Finding inner peace amidst turmoil

Speaker 1 (00:00): Well last week, it was Thanksgiving celebration here in the United States. And we know for all of us, even around the world, it's crazy times. And most of us probably didn't have as big a crowd as we usually do because of this Corona virus. But I also know from years past that these can be very stressful times for most families. People talk about getting together with their families and having stress around it. I have to say that isn't the case with our family. I never feel stress. I always feel peace and fun. You know, peace. One definition is freedom from quarrels and disagreement, harmonious relations. Wow. Isn't that great freedom from quarrels and disagreement in today's world while you need to stay tuned, because if you didn't have peace during your Thanksgiving, we're going to talk today about how to change that going forward, how to actually have peace in the midst of any storm you encounter

Speaker 2 (01:18): Welcome to episode 27 of the well-versed woman podcast. I'm Renee teller and I'm Theresa Morgan, Renee. And I are two perfectly imperfect women who have a heart to share our life's journeys. Get our faith with you. See what we journeyed through in this world. And what we've experienced is the love of God, the unconditional love of God, and connecting with the Prince of peace. And if you've listened to us before, stay tuned, because we're going to share more about how to do that today, but we're going to start this episode like we do every single episode and we're going to be still for just 20 seconds so that we can usher in that piece so that we can invite God into our hearts so that we can hear what he'd have to say to us today. So go ahead, close your eyes, take some slow deep breaths. While we take 20 seconds to ask God to open our ears and our hearts to what he's going to say today, here we go. That's it. That's 20 seconds, 20 little seconds. And think of how different you

Speaker 1 (03:00): Feel right now. I really want to encourage you to go back to those very first episodes where we talk about plugging into the power source. We need to be still enough to listen before we venture down any of these conversations that we're about to have, right? Theresa

Speaker 3 (03:18): Absolutely. Renee. You know, this episode in particular is so germane to the times in which we're living in because all of us, we have an ambition for peace, right? Our lives are so chaotic. And with the Corona virus, that seems to be milling around. It's sometimes difficult to stay in a place of peace.

Speaker 1 (03:43): I think so, especially, you know, so many of us that haven't lived in these times, you know, when I think back to the old Testament Bible scriptures, Theresa, that talk about all the plagues that existed. And, and even in like our parents and grandparents generations, you know, back when there was polio and some of these early diseases. And it just seems like in our lifetime, our medicine has progressed to such a place where we don't ever deal with this magnitude of a plague, which is frankly, what it is, and this need to shut ourselves down and almost, you know, get bombarded with people telling us we should be afraid. We should be afraid. And yet we know that we can't move any part of our life forward without having peace in our life. We can't live in that constant state of anxiousness and anxiety without really perpetuating illness and our whole body from that alone, let alone from the virus, right?

Speaker 3 (04:53): It is so true. And today we're going to look at, in learn that God himself is the Prince of peace. And when we invite him into our heart, that container, that wellspring of peace is actually inside of us. And we can tap into that wellspring of peace through our faith. You know, I think it's important that the listeners would hear of what the definition of God's peace really is in the Greek. Well, let me rewind a minute. Um, the old Testament, most of that was written in Hebrew, the new Testament in Greek. So it's important that when we're looking at certain words, because the translations translate those languages into English. And I think it's just so wonderful to look at the original language in which the word peace is first described. So if we look at the Greek definition of peace, the word is I ne and it means a quietness arrest, a peace of mine, a wholeness and fairs, Greek lexicon, a lexicon is a book that describes the meaning of a language. So unfair is Greek lexicon. The word peace actually means the tranquil state of the soul assured of its salvation through Christ in so fearing nothing. I love that. That's the Greek definition, the Hebrew word, which many of us know the Hebrew word is Shalom. And it means the same thing. It's a comprehensive state in which you're tranquil in the way we get there is through our flight.

Speaker 1 (06:52): I love so much of what you said, but the first thing we have to do is spell that first word for me. What was the first foreign word I Renee that you said?

Speaker 2 (07:04): Yeah. And it's great.

Speaker 3 (07:09): Yes. So that's the Greek word for peace and it's spelled E I R E N E. And it's pronounced, I R a Y N a Y. So I re ne I re, um, that's, that is the Greek word for peace.

