Walls

I was troubled thinking about the threatened survival of many churches, and the pastors who lead them. Then the thought was brought to me:

"If you're not thankful for what you have, you'll lose it."

 

Then I saw as thanks and appreciation were given, walls of protection began to be built around. Perhaps that's why it is stated that "in everything" we are to give thanks, and it is described as "the will of God".

The giving of thanks, appreciation, and gratitude are of great importance to God, and are repeatedly commanded to us in scripture. I'm sure it is not commanded for us to do for His benefit, but for ours.

Are we thankful for our children, even when the relationship gets difficult? Our parents? Our spouses? The place of provision, our employment, that has been appointed for us? Our churches? Our pastors? The stunningly blessed nation with which we have been entrusted?How would our lives be impacted if we were to suddenly lose these people and things? If we are not actively thankful, it could happen, it has happened.

When difficulties or disappointments come, isn't our first reaction to complain and fret? Don't we look for whom to blame? When we pray in these challenging moments, don't we pray for the other person, or the situation to be "changed"? "Please God, change my wife, my husband, and bring her/him to repentance." What if we build walls of thanksgiving around them instead, even when the situation has become difficult? Isn't it just at these times that those walls are most needed?
How did Paul build a protective wall around the churches in the foreign territories that he risked life and limb to establish?
"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers...For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?"   1 Thess. 1:2, 3:9-10
"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus..."  1 Cor. 1:4
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,...that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers."  Rom. 1:8-9
"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy..."   Phil. 1:3-4
"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers..."  Philemon 1:4
Paul's thanks to God for these young churches and saints, who were always facing threats and dangers because of their faith in Christ, did not flow from their perfect state. For some of these churches, Paul goes on to give serious correction. Paul was surrounding these infant churches with the protective wall of thanksgiving.
In another part of scripture, on the occasion of a written decree of a powerful king ordering the persecution to death for the worship of God, Daniel continued kneeling before God three times a day in prayer and the giving of thanks, a practice that he had established since he was very young (Dan. 6:7-10). A wall of protection was established around him as he was sentenced to death in a den of lions. Not only was he spared, but the king reversed himself and ordered the worship of God in all his kingdom. "So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian."   Dan. 6:28
If I had been Daniel, no doubt I would have been praying to God according to the dire circumstances that had come upon me. However, Daniel had developed a habit, or way of life, that involved thanks to God "in everything". Daniel was saved by the walls of protection constructed in his thanksgiving to God.
We are instructed by scripture to enter God's courts and gates with thanksgiving and praise. Could that be because the walls around His courts and gates are constructed from thanksgiving and praise? As we become that same thanksgiving and praise, we are able to pass through them, and enter. Similarly, to enter the walls of the New Jerusalem, only those who bring their glory and honor, could do so (Rev. 21:24).
The walls that encircle the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven, derive from a root word that translates, "break forth, produce fruit from seed, to bear or bring forth, be born, be delivered, be in travail". These walls are so great, that it requires a twelve-layered foundation underneath it. Could it be that those mighty walls, garnished with precious jewels, were conceived in the seed of thanks? Jesus talks about a mighty work that was accomplished in thanks:

Out of ten Samaritan lepers that Jesus sent off to the priests, one returned to thank Him (Lk. 17:12-19). Jesus asked him, "But where are the nine?" ...And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."
Our thanks to God "in everything" is the ultimate expression of our faith. As the new year approaches, I have determined to make a new effort to develop the Daniel habit of giving God thanks "in everything". Out of the seed of this thanksgiving, I look forward to seeing the  fruit that will come forth, and the great protective walls that will rise up out of the ground.

Our Father constructs walls of protection from our thanksgiving.

Peace

As the baby Jesus was born on Christmas day, an announcement went out from the angels:
"Glory to God in the highest (Elohim Elyon), and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 
                                                                                                            Lk. 2:14
As we come into the Christmas season again this year, it doesn't appear that men have gotten that supernatural message of peace. There is turmoil within the individual person who can't seem to be at peace, turmoil within marriages and families, between neighbors, in politics, between races, ethnic groups, cultures, religions, and, of course, nations. Jesus warned that this turmoil would increase as the time of His return draws near (Mt. 24:6-8, Lk. 21:9-10). It seems hopeless. Even those who worship God cannot get along with each other. In this world of unending strife, I wanted to find out more about that promise of peace.
Jesus described the promise this way, as He also spoke about sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to those who believe:
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."   Jn. 14:27
Jesus told us that He gives us His peace. This peace is not the same kind of peace that is created by men for men, as Jesus said. It is not even part of the same understanding of the word. Peace in Christ is described as surpassing and overcoming all understanding, or reasoning (Phil. 4:7). Perhaps this is why it was announced from heaven that first Christmas. It is now in the world, but not of the world.
It is important then for us to know what the peace of Jesus is that He gives to us. In fact, one of the deceptions of the coming Antichrist in order to make the world believe that he is the Christ, is a form of peace that he will establish, which he, himself, will also break (Dan. 9:27, Dan. 11:36-39). We need to understand the true nature of God's peace.
The Greek translation of the word Jesus used for "peace" is eirene. It means "exemption from the rage and havoc of war, security, prosperity, safety, felicity, of the Messiah's peace, the way that leads to peace (salvation)". The root word means "to join". This is an important point. Am I really as joined to Christ as I think I am? According to the word meaning, this joining with Christ is the place from where His peace flows.
The Hebrew of the word used, shalom, is even more interesting. It starts out meaning much the same as the Greek: "welfare, prosperity, peace, safety, tranquility, contentment, friendship". However, if we look at the root word, we begin to see what makes the peace given by Jesus so different from the peace given by men. The root word means, "completeness, soundness, to perform, make an end of, finish, restore, end, full, to make whole or good". The peace of which Jesus spoke is active, transforming to completion. It transforms not only the individual, but also, consequently, all of creation as we will see. This must be part of the reason why Paul said that all creation groans for the manifestation of the sons of God. It is crying out for that peace given by Christ:
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God...because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."
                                                                                                            Rom. 8:18-22
The prophet Isaiah was given an amazing glimpse of a transformation of both man and creation into the condition of peace always intended in the plan of God:
"...For out of Zion shall go forth the law. And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem...They shall beat their swords in to plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the LORD."   Isa. 2:3-5
And for all creation:
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.(And dust shall be the serpent's food.)  The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole. And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."   Isa. 11:6-9 (Isa. 65:25)
As we have seen above, the meaning of the peace to which Jesus referred includes a bringing to a completion, to a conclusion. The transformation begins in that peace announced from heaven two thousand years ago, and concludes in that miraculous peace of man and creation shown to the prophet Isaiah.
That transformation of peace begins in each one of us. This Christmas, let us be joined to Christ, and to His peace.

Our Father declared by His angels, "...on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Merry Christmas to you, and God bless you.