Peace in these times

I have heard it said that peace is unattainable. I have heard that peace is the opposite of war and that war is unavoidable so therefore peace is not possible. I have heard that the number one foe of peace is fear.

Of those three statements, the only one that has any credibility is the last one. Fear is of course our greatest enemy, especially when it comes to peace. Standing in the gap between fear and peace is Christ, our job is to meet Him there and trust Him to deliver us from this enemy.

When we cave into our fear we pull further away from Christ, but when we learn to turn away from conflict we draw closer to Him.

Jesus came because of life, He came to preserve life. Is not death the opposite of life? When Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead, He overcame death. In the same manner we are supposed to overcome death by accepting life in Christ.

Our lives are precious to God. He created us and sustains us. How then can we for one second allow something as sinister as abortion? At the same exact moment, how can children of God accept something as maniacal as war?

We stand on the principles of scripture which we believe are God-breathed. Within these breaths of God we are to be consumed with life and not death. We are to be focused on eternity and not this death that exists here in this fallen world.

We are to forgive others as we have been forgiven. We did not deserve to be forgiven and yet His grace overflows. In fact we continue to fail to deserve God’s amazing love and yet we turn around and fail to forgive others because we don’t think others deserve our forgiveness.

Who are we really?

I keep saying the same things over and over, repeating myself for what, self gratification? It really is gross to think of how much I have written about this over the past three years, but here we are none the less.

I have my bible which has notes upon notes written in it. There are underlined passages that I keep returning to along with a few small snippets of paper that I have kept that are filled with my thoughts. I have asked God to spell it out for me on numerous occasions and He keeps coming back with, “keep writing”.

I have protested a few times as this seems redundant but I am waiting for a particular moment when this will all seem crystal clear, when it will stop being something that I think I get and a few people around me barely grasp.

This is so much bigger than our own immediate lives; it is something that will carry on forever. Our kids and their kids need to hear this and they need to hear it now, not on some epitaph after we’re gone.

Our moment is now; it is today, carpe diem and all that. Throughout history there have been voices that carried above the din, that spoke through the chaos. It is our time to raise our voices in protest to what we are being sold.

In these times we need peace. We have been given the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and we respond how? By annihilating anyone who does not agree with our own world views? By destroying anyone who goes against our finite views on religion?

GOD IS LOVE. I missed the lines in the bible that say God is anything to the contrary of that last statement and yet there are people out there, worse yet there are Christians out there who would rather put a gun in a young person’s hands, send them off to a foreign land and ask that young person to kill to protect a so called freedom.

As Switchfoot says, “I pledge allegiance to a country without borders, without politicians”. This world has nothing for me if the people who so dearly hold onto their bibles are the same ones that hold onto their guns and their Americanism. Christianity is about following Christ and not the GOP.

This eats me up and yet I know there can be no hesitating on this position. I am standing here today with my faith and a belief that we are called to follow Jesus and then to love our neighbor.

Peace is in knowing that. Showing peace to others is in living it out. We need peace in these times, right now, right here today.
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My life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D

Self discovery

Finding one’s place among others is seeing yourself among other people, and wondering not only if you fit in but if you make a difference. As men search to not only fit in but be accepted by their peers they are emasculated by a society that wants nothing more than their failure.

Who do we seek to impress? Is it other men, or is it women? Is it society and a perceived impression? Is it our parents that were there for us; or not there for us?

We walk amongst only so many people on a daily basis. We have a unique chance to display to them who we are as individuals, to show others what we stand for. Our place in this world will ultimately be for naught if we leave no lasting legacy with those who were closest to us, especially our families. Instead of being so concerned with what society might say about us, we should question first what our heavenly Father would say, and then our earthly family.

Our families are critical in our daily lives. Some of us have large families and others have very little family at all. Regardless of your situation you must address the relationships you currently have and ask those closest to you for an evaluation. There are two simple questions, and the answers will become your concentration for the rest of your life. Confront the person closest to you and ask;

“Do you see Jesus in me?”

This is profound beyond most anything you will ever ask a member of your family. You are asking something that cuts to the very depth of who you are and asks the other person to search themselves as deeply. Even the most devout family will struggle with this question if they are truly honest, and that is the key, you must be honest with each other.