Speaker 1 (07:31): Cool. For me, because it sounds like I, Renee, and that's my name. I love that. I'm going to take that on as my piece. I love that I'll use it in my prayer, but the other thing I loved what you said, Theresa in the very beginning of your comments was we can tap into, we can tap into, so stay tuned because what we're going to talk about also today is how do you tap into, so we talk about the Prince of peace is with us. So one might say, well then why am I not peaceful? Well, as Teresa, so eloquently stated, we need to tap into it. We need to practice peace. And it's starts with a decision that we're going to do it, and then developing the practice, the habit of the state of peace. So stay tuned because that's coming, but back to all your translations, Theresa, which are so beautiful and yes, Shalom is so common. And so widely used actually years ago, probably more widely used than, than I've heard it of late, but, uh, beautiful words for peace.

Speaker 3 (09:04): Yes, absolutely. And like, um, our faith is built upon remembrance of the scriptures, right? Um, our anchor verse, Renee Romans 10 17, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God in this, I find fascinating. You know, I did a little word study, um, on peace and 23 times in the new Testament letters or epistles to the church, 23 times, peace from God is mentioned in the salutations at the beginning and close of the letters. So for example, in first Corinthians first Corinthians one, three, um, the salutation has grace to you and peace from God, our father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Another example, revelation chapter one, verse four, grace to you and peace from him who is, and who was, and who is to come. So back in the day when the Bible was written and, uh, coming to life, if you will, they kept, uh, reminding each other grace and peace to you. Remember, he's the, he's the Prince of peace. Remember, God is all about peace. It was a well wish to say, Hey, grab a hold of the truth of who you are in Christ Jesus. If you know him as Lord and savior. And I think what was true back then is also true today. And that's why we're talking

Speaker 1 (10:39): Your, if this is your first episode, go back to the beginning where we talk about the beginning of time and the fact that there is evil from the beginning of time, once the covenant with God was broken with Adam and Eve, there became unrest. There became the opposite of peace on planet earth. So I believe Theresa that the reminder is also that that God keeps reminding us that we are in this world, which is crazy, but we're not of the world. And all those, uh, pistols where you say 23 times, they keep reminding us that, that the peace is ours, even though we're living in a world where there is unrest. And that is so, so refreshing when the, in where we're living today and such a great reminder and people who say, Oh, the Bible that was some old, old book written a long time ago. It doesn't apply today. Hello. Hello,

Speaker 3 (11:54): Hello. If we don't need peace today, I don't know when we ever needed it, right. That's absolutely correct. Um, the Bible is our source of truth and faith. And so this morning, Renee, and I would like to establish a foundation of who God is that he is the Prince of peace. So of course, we're going to go to the source. We're going to go to the Bible. Um, and I'd like to expound just a few verses, um, that give us the truth. That God is a God of peace. Let's look in first Thessalonians chapter five, verse 23. And the scripture says they met. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord. Jesus Christ. Second Thessalonians chapter three verse 16 says now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace, always in every way the Lord be with you.

Speaker 3 (13:03): All Isaiah nine six says for unto us, a child is born unto us. A son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father. And everyone knows that scripture, right? I mean, everybody has heard that scripture. Who's gone to a church on Christmas morning or Christmas Eve. And, and in this season that we're entering into how appropriate that that's where we are right now, remembering that that little child that was born says right there from the beginning and Oh, by the way, right. Theresa, Isaiah, Isaiah was written long before Jesus ever came. That's the, that's the other amazing thing about that, that, that was prophecy that the Prince of peace would be coming.

Speaker 3 (14:16): That that's absolutely correct. I love reading the book of Isaiah because it contains so many prophecies of Jesus and Jesus is the fulfillment of the old covenant, if you will. And so here we see three examples that God is the God of peace. You know, if he walked into the room right now, I mean, he's the best, he's the best, uh, solution to any anxiety that is flooding your soul right now, because he carries with him an aura of peace. He is peace. And when we plug our faith into the fact that he is full of peace, he wants to bring peace in any situation we face. He brings the answer and the resolve, then we're calm. We calm ourselves with the knowledge that God is in control. His promises are sure. And steadfast, if we're worried about COVID-19 and we know that we know he's a healer, then we say to ourselves, wow.

