MMB NOVEMBER 28, 2016 -- PEACE & HOPE

MMB - 11/28/16  -- PEACE AND HOPE

As I write this morning, the background music is playing very familiar Christmas celebration songs. My cup has been warmed up with some fresh brewed coffee and my Bible is opened to the familiar Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

While our family watched the final minutes of the New England Patriot's win over the NY Jets (sorry Jets fans!), we New Englander's transplanted to Florida, loved seeing the final knee taken by QB Tom Brady to seal the win. Then we were directed to the Raiders game and their tie with the Panthers in the final moments of that game. The final came by way of a Raider field goal and the score was 35-32. I commented on Raider's QB, Derek Carr's arm tattoos. His right arm had a religious symbol while his left arm had a Scripture reference. After a few pauses with the remote, we concluded the verse was from Jeremiah 29:11! It was confirmed later in a YouTube video where Derek explained both tattoos in his testimony. 

Recently, my wife and I have been meditating on that verse. Because of circumstance I won't get into, her wedding band has been unusable. She found a beautiful ring on line that refers to this verse and that began our meditations on it! I also picked up a new Bible last week and bookmarked Jeremiah 29. When I opened it this morning preparing to write this week's MONDAY MORNING BLOG, it occurred to me these words hold a number of promises God is pouring out on Jeremiah, Israel and we who are Christ-Followers.

Our God has thoughts of Peace and a future of Hope. Jesus fulfills this reality. The newborn King came to provide inward PEACE as was told by the angels to the shepherds "Peace on earth good will toward men". How great is that!

And then there's HOPE. Hopelessness cause many to be in despair at Christmas and year round. But Christ came to give the hopeless real lasting HOPE! Jesus is the HOPE of the world. All human efforts to establish hope fail because man cannot provide the lasting HOPE Jesus can only provide. 

When these words in Jeremiah were penned many years ago, it was a promise from the Almighty all humanity would need. But the greatest need of mankind is HOPE & PEACE. Jesus' birth by way of a virgin was God's answer to man's great need. The Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus Christ, provides us with lasting inward PEACE and a promise of Future HOPE.

I was impressed when on that YouTube video, Derek Carr quoted Jeremiah 29:11 by memory. This Christmas 2016, I am committing to my older-man memory this verse as well. It will be a great reminder of God's love for me and His provision of Jesus to be my Savior. Yes! He's our PEACE and our HOPE. Merry Christmas.

Dealing with Conflict Challenges - 2 Chronicles 20

Many of my meditations lately have been in the Old Testament. I taught a group of teens at a Sunday gathering recently about the Challenges of Conflicts and talked about Judah's King Jehoshaphat's conflict with three nations preparing to attack, which if they did, the King would have experienced sure defeat. The account is detailed in 2 Chronicles 20. So how did this King deal with this challenge of conflict? The answer became the thrust of my message to those eager Jr High teens. I encouraged those bright young people of diversity and multiple backgrounds, to see the King's response to the news of an imminent and enormous attack ... an ensuing conflict, if you will. This conflict was dealt with head-on by the King and his followers - with PRAYER. Prayer? Oh yes! A National Prayer Meeting, led by none other than the King!

King Jehoshaphat called his people to prayer and cried out to God Almighty boldly and loudly before the people of Judah. They, too, knew the horrible results if those three nations were to succeed on their mission against the Army of Judah. So, they complied and fully followed their King's lead in Praising God and seeking His help in this upcoming conflict. These people were committed to prayer along with their King until the answer came.

God's answer was simple and supernatural. He essentially said don't be fearful, don't fight, but go down and watch God work. That answer drove the King and the people to worship and praise. They thanked God for His answer and they obeyed His command. As the three opposing armies approached Judah; miraculously their mission against Judah and Jerusalem became fuzzy and they lost focus. So much so that the three armies never got to attack Judah because they ended up attacking and fully killing one another instead. God said to the King and the people to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Clearly, witnessing this mixed-up melee, the people did see God's salvation that day. And there was an added benefit ... all the remaining riches and possessions of the defeated armies became free pickings for the victors of the undefeated army and people of Judah.

Conflict doesn't have to defeat you. Prayer power and standing still before the King of kings is yours just as it was in the account of 2 Chronicles 20. Depend on it. Act on it. See the salvation of the Lord.