God’s Peace

No Justice No Peace?

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. Luke 23:34 ESV

I was struck by two events today: one great – the other terribly sad. First the great! Our church re-opened after 6 months: Yay!! Pastor Johnny Scott came in after an awesome worship service and preached on the unity that Jesus prayed for before He went to the cross.

He shared the message that we desperately need a revival of the holiness and unity in the church that Jesus prayed for. We are not divided in Christ. We are all His family. We are from every race and every nation. We are each unique. We are all kinds of people both poor and rich. No matter what anyone else thinks Jesus thought we were valuable enough to give His life for us.

But I was also struck by a sad second event that happened in Compton California today. There two deputies from the sheriff’s department lay in a hospital room fighting for their lives. They had been ambushed and shot in the head by unknown people who had as their goal division and hate.

Photo by Vidal Balielo Jr. on Pexels.com

Shockingly, while doctors and nurses battled to save their lives, a crowd gathered outside the emergency entrance of the hospital shouting for the death of the police. It reminded me of another scene 2,000 years ago when a different crowd demanded for Jesus to be crucified and Barabbas the murderer set free. They loudly screamed and insisted for so long that finally Pontius Pilate ordered for Jesus to be led away to Golgotha.

“No Justice – No Peace!” Is one of those often used phrases in the social justice movement. Of course it sounds pretty snappy, but I for one am glad that Jesus chose different words as He hung on the cross. Instead of demanding justice and the death of His executioners; He chose words of true peace. If Jesus had waited around for the world to get good enough to deserve His peace, He would still be waiting today. Instead He offered forgiveness. He offered a full pardon for all of us who are as guilty as Barabbas and as worthy of punishment as the shooters of those two innocent deputies. We have all sinned and wandered away from God’s love. The good news for today, is that Jesus came to bring something way better than justice. Jesus came to bring mercy. Jesus came to love. Those are things that I desperately need! How about you?

Jesus Take the Wheel

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Worrying over our grandchildren’s relationship with Jesus has been a recurring theme for me lately. When they were small things seemed pretty simple. We took them to church, prayed with them and at every opportunity made sure they had plenty of cookies. But now they are older things have changed. Some days it feels as if I am slogging through a mud bog, when I try to communicate even the basics of what it means to be a Christian. As I tossed and turned through another middle of the night worry session recently, God’s peace seemed light years away.

Then the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that I wasn’t doing them or myself any good. While I had been trying to overwhelm them with good arguments or coax them towards an interest in Jesus, I was forgetting that ultimately that job is His and that He loves them way more than I do. It is hard to trust God with people who are the closest to us. Yielding control over our spouse, a child a grandchild or a friend means letting God take over. What we really need to do is like what Carrie Underwood sings, “Jesus take the wheel!” We need to release our grip so that God can steer. Jesus won’t rip the steering wheel away from us. He will allow us as many nights as we wish to toss and turn. But if we are worn out with worry and fed up with fear God is waiting and even longing for us to trust that He knows how to fix the situation better than we do. Only He has the strength to carry us our worries and has promised a peace that stretches from our anxious hour all the way to heaven!

Learning in a Traffic Jam

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled: You believe in God. Believe also in Me!” John 14:1 ESV

One Friday afternoon as we inched through traffic on the expressway, our car suddenly made a sound I had never heard before. The engine died, but we were rolling just enough to coast to the right shoulder before stopping. My heart was anything but untroubled and in those days before cell phones we couldn’t even call for help. I got out, began pacing and throwing my hands up in the air while shouting “I can’t believe it!”  That was when my wife quietly came alongside and said, “Honey. Why don’t we just pray? God will work this out”

Photo by Levent Simsek on Pexels.com

“Sure let’s pray.” I muttered, though not feeling convinced about any of God’s plans.” But soon afterward a state trooper stopped and called for a tow. In another twenty minutes a truck came and since our car was not operational we were invited to ride up front. There above the roar of the engine we got a colorful earful as the driver alternately shouted and honked the horn while forcing his way up the shoulder to the exit and I just stared out the window. But as we pulled into the parking lot of the garage I was surprised when my wife happily shouted; “Look honey! It’s the perfect place!” That was when I looked to where she was pointing and laughed for the first time all day. There at the bottom of the garage’s sign was written, “Smile! God loves you!” Two hours later our car had been fixed and the thoughtful mechanic even bought us dinner! That’s how I discovered that our loving God intervenes even when we think He’s forgotten and that He calms troubled hearts if we will believe.