Crisis and the Kingdom of God
Today’s Focus: Response of the Sons of God in Crisis
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-9
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
The Father told us in Haggai that in the House of God, He will give peace there. Peace is the result of the rulership of God. So in the midst of crisis what do we do? Paul talks to the church at Philippi and gives instruction on what to do in the midst of crisis
Philippians 4:6: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.
Paul tells the church at Philippi to humble themselves to prayer and make know your request to God. Paul desired for the church to have a strong prayer life so that they may learn the voice of the Spirit of God and being in a place of humility will allow the Spirit of God to give us wisdom, knowledge, understanding and counsel in the matter. Now watch what God says the result of humility and prayer is:
Philippians 4:7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
So the result of humility and prayer and confidence in God is peace. The peace that God gives you, the world cannot understand how this can be in the midst of crisis. The problem the world has is that it does not know the Father. But we as the sons do know the Father and hence we receive a peace that passes all understanding. The purpose of this peace is to keep the sons focused on the Spirit and not on the circumstance. Hence this is why the peace of God will keep YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.
Philippians 4:8: Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.
These are the attributes we are to display in the midst of turmoil and crisis. These are all attributes of one lead by the Spirit. So in the midst of crisis we maintain integrity and allow the character and nature of God to manifest within us so that we can have peace and understand how we are to respond in crisis.
Philippians 4:9: Those things, which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Paul is reminding the sons at Philippi that they have seen this before. Paul Himself was at Philippi and by the things he suffered, he demonstrated those very things and the people were able to see the peace that God gave him through the midst of the crisis. God always has a preceding example of the very thing that you are going through available for you to see and understand how we should respond. What do I mean? Many will say we can look at Jesus and this is true. Moreover God has given us spiritual fathers that have gone through crisis and they are the example unto us in this present time of how the character and nature of God really shows up in the time of crisis. These spiritual fathers are with you, encouraging you and praying with you through the situation. So you can never say that no one has gone through what you are going through because God has already sent someone ahead of you through this fire and they are there in a mature state to minister unto you so that you can see the peace of God through the storm.
When there is pressure applied to the children of God, we really begin to see the manifestation of the glory of God and His Kingdom because the result of a son abiding in the House of God and His rulership is a state of peace and joy.
In the next message we want to look back and understand the necessity of crisis and tribulation as it pertains to the growth of the sons of God.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
