Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16
"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007
 

"IF IT IS POSSIBLE"

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This entry was posted on 02-26-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18 NIV).

I have found this verse to be true. I want to live at peace with everyone, but not everyone wants to be at peace with me. Some call me a rigid conservative and others call me a rank liberal and some want to call me a taxi and get me out of town. David put it this way: "Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war" (Psalm 120:6,7). How can you live in peace with those who hate peace? Peacemakers cannot live with warmongers.

Still, we are encouraged in our text to do our best - "if it is possible" - "as far as it depends on you." A few chapters later Paul will say: "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification" (14:19 NIV). We all know what leads to peace and we all know what will stir up trouble. We may never be able to live at peace with everyone, but we are to "make every effort" to do what leads to peace. Maybe that's why Jesus pronounced a blessing on peacemakers. If others choose to spurn your efforts, so be it. If others want to be warmongers, that's their choice (a very bad one, I might add). At least you have delivered your soul - you have done your best. At least you will have a clear conscience. Remember what Jesus told the 70 when He sent them out. "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you" (Luke 10:5,6 NIV).

Hymn: "God's command to love each other is required of every man. Showing mercy to a brother mirrors His redemptive plan. In compassion He has given of His love that is divine; on the cross sins were forgiven; joy and peace are fully thine" (Eva. B. Lloyd).

 

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    • 02-26-2008 Letha wrote:
      I noticed that you were up at 2:02 AM
      to write this, Victor. I appreciate your many hours of dedication and even into the early morning hours!! May God grant you strength to continue. You do need some sleep however!

      Dear Letha,

      Actually, whenever I write a Honey from the Rock I "trigger" it to be posted in the AM. If I write it at 4 PM I just change the PM to AM and the next morning it pops up at that time. I am not the "spiritual giant" one might suppose me to be, arising at these early hours to write! Ha!

      Victor
      Reply to this
    • 02-28-2008 Kathleen wrote:
      Vengance is mine saith the Lord, I don't think anyone tried to avoid vengance more than the saints, and few failed to participate in the massive genocide occurring in the US, as it had and would occur for three centuries.

      The war against Utah was largely bloodless, and lasted for two years. The Indians didn't want to stop when Brigham Young said it was over and the
      new, second attempt to seat a new governor was
      complete. They liked cattle and ignored Brigham.

      When it was over, Jacob Hamblin was able to get them to round up what cattle they would and helped they helped him to restore them when possible.

      This was most sucessfull when the trains followed
      all instructions and provisions from the State and
      Church in Utah.

      The animacity against the trains was far less passionate than that of the Genocidal Missourians,
      the most important unanswered question is their
      number and connection.

      There was a genocide against the Mormons and
      Indians, sometimes against the resident Spanish.
      The Mountain Meadows Massacre should be taught
      as secular rather than religious history, but it does
      ask the pivitol question of our era--when does mass murder become Genocidal.

      I beleive the nassacre to have been a mass murder,
      triggered by idiocy on the part of a Missouri militia
      of undetermined size. My grandfather said his father always said they were six to eight in number, but some said the hired guns were up to 200 in number. Maybe the number of drunken
      braggarts was few and their role in triggering the
      massacre was hard to beleive, but any oral history
      does put them at center stage.

      My grandfather was bishop of Cedar City for most
      of his adult life and he took us to Mountain Meadows and gave us a complete account of the Massacre. His Father was only three when it occurred, living on Indian dole in the high country,, hidden from the Army.
      Reply to this
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