Peace Not Drama

In my distress I cry to the Lord,
that he may answer me:
“Deliver me, O Lord,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.”
What shall be given to you?
And what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Woe is me, that I am an alien in Meshech,
that I must live among the tents of Kedar.
Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.
I am for peace;
but when I speak,
they are for war.
Psalm 120

Some people just like drama! They like to stir up trouble and dissensions and division; even wars. I don't know why. But, some people just can't seem to live without it. So, when the drama is on the decline they will make things up, usually about other people, just to get the drama going, again. Maybe their lives are so empty that they are trying to fill them up. It's seems as though they must have their own personal soap operas going and that they must be the star. Personally, I have never made a habit of watching soap operas. I don't have the time. I have a pretty full life already and don't need to observe someone's fake life on the television daily. There are way better things to focus on in life than this kind of drama. The outcome of a lot of this drama is that the deceitful tongue that often goes with it hurts others and then it boomerangs and comes back on the one with the deceitful tongue. Everyone gets hurt.

You want a life? Skip the drama. "Live Life" in peace - in the peace of Jesus Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Fight The Good Fight; The Right Fight

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Eph 6:11-12 NRSV

 

Sometimes we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We often fail to recognize that it is the devil's work to distract us and lead us down wrong paths so that we will not follow in The Way or help others in The Way. He will lead us to infighting to the direct result that we forget that he is the real enemy. He does not want us to live  in the Lord's peace and so we, the whole church on earth, is attacked from within. 

 

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in physical warfare. But, even in those times the spiritual warfare must be paramount. We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided us. We are to at all times and in places wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray. (Eph 6:14-18) Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us; that, the battle might be won and that the devil have no power over us or any one whom God loves. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Rule of Warfare

The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it. Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.” Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” (Deut 20:5-8 NIV)

Rules of warfare...

Moses reminds the people that when preparing for a battle that anyone who might have a reason not to go into battle fully engaged, fully focused on the battle, is to stay home.  If their minds are going to be wandering back to the wife that they have not yet married or the brand new vineyard that they've planted, they should stay home.  If their hearts are full of fear, they should not go to battle.  Fear begets fear.  Men of faint hearts should not go to battle, because their fears might be passed on to the men who they will stand next to in battle and they both will die. 

I've recently had a lot of reminders that we too are engaged in battle.  It is not a physical battle against flesh and blood.  We are engaged in a spiritual battle against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  (Eph 6:12)  We are engaged in battle whether we like it or not, but I fear that we are not always truly prepared to participate in that battle and so the enemy has had the advantage.  Our minds and hearts have been focused elsewhere.  They have been focused on more worldly battles with our neighbors rather than the spiritual forces that have caused dissensions and divisions among us. 

I should probably be using the word I rather than we - maybe you have been much more fully engaged in this battle than I am. It is not that I have given up on being engaged in this spiritual battle.  It is more like other things have caused me to focus my time and energy elsewhere and sadly, I have to admit, that I have not been as fully engaged as I should be. 

At my last congregation in Michigan, just about every time the lesson regarding the parable that Jesus tells of the great banquet that people refused to attend, the choir sang a song about being invited to the banquet and making excuses that goes something like this:  "I cannot come to the banquet.  Don't bother me now.  I have married a wife.  I have bought me a cow..."  When we cannot (do not) go to the banquet table that Jesus has prepared for us, when we do not hear his word regularly to be refreshed; renewed; empowered; how can we be prepared for spiritual battle?
  
Paul gave to the Ephesians (6:13-18) and us guidelines as to how we can be prepared for and enter into for spiritual battle: 

Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.  As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.  With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 

The next time you feel like you are in a war with your neighbor or maybe a family member, remember that there is more going on than meets the eye.  There is a spiritual battle being waged and if we allow ourselves to be engaged in the war that is before our eyes, we will be distracted from doing battle in the heavenly realms where the real battle is actually taking place.  What you see with your eyes may be only a symptom of the spiritual war taking place.

Put on the armor that God has given to you, keep alert and persevere in supplication for all the saints (whether you recognize them as saints or not!).  

God's Peace - Pr. J