Promises for the Battle
Peace
Civility #6—Life-Giving Civility
Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life? Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech! Turn away from evil and do what is right! Pursue peace and promote it! Psalm 34:12–14 Isolation inspires insanity—and death! Cut off from positive human interaction, we human … Continue reading
Advent 2023 #3—Impossible Joy
Thus says Yahweh Sabaoth, “If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in my sight? Behold, I am going to save my people … and they shall be my people, and I will be their deity in faithfulness and righteousness.” … Continue reading
Loving God #5—Deliverance From Enemies
David sang, “I love you, O Yahweh, my strength, my craggy summit, my fortress, and my deliverer. You are my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the weapon that saves me. I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1–3 … Continue reading
Prayer #8—Calming Answers
Be anxious for nothing, but by thankful prayer and supplication in everything, let God know your requests. Then the peace of God, which exceeds what human cunning can create, will keep your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7 The prospect of answered prayer provides more peace to our anxious, apprehensive hearts than relying … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Conditions for Peace
Everyone wants to experience what Philippians 4:7 calls “the peace of God which passes understanding.” God’s peace “passes understanding” in that it keeps our hearts peaceful and calm even though we understand perfectly well that there is no human or natural way that we can be extricated from some difficulty that threatens our future. Philippians … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Grace and Reconciliation, Part 3
Last week we saw that reconciliation between two people is a function of grace (“the action that originates in the joy of one person in order to create a corresponding joy in another”): In anticipation of the joy of receiving God’s grace, we engage in a peacemaking activity designed to bring a conflicted brothers and … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Grace and Reconciliation, Part 1
When I was becoming an Army Ranger in late 1969, the cadre emphasized, in many ways, that we were members of a team, and that we would not succeed in our combat missions unless we were in tune with and in sync with one another. “Cooperate and graduate” became our mantra. Fast forward twenty nine … Continue reading
Patient Prince of Peace
God displayed redemption in Christ Jesus to demonstrate his own righteousness, because in his forbearance he passed over previously committed sins, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus. Romans 3:25–26 God was patient, not expressing his just anger, despite millennia of abuse by … Continue reading
Peace #8—Peaceful Praise
Whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute; if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things … practice these things; and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8–9 O God of peace, we rejoice in your tranquility; we exult in your serenity. … Continue reading
Peace #7—Consequential Peace
There will be affliction and distress for every human soul that effects evil, … but glory and honor and peace to everyone who accomplishes good, … For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:9–11 We understand; we know with the certainty that makes us jump out of the path of a speeding automobile: When … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 