Bruce Collins, Evangelist

 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world  (John 16:33 NKJV).

 

In the movie Miss Congeniality, Gracie Hart played by Sandra Bullock is an undercover cop at a beauty pageant.  She is clumsy and crude and has a hard time playing the part.  But during her interview the following dialogue takes place:

 

Stan Fields: What is the one most important thing our society needs?

Gracie Hart: That would be harsher punishment for parole violators, Stan.

[crowd is silent]

Gracie Hart: And world peace!

[crowd cheers ecstatically]

 

Now since Gracie is an FBI agent, she wants harsher punishment for parole violators.  But the audience wants the standard answer, “World Peace.”  Don’t we all want world peace?  So why don’t we have it?  Will we ever have it?

 

Why Don’t We have World Peace?

In Noah’s day, before the flood, God said, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5 NKJV).”

 

The New Testament condemns the world that existed in Paul’s day.  Paul describes that world in Romans 1:29-32, “ Being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them (Romans 1:29-32 NKJV).  Our society nearly 2000 years later is not better.  The scary part of what Paul says is that society approves the people who practice this immorality.  I trust that none who read this meditation are "approvers."

 

Coming Judgment

I have been reading through the Old Testament and there is a lot more said about coming judgment than there is about a world filled with peace.  Warnings that are not heeded abound.  If I were a Jew whose only hope was in obtaining a country where I could be “safe”, I would be shaking in my boots.  While that day is coming, the day of God’s wrath is coming first; and it is going to be terrible.

 

If I were a Gentile (non-jew) whose only hope is in this life and the pleasures it can bring, I would also be shaking in my boots.  Even scientists are concerned about what we are leaving for the next generation.  We in the US have unbridled corruption in politics, out of control government spending, a war machine that keeps getting bigger and bigger, environmental disasters that are scary to say the least.  We would like to believe that in the United States we will continue to have it good but many things point to a country that has lost its moral compass and that could easily be conquered by those who want to enslave us for their own power and profit.  I don’t want to be a prophet of doom, but I fear that doomsday is coming.

 

World Peace

The little book of Joel uses a locust plague to warn the nation of Israel of coming judgment.  But after the plague the Lord tells the nation, "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25 NKJV).”  I do not believe that promise has ever been completely fulfilled but it will be fulfilled when the Lord sets up His righteous 1000 year reign.  But Joel tells us that first there will be war and then the Lord will establish world peace.

 

When the Lord was born there was a promise of peace.  The shepherds heard a heavenly host saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! (Luke 2:14 NKJV).”  But unfortunately, the Lord was born to be rejected and crucified.  Peace did not come with the Lord’s first coming.  It didn’t come for the Lord or for the nation.  But it will come when He comes the second time!

 

Individual Peace

Since man is so prone to fight wars because of the nature of the human heart, we will probably never see world peace in our lifetimes.  Those of us who are saved now will be in heaven when that peace is established.  The unsaved will either die before or in the great tribulation period.  So what is the solution? 

 

While there is no promise of world peace for those of us living today, there is a promise of peace with God if we will just come to Him and trust Him. That is the peace that we all need and we can have it right now. To get that peace, we have to confess that our hearts are evil, that we are sinners in need of a Savior and then we need to trust the Lord Jesus who righteously forgives those who believe in Him. 

 

Bruce Collins

 

Meditation for the week of December 16, 2018