Peace Dealers

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

I listened to an interesting Christian podcast on how the world, specifically America is becoming weak because of pastors who sell peace to their congregation, so that the church goers are addicted to the peace, instead of being equipped to fight back, while the entire world is at war, and communism and terrorism continues to grow.

This might have been an older podcast that I listened to on pray.com but just wanted to get pastors and leaders perspective because I believed that even I was sold peace, instead of being equipped to even survive in this world we all now live in.

 

[Kainos]

The world equates peace with an absence of conflict. A pretence which is paving the way for the gradual acceptance of everyone who crosses our path.

To maintain false peace, we must compromise at every turn. Sacrificing our conscience to tolerate or endorse the surge in moral corruption. Fatalistic surrender is an easy sell, because acquiescence, detachment, and apathy are the breeding ground for evil and injustice to escalate.

In the biblical context, peace is not passive. It's active in conflict; rooted in the presence of God. Providing liberation from the personal impact of confrontation, e.g. anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, turmoil.

We'll all face trouble in the world, but the Comforter is the wellspring of peace for those who glorify God, advocating for what is right, aligned with His word, making no concessions, undeterred.

This peace is not an absence of conflict, but a restoration of harmony, justice, and joy, courtesy of reconciliation with the Creator.

I ain't no pastor, but the Truth speaks of and for Himself.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

The world equates peace with an absence of conflict. A pretence which is paving the way for the gradual acceptance of everyone who crosses our path.

To maintain false peace, we must compromise at every turn. Sacrificing our conscience to tolerate or endorse the surge in moral corruption. Fatalistic surrender is an easy sell, because acquiescence, detachment, and apathy are the breeding ground for evil and injustice to escalate.

In the biblical context, peace is not passive. It's active in conflict; rooted in the presence of God. Providing liberation from the personal impact of confrontation, e.g. anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, turmoil.

We'll all face trouble in the world, but the Comforter is the wellspring of peace for those who glorify God, advocating for what is right, aligned with His word, making no concessions, undeterred.

This peace is not an absence of conflict, but a restoration of harmony, justice, and joy, courtesy of reconciliation with the Creator.

I ain't no pastor, but the Truth speaks of and for Himself.

Thanks for sharing @Kainos

 

[SomeDisciple]

Yeah, this is not an easy topic.

"Peace" means a lot of things; and I think ideally we would have all of those things; but it's not an ideal world.

Peace with God is obviously the most important thing- and then with your fellow man. Sometimes the latter isn't possible. If I can suffer a violent death at peace with God, I guess that's a good day to die.

But if there can be peace between men; if there's any ground to stand on where there is peace with God and men, then that is the place we really want to be. I would like to be there, and I believe Jesus really wanted to be there if it were possible for him.

But sometimes it's just not possible; and a Pastor that is selling the idea that you can always have both... that's just not true.

 

[Deuteronomy]

Hello @YouOnlyLiveTwice, interestingly, there is a recent thread right here at CChat that seemed to push that 'kind' of peace (peace at any cost/apart from the Lord Jesus Christ and from His righteousness, that is), at least in the OP anyway.

The thread was growing into a pretty interesting discussion (and the OP clarified some of the things that she meant in the OP), but it has been derailed a bit. Still, if you'd like to join in, you can find it here (and hopefully, help get the thread back on track ): https://christianchat.com/threads/one-father-one-god-one-humanity.222875/

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I'll also mention the sermon that I recommended about peace/peacemakers in that thread, because I believe that it is excellent and very helpful (and its favorite sermon, as a matter of fact, by Dr. John MacArthur). It's a sermon on Matthew 5:9 called, Happy Are the Peacemakers (and it's all about God's peace, and what it means to be one of His peacemakers).

Psalm 85​

10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.​

.​

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

Yeah, this is not an easy topic.

"Peace" means a lot of things; and I think ideally we would have all of those things; but it's not an ideal world.

