Peace on Earth

Luke 2:14
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

If you look around you will see that there is no peace amongst people on earth. There are wars, fighting’s, government overthrows, pickets, demonstrations, fear, murders, protests, disputes, anarchy. Where is the peace in all of that? The peace that the heavenly host was singing about was not peace among men. It was peace between God and man. This can be clearly seen by looking at Jesus' statement in Mt 10:34, which says, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." Although the Gospel has changed men's hearts, and there are many instances where this change has caused peace between men, that was not what the angels were praising God for. They were rejoicing that the war between God and man was over. As Isaiah prophesied, "Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins" (Isa 40:2).

Jesus bore our punishment so that we could be reconciled to God. This peace came through the blood sacrifice Jesus made on the cross (Col 1:20). God isn't angry anymore. All our sins--past, present, and future tense--were placed on Jesus, and now God can justly love us. God isn't mad. All of God's judgment against our sin was placed on Jesus (Joh 12:32). He's not even in a bad mood. God is a good God, and we are to have our feet shod with the preparation of this gospel of peace between God and man (Eph 6:15).

We now have a covenant of peace where God will never be angry with us again or rebuke us (Isa 54:9-10). We are supposed to shod our feet with this gospel of peace (Eph 6:15). Let peace reign, it has already started between God and you, it’s now time to celebrate and carry that peace to others.

Merry Christmas

Freedom is the Prevailing Cry of the World

Freedom is the prevailing cry of the world today, the overwhelming preoccupation of individuals and nations. Yet even though Scripture speaks of a liberty that Christ offers (Gal. 5:1–12), some people resist Christianity as itself an obstacle to freedom. Is this view of the faith justified?

On the face of it, it seems strange to identify Christianity as an enemy of freedom. After all, Christians have historically stood up for the poor, the oppressed, the captive, and the underprivileged. Likewise, liberation from ignorance, disease, and political oppression have invariably resulted wherever Christian faith and principles have been adopted. Why, then, would some view the faith as repressive?

Perhaps part of the answer lies in the problem of legalism. Whenever Christianity is made into a list of dos and don’ts, it becomes intolerant and restrictive. Instead of enjoying an intimate relationship with a loving God, the legalist is obsessed with rules and regulations, as if God were a celestial Policeman just waiting to catch us out of line.

To be sure, Christ does make demands on us that sometimes limit our autonomy. But true Christianity sees this as part of a relationship based on love and grace, not unlike a healthy marriage in which both partners sometimes sacrifice their own desires in order to serve the other.

But even if there were no legalists, many people would still resist Christianity because they resist any standards that would place absolute claims on them. To them, freedom means pure autonomy—the right to do whatever they want, with no accountability to anyone else.

But surely that leads to irresponsibility and license rather than freedom. Nor do people really live that way. Sooner or later they choose one course of action over another, based on some set of values. In other words, they surrender their will to standards, whether good or bad, and act accordingly. So it is not just the values of Christianity that “stifle” personal freedom, but values in general.

The real question, of course, is what kind of people are we? What is our character? Christians try to mold their character after the pattern of Jesus. He was the most liberated man who ever lived. His ultimate standard of behavior was, what does My Father want Me to do (John 8:29)? Did that code stifle His freedom? Hardly: He was utterly free of covetousness, hypocrisy, fear of others, and every other vice. At the same time He was free to be Himself, free to tell the truth, free to love people with warmth and purity, and free to surrender His life for others.

True Christian freedom is Christlike freedom. There is no hint of legalism about it. It accepts absolute moral standards that are well known and well proven, and it takes its inspiration from the most liberated human being who ever lived, Jesus of Nazareth. What is stifling about that? ¨

All Rules and Laws Take the Place of and Cannot Accomplish What Love Can

Ultimately do you know why there is speed limit signs posted on our roads? It is not to remind us not to speed or even tell us what the proper speed limit should be. It is because we do not know how to love. You see if we really loved one another we would not go faster in a given situation to cause someone else harm. We would always be looking out for one another, thus not needing a speed limit sign. Our mind set is so self orientated that we have to have rules and laws to remind us of others. Rules are also the reason to make a reputation for themselves. It does not matter what set of rules we follow or don’t follow. All that matters is that we have new life through our living connection with Jesus. If we live by love, then we as a whole family will realize God’s peace and loving-kindness. When love rules, no law is needed.

