John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Ephesians 6:10, 11, 15, “10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 15. “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

Hello OTP Family!! Today has been a challenging day, but yet one still full of blessings and the mercies of God. I was constantly reminded of the peace of God. How precious it is and how we need to “hold on” to that Godly peace placed in our hands directly by God. That perfect peace that allows his children to not be troubled or afraid. But we must hold our peace (at times) and hold on to our peace always.

Let’s talk about peace.

According to the dictionary peace is described as:

Peace fundamentally refers to a state of security, calmness, and harmony, characterized by the absence of war, violence, or mental stress. It spans from global harmony between nations to personal tranquility within an individual. 

Peace is typically categorized into several dimensions: 

• Global & Societal: The absence of war, hostility, or civil disorder. It is often formalized through treaties and maintained by law, civil order, and mutual respect. 
• Interpersonal: Harmonious relationships free from conflict, arguments, and tension. 
• Inner Peace: A psychological or spiritual state of serenity, balance, and acceptance. It represents freedom from oppressive thoughts, anxiety, or emotional turmoil. 

The word originates from the Latin word pax and is the equivalent of the Hebrew word shalom (which also embodies concepts of wholeness, completeness, and well-being).

Biblically speaking, peace is described as:

In the Bible, peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It is a holistic state of completeness, soundness, and well-being. Rooted in the original Hebrew shalom and Greek eirene, biblical peace signifies restored relationships, prosperity, and the active presence of God in the midst of chaos. 

The Two Pillars of Biblical Peace

1. Shalom (Old Testament)

• Meaning: Completeness, wholeness, and harmony.
• Usage: It refers to things being in their proper, intended order. For example, perfectly fitted stones without cracks, or complete payment of a debt.
• Focus: Shalom involves relationships between individuals, nations, and God, all operating in perfect harmony and mutual benefit. 

2. Eirene (New Testament)

• Meaning: Tranquility, quietness, and unity.
• Usage: It builds on shalom and is often used to describe reconciliation—such as two opposing parties coming together to form a “whole” again.
• Focus: Primarily, it denotes the inner calm and confidence Christians have through a restored relationship with God. 

Dimensions of Peace:

• Peace with God: The fundamental belief that, through Christ, the barrier of sin is removed, restoring your broken relationship with the Creator (Romans 5:1). 
• The Peace of God: An inner tranquility and a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) that guards your heart and mind against anxiety, even during difficult circumstances (Philippians 4:7). 
• Peace with Others: The active pursuit of reconciliation, unity, and justice among people, acting as “peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). 

Let’s also take a look at “hold.”

The Bible speaks of holding your peace as to keep silent, stop worrying, and trust God. Rather than a demand to simply “shut up,” it is an invitation to exercise self-control, let go of panic, and rely on God’s deliverance during chaotic moments.

– Resting in God’s battles: When the Israelites panicked at the Red Sea, Moses told them to “fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13-14). Here, holding your peace means surrendering your anxiety and trusting God to fight on your behalf. 

– Exercising wisdom and restraint: The Book of Proverbs suggests that staying silent is often a sign of wisdom. Proverbs 17:28 states, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding”

For the believer, it is the opportunity to express to God that we do trust him and take him at his word. It is an act of faith and love toward God. We always have the option to take things in our own hands and act out. But the end of this way only provides momentary satisfaction. Right behind that minor satisfaction, comes guilt, shame and embarrassment. Ultimately, we will find ourselves in a much worse state than before we put our own hands (or mouth) to the situation. Holding our peace in this way, we are ensured the victory. However, moving without self-control is a sign of spiritual immaturity.

There is another perspective of “holding” our peace that I would like to explore.

The word hold primarily functions as a verb meaning to grasp, carry, or support something with your hands or arms.

In the John 14:27, Jesus clearly explains that he is leaving His peace with us. That is mind blowing and amazing! Consider this, that same level of calm confidence that Jesus showed at all times was due to the peace he had from the Father. Knowing that God had his back, he had no cause for concern. He spoke what he heard from the Father (for he was there with Him from the beginning (See John 1-14). That same source of calm confidence he has left with us. We just have to hold on to it.

In Ephesians, we see and are encouraged to put on the whole armor of God daily. The foundation of this armor is peace. Our feet are to be shod with the gospel of peace. This means where ever we walk, we are to walk in peace. Whatever room or space you enter the peace of God is coming with you. If you walk into a room where it seems chaos is reigning, we should allow that peace of God room to work because we carried it is with us.

