Speaking of Life 5002 | The Full Package of Peace
Greg Williams

The second Sunday of Advent carries with it the theme of peace. It’s a wonderful reminder of yet another Christmas gift we can anticipate in Jesus’ coming to us. And the gift of peace is certainly a gift that needs to be received in our day and age.

But the gift of peace Jesus brings does not stand alone. Peace is the nature of Jesus’ rule and reign as the true Lord and King of his creation. You cannot separate Jesus’ person as King from his reign of peace. Jesus is not just our source of peace; Jesus is our peace. Peace does not come to us from any other source. That means to receive Jesus’ gift of peace is to receive him as our Lord and King.

When we do, we are receiving the full package of peace. Let me explain.

Peace has a foundation. It is built on righteousness and justice. These three, righteousness, justice, and peace, were the model by which ancient Israel’s rulers were measured. Unfortunately, they often fell short.

Let’s look at all three.

First, Righteousness is a word best understood as an orientation of the heart that seeks truth, compassion, gentleness, goodness, and overall wholeness in all relationships. “Righteousness,” biblically defined, could be rephrased as, “right-relationship.”

Second, Justice is then understood as a working out of these inner qualities within human communities. Therefore, justice comes from individuals whose hearts beat with righteousness in all their relationships. On this basis, justice is not an external law to govern people’s interactions, but an internal reality working out towards others.

Thirdly, Peace, then, is simply the result of communities living in righteousness and justice among one another.

So, these three, righteousness, justice, and peace go together. Listen for the repetition of these three words in Psalm 72 that are desired and sought in a king:

Give the king Your judgments, O God,
and Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
and Your poor with justice.
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
and the little hills, by righteousness.
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
and will break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear You as long as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
like showers that water the earth.
In His days the righteous shall flourish,
and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
Psalm 72:1-7 (NKJV)

No doubt, this Psalm finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our Lord and true King. He is the reason we celebrate the Second Week of Advent with a focus on the theme of peace. Jesus comes to us, bringing to us as gifts of grace his own righteousness, justice, and peace. If your heart is yearning for abiding peace, Jesus comes to you with the full package.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking of Life 5001 | Our Coming Hope
Cara Garrity

This week begins the season of Advent, a time when we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus, his arrival into our lives, and his anticipated Second Coming. During Advent, much attention is given to the arrival of Jesus as a baby in a manger. While we should celebrate the incarnation, overlooking the other ways Jesus arrives in our lives will cause us to miss a lot of what Advent teaches us.

You see, while Advent is a season of celebration, it is also a time of self-reflection and anticipation. We are invited to see and welcome all the ways Jesus unexpectedly arrives in our day-to-day lives.

The Advent season also causes us to anticipate the Second Coming of Christ — a time when all that is wrong will be made right. Though the first advent of Jesus established the kingdom of God on earth, we look around and see that our world is still plagued by war, contention, apathy, hate, and other forms of darkness. Advent gives us hope that the darkness will one day be completely chased away by God’s light.

The prophet Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of the world after Christ remakes it at his Second Coming. He writes:

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Isaiah 2:2-5

Isaiah is using the symbol of a temple mountain for the Kingdom of God, when eternal life is freely given to all who follow Christ. All people will be drawn to God and his rule will be marked by justice and peace. There will be no more war and the things that divide us will fade away. God himself will teach all humanity to be like him and his kingdom will never end. In the midst of the darkness that threatens to fill us with doubt, despair, and disillusionment, Christ fills us with himself – the light that destroys darkness. This is the hope we cling to.

As followers of Jesus, Advent encourages us to live like Christ without hesitation. We are emboldened to stand against injustice, corruption, oppression, and every other form of darkness because Jesus is the Light of the world. We are freed to live boldly in the reality of Christ’s Second Coming, knowing that Jesus is our hope, and he cannot fail.

I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking of Life Script 4052 | A King Worth Celebrating
Greg Williams

We only have six more weeks to the end of another calendar year. Amazing how time flies. You may already be thinking back on all this year has held. Unfortunately, in hindsight, this year has already recorded much destruction and desolation.

