Your Part in Bringing World Peace

A Real and Lasting Peace in Our Time


‘Give peace a chance’ is the rallying cry of some who ‘really want peace’, and are ‘really willing to give peace a chance’, and think they know exactly what it will take to bring about peace. Now, if everyone else would just do exactly what they say to do, the world would be suddenly and eternally at peace.
They are overlooking the starting point for a true and lasting peace. The starting point for world peace is in the heart of the individual. Mankind in general is at war with the God of creation. The individual is specifically at war with God. A real and lasting peace begins in the heart of every individual. It begins with the individual making peace with God.
How is this done?
Acknowledge there is a conflict. The sin nature separates man from God. God is perfect and righteous; and we are not. God is the One who has the power and authority to fix all the problems facing the world, the earth, the cosmos, and the conflicts and problems in the lives of every individual. So, the question is, ‘Why doesn’t He? Why doesn’t God fix things?’
Something is standing in the way. Something specific has to be done before God moves on behalf of the individual. Mankind has no power to fix its own sin nature. The individual does have power to take THAT problem to God. World peace and peace in your heart must begin with facing the real problem. YOU are separated from God by your sins.
A tactic of ‘problem solvers’ who are faced with unsolvable problems is to change the people’s perception of the problem. We see this all the time. For instance, it is said that the conflict in the Middle East is caused by Israel taking land that is not theirs. That is not true. The problem is that the Islamic peoples hate the followers of the God of the Bible. The end result of that ‘sleight of hand’ is no peace for anyone. Such tactics might work part of the time with people, but it works none of the time with God. He knows the real problem. He has the real solution. He has offered His solution to you for free.
If you personally want a true and lasting peace, then you must surrender to God.
Unconditional surrender to God is required. This is not a negotiated peace. It really is an unconditional surrender. You must go to God on His terms. You cannot go to God and say, ‘Well, I am a good person; now let’s be friends.’ The path to God is through Jesus Christ the Son. There is no other way. Always consider that making one way into heaven was a very expensive endeavor for God. It is outrageous to ask that He make other ways into heaven, especially when the way provided is completely adequate for all who are willing to take advantage of the gift of eternal life.
In unconditional surrender, the repentant sinner goes to God as an immigrant; not as a settler.
An immigrant goes to a new land with the goal of assimilating into the population of the new land. They prepare for their journey. They learn the language of their new home. They learn the customs of their new home. They don’t give up their individuality; but they fully leave behind the old land and the things of that land that are unacceptable in the new land. Immigrants truly want a better country. That is why they are leaving their old lives behind them.
Settlers, on the other hand, go to a new land intending to change the new land into their own image. They want the people of the new land to become like them; to speak their language and learn their customs. They intend to give up nothing, only to take what the new land can give them.
Heaven has no settlers. If heaven could be changed to be like the land from which the people come, what would be the point of heaven? A true child of God is an immigrant. Their heart has rejected the things of this earth. They seek a better country. They are ready to change things and behaviors in their own lives to be more like the King of Heaven.
So, lets go over this one more time.
Acknowledge that sin separates mankind from God. The individual (you and I) go to God the Father of our own free will through Jesus Christ the Son.
You surrender to God. It is an unconditional surrender. God has no negotiated surrenders.
You go to God as an immigrant, one willing to change your own life to fit into the rules and laws of your chosen country.
Then what? You are a citizen of heaven, but you still live on earth. How are you supposed to live here temporarily, until you go to heaven to live eternally? Your salvation is secure, but the outcome of your life is still teetering between living like an immigrant headed for a better country, and someone bogged down in the cares and disappointments of this world.
I think one of the most important things that can give you a bright future or bitter failure is the direction of your vision.
If you look backward, you are in trouble.
If you look forward, you are on the right track.
Remember Lot’s wife. She was told not to look back. I believe this meant not to look back with longing as well as not look back at all with her eyes. She didn’t have to actually turn her head around to ‘look back with longing’. She wasn’t even well out of the city until she looked back in sorrow over the things she was leaving behind. She had left her home. It was probably somewhat lavish and ultra fancy. It might have been a palace. All her ‘stuff’ was still in the house, and it was being destroyed as she fled the city. Her friends and many loved ones were there. Her wealth was there. All these material things were there, but her way of life was also there. She turned into a pillar of salt, and is probably still standing right there in the same boring spot.
What I see Christians doing is not really looking back at a sinful life with longing. It is looking back at a part of their life that was different.
They look back to a period of time when they lived in a place they loved.
They look at a time when loved ones were in good health.
They look at a time when they had a job they loved.
They look at a time when they had a car they loved.
They look at a time when they had a church they loved and in which they were active. They look at a time they were considered wise and helpful.
They look at a time when they were so certain they were doing the exact will of God.
They look at a time when they were the ones doing the helping instead of the one in need of help.
All these things may have been good in their time; but those times are past. It does no good to look back with longing as though one would return to them if it was within their power to do so.
The Apostle Paul says to run with patience the race that is set before us. No one runs backward on the race track and expects to win a prize.
Yet, some Christians have made a habit of continually looking backward instead of forward. They mourn all the day long over ‘joys departed’. Looking backward is at least one way that a ‘root of bitterness that will rise up in the way and defile many’. (Heb.12:15)
Looking backwards definitely is a stumbling block in the way of a true and lasting peace between the individual believer and the God of their salvation. This is a very sad but very true statement: Bitterness in your soul and your life WILL hurt (defile) those around you. It will hurt the ones you love the most.
Looking back at your past with longing is not the same thing as looking back with thankfulness, fondness, and laughter. The Bible records the mighty works of God. We are told to remember them and teach them to our children. The children of Israel remember the Passover of Egypt to this very day, but does anyone believe they want to go back and do it all over again?
People are often selective in their memories, or unrealistic. They want to go back and live over the good things, but they forget the sorrow and hard times that were present at the same time as the joyful things. Life is hard. Once you get a day finished, it is finished. Don’t live like you were in a cartoon with your eyes glued to something behind you.
Luke 9:62 says, ‘And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ I have a cherished photograph (somewhere in storage) of my granddad with his shoulder to the plow attempting to get a furrow across a rocky field in Arkansas. (If I knew where the box containing the photo is, I would scan it and have Ray publish it with this issue). There is no question from the photograph that granddad could not take his eyes of the goal, or he would fail. Every furrow in that field was an accomplishment. While the photograph is just of granddad, a plow, one mule, and rocky field, the photograph loudly says, ‘determination’, and ‘focus’. Grandad definitely was not wasting any time looking at the furrows he had already plowed. He wasn’t mourning over the ones that might have been a bit crooked. He wasn’t rejoicing over the furrows that were incredibly straight and deep. He was looking ahead. He was racing to get that field plowed and planted in time to get a good harvest.
In plowing the field, granddad was also focused on caring for his family. He was focused on doing what was right. In our daily grind, we cannot forget our responsibilities, but we will do a much better job at everything we do IF maintaining peace with our God is the main focus of everything.
Now, as a Christian, that kind of focus and determination needs to be applied daily to your own life. You will not bring about a real and lasting world peace through your actions. However, you WILL bring about a true and lasting peace between yourself and the God who created you. The more people who are at peace with God, the more of God’s blessings will fall on the whole earth. God’s spirit will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3) World peace will come, but it will come when God says it will come. In the mean time, do what you can to personally make a difference. Make peace with God yourself. Live a life that encourages those around you to also seek peace with God.
It is peace with God that will strengthen you to do the tasks that are set before you, to live a life that you find satisfying, and to have joy now and in eternity.

