"Give Peace A Chance" (Reposted, with additional thoughts, and photos)

[Paul and his band @ FedEx Field singing: 'Give Peace a Chance' 8-01-09]





I posted this particular post a couple years ago, and it came back to me as I was reflecting on the Paul McCartney concert I went to this past week.

Paul sang this famous song that John wrote: "Give Peace a Chance", and the crowd loved it. They were all standing, holding the peace sign up [the two fingers deal: which I never understood really] in the air swaying and singing: "All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance".

When I heard that, I thought, "The people here, for the most part, probably have no idea what genuine peace is, or where it can be found. They simply want all wars to end; all violence to cease; and everybody to just get along." Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting that, but there's no substance to it, is there; and nothing you can grab hold of really.

Well, on to my re-post, and so without further eloquence, I leave you to it:

[From August 2007]

I've been reading through the book of Isaiah. Today I came to chapter 57, and the last verse says: "There is no peace, says God, to the wicked". And in chapter 48 the last verse reads: "There is no peace, says the LORD, unto the wicked".

The world is forever seeking peace: A peace according to their thinking, not God's. So the big problem is they seek it without the Lord.
Well, it ain't gonna happen. God says no peace for the wicked.

The world is looking for the wrong peace. John Lennon laid around in bed back in 1969 to protest against the war and for peace, with his wife Yoko Ono.
I watched a portion of a program the other night that featured John & Yoko's Bed-In for peace.
What I saw was sad. It's as if John Lennon, (who I really admire as a musician BTW), was saying, "Hey everybody, it's so easy, and up to now, we didn't understand, but listen to me, and we will have peace, we can do it, if you all listen to me, I figured it out".
And I think he really believed he was right. I thought, "Where does the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ the Lord, fit into your plan John?"
And of course, John didn't want the Prince of Peace. I "imagine" he would say Jesus is alright, but so is Krishna, and even no God is alright, "all we need is love", just love one another.
The problem is that John's definition of love, and of peace, is in big time opposition with the Lord's definition.
So who wins this debate?

Here's what the Lord says: "O that you would have listened to My commandments! then your peace would have been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea". Isaiah 48:18

Jesus declared that He is the One who grants peace. And it's not like the world's peace, which is empty and fleeting. Jesus' peace is eternal, and it's for all who cry out to Him, who confess their sins and ask for His mercy, which He loves to bestow upon all who call upon Him. It's the Cross He died on, which is the ultimate act of sacrificial love, and His rising from the dead, as His testimony to the world, that He is our peace, and the Prince of peace.
He makes peace between us and God. Jesus bore our sins, and endured the Father's wrath upon His broken body. His precious blood washed away our sins.
He grants peace to our hearts, and rest for our souls. If you have never known His peace, then cry out today for His forgiveness. Trust Him as your Lord and Savior. Confess your sins, and He will cleanse you. And then you will know this divine peace. There is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved. Only by the name of Jesus Christ. All other names and ways lead to perdition.