Where is that Peace on Earth?

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Pete Seeger was sort of quoting King Solomon when he sang “A time for peace, I pray it’s not too late!” in the song “Turn turn turn” At the time the song became a number one hit in 1965, the unspoken reference was to the Vietnam war. Few of us as teenagers had read the verses from Ecclesiastes chapter three which had inspired the song, or thought much about what King Solomon was pointing out:

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Even as Christmas approaches we also are faced with the continued threats of terrorism and war. Whether people are, dining out, going to the movies or even attending their weekly prayer meetings it seems that there is no place exempt from violence. But in these moments when everything seems to be closing in, we have to remind ourselves that Jesus never promised peace on earth, for now. In fact He guaranteed us that:

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”    John 16:33

Because Jesus went to the cross, true peace is always possible – Thank God it is never too late! But peace is not the absence of war, though we would wish it so. Peace is the presence of the dove of peace ruling in our hearts no matter what comes.

A Reception at the Palace

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 ESV

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The wise men had crossed deserts, rivers and mountains. They had gotten lost, faced a treacherous king and learned from an ancient prophecy of where to find Jesus. You might think they would have been dismayed at their reception in Bethlehem. They had come for a king maybe thinking there awaited a royal welcome, a place to rest and sumptuous surroundings. Instead they came to a small house in a simple village where a carpenter and his young wife opened the door in astonishment at their arrival.

But the wise men were not disappointed or discouraged because they had come with one goal in mind. They had come to worship! As we approach Christmas we need to be careful to keep the attitude of those men. We mustn’t imagine that a proper Christmas celebration has anything to do with a beautifully decorated home, fine food on the table, or all the correct holiday preparations. All journeying to Bethlehem asks of us is to have open and humble hearts ready for any doorway which God brings us to. Christmas is not about our reception at the palace, but about the worship and gifts we bring for Jesus!

The Heart of Jesus Christ

Nursing home ministry is not about being nice. It is not about feeling good or having others think of as as more religious than others. Nursing home ministry like any other service for the Lord Jesus Christ is about being obedient to His call to carry His message to those He sends us. Any “nice feelings” or “good impressions” that come of what we do are entirely secondary. We are in fact being called to the front lines of the battle for men and women for whom God sent His Son to die. If He was willing to stay on the cross for those long hours to open a path to heaven, how can we not do all we can to tell others about this good news?

This Christmas we have a unique opportunity to go into nursing homes in our community. Now would be the perfect time to call together people from our local churches to sing and share the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. How better can we express the heart of Jesus than by going to tell it on any mountain that God leads us to this year? Be blessed!kimg1068

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed Luke 4:18