In Galatians chapter six twelve through fourteen the Apostle Paul reminds of this and even shows us how we focus those rules and laws to pronounce our own agenda. First Samuel 16:7 says, "for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Those who see the way God sees are more concerned with the condition of the heart than they are a person's actions. But those who are carnal are always focused on actions instead of attitudes. The New International Version confirms this by translating this verse, "Those who want to make a good impression outwardly...."

Galatians 6:12-14
12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.
14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

That's the way these Judaizers were. They hadn't even noticed the wonderful work that God had done in the hearts of these Galatians through the ministry of Paul. All they could see was what they hadn't done. Likewise today, legalists are so focused on outward acts that they often fail to see the deeper, more important work that the Holy Spirit does in a person's heart. If someone hasn't been baptized according to their tradition or doesn't worship after their form, it doesn't matter how much they love the Lord, the legalist pronounces them unclean.

Carnal people are consumed with carnal (external) things. They can't believe that God can accept anyone who isn't holy according to their standards. However, spiritual people are consumed with spiritual (internal) things. They recognize that holiness is a fruit, not a root, of salvation (Ro 6:22).

The Judaizers (Ga 1:1) were trying to escape persecution from their Jewish brethren who still believed Christians had to keep the law ( Ac 23:6). They maintained that if they showed the Jews that the way of salvation was still the law they could be accepted by them. So they were trying to force circumcision upon the church (Jews and Gentiles) as a "faith-plus-works" method of salvation. This would avoid the persecution that would come if they acknowledged that salvation comes only through Jesus and Him crucified.

The Simple English Bible translates this: "Some men are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do these things, so that the Jewish people will accept them, fearing they will be persecuted, if they follow only the cross of Christ."

Gal 6:13 These legalists who were demanding compliance with the law weren't keeping the law themselves. No one except Jesus has ever been able to fulfill the law, and no one else ever will (Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10). It is the height of hypocrisy to demand of others what you cannot do yourself. So, why would they demand this thing? Paul said it was so they could glory in their flesh. They glory in appearance or outward things and not in the condition of the heart (2Co 5:12).

Gal 6:14 Paul's critics gloried in the carnal things they accomplished while Paul gloried only in what Jesus had done for him through the cross. One way to discern a true man or woman of God is to see where their boasting lies. Those who boast in their own accomplishments are suspect, while those who boast in the Lord are the true and faithful witnesses.

Notice that there is a double crucifixion. The world was crucified unto Paul, and Paul was crucified unto it. This means that the world's system had nothing to offer Paul, and Paul had nothing to offer the world outside of Christ. Its one thing to remove yourself from the world's system, but it's another thing to remove the world's system from you. Paul had done both. Paul's sole purpose in life was to bring glory unto the risen Christ. The law or rules are an outside condition, love is an inward motivation that only comes from Jesus. Let’s see, choose Jesus or choose the law (rules). Choose the law and the law only produces death and cannot save. Choose Jesus and He only produces life (love) and does save.

When we truly love, no law or rule is ever needed. Don’t let laws and rules replace what love can accomplish.

Doing Good to All, Sowing Seeds for Your Future

Galatians 6:1-5
1 Brothers, if someone is caught (overtaken) in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,
5 for each one should carry his own load.

The word "overtaken" (caught) carries the idea of something that comes upon a person by surprise. Also, the word "fault" comes from the Greek word "PARAPTOMA" meaning, "a side-slip (lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional) error or (willful) transgression" (Strong). Therefore, Paul is giving these instructions about how to help someone who is sincere, but in error.

The spiritual ones, who Paul instructs to restore those who are overtaken in a fault, are those who are dependent upon and led by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word that was translated "restore" literally meant to set a bone that had been broken (WWS). It takes time for broken bones to mend, and activities usually have to be restricted during the healing process. Likewise, spiritual restoration takes time and usually necessitates a change of routine. If the individual goes back to the same circumstances, chances are he will make the same wrong choices he did before.

Also, just as setting a broken bone in the natural is painful but necessary, the restoration process is always painful. Those who fail to deal with the issues completely because it is painful are similar to those who don't set a broken bone. The bone will never be straight again. But enduring a moment of pain as the bone is set will let the bone mend properly and become as strong as it was before.