But if you are keeping up with the Christian calendar, you don’t have to wait six more weeks to close out the year. Today is the last day on the liturgical calendar which is called “Christ the King Sunday”.  This name indicates what the day is all about – the sovereignty of Christ who is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. It is not surprising that we hear bad news frequently. We live in a broken world, yet we daily pray “Thy Kingdom Come”.  Remembering, just as we will in the next few weeks throughout Advent, that we are awaiting Christ’s ultimate return where all will be set right, where all brokenness will be restored.

Instead of focusing on all that has taken place in our world over the past year, today gives us the opportunity to recount the life and work of Jesus who takes care of all that has taken place, all that is happening today, and all that will happen. Who invites us to join in with him in restoring the destruction we see in the world around us.

We might be surprised to read in Psalm 46 that some of the works of Jesus are to bring desolation to the earth. Yes, Jesus is a king who destroys, but let’s read the middle of this Psalm to see what he destroys.

Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations;
I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Psalm 46:8-11 (NRSV)

Jesus is not like the rulers of our day who tend to repeatedly lead us into more and more destruction. He comes to destroy that which destroys. He destroys destruction.

Now that is something to celebrate! This King lays desolate the great enemy of death. His Kingdom will not follow a calendar marked by war. Rather, he delivers us into his Kingdom of Peace.

And that is why Psalm 46 begins with such good news:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling… The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Psalm 46:1-3, 7 (NRSV)

We may not know exactly how this year will end, but we do know who will reign in the end. Our Lord Jesus is a refuge to us in times of trouble, and is working to bring restoration to our lives and this world. That’s why we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. He is a King worth celebrating.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4051 │ Life’s Paradox
Jeff Broadnax

I’ve been privileged to attend the births of our four children, and as a result, I have the utmost respect for mothers everywhere. Though I haven’t experienced it in my own body, I’ve witnessed the pain and the great courage my wife Karen endured as she birthed our kids. You may have heard the saying among women that “childbirth is the worst pain you’ll ever experience and the fastest you’ll forget.” This highlights the paradox that is the birth experience: out of great suffering, a new life is born. Great pain and great joy. Two contradictory aspects of the same experience that are both true. In our case, we suffered the grief of losing our second-born daughter in the birthing process but later experienced the euphoria of welcoming our only son and later his baby sister into the world.

We weren’t the first to wrestle with this highly personal family journey nor the more common emotional tension between joy and pain that touches all people in physical, emotional and even spiritual ways. Our world is a world of paradox. Think about the seasons. We witness the beauty and new life of spring and summer followed by the decay and apparent deadness of fall and winter. Yet we have difficulty holding the tension in our lives between the pleasures and joys of living with the inevitable sorrows of disappointment, loss, and grief.

Jesus’s disciples were no different from us. They were looking for some certainty, something to hold on to when Jesus prophesied about the temple’s destruction in Luke 21:5-19. Jesus told them that the temple would be destroyed, but rather than answer their questions about when this would happen, Jesus talked about other troubles they might encounter. Things like wars, earthquakes, famines, and persecution. If the disciples were feeling overwhelmed at the thought of the temple’s destruction, they had to be completely anxious after Jesus’ list of troubles to come.

After telling them all the terrible things that might happen in the future, Jesus invited them to embrace the tension of grief with a certainty of hope when he said:

Every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.
Luke 21:18-19 (The Message)

Notice that Jesus did not tell them that their certainty would be found in knowing the exact dates or times of these troubles. Jesus didn’t tell them, “Oh, don’t worry. Nothing bad will ever happen to you.” Instead, Jesus reminded them that life is hard while reminding them that he had gone before and would never leave them.

Jesus’s solution to holding life’s paradox is to know that we are held, lovingly and tenderly by the One who knows how hard human life can be. “Staying with it” means not giving up looking for beauty and blessings in the ashes of sorrow and grief. It means trusting that our salvation will be birthed from living joyfully and participating in God’s love for others whenever we can.

Labor and birth are difficult, but a mother knows that holding the baby in her arms will be worth it. At other times, our life story requires us to endure more than we thought possible, but the Son of God, our elder brother Jesus says, “Sorrow won’t overcome you. Joy will be yours.”

