A Peaceful Heart Part 2

Rain forests looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter life's race gets tough inner peace is what you whether you have health issues, broken relationships or face an uncertain financial future. The piece Jesus offers his promise to all who believe in him from the church in Chicago.

This is running to win with Sir who is clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Is there ever been a time when having the peace of God was especially meaningful for you Dave.

I've had many experiences with the peace of God was able to stabilize my soul. I remember going through a special trial. Someone was opposing me. I didn't know what the future held. I still remember waking up in the middle of the night and God brought verses of Scripture, to my mind which brought great peace the passages of Scripture had to do with the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and honor and glory. That's been my experience that when we focus on him. We indeed are given peace and even as I speak now. I pray for all those who are struggling that they might be brought to peace, and in order for us to understand what Jesus was talking about in the upper room discourse. I've written a book entitled prepare your heart for an uncertain future final words of warning and comfort from Jesus to his followers. My desire is that you be brought to peace and for a gift of any amount.

This book can be yours. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and I pray that this message will help you to be brought to peace. He gave me such a sense of unrest. It was like two rivers trying to both go through my spirit. At the same time. It was such agony.

There were times I couldn't have gotten out of bed in the morning. I tried to focus on Jehovah. I never singing that song stayed upon Jehovah. There is perfect as I kept saying it over and over and over again and did D unrelenting agony was so great, I wondered whether or not I was able to make it through the next day the most awful horrendous experience I've ever experienced in life even worse than I'm really telling you about what about this verse. Ha ha you know what God was saying in heaven, you know what he was saying don't you ruin between you and me you think this match was made in heaven.

But guess what, it wasn't. And you had better get the message and I will not give you peace until this relationship ends.

I'm so slow to catch on. It took a couple of months before that message came through with on a triple apodictic clarity and waiting years to use that word apodictic. Not sure exactly what it means but it seems so appropriate.

I believe that there are times when God directs us by a lack of peace and there are people who are not listening to that voice. They are slow just like I was except that God preps is not as gracious and and hitting them with his tremendous restlessness and is lack of peace, but that was that was God and how I thank him over and over and over and over again that is I tell you if I had married this match made in heaven. I won't go into details but I probably would not be here today. You had better listen to God, no, you can't have peace in every circumstance. But if you finally surrender it to God and say God this is your dilemma, then the peace of God which passes all understanding fills your heart and it filled mind once I made the right decision stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed. Just as he promised, giving peace and rest. How did Jesus endured you focus on God. That's the positive. Let's look at the negative. You'll notice Jesus is in verse 29. I've told you now before it happens so that when it does happen, you will believe I will not speak with you much longer for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the father and that I do exactly what my father has commanded me what Jesus is saying is, is that Satan wants to disrupt my peace. But the prince of this world has no hold on me. There is nothing within me that response to his overtures. He cannot get within me to enhance the struggle. And so what we need to do is to recognize folks very clearly that we must say no to the devil who wants to work us into a lather. Who wants to destroy RP so that we focus on circumstances rather than God. And we must recognize that it comes from outside of us at times and that the devil must be sent back to his place all the water in the world.

However hard it tried could never sink a ship unless it got inside all the evil in the world. The wickedness and sin can never sink the souls craft unless we let it in positively. We focus on God negatively. We say the prince of this world has nothing in me. I refuse to allow him to gain entry. I refused to allow him to so disrupt my peace that I can't write a letter. I refuse to allow him to so disrupt me that that I worked into this set frenzy where I cannot sleep in worse passes from me because the events are so overwhelming. You must may be gone before it is written, but if we pray prayers and petitions that the peace of God which passes all on standing will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus is 1/3 point how we receive it positively focusing on God negatively saying no to the devil. And third, we must realize that receiving peace is both an act, but it's also a process yet to receive peace over and over again is not just a one-shot deal. You don't just get on your knees and give your problem to God in receive his peace and then say well that's it for that now. It may be daily for some of you are under tremendous amount of pressure and who have lived with anxiety for an awful long time. It may be an hourly battle, but you keep affirming the peace of Christ in order problem. Sometimes we don't want peace. All you say of course we didn't know many years ago there was a man whom I knew, with whom I had done some work to who I felt wrong to me. Looking back, it was so incredibly minor that II just marvel at the fact that this so disrupt my peace. I felt he took advantage of some of the help that I had given him, and had said some things that were not exactly critical, but maybe not so favorable either. And I thought you and I deserve better than this.