Speaker 3 (15:24): Even if I come down with it, not a problem for God, I am healed by the stripes he took and the blood he shed. So again, everything comes back to our faith in the promises of God is we're going to see, as we lay out this episode, I do love to talk about and drive home. This idea of even the stillness in the morning. Like we start every episode with that. You have to invite that in. You have to practice that piece. This isn't a magic thing that we have going on in this podcast. It's a relationship that's developed that deepened and grows and therefore the fruits of the spirit become more prevalent in your life as you deepen and develop that relationship, that practice of these principles, Theresa.

Speaker 2 (16:32): Yeah.

Speaker 3 (16:34): Yes, that's absolutely correct. You know, the first step, as we have said, many times, the first step is inviting the Prince of peace into your heart. Once you do that, you have peace with God and you also have the peace of God it's inside of you. The fruit of the spirit, which we're going to get to in a little bit in the book of Galatians, you know, says that if we walk in the spirit and we keep our mind on the truths of God's word in his promises, that fruit like a nutritious grape or a nutritious Apple, right? It will benefit our souls. When we put faith that the peace is there and we just have to tap into it. Um, I love Psalm 23 verses four and five Renee. It says, yay, though, I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil for you are with me, your writing, your staff.

Speaker 3 (17:33): They comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. So what is this saying to us? It's saying that God himself is in the midst of our lives. If you know him as Lord and savior, we know he dwells in us. And so we just look to him through our faith. And once we start meditating on these scriptures, that peace will come over our souls. And like the Bible says in Philippians, it actually mounts Garrison guards, your heart in your mind through Christ Jesus, you know, Renee, I can remember as a young Christian praying with a friend who stopped to my house and Oh, she had so many worries and concerns. And I was really getting hold of some truths of the Bible. And I started praying with her and I prayed scripture verses.

Speaker 3 (18:35): And I can remember saying to her, I remember it like it was yesterday after we had prayed, I looked at her and I said, don't you feel like our souls just received a bath of calm and peace and serenity because after we engaged our faith in the prayers, this peace came over us. And it was one of the first times that I understood the process. And I understood the truth of God's word. When he says in Philippians, for instance, making requests known to him through prayer and supplications and his peace that passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind. It's so true because the truth of the matter is the Holy spirit lives in our spirit. And it's an interaction and we offer a prayer. He responds with peace. He responds and surely as the Bible says, provides all of our needs, according to his riches and glory in Christ. Jesus.

Speaker 1 (19:41): Yeah, I can't stress enough either. You know, I was listening to a pastor over the weekend and he said, if you don't practice it, which is what you were doing in that situation where you were praying for it. And over yourselves, constantly, Trey, if you only practice situational piece in a moment of difficulty, you'll have to fight your way out of a negative construct. He said this pastor it's like building a fire engine on the way to the fire practice is the key being constantly daily. As we talk about being still inviting God in asking God to bring you peace or, well, I don't want to say that just being in the word and praying Theresa so that it becomes the peace that you have before the episodes that you might encounter that give you unrest before they come. You're already in that state. You're already with God at peace, kind of at all times. Right?

Speaker 3 (21:15): Absolutely. You know, I think the important thing to understand is that peace can manifest like a blanket. I'm gonna say that again, peace can manifest like a blanket. So if you come out from the cold and you're shivering and you put that blanket around you and that warmth comes pieces is very much the same, you know, most times or many times, uh, we're in fear because something is, uh, something comes against us. That brings fright. It brings fear. But this is the thing. First John four 18 says there is no fear in love because perfect love casts out out all fear because fear involves torment. Um, so what I'd like to explain and get over to our listeners today is that when we know who God is, when we have interacted with him day after day and year after year, when we know he comes in like a flood with peace and resolution to conflict and problems, when he hit, he proves themselves over and over.

Speaker 3 (22:26): It's like a conditioning of our, so he, and so we know the next time a problem occurs that, Hey, the love the lover of life, right? The one who breathes life into our, into our hearts on a daily basis, he's all around us. And he's just looking for someone to draw close to him and say, Hey Lord, I need your help here. And it can be as simple as a prayer that says, father, this is broken. Please fix it. And then we watch him move. So I stand short insecure in this COVID scenario, whatever comes my way. He's healed me. He's prospered me. He has delivered me from anxieties. He has proven himself over and over in the Bible says, and I'm sure the listeners are going to say, yep, she's going to say it again. You know, the one of my favorite scriptures, Hebrews 10 23, he who promised is faithful. And in that scripture, it also says, hold fast, your confession of faith for he who promised is faithful. So again, it goes back to meditating and monitoring the word of God until we see a blanket peace Rapids and envelop us.

