“Peace goodwill toward Men”

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MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” Luke 2:14
I believe we are living in historical times. In fact my whole life has seen a barrage of historical moments. Man landed on the moon, color television, cell phones, internet, Facebook, African American president, revivals, Christian music and our next president. In all the ruckus we need to be careful that we don’t miss the miracles in the mundane. The Christmas message is exactly one of those—Christ comes to us in such a small way. Years ago we sang “What a strange way to save the world.” We are manger seekers.

Peace is what the angels sang about that special night with the shepherds. Spurgeon says it better,
“In Christ, God is well pleased; and from Him incarnate, streams of divine complacent love pour out to freshen and fertilize the earth. There had been no peace on earth since Adam fell. But, now, when the newborn King made his appearance, the swaddling band with which he was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man’s conscience and himself, man’s conscience and his God. It was then, that day, the trumpet blew—”Sheathe the sword, oh man, sheathe the sword, oh conscience, for God is now at peace with man, and man at peace with God.” Do you not feel my brethren, that the gospel of God is peace to man? Where else can peace be found, but in the message of Jesus? And what a peace it is, beloved! It is peace like a river, and righteousness like the waves of the sea. It is the peace of God that passeth all understanding, which keeps our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. This sacred peace between the pardoned soul and God the pardoner; this marvelous at-one-ment between the sinner and his judge, this was it that the angels sung when they said, “peace on earth.”
Do you walk in peace my friend? Or are you allowing the election, the horrible news, your bank account or friends to steal your joy? The earthly becomes less earthly as we learn to see more of heaven in it. The Shepherds too had Romans rule breathing down their backs, I am pretty sure their wages were bad and the weather foul. But somewhere in that starry night they looked up. And in that look they were forever changed. The heavens came down and washed them with a new purpose that went far beyond the bleating of the sheep. Happy is he that with open eyes keeps a heart that is open toward the songs of the heavenly. God comes to bring a supernatural peace that eludes the natural. Put your sword down and cease the war. Christ has come!