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Peace
Peace
There is a painting titled
“Peace”. It depicts waves crashing against the jagged rocks. It portrays the
violence of a crushing storm. It seems anything but peaceful. But down in a
small corner of the painting
tucked away in the rocks
is a little bird
sitting on her nest totally oblivious to the raging storm all about. That is
peace. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Peace
Picture a massive hurricane
raging over the ocean. On the surface of the sea the violent winds whip the
water into giant waves and create a scene of havoc and chaos. Yet
a mere
twenty-five feet below the surface
the waters are clear and calm. The fish
there go on living their lives totally unaware of the thunderous tumult just
above them.
When there is “depth
”
there is peace. So it is in the Christian life. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Peace
A hurricane is a storm with
cyclonic winds that exceed
So with us in the storms of
life. With the Lord as our center
there is calm and peace
even in the darkest
of life’s storms. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical
Preaching》
Peace
Eric Barker was a
missionary from great Britain who had spent over fifty years in Portugal
preaching the gospel
often under adverse conditions. During World War II
the
situation became so critical that he took the advice to send his wife and eight
children to
Peace
U Thant was once Secretary
General of the United Nations. While speaking in 1965 before sixty-seven
distinguished scholars and statesmen from nineteen countries of the world
who
were convened to talk about the requirements for world peace
he asked these
questions:
What element is lacking so
that with all our skill and all our knowledge we still find ourselves in the
dark valley of discord and enmity? What is it that inhibits us from going
forward together to enjoy the fruits of human endeavor and to reap the harvest
of human experience? Why is it that
for all our professed ideals
our hopes
and our skills
peace on earth is till a distant objective seen only dimly
through the storms and turmoil of our present difficulties? ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
Peace
There is a
painting titled “Peace”. It depicts waves crashing against the jagged rocks. It
portrays the violence of a crushing storm. It seems anything but peaceful. But
down in a small corner of the painting
tucked away in the rocks
is a little
bird sitting on her nest totally oblivious to the raging storm all about. That
is peace.
Peace
Picture a
massive hurricane raging over the ocean. On the surface of the sea the violent
winds whip the water into giant waves and create a scene of havoc and chaos.
Yet
a mere twenty-five feet below the surface
the waters are clear and calm.
The fish there go on living their lives totally unaware of the thunderous
tumult just above them.
When there is “depth
”
there is peace. So it is in the Christian life.
Peace
A hurricane
is a storm with cyclonic winds that exceed
So with us in the storms
of life. With the Lord as our center
there is calm and peace
even in the
darkest of life’s storms.
Peace
Eric Barker
was a missionary from great Britain who had spent over fifty years in Portugal
preaching the gospel
often under adverse conditions. During World War II
the
situation became so critical that he took the advice to send his wife and eight
children to
Peace
U Thant was
once Secretary General of the United Nations. While speaking in 1965 before
sixty-seven distinguished scholars and statesmen from nineteen countries of the
world
who were convened to talk about the requirements for world peace
he
asked these questions:
What element is lacking so
that with all our skill and all our knowledge we still find ourselves in the
dark valley of discord and enmity? What is it that inhibits us from going
forward together to enjoy the fruits of human endeavor and to reap the harvest
of human experience? Why is it that
for all our professed ideals
our hopes
and our skills
peace on earth is till a distant objective seen only dimly
through the storms and turmoil of our present difficulties?
Here is an instruction on
how to react to hungry pythons
as given to Peace Corpsmen serving in Brazil --
"Remember not to run away
the python can run faster. The thing to do is
to lie flat on the ground on your back with your feet together
arms at your
side
head well down. The python will then try to push its head under you
experimenting at every possible point. Keep calm (that was underscored).
"You must let him swallow your foot. It is quite painless and it will take
a long time. If you lose your head and struggle
he will quickly whip his coils
around you. If you keep calm and still
he will go on swallowing. Wait
patiently until he has swallowed up to about your knee. Then carefully take out
your knife and insert it into the distended side of his mouth and with a quick
rip slit him up."