I was out on a speaking engagement, and that it was hard to preach these sermons if you yourself have not applied them. You know that I've tried it. So you folks to put up with it, but it's so much better, but if you're preaching on peace that you're at peace. So what I do. I lay on the bed, knowing what I had to do and that is to just let go of it but I couldn't because I didn't want to felt last thing I wanted was God's peace because I knew right well if God gave me peace.

There would be no way that I could get even with him.

I didn't want peace. I wanted justice be gone with your peace. But God, as he often does in my life would not let me go. He would not take that for an answer.

It was at least 15 or 20 minutes of struggle. It was almost as if there is some evil within me that had to be extracted because because I said I wrestled so much and finally it was over. I need to tell you something. Not only do I love this guy that we've had fellowship sense and I look back and I say you know that was so incredibly trivial. How can I been so worked up about this.

I think the devil was involved personally.

You say now wait a moment. Are you saying that if we yield fully to God we can be at peace. Yes, listen, those of you who are filled with anxiety and I won't ask you to raise your hand. Those of you are filled with anxiety not talking about did you know that that anxiety is like a warning light on a car. It highlights that which has not yet come under God's complete authority you have not yet fully cast that care upon God. I'm not talking about the fact that there can be no tears in the midst of peace, of course, there can be, look at Jesus. I'm talking about those of you who do not have that sense of well-being and stability that comes because you know that your life and your circumstances are in God's hand and not your own anxiety reminds us that there's some corner of our lives. That is not yet surrendered, I preached a message similar to this. Actually it was on the six chapter of Matthew where Jesus talked about you know, he says that our hearts should not be troubled, and he goes on to say that. Consider the flowers of the field. Be anxious for nothing, and so forth and I preached it in a church here in Chicago and it's one of those few times that I received a very stinging letter is very strong. It was just some singing. That's the word I want zinging in my direction. What this woman said as I can't believe that you'd stand up there and tell us all these things she said I'm going through divorce because my husband has been unfaithful and you expect us to be free of anxiety and to have peace. She said how unrealistic can you possibly be, and she just she just really sent it to me and I read it and there was a part of me that said, okay, maybe I overstated the promises.

Maybe I am too theoretical. Maybe I wasn't empathizing with the people who have problems like that in their lives. But then I look at the text again and I look at the Scripture again and say the Lord I I'm sorry but I I thought I was preaching what you're revealed you say even in a situation like that. Can there be a sense of well-being. Yes, because what you must do is just so give that situation over to God and so put it into his hands. That, quite literally, it is no longer yours and people have done in the midst of awful situations because he does care for you casting all your care upon him. He really does care for you and some of you, bless you. You do just like I've done we hang on and we hang on and we hang on and we hang on and we bear the burden that we are not qualified to bear that God never intended us to bear instead of simply saying God I at any cost.

Your peace this is no longer my my situation I back off. This is yours I can that be done just in a second know know know know if I wrestled for 15 minutes or 20 on that bad over this small issue.

You may have to wrestle for an hour to finally give it up for two hours but finally the peace of God which passes all understanding. I don't know how else to read that text I mean I don't know.

I forget what I wrote back to that woman that almost felt like saying Lord forgive me for having believed your word. I mean the peace of God which passes understanding, will keep your mind here to go to Waterloo were the great battle of Napoleon was spot.

I understand that there you would see a huge bronze lion that was taken and actually made from the guns that the British captured in that great battle. This huge Alliance snarls with his mouth open, then his teeth very evident as he looks over the battlefield tourists noticed one day that a bird built a nest in the lion's mouth twigs all wrapped around his teeth and little birds. I don't know what you call little birds anyway little birds were chirping there, right in the midst of those teeth and that angry snarl. Some of you are in a lion's cage and one of the problems or I should say lion is in the cage are looking at the lion be better off to look at the bars. By the way, you go to the zoo and you say I am right there I'm right there. The jaws of a lion while I'm here today to tell you that there is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God.

There is a place where sin cannot molest near to the heart of God over Jesus and blessed Redeemer sent from the heart of God, thou who weight those who wait before they near to the heart of God. I'm not making it up the words of Jesus in my piece. I give you supernatural peace the gift of peace, personal peace, and it can be yours if you really, really get serious with God. Let's pray father I think of all of the anxieties that will bring to this experience. I think father of those who face things tomorrow that are fearful things that seem to be out of their hands. And I pray oh father God that through this auditorium and for all who should ever listen to this message that there might be deliverance and freedom and that you might be winning all kinds of victories before I close this prayer wouldn't you talk to God. Those of you who don't know Christ as Savior. You've never trusted him. Even with your soul. How can you trust him with your future.

