Scripture
All of the people of Judah were happy about the promise they had made. They turned to God with all their heart. When they did, they found him. So the LORD gave them peace and rest on every side.
Quote
Everything good is a gift from God and that certainly includes PEACE.
~Ya’akov
Numbers 6:26 states… “May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace.” Jesus said in John 14:27…“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” If Jesus said PEACE is a gift, then peace is a gift and it is not our gift to each other, it is God’s gift to us. When secularist and liberals hear the word peace, they think world peace and the cessation of war but peace is much, much more. Let me put it like this, they are thinking about the wrong war. The greatest war is not between Christians and Muslims or communist. The greatest conflict is fallen man rebelling against his Creator. So we have two kinds of peace: peace with God and the peace of God. We have both peace with God and the peace of God because of what Jesus did for us. Peace with God has to do with our standing, the peace of God our frame of mind. I covet nothing more than peace and I understand it comes via the PRINCE of PEACE. Its impossible to have peace God a part from Jesus Christ. God cannot give us peace or Himself without giving us His SON. So if God said to me, “Jack, you can have one thing and one thing only,” what would I ask for? I would ask for Jesus because in HIM I have peace and joy. What good is wealth or health without peace and joy?
I heard the story some years ago about the Roman nobleman who left everything to his most trustworthy slave because his only son was irresponsible. When the lawyer read the will he said, “My entire estate is bequeathed to my slave Aurelius. My son Cassius gets to choose one thing and one thing only from the entire estate.” When the lawyer finished reading the entire will, he looked at Cassius and said, “Do you know what one thing you want from the estate.” Cassius said, “That easy, since Aurelius is a slave and a part of the estate, I will take Aurelius.” Cassius may have been vain and irresponsible but he was not stupid. By taking Aurelius, he got everything. Like wise, I take Jesus because everything important and necessary is bound up in HIM. Wow! It is enough to make a Episcopalian shout but not a back sliding Baptist, right!
Dr. Adrian Rogers was fond of saying, “There is a pain on every pew.” Sometimes we forget just how true this is so I wrote on PEACE for more than one reason. We the storms hit, we need peace. There is not much we can do about the storm but it helps to face them unafraid. Peace is an issue with me I confess but today I do not want you praying for my peace, pray for the peace of one of my friends who is weathering a horrific storm. You don’t need a name, just say “Bro. Jack’s friend.”
When I looked out over the congregation last night, I knew not many had read the blog. Of course there were others who did but we had a good crowd and I had a ball. Most expected to see Joe David but word got to the choir. You have to watch those birds, they will lay out on you when there is no choir practice. We had a good time without them and do not listen to the podcast because I talked about some of you in the message. The men from the choir showed up.