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Peace through the Storm

There once was a king long ago who sought the perfect picture of peace. So, he announced a contest that he hoped would produce this masterpiece. Each day more and more paintings began flowing into his kingdom from all over the land. Finally, the day of revealing came. One picture after another was revealed. Each picture more beautiful than the last. Despite the increasing beauty the king couldn’t help but feel they hadn’t found that perfect picture yet.

As the veil was lifted off the final entry the crowd gasped in shock and horror. This couldn’t be a picture of peace, their expressions shouted. This painting depicted a raging waterfall cascading down a rocky ledge.  The skyline showed stormy, grey clouds which threatened to explode with lightning and thunder, and in the midst of the chaos- was a tiny tree. It clung to the rocks at the very edge of the waterfall, and resting upon its branch was a little bird. It had built its nest, and there it sat, content and undisturbed. Her eyes were closed, and her wings nestled her little one as she manifested a peace that surpassed all earthly turmoil.

I couldn’t help but think of this story this week as hurricane Ian hit Florida. This hurricane had been accumulating its strength and brought fear and destruction. But as they do, the storm passed. Unfortunately, there’s another storm that’s brewing. It’s one that never gives up. It’s the storm that is constantly at war with out Spirit. The winds and rains of Ian devastated homes, but the world has been devastating our homes long before this.

Isa. 5:20 says “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” The world attacks us with wrong, and tells us it’s right. This attack makes many hesitant or even a little fearful. Mt. 10:28 reads, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The storm has moved on from Florida. People will rebuild a sense of peace. But finding a sense of peace is not the same as actually having it. The people from the story were shocked when they saw the last picture of peace because they have a misconception of what peace really is. Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The peace Jesus gives isn’t what people are expecting.  It’s not tranquility here on earth. The peace he offers is everlasting. We are blessed with the mindset to understand and know that when we leave this earth, we have eternal life. The man from the story wanted a picture of peace, but true peace is found in Christ Jesus. Preparation is key There is no peace found in sin, only inevitable death. John 16:33 reads, “These things I have spoke to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Looking unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We find ourselves living in a world that struggles with putting first things first. There’s a struggle to know where to look for answers and we are constantly being pressed to believe the world’s definition of truth- and worldly truth is ever changing. Heb. 13:8 tells us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever; He never changes, and neither does His wisdom. Today, many find themselves looking to the world (Creation) for answers rather than to God (the Creator). No wonder there is so much confusion and division today. We should be looking to Jesus in everything, for everything, with everything and through everything.

Look to Jesus in everything, “for in Him we live, and move, and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring’,” (Acts 17:28). Looking to Jesus in everything provides us with security we cannot have in the world. Secure in the only truth that never changes. Those who have obeyed His gospel have blessed assurance. We are His, and we owe Him everything.

Look to Jesus for everything, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jas. 1:5). Looking to Jesus, one is able to acquire true wisdom. Earthly wisdom is unspiritual. The fear of the Lord is the starting point of true wisdom. His divine wisdom is pure, peace-loving, gentle, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (Jas. 3:17)

Look to Jesus with everything, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). With everything you have, your reasonable service to God. He sacrificed for us, are we denying self for Him?

Look to Jesus through everything, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Pt. 5:10). We all do, have, and will struggle. He is what gets us through those times. Are we putting God first during ALL times? When we are going through periods of peace and blessings do we put God and our spiritual life FIRST? Or only when things aren’t going the way we want?

Let us put first things first. God is first. God is truth. Don’t forget it. Look to Jesus in everything, for everything, with everything, through everything.

In our walk with God, we talk about and study many of the characteristics and practices that we should keep in order to stay on the narrow path. Diligence is necessary to remaining focused on the cross. Commitment isn’t just a word. It’s a choice, and it’s a lifestyle. Our lives, committed to being workers for the Lord, should be God centered. We should always be pushing forward (Phil 3:13-14).

There was a rich, young, ruler who stopped Jesus to ask what he must do to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus in turn told him, “You know the commandments…” (Mk. 10:18-19). He went on to list several of the 10 commandments, which at the time were still in effect. The young ruler could have been confident in the fact that he had kept those commandments in his life: he hadn’t committed adultery, murdered, stole anything, he did not bear false witness, or defraud others and he honored his father and mother.