Resource
Sept./Oct.
1992
p. 2.
For death and life
in
ceaseless strife
Beat wild on the world's
shore
And all our calm is in
that balm -
Not lost but gone before.
Caroline Norton
(1808-1877) from Not Lost but Gone Before.
Any one can hold the helm
when the sea is calm.
Publius Syrus (42 B.C.)
I rest beneath the
Almighty's shade
My griefs expire
my
troubles cease;
Thou
Lord
on whom my
soul is stayed
Wilt keep me still in
perfect peace.
Charles Wesley.
Safety consists not in the
absence of danger but in the presence of God.
Source Unknown.
Society of International
Law
in London
states that during the last 4
000 years there have been only
268 years of peace in spite of good peace treaties. In the last 3 centuries
there have been 286 wars on the continent of Europe alone.
J.K. Laney
Marching
Orders
p 50.
Peace that Jesus gives is
not the absence of trouble
but is rather the confidence that He is there with
you always.
Source Unknown.
The Power of Peace
As I perused an old copy
of The Wonderful Word edited by Leon Tucker
I came upon a tremendous
sermon by W.H. Griffith- Thomas entitled "The Power of Peace." He
gave an exposition of 2 Thess. 3:16
"Now the Lord of peace Himself give
you peace always by all means." His outline should prove helpful to
Christian workers.
I. The Nature of Peace
1. Peace of a quiet
conscience (Rom. 8:33-35; three questions)
2. Peace of a restful mind
(Phil. 4:7)
3. Peace of a surrendered
will
4. Peace of a hopeful
heart (Isaiah 50:7)
5. Peace of loving
fellowship
II. The Source of Peace
1. Peace with God (Rom.
5:1)
2. The God of peace (Rom.
15:33)
3. The peace of God (Phil.
4:7)
4. The Lord of peace (2
Thess. 3:16)
III. The Channel of Peace
"The Lord of peace
Himself give you peace always by all means" (2 Thess. 3:16)
IV. The Duration of Peace
"...give you peace
always."
V. The Secret of Peace
"The Lord of peace
Himself give you peace..."
W.H. Griffith
The
Power of Peace.
Long ago a man sought the
perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied
he announced a
contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of
artists everywhere
and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great
day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after
another
while the viewers clapped and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only
two pictures remained veiled.
As a judge pulled the
cover from one
a hush fell over the crowd.
A mirror-smooth lake
reflected lacy
green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along
the grassy shore
a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the
winner.
The man with the vision
uncovered the second painting himself
and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could
this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall
cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold
penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning
wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill
a
spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches
reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to
experience its full power.
A little bird had built a
nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy
surroundings
she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready
to cover her little ones
she manifested peace that transcends all earthly
turmoil.
Berit Kjos
A Wardrobe
from the King
pp. 45-46.
The Personnel Journal
reported this incredible statistic: since the beginning of recorded history
the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its
study
the periodical discovered that of 3530 years of recorded history
only
286 years saw peace. Moreover
in excess of 8000 peace treaties were made--and
broken.
Moody Bible Institute
Today
In The Word
June
1988
p.33.
Peace is such a precious
jewel
that I would give anything for it but truth.
Matthew Henry.
Duke University did a study
on "peace of mind." Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional
and mental stability are: 1) the absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a
grudge was a major factor in unhappiness. 2) Not living in the past. An
unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate
with life
instead of trying to run away from it. 4) Force yourself to stay
involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become
reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity
when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life
without some sorrow and misfortune. 6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love
humor
compassion and loyalty. 7) Do not expect too much of yourself. When
there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the
goals you have set
feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. 8) Find something
bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score
lowest in any test for measuring happiness.
Source Unknown.
A former president of the
Norwegian Academy of Sciences and historians from England
Egypt
Germany
and
India have come up with some startling information: Since 3600 B.C. the world
has known only 292 years of peace! During this period there have been 14
351
wars
large and small
in which 3.64 billion people have been killed. The value
of the property destroyed would pay for a golden belt around the world 97.2
miles wide and 33 feet thick. Since 650 B.C. there have also been 1656 arms
races
only 16 of which have not ended in war. The remainder ended in the
economic collapse of the countries involved.