Looking backward will get your field plowed in incoherent circles.
Bitterness will be the crop you harvest.
You will feed your family bitterness instead of the sweet Word of God.
You will forfeit thanksgiving.
In forfeiting thanksgiving, you forfeit glimpses of a bright future.
Bitterness stifles repentance.
Bitterness smothers humility and meekness.
In looking backwards you pretty much turn into a pillar of salt, and wind up stuck in the mire as long as you live, OR as long as you continue to look back.
If you find yourself stuck in bitterness and have a crick in your neck from looking backward, then I have advice for you. Get a pry bar and turn your head toward the tree that cures bitterness. You will find help at the cross. There is an old song that says ‘Kneel at the cross, Christ will meet you there’. Hebrews 4:16 says, ‘Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’
THEN, there is another problem that stands in the way of peace between you and God. That is your side vision. King David was probably using a little of that ‘side vision’ when he saw Bathsheba bathing on the roof top. He wasn’t looking backward, but he wasn’t looking forward either. His lapse of focus caused him terrible grief. It caused grief to those around him. It came back to cause him more grief later in his life.
Today Christians may not fall into the sin of David and Bathsheba, although that is not uncommon even among the brethren. More commonly, they look at what other people have in general and find themselves distracted by jealousy. They may see the new home someone else has and begin a quest to gain a home of their own that is equal or even superior to someone else’s home. It may be a car. It may be a vacation or vacation home. It may be career advancement. It may be the figure or hairstyle of a Hollywood celebrity. It may be the acclaim or fame of someone that the Christian suddenly desires for himself. Their focus changes from ‘peace with God’ and ‘pleasing God’ to ‘I gotta get me one of them myself’. Now honestly, what do you need with that bigger house, vacation home, fancy car, or career advancement? There is nothing wrong with any of these things in themselves. The sin comes in when the desire to have them is causing your head to swivel away from keeping God as your first focus.
An additional difficulty is that peace with God, once achieved, is a bit hard to maintain. It isn’t impossible, but it is something that should always be considered. Even Paul the Apostle was vigilant lest he become a castaway after having preached the gospel. (1Corinthians 9:27) If Paul took care to remain faithful and diligent then we should follow his example and do the same thing.
The song for this article is ‘Come Thou Fount’. The line that says ‘prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love,’ describes most of us – most likely even all of us. Practicing Christians really love our God. We want to please Him; but, we can be distracted. Be vigilant. Stay focused on the future and the prize.

