Happy Easter!

As I reflect over the events of Easter, my mind is drawn to the impact of the triumph of the cross (Easter) on our lives.

It amazes me to observe that we can spend so much time talking about Christ, the great sacrificial work of redemption He accomplished at Calvary without genuinely allowing Christ and His work of Redemption - go through us. No resurrection in us! No newness! Status quo ante!

For those in this class the reality of the triumph of the Cross will remain a mirage.

All of this, my friends, leads us in anticipation of the Second Coming of the Son.

No matter how dark, no matter how dreary, no matter how depressing or frightening, no matter how lasting and disappointing these times may be, this sin filled world will NOT last! Jesus will return!

And, this time, it will be the last time as His light will be eternal and without interruption.

And, on that day, even the most lily-white and rigid among us will not be able to help but to jump up and shout as loud as we can:

“Glory, Hallelujah!”

A Covenant is essentially an agreement or a promise between two or more persons. It is a binding agreement to fulfill the obligations under the covenant. It is agreements or promises, binding obligations. God’s gift and callings are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 “for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

God made a covenant of peace. Peace is Shalom: the positive presence of Harmony, Wholeness, Soundness, Well-being, and Success in all areas of life.

If the Lord made a covenant of peace which is applicable to all believers, why then do we still have fear, insecurity, worries, anxieties and trauma? Why do we often lose our peace?

Turn it over to Jesus. He knows the very hairs on your head and numbered them; none of them can fall without His knowing. He cares for the sparrow, how much more you.

Depend on Him, lean on Him, and the worries and anxieties will disappear. Your peace will be restored in Jesus’ mighty name.

A covenant is a binding agreement; therefore, the Covenant of Peace is like a contract which describes the terms and conditions of God's "peace plan" for mankind.

Peace (shalom) is the positive presence of Harmony, Wholeness, Soundness, Well-being, and Success in all areas of life. In the King James translation of Scripture, the phrase "covenant of peace" occurs only four times: Numbers 25:12-13; Isaiah 54:9-10; Ezekiel 34:25; Ezekiel 37:26.

It is God’s desire that his children live in peace; He established the covenant of peace to assure the children of Israel of His peace despite the danger around and within them, and with us today through His son to establish His peace in our hearts.

Jesus Himself is our peace; in Him, we have “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” to guard our hearts and minds.

Peacemaking involves forgiveness, mercy, empathy, and a willingness to work towards reconciliation.

The result of peacemaking was the restoration of broken relationships and the promotion of harmony and unity.

As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

By promoting peace and working towards reconciliation, we can reflect the love and compassion of Christ to the world around us.

To understand the magnitude of this promise better, we need to know the background. The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah and relates both to events that were current then during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1) and events that were yet to occur even up to the new heaven and the new earth.

During Isaiah’s times, Judah and Jerusalem had backslidden and began to worship foreign Gods (Isaiah 1:3). The divided kingdom of Israel went far away from the Lord and served pagan gods and idols.

This brought the wrath of God on the Israelites. Isaiah prophetically foretells the doom of the divided kingdom of Israel.

Shortly before our Lord Jesus departed this world, He promised His followers His peace and the assurance that the presence of His peace meant our hearts should not be troubled.

Many desire that peace today but it eludes them.

Believers must treasure this gift and enjoy it to its maximum.

little closer and all the water would evaporate, as in Venus. Only a bit further and everything would freeze, as in Mars. The Earth is also just the right size to generate the perfect amount of gravity needed. A little less would make everything weightlessly sterile, like in our moon, while more would trap poisonous gases that suffocate life as on Jupiter. These intricate physical, chemical, and biological interactions that comprise our world bear the imprint of a sophisticated designer. This designer could only be a very powerful God. We catch a glimpse of the Almightiness of God when God answered Job (Job 38:1 – Job 41:1-34). This brings us to our topic for today, “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled.”

•Our emotional wellbeing

•Our overall mental functioning

•Our emotions

•The emotional signals

•The emotional trigger

•The cry for help

The LORD of Hosts is with us…. This emphasis must be taken seriously and believed. One of the Hebrew names of GOD Almighty is Jehovah Saboath, which means the Commander of the armies of heaven (the angelic hordes of heaven) and all of humanity.

The LORD of hosts is God’s battle name. God is a fighter. Who is this King of Glory, for the generation of those that seek His face? (Psalm 24:6-10) He is our bulwark. He is our strong tower. He is our Rock, God Almighty in control.