Source Unknown.
In 1555
Nicholas Ridley
was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before
Ridley's execution
his brother offered to remain with him in the prison
chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and
replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his
life. Because he knew the peace of God
he could rest in the strength of the
everlasting arms of his Lord to meet his need. So can we!
Source Unknown.
Telemachus was a monk who
lived in the 4th century. He felt God saying to him
"Go to Rome." He
was in a cloistered monastery. He put his possessions in a sack and set out for
Rome. When he arrived in the city
people were thronging in the streets. He
asked why all the excitement and was told that this was the day that the
gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the coliseum
the day of
the games
the circus. He thought to himself
"Four centuries after
Christ and they are still killing each other
for enjoyment?" He ran to the
coliseum and heard the gladiators saying
"Hail to Ceasar
we die for
Ceasar" and he thought
"this isn't right." He jumped over the
railing and went out into the middle of the field
got between two gladiators
held up his hands and said "In the name of Christ
forbear." The
crowd protested and began to shout
"Run him through
Run him
through." A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back
of his sword. It sent him sprawling in the sand. He got up and ran back and again
said
"In the name of Christ
forbear." The crowd continued to chant
"Run him through." One gladiator came over and plunged his sword
through the little monk's stomach and he fell into the sand
which began to
turn crimson with his blood. One last time he gasped out
"In the name of
Christ forbear." A hush came over the 80
000 people in the coliseum. Soon
a man stood and left
then another and more
and within minutes all 80
000 had
emptied out of the arena. It was the last known gladiatorial contest in the
history of Rome.
Source Unknown.
In my late twenties
a
bunch of my friends and I decided to sail around the world. I have to admit
though
at the time I was a bit worried. I hadn't even sailed before. I was
uneasy and anxious. So I spent a lot of time reading the Bible and praying
about it
until it dawned on me that God was whispering
"Tim
I'll give you
peace if you read some books on sailing. The reason you're anxious is not due
to lack of prayer
but to your lack of sailing knowledge."
I wasn't unprayerful; I
was unskilled. So I took a step I needed to take to "let" God work
his peace in my heart. I began reading about sailing.
Tim Hansel
Holy Sweat
1987
Word Books Publisher
p. 63.
According to a Greek
legend
in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing
childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop
asking
him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.
Aesop responded by picking
up a bow
loosening its string
and placing it on the ground. Then he said to
the critical Athenian
"Now
answer the riddle
if you can. Tell us what
the unstrung bows implies."
The man looked at it for
several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop
explained
"If you keep a bow always bent
it will break eventually; but
if you let it go slack
it will be more fit for use when you want it."
People are also like that.
That's why we all need to take time to rest. In today's Scripture
Jesus
prescribed time off for His wearied disciples after they had returned from a
prolonged period of ministry. And in the Old Testament
God set a pattern for
us when He "rested from all His work" (Gen.2:3).
Shouldn't we take His
example seriously? Start by setting aside a special time to relax physically
and renew yourself emotionally and spiritually. You will be at your best for
the Lord if you have taken time to loosen the bow.
Our Daily Bread
June 6
1994.
One man challenged another
to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard
stopping
only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took
several breaks during the day. At the end of the day
the challenger was
surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially
more wood than he had.
"I don't get
it
" he said. "Every time I checked
you were taking a rest
yet you
chopped more wood than I did."
"But you didn't
notice
" said the winning woodsman
"that I was sharpening my ax when
I sat down to rest."
Source Unknown.
Noise affects human
behavior. In one experiment carried out by psychologists
a student leaving a
library intentionally dropped an armload of books. In 50% of the cases
a
passerby stopped to help the student pick up the books. Then the experimenters
brought out a lawn mower without a muffler and started it near where a student
would again intentionally drop the books. This time
only about 10% of the
people who passed stopped to help. It was clear that behavior changed because
of the earsplitting sound of the nearby lawn mower.