The beautiful tension of life’s joys and sorrows will always be with us on this side of heaven, but we can rest assured that we are always in the care of our triune God.

I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking of Life 4050 | False Assumptions
Greg Williams

A friend of mine was taking a web design class and one of the assignments was to find a poorly designed website to improve by redesigning it. One day one of her classmates asked her to look at the website she had chosen. After looking at it she told her classmate, “Oh wow! That is really a terrible-looking website. That definitely needs to be redesigned.” Unfortunately, my friend had made an assumption. She assumed the website she was looking at was the one to be redesigned, but in fact, it was the one her classmate had already redesigned. Ouch!

Have you ever found yourself embarrassed by holding a false assumption? It happens often and can lead to some pretty funny stories. But some false assumptions can be a matter of life and death. The Sadducees for example held the assumption that there was no resurrection after death. For them, death got the final word. This created quite an embarrassing scene for them after they carried this assumption into an argument with Jesus. You can read that story in Luke 20.

You probably don’t consider yourself a Sadducee, but is it possible we sometimes work from the same assumption – that death has the last word? Even if we believe in a resurrection after death, we can still let false assumptions about death work itself out in our lives. For example, we may fear death in such a way that robs us of the life we have. Are we more focused on death than on the resurrection?

While it’s fine to take death seriously, we should take Jesus’ words of resurrected life far more seriously. Death is not the final word, Jesus – who is God’s word to us – is. We can trust that his words of life to us are the final word to cling to and to live from. And this is something we can be thankful for as we see death all around us in our world today. Jesus’ word is truth.

Paul was thankful the church in Thessalonica was not living by the false assumptions about death but was living by the truth of God’s word about Jesus and his return. Here is how he expressed it:

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.
Thessalonians 2:13 (NRSV)

God’s word to us in Jesus Christ shatters the Sadducees’ assumption that death has the final word. As we wrestle with our assumptions and doubts, may Jesus, the living present word continue to guide you in his way, in truth, and in life. Let’s celebrate the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and ours.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4049: Words of Encouragement
Jeff Broadnax

The most iconic scene in several of the most successful movies is a scene that involves an inspiring speech. This usually features the protagonist addressing a group of people, exhorting them to carry on despite the overwhelming odds that have been stacked against them.

As I am saying this, you may be picturing Mel Gibson astride a horse in the movie, Braveheart. His character, William Wallace, implores his Scottish countrymen to fight their English overlords by saying, “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”

In the movie, Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams’ character is known for his inspirational words to his students, “Carpe Diem”, or “Seize the day!”

Sports fans may recall Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans. He calmly inspires his embattled racially diverse football team at the site of the battle at Gettysburg. He implores them to accept and support each other saying “If we don’t come together, right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like them.”

The fact is, we were meant to be encouraged. When we were children, we were told, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me. I don’t know about you, but I have felt the stinging pain of quite a few words in my life.

Over the years, psychological studies have shown that words do in fact have a profound impact on the human brain and on our personal development. Words have great power; they can breathe life or death into the soul; they can build up someone’s spirit or tear it down.

The apostle Paul’s short second letter to the church in Thessalonica was meant to be a letter of encouragement. The believers were striving to model faith and patience in Christ while undergoing severe persecution and trials. Paul commends them by saying:

³ “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
⁴ Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Paul is writing to a church that has endured the seizure of their property, loss of their livelihoods, and abandonment of their families. Some were beaten and others were put to death.

Through it all, Paul wants them to know that their faith and love are not in vain.

Amidst their trials, God empowers them and provides opportunities for his people to share their faith and love. Their shining example of faith and love is being recognized and honored by their brothers and sisters in Macedonia.

Sometimes in the busyness of life, we are distracted from noticing God’s invitation to join him in ministering to the people around us.

Blinded by our own concerns, we might miss the opportunity to encourage those around us. We may never understand the struggles those around us are facing. The waitress serving you who appears frazzled may be a single mom working extra shifts to put a roof over her children’s heads. The elderly gentleman that shows up early at your church may have been diagnosed with stage four cancer. The uniquely dressed young barista serving your daily latte may be wondering if there is anyone in this world who really cares about her.

