Peace on Earth

Peace on Earth

- December 23, 2018

“Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:14 NLT

Angels showed themselves to shepherds and announced the birth of the child who will grow up to be the Savior of the world.

These heavenly host sang to glorify God and shout that peace has come to earth. But it is a peace not like what we expect it would be. In case you haven't yet noticed, everything about the Lord is contrary to what we might normally expect, as His ways are not the ways of the world.

Peace is a by-product or a fruit of being saved, of being forgiven. Peace is not the absence of pain, of stresses, of suffering, of turmoil and even of wars.

Rather it is the inner tranquility, the calmness and the serenity that one has in spite of whatever else is happening all around us.

And for hundreds of years, every Christmas time, people sing Christmas carols about this elusive thing.

Today, more than ever, many still do not know what this is, or even what Christmas is really all about. The book of Luke, chapter 2 is a good place to read to find out about this. Linus explains this briefly if not perfectly every Christmastime.

Comments

The Shepherd and His Flock

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

John 10 (NIV 84)

Disclaimer

If you have issues with Hillsong or Bethel or Elevation or any of the so-called heretical churches or preachers, we are not condoning any false teachings. There is always something we can find wrong in all churches, including the one we call ours. But there is one faith, there is one baptism, there is One God, there is One Spirit and One Savior, Jesus Christ. If we agree on all these then let's all work together for good. The Lord is coming back. Let us stop wasting time with nitpicking, criticizing other believers because they wear strange clothes or sing weird songs, or read a version of the bible we don't, or speak in tongues or do or believe something which we don't, instead let us do what God has really called us to do. God has called each one of us to do something. Let's do that.