CALLED TO PEACE
War making or a bottled up state of war within people; is the prime cause of death.
Death entered this world through the misuse of man’s free will and the abuse of power, do-minion and rule over the creation.
The Bible speaks of the sons of God, but not to get you going into a world of fantasy as the supposed fall of Lucifer and his supposed angels, for that in itself is sensationalism, which only strengthens the natural man thus hastening his demise.
[Romans 8:19-21] The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
We read in Genesis 6:3 that clearly God was forced to limit the years of human life because His own sons (Adam and his sons) corrupted themselves after they had joined the fleshly non-Adamic people. At that time the Bible mentions no daughters who were born later, but only sons.
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
Watch the word ALSO. Adam was eternal and was not meant to suffer any termination of life; and so were his children also. But instead of triumphing over the fleshly war-like tendencies—which entered his genes through the mix with other people—they let themselves slide into depravity. Depravity is basically a belligerent state, for contentiousness, animal-like territoriality and aggression is clearly war-like.
As we go further into the causes of death on earth your eyes shall be opened, and with your permission you will be invited to become a peacemaker in a real sense of the word.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Happy, lucky, fortunate and rich in God’s grace are the peacemakers as opposed to war-makers who only see the limited territory over which they readily fight. But the word CALLED (Greek καλέω, (kaleō) can be used in a variety of applications, directly or other-wise; like to bid or summon or even invite, to call forth or to name. In the above verse the NASB translates it as CALL, also KJV. As we come closer to understanding that one short verse; we extract from it very rich meaning like this one: we are called to be peacemakers, we are invited to lay aside our war like ways by seeing higher and better reality.
The proverbial turning of a cheek; giving a shirt when one is asked for a coat, or going two miles when one is being asked to go just one clearly speaks of sonship and of course the peacemakers.
[Matthew 5:9] “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Jesus continued to expound upon the truth of peacemaking.
[40-41] “If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.”
It is not doing something by force or dry obedience to His word for that in itself is only religion. At the end of this chapter Jesus said that the Gentiles do that for they act like slaves when they are told to; or act the natural way, which is to greet back when one is greeted, and return love when one is shown love.
God chose Israel to be the light unto the Gentiles, (Isaiah 42:6) hence it was Israel that was called to be the initiator of peace, joy, love and blessing. Someone must start doing it.
NOTE: A Jewish man of Alexandria in Egypt wrote the Book of Wisdom. He was a pure Jew, not a Kenite, and his primary reason for writing was the edification of his fellow brothers in faith in times of suffering and oppression at the hands of apostate fellow Jews. His name is not known, but like Sirach he was a peacemaker. The evidence of this is his compassion, encouragement and wisdom.
[42-43] “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
One is the standard, having the attitude of a peacemaker rather than doing something in order to glean vain satisfaction. Many humanists today do good works; some do it from the heart while others do it for an appeasement of those restless thoughts and troubled feelings. Still, others do it to raise more funds and in the process make a living out of charity.
[43-45] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
“Love your enemy?” “But how Lord? Please tell me.”
“It’s simple,” said the Lord. “When you are a peacemaker you are also a healer. Anyone harboring any sentiments of animosity can be healed of that dreadful malady; providing that they come to you. When the sick comes to you the peacemaker then quite naturally you heal him or her and then that person can even become your friend.”
If we have Satan, the devil and his supposed army of demons as our enemy (in our mind) we are a long way away from becoming and being peacemakers. Study Jesus and you will know. Sometimes you must even part with theology to rise higher just as Jesus had challenged His own disciples in Matthew 5. The general population of Palestine adhered to the standard Judaism as prescribed by the teachers of the law of that time. But then came a rabbi from Galilee who started challenging people with His new teaching bidding them to go beyond the legal and theological boundaries. Jesus raised the bar and those that were deep in their “correct” theology told the rest that He is in error and that He misleads the people. Go figure.
