Peace- Shalom, Part 2

Greetings, friends and new listeners, and welcome to this program of the Archie Hardy Ministries. I'm Sharon Otz, thanking you for tuning in today because we know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Today's message by my father, Brother Hardy, is truly a beautiful word of comfort and encouragement. It is entitled simply, Peace Shalom. What actually does the Bible terminology for peace, shalom in Hebrew, mean? It is more than just the absence of conflict or trouble.

It is the wholeness of spirit, soul, and body as we will hear in Peace Shalom. I'm not going to let my heart be troubled. The only way that I can be troubled is if I let it. You know, when we got saved, this is one of my sayings I coined over the years of almost 40 years preaching, that when I got saved, I got the lets. You see, when we got saved, we were no longer slaves anymore. When we were in the old economy, when we were in the reign of the devil, we were slaves. And some people stay so close to the line of demarcation, they still keep the mind and the demeanor of a slave.

They still think it's a slave instead of a free man. A lot of times preachers would like to give the illustration of what it means to be free is that a man's in prison and the governor pardons him and the door's open, but he don't want to go, he stays there. And a warden tells him, you're free! But he still stays in prison.

And that's the way a lot of saints are. Jesus freed them, but they still stay in prison. The door's open, no authority, no rule and no power can legally keep them, but they stay there. They don't know they had the lets, so instead of letting themselves be free, they let themselves stay in bondage.

I refuse to be bound. I've got that part of Shalom, which is Yeshua. I've got salvation. You see, heaven has got Yeshua. That's the Hebrew word for Jesus.

If the Old Testament, if the New Testament would have been written in the same Aramaic, instead of him being called as an English Jesus to Christ, he would have been Yeshua, the Mashiach. Amen, let him say amen. Instead of Yeshua Christus, he is Yeshua. He's my salvation. He's my savior. He's my deliverer.

He's actively present, working for my well-being and my good. And I don't care what comes along my path, if I love him, he's actively present to work all things together for good. Romans 8 28, one of my four foundational scriptures from the beginning of my salvation that I based my salvation on. Jesus is the chief and only foundation, but I built on him. Paul said, if any man build on, can no other foundation be laid? Only that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus the Lord.

And if any man build thereupon. Now I've built upon the foundation of Jesus. He's my righteousness. I'm saved because of Jesus and Jesus alone. Jesus plus nothing.

Jesus plus nothing save me. And I have based my eternal hopes and expectations of eternal life on the foundation of the sacrificial death of Christ, his shed blood on Calvary. And Paul said in that Romans, I have been made righteous by his blood. Three things that made us righteous. We have been made righteous by God's grace, the free gift of Christ. And then we have been made righteous by the shedding of the free gift of grace Christ blood. And then we have been made righteous by faith in that shed blood.

Hallelujah. And that is my foundation for my eternal life and eternal expectations with a life with God in his house and in his kingdom forever and ever. And on that foundation, I have built my building with four pillars. And the one pillar is Romans 8 28. And I know when I found out with Paul, Paul said, we knew, we know he knew and a whole lot have found out with him and they know. And I know that all things work together for good to them that love God. How many is out there and you love God? Well, all things, everything is working together for shalom as you love God.

The condition is only that you love God. And the definition of loving God is if you love me, you will keep my commandments. And if you will keep God's word, then all things are working together for good. Now a better translation is God is at work in everything for good to them that love the Lord.

Everything in your life. No matter what comes, God is going to work it in and when he gets done, it's going to be good. I don't care if the devil sells you like Joseph down to Egypt.

When God gets done, it's going to be good. If Joseph wouldn't have went to Egypt, you and I wouldn't be saved today because the family and the line that our Savior was to come through would have died in the famine. But Joseph realized that when he was in Egypt and his brothers come. And instead of being hateful, he had shalom. He had shalom in his life and he had shalom working for the well-being of his brothers.

How many say amen? And when he revealed himself to his brethren, they were scared because they realized Joseph was in this powerful position and their lives were in his hands. They were scared. They didn't know whether they had shalom or not or destruction.

They didn't know whether it was going to be well with their being or were they going to be being destroyed. But Joseph revealed himself and said, don't worry, it was all in God's plan. Don't you know God set me down ahead? Don't you know God set me down ahead that I might preserve the family, the nation? And if you're a child of God, the Bible said, the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord. And if you're a righteous person and you love and obey God, no matter what comes your way, God's going to be at work. The presence, the dynamic presence of God, El Shaddai, is going to be present with you at work to work it for the good.

