Peace

We all want peace, we pray for peace, there are peace organizations; in fact Jesus came to the earth described by Isaiah as the Prince of peace. I have been doing some reading on the birth of Christ and a devotional I read struck me, Matthew 10:34 says," Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Jesus states in John 15 that the world will hate you because of him. So what is the peace that we all talk about and pray for? Christians recognize there is a battle being fought in the heavenly realms. Can there really be peace when both good and evil exist? can peace happen when both God and Satan are fighting in the realms when we are torn to do good but sometimes do evil. Should we pray for peace or should we pray for strength to handle the evil one? Then what did Isaiah mean when he called Jesus the prince of peace? How can that be full filled to let prophecy come true?
It is only 3 days till Christmas and if you are like me I picture that first Christmas as, you guessed it, peaceful. But was it, have you been around a birth? it is not peaceful in the room with nurses and doctors and everybody making sure all things are good and healthy, no imagine that without the help of nurses and doctors, I would not be at peace, have you been on a farm around livestock? it is not my idea of peaceful. yet we look at the birth as quiet and peaceful, maybe just maybe we have pictured it wrong or I have pictured it wrong. When you are together with people over Christmas how is it peaceful? Maybe it isn't peaceful then think of the battle being fought for you in the heavenly realms, maybe that is more real, maybe that is a better picture of Christianity and what the Prince of peace come into. Take heart Isaiah did not lie, Isaiah did not misunderstand God, we have not made a mistake for the last 2000+ years Jesus is the prince of peace for his kingdom. it is the future glory to look forward to of peace for all. Pray for strength as you talk to those who don't know Jesus, those who are not understanding of who Jesus is and wants to be to them. Keep fighting and being a warrior for the kingdom you will see peace maybe not on the earth.

Impossible

Have you heard the phrase "I can't", if you are like me it happens a lot. My son says it a lot when he is frustrated and is having a difficult time trying to do something. We say it when we are frustrated and maybe it is more out a laziness that the phrase comes. I have found myself driving down the road recently and passing a person walking on a cold snowy day, my words were "I can't pick them up" why, because I was being lazy and didn't want to stop and try. On a mission trip this past summer we were rock climbing and one of the teens was having a very difficult time and kept saying, you guessed it, "I can't", the woman in charge of the group who was helping us rock climb was very frustrated because she knew the teenager could do it, so for every time the teen said, "I can't" the teen had to try 5 more minutes, until they rephrased their situation. The teen actually climbed higher than they thought they could and finally changed they vocabulary from, "I can't" to "I am trying my hardest but I just can't do it." How much do we try are hardest but we just can't do it. I think of situations in my life where I felt like I couldn't and kept trying only to find out I could.
When I look at an impossibility, there is always a possibility, im implies possible. When it is impossible to rid my life of sin God provides the possible through his son Jesus. When it is impossible to pay the bills God has provided angels who have given money when they had no clue what life was like. When it was impossible to... have you said "I can't" or have you said, "God show me yourself." Possible comes when we give it our all, when we pray and seek his face and when we submit our life to HIM. That is when things change from im to possible. What is impossible for you today? have you worked at it? have you sought HIM? have you prayed? have you talked to somebody about it? Philippians 4:13 " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Christmas time can feel like impossible to get everything done, it may feel impossible to enjoy it. Whatever it is for you, Stop! Look, Listen, have you sought his strength? When things are impossible for us they are not for HIM.