In experiments in Los
Angeles
researchers found that children who lived in neighborhoods near the
airport could not complete certain tasks undertaken when jets were landing and
taking off as easily as children who lived in quiet neighborhoods. Some studies
of prison conditions have shown that the high levels of noise causes more
complaints by prisoners than the food or other prison conditions do.
Source Unknown.
There's no music in a
rest
but there is the making of music in it. In our whole life-melody the
music is broken off here and there by 'rests
' and we foolishly think we have
come to the end of the tune...not without design does God write the music of
our lives. Be it ours to learn the tune
and not be dismayed at the 'rests.'
They are not to be slurred over
not to be omitted
not to destroy the melody
not to change the keynote. If we sadly say to ourselves
'There is no music in
a rest
' let us not forget that there is the making of music in it.
"Carry some quiet
around inside thee
" the well-known Quaker
George Fox
used to say.
"Be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit
from thy own thoughts
and
then thou wilt feel the principle of God to turn thy mind to the Lord from
whence cometh life; whereby thou mayest receive the strength and power to allay
all storms and tempests."
Source Unknown.
Every now and then go
away
have a little relaxation
for when you come back to your work your
judgment will be surer
since to remain constantly at work will cause you to
lose power of judgment...Go some distance away because then the work appears
smaller
and more of it can be taken in at a glance
and lack of harmony or
proportion is more readily seen." These are the words of Leonardo da
Vinci
and no idler he; he excelled as a painter
sculptor
poet
architect
engineer
city planner
scientist
inventor
anatomist
military genius
and
philosopher.
Leonardo Da Vinci.
In the Philippines I heard
a local pastor use the following parable to illustrate Christ's offer of rest
(Matt. ll:28) and the response of people who won't trust Him completely: The
driver of a carabao wagon was on his way to market when he overtook an old man
carrying a heavy load. Taking compassion on him
the driver invited the old man
to ride in the wagon. Gratefully the old man accepted. After a few minutes
the
driver turned to see how the man was doing. To his surprise
he found him still
straining under the heavy weight
for he had not taken the burden off his
shoulders.
Larry Chell.
Several years ago
I heard the story of Larry Walters
a 33-year-old man who
decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. He went down
to the local army surplus store one morning and bought forty-five used weather
balloons. That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair
to which
several of his friends tied the now helium-filled balloons. He took along a
six-pack of beer
a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich
and a BB gun
figuring he
could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.
Walters
who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air
was
caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11
000 feet into the sky --
smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International
Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons
he stayed airborne for
more than two hours
forcing the airport to shut down its runways for much of
the afternoon
causing long delays in flights from across the country.
Soon after he was safely
grounded and cited by the police
reporters asked him three questions:
"Where you scared?"
"Yes."
"Would you do it again?"
"No."
"Why did you do it?"
"Because
" he said
"you can't just sit there."
Leadership
Summer 1993
p. 35.
PEACE.
Ⅰ.
Peace is of heavenly origin as to its source. “ God is not the author of
confusion
but of peace” (1. Cor.14:33).
Ⅱ.
Peace is a fruit of the Spirit as to its impartation. “ The fruit of the Spirit
is……peace” (Gal.5:22).
Ⅲ.
Peace is a product of the Cross as to its channel. “ So making peace……by the
Cross” (Eph.2:15
16).
Ⅳ.
Peace is a plant of obedience as to its condition. “ If ye walk in My statutes
and keep My commandments
I will give peace” (Leviticus 16:3
6).
Ⅴ.
Peace is a variegated plant as to its fullness. “ Peace I leave with you
My
peace I give unto you” (John 14:27).
── F.E. Marsh《Five Hundred Bible Readings》
PEACE.
Grace
mercy
and peace are the trio of Gospel blessings. Grace is love planning to
bless
mercy is love acting
and peace is love enjoyed.