Come Thou Fount 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLqZnQ5v2RU


Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/comethou.htm (This is a very long version of ‘Come Thou Fount’. I don’t remember half the verses, but they all sound good today. It is a shame that songs are often shortened in order to fit in the hymnal. Then they are shortened even more to fit into the song service. The most notable ‘shrinking song’ is ‘Amazing Grace’. It has at least three verses that are not in most hymnals. It sort of leaves out the middle of the story. If you want to see all the verses go to http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/m/a/amazing_grace.htm )

Putting the Republican Party on Notice

Putting the Republican Party on Notice
Return to Conservative Values – Or Fade into History
By Barbara Henderson

Are you, the conservative people, sick of and even terrified by the Marxist policies being pushed through congress by the liberal Democrats? Do you, like millions of Americans, have no idea of how those hideous creatures even got to Washington in the first place? Do you wonder what it will take to stop them? Well, I have a few suggestions.

First, identify reason the liberals got there in the first place. Republicans keep ‘playing to the middle’. They want to be seen as good old boys and girls willing to get along with everyone. They don’t care if they are seen as good old boys and girls without any character or principles. They just want to be liked. Public opinion means more to them than right or wrong. SO – they run middle of the road candidates – RINO’s – Republican’s in name only. The results have obviously been disastrous!

Take a look at the last presidential election. Hillary Clinton was the darling of the Democrats. She had waited years for her turn, and her time had come. Or, so it seemed. To defeat her, the Republicans needed a candidate that was a true conservative. The people wanted a choice. Instead we got John McCain as a candidate. If you put John and Hillary’s voting record up on a scoreboard, what differences would you have seen on taxes, spending, and support of a traditional family? Both candidates couldn’t distance themselves far enough and fast enough from anything resembling Christianity. You had two peas in the same liberal pod.

Well, the democrats were smart enough to seize the day. They dropped Hillary like last week’s lettuce. They put in someone much farther to the left. And he was elected, to the sorrow and possible downfall of my country. He and his detestable czar/henchmen are currently working to dismantle the constitution, control every cent of money in the nation, and silence everyone who opposes their Marxist agenda.

That is where we stand today. And, the fault is at least partly with the Republican Party itself! They have taken conservatives for granite. They have acted like the conservatives have no place to go except the Republican party. They have even acted like committed conservatives are a fringe element and really an embarrassment to the Republican Party. Honestly, you can blame Republicans for the mess in Washington DC based on their failure to be true to conservative values.

To change the trend of namby pamby Republican leadership groveling at the altar of the ‘middle of the road’ is going to take determination on the part of true conservatives. In order to effectively change the party, committed conservatives must first get the attention of the Republican leadership. This is going to take courage. To date, we have been ignored for years, and even treated as though we were the nutty relative that must be kept hidden in the attic.

So, how can we get the attention of the Republican leadership?
I think it will take third party candidates. (I told you it was going to take courage.)

Right now, the common thought is that a vote spent on a third party candidate is a wasted vote. Baloney.

Every vote spent on a third party candidate is a message to the Republican leadership.
It clearly says,
‘We, the voters with true conservative values, are not interested in just keeping Republicans in power. If elected Republicans vote like democrats, what is the point anyway? Now, LISTEN TO US. We are through voting for someone just because the Republican Party throws him or her out there and labels them as a Republican. AND – don’t talk to us about the consequences of putting liberals in office. The consequences are the same whether the elected official calls himself a Republican or a Democrat. If the Republican Party wants to count on the votes of committed conservatives, then you better start running true conservative candidates.’

