Perfect Peace; And At Such A Time
Ezra 7:11-12 Isaiah 26:3
The word peace appears in scriptuer some 400 times. The phrase “God of peace” is used some 36 times. Isaiah said that the chastisment of our peace was upon him (speaking of Christ). This means that pain was inflicted on him for our peace. He paid a great price so we could have peace.
Here is Ezra in Babaloyn. He is a scribe of priestly decent and now is demoted to the life of a common prisoner. Being in bondage in a foregien land, a type of P.O.W. How then can he possibly speak of peace? And least of all at such a time as he is in. From whom does he receive this peace? Is peace raelly attainable in our land today?
We are living in perilous times in our world and in our nation. I Timothy chapter 3 gives us a startling overview of the world that we are raising our familys in today. Our society is leaving God and speeding toward a terrible fate as fast as the unlocked wheels of time can carry them. How can a preacher speak of peace in a time like this? The bible said that when they cry peace and safety sudden destruction was coming.
The A.C.L.U filed a suit to have all the cross shaped headstones changed in military cemetaries. They also filed suit asking chaplains not to pray in Jesus name. According to some literature I read in a D.H.S. Office recently these are some daily statistics :
16,204 murders
198,850 rapes
4.6 million assaults
14.2 million thefts
588,490 domestic violence
3.4 million homes are burglarized
896,000 children abused
17,401 deaths by drunk driving
703,800 acts of school violence
1.4 million cases of stalking
Teen suicide is the third leading cause of death for their age group. 750,000 teenage girls will become pregnant each year, that is 36%. 5 deaths per day as a result of child abuse. 60-80% of all deaths in children are abuse related. A child abuse call is made every 10 seconds and 1 out of 3 of these will invovle an infant. Alchohal kills 6.5% of teens annually than illicit drug use. 63% of teens say their alchohal comes from their own home. Teen achohal abuse cost our nation more than 58 billion annually. 20% of 8th graders have tried marijuania. 28% of teens are activley using ecstasy.
In a world like this how can a man have peace? How can a man have perfect peace? The answer is YES!! Why? How? From where? Wait a minute. Peace does not come from within this world. Nothing in this world or of this world can bring peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! Isaiah said of Jesus that he would give us peace like a river (Isaiah 66:12). Jesus said he would leave his peace with us (St. John 14:27).
A river may start from some small spring in an obscure place, but as it flows it grows. It picks up water from other inlets and the volume and speed of the river increase. It can grow until it cannot be stopped. When reaching flood stage it can move mountians, dams, towns anything in the path of a swollen river is subject to be moved.
So it is with the Peace of God. It will start from within our heart and pick speed with every prayer prayed and every scripture read. The perfect peace of God can become such a raging torrent in our lives until no amout of burdens, sorrows, or heart break can stand before it. If your home, marriage, body, mind, heart, or any part of you is under attack from Satan, get Jesus the Prince of Peace in it and he will bring perfect peace and at such a time as this.
