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Posts Tagged ‘christianity’

My Good Friend Peter Peters

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on December 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

For many years, Peter was one of my closet friends. We challenged each other spiritually, many times over lunch. He was a year or two older than me but we shared many of the same things growing up. We were both heavily influenced by the Jesus Revolution in the early 1970’s and grew up in 1950’s America. It was always fun to discuss those days and to see the similarities since we grew up in different states. He was raised in Florida and I was raised in northern Illinois. The same Spirit influenced our lives yet we were miles apart! We were kindred spirits. Peter passed away a couple of years ago and I miss him dearly.

What was different about Peter was that as a child he contracted polio. He spent time in an “iron lung”. All the years that I knew him, he was in a lot of pain with severe back and spine issues. When I first met him he used crutches and as time went by he had to start using a wheel chair. He was still able to drive so he would pick me up for lunch and when we got to the restaurant, I would get the wheel chair out of the trunk and help him get in to it. We both cherished those lunches.

Peter told me that as a child, he always “knew God”. He did not blame God for his condition, he was “content with his weakness”. He had a wonderful ministry of helps and encouragement to others. I can still see him sitting there at the back of the church in his blue wind breaker, with people coming to him for advice and encouragement. I myself sat with him back there for some of that encouragement. It was the Apostle Paul who wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong”. That was Peter! A living example of being content with the hand that God had dealt him. Peter was at peace with it and was used of God in many ways. He was not mad at God, he was content.

He was always glad when people wanted to pray for him to be healed, but he told me that in his heart he always knew that God had him that way for a reason. That is a hard thing for many to understand, especially in some churches where there is so much emphasis on healing and deliverance. Peter had a deeper wisdom and understanding. He understood why, when the Apostle Paul prayed and asked for healing, that the Lord denied him of that healing three times. 2 Corinthians 12:8 “Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness, most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me”. I have never met anyone who understood this more than Peter. Peter’s depth in the Lord was formed by his suffering; many people do not understand that.

Even Jesus Himself in Hebrews 5:8 “learned obedience thru the things that He suffered” and in Hebrews 2:10 “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author (Jesus) of their salvation perfect through suffering’. Hebrews 11:34 talks about those who “out of weakness were made strong”.

That was Peter, out of weakness he was made strong! And he shared his strength with many.

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Be Ye Perfect

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on December 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I have always wondered about the verse in Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”. How can I be perfect? We read in Ecclesiastes 7:20 “Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins”. That is me, I follow Jesus, but I am not perfect, I still have “little foxes” that I deal with. Yes, we are made perfect through the blood of Christ, but we are still maturing as we walk along “the way”.

This brings to mind the verse in 2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth”. We are at a disadvantage when we study the scriptures, since it was given to us in Greek and there are many different translations. That is not a bad thing, it just means that we have to be more diligent and “handle accurately the Word of truth”. For me it means studying the Bible, looking at different translations and try to understand Greek words. This is very helpful in understanding what the Bible says. When one looks at the Greek word for “perfect”, the eyes of our understanding will be opened a little.

The call to “be perfect” is a directive that follows Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, where He outlines the attitudes and behaviors expected of His followers. The Greek word for “perfect” is “teleios,” which implies completeness or maturity rather than flawlessness. This phrase suggests a call to spiritual maturity and moral integrity. In the context of the Sermon, it follows teachings on love, forgiveness, and righteousness, indicating that perfection involves embodying these virtues fully. The use of “therefore” connects this command to the preceding verses, which emphasize loving one’s enemies and praying for those who persecute you, suggesting that perfection(maturity) is linked to love and mercy.

So when we read that we are to be “perfect”, it means we are to be “mature” in Christ. We are told in Hebrews 5:14 “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil”. Also in Ephesians 4:-16 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love”. We are to grow to be a “mature man” in Christ.

There is much to say about being a “babe” in Christ vs being “mature” in Christ. Paul, in all of his letters addresses this problem. In 1 Corinthians 3:1 Paul says, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ”. I encourage you to study 1 Corinthians.

Let us “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.

