only believe." He said don't be afraid, only believe. You see when you follow the way Jesus acted again in the case of the death of Lazarus. When they ran to him, "He is sick, he is sick unto death, come and heal him." He said, "The sickness is not unto death, it's unto the glory of God." And Jesus sat back for three days. If you desperately take a matter to God under such desperation and then, "It's not unto death, rest, rest." Then the Lord stayed where he is and then doing some other things. After three days, after you have done burial, the Lord was now coming. He said, "Eheh, you sent for me." What would be your response? I'm trying to make you see that the way we are taken by our fears is not the way the Lord is taken by them. It's not the way he's taken by them. And it's not as if he's not concerned, it's not as if he doesn't care. No. And that was why when he finally came, the two sisters that sent for him, they said, "Lord, you were late." What was the first statement they made when they saw Jesus? "If you had been here." "If you had been here, our brother would not have died." So what are they saying? "What is the purpose of coming now?" Do you know that some things in your life are like that? Just look like if God don't do it now, what is the essence? It looks like that time when you have calculated it, you have planned it, you have put it like that, that is when God could have just put it and so when you now look at the whole thing as useless. Say, "Lord, if you have been here, our brother would not have died." When they met Martha again, the same statement, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." But Jesus keeps repeating a statement. What did he say? "If you believe, you will see the glory of God." I'm showing you the import of how God want men to rest on God and how our situations can be sometimes. I don't know how many of you is familiar with this hymn, "God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps on the sea and rides upon the storm." In one of the stanza, you know what he says? He said, "Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread are big with mercy and will break in blessings on your head." That cloud you are dreading. In another one, he said, "Behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face." This thing that is making you to be shaking, God is just smiling. He's just watching. Do you know how rested the Lord was that he would be busy be talking to someone, "Who touch this thing?" Peter said we don't know, "Somebody touched me." The person that needs the miracle is already dying, but the Lord was busy with what he was doing. And when he was through to confirm that that desperation is correct for the man, they just gave him the information, "Don't bother the Lord, the child is dead." But what did Jesus tell Jairus immediately? He said what? "Only believe." The way we are taken by our fears is not the way the Lord is taken by them. It's not. And it's not as if he's not concerned. He's not as if he doesn't care. No. And that was why when he finally came... let me show you another instance in the Bible. You remember Peter. He said, "Lord, should I come?" And what did the Lord say? "Come." I hope you're familiar with that story. And then when he obeyed that word, what happened? He began to walk on the sea. But what happened? Something happened that led to looking at the wave. What happened? The Bible says, "And when the wave became boisterous." Do you know what that means? When he said come, the water was calm. When he was walking on the water, suddenly you know what happened? Water rose, there was mighty wave. So that thing that went up, what did Peter do? He began to sink. And as he was looking at it, he began to sink. But Peter now did something: he cried out. He said, "Lord!" The Lord reached out his hand and he took him. Now, what am I trying to say? Who said come? Who made the wave to go up? You are not answering. Who made the wave to go up? Jesus. Where should the mind of Peter be despite the wave? But where did his thought move to? The wave. And what happened? What was working before could no more work. Something was working for him. The thing stopped working. I'm trying to make you just see how we miss out of daily. The Bible said God, God. I load my people with benefit. Peter already had a benefit. What was the benefit? He was walking on the sea. That was a benefit with which his life was loaded. But what happened to the benefit? It began to give way in his life. Why? Because his mind was no more on the Lord who said come. Where was his mind? He began to read his safety within the circumstance of his situation. He thought that word can work only when the water is at peace. Now that the water is up, please don't look at the Lord again oh. Begin to evaluate the situation. And as you evaluate the situation, ha, the water is up, and so as it's coming now, they said like example I just gave, the tidal wave will cut ship. Maybe Peter knew that I'm just giving example. Tidal wave will cut ship. Now this tidal wave, me I'm human being, what will it do? In fact, it will turn me to nothing. And then what happened? The benefit with which he was loaded, there was a benefit, his life was in a benefit. The benefit of being able to walk on the sea, the benefit of being able to do the supernatural, the benefit of having being able to walk by the word of the Lord. What happened to that initial benefit? It began to give way. It now looks like there was no initial starting point for his life. It looks like he started again from a zero point. It's not because he was not loaded with benefit, but his mind was not on the Lord. And so the benefit began to give way. The benefit began to give way. Brethren, I'm not able to get to the end of this thing today. A lot of issues came. He says the Lord daily loads us with benefit. There is trouble all around. There is fear all around. There are trepidation. How will tomorrow look like? How will that look like? But the Lord says something: he said, "Peace I give unto you, not as the world gives. Not as the world gives." There is a peace in the world, but there is a peace that the Lord gives that it's not as the world gives. Brethren, please let us pray because of time. Time is fast spent. I don't know what you have learned for today. But I want us to just talk to the Lord. Please just talk to the Lord. Oh Lord, that my mind may stay on you. That can be a prayer, that can be a cry. Peter cried to the Lord, "Oh Lord, have mercy." I don't know what your own cry will be. Your own cry would be, "Lord, I've made you too small in my heart. Oh Lord, forgive me. I have believed a lie that you're unable to help me. And now, oh Lord, I'm seeing my wrong. Heal my heart and show yourself strong." Another cry could be, "Lord, you have been there ever before time began. I was actually called before I was saved. You have been there ever before time began. Nothing in time takes him by surprise." God has been there ever before time began. He has been there. And nothing in time takes him by surprise. Would you with this matter much more the more we'll meet next week. But please remember: God daily loads us with benefits. There is trouble all around, there is fear all around, there are trepidations: how will tomorrow look like? How will that look like? But the Lord said something, he said, "Peace I give unto you, not as the world gives." There is a peace in the world, but there is a peace that the Lord gives that it's not as the world gives. [Speaker 1] Father, we thank you so much for receiving your word into our hearts again. For reminding us that you are the sole controller of the universe, particularly our lives because we belong to you. Lord, we thank you so much for the courage of faith that you are imparting in us today. We are grateful, accept our thanks in Jesus name. Thank you for the expression of your word that is without flaw. And scripture says you sent forth your word to heal and to deliver them from their destruction. Father, we are asking that this word will deliver us tonight in the name of Jesus. This word will empower us to trust in you, in the face of the worst situation in the name of Jesus. That when we look up unto you, we'll not look around into our situation and circumstance, but our eyes will be fixed on you, even when we don't understand. Most of the time, oh God, we cave in because we don't understand. But now we are praying: even when we do not understand, help us to trust in you in the name of Jesus Christ. The songwriter says, "Even when darkness cover your loving face, I will trust in your unchanging grace." Lord help us to stand with this brother in trusting you even in the darkest moment of the night in the name of Jesus. Thank you, everlasting Father, for your strength that you have used for us again tonight. We are asking that you replenish him, you will cause his eyes to be opened more and more into the oracle of your word in the name of Jesus. Thank you for hearing us. As we go home, please let your presence take us home safely. And let your presence abide with us. Keep bringing this matter in our heart until it become part and parcel of us. Thank you for hearing us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. [Speaker 7] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen. [background music swells and fades]