Peace in political conflict
Ken Lawrence | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 6 months AGO
In the next two weeks our nation will be experiencing the two major political conventions that will presumably set the stage for selecting our next president. This comes at a time when many are divided, hurting, confused, and frustrated.
How then should we approach this time period? Two verses in James, Chapter 5 will help direct us. Verse 13 says, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” Verse 16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other, so that you may be healed.”
Do we have hard times? Then pray. Happy? Then praise. This covers the situation from one end to the other. The key is to come before the Lord in prayer and praise. Can God make a difference in the deepest concerns about our nation? Yes, He does, as we pray and believe.
Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all that you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Ken Lawrence is pastor at River of Life Fellowship in Sandpoint.
ARTICLES BY KEN LAWRENCE
Thank you, believers
A tremendous thank you for all of your involvement this past year as we (Christians) have labored together to proclaim the Kingdom of God in North Idaho. We serve a mighty God, who is good to us all the time. As we enter the new year 2018, we face a changing world, causing fear for some and for many a time of great hope. The Lord continues to bless us and do great things in the lives of people in our region. We have been called to proclaim renewal, revival, and transformation in our areas of influence. We want to rely more and more on the finished work of Christ on the cross and the indwelling power of Holy Spirit to prepare us for continued ministry. We continue to be amazed at the cross-section of people who come through Bonner County and are touched by the word and ministry available in our area. We encourage you to support solid local churches and ministries as well as missionaries, evangelists, etc. who are literally touching the world and speaking directly into our community through conferences and events.
The power of the resurrection
As I was reading the 24th chapter of Luke to prepare my remarks for this column, I decided to change the order of the verses for emphasis. Beginning at the last half of verse 6 from the NLT, we read “remember what He told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man (a title Jesus used for himself) must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified.” This is In reference to the death of Christ that many Christians around the world are remembering today. This year the Jewish people are celebrating Passover, beginning at sundown tonight. This is a foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus delivering believers from death into life.
Thinking about forgiveness
Nations rage, political leaders rage, drivers rage, spouses rage, and all involved are deeply hurt in this process.