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Mysteries and Hidden Things

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on November 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

We are told in Daniel 2:17-23, that Daniel prayed to God about the mystery of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. We are also told that mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision in the night, and that Daniel then blessed the God of Heaven. Verse 21- 22 says “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him” (ESV). In Psalm 139:12 we are told “…even the darkness is not dark to You, for darkness is as light to You”.

Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight, all things, whether it be the thoughts or intents of our hearts, mysterious dreams in the night or all the mysteries of creation. All things are laid bare; He has all knowledge. But for us there are still many things hidden. We must seek the Lord to learn His ways, like Daniel, we must seek Him to discover and understand the things that are hidden from us.

There is a hidden manna, that God will give to those who overcome. Revelation 2:17 says “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it”. Barnes Commentary – Will I give to eat of the hidden manna – The true spiritual food; the food that nourishes the soul. The idea is, that the souls of those who “overcame,” or who gained the victory in their conflict with sin, and in the persecutions and trials of the world, would be permitted to partake of that spiritual food which is laid up for the people of God, and by which they will be nourished forever.

There is a hidden wisdom that Paul speaks of that will be given to those who are mature in the Lord. “Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:6-10).

In the New Testament, Jesus spoke in parables and many who did not accept Him did not understand the parables. Even the disciples at times did not understand the parables. The disciples were not ready for meat. We must mature in the Lord to be able to find the things that are a mystery. In our own lives before the Lord, we must be mature and we must be overcomers. God does not give that hidden wisdom to those who have not sought the Lord and matured in the Lord. We are to be seekers, and that means we must set aside time with the Lord. Jamieson Commentary- Those matured in Christian experience and knowledge alone can understand the true superiority of the Christian wisdom which Paul preached. Distinguished not only from worldly and natural men, but also from babes, who though “in Christ” retain much that is “carnal” (1Co 3:1, 2)

Hebrews 5:12-14 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil”.

Let us press onward and inward, into a deeper walk with the Lord. As we endure trials and temptations in this world, let us be steadfast in the Lord and allow the Lord to “train” us. Let us continue to pray, “deliver us from evil”. “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you”.

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Days of Deception

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Never in the history of the world has there been the level of deception that we are now experiencing. Never has there been so much power available to governments, corporations and political parties. The spreading of lies and deception through media outlets and the internet should awaken us to the fact that we are racing toward the end of all things.

Is this just some sort of societal advancement? Is this just the natural progression of humanity, the advancement of technology? Or is it God removing his restraining hand? We are told in the story of the tower of Babel, that God confused their languages because he basically wanted to restrain the people from being able to accomplish whatever they put their mind to. Genesis 11:6-7 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other”. I clearly see that as God restraining them. But the advancements in all areas of our lives, it seems that man can accomplish anything he puts his mind to, His restraining hand is being removed!

We see from 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 that Paul acknowledges that even in those days, there was a “secret power of lawlessness at work” and that there was someone “restraining the lawlessness”, I believe that it was God who was doing the restraining, by whatever means He chose.

In these days, with the advancements in technology and the increasing deception that is coming with it, is God removing His restraining hand? I believe that He is! We also know from 2 Thessalonians that God Himself will send a strong delusion on the earth. That is frightening.

The “mystery of lawlessness” is ever increasing in our modern world. Are we aware of it? Do we see it? Or are we just enamored by the ever-increasing technology and the possibilities of AI? Do we see the danger of these new technologies? Do we see that governments, corporations and political parties will control all of these technologies? Do we see that these tools can and will deceive us if we are not wholly walking by the Spirit? Lord help us!

 We have to realize that God does control all of what is happening these days. He warned us about it and there is great comfort in that! Knowing that all things are in His hand. He chooses when to restrain and when to remove His restraining hand! We know from scripture that He will send a delusion, let us not be surprised by that. We have to believe that we can avoid the delusion and avoid the deception. We have to be discerning and study our Bibles that we may have insight into these days. I urge you, spend more time in your Bible! Pray the Lord’s prayer, “lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil”. As the Lord for more of His Spirit!

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness”.

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The Day of Visitation and the Days of Vengeance

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on October 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Romans 11:22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise, you also will be cut off.