Take it again. Israel was down in the lands of the Persians and old Haman raised up and got the king to sign a law to kill all the Jews. But God worked it all out to good. He caused the king to dislike his present wife and he made him love Esther. And you know the story. Haman, Esther went into the king and said, I love you king and everything's wonderful but you're going to kill me. And he said, kill you? Why?

Because I'm a Jew too. Haman would say, amen. Never going to kill her uncle. Mordecai, she put herself in jeopardy. Because once she walked in the king's presence, if he didn't extend his scepter, that meant death. Nobody could come in the king's presence when he sat on his throne unless he invited them or if they came in uninvited, if he didn't extend the scepter of his kingdom, it was death. And she was in that place because Haman was going to kill all the Jews and her uncle Mordecai said, don't you stay back in safety. Go into that king and save the people or die with the people. Haman would say, amen. In that great moment of trial and test, she stood in front of the king and God made the king love her and extend that scepter and spared the Jewish people.

And the devil raised up against her uncle because he stood for righteousness and was a child of God. Everything is not going to go smoothly as a child of God. Just like when you get married, don't you think your marriage is all going to be a honeymoon? After you've been married for a while, you're not going to see the stars, but you might see stars. How many say, amen?

But you've got to commit yourself that you're both going to work together for the good of that marriage. And God is committed that he's going to work together for good for our shalom. And old Haman built the scaffold to hang Mordecai, but God troubled the king. The king got up and told him, bring me the chronicles, the records of my kingdom. And in there he found out that Mordecai saved him from being killed.

So he called Haman in. Oh, I like the irony. I like the humor of the Holy Ghost. Some people think God doesn't laugh, but I like his humor. How many say, amen? Hallelujah. I'm talking about shalom. Do you have it today? Do you have shalom? Are you letting your heart be troubled?

Are you letting it be afraid? Or are you believing God and knowing that God is actively at work for your well-being, for your good and your salvation? Hallelujah.

Are they talking about Mordecai? God will work all things together for good. For a better translation, God is at work in everything for good to them that love the Lord. I don't care what it is that comes across your path if you're a child of God.

God might have not designed it. The devil might have been the instigator of it. But if you love God and all being God, then God's going to be at work to turn it around and make it good like he took the selling of Joseph down to Egypt for good to save the nation of Israel, like he took the lion's den to elevate Daniel, like he took the fiery furnace to elevate Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and destroy all of their enemies. Jesus said, I think this much needs come, but woe unto them that bring it. People the devil's going to stir people up to get at you, but woe unto them. Woe, because they have touched the apple of God's eye and they don't know that God is actively present working for the good of his children. When you're getting a test, God is working it for your good and when the enemy brings something against you, God's going to step in. The active presence of God's going to step in.

When he gets done, it's going to be a blessing. So after the king called for the records, the chronicles of his kingdom and found out that Mordecai saved him, he called Haman. And old Haman is so full of self, and you know when you think of yourself, you're so blind you don't see nobody but self. And the king said to Haman, what should I do for that person I really love and admire and want to do something good for him?

And right away old self thought, he's talking about me. He said, I want you to put him on your mule. You know, the mule back in those days was the symbol of the king's power. Remember when David made Solomon king when his other brother was trying to steal the kingdom? David said, get my mule and put Solomon on him and lead him through the city and proclaim him king. How many say amen?

And the king says, well get my mule and that person that I love, and old Haman was ready to do it, says Mordecai, and you put him on my mule and you lead him through the city and proclaim him, he's blessed in me. How many say amen? Honey, what God's for you, he'll make the enemy put you on God's mule of authority and lead you through his kingdom, saying this is the one that is in power and in favor with the almighty God.

Fear him. God said work in everything for our good if you love God. How many say amen? We are supposed to be ruled by peace, not fear. Colossians 3.15 says, and let the peace of God rule in your heart to which also you were called in one body and be thankful, you were called to peace.

Remember I'm talking about perfect well-being in every aspect of your life. Now here he's going to single out the aspect of peace, let it rule. You're going to have to go to the Greek word again to see what that word rule means. And the Greek word here for rule, I guess the best word we would call it in the English would be referee. It was the arbitrator, it was the referee at the great Greek and Roman games. And he ruled who was a winner or who was a loser or who could compete and who couldn't compete.

