Those Who Hate Peace

Psalms 120:6 Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.

Peace on earth, good will towards men are the words from the traditional Christmas song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Yet it seems that thought, or plane of existence is far from the minds of many on this earth. The Middle East remains in turmoil.  And while a newly minted peace plan remains tenuously in place, the trigger for renewed fighting is literally one bullet away. At home in the good old USA, political unrest over the budget to run the country threatens to literally bring our country to its’ knees. Gone from Washington are the days when partisan politics gave way to doing what is right for the country. No one seems to want to find a reasonable middle ground.

Matthew 22:36-40 gives us insight into just how wrong and broken our world is. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  Missing from all sides of any of the world political arguments are the two simple commandments. Love God. Love your neighbor. These commandments have been replaced in many parts of the world and at home with “There is no God”, and “unless you believe as I do I will hate you even unto death.”  Love, compassion, and peace are missing from the dialogue of our world. For many, Psalms 120:6 hits the nail on the head. “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.” Many are seeking “something better.”  For followers of Jesus Christ we know where the “something better” is found. We also know that God our Father did not send His Son to die for sinners just to have a world reject the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the very reason for Christmas would not accept as reasonable what is going on in our world.

The Matthew 22 passage above clearly is at odds with our modern and “enlighten” world. And to that end, what are we to do as Christians? Staying focused on Christ is a good start. Stay in tune with His words. And pray that His words would fill the hearts and minds of all mankind. We have a God-sized problem on our hands in this world today. Prayer is the best weapon we have in the war on peace today. Please, dear friends if you are not already praying for peace in our world and in our land start today.

PRAYER: Almighty God You are the source of all wisdom and the source of all peace. Help us dear Lord to find the peace we so desperately seek at home and abroad. Help those who seek to destroy each other physically or ideologically see the error of their ways. Guide us all in the light of Your Son. Let Your Holy Spirit fill all hearts with faith and love. These things we ask in the name of Jesus, who is love and peace for all mankind, Amen.

I Hope We Are Faithful In Prayer

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

We have discussed hope, blessings, and patience this week. With this devotional we will look at being faithful in prayer. In our journey through Advent and into Christmas we are moving closer to the physical date when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. And along this path we can encounter many opportunities to have our faith tested, scorned and even belittled. Being Christian at Christmas is no simple walk in the park. On all sides we encounter elements of society that as I mentioned before want to take the “Christ out of Christmas.” In the face of hostility to that which Christians hold dear we often hear hostility in the voice of those defending Christ in Christmas. And in that very hostility we know that Christ has been removed from Christmas. A more “Christ-like” response would be one filled with love and prayer. Angry words do not win arguments, they simply stoke the fire for more heated arguments.  Instead of words and actions of anger, there should be love and prayer permeating the exchange between peoples and organizations. Instead of getting in their face about the whole ‘holiday’ thing we ought first to take time to pray. We can pray for those involved to have a change of heart and return to the ‘Christmas’ side of things. We can offer to visit and to pray with those involved that they would know that what we in Christ stand for is not anger. Rather our message should be of love. That same love shown to all mankind in the birth of the Christ Child celebrated each December 25^th. That monumental act of love should not be replaced by words and actions of anger and intemperance. In John 13: 34&35 the words of Jesus tell us exactly what we are to do.  “A new command I give to you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” It’s kind of difficult to argue with the boss when the boss laid out His position so clearly.

And prayer is such a powerful tool that is often under utilized when we seek to love one another. In prayer we step aside from our own reasoning and open ourselves up to what God would have us do. Prayer is not a one sided conversation when we truly reach out to God. But all too often we use our prayer time as an opportunity to give God a “To Do” list. And when we take this approach to prayer we miss so very much. Our Father wants to not just hear from us, he wants to reach out to us. And our time of prayer is opportunity we have to seek out his will in our lives. Being faithful in prayer is what we must do. We acknowledge God is our maker our sole salvation when we reach out in prayer. Our perspective is aligned to that simple truth in prayer. He is God, and we are not. It is a case of His will be done, and not our will. Let’s try prayer first in how we approach those who seek to take Christ out of Christmas. And ask for the words and actions He would have us use.

PRAYER: Almighty God, You first loved us, when we did not deserve that love. You poured out Your love with Your Son on the cross so that all mankind could be saved. Help us Father to reach out in love to those who seek to minimize the importance of Christ in Christmas. Give us Your words and the actions You would have us take. Help us to remain faithful to Your love. This we ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Hope We Patiently Wait To See Fulfilled

Romans 8:24&25 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

How are you with patience? Are you someone who can wait patiently for something to happen in life or to arrive via the next day delivery truck? Maybe you are like the rest of us and claim to be patient, but want it NOW!  What ever is the case with your or my patience, when it comes to Romans 8: 24&25 we have no choice in the matter. The hope is there, waiting for us to embrace it. The hope we are patiently waiting for is what we receive in Christ Jesus. Before Christ we were not saved. We were lost in our sin. We were dead as the proverbial doornail. There is finality in that condition. It’s a death with an absence of God for the rest of eternity. That is not a pleasant prospect. But that prospect is what all too many embrace because they chose to place their hope in something other than Christ. This could be a situation where hope is placed in an ability to earn salvation. There is considerable effort expended in the relentless pursuit of some goal that is indefinable and unquantifiable. The good deeds are carried out with a sense of obligation and no small quantity of guilt.  For others life is all about the relentless pursuit of wealth or material possessions. This life style is epitomized in the expression “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Another final group have no real connection to God. They believe that once life is over, there is death and nothing beyond that. Existence ends - end of story. There is no heaven or if there is a hell, it is reserved for really bad people, not themselves.

To say there are flawed perspectives is an understatement. Many people in this world are misguided in their outlook on life, faith, death and salvation. Sadly, many miss the blessing born of profoundly humble surroundings in a manager is a small town over two thousand years ago. This time of year we look for gifts to be wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper and bows or in a gift bag. We receive gifts from friends, family, and coworkers that are given in the hope they will fill some need in our lives. The difference between the gift of a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger and the gifts we receive at Christmas is in how they fill a need in our lives. That sweater from Aunt Betty may not fit. But that baby in a manger in Bethlehem met all our needs. Jesus is the perfect expression of love from a loving God our Father in Heaven. He was born, lived, and died on the cross to save us from ourselves. In ourselves we were lost to death in sin. When Christ entered the picture, we were saved in a way no other sacrifice could fulfill. Jesus is a gift beyond comparison and without equal. That is the gift we wait patiently for in our lives. This gift is fully opened when our life on this earth ends. That which we hope for we do so with patience and impatience. We have the the certainty of what it holds along with the assurance it will be there when the time is right to open. So, be patient in waiting for that which we hope for.

PRAYER: Father, Abba, Your expression of love is the form of Your Son Jesus is a gift of love without comparison, equal, or end. We who are undeserving have been blessed beyond any ability fully express. And so we give thanks. We offer our humble thanksgiving to having hope in something we cannot see or physically grasp, yet know with absolute certainty is there when we need it. All praise to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.