The Visitation and Kindness of God

The days of Jesus were days of extreme mercy and kindness to those who received Him. Oh the blessing to those who received Him. He brought miracles, healing to the sick, hope for the downtrodden and forgiveness of sins. When John the Baptist’s disciples asked Jesus if He was the One, His response in Luke 7:22 was “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me”. We are told in Luke 11:44 that many “did not recognize the time of His visitation”. His coming was going to usher in a New Covenant, and they would not have it. Matthew 27:20 “But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death.”

That time had been predicted, and invaluable blessings were promised as the result of His advent; but they would not know it. They rejected him, they put him to death, and it was just that they should be destroyed. (Barnes Commentary)

The Vengeance and Severity of God

Those days of extreme mercy were going to be followed by days of extreme vengeance. We are told in Luke 21, that Jesus foretells of the destruction of those who did not believe and the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 21:20-24 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and let those who are in the midst of the city depart and let not those who are in the country enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled”.

The severity of this judgment is told in Matthew 23:23-36. Verse 34-36 says. “Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city, so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [the judgment for] all these things [these vile and murderous deeds] will come on this generation” (Amplified).

To me it is staggering! The blood of Jesus, the blood of the prophets and the blood of the martyrs were going to be laid at the feet of that generation.  The killing of Jesus would bring the day of vengeance that would culminate in the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the utter destruction of the Temple. Jesus not only told them that they were going to be held accountable for His blood and the blood of the prophets and martyrs, but they were also so blind to the truth that they themselves called out and said, “His blood be on us and on our children”. Matthew 27:20-25 In their passion of hate, they uttered these words, they cursed themselves. It is interesting in Acts 5:28 that the high priest and elders were complaining that the Apostles were trying to lay the blood of Jesus at their feet. “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us”. Their hate was so strong that they themselves wanted Jesus’ blood to be upon them and their children, but now they complained that the Apostles were doing just that. It was too late for the high priest and leaders and all of Jerusalem that did not accept Jesus, their destruction eminent, About forty years later, the Romans brought a severance vengeance and destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Josephus also tells us that one million Jews died in the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The severity of God.

Hebrews 3:7-11 “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. Therefore, I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest’”.

We ourselves have the opportunity to accept Jesus; His kindness is still towards all who are needy. His compassion and mercies are new every morning. We all can behold the the kindness and severity of God; to those who reject Him, severity, but to you who accept Him, God’s kindness, and we must continue in His kindness; otherwise, we also will be cut off.

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The Shade of a Huge Rock

Posted in Worship in Cirisis, Worship, Praise and Music, tagged , , , , , on October 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Isaiah 32:1-2 “Behold, a king will reign righteously, and princes will rule justly. And each will be like a refuge from the wind, and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land”.

Isaiah 25:4 “For Thou hast been a defense for the helpless, defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat”.

Many years ago, while I was in a very severe testing in my life, a dear friend/mentor told me that one day I would be “like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land”. He told me to meditate on those verses in Isaiah. Now years later, as I look at these verses, I see that the testing of the Lord is what forms us. We become conformed to His image and learn obedience through testing and suffering. Even Jesus “learned obedience through the things that He suffered (Heb 5:8)”.

Isaiah 50:4 says, “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple”.

Oh, to be such a disciple! To have learned of the Lord how to be like Jesus, “to sustain the weary with one word”! To be a refuge and shelter from the storms of this life! To have rivers of water “flowing from our innermost being” (John 7:38). To be like a “shade of a huge rock in a dry and parched land”!

We can be these things to those around us. In our churches, in our lives outside the church and in our families. We have something in us that the world does not have. We have the Spirit, and it can flow out of us to show mercy to all around us. Lord help us to be more like You!

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No Lasting City

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on October 15, 2025| 1 Comment »

No Lasting City

We are told in Hebrews 13:14 that “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come”. What a great encouragement and hope that is! When we compare that “lasting city” to our current city, they are light years apart! Maybe we don’t talk about “that city” as much as we should. We are told in Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ”.

I was born in Denmark and was a citizen of Denmark. I was seven years old when we moved to America. I had left behind my grandparents, my aunts and uncles and all my cousins. It was quite a large family that we had left behind. I never saw most of those relatives again. I never saw my grandparents again.

