Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God; believe also in me.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. - book of John.
We, as believers, need to believe in his words without doubting lest our hearts fail us in these times, which are quickly coming upon us. Ischaemic Heart disease is the number one killer in the world according to the World Health Organization, and the fear that brings on the stress is caused by the evil works of man, and not so much through the foods we eat or the liquids we drink. This world is filled with wickedness and it is becoming worse, and every day we hear of more astrocious deeds perpertrated by individuals, groups, organizations, war lords, and armies, and it has no end. We hear of the slaughter of the unborn for profit, cannibalism is fashionable among certain circles, adrenochrome is the child's worse nightmare, rape is a cultural issue now exported to the West, the film industry promotes violence and sexual exploitation on a scale never seen before, God-hating people performing the most despicable public acts with macabre indecency, and the list is actively growing by the day. There is no end to the evil imaginings of man. As it was in the days of Noah…If you were to turn to the Book of Romans in the Bible, then you could read for yourself the steps that show the descent into madness when an individual rejects God, and we are seeing it today in all its filth and pure rot. How can you find peace in a world filled with such ungodliness and hate and vice?
By turning to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.
When we watch the news, all we see and hear are the newest molotov cocktails being thrown upon us to agitate our minds with images and words intended to keep us in a state of perpetual anxiety, whether through political pundits, Congressional hearings, social agendas, environmental concerns, epidemics, famine and everything else under the sun. And how can the mind come to a place of restful repose?
By having the peace of Christ.
Internet is truly dumbing down the mind and causing it to work less. It is a known fact that in 1901, the average 8th grader knew more than our high school graduates today! Incredible to admit, but true. We are in a steady state of mental decline because of our immoral excesses coupled with drowning in imagery and worthless entertainment which is known as idol worship. Think American Idol as an example. When you read a book, the mind is learning and the neurons grow. When you watch imagery, the neurons lapse into a state of inactivity. Think about that! Is it to wonder why there is such a massive increase in mental health issues when so much time is spent interconnected with the web? We are in a world where fantasy and reality are becoming almost as one, at least in the minds of those swept into the gaming world, and the technology giants are promoting a new utopia based on governing technocrats. Consider where that will take us. Complete control over every aspect of your life, and if that is not slavery and forced compliance in your mind then your blindness is complete. And the stress is multiplied to the point of numbness and paralyzing obedience, and how can you escape that?
By having the mind of Christ.
In this world we have our woes, and as you know full well, despite the dream machines in the film industry proclaiming otherwise, our future is not looking that bright, but darker as the days advance into the future. Nations are once again ramping up for war as can be clearly seen, and the futuristic weapons of yesterday have become the the proverbial lightning bolts of the gods today. Mass destruction is all but guranteed and the deaths of hundreds of millions will be the result of a handful of maddened individuals who believe that they can rule over a decimated wasteland filled with radioactive decay. And overlooking the fact that as the earth rotates, the winds will carry those deadly clouds back home, and upon their own heads. It’s hard to shop when there is nothing to buy, and infrastructures lay in ruins. Where is your peace of mind now?
Be of good cheer for Jesus has overcome the world.
And so will we when we have the mind of Christ and his peace which takes away all fears, real and imagined. All believers who have placed their faith and trust in him will have that peace for we know that we have a far better home waiting for us. We are pilgrims passing through and we have the hope of being resurrected from the dead and inheriting eternal life if we hold fast until the end. The world does not have this hope for they are dead in their sins and without hope. And that is why we are called to be witnesses and proclaim the good news known as the gospel. Or else how can the world know and thus make their choice when we remain silent? How did we find this hope in Christ if we were not told about him? So, why do you shrink back from proclaiming him to others, and denying them the opportunity to choose? They may want to have his peace instead of the insanity that passes for peace in this world. But they will never know when you remain hidden behind stained-glass windows, a desk, or in some isolated wilderness enclave like monks do. Salt without the flavor is good for nothing but to be trampled upon by men. Is this your witness? If it is, then you are to be the most pitied among those professing the Lord Jesus.
The heart is ill today, and there is no cure for the disease it carries within called sin. There is a dark cavity that nothing in this world can fill except Christ who stands at the door and knocks, wanting to come inside and heal you, if you would but only let him. You can live your life any way you see fit without God in it, but know this; there is coming a day when it is over, when the light that is in your eyes fades to black as it does to the animal that is dying. And in the next moment you will be awoken to face the consequences of a life lived, ignoring the repeated calls to repent and come to Jesus. And now it is too late. You will then realize that your fanciful notions that you believed in were lies, there is nothing left but the harsh reality of facing the Creator whom you scorned and derided, and chose false gods to run after, and where are they now? Lies. All of it.
You have the opportunity today to choose the faith and peace of Jesus Christ or remain with the madness of a world plunging into insanity and ruin. It is truly a choice of the greatest magnitude. Perhaps you are young and thinking you have your entire life before you. Please ask yourself, how do I know this? You can’t answer, and so you play the game of Russian Roulette. Your time to die can come at anytime, and if you are still hedging your bets, and put off the decision to accept God’s offer when you die, then you just lost, forever. Maybe you are an older man or woman, filled with pride and life and have overlooked the fact that mortality has limited your days now as any mirror can testify. You lay down to sleep but are awoken, not by your spouse, but by the angel who is bringing you to judgment. Time is neither friend nor foe. Use it wisely to redeem the time you have by accepting God’s gracious offer of forgiveness through his Son, Jesus Christ.
In closing, only Jesus Christ can give what the heart is longing for, peace in a world filled with woes. Turn to him today while it can still be called a day, before the darkness falls and you are no more in this world.
I remain a brother to the faithful in Christ.
Edward L Ordway