Depending on the answer, we each need to take steps to determine what it would take for the answer to always be yes, no matter who you asked. If you have a large family, I recommend that you ask at least 4 members. After you ask the initial question, consider asking this as a follow up;

“Why?”

Understanding this is your formula for moving forward in your mission to serve Christ on a daily basis. When you know the “why” people either see Jesus in you or don’t, you can determine your course of action. That exact moment is your opportunity to seize the day and live it for Jesus. Take up your cross and follow Him. Make it your daily goal that others will see Jesus in you and will want that same love in their heart.


My life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D

screaming

Colossians 3:1-17 (NIV)…
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I suppose I could go on about this some more; wouldn’t that be fun?! I keep waiting for this to get old but every time I sit down here I am urged to write more. Sometimes I question the urge and choose not to write. Other times I walk away convinced that my mind is not right at the moment and my mental position is possibly in question. Sometimes I just shake my head and wonder if it makes any difference at all.

Today was one of the times where I was urged and so chose to respond by acting. My inspiration at this moment comes from receiving an email with the verse of the day. I value that email and today was no different. Occasionally I read the verse and delete it. Other times I save it intentionally with the plan to use it in a blog post. Today however I was immediately struck with the desire to scream it out on paper in the form of my writing.

I know that Paul was battling Colosse, an ancient philosopher of his day, but Paul’s words are as important today as they were then. Verse 8 tells us what we are to get rid of, then verse 15 sums up how we are to live following our transformation in Christ.

If you want to scream with me I’ll understand.

Lately

In the last couple of months I have been asked about peace, almost as if I have some clearer understanding of it due to the fact that I write about it. Maybe that’s all it takes, just living it out, to become an expert. Regardless, I still get asked and when it comes up I am learning refined answers not because of who is asking but because I have written so much.

Condensing this thought seems fair, especially in light of the thousands of words that flowed from my computer that are in relation to this subject. Before condensing a topic like this however it is fair to say that doing so is not an easy task. My basis for this ongoing dissemination of peace has been nothing short of God breathed in my opinion. I have pulled from countless scriptures, books and quotes. Mostly I have culled the red letter of the Bible to find Jesus’ own thoughts on this very issue.

Answering the question of why I believe that peace is possible is easy; proceeding to tell someone that they too could live this way is a whole other problem. My faith has been tested here, it has been proved here and it has flourished here. My walk feels more like a walk finally, like maybe I have the ability to keep up. I know that God is still leading me and I know there may be times that God carries me, but my understanding of what and why I believe are having a profound impact on me. My outward expressions are growing and as they do, my very opinions about peace are becoming a part of my mainstream discussions.

Believing that peace is possible is not the first question. First you must ask yourself; how big is my God? If you don’t think peace is possible in your sphere of influence then you put limits on God in your life. If God is not big enough to bring peace in your own life, then you need to question your very faith in Him. That is a discussion for another time.

The results of conflict are seen every day, we do not have to look far to see their wide reaching results. The results of peace are also seen every day but they are not mentioned nor spoken of in the same way. Your actions as they pertain to your sphere of influence are the source for discussion all the time. Where there is conflict there is also gossip and talk relating to outcomes from conflict, regardless of the scale we are talking about here. Where there is peace there is room for discussion about so many other things. Where there is peace there is space for positive energy and progress. Nothing bad ever comes from peaceful times.

Today we need to start with bringing peace into our everyday lives, our daily commutes, our encounters with our neighbors and mostly our lives at home. At best you have 12 people (your sphere of influence) you see everyday on a daily basis that you can honestly say you know more than just their names. They might include a spouse, children, parents, coworkers and friends. Think about the 12 people in your life and really contemplate what you are doing right now to bring peace in your everyday life.

The law “every action has an equal and opposite reaction” is based on two things moving and being involved. This law is based on physics, gravity and inertia, but most commonly it is a law that is best witnessed by watching two people interact. When one person pushes, the other pushes back. In the same way, when two people are in conflict with each other, one person acts and the other person reacts in a similar but usually opposite manner. In order to seek peace, one must look closely at the first act committed and examine the why.

Take the time to think through your interactions with those in your sphere and discover if you are truly interested in peace or conflict. I truly believe that we all want peace but we just don’t know where to start. Start today by acting in a peaceful way towards everyone around you. You will know the difference you make in an instant. You will feel the difference even quicker.