Brothers and sisters, let us consider the encouragement that we have from being included in Christ Jesus and join him in sharing his love and faith to build those around us.

I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking of Life Script 4048 | Know Who You’re Talking With
Greg Williams

Have you ever been involved in a mistaken identity? Several years back when I was working for Youth for Christ, I was in Denver, Colorado for ministry training. Some younger staff friends and I went into a specialty shop to pick up a few personal items. The shop owner happened to be minding the cash register.

This shop owner was a tall lean, athletic, gentleman who was a bit older than me. I mentally flipped through my contacts and I came up with the name Alexander English who had played his National Basketball Association career with the Denver Nuggets. I inquired if he was Alex and he politely said no, I am Walter Davis. I begged his forgiveness.

This was a deja vu experience for me because I met Walter when I was high school age. My teammates and I attended a college exhibition game in Asheville, North Carolina when Walter was playing for the University of North Carolina. He did not play that day due to a high ankle sprain. He was sitting up in the bleachers by himself and when we spotted him, we went over and got his autograph and chatted for a while.

I reminded Walter about this occasion, and he remembered that day.

Knowing who you are talking with is important. Have you ever considered how true this is when we are engaging in prayer? Our prayers will be shaped by who we believe we are praying to. Jesus certainly wanted his disciples to know that when they pray, they are praying to his Father, and our Father. Jesus called him Abba Father, which indicates a deep and intimate relationship – an unbreakable bond Jesus shared with his Father. Before he taught them how to pray, he wanted to establish who they were praying to. The Psalms also engage in numerous reminders of who God is as it relates to praying. Listen to this link between prayer and the character and heart of the one they are praying to.

The Psalm doesn’t end there. It goes another eight verses extolling who this God is who answers prayer. And there are many other Psalms that do the same. When it comes to prayer, the psalmists obviously see the importance of being reminded of the identity of who they are praying to.

What about you and me? We are told to pray unceasingly. Do we also seek unceasingly to know the Father who has been revealed in Jesus Christ? Do we call out to the one who hears our prayers, atones for our transgressions, and satisfies us with his goodness? Let’s pray that we do! It will make all the difference in prayer when we know who we’re talking with.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking Of Life 4047 │ Prayer: It’s Not a Transaction
Michelle Fleming

Have you ever bought a snack from a vending machine? You put your coins in, push the button, and then your treat drops down behind a small swinging door where you can retrieve it. That’s what happens if the vending machine is working right. But sometimes the vending machine takes your money and doesn’t drop any treats. You push the coin return, but no coins come back. So you put more coins in, and this time you choose something else. But then that doesn’t work, either. You might give up, or you might file a complaint, but more than likely, you walk away disappointed. The vending machine is part of a transaction where you put money in and expect to receive goods in return.

Sometimes we get the idea that our relationship with God is transactional. We think if we offer up the right prayer, or get the right number of people praying, God will answer. We might also misinterpret scriptures, thinking they are telling us what to do, when what they’re really telling us is how good and gracious God is. A good example of this is in the parable of the Unjust Judge found in Luke 18.

The story goes like this: there was a judge who didn’t care what anybody thought – he only cared about himself. But there was this widow who kept bugging him, night and day, saying, “Give me justice!” Finally, the judge did what the widow asked because he was sick and tired of being bothered.

Many of us who remember this parable might think that Jesus is saying we should keep praying, much like plugging more coins into that vending machine, until God answers our prayer. You may have heard phrases like “storming the gates of heaven,” referring to a particular style of intercessory prayer. These types of prayer are more interested in outcome than in relationship. This parable is about how not to pray.

Notice Jesus’ words as he interprets the importance of the parable’s meaning:

^6-8 “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will.
Luke 18:6-8 (The Message)

The main point of the parable is not about what we do, but it’s about who God is. In the parable, Jesus contrasts the character of an unjust judge with the kind and compassionate character of God. Jesus says that if someone with such low character finally listens to a widow who had no status or money, how much more likely it is that our loving Father God will hear and answer us?

