Peace is a Promise He Keeps

Hello Friends! 

I wish I could talk to you all. I'm not one to talk to a crowd of people. Heck, I get nervous making announcements at church to a whole congregation, or even when I have to sing to a group of about 10 people, so more of a personal conversation is better for my nerves. 

I'd take you guys out to coffee; maybe there's a new coffee shop where you're at. We could go. I'd buy you a coffee, or a tea, or a hot chocolate. Maybe an espresso shot... (slightly judging you if you do... jk jk! :P) and we could just sit. And talk. 

I'd talk with you about all that's going on. The news about Muslims targeting Christians in Nigeria (Link to article here:). 

Or how a Catholic priest get stabbed during a live stream of a Mass in Montreal. (Link to Article Here:). I myself am not Catholic, but I did go to a Catholic high school growing up and I work in the Catholic school board. I give my respects, and I hope that the Father Grou is alright. 

You tell me how crazier this world is getting. People are pushing out Christianity more and more, and you tell me that all of this is making you anxious and discouraged. (Believe me I know, I'm feeling it too.) 

And you know what? I can't help but agree. This world is getting crazier. People just want to push out ideas of who Christ is. And it is hard to be positive and to be hopeful. 

The Enemy has ways of sneaking anxiety into the most sacred of places. 

A friend of mine posted recently on Facebook: "Something I'm coming to realise more every day: people hate Christianity because a lot of what they know are lies." 

Then friend, let's show them the truth:

There is hope. We have hope. We have a LIVING HOPE in this world of craziness and uncertainty and anxiety and pain and struggle. We have So. Much. Hope! 

At this point in the coffee shop, I'd almost be yelling this, and you'd remind me to have me mellow coffee shop voice, but how can I? 

This is a hope that so many people need right now! Why would I try to keep it quiet? This stuff is so exciting! 

Over 2 thousand years ago, there was a man named Jesus, who was born of a simple family, of the lineage of King David. This man lived a perfect life. Can you imagine someone never back-talking about anyone else? Never lying? Never stealing anything at all? What a thing to witness! 

But this man claimed multiple times that he was, and is, the Resurrection and the Life (John 11: 25), the Good Shepherd, (John 10: 11-18), and claimed that he would destroy the Temple, and in three days rebuilt it. The Pharisees, the religious leaders at the time, thought he was a crazy man and had him crucified, probably the most torturous and most gruesome death anyone could have. 

But He was not just a man, he was also part God. I know, it sounds crazy, and people still fight about that legitimacy. But honestly, if He was just a man, could He not have healed the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed and RAISE HIS FRIEND FROM THE DEAD AFTER 4 DAYS?! (John 11 if you are interested) If He was just a man, could the veil in the Temple been torn the temple veil the moment he died? And if He was just a man, could He have raised from the dead three days later?! Certainly not! That's was makes Jesus so EXTRAORDINARY! 

What does my rant about Jesus have to do with my current struggling? This world is showing signs of a day coming when Jesus is going to come back in His full glory, to judge the world of its sins. We can see the ramifications of sin: The wrongdoings of those who stab people in a church, those who greedily steal from those less fortunate to gain more in this life, those who think the little white lies don't matter: That is the repercussions of sin. 

I remember someone say "The midnight of the soul reminds us that we are trembling in the wake of the fall". We ALL are sinful, and we are too prideful to admit our shortcomings. 

"But what about me?" You ask, "Where is the hope in all of that?" 

There is a Living Hope! It is because of what Christ did when he was crucified, and rose again three days later.  

Because of our sinful nature: There is LITERALLY NOTHING that we can do to make ourselves good! Other religions claim there are ways: through prayers to other mediators, constant confession of our sins, through ritual... it does not work, friend. 

Friends, the way to Jesus is to admit our faults and failures. To realise that yes, we mess up on the daily. Friends, I will admit I too have messed up. I have recently been working through the things in my past and I realise that the way that I look at the questionable and bad things in my life is the same way that the Lord looks at my sin. And when he died on the Cross those 2 thousand years ago, He took my sin with Him. And nailed it to the Cross. 

What do I have to do?I do not have to work for this. The work has already been done.  I do acknowledge my sins before my Saviour yes, but I also know that Jesus has covered me. 

I am no longer condemned because Jesus has already condemned the sin and death in me when He died and rose again. And it is constant daily reminder for me: I did not put that sinful nature to death, it was Christ who did those 2 thousand years ago, and He is still working in me.

When Jesus comes in His Glory, oh man what a day that will be! The world today is showing that it coming so close friends. We will never know the day, the time, the hour, the minute or second. I hope that this message is more than just noise in the internet, and that my friends will seriously consider it.