Speaker 1 (23:47): Right? And I think again, to clarify the confusion that so many people here is the distinction that we've made Theresa in the last few episodes, particularly on the difference between our spirit and our soul. The minute we ask and we are spirit because we're created in his image, our spirit is in union with the spirit of God, our soul, our emotions, our thoughts, our feelings need to be worked out because there's this humanness side of us. And so it's that it's marrying those two things together. That happens when we do what you just said, Theresa, when we monitor over and over again and get the spirit and the soul to collide, so to speak and, and put the soul at peace, put those emotions at rest, take the thoughts, captive, like the word says,

Speaker 3 (24:58): Mm, I love that Renee. That that's absolutely correct. Bring, not bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. So we bring every thought that is not in line with the word. We bring it to the word and say, does this measure up, you know, much like a 12 inch ruler, right? If, if you're needing a piece of cloth to measure six inches and you look at it and you say, wait a minute, this looks like a, what do you do? You bring it to the ruler? You bring it to, or the yard stick. Same thing with our thoughts. We bring those thoughts to the word of God and say, does this line up? And if it doesn't, we stick with the word of God and we keep meditating and confessing it and hearing it in good, getting good teachings on it. And before long you will be in peace because you will be in faith.

Speaker 3 (25:48): I'm going to say that again. When you're in faith, you're going to be in peace. It's just how it works. And it's a beautiful place to live, um, in the spirit, in with the spirit and in a little bit, we're going to be talking about walking in the spirit and that's really what it means to walk in the spirit. Walk according to his precepts, walk, according to what he lays out in his word in mixed faith with that. So, you know, the first thing I want to go back just a minute. Um, and again, like Renee said, if this is your F you're listening to this for the first time and say, okay, I hear you saying that I am a spirit. I have a soul which encompasses my mind, my will and my emotions. And I live in a body. Okay. I understand that.

Speaker 3 (26:40): So when I invite, invite Jesus into my heart to be and savior in the Holy spirit descends upon me or in me, where does he go? Right. Well, the Bible lays that out beautifully. Um, the Holy spirit, when you invite Jesus into your heart, he descends upon your spirit, right? He goes into your spirit. First Corinthians three 16, says, do you not know that you are the temple of God? And that the spirit of God dwells in you, Romans eight 11 says, but if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ, raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through his spirit who dwells in you. So the important item, the important truth, I should say that we all need to understand is that salvation occurs in our spirit. And that's why Philippians two 13 says to work out your salvation.

Speaker 3 (27:35): And that's why first Thessalonians five 23 says that you will become sanctified or made Holy from the holiness that is in your spirit. It will come through yourself. And then eventually our bodies will be, [inaudible] a break on where we're going. I think, um, Theresa we've, we've covered the first page and we've really covered one and two. And I think we go through that, um, to conclude and then pick up with the rest of it the next time. Um, okay. So we'll, we'll pick up on that and I'll, I'll start. Okay, Patrick, we're back again, a great refresher tree. So, so what we're talking about today, and next episode two, because there's just too much on this piece subject. We just mentioned God living in us. And the difference between what's in our spirit, what happens in our spirit and what happens in our soul. And we addressed how to appropriate his peace in our life, which is by mixing faith, with the word that you hear. And like Theresa was saying, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word, our foundational scripture for this podcast, which is all about us giving you the word of God so that you can begin to do all these things. We just talked about the, um, I think I was going to say, um, all right, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Um,

Speaker 2 (29:43): Yeah.

Speaker 1 (29:43): Oh, I can't remember the point. Okay, let me just continue. And the second thing we talked about, about appropriating his peace into our life is fighting the good fight of faith. So within our soul, we exercise faith and patience to lay hold of the promises of God. And I think today, what we want to get clear about Theresa is in order to have this peace. Oh, I know what I was going to say about the faith thing. Darn it all. Um,

Speaker 2 (30:32): Yeah,

Speaker 1 (30:33): Lost. Um, I don't know how to go back. Um, My husband, I don't know if you can hear the toilet flushing that's right. And it picks up into the, Oh yeah. I'm turning my head to see if he's coming out here yet.

