Note: remember if you subscribe by email you will have to go to my actual blog page to see the youtube videos. For some reason they don’t show up in email. Please check them out, they’re worth it ;).
Luke 2:12-14
12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Hello friends,
I have some wonderful links at the bottom so please check them out. What do you think of when you think of PEACE?
According to Wikipedia this is “peace”: Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict and the freedom from fear of violence. ~Wikipedia
Until Christ returns, the world’s definition of peace can not happen. It is impossible while sin rules in human hearts. Jesus is called The Prince of Peace. John 14:27 (KJV) makes it clear that Jesus’ peace is not the world’s peace.
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26But 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.
27Peace 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.
Matthew 10:34 also shows that Jesus did not come to bring an end to violence, at least not the first time He came. Jesus makes it very clear that his first advent would bring a sword and when you read Luke 12: 51-53 that the sword is division. Matthew 24 tells us that Christ’ followers will be hated by the world and many persecuted for their faith. Jesus did not end earthly violence the first time. No, He himself was hated by the world and crucified in violence. Yet, He rose from the dead 3 days later and we know that at Christ’ second advent He will bring an end to all evil. He will bring the peace the world seeks.
Matthew 10:34 KJV
34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Matthew 24:7-9 KJV
7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
If you read these verses out of context then it will seem that the angel’s message contradicts what Jesus says of Himself. So please don’t. We must realize that when Jesus speaks of PEACE, He is talking about something greater than we can humanly attain. I pray none of us will be like the people of Jesus’ day who did not see that He was & is God because they were looking for an earthly king that would bring worldly peace. They wanted a king that would free them from Roman oppression.
Dearest, it would seem so satisfying to live with the world’s peace…to never have wars etc etc. But I believe there is an important reason that Jesus did not bring worldly peace the first advent. I believe if He had then we would’ve all missed out on knowing the greater PEACE. Even in prosperity, the sinful soul will not find inner PEACE. It is only by knowing the Prince of Peace that our soul can find true rest. Jesus’ PEACE is the kind of PEACE that causes believers to sing while in prison. And it is the kind of PEACE that walks through fire.
The Hebrew word for PEACE is SHALOM. It has several meanings but at it’s heart, SHALOM means “whole, secure, complete, unbroken, not lacking, not deficient.” It is also a parallel to other synonyms for “salvation”: Tsedakah (righteousness) & Yeshua (Help). Yeshua is also the Hebrew name for Jesus.
Jesus came to make us whole inside, to secure us in His love, and for us to be abundant in spirit. We are complete in Him. Jesus not only gives PEACE. Jesus is the very embodiment of PEACE. You see, Christ came the first time to be the PEACE between humanity and Father God. We were separated from our Creator because of sin. Jesus is the PEACE that reunites us to Father God. I love how SHALOM also means “not deficient”. I’m anemic so I understand deficiency. I know that the body can be destroyed by one deficiency….whether that be Iron, Vitamin D, or Collagen. Without Christ, our spirits are sick…deficient. We CAN NOT be WHOLE without God.
The worlds’ concept of peace is emotionally felt, internally generated, and has no influence from God. The Biblical PEACE always connects to God. Biblical PEACE is and comes from Jesus. Faith in Christ is the only way to receive TRUE PEACE. It is the PEACE that keeps us whole & secure in the midst of chaos. The world can unravel but we will stand strong in Jesus.
I can personally testify to the power of God’s peace. True PEACE, Jesus Christ himself has gotten me through many circumstances that I thought would break me. One of them being my Dad’s death and funeral. Yet, God gave me the strength to speak in Dad’s honor and to comfort others during my grief. I was sad but I was not utterly broken. Jesus’ PEACE pushed me to move on when depression tried to take me, during my husband’s deployments. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, picked me up off of my face and set me on His path. He gave me a reason to smile although I was hurting. And PEACE showed up to take my friend Sheri, home to be with God forever. That TRUE PEACE left a smile on her face as she departed. I have read about and personally seen people who have endured the worst of the worst because of God’s PEACE dwelling inside of them.
Temporal worldly peace/happiness is cotton candy fluff compared to the solid PEACE of Jesus. Which peace will you pursue? Will you crumble when your world falls apart or will you stand strong, held in the arms & PEACE of Christ? You decide. I pray you choose well, dear one. I really do.
The angels and now as we read, the prophet Isaiah, spoke truth that Jesus would bring PEACE. It is no contradiction to what Jesus said about not bringing peace because Biblical context shows us that He was speaking of peace from violence & circumstances. Isaiah and the angels spoke of Spiritual PEACE that helps us survive violence and circumstances. One definition means not having storms in life, the other means getting through the storm.
Isaiah 9:6 KJV
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Merry Christmas & God bless! Please check out the great vids below. Remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
GodGirl wrote a good post on tragedy and how Jesus’ light shines in the darkness. Please check it out:
http://godthang.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/tragedy-doesnt-stop-for-christmas/
David Crowder- O, Come, O Come Emmanuel
Our Pastor preaching about God’s peace
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/27605809
The Nativity Story
amberdover 