Where’s the Peace?

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8

“Impossible” some would say.  The violence and anger in the world today is driven by man’s quest for power and desire to overcome oppression at the hands of others in authority.  Every person on this planet has an opinion on what defines peace and goodness.  These differences of opinion result in the fear of being wrong which in turn creates a defensiveness that typically will strengthen one’s hold on their original opinion. 

 

Escalate this internal battle over hundreds and thousands of years and we are left with factions and cultural gaps that cannot be reversed.  People dream of the day that peace will reign in this world, yet none truly believe that it can exist. 

By nature I am not a defeatist, I work hard to be an overcomer and problem solver.  As I observe the activities over the last few weeks that are happening all over the world, I shake my head and wonder just how much longer can this existence continue?  It’s nearly impossible to be unaware of the turmoil going on in the Middle East, in Pakistan, in Kenya, in Europe and in America.  People are taking sides on serious issues and violence ensues in their attempts to resolve the conflicts.  There was a time and place when we were compassionate and harmonious with one another.  A time when it was okay to be different, or have a difference of opinion on a particular subject.  The data was made available and people had to form an intelligent position.  With more and more data available today than any time in the history of the world, why are our opinions and positions misaligned more and more frequently?  In the attempt to create one Global community through the bond of a cyber world haven’t we actually created more contempt between the masses?

The reality is that yes more and more data exists in today’s world, but less and less of that data has been verified, fact checked and scrutinized.  Information is shared and hypothesis are propagated as fact and believed by millions.  You could be on either side of an argument and this fact remains: the data you are using to create your position on a given topic is erroneous and error ridden at best.  The sources you rely on for truth are positioning and communicating the information in order to support their biasness.  I don’t care who you get your data from – CNN, FoxNews, BBC, Sky News, Google, Wall Street Journal, or your favorite blogs (even mine).  They all have an agenda, a biasness and a position on the subject matter and their message is going to lean that direction.

So, that’s all pretty depressing, eh?

Here’s where my opinion comes in and I hope that you can agree with me.  I’ll be straight with you – I am biased on my opinions – and that biasness is bent towards this statement:  The Holy Bible is the authentic word of God and in that decree my bias is formed to trust and believe what it says as the single point of truth in this world.  There, now you know from where I come, and that statement in and of itself will be found offensive to some and causation for an argument to ensue.  Let me be clear on this.  I’m not going to change my mind, regardless of what others might do, think or say about me.  This is my foundation for the opinions I share, and yes sometimes I get it wrong, because I am still learning and growing just like you.  But, I know where my strength comes from and I envision a day when peace is attainable.  We will struggle mightily as we approach that day, because the inevitable is going to come to fruition and there are those that will dispute it, fight against it and claim it as false right up until the end. 

The Bible clearly tells us that there are those who are blind to the truth because of the darkness they have chosen to believe and live in.  In the end, it is our job to love our brother and to share the saving grace and mercy of our Lord with mankind.  It is not our job to save them and if their blindness from the world’s values and demonic spirits hold is keeping them from this grace we cannot force it upon them.  The Holy Spirit knows exactly where each individual on this earth is with their spiritual walk.  He and only He can invoke the redemption and righteousness of the Father within their spirit.  Do not hate the non-believers or those who are different from you.  Vengeance is not our role in the salvation plan.  We need to pray for them, share the gospel with them and present the loving heart of Christ with humility and compassion; such that their eyes might be opened and their hatred turned into love.  

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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God, We Need You

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It with your friends

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” – Jeremiah 32:17

Look around you at the calamity, the pain, hurt and depression around the globe.  Watch the news and see the devastation in countries far and wide – the wars, the economic unrest, the hatred between people of different cultures and ethnicity.  As you sit with your cup of coffee in the morning and jump on Facebook or e-mail or read the morning paper, observe the seriousness of the problems facing this global society.  Now, look at our leaders in every nation, political body, corporation and Province and ask yourself this one very basic question:
     “Do I trust that they know what they’re doing and will be able to pull us out of this mess?” 

You can’t sit on the sidelines and wait for someone to jump in and “save” us all from the downward spiral we have started on.  This is not the time to sit back and observe.  Your life today is not the same as it was 5 years ago, 10 years ago or 20 for that matter.  The world has changed dramatically, not because of any one event, but a culmination of things that when connected over a period of 20 years have brought us to a point of apathy and self preservation.  We look out for ourselves and hope that someone else is looking out for the world’s issues.  We hear the news, but don’t react.  The unbelievable economic melt down on a global basis has never been so prominent at the same time before.  It’s not an American problem, Greece problem, China problem, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Korea, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Libya or Israel problem.  The problems are extremely complex and impact all of us as our lives are so intertwined and connected in this 21st century world.  The reality is that the smartest men in the smartest business schools and the wisest of the wise don’t have answers this time around. If you pull a piece of thread in one country to solve the problem there, it is unraveling a dependency 5000 miles away in another country, which in turn reacts and begins a domino effect across the globe.