Peace with God is obviously the most important thing- and then with your fellow man. Sometimes the latter isn't possible. If I can suffer a violent death at peace with God, I guess that's a good day to die.

But if there can be peace between men; if there's any ground to stand on where there is peace with God and men, then that is the place we really want to be. I would like to be there, and I believe Jesus really wanted to be there if it were possible for him.

But sometimes it's just not possible; and a Pastor that is selling the idea that you can always have both... that's just not true.

Thanks for sharing @SomeDisciple

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

Hello @YouOnlyLiveTwice, interestingly, there is a recent thread right here at CChat that seemed to push that 'kind' of peace (peace at any cost/apart from the Lord Jesus Christ and from His righteousness, that is), at least in the OP anyway.

The thread was growing into a pretty interesting discussion (and the OP clarified some of the things that she meant in the OP), but it has been derailed a bit. Still, if you'd like to join in, you can find it here (and hopefully, help get the thread back on track ): https://christianchat.com/threads/one-father-one-god-one-humanity.222875/

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I'll also mention the sermon that I recommended about peace/peacemakers in that thread, because I believe that it is excellent and very helpful (and its favorite sermon, as a matter of fact, by Dr. John MacArthur). It's a sermon on Matthew 5:9 called, Happy Are the Peacemakers (and it's all about God's peace, and what it means to be one of His peacemakers).

Psalm 85​

10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.​

.​

Thank you for sharing @Deuteronomy
I’ll make sure to listen to it.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

Hello @YouOnlyLiveTwice, interestingly, there is a recent thread right here at CChat that seemed to push that 'kind' of peace (peace at any cost/apart from the Lord Jesus Christ and from His righteousness, that is), at least in the OP anyway.

The thread was growing into a pretty interesting discussion (and the OP clarified some of the things that she meant in the OP), but it has been derailed a bit. Still, if you'd like to join in, you can find it here (and hopefully, help get the thread back on track ): https://christianchat.com/threads/one-father-one-god-one-humanity.222875/

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I'll also mention the sermon that I recommended about peace/peacemakers in that thread, because I believe that it is excellent and very helpful (and its favorite sermon, as a matter of fact, by Dr. John MacArthur). It's a sermon on Matthew 5:9 called, Happy Are the Peacemakers (and it's all about God's peace, and what it means to be one of His peacemakers).

Psalm 85​

10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.​

.​

I’m almost finished with John MacArthur’s sermon. God bless you for sending it my way. I wish I can be my younger brother’s peacemaker but he wants nothing to do with God or Jesus.
Maybe I’m not a son of God?

 

[Deuteronomy]

I’m almost finished with John MacArthur’s sermon. God bless you for sending it my way.

Hello again YouOnlyLiveTwice, you're welcome

I wish I can be my younger brother’s peacemaker but he wants nothing to do with God or Jesus.
Maybe I’m not a son of God?

Whether or not we lead someone all the way to Christ is not evidence of whether we are a true believer, or not. God included us in the process, and sometimes we are there when He brings someone all the way to saving faith, but what witnessing is typically about is planting seeds and/or watering them (which makes us just as much a part of the process in helping someone find their way to God as the one who ends up being there for the harvest is .. cf 1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

God is the One who saves people, we don't (but we are part of the process to be sure .. e.g. Romans 10:17).

Praying for your younger brother's salvation.

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy (David)
p.s. - as far as whether you really are an adopted son of God or not, we can talk more about that if you'd like to. Just let me know. God wants us to know/be assured that we are truly His/truly saved .. e.g. 2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 John 5:13.

 

[Deuteronomy]

p.s. - as far as whether you really are an adopted son of God or not, we can talk more about that if you'd like to. Just let me know. God wants us to know/be assured that we are truly His/truly saved .. e.g. 2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 John 5:13.

