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Blessed Are the Peacemakers
With Rev. Brian Moseley
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” – Matthew 5:9
Rest/Peace
Definition: A state of tranquility or quietness of spirit that transcends circumstances.
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“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
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“Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” – John 14:27
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Greek meanings of rest in scripture: stop working, refresh, rejuvenate, repose, cessation, relief, physical rest, spiritual rest, stillness, quiet, silence.
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Hebrew meanings of rest in scripture: to abide, to live in, to settle, to sit down, to respire, to stop, to cease.
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Rest is being at peace, which is full acceptance in, faith in and agreement with the goodness and grace of Jesus Christ.
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It is a worldview, for us a Kingdom view, a way of living, a paradigm, a discipline.
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“Rest in peace”. We are to rest in peace now! Not after we die. It takes faith to do this!The 7 steps to finding Peace and becoming a Peacemaker1. Discipleship
Definition: The process of learning about the teachings of Jesus, internalizing them, and then acting upon them.
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“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 28:19
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“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'” – Matthew 16:24
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‘For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’ – Hebrews 4:12
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Discipleship requires confession. Confession requires humility. Our confession and discipleship shouldn’t be motivated by our outward appearance and relationships but it’s only for our relationship with Jesus. It is irrelevant if others see it or not. Confession is the appropriate response to conviction.
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Doubt is the hindrance and obstacle of revelation. With each revelation, we have overcome an obstacle. There are many that are placed in our path. Doubts are examples of areas where our faith is weak.
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Conviction, then humility, then confession are all required to prepare our hearts for discipleship. Only then can we receive faith, revelation of the nature of God, his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and finally resting in peace with a deeper relationship with them.2. Faith
Definition: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something, specifically in God and His promises.
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“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1
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“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8
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“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” – Romans 10:17
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We are to rely on the sharpness of the word, not adding to it or taking away from it. This is faith and expectation, in the perfection and power of it.
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The Holy Spirit wields it and keeps it sharp, not us. Faith and expectation in the perfection/ power of the Holy Spirit to use it properly, at the right time, place and purpose.
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It is not our wisdom, that the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. We are to look to him for direction and instruction not our intellect and ability. This is imperative and vital to being in the will of God and requires surrender. It is relying on everything that Jesus is and has done. It is relying on the father and his power, his word through Jesus.
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We don’t need to be looking at aspects of this life from the perspective that Jesus “will do” what is needed. The fact is that he has already done it all! This is why we expect in faith as we move forward.
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When we are living in faith all of this will be evident in our lives.3. Relationship with God
Definition: A personal and intimate connection with the Creator, characterized by trust, love, and obedience.
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“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” – John 17:3
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“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” – James 4:8
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Relationship with Jesus is service to him. It is outward focused to him, not self-service to get things from him.
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Serving is loving. When we live in faith and obediently serve Jesus by serving others, we please him.
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Our purpose is serving God and serving others. It is reaching others in their suffering and not judging or condemning them but rescuing them. Hope is the rescue of the soul! The word of God changes their hopes (what they see as truth, and possible in their imaginations), replacing death and despair from the lies of Satan.
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Heaven or paradise is not a place but a presence! It is the presence of God. We can experience paradise in part now, based on our relationship with him. It won’t be the complete presence because of the earthly veil, but it is a spectrum of depth based on our relationship. We will only experience the complete presence when we leave this world or when Jesus brings heaven back to earth. We have the Holy Spirit now, and he uses the word and guides us in prayer, to go deeper. We must see and compare all things with God’s presence!4. Wisdom
Definition: The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight granted by God.
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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” – Proverbs 9:10
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“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5
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Wisdom is knowing the true eternal value of things and seeing what others value in their circumstances by comparison. To approach someone’s pride is to understand what they value and applying the word of God (truth), to that thing So they see the value of the truth.
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Jesus meets people where they are. He spoke in ways they could understand and relate to. He didn’t deliver truths that were too deep to understand not “casting pearls before swine” where the truth would be trampled and ineffective. This is a main example of how Jesus served and loved others.5. Conviction
Definition: A firmly held belief or persuasion, often because of inner enlightenment by the Holy Spirit.
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“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” – John 16:8
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“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7
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Conviction comes up against pride and pride is the resistance to conviction. Conviction is the declaration of what is true in comparison to what pride believes.
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Pride is self-deception that falsely elevates itself or a thing, circumstance, etcetera, above the truth.
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Pride is about maintaining control and is driven by fear of losing that control. This is a result of what we place the highest value on. It is about who sits on the throne of our hearts.6. Confession
Definition: The act of admitting one’s sins and faults, seeking forgiveness from God and others.
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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
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“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” – James 5:16
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Confession is not informing God of your sins. It is admitting these things before him. Remember, the conviction came from him. Truth is the light shined on our hearts, revealing the sin. This is what defeats pride.
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Humility is born from conviction and fosters confession. It is a total surrender of self and total reliance on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.7. Repentance
Definition: The act of feeling regret or remorse for one’s sins, leading to a commitment to change and turn towards God.
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“Repent, therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” – Acts 3:19
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“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8
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“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8
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Repentance is a total and permanent change of heart and action.
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Repentance is deliverance!
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It is the required act which literally breaks all chains and makes revelation, and relationship possible.
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We find ourselves dissatisfied, and if convicted by the Holy Spirit, it will be a holy dissatisfaction that motivates us to seek truth.
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The question is: are you seeking in active faith or are you begging for relief.
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The homeless man in 17° weather. What got him there?
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What circumstances led to his situation? Typically, it is pride, not misfortune.
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Pride puts us in terrible circumstances, yet we blame God.
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Outwardly, suffering looks pitiful but inwardly and oftentimes it is resolution to death.
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Are you satisfied in your pride and results?
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To seek and to ask requires conviction, humility, confession, and repentance.
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To beg is to want help to stay in your circumstances and to agree with your choices that have you there. This is unrepentance.

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