SEEK PEACE, NOT WAR

Man has the uncanny and ingenious ability, to not only get things wrong, and make a perfect mess of what could otherwise be, a simple and straightforward solution, to an issue between people, but also, make such a mess look like, the best thing ever to happen in this world. The newest “life principle” being propagated is – “Peace Through War.”  This is, dressing up the naked and raw immorality, greed and lust for power, control and domination, in an Armani suit, and making it appear as the best thing ever to happen to us.

As Christians, and the “Children of God” we are called to be *”THE FORCE FOR GOOD”* in this world. However the world, filled with so full of hatred, greed and lust for power, wants to pursue “peace” through forceful destruction. This is the choice means, to achieve such an aim. Such thinking is being hailed as the good and the right way, by those who claim themselves to be the “People of God” and “christians.” War, death and destruction is never a means to peace. Rather, it is the sure and the certain method, to more death and more destruction. “Christian” Europe and the “Christian” West should have learnt their lessons by now, in the light of all the death and destruction in the last one hundred years in that part of the world. To all such, the LORD has some words…
– “9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” – Matthew 5:9
– “13 Ye are the salt of the earth…14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16

The above verses are taken from the Sermon on the Mount – the manifesto for the “Chosen People of God” – that is all who are God’s children, from Adam till date, and until the day of judgement. Commenting on what the LORD Jesus spoke on the Sermon on the Mount, John Stott says…
– “”The followers of Jesus are to be different, different from both the nominal church and the secular world, different from both the religious and the irreligious. The Sermon on the Mount is the most complete delineation anywhere in the New Testament of the Christian counter-culture.” – John Stott

Commenting on verse 9, where our LORD speaks about “peace and peacemaking nature of a “Chosen Christian” Stott has these words…
– “The poor will not achieve their rights through violence. God’s children need to rely on him. We should show mercy and humility, not anger and strife. We cannot live in harmony with a kingdom of righteousness by acting unrighteously. Since we want the peace of God’s kingdom, we should live in the way of peace.” – John Stott

Unless we learn to walk the path of righteousness, and sincerely “SEEK PEACE and NOT WAR” – in the way that the LORD God Almighty, had spoken so very clearly, we cannot be truly reflecting our LORD, as His “Chosen People” and His disciples. The rest is all a facade and a pretence – a feeble attempt at covering our ugliness in all its glory, with a veneer of third-rate gold and silver, trying desperately to project ourselves as faithful Christians, walking ever so obediently, on the righteous paths, that our LORD had shown to us. What a pity, such distorted teachings are attributed to our LORD – war is the right of every “christian” – and none seems to pause and ponder, if this is right and good?
– “The sermon was not designed for the disciples only. Jesus told them to spread his teachings throughout the world, and Matthew wrote it down for more than a billion people to read. These teachings are for everyone who is willing to listen.” – John Stott

May the LORD help us from contamination and error. May we yearn for PEACE and NOT WAR. May we learn to be kind and merciful, and not proud, arrogant and destructive in our thoughts, words and deeds.
– “‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy’ (v. 7). We need mercy in the day of judgment. Jesus is saying that we therefore should show mercy in this age. It is inconsistent for anyone to want justice, and yet cheat others, or to want mercy and yet be unmerciful. If we want the good life, we must live a good life.” – John Stott

Even so the LORD help us to have better sense, where sanity rules and guides us to be “THE FORCE FOR GOOD” and sincerely “SEEK PEACE AND NOT WAR.” May the LORD grant us His grace in doing so.