Just as a cast protects the broken bone from further injury, a person who has fallen should be surrounded by brothers and sisters who are committed to keeping the fallen individual from making the injury worse. Submission to spiritual authority is just as important to a person who has fallen as a cast is to a person with a broken bone. Until the healing is complete, the cast and the curtailed lifestyle have to be maintained even though it may be inconvenient and uncomfortable. Trying to return to "normal" prematurely can prevent the bone from ever being completely healed.

Gal 6:2: The Greek word used for "burden" here is "BAROS" and means "a heavy weight, burden or trouble." It is such a heavy weight that if a person is not helped in carrying it he will be overwhelmed. This may be either a sin (Gal 6:1) or a circumstance of life. We fulfill Christ's law of love when we bear one another's burdens. Our love must go beyond just not seeing someone hurt but also to the alleviation of his suffering if it is within our power.

Gal 6:3: Paul is saying that if anyone thinks he is too important to stoop down and help others with their burdens, then he is deceived about his own importance. None of us is anything of ourselves. None of us has any good excuse for not helping restore our fellow believers. This was one of the sins of the Pharisees. The Amplified Bible translates this verse as, "For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load], when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives...himself."

Gal. 6:4: If we are to help bear others' burdens, we must lay aside conceit (see note v. 3, above). Intolerance towards those who have sinned is an indication of our own vulnerability. Here, Paul gives the remedy for self-conceit. A realistic look at our own weaknesses will make us better prepared to help others. This is the same message as that of Matthew 7:3-5 which says, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

Gal. 6:5: This verse is the exact opposite of verse 2 but it makes Paul's point perfectly. In verse 2, Paul said, "Bear ye one another's burdens." Verses 3-4 stripped away any objections that someone might have to doing that. Then here, he gives the clinching argument, "For every man shall bear his own burden." His reasoning is that since all of us have burdens that we bear ourselves, we ought to be quick to help others with their burdens. We reap what we sow (Gal 6:7) and God doesn't extend mercy to those who have shown no mercy (Jas 2:13). Therefore, those who don't help others will not be helped. We don't want that. So, help others and sow a seed for your own future needs.

What Reflection are We Radiating as a Church and as a Christian?

James 1:23-25
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

You have never seen your face. You have seen a reflection of your face, maybe a video of your face, or maybe a photo (picture) of your face. Not unless you can take your eyeballs out with the nerves attached have you been able to see your face with your physical eyes. It can’t be done. What this passage though is referring to is looking into the Word of God is like looking into a spiritual mirror. If we want to see what our physical face looks like, we have to look in a physical mirror. Likewise, we can't see our spiritual self, but we can look in the mirror of God's Word and see who we are in Christ. God's Word is spiritual and reveals our spiritual self (John 6:63). We need to become as sure of our spiritual image as we are of our physical image. After all, we can't directly see either one; we look at something else and take what we see by faith.

A man who doesn't do what he has heard in God's Word (Jas 1:22) is like a man who looks in the mirror but doesn't take any action. He goes on his way and forgets what he has seen. Likewise, we have to keep in front of us the image God's Word paints of our spiritual self and act accordingly. Notice God's Word is called "the perfect law of liberty." This is specifically referring to the New Covenant and all the liberty brought to us through the atonement of Christ. It is only through the grace given to us by the finished work of Christ that we can truly see our new selves and be blessed.

Very often the Church hold’s up a mirror reflecting back the society that surrounds it rather than the Word or the life of Jesus Christ that is our true mirror. If the world despises a sinner the Church should love them. If the world cuts off aid to the poor and suffering than the church should provide healing, food, and shelter. If the world oppresses than the Church should take the hand of the oppressed and lift them up. If the world shames and creates an outcast than the church should proclaim God’s reconciling love and show the way of forgiveness. If the world seeks profit and self-fulfillment the Church seeks sacrifice and service. If the world demands retribution than the Church dispenses grace. If the world has factions that bring dissension, than the Church should join in unity. If the world is destroying its enemy, the Church loves them both.

What mirror or reflection are you bringing the world today, does it reflect the Word and Jesus Christ or does it reflect the world?

