Dear Friends,

Greetings in the name of Jesus! Can you believe it’s 2012. Whatever goodness was missed in 2011 can be surpassed in 2012. All we need to do is look beyond the errors of yesterday to the glowing realities of today and the future. God’s Word is our road map to success in 2012. Jesus showed us it is very possible to fulfill a God given vision, irrespective of the challenges.

One of the things we do each year as a family is write down goals we each have, and then I have a word for us that will help us in the coming year. This year the word was PEACE. I believe we all need this so much.

John 14:27 (Contemporary English Version) “I give you peace that only I can give, said Jesus. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid”.

Peace that's rooted in good situations isn't really peace at all. It's a brittle kind of harmony between man and the world, and it crumbles very easily. When you have lots of money, good health, many friends, and a great marriage, you might seem to have peace. But take away those things (good situations) and most would crumble and lose their peace.

I know this is going to shock you, but going to church and reading your Bible won’t give you peace that Jesus talked about in John 14:27. We need these things to grow in the Lord and to become spiritually strong, but they don’t give us peace. They will comfort us, but will not give us peace that we all crave so much. Then how do we get this peace that Jesus said he would give us?

On Christmas Eve 2010 we had the worst snow storm in decades here in Oklahoma. My son was stuck in the snow blizzard and called me for help. I took with me one of our other teens so she could see first hand what a storm could do in driving conditions. When we finally got home later that night, I asked our teen was you scared? And she said NO because I trust you dad, and I know everything will be ok when I’m with you.

My daughter trusted me because we have a father / daughter relationship. When you have a relationship with the Lord, you will trust him with all your heart, thus having PEACE that only Christ can give.

Jesus Christ offers true peace - a lasting contentment that is unbreakable, no matter what happens. However, a sinful life makes peace impossible. A person cannot experience the promise of God's care when he or she is acting in defiance of His will. So when a believer expresses faith in Jesus, the war for self-rule ends.

Submission to the Lord allows His peace to fill your life. When the Holy Spirit lives within us, we can approach everything in life with confidence and serenity. The only way to get this lasting peace is through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Lord created humans so they would have a relationship with Him that is characterized by love - His loving them, and their loving Him. And through His presence, He would protect and provide for mankind. Only through close friendship with the Creator can anyone receive deep, lasting, abiding peace.

What people sense as “loneliness,” “a deep void,” or “purposelessness” is a type of signal - or indicator - that God has built into man. It is a programmed message that we need Him. Through it, the Designer tells His creation, “Without Me, you will never feel complete. I am the only One who can satisfy your deepest longings. I will be the source of your peace.”
Sudden tragedy or personal loss can show us our need for help, comfort, and guidance. And it is at such a point of need that our kind and loving God often reveals how to know Him in a personal way.

God wants all of us to ask for His mercy, confess our sins, and trust Him for salvation - that’s the essence of His plan for you and me. It is also the fundamental requirement for experiencing His wonderful, continuous gift of peace. When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and take control of our lives, He bridges the gap between God and man. Through Him, we have forgiveness (no more shame or guilt because of the past) and the assurance of His presence in our lives. Moreover, we have the opportunity to experience abiding PEACE, the gift promised to those who follow the Lord.

Cliff & Kelly

World Harvest Evangelism