FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART July 29,2024

With all the turmoil and trouble in the world today, people are clamoring for peace. We not only want an end to the war in the Middle East, but also to the violence taking place in the streets of America. We seek peace for the hearts and homes dealing with conflict and unrest. We desire an end to the feuding and fighting between families and friends. Even in the Christian community, we see disputes and debates, resulting in division and downfall within the Church.

The problem that we face is that we are looking to this troubled world for an answer. We think that if we elect the right politician or put the right party in power, then peace will come. We believe that stricter laws or stronger law enforcement will change the direction of this sinful world. Yet, the reality is that there is nothing man can do to bring about the needed shift from pain to peace. We are powerless to even change ourselves, much less change anyone else. We resolve to do better, only to repeat the patterns of the past. Peace will not come from man’s hands!

God’s Word tells us the source of real peace. We read in Isaiah 26:3-4, “You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” While we do not have the power of peace in our human hands, those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior do hold the power of peace in our hearts. We hold the key to the end of sin and suffering in our world. His Name is Jesus! And we have been called to share the Truth of the Gospel with all who will hear it.

While I am powerless to stop a bullet or a rocket from bringing harm to innocent people on the other side of the world, I can pray for Almighty God to intervene and to protect those in harm’s way. I may not be able to stop crime from continuing in the streets of our city, but I can share the Good News and show the love of Christ to all who cross my path, in an effort to change one heart at a time. Real peace only comes from a personal relationship with the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. We will never know peace in our hearts and minds, until we give our lives over to Him, and follow His Word!

Serving in love,

Bro. Jim