He was to be the referee and whatever he said his decision was final. And God said let peace, perfect tranquility, set on the throne of your life. And when the devil tries to bring the world or man or sense knowledge or anything like I've preached just recently that you perceive with your physical eyes and hear with your ears or smell with your smell or taste or touch, don't let that reign your life and govern your life, but let peace set on the throne and be the referee. And when your sight or sound or any of the sense knowledge just tells you be fearful, be afraid, be uncertainty and doubt, then ask peace for a ruling. You want a replay, how many say amen?

Don't sit there and tell me you don't watch football, you ain't kidding me. Whenever the world and self and the devil tries to force their decision then call for a replay and peace will overrule that. Peace will never come in. Peace will never govern.

You won't be shook up. Let the peace of God reign. You see, it's a command and you got the lets. I can either let the peace of God reign. See, just because somebody commands something doesn't mean I'll have to do it. I could command you to give me all your money right now.

Does that mean you're going to do it? How would the God that was that way, I'd command all the devils to give the money to the gospel. Honey, when you get saved, you get the lets. One of them is let not your heart be troubled, let it be afraid, the negative and the positive. Let the peace of God be the one that gives the final ruling. I am not going to let anything come into my soul to disturb its well-being. I'm going to let peace of God overrule it. And when bad feelings try to come, good feelings of peace takes over. How many say amen? Then peace is supposed to be our guard to keep us.

How many say amen? Philippians 4 and 7 verse and the 9th verse it says, and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Key in here is through Christ Jesus the active presence of the Lord working for our Shalom, the well-being of our whole being is going to guard us.

And this word in the Greek guard is like the word garrison of soldiers. Like Paul, remember he was in Damascus and the governor of the city surrounded the city with a whole garrison of soldiers to take Paul captive. How many ever read that in Acts?

You ought to read it sometime. Bring a blessing to you. But Paul had Shalom. He had the active presence of God in his life. And even though all those Roman soldiers were around him, garrison around him, to take him captive, God snuck him out to secret passage because he said with every temptation, every trial, every test, God will make a way of escape that you may bear it.

So here's a picture. Jesus said a city set on a hill can't be hid and we're one of his cities. How many say amen? And God has a garrison of soldiers all around us. Peter tells us who the soldiers are. He said we are they that are kept garrison guarded, the same word in the Greek. We are they that are garrisoned about by the power of God. God's got his power all around us. A few years back one soul winner came out of the song Jesus, the offense all around them.

All around the child of God is the active presence of God in activity working for their well-being. And in those days the cities were made like forts. They were walled. They had gigantic gates and at sunset they would lock the gates. I think minimal when they dug it out, the walls were so thick that they could raise six chariots on the top of them in a chariot race. Six chariots, in other words a six-lane highway, that's how thick those walls were. You see they didn't have bombers and bazookas, so what they would do was go into a walled city and make a thick wall and they wouldn't be able to break the walls down and make these gigantic gates and they wouldn't be able to break them down. And at night they would close those gates. I guess the better way to understand the Middle East is the castles in England. How many say amen?

The cities were castles, all walled up, had the big gates and then there was a garrison of soldiers in there. And if anybody wanted to come in after sunset, they'd have to go through the eye of the needle. Now we can understand that saying where Jesus said that it's easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a man that trusts in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven.

You've got to trust in God. Now to the English person we would think this modern day, a little needle that you can't even get a piece of thread in especially after you get 50 and your arms get short. You know when you get around 40, 42 your arms get short.

Sure when you read a paper you've got to do it like this or if you want to thread a needle you do it like this. You get farsighted. Sure when you get after 40 in the Spirit, you've got a farsight, you're looking for heaven, you ain't no more looking on the earth.

You're looking for that city. You're looking for the return of the Redeemer and the Savior. You're not looking at the earth because 40 means test and after you went through your test in the Lord and passed your test you're not governed by the senses. You're not looking at the things which are seen. You're governing your life on heavenly things and eternal things, not natural and right now things.

That's the trouble with the natural man. He lives for right now and don't realize about the future where he'll spend eternity. So at night they'd shut the gates and the soldiers would be all garrisoned there up on the walls and then they would have the soldier at the eye of the needle and the eye of the needle was a little opening. If you ever go on a holy day and trip they'll show it to you. You'll see doors and then in the door down the bottom will be a little door and in order for that camel to go through the eye of that needle, that little doorway, they had to take all the load off of him and then he would have to get down on all fours and they would have to push him through that opening. And on the other side was a soldier there with a sword. And if anything but a camel come through, he lost his head. I could preach and tell you if you're going to make it into that city of heaven, you're going to have to strip every thing, you're going to have to lay on one side every weight and the sin that's so easy to set you and you're going to have to get down on your knees and press your weight in.