Hello yet again YouOnlyLiveTwice, I just read the testimony that you left for us on the About page of your Profile (here at CChat). It seems pretty clear to me that you are, indeed, a true believer, as permanent, overnight, paradigm shifts in thinking, and in the way that you've chosen to live your life since then, cannot be done w/o His help/without Him quickening you, changing you and making you into a wholly new creature, in Christ .. e.g. Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 2:4-5.

So, I don't think that we need to talk (about whether you are a child of God or not, that is), but I'm happy to do so if you still want to, of course

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I also wanted to thank you for sharing so much about yourself with us. You have led/are leading a fascinating and blessed life, PTL (and it's about to become even more interesting and more of a blessing .. congratulations on your engagement ).

Finally, you just turned 38, and my wife and I will celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary on the 6th of August this year, so 1988 was a big year all around (for all of us anyway)

Question, does your username mean that you are also a James Bond fan Thanks!
.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

Hello yet again YouOnlyLiveTwice, I just read the testimony that you left for us on the About page of your Profile (here at CChat). It seems pretty clear to me that you are, indeed, a true believer, as permanent, overnight, paradigm shifts in thinking, and in the way that you've chosen to live your life since then, cannot be done w/o His help/without Him quickening you, changing you and making you into a wholly new creature, in Christ .. e.g. Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 2:4-5.

So, I don't think that we need to talk (about whether you are a child of God or not, that is), but I'm happy to do so if you still want to, of course

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I also wanted to thank you for sharing so much about yourself with us. You have led/are leading a fascinating and blessed life, PTL (and it's about to become even more interesting and more of a blessing .. congratulations on your engagement ).

Finally, you just turned 38, and my wife and I will celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary on the 6th of August this year, so 1988 was a big year all around (for all of us anyway)

Question, does your username mean that you are also a James Bond fan Thanks!
.

I am a James Bond fan but I didn’t know my username had anything to do with James Bond
My username, to me, I thought I just made it up. Drake, a famous world rapper quoted the phrase, “you only live once” but in my case, being born again, I thought “you only live twice” was fitting.

38 years is also the time the man spent next to the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed him and he picked up his mat and left, and I’ve been saved for 12 years now, living in the same house for 12 years now. 12 is another number one of those numbers that pop up in the Bible.

After listening to John MacArthur, I do sense a peace over me.

 

[Deuteronomy]

I am a James Bond fan but I didn’t know my username had anything to do with James Bond
My username, to me, I thought I just made it up. Drake, a famous world rapper quoted the phrase, “you only live once” but in my case, being born again, I thought “you only live twice” was fitting.

I get it, and it does seem fitting indeed However............................

​

​

38 years is also the time the man spent next to the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed him and he picked up his mat and left, and I’ve been saved for 12 years now, living in the same house for 12 years now. 12 is another number one of those numbers that pop up in the Bible.

I had forgotten how long the paralytic had laid there waiting (for Jesus to come). What an amazing story. Thank you for the reminder

BTW, I came to saving faith pretty late in life, 2 months to the day after my 30th birthday. I was baptized as an infant and raised in the church. As a result, I always believed that I was a Christian, until the day that I actually became one, that is (11/2/86). What a surprise that turned out to be because, just like you, that's the day that EVERYTHING changed in my life too.

After listening to John MacArthur, I do sense a peace over me.

That's wonderful to hear You know, his whole sermon series on the Beatitudes is excellent, so if you are looking for something else to listen to from him, perhaps you should check out some of his other "Happy Are the.........." sermons, too (you can find them all at www.gty.org).

--David

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

I get it, and it does seem fitting indeed However............................

View attachment 287302​

​

I had forgotten how long the paralytic had laid there waiting (for Jesus to come). What an amazing story. Thank you for the reminder

BTW, I too came to saving faith pretty late in life, 2 months to the day after my 30th birthday. I was baptized as an infant and raised in the church. As a result, I always believed that I was a Christian, until the day that I actually became one, that is (11/2/86). What a surprise that turned out to be because, just like you, that's the day that EVERYTHING changed in my life too


That's wonderful to hear You know, his whole sermon series on the Beatitudes is excellent, so if you are looking for something else to listen to from him, perhaps you should check out some of his other "Happy Are the.........." sermons, too (you can find them all at www.gty.org).

