Jesus is Shalom

The Lord told Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people with this special blessing:

“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT)

The Lord continues to appear in our situations and bless us. His extension of grace toward our mischievous actions continues. The multitude of sins pile up, yet His favor thrives to overcome and cover our heap of shortcomings. Only this God can do the impossible, through Jesus who took it upon Himself to exchange hell for a wonderful gift of peace (shalom) to us.

Shalom: safety, soundness, health, perfect, well-being, internal and external harmony. Completeness, wholeness, tranquility, prosperity, rest; the absence of agitation or discord, a state of calm without anxiety or stress!

I choose to receive this peace instead of hell. I prefer to serve the Lord no matter what life throws at me. I know that it doesn’t compare with the meaning of Shalom. When I hide in the shadow of the Almighty, I am blessed. When I live my life with a heart of gratitude and say, “Thank you, Lord, for everything you allow in my life,” God smiles. When I genuinely represent His Word and become an ambassador of the Gospel of Jesus, He gives me extraordinary favor. When Shalom appears, everything else becomes possible, worth it, believable and bearable. Jesus is Shalom, and He is inviting us to participate in this wonderful life of heaven on earth. Enter His peace at all costs today! Then we will overcome.

What an amazing time we have walking life out together. Our church building situation is still up in the air. Our brothers and sisters in Oxnard are having a hard time processing the change in their church. We need to be sensitive and understanding. We are in a good place and do not desire to hurt anyone or overlook real pain in someone’s life.

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Even though we know in our hearts that a building in Ventura or Oxnard means people and Jesus will be loved, we need to be patient and trust; look beyond the circumstances to help those God allows in our lives. For now, we will keep meeting at Barranca Vista Park and proclaiming, “Lord, we will go where you go.”

As for a building – keep contending, keep praying, and keep believing.