Prayer was never intended to be a transaction, like coins we plug into a vending machine, expecting our desires to be granted. Instead, prayer offers us the chance to develop a relationship with God. Prayer is about knowing God and seeing his divine love and comfort for us and for others. Parables like the Unjust Judge are intended to show us we can always rely on God’s good and gracious character.

My hope is that we all experience prayer as it was so beautifully intended –
a life-giving, loving relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking of Life 4046 | Good Gift
Greg Williams

A couple of years back my son Gatlin proposed to his long-time sweetheart, Erin in a unique way. Under the guise of taking a family walk after dinner with mom, dad, brothers, sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews we found ourselves on the putting green of hole number 5 at Cramer Mountain Golf Club.

As the small kids putted golf balls around Gatlin nestled up to Erin around the hole and slid down to one knee. He presented a shiny white gold ring with a diamond, but before Erin’s attention went to the ring her tear-filled eyes were fixed on Gatlin and her enraptured hug enveloped him as her feet left the ground. Undoubtedly the ring got her attention, and she proudly wore it and flashed it around every chance she got.

What stood out to me was that Erin was receiving Gatlin the man who gave the ring, over and above the ring itself. The ring was great, but life-changing only because of the giver – the person behind the gift. 

I think this is a workable metaphor for what’s going on in Luke 17 when Jesus heals some lepers. If you remember the story, ten lepers are healed by Jesus. They are told to present themselves to the priest as was customary of the law for cleansed lepers. But only one turns back to praise God and thank Jesus for the healing. There is more going on here than a man showing good social graces. All ten received healing from leprosy, but this one man received so much more. His praise and thankfulness was an expression of receiving the one who had healed him. He received the healing, and he received the healer.

That’s one reason scripture so often tells us to praise God and offer thanksgiving. We are being invited to receive and enjoy the Lord who gives himself to us.

Here is a segment of one Psalm that does just that:

¹ Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
² sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise.
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power,
your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
sing praises to your name.” Selah
Psalm 66:1-4 (NRSV)

We can be thankful for the good things the Lord gives us – and they are many. But let’s never miss out on receiving the good Lord himself. After all, he offers himself with every gift he gives.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

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Speaking of Life 4045 | Our Inadequacy
Cara Garrity

Have you ever felt like you were not equal to a task you were given? You try your best, but it seems like you come up short? It is especially tough when you feel inadequate in ministry. Perhaps you tried to do a community event and very few people showed up? Or, maybe you tried to facilitate a connect group and nothing went as you wanted? Or maybe you are too intimidated to even attempt to participate in Jesus’ ministry.  When you feel inadequate it is natural to wonder why God would invite you to participate in his ministry in the first place.

The apostle Paul’s protégé, Timothy, was familiar with the feeling of inadequacy. The young man led a congregation in Ephesus, and he felt like he was not equal to the task. In particular, Timothy wondered if he was too young to meet the ministry needs of Christ-followers far older than himself. In his 2^nd letter to him, Paul wrote to encourage Timothy and to provide some guidance. He said:

³ I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ⁴ Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love
and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:3-7

Notice the first thing Paul did was to confirm Timothy’s giftedness, reminding him of the faithfulness of his mother and grandmother. This, no doubt, brought to Timothy’s mind the ways in which God faithfully worked through his two ancestors. Next, Paul encouraged Timothy to use his gifts, reminding him that God is the one truly working through him. Paul made it clear that Timothy’s ministry was accomplished by the Spirit, and the young minister did not need to trust in his own adequacy but in the God who gifted and called him.

The same is true for us. Participating in Jesus’ ministry can be challenging, and it is easy to feel inadequate. It is important to remember that it is Jesus’ ministry and not our own, and the weight of his ministry is not ours to carry. Jesus is the true minister, and he will accomplish the work that he sets out to do.

The Spirit gives us gifts enabling us to participate in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Again, however, we are not ultimately responsible for the results of that participation – Jesus is. This should free us to use the gifts God has given us without the burden of perfection. We will make mistakes in ministry and things will not always go as planned. However, we are already assured that the ultimate victory has already been won in Christ. While we may feel inadequate sometimes, Jesus is always more than enough.

I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.

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