‘Longing’ For Peace [v298]

DECEMBER 2023

With all the hostilities and wars that are going on these days, I’ve got to believe that we all are ‘LONGING’ for peace. So then, is there ‘something’ each of us can do, or is there ‘someone’ that can help to create world peace? Or, even just personal peace?

INTRODUCTION
So, when turning on the television, ‘surfing’ the Internet, or scrolling through social media causes you anxiety and throws you into a spiral of ‘depression’, it just might be the time for you to find a ‘SOURCE’ of serenity and peace.

Webster’s defines peace as “Untroubled; A state of tranquility or quiet; Freedom from civil disturbance; A state or period of mutual concord between governments; and Freedom from disturbance or oppressive thoughts or emotions.”

For some, that may look like inner balance, and for others that looks like global unity. No matter if you are on a personal journey for inner harmony or pursuing better relations in your community and beyond, the feeling of peace can be soothing.

The following is a collection of quotes that embodies all levels of peace and, hopefully, will encourage you to pause, reflect, and be sort of a ‘guide’ to lift your ‘spirits’, reduce or eliminate your depression, and ultimately, create a more harmonious world, with your help and your encouragement of others.

“Peace is not something you wish for, it is something you make, something you are, something you do and something you give away. ”
[ Robert Fulghum ]

“You have peace,” the old woman said, ‘when you make it with yourself’.”
[ Mitch Albom ]

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”
[ Eleanor Roosevelt ]

“World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just the mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”
[ Dalai Lama XIV ]

“Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be achieved unless we first establish peace within our own minds. We can send so-called ‘peacekeeping forces’ into areas of conflict, but peace cannot be opposed from the outside with guns. Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.”
[ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso ]

“A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, can even enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.”
[ Daisaku Ikeda ]

“Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time.”
[ Lyndon B. Johnson ]

“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”
[ Ronald Reagan ]

“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.”
[ Indira Gandhi ]

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
[ Desmond Tutu ]

“If you are depressed you are living in the past if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.”
[ Lao Tzu ]

“Peace is an attitude and a choice we make. For there ever to be peace on earth, peace must become a viable option for people to choose to work out their problems; peace must be the accepted and preferred option.”
[ Robert Alan Silverstein ]

“Every year at this time, an important phrase marks the season: peace on earth and goodwill towards men. It’s so common we sometimes forget about what it really means—that we strive for a world without war, a society where we respect and help our neighbors, a place where we protect and uplift our most in need. This isn’t a phrase we should live by for one day or one month. It’s a set of values that must bond and motivate us every day.”
[ Dennis Kucinich ]

“If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nations. When there is order in the nations, there will be peace in the world.”
[ Confucius ]

“The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does.”
[ Thomas à Kempis ]

Peace remains a goal for ‘introspective’ individuals around the world. The lifelong search for inner peace challenges all of us to learn more about ourselves while developing a better understanding of others. To develop “a state of mutual accord” with each other—which will, in turn, propagate beyond their relationship to even more people—and so on and so on.

So, desire that there be peace on earth and let it ‘BEGIN’ WITH YOU!

[ VIDEO: “Let There Be Peace On Earth” – Voices of Hope Children’s Choir (Virtual Choir):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgL1v8FZaNM&t=21s ]

Now, I will try to suggest some things that will inform and challenge you—and me—to embark on a ‘JOURNEY’ to find ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ peace. After all, most of the above quotes advocate a journey of sorts, delving into oneself to find contentment and tranquility for oneself first, and then spreading your peace to others.

<<< TABLE OF CONTENTS >>>

‘FINDING’ PEACE
CHARACTERISTICS
– Feeling comfortable and be at ease with yourself
– Being able to take minor day-to-day stressors in your stride
– Being content with your life and accepting circumstances the way they are
– Feeling confident that you can manage anything that comes your way
– Being empathetic toward others and being able to build healthy relationships
– Not being dependent on others’ approval for your happiness
– Having a calm and positive outlook on life

ISSUES AND REASONS
– Stress
– Insecurity
– Anxiety
– Depression
– Conflict
– Mental Health Conditions
– Difficult Circumstances
– Stress Or Anxiety

ADVANTAGEOUS ‘PRACTICES’
– Monitor Your Thoughts
– Reframe Your Negative Thoughts
– Find Positive Outlets For Negative Emotions
– Accept Things You Cannot Change
– Live In The Present
– Gain Perspective
– Avoid Self-pity
– Do Not ‘Link’ Your Happiness to External Circumstances
– Be Grateful
– Be Kind
– Take Responsibility for Your Actions
– Don’t Let Your Past Mistakes Define You
– Practice Acceptance and Contentment
– Distract Yourself
– Do Not ‘Pressure’ Yourself
– Resist Guilt
– See Failure As A Learning Opportunity
– Challenge Your “Shoulds” and “Musts”
– Do Not Compare Yourself With Others
– Worry Less
– Slow Down
– Less is More
– Practice Forgiveness
– Keep A Journal
– Get Back To Nature
– Laugh A Lot
– Social Media Detox
– Make Time For Yourself
– Practice Self-Care
– Love Unconditionally
– Take Stock
– Have Goals

