Living In Peace

 

Memorial Day is always observed on the last Monday of May. It originated following the Civil War in the 19^th century to honor the Union and Confederate soldiers who had died in the war. It used to be known as Decoration Day because families would travel far and wide to visit the grave of a fallen soldier to decorate it with plants or flowers.

We are living in a power-hungry, selfish world that is being led by wicked people that seem to lack the sense of a two-year-old. As we remember those who have given their all to preserve freedom, we are also discovering many have died in vain for causes aimed only at world domination in the minds of tyrants wanting to control every human-being, plant, and animal on the planet, including its environment. This is human nature being led by evil, which after a lot of suffering on behalf of the innocent, will ultimately fail.

[Matthew 5:9] Why do we repay evil for evil so often? Most of us say we would never do that. But we do. When we shake our fist at other motorists, or shout back at our spouse, that is paying evil for evil. “Getting even” is by definition, giving bad because we received bad. It doesn’t matter that we call it “fair play;” almost always it is evil for evil.

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Jesus made peace between God and mankind by providing a remedy for the guilt and penalty of sin. In addition to peace in heaven, Jesus came to establish among all peoples. The Lord calls His disciples to be persons of peace. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord said things that seemed very radical. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Also, “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:22). And, “You have heard it said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew5:38-39). Plus, “You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” (Matthew 5:43-44). Rome was the city of the emperor. Rome championed war. When the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he had words of peace for the Christians there. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14-21). Paul tells those who have been abused to not curse but bless. He says respect all people and their opinions. Do not cause trouble or strife. Live in peace, if possible, with all people. Instead of vengeance, give charity. Overcome the evil around you by doing good. The world respects power. The Kingdom of God is the “upside down” kingdom. It is led by servants, not dictators. (Sounds like the good basis for a Constitutional Republic.) The church values love, not hate. No one ever gets ahead by lying and cheating. Dishonesty will never profit, and hatred will never bring about peace. May the peace of God be yours.

Which Gift Intrigues You?

Imagine, if you will, what would happen if some eccentric, billionaire philanthropist announced in our local newspaper that during a certain assembly of the church he would present each person who was gathered with $1000? (AudioEvangelism.com 7.8.10)

The population of our small town is only about 7000 souls, and the announced building where this is to take place is small and can only seat around 100-125 comfortably. Where it normally would have 25-30 gathered, I would expect several hundred packed into every corner of the building for something like this (standing up, of course, to make more room for others). I can envision thousands of people covering every inch of the church yard. If people really believed the philanthropist was going to keep his word. The majority of the city would probably show up and even those from neighboring communities would catch wind of the news and make the journey. I can imagine this part of town being shut down with gridlock as so many vehicles tried to arrive on time (and find somewhere--anywhere--to park for an hour or two). I wouldn't be surprised to see people struggling for position, trying to get closer (preferably, inside the building) and thereby guaranteeing that they wouldn't miss out on an easy grand. I'm sure the newspaper and television crews would be present and there would be a lot of excitement and an optimistic spirit of anticipation. I imagine even some brethren who often struggle to make it on time would arrive uncharacteristically early and likely even bring all their family members, neighbors, and friends, too. I can see both the rich and the poor, the fat and the frail, the believers and the infidels, the conservatives and the liberals, and the famous and the infamous showing up for a gathering like this. People who hadn't spoken to each other in years would stand next to each other, if necessary. The "once-a-weekers" and the "once-in-a-whilers" would certainly be there. The "shut-ins" would find a way to get there, if at all possible, as would those who normally sleep in. The backsliders would slide back into place and all of the puny excuses and anemic alibis and any other kind of lies people have been telling themselves (and concerned Christians) about why they didn't attend worship would disappear like roaches before Raid. Yes indeed, this gathering of people would make the average political convention look like a country picnic--that is, until the money was passed out. Surely there'd be a major slump at church after that (though I suppose the local economy might be greatly stimulated!).

[Matthew 16:24-26] Obviously, this scenario is not likely to happen anywhere soon. In fact, I would be against it even if I knew a generous tycoon who desired to make it happen. Such an emphasis on money would do no good for the Lord's work or the recipients of the money. Local businesses would benefit, and the generous giver would probably feel pretty good, but that'd be about it. The chances of converting someone to the truth when covetousness is used as the chief motivator is exceedingly slim.  

I would like to leave you with a simple thought to reflect upon as well as some powerful words of wisdom from Jesus. What kind of person would do for money what he would not do for his own soul? Why would $1000 inspire action where the reality of impending judgment and certain death do not? Our Lord declared, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" “…the gift of God is eternal life…” (Romans 6:23). 

God Is A Very Strict Parent

 

According to an investigative article by Eli Hager published in the Washington Post, March 2, 2017, entitled “Your child’s been sent to jail. And then comes the bill,” many states bill parents when their juve­nile children are in the legal system. One woman in California was charged $30 a day, while her son waited for 300 days to be tried. In this case, all the charges were dismissed because someone else had com­mitted the crime.

