EZRA-ORDINARY!

Introduction:

The priesthood is one of the most remarkable offices God instituted. The nature of this work is intercessory, not in the sense of hearing and judging the sin burden of an erring child of God, but rather in the sense of leading the people into a life of daily worship and sacrifice before the Great I Am, and in the faithful deliverance of the laws and statutes that shall turn away the hearts of the people from the heathen and its influence.

It is also a type of us Christians. But while we no longer offer sacrifices for the pardon of our sin, we are now to be occupied with the offering of our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1).

Our role as the present day priests to this wicked and perverse generation could well pick up from the life and legacy that the great scribe Ezra left for us to follow and emulate.

Message:

1. Ezra had a unique Sense of History (vs. 1-5) He knew who he was, where he had come from, and as its immediate consequence, where he was going. This character of Ezra affirmed the legacy, lifestyle and leading that defines his identity as a priest and scribe. If you know who you are, why should anybody else tell you otherwise?

 

2. Ezra was a Scribe of High Degree (vs. 6) According to the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary on Ezra, a “ready scribe” was no less than a rabbi, a doctor excellently learned in the Mosaic laws, a skilled expounder of Israel’s statutes. The original Syriac translation renders it as “a wise expounder.” If you know what you’ve been taught, why should we get confused?

 

3. Ezra was a Student amidst Hindrances (vs. 10) Despite growing up in a wicked and worldly environment, Ezra grew up fearing the Lord, following His statutes, and fulfilling His commandments. Nothing that the Chaldean environment offered to him was strong enough to move him away from his faith. If you know where you stand, why should we feel threatened?

4. Ezra was a Steward of Honor (vs. 12-25) Ezra, through his testimony, earned the respect and favor of the nonbelievers that surrounded him, most particularly a pagan king. He was entrusted with large sums of resources by King Artaxerxes, knowing that Ezra would never betray that trust, and knowing that he is a man of honor, dignity and firm character. If the world knows who you are, why would they threaten you?

5. Ezra received Strength from the Hand of God (vs. 28) Ezra recognized fully the power of God in his life. He never entertained at any moment that he reached the level of influence he has all by himself. His humility and submissiveness indeed makes him a true priest of the Almighty God, divested of any personal interests, and consumed with the daily adoration and praise of God, both through his lips, and through his life. If God be for us, who can be against us?

Conclusion:

With the kind of life Ezra has shown for us Christians to copy, we find four things we believers have no reason to do:

1. We have no reason to QUESTION GOD AND HIS WAYS (Isa. 45:9);
2. We have no reason to QUIT THE WORK OF GOD (Neh. 6:3);
3. We have no reason to QUAKE WITH FEAR (Ps. 27:1);
4. We have no reason to QUIVER AGAINST ADVERSITY (Rom. 8:31);

Who Is God and what Is He Like? (part 1)

The Bible is very clear about who God is and what He is like. The very first verse of the Scriptures already reveal to us a lot of things we can learn about God.

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH. –Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning, God…”

This passage of the verse tells us that God HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOD! There was never a time in which God started to exist. He is ETERNAL! He has no beginning, and He has no ending. And because of that He can never be measured by time.

“…God created…”

Not only is God eternal but that God is POWERFUL. He is powerful enough to cause everything in this universe to exist. This passage also tells us that God is PURPOSEFUL. Consider the suggestion of non-believers who say that we ‘just became like this’ after millions of years of evolution and random development. If there was no God, then this means we were the product of random chaos–that there is no purpose behind our existence; that we ‘just happened.’ But how can we, human beings who are capable or crafting actions with purpose, be the result of an event that had no purpose at all?

It must be, and it can only be, that if we are capable of following a purpose, then we must have been the result of a Being that is capable of making, designing and following a purpose–a Being that is rational like us, but whose rationality is unlimited unlike ours.

“…the heaven and the earth.”

This closing statement implies that everything in this universe was His creation. It also tells us that when He created the universe, everything it needed, needs or will ever need to continue on existing has been put in place by Him. There is nothing excessive or shortcoming of His creation.

In other verses of the same chapter, we find that when God created, He was…

“…everything that was made, and behold, it was very good.”