P Purchased Peace. There are many who talk
about “making their peace with God.” This is an impossibility. Man can never
make his peace with God; but there is something better
and that is
that
Christ has made peace by the blood of His Cross. The purchase price of the
peace of the Gospel is the blood of Christ (Col.1:20).
E Embodied Peace. “ He is our Peace.” It is
not merely something from Christ
but Christ Himself; who is the believer’s
peace (Eph.2:14). I remember an aged saint exclaiming to me once
“ Oh
I wish
I had peace!” I asked her
“ Have you Christ?” “ Oh
yes!” she replied. “ Then
you have got peace
because you have Christ
for ‘ He is our Peace.” If we
sever blessing from Christ blessing in Christ (Eph.1:3)
and that Christ is every
blessing
then we have blessing.
A Abiding Peace. “ My peace I give unto you”
( John 14:27) is Christ’s gift to His people. Whatever Christ gives must be
like Himself
enduring and unfailing
for He is “ the same yesterday
today
and for ever” (Heb.13:8). The things of this world pass away (1.John 2:17)
but
the things of the world to come are like the words of Christ (Matt.24:35)
they
never pass away.
C Complete Peace. The peace of God is perfect
in its nature and perfect in its keeping (Isa.24:3). Like a circle
it is
complete in its character
and encircling in its embrace. To be complete in
Christ (Col.2:10) is to have a complete peace
because we are in a complete
Saviour.
E Ennobling Peace. When the Lord Jesus has
said peace to the sin-sick soul (Luke 7:50)
and when the peace of God rules in
the heart (Col.3:15)
through being anxious for nothing
prayerful in
everything
and thankful for anything (Phil.4:6
7)
then in the quietness and
calmness which are begotten by the Holy Spirit (Rom.15:13) the life shall be
calm as a river (Isa.66:12)
and the peace of God shall play upon the face
(Acts 6:15).
── F.E. Marsh《Five Hundred Bible Readings》
The Fruit Of The Spirit - Peace
INTRODUCTION
1. Another grace experienced by those whose lives are in tune with the Spirit of God is that of "peace" - Ga 5:22 2. That the Spirit of God should induce peace in the children of God should be understandable in light of the fact that... a. Their heavenly Father is "the God of peace" - 1 Th 5:23 b. Their Lord Jesus Christ is called "Prince of peace" - Isa 9:6 3. But one might ask... a. What is this "peace" enjoyed by those who walk in the Spirit? b. How does one come to have this peace? c. How we can be sure to preserve this peace
and enjoy it to its fullest extent? [As we continue our study of "The Flesh And The Spirit"
and especiallyas we focus on "the fruit of the Spirit" (Ga 5:22-23)
we now turn ourattention to the subject of peace...] I. DEFINING "PEACE"
A. PEACE IS SOMETIMES DEFINED IN NEGATIVE TERMS... 1. As though peace were simply the absence of conflict 2. For example... a. "The only condition of peace in this world is to have noideas or at least not to express them." (OLIVER WENDELL
HOLMES) b. "He knows peace who has forgotten desire" (THE BHAGAVAD GITA) B. A BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF PEACE INCLUDES POSITIVE ELEMENTS... 1. The Greek word is eirene
which is defined as: a. "peace between individuals
i.e.
harmony
concord" (THAYER) b. "acc. to a conception distinctly peculiar to the N.T.