Many parents of adolescent children are poor and can barely afford to live by themselves. Many never pay, many others are threatened and harassed by attorneys for the state, while others are turned over to debt collectors. States typically spend well over 50 percent of what they collect in collection procedures alone.

Laws were passed a number of years ago to allow what I’ve just described. The state thought that many parents were dumping their children in the juvenile justice system and the system of paying for your children’s jail time was an attempt to prevent dumping. Perhaps it was a deterrent for some parents, but children of poor parents are paying for the sins of their children. And one of the un­intended consequences was found to be that the children once released from custody had learned to be more unruly.

Aren’t you glad that God has a different philosophy regarding the responsibili­ty for sin. Ezekiel records God’s thought processes in this matter. “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20). In God’s eyes, parents don’t pay for the sins of the children. While there is no excuse for sin, God also offers for­giveness. “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have commit­ted, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:31-32).

[Exodus 20:3-11] God had just finished the giving of the first four commandments relating to the love we should have for Him. He then turns His attention to the love we are to have for others, and begins with, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Exodus 20:12). We have heard this command many times and it is even repeated in the New Testament by Jesus (Matthew 15:4) and by the apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:2). But what exactly are we talking about? When one honors his or her parents he does so in the following ways: (1) Obeying them (Deuteronomy 21:18-20); (2) speaking respectfully to them and about them (Leviticus 19:3); (3) not cursing or striking them (Exodus 21:15, 17; Leviticus 20:9); and (4) providing for their needs when they are no longer able to provide for themselves. Jesus indicated that “honoring” parents included this fourth meaning in Mark 7:9-13. Honoring fathers and mothers involves more than just one or two days a year. It is to be a daily practice of obedience, respect, kindness, patience, understanding, etc. I’m glad there has been a day set aside to honor our parents. I pray that we practice honor each and every day.

Mom’s, Happy Mother’s Day! We honor you for your sacrifices over the years. We honor you for the example of Christian faithfulness shown in your daily lives. We thank you for the little (and big!) life lessons taught us from the earliest days of our life on this big planet. We thank you for the endless love given to us, in spite of our shortcomings.

Don't Be An Airhead

The nineteen-year-old female student was driving back to her apartment after a game and was caught in a really bad hailstorm. Her car was covered with dents, so the next day she took it to a repair shop. The shop owner had a tough time explaining to her what had to be done to remove the dents and recognized her as an “airhead” and decided to have some fun at her expense. He told her if she wanted to save some money to go home and blow into the tailpipe really hard to see how many of the dents would pop out. That would result in less dents he would have to fix and less money out of her pocket. So, she went home and got down on her hands and knees and started blowing into her car’s tailpipe. Nothing happened. So, she blew a little harder, and still nothing happened. Her BFF saw her and asked, “What are you doing?” The first told her how the repairman had instructed her to blow into the tailpipe in order to get all the dents to pop out. Her girlfriend rolled her eyes and said, “Duh! Hello! You need to roll up the windows first!”

When tragedies and disasters occur it’s not long before conspiracies abound. The temptation to believe them is strong because they make sense of an otherwise senseless event. They grant us the power to place blame at the feet of someone, rather than remain a victim of confusion. They provide comfort in the calamity by legitimizing themselves with partial truths and creating a common enemy (usually a corporation or government). Our present culture is rife with false news stories which appear legitimate. We cling to them because, often, they solidify our prior suspicions and make us feel superior to others who aren’t “in the know.” Our post-modern world has fashioned a society where there is no shared truth, no normative sources of information – you have your facts, and I have mine.

At times there are facts staring us all in the face and our “airhead” thinking keeps us from seeing the truth. Just one example appeared in the recent “demonstrations” on our university campuses across the nation. Amazingly we are told that all these demonstrations were spontaneously developed by concerned students wanting their voice heard. (Most of whom weren’t even students and had no real concept of what they were demonstrating for.) The strangest thing was observed by trained eyes about these demonstrations. Every “encampment” that sprung up, on every campus, consisted of the same exact tents organized in the same exact way on the campus grounds. Did hundreds of students, all on different campuses across the United States, go to the same sporting goods store to purchase the same exact tent for their individual demonstration? And then set them up in a military type organized encampment? I think not. These “demonstrations” were bought and paid for by those who are “gaslighting” the American patriot into doing something stupid. Be vigilant in what you see and how you react. Pray we can stop this illiterate nonsense.

[Isaiah 8:12-13] “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy’ concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow. Let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.” Yet, however legitimate you may feel a conspiracy is, as God’s people we must examine them closely. We should use our time wisely to discipline our intellects for holy pursuits, so that we are better prepared to display a dignified, sober, and joyful life before the world. The last thing the world needs is for Christians to become consumed with conspiracies. They need hope, clear-headed thinking, wisdom, and charity. They need to recognize the church as the Kingdom of Heaven. “Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity” (Psalm 64:2). Oppressed by the wicked but rejoicing in the Lord (Psalm 64).