This statement tells us that God created the universe based on a standard: a GOOD standard. And this good standard is Himself. He is the basis for everything created to be good.

For ‘HE IS GOOD!’

For ‘HE IS GOD!’

I Am God’s Project

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:[Philippians 1:6]

I remember a song way back when I was still an elementary student. It’s entitled “I Am God’s Project.” I’ve long forgotten the song’s lyrics, but the message of that song has stuck in me ever since. Back then, the song didn’t seem to make any sense to me–after all, I was just an elementary kid. But the way the word sounded, I felt intrigued by the meaning of those words. Later on, as years went by, I began to understand more of what it meant to say that I am God’s project.

The Lord has a plan for each of His children. This plan is perfect and progressive. It is perfect, in that nothing in God’s plan is ever wrong, even if in our own limited perceptions we think they are. The reason why we feel God is mistaken is because we try to measure him against our own standard, which, to start with, is imperfect. It’s like having a piece of pottery complain about the design his maker has done with him. More importantly, another reason for thinking God is mistaken is because we do not understand beyond what we see right now. Because of our limitations, we cannot see past the circumstances and choices we make. Later on, after having gone through many other circumstances do we finally have a clear view of what God had intended since the very beginning.

God’s plan is progressive, and by this we mean God is continuously working in us and through us. In other words, we are a “work in progress.” Perhaps the best argument is the most obvious of all arguments–that we are still alive. If God was finished with us, then He would have simply flicked His finger and have our time on earth end just like that. If God was done with us, what business do we still have here on earth? Obviously, He ain’t done with us yet. Knowing that God isn’t finished with us yet, we should all the more be motivated to keep on with fulfilling His plan for our lives. We shouldn’t stop on our tracks and quit, just because some unbearable burden has come upon us. We shouldn’t forget that God never misses even the smallest detail of our lives. He knows us fully well–He is our Creator after all!

That God isn’t finished with me yet makes me all the more excited about what else He has in store for me. I know for a fact that God’s plan for me is a beautiful plan. Sometimes, my limited, imperfect eyes cannot figure out this beauty. But He patiently guides me and leads me to fully understand His plan. This is the same for every child of Him. All He asks from us is to be obedient to His will and be patient about His plan according to His perfect time.

Like clay in a potter’s hand, let us all be yielded to the hand of the Lord.

God’s Masterpiece

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. [Ephesians 2:10]

Introduction:

A believer was up for an interview with his would-be employer in a banking firm. As the employer browsed through the applicant’s resumé, he noticed that two cities had been written on the blank which told where he was born.

“So, would you please tell me where you were born?” asked the boss.

“I was born in Dublin and Liverpool.” replied the applicant.

“That’s quite impossible. You cannot be born in two different places at the same time.” argued the boss.

The applicant had actually intended to do this, and now was the right time for him to make the proper segue.

“Sir, I was born physically in Dublin. But you see, I experienced another kind of birth… the spiritual birth, when I heard the gospel of Jesus in a church in Liverpool! It was such a blessed wonderful experience! And I am who I am sir today because of that experience… of that second birth in Liverpool.”

As believers, we have been born in the Spirit (John 3:6), and are now new creatures (II Cor. 5:17), and so we have born twice, and only to die once.

Parallel to these verses, and the verse found in John 1:12, which describes us as the sons of God by virtue of our second birth, our text in Ephesians 2:10 speak also of our being God’s workmanship. What does it mean to be called “His workmanship?” How did it happen, and what does it tell us about what our life should be before Him?

We are God’s PERSONAL CREATION (“For we are his workmanship…”);

The word workmanship comes from the Greek word poiema, which is used to refer to a fabric being woven into a fine material with artistic impressions. The seemingly loose fibers which could hardly clothe and comfort a person are gathered together carefully by the weaver. He matches color combinations and weave patterns to produce a beautiful material.

Such is the experience of every believer in Jesus. He may have come from the filthiest of lifestyles, and yet the Master, and only the Master, has the power to change him into a new man.

Not only do we find here the change that we experience, but also the God’s ownership of His masterpieces. The verse says that “…we are HIS workmanship…” We belong to God—such a blessed thought that we no longer belong to the devil! No more are we slaves to sin! We are the Lord’s (Romans 14:8), and He will never relinquish His ownership of us (John 10:28-29).

