Dove of Peace

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:                 Ecclesiastes 3:1

Pete Seeger was sort of quoting from King Solomon when he sang

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“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 though very few of us teens had read the verses from Ecclesiastes which had inspired the song. However, as King Solomon also pointed out:

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

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…BUT

Because Jesus went to the cross, true peace is always possible – Thank God it is never too late! 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.

 

Not as the World Gives

After reading this verse have you ever stopped to ask, “How does the word give?” Thinking back to peace negotiations from the Vietnam war to the Palestinian conflict the press has focused on ‘peace talks’. The headlines and the world’s hopes are attached to talks which drag on for years all while people are still being killed. But Jesus is offering to give us a peace that is more than talk.. His peace requires no mediation by an outside party because He is the mediator between us and God. The peace Jesus offers us today has no terms other than His unconditional surrender on the cross and our unconditional surrender to Him. This peace is available immediately, lasts forever and is bought by His own blood. There is nothing nor will there ever be any other peace like it on earth. God is opening a peace conference just for us this morning. When we are done with our running away from Him; He is waiting to give us a peace that makes of enemies friends and of angry rebels His own sons and daughters!

 

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