While I had moved to America, my citizenship was still in Denmark. While this analogy may not be perfect, my heart was in Denmark. I longed for that country; I longed for my grandmother in particular. All that I loved was in that country. Now as a Christian, I long for my Savior, I long for my new “country” in Heaven.

Are we too enamored with this life that we do not speak too much of the next? We have a citizenship in a “lasting country” that is so much better than our current country. Our world is filled with so much evil. It is hard to even watch the news or read it online, even accurate news is filled with evil. Have we forgotten that our citizenship is in heaven? Maybe we should talk more about the “everlasting city”, maybe we should talk more about what God has prepared for those that love Him and love His appearing.

Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ”. We are to eagerly await His return. And if we die before His next return, we are to continue seeking that “lasting city”.

Colossians 3:1-2 “Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”.

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Boromir and The Ring

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

While I don’t usually use movies to make Christian theological points, in this case, Boromir does seem fitting. I will take comfort in the fact that JRR Tolkien was a Christian.

While Boromir, in the Lord of the Rings, has a time of repentance at the end of his life, he was certainly enamored with the One Ring. He was extremely tempted by it and wanted to use it for good. He tried to persuade the other members of the Fellowship to use the One Ring against the dark lord. How many things of this world are we tempted to use for good?

As I read Luke 4:5-7, the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all its glory. The devil tells Jesus that it was a domain that had been handed over to him, and that he had the power to give it to whomever he wished. That is an interesting thought because Satan certainly does give it to evil men, and all throughout history you can see his trail of destruction through those evil men to whom he has given it. Yet here he offers it to Jesus, the righteous Son of God. It is offered to Jesus as a temptation. For Jesus, in a twisted way, it was a way for “all things to become subject to Jesus’ feet”! But God’s way was for Him to suffer the cross and wait for “all things to become subject under His feet”. Hebrews 2:8 “Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him”. The mystery of the Gospel slowly unwinds! Oh that we would have the eyes of our understanding opened by Jesus!

Boromir was told by Aragorn, “you cannot wield the Ring, it only answers to the dark lord”. We currently live in a world that answers to satan, “the prince and power of the air”. He gives his power to whom he wishes! It must be so for now. 1 Corinthians 5:249-25 “…then comes the end, when He (Jesus) delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet”.  God still moves in the earth by his divine will and Providence, as it says in Daniel, “He does as He please with all the host of heaven and with man on the earth”. For now He is allowing satan a certain amount of power.

How does that apply to us? We have the same temptation facing us, to use the things of the world for good. If Jesus resisted that, should we not also resist it? There is a theology out there in the Christian world that wants to use the powers of this world to usher in the Kingdom of God. Is that even possible? Is that what God has intended for His church to pursue? We can all think of areas in this modern world that we could use for the good of the Kingdom. We could use politics and make Christian laws. We can use the entertainment and the music industry to have better Christian music and entertainment. We could have Christian businesses. All these things would make us feel good, but they are not the answer.

To quote a dear friend of mine, “It is interesting to note that Jesus did not initiate any socio-economic nor political change. He did not depose Herod, Pilate or Caesar; not even the High Priest. He did not set up social programs nor end slavery while on earth. Yet He declared, the kingdom of God has come upon you”.

Think of it, the Kingdom of God came upon the world! Politics did not matter! It did not matter who was in office! Yet we fight and devour one another over politics. It is important for us to accept the fact that God’s Kingdom is not of this world, John 18:36 tells us so! While there is a lot of good that we can do in the world, it is not dependent on anything of this world, it is dependent on the Holy Spirit. It was by the Holy Spirit that the Apostles changed the whole world! The life changing power of Jesus works in the whole world. It doesn’t matter what type of government you are under. The church grew under the most hostile government system the world had ever seen, the Roman Empire! We need to use what Jesus has made available to us, the Holy Spirit. He is greater than any denomination, greater than any political party and greater than any form of government! It is the kingdom of God. Let us not lose our distinctiveness! There is a uniqueness to Christians who are led by the Spirit, to those whose “kingdom is not of this world”..

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Tracing the Divine Purpose

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on March 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I was recently looking at a Commentary on Acts 2:22-23  “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death”.