[46-47] “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
In the same way, if one throws a stone at you then quite naturally so you would also look for a stone to hurl it back at the stone thrower. A kind smile returns a kind smile. But as I just said above, one must initiate and pave the way. One must draw from his or her own store-room of peace and heal humanity of their warmongering ways, from which worries for the daily bread come, which is the evidence of living out the curse. That cure has been atoned for and removed at the cross of Jesus. It’s done, but do you know that or still entertain those religious surface beliefs? Did it sink into your mind, soul and spirit? Has it become the new system that affects your very being?
Wherever the peacemaker walks that place is being redeemed. The earth stops crying to heaven because of the spilled blood. One atones for the sins of others. That’s greatly pleasing to God; for in so doing one is indeed His son.
[49] “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
The perfection is not in singing unto God “Mighty Warrior!” Have you ever heard anyone praising God for being the peacemaker? “I praise you for You are peace.” We sing words like these “You are MY peace.” As if I am restless and troubled so I need peace, which sort of comes and goes, from sermon to sermon and from song to song…
God in heaven is perfect and we here on earth can be like Him again just as we once were, before we transgressed and have not repented yet. Once you repent and return to Him you will lay aside the implements of warmongering.
[Isaiah 2:4] “They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.”
The opposite of being blessed is being cursed therefore quite naturally we conclude that war-makers are so because they act on a curse, which causes death. The thistles and thorns producing earth, the sweat of the brow and heavy labors just to eat bread actually hasten our demise for our bodies exhaust themselves, weaken and succumb to earth’s natural law. If the cursed war-like “gene” is not fundamentally changed then death will keep on being the harvester of life; traditionally portrayed as that skeleton holding a sickle.
4 comments
Today I sat and could only cry as I take a peak into eternity and My Fathers heart. How could we have seen His wrath as something that He truly a permanent part of our Loving Father? Those that do such things really express how sick they are on the inside. At times I am very lazy and just seek to rest my mind and it has even become something of an addiction to me. In the past I have been so unwilling and felt so frustrated by peoples desire to cleave to the so called "War between good and evil". I am still so in need of that inner healing and untwisting of my soul. As I read this I feel the untwisting and why it is so important that we keep seeking to know Him.
ReplyDeleteThank you Joseph
It takes His love and grace to open our religion-blurred eyesight and see that anything said in wrath is not what one really means. Just as we say things in anger or frustration, and in some cases it can even lead to divorce, so is God. "I want a divorce!" - "Are you serious Lord?" - (Those who read only this portion of scripture do not even know that they hate God and His chosen people and by their choices they are known as either being peacemakers or war-makers.) - But then at the appointed time, when God's wrath subsides and His judgments are complete; He then draws us back into his everlasting loving arms. That's why Solomon said, "There is the time of war and a time of peace, a time of anger and a time being loving, caring and compassionate again; this time is now. Oh what a wonderful day we live in. I do not look forward to any Armageddon or mull over the pre-or-post-tribulation rapture. Give me a break. We are the peacemakers and we aught to be busy with that above anything else.
ReplyDeleteWow. What a punch of Reality is your comment Joseph. I once got angry with my ex-wife and called her fat and ugly but it was something I never thought nor felt and yet in anger I said it. I do not know this for sure but I think that is the reason why she went ahead and divorced me. I never meant it but was hurt by what seemed like her lack of care for me so I wanted to hurt her back. We have held what He said in anger against Him as though we did not want to see through it to the real person on the other side. What are our motives for that? I know it was out of our bigotry and for that reason we have been blinded to THE TRUTH. These words of Truth are profoundly affecting me. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteWe are all guilty, none of us are righteous, but the difference between the peacemakers and those who are not is that we do open up the bottle and let the warlike sentiments out. Others keep unrest, envy and strife bottled up; even wait for a time of revenge; and while they hold on to those resentful feelings the war worm eats them up. Happy is the man that let's go and makes peace.
ReplyDelete