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Weekly Reminder...
The Weekly Reminder is an informative tool to help people who read it consider what the man of God has said. This weekend’s articles are based on what was heard on December 5 & 6, 2009 in the Westbury assembly.written by Br. Samuel Damus
“I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly” (Psalm 85:8).
We were encouraged to live in peace with everyone. This peace can only come from living the way the Lord wants you to live. God’s words teaches us to do what is right in every situation that we may encounter in this world (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The results of following His words leaves us with a peace that only he can provide. That is why the Proverbs say, “My son, forget not My law; but let thine heart keep My commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee” (Proverbs 3:1-2). As we learned the weekend prior, to keeping the unity we must work for peace. We must also look after one another that the unity the Lord wants for us is not threatened (Hebrews 12:13-15). Paul made a plea to the saints of Philippi to keep the unity the same way.
In the church of Philippi there were two sisters who had a disagreement to the point where it was disrupting the harmony of the church. Paul began to deal with those sisters by pleading with them to settle their differences (Philippians 4:2). He didn’t stop there but he encouraged the church to get involved as well to establish the harmony (verse 3). Most of the time we see discord in the church and instead of getting involved to help dispel it, we say nothing. As Paul being led in the Spirit sought to keep the unity intact, he was telling the saints that they must be aware and try to keep the unity as well. Paul said, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (verse 9).
There are times we may say that the situation is too hostile and we talk ourselves out of handling it God’s way. Do you think it is an error when Jesus makes us accountable to first try to make right the situation when we have been wronged (Matthew 18:15-16)? This is the very reason why we are being taught the wisdom from above and are being told to trust in God and not on our own (carnal) understanding. I have witnessed how when we apply the word of God to strive for peace, it always works out in the end for “when a man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).
Let us pray to the Lord that He may give us the Holy Ghost that will help us. For Jesus said, “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). All the ordinances of the Lord that we have learned in the church is what the Holy Ghost will remind us when the time is right for it to be applied. This will leave us with a peace that this world does not know (verse 27).
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. - Romans 14:17-19 (NLT)
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