© 2023 United Church of God Australia
All correspondence and questions should be sent to . Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to .
Written by Bill Bradford
Most people don't realize that waging peace is more challenging than waging war!
Notice the emphasis that Paul places upon peace in: Ephesians 4:1-3 "I ... beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."
The word endeavour is the key word. In Greek it means, "to exert oneself, to give diligence."
Notice how endeavour is translated in modern translations:
· "making every effort" (Modern English Bible)
· "be zealous in love" (Moffatt)
· "spare no effort" (New English Bible)
· "make it your aim" (Phillips)
· "do all you can" (Jerusalem Bible)
We have to work at peace – we must make it our goal and do all we can do to bring it about.
Most people do not realize that peace has a price. We know that war has a price. Are we willing to pay the price for peace? What is that price? It is our willingness to take an undeserved loss.
Taking a loss is repugnant to human nature. Carnal nature is focused on the self – on our selfish wants and desires. This is one of the chief reasons we sometimes have strife, hard feelings and even division among families and loved ones.
Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is a part of God's nature. Author John Andrew Holmes once stated, "Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it, as we are for war."
"Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14, 15). "The gospel of the Kingdom of God" is the message Jesus Christ instructs His followers to believe. This booklet will help you understand and believe this wonderful good news Jesus Christ announced to humanity!
Is the devil real? Many people assume he’s just a mythological figure or some sort of symbol of all evil. But your Bible tells a very different story. It describes a very real being of enormous power and influence over human beings. In fact, it tells us that this being “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). It describes him as “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4)—an evil spirit being who desires to be worshiped by human beings and who tries to usurp the one true God. How does he deceive the entire world? A major way is through false religion—by infiltrating churches and denominations and subtly influencing them into teaching a “different gospel” and “another Jesus” quite different from what the original apostles taught (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6-9). Could you possibly be influenced by this being? How can you know? You need to read this issue of Beyond Today! It’s vitally important that you understand the truth!