Monday, December 25, 2006, 05:28 PM
War and Peace
We have war for one purpose and that is to win. But to have war there is always a loser. In most cases the loser will be both parties. Wars between nations are predicted by God. There will be wars and rumor of wars (Mt.24:6; Ps.68:30; Dan.9:26). But there are also wars between individuals. We like to be right and we want our own way. We get even when we are hurt and this in turn starts the battle that can rage on for years and involve many others. Pride plays a big part in our decision of how we will handle a situation.
“Too often we see peace as merely the absence of conflict, and we think of peacemaking as a passive role. But an effective peacemaker pursues peace. He or she builds good relationships, knowing that peace is a by-product of commitment. The peacemaker anticipates problems and deals with them before they occur. When conflicts arise, he or she brings them into the open and deals with them before they grow unmanageable. Making peace can be harder work then waging war, but it results not in death but in life and happiness.” (I Pet. 3:11—Life Application Bible footnote)
God’s presence in our lives brings peace. Peace is a since of completeness. In this peace we experience freedom from fear, worry and sin. We experience security, joy, mercy, Grace, love and righteousness. This is the armor of God that we find through Jesus Christ. He suffered and died and He was raised up on the third day so that we may have peace and eternal life.
We all want peace but so many searche for it from other sources. It is rooted in situations and this is no peace at all. It is never lasting and it is not truly peace. “True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict or, in good feelings.”(Life App. Bible) And peace is never found in a sinful life style. Sin is always acting in defiance of God’s will. People usually think in terms of big sins and small sins. God does not think that way. Sin is sin to Him. There is no peace in actively defying God whether it is a big sin or a small sin.
People may think they experience peace in a relationship or in monetary gain. This is only temporary peace. Why? Because we must have more. We want perfection in our relationships and it is never there due to our sinful nature. There is only perfection in our peace by our Lords embrace—this is where we experience the true meaning of peace. It is a place of hope because we know that God’s promises are true and we can rest in His peace. We know that God is in control. We have the assurance that our sins are forgiven and that our future is secure in Christ Jesus.
When we have this peace we watch people who do not have this blessing go through their life with anger, regret and resentment. There is no peace in them. They may have their mind and eyes on our dear Lord, but their heart is on themselves and their pain. Chains of heartache shackle them and their life is not productive and full (Is. 59:8). Only by your grace can they be loosed from their chains Dear Lord.
Peace is not a feeling but a decision. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Col.3:15). This verse is speaking to Christians. We will have differences but we are to work together and work it out. When our emotions come into play it can get way out of hand. We must stop and pray that God will give us a loving and forgiving spirit and help us to put our emotions aside and desire peace with the person or persons. Pray for love and this love will lead to peace. Love is also a decision and the emotions are the result of the decision. The foot note in my bible says, “Our hearts are the center of conflict because there are feelings and desires clash—our fears and hopes, distrust and trust, jealousy and love. How can we deal with these constant conflicts and live as God wants? Paul explains that we must decide between conflicting elements by using the rule of peace—which choice will promote peace in our souls.” Charles Stanley says, “When the Holy Spirit lives within us, we can approach everything in life with confidence and serenity.”
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7)
You can reach Nancy at:
Crossing the GAP
PO Box 384
Marshall, IL 62441
art@nancysgallery.com
Monday, December 18, 2006, 05:25 PM
Memories
Have you ever heard the song that says, “Memories are made of this?” What are your memories made of? What do you like to think about? What memories bring you great pleasure? We are to dwell on what is good (Phil. 4:8) and pure. What has impressed you down through your life that was so very good?
I have done a little traveling. The things that I have seen that have impressed me were very grand and they have impressed millions of people down through the years. The Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, the Bad Lands and the ocean. I could watch the waves for hours. There are too many to list. But the memories that give me the most pleasure and comfort are very quiet and very serene. For instance in Montana we went to huge mansion of a famous person that had lived there. As we drove up a lane there were structures set up along the lane. It was explained that it was Native Americans having a powwow. The house and the grounds would remind you of the Deep South. There were Rolling hills and big trees all around the house. I took the tour through the house and it was very interesting. But not a lasting memory. They then told us that we could go out on the grounds and roam at our leisure. There was only a hand full of people. So, I walked around and it was so serene and beautiful. I never wanted to leave. The peace that I felt was wonderful. There was a gentle breeze and the air was fresh and the perfect temperature. I would have liked to have had a blanket and just sat and felt and looked and listened to the silence. And then I heard it—a flute was playing and the gentle breeze carried it in such a way that it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. It was coming from the powwow. I am a farm kid and so the next thing I heard was also extremely beautiful to me. A steer was bawling in the other direction and it was very far away and it took me back to my childhood which was a very good time in my life. I thought that this is a very small glimpse of the peacefulness of heaven. The beauty of the moment will always be with me. The desire to experience it again will always be with me. I do not remember much about the house but I can feel the breeze and smell the freshness of the land. I can experience the beauty of the moment over and over and I long for it to come again and it will. And it will be so much more than that was.
But wait there is more: I have also experienced this in two separate churches. One was in CA. It was a very old church. And when I walked in I thought God is here. It was a bus tour and apparently everyone else experienced the same thing. We were silent, very silent as we went though the church. Max Lucado says it so well, “There are times when to speak is to violate the moment. When silence represents the highest respect. The word for such times is reverence. The prayer for such times is, ‘Hallowed be they Name.”
The second church was in AZ. The group went on and I went into the church. I walked in and I felt the presence of God and I never wanted to walk out of that church. They had a recording of chanting and it echoed through the church. It was very beautiful but there is no comparison to the singing and the music that will be in heaven. And I never wanted to leave and I sat there for a long time or so it seemed. I left very reluctantly.
Now, bring it back home and my childhood was very quiet and serine. Living on the farm up a lane was sort of having our own private world especially when dad planted corn on both sides of the lane. Lying on the ground and watching the clouds float across the sky and waking up and listening to the birds in the morning through my open widow. There would be no other sound but that.
But my greatest memories are not of this world. They are memories of my spiritual awaking. When I stopped saying no to God, and the Holy Spirit revealed to me who Christ was, that was my greatest moment of all. When I look back at all of the personal care and love God has given me in my life they far exceed anything of this world. When I have experienced his chastisement it too is far better then the world he made. I can see his glory in this world and I can see His love in creation. The world is everybody’s, believers and unbelievers alike. My salvation is so much greater because it belongs to me. It is personal. It is no one else’s. It is just God and me. No one can take it from me. A personal relationship with God makes the world and all it offers meaningless. It is a place to stay until I can go to my real home. I can describe my special moments that God gives me on this earth but my personal moments that I spend with God are beyond words or description.
When I envision heaven I see it from all of the good and wonderful things in my life. Because we cannot begin to comprehend what heaven is like. So, I like to just enjoy the special moments in my life and know in my heart that they are no comparison to heaven. They are only glimpse of what is to come.
You can reach Nancy at:
Crossing the GAP
PO Box 384
Marshall, IL 62441
art@nancysgallery.com
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