Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.There are divine connections to help us accomplish every task in our Kingdom Building assignments. As Christ is the Head, we are His Body and many members thereof. We are workers together with Him and the Body must work together; therefore we are to strengthen and make each other better. The Word tells us iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens the countenance of his friend (Prov.27:17).
(Heb. 12:14)
Some translations of Hebrews 12:14 instruct us to "pursue peace with all men." In simplicity, to pursue means to chase or to follow persistently. To have the God-kind of peace means there is nothing missing, broken or lacking. Therefore, I have no choice but to position myself to allow nothing to separate me from my brothers and sisters in Christ.
When we look at the second part we see that pursuing peace is essential for holy living and holiness is having the same attitude or position as the Holy One. God is holy and He is love. He loved us so much that He gave Jesus. Jesus loved us so much He gave His life. And we are instructed in 1st John 3:16 that our love requires us to lay down our lives (pursuits, objectives, self-reflective thinking and behaviors) for the brethren. We have to renew our minds to the Word of God, shifting our focus from ourselves to others. The Kingdom of God is for all men.
In Hebrews 12:2 it says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." It may seem hard to pursue peace with someone who has hurt you, but make every effort to walk in love with that person, because joy awaits you. This is how we live blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous) in the earth and how we are also seated with Jesus in Heavenly places.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace, where nothing is missing, lacking, or broken in our lives. Thank You for the Peace we have with one another. Show us the purpose for our connection that we may be able to happily accomplish every Kingdom assignment here in the earth. Then men will see our good works and glorify You. We love You. We thank You. We trust You. In the name above every name, Amen.
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Joi has served in a ministering capacity in every church she has attended. She has served in church administration, dance ministries, choirs, planning support, event coordination. She spearheads and supports a variety of community outreach initiatives supporting homeless shelters and orphanages.
As a fulltime Daughter of the Most High God, wife, mother, theological student, department of defense employee and member of the Body of Christ, Joi knows and believes in the importance of balance. She is focused on living a life pleasing to God, serving and supporting her husband, being the best mother to her children, accomplishing multiple levels of education, and exceeding the expectation of work assignments as an example to other working wives, mothers, and students.
