Peace from the Heart

-

A Palestinian friend recently said to me, "until there is peace from the heart, there won't really be peace."

What he was saying, as we talked more, is that we have to learn to see each other as people God made. Allowing better access to resources or power, sharing land, dividing what we have... Being more fair... These don't make for peace. There is always a perceived power differential that keeps people feeling oppressed on both sides. Power, whether given or withheld, can't make peace.
Caring about another person's life. That makes peace. It's only possible in the power of grace. Loving enemies... Not just accommodating them. Blessing those who curse. Praying for those that use you. Walking away from fear. Perfect love casts out fear.
Peace in Israel is macro... It's a symptom of a spiritual problem, not the problem itself. The solution will come from inside the micro, not the other way around.
We all have conflicts. We all need peace. As we find it, peace will come.
We don't need to wait for the "other side" to come to our terms. Love doesn't require reciprocation. It advances despite it.
For God so loved the world, He gave...
This is what will make for peace. We don't need to wait. We can start giving this way today. God has arranged so many choices built into every day to give up my will and let His be done. He loves people more than I do. I can give what I think people want, but God knows what makes peace. If His will is done, peace will come from the heart.
Every other attempt at peace without God's leadership from the heart makes more desolate.
Luke 19:42-44 NKJV — saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. “For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, “and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Comments

Post a Comment

I appreciate your comments.

Most Popular Posts

False Love (Polite Ignoring of Truth) Is Killing the Bride of Christ

-
Romans 16:17Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. We live in the age that Paul described to Timothy: 2 Timothy 3:1But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having...
Read more

Advent: Anticipating the Coming of Messiah

-
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. In the end, everyone is going to get what they want.  This is the beauty and tragedy of being loved by an eternal Father.  Love requires free will.  Free will means I get the freedom to have my own will.  Everyone will get their will empowered in the end.  For the same love that gives everyone what they want, there is a delay in the giving over to desire.  God gives us time to change our mind that we could learn to want what He wants for us....that our will could be conformed to His. Judgment...even the seals, trumpets and bowls of Revelation...are simply the giving over of mankind to what it wants, even though what it wants is not good.  It happens incrementally and in a process so that we could repent....that we could see what we want won't really satisfy, and change our minds. That's why the end time judgment comes in 21 steps. In the d...
Read more

False Unity: Ecumenicism, Math, and Time

-
Image
Decision Tree for Reading this Post: 1.   I am already convinced my denomination or apostolic network is correct and I am a team player.  My ideology and network matters more than truth: please go to 2. 2.   Please, do not read this post.  It won't help you. 3.   I believe in christian unity at all costs and am not interested in changing my mind, please go to 2. 4.   I believe all ecumenical unity is evil and am not interested in changing my mind, please go to 2. 5.   I am interested in a different Biblical perspective to consider about unity and I like hearing what Jesus says to lots of people so that I can talk to Him myself with a more full perspective: please go to 6. 6.   Yay, please read this Post. False Unity: Ecumenicism, Math, and Time The Bible has a LOT to say about unity of the church.  We know unity is going to happen just before the great harvest brings a massive number of people to the church in one gene...
Read more

Sanctified? Spared?

-
I believe in a safe place in the judgment unfolding. Though it is largely rejected, it isn't too late.  A sanctified people in a consecrated place can turn back the tide of trouble for their land if they are willing to humble themselves and submit to the clear instructions of the Lord. Only a sanctified people can do this. God doesn't care about the quality of the music or the articulation of the words of the prayers, or the appearance of the sanctuary....it is the cleanliness of heart and the willingness to stand with Him in His righteous judgments....to attribute to Him the truth: that He is the one behind the trouble, and that because He is allowing it, even raising it up, it is good. That God defines and discerns good and evil differently than man, and has every right to is the message of the sanctified. That man's discernment of good has led us into this mess is the message of the sanctified. That no king can save us but the One who loved completely different than...
Read more

Tent of Meeting and the Tabernacle of Moses

-
The Tent of Meeting Moses set up outside the camp was a precursor to the Tabernacle of Testimony that would follow it. Rebellion of God's people brought about the Tabernacle of Meeting, or the temporary tent Moses erected to stay near God himself, until the rebellion was dealt with. When Moses first went up on Mt. Sinai, God showed him to build the Tabernacle of Testimony. The instructions God gave Moses were for a public meeting place. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai he found Israel, the people God had offered the Tabernacle to, worshiping the Golden Calf Aaron had made. God told Moses He would no longer go with Israel. God withdrew His offer to be in the camp of Israel, but God did not withdraw the promise to take Israel to the promised land and drive out her enemies! Here the Lord was testing Israel. Did she want God, or simply the promises of God?: Exodus 33:1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out o...
Read more