And on the other side is going to be the emitting angel with the book of life and if your name isn't on the road, you're not going to get through. And we are to let peace be at the gate of our inner man. And when anything tries to creep in that's contrary to our well-being, when anything tries to creep in any thought, any insinuation, I don't know how many of God's people are oppressed and obsessed by the devil. You know what obsession is? Obsession is demon possession of the mind. When you're obsessed, the devil has possessed your mind and all you think about is that thing you're obsessed on. And a lot of God's children, they have failed to let peace be at the guard of the gate of their life. And they've let the devil come in with all of these fearful thoughts. And they're tormented. They're obsessed.

Night and day he speaks it. Some of them he'll say, you got cancer. You got tuberculosis.

Now the most fearful thing, you got AIDS. Or your husband don't love you anymore. Or nobody cares.

An old, obsessing, melancholy spirit. Nobody cares for you. That's the biggest lie that was ever hatched out of hell. God so loved you he gave Jesus. Jesus so loved you he left his home, his throne, his glory. Being rich he became poor. He left everything he became poor. Took on the same robe of flesh.

Walked where we have to walk. And the whole time he lived on the earth, though he was a creator, he told that man that wanted to follow him, the foxes have holes, the birds of the air had nests, and the son of man has no place to lay his head. He had nothing legally that was his. He had to depend on people like Lazarus and Mary and Martha to take him in.

When he died he had to borrow a rich man's tomb. The only thing that he had was love for mankind, mercy for mankind, grace for mankind, salvation for mankind, healing for mankind, deliverance for mankind. All he had to give was shalom.

How many say amen? And when he rose on that resurrection day. I won't say morning because he didn't rise in the morning. He rose in the evening about one second after 6 p.m. because that's when the Jewish day starts. It don't start like our 12 midnight. Their day starts at 6 p.m. is their new day. And Saturday at 6 p.m. the third day Jesus rose up out of that tomb and all his disciples hiding behind closed doors their whole life disintegrated.

Everything went up for them. Smoke, everything they hoped for them was gone because they thought that the active presence of their Lord and Savior was gone. He was dead and they were waiting for dark to slip out and run back to Galilee like a dog in defeat with his tail between his legs. But in that dark moment Jesus the Son of Righteousness stood in the midst of his disciples and said shalom. I am here.

I am actively present and my active presence is going to be with you for the well being and the good of your whole man. Nothing between you and your God. Nothing, no fear, no apprehensions in your mind and in your soul.

Healing for your body. Victory for your life. I'll supply all of your needs and they arose and I'll tell you what they went to the highways and the byways of hedges with the shalom the active presence of God working actively through them and they peace, peace to wherever they went. Peace to wherever they went. Peace to the left. Peace to them that are near. Peace to them that are far off. Shalom my brother. God says shalom my sister. Let not your heart be troubled. I'm actively at work for your well being.

Oh give him a good clap all friends. And what a truly uplifting word by God's servant brother Hardy. Peace Shalom. The Hebrew meaning of Shalom is much richer and deeper than our English peace conveys.

It is a total well being and wholeness of the whole person, spirit, soul and body. God intends for his children to live by the promise and the principle of Shalom and Satan seeks to steal our peace. But we have been commanded to let the peace of God rule in our hearts and minds by Christ Jesus.

And this term rule refers to an umpire or referee who makes the calls in a game. And we are called to let God's peace ruin our lives. God's kingdom is a kingdom of peace and we serve the Lord of peace who is the prince of peace. The principle of God's Shalom is directly tied to our thought life. What we think upon will either create peace or fear, soundness of mind or trouble in turmoil. But God will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on him. And Paul said we are to think on those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report that are virtuous and praiseworthy. And the peace of God will keep and guard our hearts and minds. This message peace Shalom is one that every child of God needs to hear at some point or another in his life.

Maybe that's you right now or someone you know. If so, you can order Peace Shalom on CD for a love gift of $10 for the radio ministry. Request offer 183. Mail to Archie Hardy Ministries, P.O. Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland 21203.

Or go online to ArchieHardy.org. Once again to order the CD, Peace Shalom. Request offer 183. Send a minimum love gift of $10 to P.O. Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland 21203. Until next time, this is Sharon Notzain, Maranatha.