Would you reach out and trust him at this moment. Those of you who are Christians. But you've lived with anxiety and you say how can I get this off my back. Would you talk to God. If these talk to you father if we've been spoken to help us to realize that this is not the end of your work is the beginning of your work. We pray for the many who should spend an afternoon in your presence.

Finally, finally laying it all down yesterday father that victories that we shall never even hear about shall be one because of the promise of the power of the words of Jesus in whose name we pray on.

Will my friend. I don't know about you but I needed to hear the words of that song today song that emphasizes the fact that there is need a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God and in the midst of our very busy life.

There is the possibility of peace within our hearts. You know, I've written a book entitled prepare your heart for an uncertain future. It's actually based on the words of Jesus in the upper room is this series of messages is indicating and it's intended to help you. I think it will be a great benefit to your devotional life. As you read the words of Jesus to the disciples.

The last words of Jesus to the disciples and then you go to this book for an exposition for illustrations for help in order that you two in the midst of a world that is so torn and so angry that you might find peace for your gift of any amount. This book can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you that contact info again give you time to get a pencil so that you can write this down but at the same time I want to assure you that the ministry of running to win continues because of people just like you were so thankful that this ministry continues to expand as people respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ as they are energized. And as you frequently hear us say we want to help everyone to make it successfully to the finish line. And you know for many of us we recognize of course that that finish line may be closer than we realize.

In fact, none of us understands how close it is, but we want to do well all the way to the end. So ask for the book.

Prepare your heart for an uncertain future. Subtitled the final words of warning and comfort from Jesus to his disciples, and for a gift of any amount.

It can be yours to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

As a matter fact you can pick up the telephone and you can call right now 1-888-218-9337 it's time again for you to ask astronauts or a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. Parents want the best for their daughters when it comes to marriage. Stephen from Iowa asks our young adult daughter is dating a professed Christian man who goes to church is involved with the youth Ministry at their church. We've only talked to him briefly over the phone.

He told her daughter that he visited strip clubs repeatedly. As a younger man and had a problem with pornography and high school years. He confessed to her daughter recently went to one of these clubs with coworkers, not realizing that that is where they were going so he left early, were obviously concerned for our daughter.

We feel there is a credibility issue with this young man in the details of his story and the rationalization of his actions and also perhaps a moral issue that has not been fully resolved.

We feel that if you voluntarily goes to his pastor that will provide some clues as to his character and makeup.

How do we proceed in counseling our daughter in this matter.

First of all thank you so much for writing and you know my heart goes out to you because Rebecca and I have three daughters and were so glad that they have married Christians, but I know the concern of the father's heart for his daughter is very clear that you have that concern. And that's good.

Furthermore there something else that I'm optimistic about and that is that you seem to have a good relationship with your daughter according to your letter. It appears as if she is willing to take your advice because you're talking about counseling her and giving her guidance. There something else that I'm optimistic about and that is that her boyfriend did voluntarily confess to her about his past, and evidently also about what happened. More recently, so that's a good sign. It shows that he wasn't willing to hide this but he was willing to get it out in the open. But having said all that, I think it is very important that he go for counsel and have accountability you know the kind of struggle that you are talking about is a lifelong struggle and what you will find is that pornography and the things that go with that. Even the club that you mentioned. He attended and so forth.

These things are so deeply ingrained these habits.

These addictions that we really do need help and I think that your future son-in-law if your daughter were to marry him really needs that kind of help he needs to go to a pastor. He needs to realize that there have been very good books that have been written about sexual addiction and pornography.

But above all, let your daughter proceed very cautiously.

I don't like what I'm hearing, but at the same time I'm not in a position since I don't know them. I'm not in a position to say that this relationship shouldn't continue. I am in a position to say that when it continues that young man needs accountability. He needs to prove his honesty and if he doesn't deal with this in a satisfactory way.

If your daughter were to marry him, there would be future repercussions.

It's amazing how that our sins of our youth. Sometimes pop up later in life. So my prayers and heart go out to you seek God seek counsel and help your daughter to see that that young man has a long way to go before he becomes husband material some thoughtful counsel from Dr. Erwin Blitzer. Thank you Pastor lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at the running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. Jesus wants us to know where the real power has to come from as we run the race of life. His disciples were people of the land they understood what he meant when he used a word picture of fruit next time I'm running to win. Let's all learn a lesson on fruit bearing from a vine and its branches went to join us in John chapter 15 for Dr. Erwin lutes are this is Dave Callister running to win is sponsored by the church