But, instead of an over confidence, he questioned Jesus further, “What do I still lack?” (Mt. 19:20). This question frames a mindset that understands, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3:23). Unfortunately for the rich, young, ruler, he cared more for his riches than he cared for Jesus. Jesus gave him a choice that basically broke down to; work for your wealth or work for me.

Though the scripture tells us the man walked away, “grieved” or sadly, from the Lord, he still walked away. He still made the choice that earthly possessions meant more to him than spiritual gifts. The gift of eternal life is the greatest gift a person could hope for, especially given the alternative. Matthew 25:46 reads, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.”

Self-reflection is hard. Sometimes we understand where we struggle and still make the wrong choice. Sometimes, we fail to self-reflect for fear of what we may see, or out of neglect for our spiritual self-care. Regardless, it’s important to know where we are still lacking so that whatever we do, in word or deed, it should be the best we can, working for the Lord (Col. 3:23). The right choice will always be Christ over self. So, don’t be afraid. Take a look. Are we workers for the Lord? Or are we walking away grieving?

Matthew 5:17

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill”

Last week the article topic was one of common misconception amongst those of the religious world. How and Why are we not bound by the 10 commandments today? In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says that he came to “fulfill” the Law and the Prophets. The Old testament is comparable to a contract between God and his people. The children of Israel were to live their lives by this testament/contract. But the Old testament always pointed to a future fulfillment.

When we think about contracts and their purpose, it makes it a bit easier to understand Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law and prophets. Anytime we need a service rendered in the world today, the use of a contract is regularly utilized. The purpose of the contract is to list the works to be done and the payment agreed upon for those works. Once the agreed works of that contract have been completed, no more work can be done until a new contract is drawn up.

The Old Testament/contract was not intended for just any man to satisfy. The only one who could satisfy the requirements of the Old testament was Jesus Christ, who for our sakes became fully man and was fully God (Phil 2:6-8). Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was tempted just as we are but was found without sin. This means that Jesus was able to satisfy the requirements of the Old Law while in the flesh.

Furthermore, it wasn’t just the Law that Jesus fulfilled but also all that was spoken by the prophets concerning Him. Acts 3:18 “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” Jesus satisfied the Law and the prophets to completion.

Just as one fulfills a contract in society today, if more work needs to be done a new contract has to be drawn up. Christ signed the Old testament with HIS blood and drew up a better one (Heb 7:22). But no one throws out the old contract, they keep it for a record of work completed. We have the Old Testament today to reference the work done by God Almighty.  And so, the OT was fulfilled and the New Testament is in effect (Heb 9:15-18).

Recently, I was speaking with a brother and there was concern that some religious sects of the world believe that the churches of Christ reject the Old Testament. This was quite concerning considering that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Paul writes in Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

The Bible consists of 66 books, 39 of which make up the Old Testament. These 39 books are full of history, wisdom, lessons and make up the background for the New Testament. Gal 3:24-25 “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” The Law of Moses is not rejected but rather it is embraced as a tool for our learning. It is a schoolmaster (tutor) for us today.

Consider for a moment what it means to read the New Testament without the Old Testament. It’s like starting a movie halfway through. You’ll see a lot of important things, but you miss out on a lot of the connections. Of course, the message contained in the NT is able to save souls, but the vast amount of Old Testament references could bring on a lot of confusion because you’ve missed a lot of important information.

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter references the prophets Joel and David. In Acts 7, Stephen preached on Israel’s history of rejection. Both sermons used accounts from the OT and concluded with Christ being magnified. The reason we study the Old Testament is not because we are bound by it, but rather it is part of Gods inspired word (2 Tim 3:16-17).

2 Tim 3:14-15 reads “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Paul tells Timothy the scriptures which he’s known since childhood are able to make him “wise for salvation”. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John had not yet been written, so what scriptures were able to make Timothy wise unto Salvation? The answer is undoubtedly, the Old Testament scriptures.

The Old Testament is the background of the New Testament and contains important knowledge about Jesus. Jesus didn’t reject the Law. He fulfilled it. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No man can live out the Law of Moses perfectly except Jesus the Christ. The 10 commandments are a “mirror” for us today. It allows us to see ourselves for what we are- sinful. Paul writes “I would not have known sin except through the law^” (Rom 7:7) But we can’t wash our sin away with that “mirror”, we need the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ (Heb 9:22).