--David

I guess there really is nothing new under the sun. (With that James Bond title)

That is awesome that you know the exact date. Mine was around Easter 2014, just after a night church service in Fullerton, California. I prayed the sinners prayer, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and be the lord over my life, and was completely cleansed of everything, in my room I was renting in an apartment, in Orange, California.

I wonder if all Christians, destined for heaven, have a huge transformation or born again experience… makes me wonder about my loved one’s fate.

I’ll most likely check out the rest of those sermons, since I recently stopped attending my church of 12 years.

 

[JanineJ07]

Who is your favourite James Bond? Daniel Craig is mine.

 

[Gideon300]

I listened to an interesting Christian podcast on how the world, specifically America is becoming weak because of pastors who sell peace to their congregation, so that the church goers are addicted to the peace, instead of being equipped to fight back, while the entire world is at war, and communism and terrorism continues to grow.

This might have been an older podcast that I listened to on pray.com but just wanted to get pastors and leaders perspective because I believed that even I was sold peace, instead of being equipped to even survive in this world we all now live in.

There is a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:8. Jesus said that wars would come. Matthew 24:6.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.…"

Spiritual warfare requires spiritual weapons. The weapons are fundamentally the word of God and prayer. All Christians are called to engage in spiritual warfare.

Many Christians serve in the armed forces. Sometimes, they risk their lives and maybe even take lives. Each believer needs to obey his conscience. As a former serviceman, I was only briefly in the war zone (Vietnam). While it was tense, we were well prepared and no attack eventuated. But we had to be ready.

The reality is that if no one is prepared to defend their country, those who use force will take them over sooner or later. Hitler conquered all of Europe, facing little resistance. If he'd not been so arrogant, he may well have ruled Europe for decades. And godly people were praying for Hitler's defeat. So all glory to God, who really brought about Hitler's downfall.

As the once Christian world turns away from God, they are increasingly being taken over by Muslims. And that without a shot being fired. Christians need to realise that the powers of darkness must be resisted. Satan is defeated, but victory must be enforced. Lord Jesus gave us that responsibility.

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

There is a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:8. Jesus said that wars would come. Matthew 24:6.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.…"

Spiritual warfare requires spiritual weapons. The weapons are fundamentally the word of God and prayer. All Christians are called to engage in spiritual warfare.

Many Christians serve in the armed forces. Sometimes, they risk their lives and maybe even take lives. Each believer needs to obey his conscience. As a former serviceman, I was only briefly in the war zone (Vietnam). While it was tense, we were well prepared and no attack eventuated. But we had to be ready.

The reality is that if no one is prepared to defend their country, those who use force will take them over sooner or later. Hitler conquered all of Europe, facing little resistance. If he'd not been so arrogant, he may well have ruled Europe for decades. And godly people were praying for Hitler's defeat. So all glory to God, who really brought about Hitler's downfall.

As the once Christian world turns away from God, they are increasingly being taken over by Muslims. And that without a shot being fired. Christians need to realise that the powers of darkness must be resisted. Satan is defeated, but victory must be enforced. Lord Jesus gave us that responsibility.

Thanks for sharing @Gideon300
Great point

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

Who is your favourite James Bond? Daniel Craig is mine.

Welcome to Christian Chat @JanineJ07

I’d say my favorite James Bond would be Sean Connery. Daniel Craig is great as well but I just like how Sean Connery behaves in James Bond, from what I remember (it’s been so long since I watched a James Bond movie)

 

[Gideon300]

Thanks for sharing @Gideon300
Great point

It's always been a vexed issue. I can see both points of view, but "peace at any price" is too high a price to pay.