We must ‘hold on” to this peace. We must guard it and never let it go. I say this because there are times where the troubles and situations we find ourselves in can sometimes challenge this peace and cause us to lose our grip on it. Making sure we are fully dressed in our armor daily will help us keep this in mind. Also, we must constantly speak peace over our lives, our situations, and our concerns. We must also speak peace over our homes, automobiles, and places of employment. I even speak peace over my children and their homes and situations. I walk in peace so every where I go, peace comes with me.

Hold on to the peace that God has given you. Hold your peace in your situations and allow God room to work on your behalf. God has your back and he will not let you down. We don’t have to worry or stress. We can love and trust God enough to take him at his word. This is peace at its finest.

Is this easy? No, but is not impossible.

Does this take practice? Yes, every day.

Will you fail at times regarding your peace? Yes. But the more you mindfully practice holding peace and holding on to your peace, the better you get.

My prayer for us all is that we continually walk in peace. That we recognize when the enemy is attacking our peace. That we recognize when it is time to go into spiritual warfare to protect our peace. That we take comfort in knowing that God is with us and has our back, continually, without fail.

Have a blessed night.

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Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

Hello OTP family and friends! Today I wanted to talk about relationships. Specifically, your relationship with God (but it is also appropriate to be applied to all intimate relationships). Every relationship must move beyond lip service – the things we say, to action – the things we believe and do.  This movement will begin with your confession or rather changing the things we say. Because how we speak is a mirror of our relationship(s). How you speak about the people you are involved with will show health of your relationship.

Changing the things we say will impact what you believe and reveal the way forward (actions to take).

Let’s take a quick look at the tabernacle from the Old Testament:

The Three Layers of Biblical Tabernacles and Temples

The Outer Court, Inner Court, and Holy of Holies represent the three sacred zones of the ancient Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple. Access became strictly more exclusive as one moved deeper into the presence of God. 

1 Corinthians 6:19 reminds us that now – after Jesus’s loving sacrifice at calvary’s cross, and ushered in the Holy Ghost in Acts, now we are His tabernacle. He seeks to dwell in us. However, even with this our relationship with God can resemble this same zone structure. Now, the intimacy of this relationship we have with God flows from Outer Court, Inner Court, and Holy of Holies.

An Outer Court relationship (The “Acquaintance” Zone). Casual friendships, professional colleagues, and social acquaintances. These people have access to your public life but are not permitted into your private struggles, secrets, or deepest emotions. 

In context to our topic – it describes a foundational, introductory phase of faith. It is characterized by approaching God through sacrifice, thanksgiving, and obedience to basic truths, but remaining at a distance rather than experiencing deep, intimate communion.

An Inner Court relationship (The “Close Circle” Zone). Close friends and family. These individuals have earned your trust, understand your values, and share significant moments with you, but still may not know the deepest, most vulnerable parts of your inner.

In context to our topic – represents a lifestyle of deep, personal intimacy. Moving past superficial faith, it signifies entering intoGod’s immediate presence, where the mind, will, and emotions are transformed through dedicated prayer, honest devotion, and consecrated living.

Holy of Holies relationship (The “Intimate” Zone). Your absolute most intimate connections (like a spouse or a few deeply trusted confidants). They see your authentic self, your fears, and your dreams. 

In context to our topic – the ultimate level of spiritual intimacy. In the ancient biblical Tabernacle, the Holy of Holies was the innermost sanctuary housing the Ark of the Covenant, where God’s tangible presence dwelt and only the High Priest could enter once a year. 

I wanted to post both definition and context as a visual aid to see what type of relationship you have with God. Is God an Acquaintance to you? Is God just in your close circle?  Or is your relationship with God truly intimate? This is a perfect opportunity for self-reflection. Are you pleased with your relationship with God? Is God pleased? Or has he been urging you closer, to develop a deeper relationship with him?

Testing Your Confession

Now that we have some insight into relationship zones, let’slook at how we speak. There is a difference between knowing a thing and owning a thing.

The difference between knowing and owning lies in the transition from passive awareness to active internalization. Knowing means you possess information or recognize a fact;while owning means you have integrated that knowledge into your character, habits, or actions through experience. 

Knowing

Nature: Theoretical and objective

Source: gathered from the outside (books, lectures observation).

Focus: memorizing facts and data.

Result: you can explain the concept.

Owning

Nature: Experimental and deeply objective.

