Archive for Peace

Our Daily Bread…Featuring Paul Beverly

Posted in Paul Beverly with tags , , , , , , on May 14, 2017 by paulthepoke

pb bread

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

My sister asked me yesterday if I was sure we were from the same mother, because I’m so laid back & she’s OCD. She was being funny because of course we have the same mother, we both got our good looks from her 😉. I haven’t always been this laid back though. There’s peace in knowing that stressing & worrying won’t change anything, so why do it. Give your worries & troubles to God & let Him give you peace. Everything always works out.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Have a peaceful Mother’s Day my friends!!!

Our Daily Bread…Featuring Paul Beverly

Posted in Paul Beverly with tags , on May 7, 2017 by paulthepoke

 

pb bread

Having peace in your life & peace with others is the best feeling. You can’t have peace in you’re life if you are at odds with someone. Building others up, instead of tearing them down will bring peace. Why would we not want good for everyone?

Romans 14:19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace & mutual upbuilding.

Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Have a peace making week my friends!!!

Millennial Kingdom: A Just and Truthful Leader

Posted in Isaiah, Millennial Kingdom, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on August 21, 2016 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 9:7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

A focus of this verse is the eternal nature of the rule of Jesus, the Messiah. His rule will increase continually in abundance and it will never end.

There will be peace or shalom in the Hebrew. As described by Strong’s Concordance, this is the idea of peace: completeness, soundness, welfare; safety; health, prosperity; quiet, tranquility, contentment; absence of war; friendship of human relationships; with God especially in covenant relationship.

There will be an abundance of peace with unlimited growth.

Isaiah 11:5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist.

This would be an example where our translators have opted for political correctness. The Hebrew word for loins and waist can also be translated as testicles. This Leader owns “a pair” and He will demonstrate it when it comes to doing things the right way.

The belt is equated with righteousness and truth. This is the case in Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth… and having put on the breastplate of righteousness…The Apostle Paul is quoting Isaiah 11:5 and 59:17.

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.

Jesus will not be flying around and holding pep rallies. He is not going to give speeches on policy and hollow promises. The Messiah will be a man of action.

…act wisely…He will be the agent of change and cause. He will have insight. He will be prudent. He will be a wise teacher. Success and prosperity will be the result.

…do justice…Jesus will act as a judge. He will decide cases and execute judgment with perfection against the laws. See Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. It will be absolutely fair.

…do righteousness…The Lord will do what is morally and ethically right. This is the same word that describes the leader from the line of David, a righteous Branch. Truth will be on display.

Isaiah 42:1-2 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street.”

Jesus is not going to scream and yell at us like politicians (plural) of the 2016 American Elections. He will not be seeking attention to Himself. Look at me! Look at me! Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk…

He will take care of business and just simply do it.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Millennial Kingdom: Prince of Peace

Posted in Isaiah, Millennial Kingdom, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2016 by paulthepoke

Micah 4:3 And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war. See also Isaiah 2:4.

swords-plough

The statue above was given to the United Nations from the defunct Soviet Union. The statue is to symbolize the ideals of the verse above. The UN does not have the first clue about achieving peace. Violence and war have exploded across the planet on their watch.

Family and friends lost to death or permanently injured. Dreams never realized. Mourning, pain, and tears left as a consequence. Lives changed forever…

Look at the instruments of war in the three verses below: chariots, horses, bow, swords, boots, cloaks. These were the weapons of war in Biblical times.

Think of all the money that is spent on war and casualties today. Per Nationalpriorities.org, the United States spent roughly $600 billion on the military budget and $160 billion on veteran’s benefits in 2015. This includes military schools and war colleges. Funds are required to run the Department of Defense and the Pentagon. Dollars are spent on hardware (tanks, planes, missiles, ships, etc.), supplies (gas, food, water, etc.), and clothing.

Zechariah 9:10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; and the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; and His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Hosea 2:18b …I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety.

Isaiah 9:5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.

In the Millennial Kingdom, peace will have no boundaries and will be extended throughout the world. Moneys and resources designated for war will be redeployed to economic growth, technology, and advancement. There will be no more military surplus stores.

There will be no need for border patrols and walls. Isaiah 60:18 Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.

Security systems and guard dogs will be a thing of the past. Isaiah 32:17-18 And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.

Isaiah 66:12a For thus says the LORD, “Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream.”

Humanity has never known a time without bloodshed or war. It started immediately in Genesis 4 when Cain killed Abel. It has only escalated till now in 21st century culture: murder, stabbings, terrorism, missiles, invasions, wars, rumors of wars… You know the drill. We watch, read, and hear about it every day. For now (February 2016), we will keep fighting.

But, human hostility will come to an end. Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

What the Hell…No, Bosom of Abraham

Posted in Gospel, Hell, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 10, 2015 by paulthepoke

Luke 16:22 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.  Not everyone dies and goes to a place of torment. Prior to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, those who believed in God’s coming promises went to be in a place of comfort, the Bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:19-31). Things changed after the good news of the works of Christ. But prior to…

Lightning strikes the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park near Hopi Point. Captured from Cape Royal on the North Rim of the park nearly 12 miles away. Zoroaster Temple is the prominent feature in the foreground.

Luke 16:23 In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. The text is clear. There are two different places in Hades or Sheol or the grave, the right side of the chasm and the wrong side of the chasm. One is a place of comfort.  The other is a place of hell.  The distance in the verse is “far away” or the Greek phrase makrothen apo. It means: a long way off, afar off, a great distance.

Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.