You may be thinking, ‘Barbara, the elections are over. The Republicans gained two Republican governors.’ To that I would say, ‘Yes, you are totally correct. However, midterm elections are just one year away.
• Republicans need to get ready for those elections by turning from their foolish ideas of ‘getting along with the democrats’.
• Republicans are not supposed to get along with Liberal Democrats. They are supposed to oppose them! True conservative ideology has nothing in common with true liberal ideology. There is no common ground!
• Republicans are supposed to have core values that are diametrically opposed to the core values of the liberals.
• Republicans are supposed to hold the line! They are supposed to filibuster evil legislation that raise taxes and erode freedom. Take it to the public. Shout loud and long. Embarrass the liberals at every turn. Don’t attack them personally – just show the folly and deceit of their policies.

Every Republican needs to take stock of his or her core values. If they are actually liberals – then stop lying about it and switch parties. A Republican who votes with the Democrats should be subject to party sanctions – and targeted to be voted out of office. Name one important issue that warranted parties working toward a common goal. You may be able to name some things that are of concern to both liberals and democrats, but core value differences will set two diametrically opposite courses of action to solve the problems.

This is war! It is being fought in the halls of the house and senate. Many of the elected Republicans are so afraid of losing their office, or being labeled as ‘unable to work in a bi-partisan manner’, that they sacrifice all conservative principles. Why on earth would true conservatives vote to keep such power hungry attention seekers in office? Why wouldn’t they vote for a third party candidate that clearly articulates conservative values and solemnly promises to do the best job possible to be a voice for the conservatives.

This is what the Republican Party needs to get through their tinsel covered heads. WE ARE SICK OF YOUR ACTIONS. You claim to be for us, but you are really for yourself. If that means you have to crawl in bed with the liberals, then you have no problem with it. You make us sick!

AND, Republicans can no longer count on the vote of committed conservatives. We would rather vote for a third party candidate or a even a write in candidate than continue to vote for the liberal Republicans you keep running for office.

In the end, I think one of two things will happen.

First, and hopefully, the Republican Party will finally get the message. Just as they fought for the ‘Independent’ vote, they now have to fight for the true conservative vote. They cannot take our votes for granite anymore. Instead of going for the ‘independents’, Republicans should just work to get all the true conservatives to vote. Many have left off voting simply because their gag reflex won’t let them vote for the RINO candidates. (for you liberals reading this – that means the so-called Republican candidates make true conservatives vomit – so they just don’t vote at all)

OR – Second – a third party representing true conservatives will eventually come up. I know, a third party system has a lot of problems. However, the Republicans currently are a group without authority, core values, or a vision for anything other than just how to stay in power. They are really just a useless appendage of the liberal/socialists currently in office. I believe the Republicans could be the ones to fade away, while what begins as a conservative third party movement, actually becomes the leader in a two party system.

Republican Party Leaders – it is up to you.
Either listen to true conservatives, and run true conservative candidates,
or
true and committed conservatives will find a party who will!


Barbara Henderson

Providing Evidence of Who You Claim to Be

Evidence
By Barbara Henderson
In a recent article, I asked readers, ‘What is the motivating force in YOUR life?’ The motivating force in your life should be your love for the God who saved you. It is easy to say that your love for God is what motivates you to live your life the way you do; but, can you provide evidence that your love for God is the controlling factor in your life? Evidence that God is the motivating and controlling force in your life can be found in these areas:
OBEDIENCE. Psalm 119:2 says, ‘Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with their whole heart.’
This is easy to say, but more difficult to actually do. Are you doing the things that God says to do? And, how could you even know what God says to do if you are not seeking Him wholeheartedly? You have to put effort into obedience. This requires Bible study on a daily basis. It requires that you meditate on God’s words and how to apply His teachings to your life. As a Christian you are no longer free to choose your own way, your own thoughts, or your own pleasures. Isaiah 58:13-14 says,
‘If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
This is easy to read, but it is harder to put into practice. You will never be perfect at it, but are you even trying?
TRUST. Proverbs 3:5 says, ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not to thine own understanding.
Trust requires that you go ahead and do the things God says to do even though it may sometimes be against what your feelings tell you. Feelings are fickle to say the least; and they lead you astray.
Trust requires that you go ahead and do the things God says to do even though it may not appear to be the best thing at the time.

PRAYER. Jeremiah 29:13 says, ‘And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
You are a work in progress. The more you obey God, the more you see that doing the things He says to do will always be in your own best interest. That leads you to trust God more. Yet, you will still feel the call of the world to doubt God and disobey Him. In times of temptation, you should turn to God in prayer. Jeremiah’s encouragement to prayer is to an unwavering and resolute prayer. In the midst of whatever struggle you find yourself, seek God with your whole heart.