The Importance of the Word

We seem to go to the Word of God as a last resort, we’ll have people pray for us, lay hands on us, look for others to put their arms around us to make us feel good. But we won’t study and meditate on the Word to allow it to grow inside of us. The Bible is a package of seeds that needs to be taken out of the package and planted in good soil (our heart). It is that Word that we need to depend on in our lives. It is the Word that can live inside of us to grow us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

The story in Luke 7:18-28 John the Baptist had already boldly proclaimed on four different occasions that Jesus was the Christ (Luke 3:16-17; John 1:29-36, and 3:26-36). God had also given John a special sign that Jesus was the One who should come (John 1:33). In light of these things, John's question here can only be interpreted as doubt on his part. It's possible that John shared the mistaken idea with most people of his day that the Messiah was going to establish a kingdom on earth and break the dominion of the Romans over the Jews. Whatever the reasons, it is interesting to note that the man who Jesus said was the greatest of all Old Testament people (Mt 11:11) had doubts even after God had borne witness in his heart as to who Jesus was. Also, all of the great things Jesus spoke of John were said after and despite the doubts that John expressed.

We see that Jesus did not answer John's disciples immediately but rather performed many miracles in that same hour, including healing of the blind. Then He told John's disciples to report back to John about the blind seeing, the lame walking, the lepers being cleansed, the deaf hearing, and the dead being raised. Jesus had already healed a leper (Mt 8:2-4) and two lame men (Mt 9:6-7 and John 5:2-15), and He had recently raised the widow's son from the dead at Nain (Lu 7:11-17).

At first glance Jesus' response to John doesn't seem adequate. Jesus later says all kinds of things about John that would seem to be more edifying. Most people would rather have had the most famous person in the nation speak highly of them than to have Him say, "Look at what's happening and you will be blessed if you will believe."

But Jesus was giving John His best. He fulfilled the prophecies of Isa 35, which spoke of the miracles the Messiah would perform. Jesus performed every miracle that Isaiah prophesied He would do and threw in the raising of someone from the dead just to make it clear that this was no fluke. Then He told John to believe.

This was Jesus referring John back to the Word. He was using the very scriptures John had quoted as God's instructions to him. Jesus sent John back to the Word to deal with his discouragement. It was only after John's disciples had left that Jesus began to say the complimentary things that most of us would rather have had.

Those whom God honors the most are the ones who He gives the Word instead of some lesser, emotional response.

Most of us are like John the Baptist, we are looking for accolades, or kudos, and not the Word. Jesus wants to give the best He has to us and that is His Word. Jesus could have sent the messengers back to John the Baptist with accolades towards John, but He sent his Word instead. What we need is God’s Word, it is that preference that God wants to give us. We can look for kudos, or an arm around us, a pat on the back to make us feel good, but what is needed is God’s Word. Depend and act on God’s Word and your life will never be the same. It will lift you out of the rut, overcome obstacles and giants in your life. God’s Word will never fail you.

Polarization and Reciprocal Grace

I am amazed how we as Christians (including myself) get caught up in the day to day happenings that surround us. Be it politics who are ruining us with moral decay, drug use and the drug lords that rule our cities, the Hollywood producer who is polluting our culture, or the wars we are fighting, the abortionists, or the whatever bad circumstances that we all find ourselves in, it's all on how much we have retreated from the gospel of grace.

Though were active in our endeavors in combating evil in the many ways that it surfaces in our sphere of influence we tend to use the wrong weapons of these wars. We may find ourselves in the middle of a cultural war but the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh. We are involving ourselves in the wrong war using the wrong weapons. Our war is not against flesh and blood. If we find ourselves fighting against anything made of flesh we are combating the wrong war. Jesus said that there was one distinguishable indelible mark that stood out and showed who we are as Christians and that is the love that we have for one another.

Who then becomes our enemy, is it the drug dealer, the politician, the abortionist, other people in other nations, the man across the street, who is it? Are we so still stuck with the law that we have forgotten about grace? Instead we have traded the gospel of grace for political correctness, moral superiority, and judgment of anything outside the law or our own rules. We have been polarized with the lines we have drawn with our so called enemy on the other side when all we have done is not loved that same enemy that Jesus has taught us to love. If polarization has occurred than we must cross those lines with love in our hearts. That very same grace that has been given to us we need to be reciprocal to others. Most likely the reason why we have not been reciprocal with grace is that we do not understand the love that Jesus has for us and the amazing grace that has been bestowed to our lives.
Eph 6:12
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but mighty through God and Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus we fight with love and as 1 Corinthians 13 says that we can do nothing and become anything good without love. No great spiritual awakening, no great miracles, no mighty move of faith, no great spiritual growth, no great benefit of society can happen without love. It will all come to nothing.

When we love is when others will see Jesus love for us, which is true reciprocity.


I Jn 2:9-10
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.