God's Peace

One of the most identifying marks of a true Christian is peace. In Colossians 3:15 Paul reminds the people of Colosse that real peace comes only from Jesus Christ and His rule in their hearts. In effect, true peace through Jesus Christ acts as a judge and regulates our outlook, mood, and decisions in the midst of both good and bad circumstances.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful (Colossians 3:15).

But what characterizes Christ’s peace? Here are a few descriptions from the Holy Bible:

• It is not fearful about anything but trusts God (Philippians 4:6-7).
• It does not doubt that God is in control (Mark 4:35-41).
• It does not forget God’s blessings and answers to prayer (Philippians 4:6).
• It should be present in our relationships (Psalm 34:14, Romans 12:18).
• It comes from Jesus Christ alone (John 16:33).
• It is produced by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
• It promotes peace with others (James 3:18).

If the peace of Christ does not rule in your life, you are not really living as Christ intended you to live. Give Him your worries, concerns and complaints and ask Him to replace them with His peace. It will not only calm your heart but promote harmony between you and fellow Christians.

Adapted from the New Believers Bible notes and reading tracks copyright © 1996 by Greg Laurie. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God's Grace

Mother murders her own child. Governor caught in extra-martial affair. Bank executive steals millions. One has to only turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper to hear or read similar stories. While we are astonished at these incidents, we soon realize that the world is plagued by the age old problem of sin.

Much like today, the world was full of evil and violence thousands of years ago. People lived contrary to God’s instructions. They did not seek His will. They not only turned away from God, they preferred wrong over right. They called evil good and good evil. Their hearts were wicked and their lives were full of immorality. And God grieved!

One man, however, caught God’s attention: Noah. Though human, and thus sinful, Noah sought God’s will. He did all that God command him (Genesis 7:5). He honored God with his life. As a result, God showed grace (an unmerited gift to an unworthily recipient) to Noah and his family, saving them from the flood and ultimate destruction.

Our sin grieves God. But God gives grace to those who obey His Word and seek His will. God wants those who, like Noah, honor Him with their lives. Will you?

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Update on Site

Extensive work has been done on the ChristianScribes.com website over the past two weeks. The site is really starting to take shape.

The domain name, christianscribes.com, has been reserved. The article rating database and corresponding Visual Basic code are in place and working. The problem with the screen fliker has been fixed by utilizing the AJAX 'UpdatePanel' control. Javascript errors have been eliminated (hopefully) and work is underway on the home page.

In the near future, I will research web hosting companies that support MSSQL 2008 database and ASP.NET pages.