Speaker 1 (31:01): Um, all right. Just skip all that. Go back to fight the good fight of faith. So I think Theresa today, as the beginnings of having this peace of God in our life, it's mixing the faith with the word of God and then fighting that good fight of faith that we talk about so often. And please go back to those beginning episodes where we talk about some of this foundational, where we go, go back to the beginning, episodes, subscribe to this channel where we talk about, wait a minute, honey, the mic picks up everything. So I, yeah, thanks.

Speaker 2 (31:54): Yeah.

Speaker 1 (31:55): Uh, I'm like totally spaced now. Where do you think we should go? Yeah, it's okay, Renee.

Speaker 3 (32:11): Yeah. Uh, I would, I would start again with, you know, fighting the good fight of faith. And then, um, I can pick up from there. I'm going to leave them with what Jesus left off us with, you know, John 14, 27. And then I would just introduce the next week. We're going to talk about, um, some, some practical steps to appropriating his peace into our life on a daily basis.

Speaker 2 (32:41): Um,

Speaker 1 (32:44): I am going to encourage them to, so Patrick pickup, where I encourage them to go back, I encourage you to go back to some of those early episodes. So hit the subscribe button, make sure you turn on your notifications. So you remember to go back and listen to those early episodes on our faith. There's so many great episodes on mixing our faith with the word of God. And that is the, that is the foundation for what this is all about. And don't forget that we include all of these scriptures in each episode in what they call the show notes. And you can have them at your fingertips. It's so important to go back and look at the word, look at the scriptures so that your faith can grow along with that fighting the good fight of faith, right? Theresa fighting the good fight of faith.

Speaker 3 (33:51): Mm absolutely. Renee, we're going to talk about fighting the good fight of faith and staying in the rest of God next week. Um, today, because we have to close. I'd really like to leave our listeners with a verse in the Bible that Jesus himself left us with. And I just love John 14, 27. Jesus said, peace. I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you? Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid. So again, you know, we could circle back to perfect love, casts out all fear. And when we're in perfect love, there is no fear and we have perfect peace. But again, there are some practical ways to get there in all of the ways they're going to include our faith in faith comes from the scriptures. So tune into next week, everyone, uh, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Speaker 3 (34:51): You know, the Bible says that he will never leave you nor forsake you. And that he's there and he's growing us up. He's maturing us line upon line precept upon precept, uh, until we come to a tortie. So that piece can be ours. You know, Renee, I remember Paul, the apostle Paul and the prison in Rome writing the letter of Philippians. And he says, you know, I've been abased, I've been a bound, but in all these things, I've learned to be content. And he knew the secret if you will. But he knew how to appropriate perfect peace in his life. Even in even a dungeon in stocks and chains. Right. He knew it was his faith.

Speaker 3 (35:45): Yeah, absolutely. Renee. Yeah. Yeah. When, when I'm in a situation that could bring fear, my first line of defense is the word of God. First line of defense. My mind brings up a scripture. The Holy spirit is in me in his dictionary or his language, right, is the word of God. And the right word comes up. It's like the sword of the spirit. He puts it in my hand. I confess it. The peace comes as I believe it. And, um, it's a B, it's a beautiful, uh, Oh, it's a beautiful way to live the Holy Spirit's interaction with the word of God. The Holy spirit, uh, confirms the word. The word is confirmed by the Holy spirit. And Hey, you know, greater, see who lives in us than he, who lives in the, in the world. And he's got the answer before the problem occurs.

Speaker 3 (36:39): He's mighty. He's, he's our wonderful God. Look to him, all of this to a conclusion for so long and rattles off the scriptures. It's as simple as picking one or two to do, get inside your heart and just speak those words. Even the one we use our favorite scripture, Theresa, because at the end of the day, we can say, Lord might my faith. And my trust is in you. Figure it out, figure it out. My faith and trust is in you. And so what is our favorite foundational scripture trace of, for our well-versed woman podcast and hearing by the word of God, absolutely. Renee Romans 10, 17 faith comes by hearing, be sure to stay tuned next week, we're coming into a season that is full of joy and peace traditionally. And you can have it just like you did every other year and basically have it exponentially because of what we're going to talk about and what you're going to learn. I urge you to subscribe, rate and review this channel. We will send you for Christmas you're well-versed woman journal right in the mail. We also have the show notes as I discussed previously, and we have a community, a Facebook group that you can join and be right in there and ask us any questions you'd like and reach out for any, anything you need, including prayer. So until next week we love you.

Speaker 3 (38:25): We love you. Bye now.