Let's turn to Isaiah chapter number 26. Isaiah chapter number 26. My driving would have been probably akin to the book of Song of Solomon. I came skipping upon the hills, amen. Amen. But it is a blessing. Brother Dietz, thank you for the opportunity to preach and to be with you all. And I've been looking forward to this. I believe you had mentioned this to me back in the summertime while you were at Roanoke Baptist Church down in Pickens County. It's just a joy to be here. I've been looking forward to this and honored to preach the Word of God. Good to see friends in the ministry. I see some here that we know today. Just an honor to preach the Word of God. I had no idea about the theme and what Brother Dietz had picked out, but I'm confident this is what God wants me to preach today and write what the Lord wants, and I think it sort of fits in there. Let's look at Isaiah 26, verse number one. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city. Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Amen. I tell you, if you're gonna fight the good fight of faith, you need a strong city, amen. You need walls for protection. You need those bulwarks mentioned in verse number one. Verse two, open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Verse three is our text. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah, amen, capital J-E-H-O-V-A-H, For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, not only these preacher brethren that are here today, but every one of us, from the youngest to the oldest, male or female, you need what I'm preaching about today. If you're gonna last in these last days, if you're gonna stand for the Lord, if you're gonna be victorious in the Christian life, you need peace with God. Now there is the peace of God, and that is true, and there's references made to the peace of God, but I wanna preach today on peace with God. Amen, that's a little more personal when you're talking about having peace with God. And that's what we'll preach on today is peace with God. Let's pray before the message. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together. Lord, we love you. Thank you for the privilege to be among dear saints of God. What an honor to open the Bible and preach, thus saith the Lord. Lord, we need your divine touch and your help. And Lord, I pray that, Lord, you would help in this meeting. God, I pray that you would bless the services. Thank you for the soul that was saved last night and the good report of what you're already doing in this meeting. God, may you touch hearts. Help us today. Lord, especially the men of God that are here. I pray, God, you'd help them and their a particular place as a service. God, help us as leaders and preachers to have peace with you. Oh God, may you help us, Lord, in this area of our life. And we'll give you thanks, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen, amen. Now, I wanna look at this verse today, and let's read it again in verse number three. Thou wilt keep him, in perfect peace. No flaw, no diminishing of what this peace is all about in its entirety and in its fullness. There is perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee. Listen, there's a spiritual war going on. There's a battle going on. Listen, we're in the midst of these last days and standing for truth and right, and there's a spiritual war going on. There's a battle for you and your mind. And listen, I know that a lot of things have been misconstrued about the mind and mind over matter. And listen, we're not going to get into a bunch of crazy weirdness and stuff with this message, but I tell you, the devil is after our mind. Listen, man of God, you better guard your mind. You better guard your mind against evil persuasion, against sin and wickedness in this world. Amen. A lot of people are big on things that they should concentrate on with standards in their life and living a holy life and looking right and being right and talking right. Amen. And walking right. and being right as a child of God on the outside, but you better put up some guards and safeguards for your mind or the devil will wreak havoc in your life. Listen, from the youngest of these children to the eldest of these saints, we all need a man to have a guarded mind because we are in a battle. There is perfect peace, but it's for those whose mind is stayed on the Lord. I'm gonna preach on some peace today, but before I get to that, I think it fitting as the verse says, whose mind, whose mind is stayed on thee. Let's turn to Genesis chapter six. Genesis chapter six. Genesis chapter six, way over there at the beginning of the Bible, Genesis chapter six. Bible says in verse number five, if you look in the word of God, Genesis chapter six, verse number five. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Why did God have to destroy the earth with a flood? It's because people's heads were messed up. People's thoughts were not upon God. People's thoughts were only evil continually. The Bible speaks of the imagination of the thoughts. The root of that is the word image. And listen, imaginations is those images in people's head. Those images in people's mind, that which is swirling around in somebody's head. And listen, we gotta guard against those images. You say, how does images get in your head? Through what you see, through what you hear. Those images are formed in your head and you better guard your eyes, you better guard your ears. Because those thoughts are gonna be formed in your head. Look at verse six. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. God destroyed the earth, because the evil and wickedness of man's thoughts, because their thoughts were in the wrong place, they were only evil continually, no thought of God, no thought of righteousness, no thought of honoring him, and therefore God saw fit to destroy this earth because people's minds were in the wrong place. Romans chapter seven tells us that the mind is that great battlefield between the flesh and the spirit. Amen, this body, speaking of the flesh and that mind, where the spirit of God moves. And here, Romans chapter number seven, the Bible tells us that we need our mind in the right place. Let's turn and look at it in the Bible, Romans chapter seven. Trying to lay a little groundwork here, amen. Romans chapter seven. The Bible says in verse 21, look at it with me. Romans chapter seven, verse number 21. I find in a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. How many of you feel like you fit in that boat? Amen. When you're trying to do right, evil is present with you. Paul said just above that in verse 18, I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. That's a would do, do not, and all that. I tell you, that's a tang-tonguer, amen. Somebody said one time, it's like getting your tongue hung around your eye tooth and you can't see what you're saying, amen. But anyway, we find that battle between flesh and spirit. Look at verse 22. for I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring, here's that battle. Boy, I told you this fit that theme, amen. Warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? There's a battle for your mind, that mind against the members, that body against the spirit. Verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. There is victory, there is peace, amen. There is peace in the midst of the storm. In the midst of war and battle, amen, you can have your mind in the right spot because there is victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, look at it in verse 25, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Gotta have our mind in the right place. We're gonna get to peace here in a little bit, amen? Before we get to what peace is all about and peace with God, that peace is for he who has his mind stayed on the Lord. Where's your mind today? What you thinking about? What do you meditate upon during the weekday? I know where your mind's at right now because you're listening to preaching, amen. We're talking about the Bible. But listen, where's your mind at when you're in a place by yourself? Where's your mind at when you're going through the weekday? Where's your mind at? Is it on the Lord or is it on yourself and on sin and on things of this world? Where's your mind at? You need to get your mind in the right place. Proverbs 4, keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. What issues forth, amen, from that heart is what you're gonna become. Proverbs 23, for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. He. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, Matthew chapter number 12. What are you saying, preacher? I'm saying you better get your mind right. Better get your mind in the right place. Nothing else will find its proper place unless you get right on the inside. That's where it all begins. Now, before I get into this piece, and I'm watching the clock, amen. Before we get into the subject of peace with God, I wanna give you some things about four things that'll help you with your mind. Well, Hebrews chapter number four tells us that that word, amen, is as a two-edged sword. And it is a discerner of the faults and intents of the heart. You know what'll help your mind? If you start spending more time in this book, amen, the Word of God. I'm telling you today, the Word of God will help your mind, amen. If you saturate your thoughts and your head in this book, amen, and you put the Bible in you, it'll help your mind. It'll help you in... in your mind. It'll help you. Amen. I'm telling you, I need the Bible. I need the Word of God. I need a steady night of it because this is cleansing for my thought life. Amen. The Word of God will make you clean on the inside. It'll help your thoughts. It'll help your mind. I'm glad I have a Bible. Somebody say amen. Glad I have a King James Bible, amen. Thankful for the word of God. So the word of God will help my mind. Turn to Psalm 139. We're turning a lot, but that's okay, amen. That's a good Bible exercise. Psalm 139, 139. Look at verse 23. Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting. Not only do I need the word of God to help my thought life and my mind, I need the wisdom of God. I need God to shine in the flashlight of his understanding on my little puny brain and my mind and my thoughts, amen, and search me. Try me and know my thoughts. You know, there's been situations in my life I found myself in that life is just way over my head. How many of you have ever had an inadequate moment where you just didn't feel quite up to the task that was in front of you? Listen, we need the wisdom of God. We need God's thoughts and God's mind and let God search us and see if there is anything in our thoughts that's out of line. Lord, know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. James 1.9, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Amen. I'm glad God can give us what we need. Amen, I'm lacking, I'm insufficient, but I know an all-sufficient God that's full of wisdom and help for my mind and my thoughts. The Word of God can help your mind. The wisdom of God can help your mind. Turn to Proverbs chapter 16. Proverbs chapter 16. Boy, I'm feeling good in my soul. Proverbs chapter 16. Verse number three, I love this verse in the Bible, and I saw this years ago, and it just really stuck in my heart what the context of verse three is all about. Now watch it in the Bible, Proverbs 16, verse three. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. What do I need to help my mind? I need the Word of God, I need the wisdom of God, and I need works for God. You know a lot of people that struggle emotionally and in their mind and real wishy-washy in their thought life is because they sit around and they have too much idle time on their hands. You get busy in the work of God, you won't have time to worry about all your struggles and troubles in life, amen. You commit your works unto the Lord and He will establish your thought life. You find solid people that have their minds stayed on the Lord. It's people that's busy in the work of God. There may be storms raging all around you, but you can have the peace of God that passeth all understanding in your mind if you'll just get busy laboring for the Lord. People have too much time on their hands. Just sit around and find things to worry about. They'll find things to get involved in that they shouldn't be involved in. Listen, you get busy for God, you won't have time for all that stuff, amen. Commit your works unto the Lord and your thoughts will be established. Second Corinthians chapter 10, I've got to hurry. Second Corinthians chapter 10. Another reference in the Bible, 2 Corinthians chapter 10, to your thought life, your mind. Verse number five, 2 Corinthians 10 verse five. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. You say, what else do I need to help my thought life? You need the will of God. Submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane? As he prayed, not my will, but thine be done. And that turmoil in the garden, his sweat, as it were, great drops of blood, He's submitting himself to the will of the Father. Listen, you cast down imagination, these evil thoughts, these things that go on in your head and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Lord, I want in my mind what you want in my mind. Lord, I want in my life what you want for my life. Lord, here I am, I'm completely submitted to you in body, in mind, amen, and in spirit, Lord, it's all yours. If you can find a place, amen, for the will of God in your life to just give Him everything, it will help you in your mind. People struggle in mind because they've never committed their life to Christ and given Christ everything. Lord, here it is, it's all yours. Listen, when God's in control of all things, I don't have to worry about it. Listen, there are people that are side seat drivers. Maybe you have a spouse like that, that rides next to you in the car, and they are worried to death. Listen, when you're in the passenger seat, you shouldn't have to worry, amen? If that driver has any good sense at all, you can sit back and relax, because it's in control by somebody else. You don't have control of the wheel. Amen. Why worry about it? You can't do anything anyway. Amen. Don't fret and worry, especially when God's in the driver's seat. Amen. It'll help your mind just to let go and let God. Amen. Let him have his way. Now I've got to hurry. Let's look back at our text, Isaiah chapter 26. I want to mention also about four things that pertain to Isaiah, chapter 26, verse number three, and how we can have peace with God. Isaiah, chapter 26, verse number three. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed where? On thee. You say, preacher, I'd like to know all about that perfect peace, amen, that settled peace with the Lord. I'd like to have, as Jesus, when he stepped out with those disciples there on that boat, and they were sinking, there's water in the boat, there's water outside the boat, amen, the storm was raging, and they woke Jesus up and said, care us not, thou not that we perish, Amen, and Jesus stepped forth on that ship and cried out, peace! Be still. And immediately, there's a great call. No more storm, amen. That's what God can do. Say, preacher, you don't understand what's going on in my life. You're right, I probably don't. But I know a God, amen, who can bring peace. Peace, peace. Wonderful peace, amen. Thank God for peace. Where can you find peace? Well, in Christ there is peace. I'm glad there's peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, perfect peace is found in a person. In a person. Perfect peace. Romans chapter three speaks of sinners, says the way of peace have they not known. Turn to Romans chapter five. I know we're turning a lot. Romans chapter five, verse number one. The Bible says this, Romans five. Therefore being justified by faith, the Bible says, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, Ephesians chapter two reminds me, for he, the Lord Jesus, is our peace, amen. In Jesus there is perfect peace, amen, in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Boy, I'm glad for the day I got saved back many years ago in 1982, 11 year old boy, amen, and the peace of God flooded my soul, amen. Thank God for perfect peace. I'll tell you, just before I got saved, I remember, I remember the Holy Ghost conviction on my