We have a PURPOSE to CARRY OUT (“…created in Christ Jesus unto good works…”)

As His workmanship, we have been “…fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:14). The word wonderful in Hebrew here implies that the work had been made in such a way as to stand out and be different among others. This implies purpose.

Our purpose takes its basis from the fact that we have been “…created in Christ Jesus…” And if we have been created in Christ, we have been made partakers of Christ (Hebrews 3;14) and as such, we yield the fruits of our faith in Him—good works (Colossians 1:10), which “…glorify the father, which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

There is a PARTICULAR COMMAND to follow (“…which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”)

The verse concludes with the instruction on how we are to carry out our purpose.  “…that we should walk in them…” in the Greek is peripateo, which means to “tread all around.” In other words, we are to WALK FULLY in the fruits of Christ’s presence in our lives each day, as implied by the verb’s present perfect tense.

Not only are we to walk fully, but also to WALK FAITHFULLY in them In order to tread the ground, or by using the root word of its Greek translation, which is pateo, one must “trample” upon the ground, meaning, one’s feet must be firmly planted on it, in order to make an impression on the dirt. We are to consistently live our lives daily in mimic of Christ. As we walk, His word must be the “…lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). We are to walk in Him, “As ye have therefore Christ Jesus the Lord, so ye walk in Him:” (Colossians 2:6).

How Is the Christian Different?

The Christian sees through kinder eyes-like Jesus.

He gives from a bigger heart-like God.

He speaks with a purer tongue-like Christ.

He serves with more willing hands-like Jesus.

He walks with a greater faith-like his Lord.

He loves with agape love-like the Father in heaven.

He thinks with a spiritual mind-like Christ.

He sees the needs of others with a compassionate view-like Jesus.

He heals the wounds of others with love-like the Master.

The Christian is different only when Jesus rules his life.

The Good and Persevering Soldier of Jesus Christ

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. [2 Timothy 2:3]

Among the illustrative admonitions that the Apostle Paul gave and addressed to Timothy, one of those that were extensively discussed, both in this epistle and in the others he had written, was about the man of God as a soldier of Jesus Christ. From the verse that we have read, we find two dominant characteristics of the soldier of the Lord. First, the soldier must be good. And by being a good soldier, the second characteristic follows, and that is being perseverant. In this lesson, we shall look into the Scriptures as to what it tells us about the making of a soldier of Jesus Christ.

I.        A GOOD Soldier of Jesus Christ [v. 2]

The word “good” can be derived from the Greek terms kalos, which means “valuable” or “worthy” and agathos, which means “beautiful.” But by using the term kalos instead of agathos, the Apostle Paul distinguishes the goodness of this soldier as something not inherent or intrinsic to him. In other words, soldiers are not good by nature, but by nurture. Thus, soldiers are TRAINED. This implies that a good soldier must be:

A.      Educated [1 Tim. 1:16-18]

In vs. 18, Apostle Paul uses the word “commit” to signify that truth has been deposited, or entrusted to Timothy, as he would go on to fight “…a good warfare.” It also means that what has been committed to Timothy was not Paul’s own ideas, but that they were from the Lord Himself “…for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” [vs. 16];

Principle: A GOOD SOLDIER MUST KNOW WHAT HE WILL BE DOING.

B.      Enabled [Eph. 6:10; 2 Cor. 10:3-5]

The soldier of Jesus Christ never goes out into the battlefield relying on his own abilities. No amount of human strength could come through for the Christian warrior. He would have to depend upon the strength of the Lord and the power of His might, which is able to bring down the enemy’s stronghold.

Principle: A GOOD SOLDIER MUST KNOW WHO HE IS FIGHTING FOR..

C.      Equipped [Eph. 6:11-18]

Here, we find the complete listing of the soldier’s weapons, with each weapon specifically designed to defend and offend in the good warfare of the believer. Going back to 2 Cor. 10:4-5, we find instructions on how we could effectively use these weapons.

Principle: A GOOD SOLDIER MUST KNOW WHAT HE IS BRINGING WITH HIM.