the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ
and so fearing nothing from God and content withits earthly lot of whatsoever sort that is" (THAYER)
2. So rather than simply an absence of conflict
the peace God provides is... a. A condition positive in nature a. In which there is active fellowship
harmony and concord between individuals [Having defined peace as a blessing that ought to be desired and enjoyed by all
let's consider what the Bible has to say about...] II. THE SOURCE OF THIS PEACE
A. IT COMES FROM JESUS
WHO CAME TO BRING PEACE... 1. It was prophesied He would be the "Prince of peace" - Isa 9:6-7
2. When He came
He came preaching peace - Ac 10:36 3. Indeed
He offers peace... a. That the world is not able to give - Jn 14:27 b. That one can possess even in the midst of tribulation - Jn 16:33
B. THE PEACE JESUS BRINGS INVOLVES... 1. Peace with God - Ro 5:1-11 a. Which comes when we are "justified by faith" - Ro 5:1 b. Which is accompanied with rejoicing and love
even in tribulation - Ro 5:2-5 c. Which is made possible by the loving sacrifice of Jesus' blood - Ro 5:6-9 d. And continues by virtue of His resurrected life - Ro 5:10-11; e.g. He 7:25
2. Peace with man - Ep 2:11-22 a. Jew and Gentile
once alienated from one another
can be at peace in Jesus Christ - Ep 2:11-14 b. Made possible through the same act which makes peace with God: the death of Jesus Christ! - Ep 2:15-16 c. Thus Jesus has come preaching peace to all mankind - Ep 2:17
d. The wonders of this peace are described as Paul continues... 1) A peace that allows access by one Spirit to the Father - Ep 2:18 2) A peace where all can be fellow-citizens with the saints - Ep 2:19a 3) A peace where all can be members of the family of God - Ep 2:19b 4) A peace where all can be a temple in the Lord
a habitation of God in the Spirit - Ep 2:20-22 3. Peace with self a. Peace within one's own self is mostly a by-product... 1) Of being at peace with God 2) Of being at peace with those around us -- So when Jesus brings us peace with God and man (see above)
peace within naturally follows! b. But there is a peace
one that blesses the soul from within... 1) It comes from God 2) It surpasses all understanding 3) It serves as a fortress to guard our hearts and minds ...and it comes through Christ Jesus! - Ph 4:7 [When one is in Christ Jesus
enjoying the blessings of justification
along with reconciliation with both God and man
peace is a natural by-product. But is there anything we can and should be doing to preserve the peace we have from God in Christ Jesus? Indeed there is...] III. PRESERVING OUR PEACE
A. MAINTAINING PEACE WITH GOD AND SELF REQUIRES... 1. Keeping our minds set on God - cf. Isa 26:3 2. Loving God's word
and heeding His commandments - Psa 119:165;Isa 48:18; cf. Jn 14:23
3. Being diligent in prayer - Ph 4:6-7 4. Filling our mind with spiritual thoughts - Ph 4:8-9; cf. Ro8:5-8
B. MAINTAINING PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER REQUIRES... 1. Being at peace with God first - cf. Pr 16:7 a. How can we hope to make peace with others when we are not at peace within? b. Making peace with God gives us the peace within whereby we are in a better position to make peace with others! 2. A concentrated effort to "pursue" peace - cf. 1 Pe 3:8-12 a. Peace must be sought and pursued - 1 Pe 3:11 b. Peter mentions some of the qualities necessary - 1 Pe 3:8-9 1) Being of one mind 2) Having compassion for one another 3) Love as brothers
tenderhearted
and courteous 4) Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling
but responding with a blessing -- Only then can we expect to "love life and see good days"! - 1 Pe 3:10 3. Please note that the pursuit of peace does not require compromise of truth a. For the wisdom that is from above is "first pure
then peaceable..." - Ja 4:17 b. But if we wish to bear the fruit of righteousness
it must be "sown in peace by those who make peace"! - Ja 4:18 CONCLUSION
1. Let us never forget that Jesus
as the Prince of peace... a. Came preaching peace b. Died on the cross to make peace possible with God
man
and self c. Is the conduit through which God now grants peace to man
as pronounced the night He was born - cf. Lk 2:11-14 2. Indeed
the element of peace is a key feature of His kingdom - cf. Ro 14:17-19 a. We should therefore "let the peace of God rule in our hearts" - Co 3:15 b. And allow Jesus to give us His peace as expressed in this prayer: "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always inevery way. The Lord be with you all." (2 Th 3:16)
Do you wish to ensure that the Lord is always with you
that you mightexperience that "peace which surpasses all understanding"? Then heedwhat Jesus Himself said to His disciples shortly before ascending intoheaven... - cf. Mt 28:18-20
－－《Executable
Outlines》