heart and my soul. And I remember as a young boy, just 11 years old, and that preaching, service after service, where I was gripping those pews and turning the Lord away. And I remember the night before I got saved, I was twisting and turning. I remember I was sick to my stomach. I got up in the middle of the night and literally vomited. I was sick. because of the conviction. But that Friday night of vacation Bible school, amen, I went to that altar and asked Jesus Christ into my heart to be my savior and peace, amen, peace of God flooded my soul, hallelujah, amen. The day I got saved, amen. Listen, you get saved, you'll know what some peace is all about, amen. It's in a person, it's in Jesus Christ, amen. There is peace. So I find peace in a Savior, amen, the Lord Jesus Christ. John chapter number 14, I'm hurrying along. John chapter number 14. Look with me, please, in the Bible. John chapter 14, verse number 26. Bible says this, but the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace, there it is, verse 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. I'm glad in Christ there's peace, but I'm glad there's peace in the comforter. The Holy Ghost of God, there is peace. That's peace from the Spirit of God. There's peace in the Savior. There's peace in the Spirit of God. Do you know Galatians chapter number five? God mentions the fruit of the Spirit. It's singular. There's one spirit. Amen. Therefore, there's one fruit. It's manifest in nine different forms there. You have nine different things mentioned. But love, joy, peace, part of that fruit of the spirit, amen, it is a characteristic of the Holy Spirit of God is peace, amen. Thank God for His peace daily as I walk on this earth, amen, and things may be raging around me. I have the Holy Ghost of God that yields peace in my life. Thank God for the Spirit of God. Thank God for peace through my Savior, the Lord Jesus. Thank God for peace through the Spirit of God. In Psalm 119, you don't have to turn to this, most of you know Psalm 119, verse 165. Great peace have they which love what? Thy law. Nothing shall offend them. I'm glad in the canon of Scripture, amen, there is peace. And that scriptural peace, it only comes from the Word of God. Amen. There's assurance in this Bible. There's authority in this Bible. There's abundance in this Bible. And there is peace through the Word of God. Amen. That day you were struggling, it seemed like hell is raging in your life. Lean upon the Bible. What'd Jesus do when he was tempted of the devil, led of him out into the wilderness? Every time Jesus refuted him with, thus saith the Lord, with the Bible. I tell you, you want to resist the devil and have him flee from you, you just get the Word of God hidden in your heart. And you love it, not only have it, but love it. Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. I'm glad there's peace in the scripture. Then last of all, turn to Philippians chapter four, and I do want you to turn to Philippians chapter number four. I love this text of Scripture. I've tried to be a help to many families over the years, and you pastors know trying to minister to families as they've lost someone they love. Philippians chapter number 4 has been a great text for me to try to help hearts with, of those grieving. The Bible says in Philippians 4 verse number 6, Be careful for nothing. In other words, don't be full of care. Don't be full of worry and anxiety. But in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. I'm here to tell you, in communion with God, there's peace. And that's through supplication. That's supplicating with the Lord and spending time with Him. The Bible says through this praying in verse six, verse seven, and the peace of God, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep what? Your hearts and what else? Your what? Your minds. Through Christ Jesus. You want peace in your head and your heart? You want peace of mind? then you get it through spending time in prayer with the Lord. You pour your heart out to God, He can help you with peace, amen. Now look at verse eight. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, do what? Think! Think! Think on these things. Verse eight's about your thought life. You need to be thinking about what's true, what's honest, what's just, what's pure, what's lovely, what's a good report. Things of virtue. You say, what is that? Every one of those characteristics is true of Jesus Christ. You need to get your mind stayed on him. Amen. Now watch verse nine. You cannot read this text without looking at verse number nine. 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. I want you to notice the contrast and the difference of verse seven. Verse seven speaks of the peace of God. And I'm glad for the peace of God. But I'm glad according to verse number nine, I can not only know the peace of God, but I can know the God of peace. I'm glad I know him, amen. I'm glad I know the Lord who's full of peace, amen. Peace of God that passeth all understanding. I'm glad I know him. Amen. There is peace with God. You can have peace with God this morning. And I'm telling you, you can go through life, you can go through ministry, you can go through a lot of different things. You can even preach from the pulpit and do a lot of that in the energy of your flesh and not have any peace in what you're doing in the life you're living. But I'm glad there is perfect peace whose mind has stayed on Him, on the Lord. Amen?