 

[Deuteronomy]

I guess there really is nothing new under the sun. (With that James Bond title)

That's true

That is awesome that you know the exact date. Mine was around Easter 2014, just after a night church service in Fullerton, California. I prayed the sinners prayer, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and be the lord over my life, and was completely cleansed of everything, in my room I was renting in an apartment, in Orange, California.

The exact date isn't hard for me to remember because it was over Halloween weekend. In fact, I had (what some have called) the "dark night of the soul" on Halloween night itself that year (because of my overwhelming belief that God wanted nothing more to do with me due to my excessively sinful life).

Here's the sad note, this wasn't the first time that it happened to me (the "dark night of the soul", that is). The first time it happened was on my 25th birthday, but while it was a horrible experience, I didn't try to do anything about it (because I loved my "sinful" life too much).

The second time that it happened (10/31/86) was worse, but this time He got my full attention, PTL!!

I wonder if all Christians, destined for heaven, have a huge transformation or born again experience… makes me wonder about my loved one’s fate.

I know that those who do so when they're young typically do not (they are church goers who, over time, became believers, but they can't point to a time or profound moment in their lives when it happened.

In the end, the evidence that we look for (2 Corinthians 13:5) to determine whether we are true believers or not is the same for both. For instance, do you ~truly~ love God and choose to keep His commandments because you do? Are you horrified by sin and confess it/seek to be forgiven as soon as you realize what you've done? Is the life that you are choosing to live now (since coming to saving faith) looking more and more Christlike (e.g. more and more like Galatians 5:22-23 and less and less like Galatians 5:19-21)?

I’ll most likely check out the rest of those sermons, since I recently stopped attending my church of 12 years.

Are you looking for another church? Also, do you still have a group of Christians to fellowship with regularly (in person) in the interim (a Bible Study perhaps) God never meant for us to live the Christian life on our own/apart from other believers.

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy (David)

 

[YouOnlyLiveTwice]

That's true


The exact date isn't hard for me to remember because it was over Halloween weekend. In fact, I had (what some have called) the "dark night of the soul" on Halloween night itself that year (because of my overwhelming belief that God wanted nothing more to do with me due to my excessively sinful life).

Here's the sad note, this wasn't the first time that it happened to me (the "dark night of the soul", that is). The first time it happened was on my 25th birthday, but while it was a horrible experience, I didn't try to do anything about it (because I loved my "sinful" life too much).

The second time that it happened (10/31/86) was worse, but this time He got my full attention, PTL!!


I know that those who do so when they're young typically do not (they are church goers who, over time, became believers, but they can't point to a time or profound moment in their lives when it happened.

In the end, the evidence that we look for (2 Corinthians 13:5) to determine whether we are true believers or not is the same for both. For instance, do you ~truly~ love God and choose to keep His commandments because you do? Are you horrified by sin and confess it/seek to be forgiven as soon as you realize what you've done? Is the life that you are choosing to live now (since coming to saving faith) looking more and more Christlike (e.g. more and more like Galatians 5:22-23 and less and less like Galatians 5:19-21)?


Are you looking for another church? Also, do you still have a group of Christians to fellowship with regularly (in person) in the interim (a Bible Study perhaps) God never meant for us to live the Christian life on our own/apart from other believers.

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy (David)

October seems to be one of those months for me also or was one of those months before meeting my fiancé.

I am having a hard time answering whether I truly love God or not. I’m not sure what that means. I know my life was radically transformed when I said the sinners prayer and accepted Jesus as Lord and savior.

I do confess my sins and seek forgiveness as soon as I realize what I’ve done.

My life, using technology, probably isn’t like Jesus’ but I have been walking more and studying the Bible every morning almost, with my fiancé.

I mostly listen to pray.com for my spiritual needs.

My fiancé is a believer, whom I fellowship with daily.

I do have a men’s Bible study I was apart of on Mondays but decided to stop going to those because I don’t really know them all that well, and I don’t really trust the guy who hosts the Bible study.