 I no longer trust in man to solve these problems.  Presidents, Prime Ministers, Dictators, Generals, Parliament, Congress, PhD’s and Professors and so on are not consistently cognizant of the ever present sovereignty of God Almighty and His plan for this world.  I don’t have answers or even an inkling of understanding of the idiosyncrasies and dependencies of how we are woven together on a global scale.  What I do have though is a faith in God above that He knows it all.  He is sovereign and in His own way knows exactly how everything is connected in His overall plan.  I do believe He has a plan, and perhaps that plan, as it was in many Old Testament references, is to allow us to reach the point of destruction and devastation that we will turn back to Him.  As long as our leaders continue to try and solve these global problems independent of the Lord’s will, calamity and strife will continue to escalate. 

If you are waiting for someone to step up and save this world with their brilliance, knowledge and charm; I believe you will be waiting a very long time, and should be highly skeptical of the person you are putting your faith in.  God knows what is going on, and will bring an end to the pain and suffering in due time.  Perhaps it is near the end, or perhaps it is another clearing of the chaff as He has done in the past; but I trust that He is the only answer in today’s world.  I am not depressed nor dismayed by today’s problems.  I am concerned and heartbroken that our leaders are not turning to God for answers though.  There seems to be so much confusion between our leaders in regards to God that there is little ground for coming together as one body.  You and I on the other hand represent a much larger body of believers and with the strength, grace, love and sovereignty of God almighty we can come together and stand up for righteousness, justice and His eternal plan of salvation in today’s world.  These problems don’t fix themselves, it takes participation from the people with a passion for seeing it through.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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What is Going On?

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ – Luke 12:20

The days will draw to an end, to this there is no doubt.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, for it is not within our power to determine when the sun will no longer rise or the mountains will tremble.  Can any one of us cause the sun to fall from the sky?  Does this power exist amongst mortal men?  Example after example could be given demonstrating the immediacy of death upon us in a manner by which it is, without a doubt, outside of our control.  The people of the world have been shaken of late with natural disasters, rioting in the streets and terrorism at it’s finest.  A boy walking to class is struck by a stray bullet in the streets of New York.  A woman just finishing her grocery shopping steps out of the store and is crushed by the debris from buildings collapsing around her.  An elderly couple are struck in the side of their car as they drive through an intersection, one is taken, the other is not.  A young man with a bandana around his head and fist raised high is trampled as hundreds of thousands storm the gates of the capital building.  Let’s face it, as we step into the world each and every day, we only have so much control over the events in our life.  Certainly we can live cautiously and watch every step we take to ensure that we return home safely at the end of the day, but in this day and age a simple walk to the curb could lead to a tragic ending.

Sadly, some chose the method of their death by self infliction.  This desperate move represents a person’s loss of hope in those around them, and in God.  When a person’s judgment is clouded by the obstacles in life rather than the opportunities, life can look hopeless.  It is easy to look at the strife, anguish and helplessness of people in the world today and begin to lose hope that there is a way out.  I, myself, have looked at the utter chaos within the world and asked, “Can it ever be completed?”  Can the peace, love and hope of the Lord ever reach the masses in a way that draws them nearer to His bosom. 

Many are driven by the moment.  This is no different today than in the biblical days of old.  As new and fresh as people believe it is today, the same lack of respect of our Lord has existed since time began.  The only difference is the scale by which it is measured.  Instantaneous pleasure, selfishness and shameless addictions are a part of the lives of the majority today.  We are all addicted to one thing or another and in most cases, it’s sad to say, it is not God’s will in our life.  As much planning and preparation we do to ensure that our future retirement and lifestyle is secure, is all for naught when the winds blow or the earth shakes tomorrow.  How valuable is our possession when it is buried under 30 feet of rubble after an earthquake, or 20 feet of water after a hurricane.

We are taught to store up our treasure in heaven, where it is secure and ever-lasting (Matthew 6:20).  Not to be taken literally, but to be understood that the things we treasure, the things of this world are meaningless in the Kingdom of heaven.  This very day your life could be taken from you.  This is not a threat, but a fact that we all must deal with.  The choices we make each and every day as to how to spend our time, our money and use our talents will go to benefit one of two masters.  Either we are investing in our future eternity or we are investing in our temporary comfort and pleasure.  Don’t complicate it more than that, because it’s not. 

Prayer:
Father,
We come before You this day filled with hope.  Hope in Your truth and justice to oversee our life and give us purpose each day.  We pray for the safety of Your children in the war torn regions of the world and those places of unrest.  Be with them and guide them to Your side that they might draw wisdom and strength from You, their Creator.   We pray for Your children in those areas of the world struck by natural disasters.  Bring them peace, hope and courage to rebuild and renew their strength in You.  Bless us this day with confidence to face the challenges in our path.  In Your name we pray – Amen

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©Sondove Enterprises, 2011