And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14)

It doesn’t matter what day or season Jesus Christ was born; what matters is that he came into the world to bring changes that will endure. Never in the history of the world has one birth had such an influence on people; he is either adored or hated with nothing between the two behaviors.

Verse 10 says he is for all the people and in John 10:16 Jesus said, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Jesus was referring to the Gentiles when he spoke those words to the Jews of that day. Verse 14 tells us that God brings peace and good will to mankind. But what kind of peace and good will does Jesus bring? Peace between man and God is the answer, but few believe it because God means nothing more to them than a three letter word.

Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden, humans have rejected God and have tried to fashion their own rules and laws for behavior. Laws based on God’s principles were used to form the republic, but the manner in which much of society in general, and those in public offices in particular now behave, fidelity to that formulation is rarely seen.

Instead, government is asked to bring peace by enacting laws that not only can’t change the heart of man, they inhibit decent citizens from enjoying the God given rights, of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Children are denied the right to life through abortion; liberty to live according to proper constitutional laws is inhibited by know it all politicians; and don’t try to pursue happiness in accord with God’s moral principles since it might offend someone.   

Jesus offended the Jews by telling the truth, so they hung him on a cross. The apostles were killed for preaching Jesus and him crucified. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel. That all happened because people did not want to hear the truth, much less make it their life.

Almost daily, writers of letters to the Voices column of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper not only rail against God, they call believers Bible thumpers and other names. That is a sure sign that they not only haven’t found peace with God, they show that they haven’t any peace with believers. The berating proves it, but one writer of a letter in the December 22 paper does understand the issue at hand: My mother always said to give credit where credit is due. I believe we need to give God all the credit and glory at Christmas. We need to always acknowledge him, his son Jesus and his words from his holy Bible. The writer has found the way to peace with God and their fellow man and proper living.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.  A major portion of the people of the world denies the truths that are in those two verses. They want the easy way out of the dilemmas they have created for themselves and look to government to use laws to make society change. They use false means to create safety, thinking that one more law will bring peace. The truth is that they refuse to even entertain the idea that they need to change their behavior. Sin is ignored since it only applied to a former time of history; they say it is nothing more than an old fashioned idea.

In Jeremiah 6:8-19 God gave warning to his people, Israel. He said of the false prophets in 13-14 For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. 14 They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. Then verse 16 Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, "We will not walk in it." (Please read the entire context of verses.)  The principles in the verses are where the people of the Republic of the United States now stand. From the unbelieving citizens in all walks of life to elected and appointed office holders, they are proclaiming the same as those people of long ago, "We will not walk in it." They attempt to create peace by using man made schemes which history shows did not work, will not work and yet, they try them over and over again.

The answer to the chaos and turmoil is one person, Jesus Christ and his way of life. He is the peace which all are seeking, but few will accept it. His peace requires that each person lose their arrogance, pride and ego, realizing that they are not a god of any kind. Paul gave the prescription for peace in Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  That dear reader is the way to peace and it began over 2000 years ago when the precious child named Jesus entered the world. His peace will change your life if you give him the opportunity that he extends to you each day. Obey the gospel and begin your peace with God through his Son. There is no other way.

© 12-22-2012 DEC

The quote that follows is in a letter sent by John Jay, to Peter Augustus Jay, 1784. Sage advice if any has ever been given.

 "The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts."  (Source Founder’s Quote Daily)