II.                  A PERSEVERING Soldier of Jesus Christ [vs. 2]

The word “endure” comes from the Greek term hupomeno, which means “to have fortitude” or “to stay behind.” The second meaning of the word implies a temporary absence of the commanding officer, at which point the soldier is instructed to take and defend the post at all costs. As the Lord tarries His coming, the soldier’s task is to fortify his post, and fight the opposition. The enemy will, then, take advantage and attack the soldier with a barrage of afflictions, temptations and persecutions. But in 1 Cor. 13:6-7, we find that charity, or love, is the secret for the persevering attitude of the soldier of Jesus Christ. Thus, soldiers are TESTED. There are three promises given to the persevering soldier of the Lord:

A.      Redemption of Sinners [2 Tim. 2:10; 2 Cor. 1:6]

More than just keeping himself alive and surviving amidst the war, the soldier of the Lord is also warring for the souls of lost men in the battlefield.

B.      Rescue from Sufferings [2 Tim. 3:11]

The enemy might win some battles, but the army of God will win the war eventually. And with this promise comes another promise that no fighting warrior will remain fallen and defeated, but that he will be delivered.

C.      Reward for Service [Jas. 1:12]

Finally, the soldier will be called home to receive the prize of the high calling of God. But even before his graduation, the soldier will already be reaping the fruits of his labor.

Conclusion:

Through this lesson we learned that the man of God must not only KNOW what he has been tasked to do, but to KEEP ON doing the task until the Commanding Officer calls him home to “finish his course.” Being a good soldier himself, Paul’s joy was in the fact that he had trained Timothy and countless others into a duplicate of his life. As for Timothy, he gave honor to his trainer by faithfully following the orders that had been passed on to him from Paul, all the way from the Lord. And these orders have come to us through God’s good and persevering soldier in our ministry today. And his joy will also find its fruition in our faithful obedience to these precepts.

The Making of an Abraham

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. [Romans 4:16-22]

Imagine an entire cabinet full of tea bags. The problem is that these tea bags have no tags, and so there is no easy way of knowing how each tea bag tastes like. There is, however, one ultimate test to know the true flavor of a tea bag—immersing it into hot water. Then and only then will one fully know how each tea bag tastes like.

Today, in our day and age characterized by complacency, materialism, uncertainty, and pretension, its hard to identify which Christians are THE Christians—men and women whose faith are firmly planted on the Solid Rock; those who are bold and unwavering in taking the Lord’s side; those who are never afraid to step into the water, nor afraid of the waves coming from all sides; those who don’t just believe it, but live by it. And these are the kind of Christians we need—Christians with strong faith.

In the Bible, only one man was directly mentioned as a man of strong faith—Abraham, the father of Hebrew nation. His life is the pattern that would reveal to us the making of a man of strong faith.

Firstly, Abraham believed God’s Person Fully (Gen. 12:4). Abraham obeyed, “as the Lord had spoken to him.” Notice that he never engaged in any discussion with the Lord. He never even asked about the personality of the God that he was talking to. It only goes to show that God does not need to prove who He is in order to legitimize His deity. He is God, and whether or not we believe Him to be, it does not make any difference.

Secondly, Abraham depended upon God’ Provision for his Needs (Gen. 14:22-23). Since the beginning of his journey, Abraham not only acknowledged that God was strong, but that He always supplies. He never depended on human contingencies to sustain his and his family’s living—he knew and he was completely convinced that God would take care of him for everything he would ever need for his journey.

We also find that Abraham walked on the Path of God’s Will (Gen. 17:1). Abraham’s journey was more than just a movement of caravans from one town to the other—it was a lifestyle of living by faith day by day. He was not just God’s follower on worship days—Abraham was God’s follower every day.

One unique character of Abraham is that he hoped on God’s Promise against his fleshly hopes (Rom. 4:18). As imperfect human beings, we always have the tendency to listen to ourselves more than on God. We also tend to look for evidences of God’s power before we are moved to obedience. It is actually the other way around—it is when we first move to obey that we see the power of God manifested in our lives. It is easier to believe the material than the spiritual. But remember, it is the spiritual promises that will last.