My life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D

capitalism and Jesus

Capitalism and commercialization are funny ideologues aren’t they? We want companies that are successful that we also like so we can continue to buy from them regardless of the service they provide. We support these places of business based on our ideals but largely based on need and the ability to afford whatever it is that the business has to offer.

So based on this and based on our clear understanding of what capitalism truly is (more on that later), why all the upheaval with naming anything “Christmas” related as “holiday” related? This has become a huge issue in the past few years and is reaching a point where businesses are going to go through some real financial hardships for making the decision to go one way or the other.

If you are a Christian bookstore there is no argument here as to what you call this time of year, but if you are a major name retailer and you are trying to appeal to all of humanity in an attempt to capitalize on all sales, you are probably going to use the newer and more politically correct term of “holiday” instead of Christmas.

Funny thing here, if you walk in to a large retailer who uses the term holiday instead of Christmas, you are likely to find something really scary; the same products that are over at the store that uses the term Christmas instead of holiday. If that came across as sarcastic then I achieved my point. When you pony up the millions it takes to buy one of these large retailers then you can decide what you call your sale.

Now if your favorite retailer does the unthinkable and advertises their “holiday sale” and then they start selling Ouija boards and how-to kits for prostitution, maybe it’s time to really boycott them. If you are shopping for those items you are probably not real worried about what they call their sale.

The other day I was bombarded with emails relating to Costco’s decision not to have the word Christmas in any of their advertising. Before I write this next section, I have to ask a basic question that deserves an honest answer from everyone so deeply offended by the so called lack of the word Christmas from businesses during this time of year; at what point did you gain the right to corner capitalism in regards to Christmas? Your being offended is either a sign of ignorance or a complete failure to understand what this season is really all about.

Regarding this email that I received, when I got it I was shocked by the amount of people who were claiming they were going to boycott Costco and just not shop there anymore…ooof. Such thoughts make my head spin but I stopped the rotations long enough to write one of these people back. This is what I had to say…

“I certainly agree with you in regards to the offensive and the sometimes derisive nature of retailers and their blatant disregard for a very traditional celebration that has been going on for over 2000 years. However, here is an ad that I received via email and I see that 2 of the 3 greeting cards listed below are Christmas specific cards....so much for nothing Christmas related in any of their advertising.”

“With that noted, I certainly would question Costco's motive behind their decision, but I would hardly condemn it nor boycott them until I knew for a fact why they chose to use the term holiday instead of Christmas. If you read Costco's mission statement, they are not a Christian based company but they obviously care about their employees and the communities in which they serve. They are a very philanthropic company and are well known for their charity. “

“Most importantly, Costco is a for profit company that is trying to appeal to a very large audience of customers. And while I certainly agree that they should honor the very traditional holiday that Christmas is (and advertise items as Christmas gifts and not as holiday gifts), we need to remember what Christmas is REALLY about and that no matter how hard you look, you won't find it at Costco.”

I really don’t want to carry on about this for too much longer; I simply want to make an important point. What so many egg shell skinned individuals seem to lose sight of is what is in their very hearts and not what is found on the shelves of their local bobble shop. When a very public institution makes decisions that further anaesthetize certain peoples deeply held beliefs, you have a recipe for disaster and so public institutions typically cave in to pressure for fear of lost revenues.

As of yesterday, Costco announced that they are putting the words Merry Christmas back into all of their stores and their subsequent adverts. I suppose we should say a great big thank you to Costco because maybe they started selling jumbo sized miracles there.

I know this will rattle some and for those I have to ask why. Why do we put so much stock in what someone else is doing to bolster our own private faith? Why does it mean so much for a store to say Merry Christmas on their cakes when we are more than capable of spreading the news on our own? Why can’t you stop trying to inflict your own personal will on the rest of the world and let God inflict His will on your life? Why do you fight Him?

I pray for the leadership of stores like Costco because I know the reason they changed their policy this winter and it wasn’t because someone suddenly developed a conscience. The sad truth is that we live in a capitalist society and the owners recognized a very large section of the population that they were not being properly sensitive to and recognized the need to change in order to capitalize on those profits for the next two weeks.

So go on and shop happily in your local Costco and buy that Merry Christmas cake. Please don’t forget to pick up your bulk size baby Jesus while you’re there though, I would hate to see Him go to waste.

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my life is not mine, and yet it is mine to live for Him. Peace to you all.

D