Source: earned from the inside (personal failure, practice application).

Focus: internalizing principles (they become second nature).

Result: you can consistently execute or live the concept.

 In relationships, especially intimate ones, if they are to be strong and enduring, we must move beyond knowing to owning. We must understand that when it comes to receiving anything from God our faith requires us to make this transition. Making this transition will change the way we speak/talk.

Example: God is a healer. This represents a fact that most believers know to be true from a surface level. God is my healer. This represents owning. The believer owns the fact and makes it personal. Transition from awareness of God’s ability to actively accepting that God has already done it by faith.

To fully receive anything, we must be ready to actively internalize the gift. This includes how we view the gift, which impacts how we speak of it. We must own it as a fact and not some intangible possibility. The ‘a’ and ‘my’ are two very small words but they carry a huge impact. It is called unconscious speaking (hidden mental processes, underlying emotions, and instincts express themselves). What you feel in your heart is exactly what is going to come out of your mouth. Pay attention to what you say. It will show you things you are not aware of. Its honestly – your truth. But it does not have to be set in stone. You can make the transition.

These two small words reflect your position in the relationship with God. Are you in an Outer court relationship? Or are you in an Inner Court relationship with God? In the outer court, you know a great many things. You have good understanding. In other words, you can talk-the-talk, and for the most part you believe it. Sounds good but has little actual substance. When the time of testing comes, it can be hard to remain steadfast in your confession. This is ‘a’ mentality. 

In the Inner Court you are all about walking by faith. You speak the work by faith, you decree and declare – with a goal of possessing what you need. You speak strong words of faith and can stand when a time of testing comes. But the transition from owning to receiving is still not yet quite fully realized. Why, because the pull to be closer to God is constantly there. This causes the believe to move toward the next level – the Holy of Holies. This is ‘my’ mentality.

In the Holy of Holies this is true intimacy. This is the place of deep and abiding love where you reverence and worship God. This is the place where you practice the presence of God. Where your heart is open to hear and receive from God. Although we don’t dwell here permanently, we do visit it quite frequently. The more we do so, the easier it is to maintain an Inner Court life. This solidifies our ability to receive from God – even when the enemy fights against you with all that he has – your confession remains strong and unshakable – this is ‘mine’because God gave it to me! This is ‘my’ mentality!

Lesson Summary

We must be cognizant of how we speak, of what we say, because it reveals what we truly believe/feel in our hearts. It reveals where we are in our relationship with God and with people. Do we speak kindly or harshly with people? Do we speak with love or with contempt? Are our words peppered with grace? Or do we speak without regard to how the words are received?

What we say to and about people reveals how we feel about them.

What we say when speak faith or about God reveals the relationship we have with him. 

My prayer for us all is that we strive for an Inner Court relationship with God. A relationship that changes the very fabric of our lives so that the life we live shows the power and love of the God we serve.

Have a blessed day!

Psalms 100 – A PSALM OF PRAISE.
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Hello OTP Family and Friends!! I wanted to talk about the power of praise, gratitude and being thankful to God. The Bible says in Psalms 22:3 that God inhabits the praises of his people. Armed with this understanding it puts a different spin on praise. It sheds a light on when/where we can practice this attitude of thankfulness.

Let’s take a moment to look at the words used in Psalms 100:

• Joyful (noise)
• Gladness (and singing)
• (Come to him with) thanksgiving and praise.
• Be thankful (and bless) or worship

Now let’s add some definitions to help further understand the Psalmists intention…

Joyful is a deep, enduring state of gladness, strength, and inner peace that is rooted in God‘s character and promises.

Gladness is spiritual delight and cheerful satisfaction rooted in God’s presence, favor, and redemptive work.

Thanksgiving is the active, worshipful expression of gratitude and praise to God for his character, provision and redemptive acts.

Thankful is a natural response to God‘s steadfast love, grace, and eternal salvation.

Worship is the act of describing worth, honor, and reverence to God.

Just a little bit of these “ingredients” in your daily diet will feed your soul and strengthen your mind and body.

The best part is that an outward show is not needed. These ingredients can be inward thoughts, small whispers or audible. They do not need to be grand gestures. However, whenever you have the space and time I would give it all the “noise” and emotion I can. This way is a huge stress reliever.

So today, practice incorporating just a little bit of Psalms 100 into your day. Feel the impact of appreciation to God on your day and comment with the results.

My prayer for you is that your day be truly blessed.