Finally, we see that Abraham trusted God’s power without question (Romans 4:20). There were no statements of “what ifs” or “what abouts” in Abraham’s mouth. There was never a single shred of doubt that God would ever fail, delay or fall short on his promise. His vision was never on the contingent things of this world, and so his faith was not easily wavered by the many crossroads of decision that he had to face. He was simply looking towards the Author and Finisher of his faith.

Shouldn’t we all desire and devote our lives to becoming Christians of strong faith, just like Abraham?



Watch, Wait, Work

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: [Luke 12;37a]

When I was in grade one, the kids in church performed an interpretative skit on the Lord’s prophecy found in Matthew 24:2-12. I was asked to play the role of the Lord, speaking in the mount of olives before his disciples, who were asking for the signs of His coming and the end of the world. As kids, we never understood the play any more than as a special performance for a church service. Our task was quite clear back then: memorize the script, follow the director’s instructions, and deliver in front of the congregation.

20 years have passed since we performed that as a church play. Today, the message of the Scripture passage we interpreted is unfolding right before our very eyes.

The coming of the Lord is sooner now than it ever was. And as each day passes, the closer we get to the day of His coming. No one knows when the coming of the Lord will be (Matthew 24:36), and we have been told never to even try to know when He will come again (Acts 1:7). But the Bible has given us three very important principles about His second coming: we are to watch, wait and work.

The instruction to watch, wait and work fits well the Lord’s description that His coming again is like a thief in the night (I Thessalonians 5:2-6). The thief never announces the day and hour of his striking, and the thief will only take the valuable things in the house he breaks in. This is the principle upon which our responsibility as believers concerning the Lord’s second coming is summarized by three words: WATCH, WAIT, WORK.

While the exact time of the Lord’s return cannot be foretold, the Scriptures have told us that there will be signs for us to watch and be aware of. The first twelve verses of Matthew 24 tells us that we should watch out for the rise of false prophets, or religious teachers whose teachings have lured the hearts and minds of men away from the true message of salvation. We are also warned to watch for the ragings and rumors of wars. The world will witness an escalation of violence and death caused by wars, anarchy and terrorism, unlike any the world has witnessed in its history. We also see that the ravagings of natural disasters and calamities will also figure as a sign of the end times. The ten deadliest natural calamities in the last decade alone has outnumbered the death toll of the ten most violent wars and acts of terrorism in the last decade. In fact, if all natural calamities of the previous century were tallied, the death toll would easily outnumber the deaths of all wars in all of human history combined. But no other sign is more glaring and permeating than the growing coldness in the hearts of man. This does not only refer to those who are lost in sin, but even those who profess they have accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord, and yet their profession of faith is not seen in the practice of it.

As we watch out for the signs that the end is near, we are also told to wait. As God’s children, we are waiting for our redemption: that day when the Lord shall take us to be with Him forever and ever, and to be freed from the curse of sin and this world. I remember the song “What A Day That Will Be” where it says that “there is coming a day, when no heartache shall come.” As stewards of God, we are also waiting for our  rewards, which correspond to the kind of service we have rendered unto the Lord during our lifetime. The rewards that Lord brings with Him will be tried in the Refiner’s fire. Only those rewards which shall endure the fire are the ones worthy to be offered to the Lamb of God on His throne. We are also looking for His righteous reign on this earth, when He restores the kingdom of David, and rule with a righteous rule. Imagine a corruption-free government, whose Sovereign is no other than the Prince of Peace! What a day that will be indeed!

But while we watch and wait, we must also work. The Lord Jesus used a parable in Luke 19, in which the ruler told his servants to “occupy” ’til He comes back. This is the only time in the Scriptures that word “occupy” is found. Our solemn responsibility of working must be done with urgency. The apostle John told us that there will be a time in which no man can work any more, and while “it is day” let us work the works of Him that sent us. We must also work for the Lord with consistency. When the Lord told His servants to occupy, it meant that at no given time should they ever quit in doing their responsibility. It oftentimes simple inspiration to jumpstart something, but it takes consistency to get it done. The Scriptures also tell us that we should work with faithfulness. When the Lord gathered the results of the stewards he entrusted his resources, he commended the faithful servants for bearing the fruits of what He has entrusted to them. And finally, we see in 2 Peter 3:10-14 that, as we look towards His second coming, we should be found diligent, or working with full commitment and dedication.