The distance between the two places is “great” or megas in the Greek text. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: great; of the external form or sensible appearance of things (or of persons); in particular, of space and its dimensions, as respects of compass and extent: large and spacious; of measure and height: long. In English we get the adjective “mega” from this Greek work. Anybody watch Mega Structures on TV?

The Greek word for “chasm” is the transliteration chasma. Per Strong’s it means: a gaping opening, a chasm, a gulf.

This gap is ridiculously huge no matter how it is defined. Notice the destination is fixed. Depending on which side you are, there are no transfers. The transfer request is one way. Those with Abraham are not requesting a move. The instructions are for those on the wrong side of gap. They can not come over.

Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. With Abraham’s space there is “comfort”. The original Greek word is parakaleo. It means: to receive consolation; strengthen; exhorting and comforting and encouraging; to call to one’s side, call for, summon. Abraham’s bosom was a call to comfort.

So how did these people arrive at a place of comfort instead of torment? The book of Hebrews provides the answer. With God, it has always been about faith in His word. Ultimately, does one believe what God says? Faith is defined by Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.

Hebrews 11 provides many examples of Old Testament characters who believed of future things to come. Hebrews 11:13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Faith without an object is pointless. “I believe! I believe! I believe!” In what?!?!

The Bible calls on humanity to have faith in the good news or Gospel of Jesus Christ, the promises of His second coming, and a future eternity of peace.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Isaiah 9:7 Kingdom of Peace

Posted in Isaiah, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 9:7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Peace in the kingdom will be limitless. Never ending peace is a constant concept in the Old Testament prophecies of the kingdom. The peace granted is complete. There will be absence of war. And peace will exist with nature and the environment.  Ezekiel 34:25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.”  See also Hosea 2:18 “In that day I will also make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, and will make them lie down in safety.”

The Isaiah verse states this leader will come from the throne of David. This message was communicated and confirmed to the Virgin Mary from the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:31-33. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Once the Kingdom is established, it will be eternal. This same concept is noted in Daniel 2:44. “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

The military commander will do this by His zeal. The Hebrew word for “zeal” is qin ‘ah. Per Strong’s Concordance, this means: ardour, jealousy, jealous disposition of God for His people. God is committed to establishing peace on Earth.

Isaiah 19:23-25 Israel at Peace in the Middle East

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , on May 2, 2011 by paulthepoke

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

There will come a time when there will be a public road that connects Africa to the Middle East. The road will go through Israel. There will be a flow of travel between the two areas. Even more amazing, the Egyptians and the Assyrians will worship the God of Israel.

So where is Assyria? Assyria was at the height of its power during the time of Isaiah. It was the world superpower of the time. The most fertile and densely populated part of Assyria lay east of the central river Tigris. Most of the population lived in country towns. Geographical boundaries were as follows. The Assyrian empire stretched from Egypt on the west to Persia (modern day Iran) on the east and from the Persian Gulf on the south to Anatolia (modern day western Turkey) on the north. This is essentially the Middle East as we know it today (May 2011). Information is noted from New Unger’s Bible Dictionary and Logos Bible Atlas.

During the time of Isaiah, these two countries (Egypt and Assyria) had caused nothing but angst for Israel. The countries flank Israel on the east and the west. Israel was stuck in the middle. Notice what the text says regarding Israel. They are blessing in the middle of the earth or “erets”. The Hebrew word for earth is erets. It could mean the land in this context or the totality of the earth. This would be an incredible prophecy to the Jewish people of the day (incredible for today, May 2011, as well). From the perspective Israel, their two major enemies are going to get along with them in peace. And they are going to worship the God of Israel with them.

Finally, real peace on earth.

Isaiah 19:16 In That Day…

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , on March 28, 2011 by paulthepoke

Verses 16-25 are a unit that results in the return of Christ and the Millennial Kingdom. The section starts with fear, which leads to correction, which ultimately leads to peace. These verses talk and end when there is peace between Egypt, Israel, and Assyria. These areas will all worship the God of Israel and they will all be called “my people” by God.

In March 2011, this seems unthinkable and impossible. Imagine going to the Middle East and telling the Arab and Muslim people, the key to peace is to turn to and worship the triune God of the Bible. Imagine going to Israel and telling Jews, the key to peace is to turn to Jesus Christ as Messiah. There is a ton of passion over there. How well do you think those concepts would be accepted?

These verses are bound together by the term “in that day”. The phrase “in that day” is noted six times in these nine verses. Five times it is the start of a sentence and one time it ends a sentence in the NASB translation.

Verse 16: In that day the Egyptians will become like women, and they will tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He is going to wave over them.

This is an example of idiomatic language. Focus on the verbs tremble and dread. It is a word pair of charad and pachad.

Tremble or charad (Hebrew): to tremble, quake, move about, be afraid, be startled, be terrified

Dread or pachad (Hebrew):  to fear, tremble, revere, dread, be in awe or dread

Why the need for all of this fear? The text is emphatic, God is the cause! It is stated twice that God is waiving His hand. The concept is to swing or wield His hand over them. The grammar is a Hiphil stem verb which indicates God is actively causing things to happen. Lastly, there is the military term LORD of hosts. He is the military commander directing the action.

Before anyone gets upset and their pants get in a wad, spare me the “God is a sexist” nonsense. God is an equal opportunist when it comes to inciting fear. He can also whip men into a frenzy of panic just as well. Ezekiel 21:7 provides a nice example of men being scared. God is talking to nation Israel through the prophet.

“And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

The phrase … all knees will be weak as water… is another way of saying they wet down their leg. In our culture, they whizzed their pants. It is just a matter of fact, declares the Lord GOD.