Jesus ministry was to bring peace, break hostility, make two enemies once divided one, God to man and man to man. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. “For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us, By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace. And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of Hiscross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end.”Ephesians 2:14-16 AMPC
He came to make peace through His sacrifice between man and God! And He came to reconcile with one another, even enemies. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver inplace of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.” (Isaiah 60, NIV)
We prayed this desperate prayer in tears sometimes over a few years in Israel during the intifada war that started September 2000 lasting 6 years. But it has stopped. People are not dying as much, but there still radical injustice and protest and no resolutions and people precious to God are still dying. Can there be any peace there, lasting peace? Should there be ever according the Gods Word? People told me who are Christians, ” isn’t it exciting end times; war is happening and scripture fufilled in the Middle East?” How could that be so far from a loving pursuing God who sent Jesus to die for ALL the world. And if it’s the end times why aren’t you seeking out the lost, the sick that need a healer as His spokesman and ambassador of hope? We should be marked by offering hope to people not doomsday scenarios. How warped is that? Yes I know, in the world’s plan there is not a true or clear way to peace, but with Jesus he came to bring reconciliation, life to fullest, shalom, salam!
What’s in His heart, his strategy? We know in Heaven full restoration, but what about asking God to bring this Heaven to earth. NOW. War will arise the end times, but God redeems even in the midst of mans violence when He’s called upon. But it is NOT His will. This life of reaction to violence, terrorists with motives or no motive slaughtering in minutes 58 people plus hundreds injured! Guns in classrooms; even of Christian universities now. What is the world coming to to to try to defend ourselves? The radical love of the gospel can transform even terrorists. Read Son of Hamas. It’s a story of a terrorist radically saved and changed to be a peacemaker! What a testimony. Look at Paul; Saul the terrorist persecuting Christians now Paul our fearless leader drawing me to be guided by the Beloved Lover of even enemies! I know men who were once the most feared gang leaders in communities on drugs and alcohol sober up and meet Jesus on that same road Paul did with a vision in the bush I am not nieve; living through bitterwar marks you a bit. I know many more solutions to heal the Palestinians and Israeli conflict are needed. All attempts failed. Tanks -missiles -suicide bombs -protest abounded. And there we stood.
What’s our role as ambassadors of peace and reconciliation? God called us to visit places bombs went off to pray healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation between Jews and Palestinians. I travelled with international colleagues and friends who had F 16 from Israeli retaliation bomb near their home in the West Bank. So we reflectively and with soberness drove across the country. We walked and interceded in places of devastations past. It wa hard. Solutions are still elusive in the peace process. Could it be the peace process of man with a God’s intervention in the Middle East takes root to stop people who are dying without Jesus as He desires no one to perish? They can not then see the bitterness of war but the hope of Gods reconciliation. But to help guide them on a arduous road to healing, life, hope justice and safe land to call home. What is on Gods heart to ever happen to glorify the Prince of Peace. We prayed for the Peace of Jerusalem. Are you believing for healing in the nations so people can experience Jesus. In constant trauma it’s hard to recognize Him at times. So Jews and Arabs find reconciliation. Through the blood of Jesus, two become one. There is no Jew or Arab and they are one Body! How can we live it?
Could there really be healing of warring nations? World is full of war, injustice, poverty, human trafficking, violence. Could a nation really be saved in a day? We saw it happen and see it present and past. We must be believing and looking. It is happened before why not again? He says we will do greater works then we even saw Jesus do and we know it’s only through Him working, but He wants to use us, our prayers and love in Him! Case study in pointof of the peace miracle only 2 decades back. South Africa 1994. Bloodshed and turmoil was predicted before the first democratic election at the end of apartheid. God brought leaders to gather the people to pray in stadiums across the country. Violence was averted! The election was full of hope and peace. Unjust apartheid was abandoned and Nelson Mandela, sweet Madiba as they called him, brought the nations together to heal grow and forgive. The world even declared it a miracle. God used lovely believers committed to reconciliation and leadership to meet with the leaders of the nation like Michael Cassidy. Miracles were reported in His book, A Testimony Forever.
Truth is new problems from old unresolved racism, inequality, and poverty injustice are rearing their ugly heads from an oppressed history. These waves of protest, poverty, gangs, violence, domestic abuse and rape were the consequence coming these days resulting from the fruit of past oppression of apartheid to this day. Restitution unrealized and reconciliation not full. Pain pushed under the carpet. White privilege and pushed down pain of the rainbow nation is unfolding through the discontent of the young. Anger and rage is bubbling up out from under the surface reconciliation claims. . But does God want to continue to heal, bring restitution, healing deep lasting reconciliation, creative jobs for the poor, opportunities for underprivileged to study their dreams, the children in gang infested townships to find that violence with no longer be heard in the land. Pain is surfacing again, disparity between rich and poor growing, corruption scandals abound. But hope is rising; the nation has so many good fruit of diversity, NGO s helping the nation, churches awakening to pray on farms in the millions even though they don’t always represent each people group. Segregated neighborhoods need to bbreak down. God is healing the nations.