In closing, let me also share to you the lyrics of a song that we used to sing as Sunday School students in our church. The song is entitled “Will You Be Ready When Jesus Comes?”

WILL YOU BE READY WHEN JESUS COMES?

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?

Are you truly born again, washed in Jesus’ blood?

Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow?

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?

Two shall be together grinding in the mill,

Two shall be together, sleeping calm and still,

The one shall be taken and the other left behind:

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?

Yes, I am ready when Jesus comes!

I am truly born again, washed in Jesus’ blood,

My garments are spotless, they are white as snow,

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?

The Peace That Jesus Gives

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. [John 14:27]

I remember listening to an old cassette tape of the concert of the Abante Four, the quartet composed by our beloved Senior Pastor, Dr. Benny Abante, Jr., his father, the promoted Dr. Ben Abante, Sr., and his brothers, Drs. Reuben and Hernes Abante. This was around 1985.

Just before they sang that song “Peace Like A River,” Ptr. Benny was mentioning about the ensuing Communist insurgency at that time in the country, and said, “There seems to be no more peace in the world, brethren. The world can try to give peace, but the Lord Jesus said, ‘My peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'”

26 years after these words were mentioned as an introduction to a song, the message still holds true. The world has tried to offer man all ways possible to try to bail them out of life’s woes and anxieties. Now more than ever, the world provides all kinds of distractions and solutions of sorts for man to spend their time and money on, just to find that ever-elusive “peace,” but all to no avail.

As a sinner saved by grace, I have experienced being in the search for peace through what the world affords. But as I have personally realized time and again, nothing satisfies. Nothing that this world can offer can truly provide peace, most especially the kind of peace that only Jesus gives.

In the verse that we have read, we find the kind of peace that Jesus gives. It is a provided peace, meaning, there’s no other way for this peace to be had except the Owner and Author of this peace provide it. Jesus is the Owner and Author of this peace. The Bible speaks of Him as the Prince of Peace. You cannot find this peace from anyone else.

The peace that Jesus gives is also a personalized peace. You would usually take the word of someone you trust or believe in before you subscribe to what they say or offering. That’s why companies would use famous people to sell their products because customers usually buy the brand for who’s advertising it. The peace that we are talking here is not the kind of peace that actors, actresses or TV personalities are talking about. Oh, they maybe famous, affluent, rich, and influential. But they’re all just like us–men and women of like frame and weakness. They, like us, are also looking for peace. But turning to Jesus, we find peace that is based on His Name–the Name above all names! You can come to Him every time, and every single time you can count on Him. He can never and will never fail you.

Thirdly, the peace that Jesus gives is a peculiar peace. The verse says “…not as the world giveth…” which means this peace is not temporary and material. Temporary and material objects all rust, fade, devaluate, get lost, or be destroyed. Not the peace that Jesus gives. This is the very reason why the world cannot give this kind of peace, for the world knows nothing about eternal life in Him. Like the prodigal son, you can drink, spend and enjoy yourself all you want with the world’s goods, but at the end of the day, you’d still find yourself imprisoned in a filthy hoghouse, trying to satisfy your hunger with the fodder of the sows. But, praise God, the Father is always waiting–waiting for His son to return, to repent of his sins, and be clothed with His righteousness!

Finally, this peace is a preserving peace. It is preserving, in that the world, no matter how chaotic around us, cannot be stronger than the peace of God that is in us. The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, as found in Philippians 4:7. This reminds me of a painting about peace. But unlike the usual paintings on peace, where you’d see green everglades, blue skies, clear rivers, and happy faces, the painting portrayed a stormy night along the steep, sharp side of a rocky mountain. Nothing in the painting seemed serene and peaceful, until you look closely right in the middle of that work of art–you see a mother dove, along with her babies, peacefully sleeping inside the haven of the mountainside’s cave. That is the picture of the preserving peace of Jesus.

If you haven’t experienced this kind of peace, wait no longer. Come to the Lord Jesus, repent of your sins, and put your faith on Him. And he will let you experience the peace unlike any you have ever experienced before.