The Commentary said the following, “It has now become the habit of the Apostle’s mind to trace the working of a divine purpose, which men, even when they are most bent on thwarting it, are unconsciously fulfilling”.

It is amazing to me how God’s plans are many times not seen while they are happening. Many times, even in our own lives, we can not understand His ways until time has passed and we are able to look back and “trace His divine purpose”. This applies to the world at large, and to our own personal lives.

Think of it, Peter and the disciples never expected the plan of God to be that Jesus would be crucified. It was Peter who famously was rebuked by Jesus for suggesting that He would never be given over and crucified. What changed? With Jesus being crucified, the disciples were devastated and scattered! But then He appeared to them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended into heaven, they started looking back and remembering the things that Jesus taught them. They then began to “trace the divine purpose” with the help of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2, it is now Peter who stands up and addresses the crowd. He now acknowledges that Jesus “was delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death”. Wow! How little of God’s ways we understand.

This is a huge topic, one worthy of understanding in a better way. In another verse, Acts 4:27-28 it says, “In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, they carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen”. Again it was God’s hand in it all.

When we look at world history and events, can we realize that God is in control?  In Revelation 17 we have some similar assertions. Verse 17 says “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled”. At the end of the age, it is God who orchestrates and puts into the hearts of men to execute His purposes. Just like when Jesus was crucified, it was God’s “divine purpose”! The more we search the scriptures and understand this, the better we understand God and His ways.

Again, a disclaimer, I am by no means an expert on all of this and don’t fully understand it all. We should all pray, “open my eyes that I might behold wonderful things out of Thy word”. If we can get a better grip of all this, we will have less turmoil in the body of Christ and in our lives. We will have less fear and worry over things of this world. I encourage you to look back over your own lives, can you trace God’s hand in it? Thank God, He works all things for good to those who love Him.

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Peace In A World Of Chaos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on March 7, 2025| 2 Comments »

While sitting out one night under the stars, I was again impressed by the beauty of the universe and the order of the heavens which God created. In the Psalm 19 we read, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands”. And in Jeremiah 3 we read, “Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name”.

The stillness of the night, with constellations slowly passing by night after night, is an absolute wonder! The precise order is mind boggling and the peace is healing to the body! I think of Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God”, it is very easy to experience peace when we look at the grandeur and wonder of the heavens, Psalm 19 “the heavens declare the glory of God”. Would that the earth would finally be filled with the Glory of God, soon it will be. Psalm 72 “And blessed be His glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with His glory, amen and amen”.

But for now, we live in a world that is filled with chaos. In our modern era, everywhere we look, there is chaos, destruction and all sorts of evil. There is no order here on earth yet! While we are told in Hebrews 2 that God has put all things in subjection under Jesus’ feet, we are also told that for some reason that we do not yet see it, we do not yet see all things put under Jesus’ feet. We live in a world of chaos while the full plan of God is worked out. The goal of all of this is worth considering. Jesus helps us to understand this when He taught us how to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. That is the goal of God’s plan in the earth. We are to also pray that way, “Lord let Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”. It will happen one day! God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. In the end, as it says in Isaiah 24, “the city of chaos will be broken”.

Some may ask, “why doesn’t God just come and end all the chaos on earth”? Many people who do not follow Jesus ask that. Romans 9 tells us this- “What if God, willing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?”. Paul tells us that God is patient with the chaos of the world and has a great willingness to show forth the riches of His glory through bringing many people, both Jews and Greeks into the Kingdom of God through repentance. Peter tells us the same thing in Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”. While God could instantly fix the problem of sin, caused by Adam’s sin and the Watchers, He is choosing not to for a greater good. He is patient and allowing time for people to join His company, “That none should perish!”

While we live in this world with all its chaos, we understand that we are part of a Kingdom that is not of this world. Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world” and that is where our hope lies. We will have peace when we come to Him even in this world. We can have God’s peace as we walk through this very chaotic world that is filled with fear and evil. In John 14:27 Jesus tells us, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful”. Also in Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When the end comes, and God restores peace on the earth, we will all say “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation”. Isaiah 25:9

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