REPENTANCE. Joel 2:12 says, ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
As you are seeking God wholeheartedly, He will often point out some things in your life that are bothering Him. This is your opportunity to get the objects that are standing between you and a better relationship with God cleared up. You need to change what is bothering God in your life. Your sins stand between you and God. The prevent God’s blessings and God’s answer to your prayers.
The question eventually becomes, ‘Which do I want more? Do I want to hang onto my sin? Or, do I want to get rid of my sin and then present my requests to God with a clean heart?
JOY. John 15:11 says, ‘these things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joy in the Lord is something that the children of the world cannot understand. It does not depend on what is happening in your life at the moment. Your joy rests on God’s love for you personally; His loving watch care over you; His promise to never leave you nor forsake you; and many other good things that come from a closer walk with the Lord.
DESIRE. You desire to please God in all that you do. Your heart wants to tell of God’s love to the lost. As a committed Christian, you gain a greater understanding each day of the great gulf between the eternal destination of the lost and the saved. Everyone should have a chance to at least hear the gospel so they can escape the torment of hell.
Normally I don’t care for the choruses sung in church today. However, I do like the first line of one that says, ‘I will serve thee because I love thee.’ This is the heart of the matter. God loved us more than He loved Himself. He laid down His life for us. God can give us the capacity to love Him and love others more than we love ourselves. Because we love God, we want to serve Him. Our love for God motivates us to serve Him. It motivates us to ‘lay down the life we thought we wanted for the life God wants us to have.’
I would like to promise you that the life God wants you to have will be a bed of roses from an earthly point of view. It might be. It might not be. I know of a young man who landed on the beach at Normandy June 6, 1944. He did all that was required of him. Then he began carrying the wounded to safety from that bloody beach. Eventually he was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. I know he was a Christian man. I personally talked to two of his comrades. They said there never was a finer young man. He literally laid down his life for his friends. I believe that love of God and of his country was so deeply ingrained in his daily actions that I don’t think he had any real choice in what he did. He did his duty and then continued on because of his love.
Do you think you would have been a hero that day? Would you have done more than was required of you? Would you have even done what was required of you? There is no way to tell. But, we can know that the Hollywood version of someone with a totally messed up life saving the day when the chips are down is NOT going to happen. If you want to be the one who pleases God when the chips are down, you have to begin today showing your love and respect for God, and the people He has put in your life. You have to treat them like you want to be treated. Obey God; keep the commandments; love others the way God loves them whether they deserve it or not. This is possible when you desire to please God more than you desire to please yourself.
Now, what was the end of the young man who died 6/6/44? Because he was a Christian, he went straight into the arms of God. Most of us will not be called to face such a situation. We are called to die to self daily. We are called to lay down our lives in order to do the things of God. We don’t know what will happen to us if we let the love of God be the motivating force in our lives. We don’t know if we will live a long and blessed life, or have a life that is cut short like the young man who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. In the end, death is certain regardless of the length of our days. And, after death comes the judgment.
For the Christian, eternal life is secured. But, to hear ‘Well Done!’ from God is not. That is determined by how we live our lives now. It is time to do a reality check in your own life. (I did one on my own life already. The results are ‘needs improvement.) Do you see obedience to God’s teachings in all that you do? Do you see your trust in God growing? Do you see your prayer life growing? Do you see your heart as more tender and repentant than it was just a short time ago? Do you see yourself having joy even in heartache? Do you see your desire to please God growing? Do you see your desire for God’s company growing? Do you see your desire to tell the way of salvation to the lost growing? These things provide evidence that God is the motivating force in all that you do.
The song for this article is ‘Brighten the Corner Where You Are’. Often we are waiting for an opportunity to do a great deed. That opportunity may never come. Actually, hopefully, it won’t ever come. Remember the young man on Omaha Beach on D-Day? He had the opportunity to do a great deed. He did it. He wound up in heaven really fast. Just be faithful where you are to do things God requires of you. You won’t be sorry.
Thank you for reading my article.
Barbara Henderson

‘Brighten the Corner Where You Are’
Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are.
Refrain
Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar;
Brighten the corner where you are!
Just above are clouded skies that you may help to clear,
Let not narrow self your way debar;
Though into one heart alone may fall your song of cheer,
Brighten the corner where you are.
Refrain
Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the bright and Morning Star;
Even from your humble hand the Bread of Life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are.
Refrain
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/r/brighten.htm