Archive for the ‘ Religion ’ Category
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
John 13:34, ESV
God has given us peace through Christ by revealing His love through the cross, and now we carry that peace by loving His Church with the same sacrificial love He showed us.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Matthew 22:37, ESV
God has given us peace through Christ by revealing His love through the cross, so we find this peace when we love God with our whole being.
For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
John 3:34-35, ESV
God has given us peace through Christ, and they send the Holy Spirit to guide us to believe in Christ and have this peace overflowing.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8, ESV
God has given us His peace through Christ, restoring the relationship lost in the Garden, because He loves us.
I enjoy the Christmas season. I enjoy celebrating Advent.
The first week of Advent can be found here.
The second week of Advent is traditionally seen as being a time for looking at peace. This year, I am using some of the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.
Let’s get into
Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,
Luke 1:68-79, CSB
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors
and remembered his holy covenant—
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,
to grant that we,
having been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
would serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high will visit us
to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Last time we saw how God is our hope, that we can put our faith in Christ our Priestly King.
This week, we look at the peace that Christ offers, but first we look at the faithfulness of God. He promised this peace would come starting with Abraham and through to David. It took a thousand years from David to get to the final prophet of the Old Covenant which came through Moses. John the Baptist, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was the prophet who ushered in the ministry of the Son of David, the Priestly King who would bring peace.
However, look at what the prophet Malachi said:
“See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in—see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies. But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s bleach. He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by.
Malachi 3:1-4, CSB
The coming of this Prince of Peace would be a time of refinement and cleansing. While it is a time of hope, peace comes when His people have been purified. This again looks to the future, when our Priestly King Jesus comes for the second time. Now, we are being made clean by His blood, but at His second coming will be the time that the rest of Creation is purified and renewed.
True peace is knowing the Christ. He has called His Church to spread the message of peace, and as 2 Corinthians 5 tells us, we are His ambassadors until He returns. May we warn the world of the coming judgment that they may have peace with God both now and forever.
Lord, prepare our hearts with the peace of the Holy Spirit, and guide us to those who will believe in the peace you offer. Make us your weapons of peace against the violence of sin and oppression, redeeming the world through us until Your return.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27, ESV
We are called to unity in Christ, and that unity of the Church can be a source of encouragement and peace in a rebellious and crazy world, sharing the peace of Christ with each other.
God is in control.
He’s got this.
Regardless of who is in power.
Trust Him.
“The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8, CSB
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24, ESV
We are saved in Christ alone, as He took all of our sinfulness, hatred, fear, and hostility on the cross. We can know we are saved, finding healing through the restored relationship with God.
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:17, ESV
We are saved in Christ alone, not by blind faith but by knowing He lived, died, and arose again, the Son of God made flesh.
I wrote a thing about some of my trip to Kenya, and I shared it with Domain for Truth while Jimmy is overseas.
Go read it there!
Daniel
Note: This is a guest post since presently I am overseas. This is by Daniel M. Klem. His blog be found here. Mixed Bag of Christian Nationalism? (No, not the USA) I was invited to speak and preach in western Kenya in mid-August 2024. Many churches were involved, including many Kenya Assembly of God congregations. I […]
Mixed Bag of Christian Nationalism? (No, not the USA)
a simple man of God 