It says in His Word, ““Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, marked off the heavens with a [nine-inch] span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? [Rom. 11:34.] With whom did He take counsel, that instruction might be given Him? Who taught Him the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are counted as small dust on the scales; behold, He takes up the isles like a very little thing. All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and emptiness (waste, futility, and worthlessness). To whom then will you liken God? Or with what likeness will you compare Him? [Acts 17:29. It is God Who sits above the circle (the horizon) of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; it is He Who stretches out the heavens like [gauze] curtains and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in, Who brings dignitaries to nothing, Who makes the judges and rulers of the earth as chaos (emptiness, falsity, and futility). Yes, these men are scarcely planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely does their stock take root in the earth, when [the Lord] blows upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind or tempest takes them away like stubble. To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He Who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything. Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, My way and my lot are hidden from the Lord, and my right is passed over without regard from my God?”Isaiah 40:12-15, 17-18, 22-27 AMPC
So we don’t see how world pain and war can cease. But we see God working in the midst and wanting to bring Heaven to earth! Are you hearing the battle cries turn to finding a loving God wanting to rescue? Syrian refugees all over the world and Middle East are open to the love of God and have see Jesus, coming to know the Lover of their souls in droves through their need of Him. “This is the way GOD put it: “They found grace out in the desert, these people who survived the killing. Israel, out looking for a place to rest, met God out looking for them!” GOD told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again, dear virgin Israel. You’ll resume your singing, grabbing tambourines and joining the dance. You’ll go back to your old work of planting vineyards on the Samaritan hillsides, And sit back and enjoy the fruit— oh, how you’ll enjoy those harvests! The time’s coming when watchmen will call out from the hilltops of Ephraim: ‘On your feet! Let’s go to Zion, go to meet our GOD!’””Jeremiah 31:2-6 MSG. The pursuit of God of broken war torn people started with His precious Jewish people and continues that all nations be blessed. He desires none to die without Him! The underground church is growing in persecuted countries like Iran and North Korea. My Iranian friend testified to me this week, “So many worshipped Jesus of my friends ( in Iran in the underground church) so I had a witness of God but was empty. I hated religion and despised the authoritarian regime and did not believe in God. But now Jesus showed me His love. I have joy, hope freedom! ” in North Korea, open doors said 39% of the people are underground believers worshipping Jesus. Let’s pray for them, for protection, reconciliation so war does not wipe them out. South Korea wants reconciliation with the North, believers pray it every day there in tears. Pray for their freedom without conflict and join your brothers and sisters in both North and And South Korea believing for this change to bring peace and unite the Koreas in a free regime. Why not believe the world as we represent Him as ambassadors of peace shining His light in darkness can He not bring Heaven to earth. It’s not always the way we think and we see through a glass dimly of His ways and strategy. And He uses the pain in the world to draw men to Him! Why not NOW, the nations healing, Jesus glorified, the government is on His shoulder our Prince of Peace. Why bring peace? Why be peace makers. When nations start to reconcile and repent, then the darkness that keep the nation in fear and bitterness opens up with His love. Can a nation be saved in a day? Will we chose to stand in the gap as God searches to and fro over the earth for a man who eyes are fixed on Him? Who will devote themselves to be close to Gods heart for nations, for shalom, healing and wholeness?
““And when that happens”— GOD ’s Decree— “it will be plain as the sun at high noon: I’ll be the God of every man, woman, and child in Israel and they shall be my very own people.” This is the way GOD put it: “They found grace out in the desert, these people who survived the killing. Israel, out looking for a place to rest, met God out looking for them!” GOD told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again, dear virgin Israel. You’ll resume your singing, grabbing tambourines and joining the dance. You’ll go back to your old work of planting vineyards on the Samaritan hillsides, And sit back and enjoy the fruit— oh, how you’ll enjoy those harvests! The time’s coming when watchmen will call out from the hilltops of Ephraim: ‘On your feet! Let’s go to Zion, go to meet our GOD!’”
“Hear this, nations! GOD ’s Message! Broadcast this all over the world! Tell them, ‘The One who scattered Israel will gather them together again. From now on he’ll keep a careful eye on them, like a shepherd with his flock.’ I, GOD, will pay a stiff ransom price for Jacob; I’ll free him from the grip of the Babylonian bully. The people will climb up Zion’s slopes shouting with joy, their faces beaming because of GOD ’s bounty— Grain and wine and oil, flocks of sheep, herds of cattle. Their lives will be like a well-watered garden, never again left to dry up. Young women will dance and be happy, young men and old men will join in. I’ll convert their weeping into laughter, lavishing comfort, invading their grief with joy. I’ll make sure that their priests get three square meals a day and that my people have more than enough.’” GOD ’s Decree.
Again, GOD ’s Message: “Listen to this! Laments coming out of Ramah, wild and bitter weeping. It’s Rachel weeping for her children, Rachel refusing all solace. Her children are gone, gone—long gone into exile.” But GOD says, “Stop your incessant weeping, hold back your tears. Collect wages from your grief work.” GOD ’s Decree. “They’ll be coming back home! There’s hope for your children.” GOD ’s Decree.
“I’ve heard the contrition of Ephraim. Yes, I’ve heard it clearly, saying, ‘You trained me well. You broke me, a wild yearling horse, to the saddle. Now put me, trained and obedient, to use. You are my GOD. After those years of running loose, I repented. After you trained me to obedience, I was ashamed of my past, my wild, unruly past. Humiliated, I beat on my chest. Will I ever live this down?’
“Oh! Ephraim is my dear, dear son, my child in whom I take pleasure! Every time I mention his name, my heart bursts with longing for him! Everything in me cries out for him. Softly and tenderly I wait for him.” GOD ’s Decree. “Set up signposts to mark your trip home. Get a good map. Study the road conditions. The road out is the road back. Come back, dear virgin Israel, come back to your hometowns. How long will you flit here and there, indecisive? How long before you make up your fickle mind? GOD will create a new thing in this land: A transformed woman will embrace the transforming GOD!”
A Message from Israel’s GOD -of-the-Angel-Armies: “When I’ve turned everything around and brought my people back, the old expressions will be heard on the streets: ‘ GOD bless you!’… ‘O True Home!’… ‘O Holy Mountain!’ All Judah’s people, whether in town or country, will get along just fine with each other.”
“I’ll refresh tired bodies; I’ll restore tired souls.”
Jeremiah 31 MSG
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