ISRAEL’S ‘QUEST’ FOR PEACE
A ‘BIT’ OF HISTORY
‘LAND’ FOR PEACE
LONG ‘ROAD’ TO PEACE

ISRAEL PEACE PLANS
FAILED PEACE PLANS
– 1920: BRITISH MANDATE
– 1937: PEEL COMMISSION
– 1947: UN PARTITION PLAN
– 1967: UN RESOLUTION 242
– 1978: CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
– 1988: THE FIRST INTIFADA
– 1991: MADRID CONFERENCE
– 1993: OSLO
– 1995: OSLO II
– 2000: CAMP DAVID/CLINTON PARAMETERS
– 2002-2003: VARIOUS ‘FRAMEWORKS’
– 2005: ISRAEL’S WITHDRAWALS
– 2008: OLMERT’S PEACE OFFER
– 2014: KERRY INITIATIVE
– 2020: PEACE TO PROSPERITY/“DEAL OF THE CENTURY”
– 2023: U.S. CALLS FOR A TWO-STATE SOLUTION

THE GAZA GREENHOUSES: A ‘PARABLE’

CAN ANYTHING BE ‘DONE’?
SO, WHAT’S THE ‘SOLUTION’?
NEGOTIATE ‘REALISTICALLY’
TIME FOR A ‘NEW’ APPROACH

‘PSEUDO’ PEACE
ANTICHRIST
PEACE COVENANT
GREAT TRIBULATION

SO, IS ‘WORLD’ PEACE REALLY POSSIBLE TODAY?
WHY ARE SOME COUNTIES MORE ‘PEACEFUL’?
‘WAYS’ TO PROMOTE PEACE
‘PEACEMAKERS’

THE ‘KEY’ TO INNER PEACE
PEACE ‘WITH’ GOD
PEACE ‘OF’ GOD
‘TRUE’ INNER PEACE
TRUST ‘INCREASES’ PEACE

JESUS, THE ‘PRINCE’ OF PEACE
‘WHY’ IS JESUS OUR PRINCE OF PEACE?
– A Peaceful Ministry And Example
– A Peaceful Relationship With God
– Restoration Of Relationships
– Peace Of Mind During Difficult Tribulations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkdyNUYeuHA
[ VIDEO: “For Unto Us a Child is Born” – Handel’s Messiah ]

THE ‘COMFORTER’

‘REAL’ WORLD PEACE
MILLENNIUM
NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH

FINALLY, ‘UTOPIA’!

WRAP-UP
THE ‘ORIGIN’ OF PEACE
PEACE IS A ‘GIFT’
NOT SUBJECT TO ‘CIRCUMSTANCES’
CHRISTMAS IS ‘SPECIAL’
CLEAR ‘SIGNS’ OF GOD’S PEACE
– God’s Peace Transcends ‘Circumstances’
– God’s Peace ‘Surpasses’ Understanding
– God’s Peace Is ‘Available’ To All Believers
– God’s Peace Is Intended To Be A ’State Of Being’

WHY ONE ‘LOSES’ THEIR PEACE
– Sudden ‘Fear’
– Satan, The ‘Enemy’
– Sin
– ‘Giving Up’ Peace
–Losing ‘Focus’

ESSENTIAL ‘BELIEFS’ FOR A PEACEFUL HEART
– God Is Absolutely ‘Sovereign’
– God Is The Believer’s ‘Provider’
– God Made The Believer For A ‘Purpose’
– God Has A ‘Place’ For The Believer To Belong
– God Has A Plan For The Believer’s ‘Fulfillment’

HOW THE ‘THOUGHT LIFE’ AFFECTS ONE’S PEACE
– Sinful Thoughts
– Self-limiting Thoughts
– Erroneous Thoughts
– Unrealistic Thoughts
– Rebellious Thoughts
– Obsessive Thoughts
– Enslaving Thoughts

THE ‘POWER’ TO CHOOSE
LIVING WITHOUT ‘REGRET’
GIVING UP ‘ANXIETY’
‘OVERCOMING’ FEAR
LEARNING TO LIVE ‘CONTENTLY’
MAINTAIN YOUR ‘FOCUS’ ON GOD
PEACE WHILE ‘SUFFERING’
‘ETERNAL’ PEACE

<<< SUMMARY >>>

The following is a collection of ‘snippets’ from the post that aims to give you the overall ‘gist’ of this post.
[ 10-15 Minute Read ].

‘FINDING’ PEACE
So, do you often feel stressed, worried, insecure, uneasy, or simply too busy to be ‘at peace’? In our chaotic world, finding peace of mind can be sometimes really hard to achieve.

The thing is, there are some ‘characteristics’ that can help one feel at ease and ‘centered’ amidst chaos.

CHARACTERISTICS
– Feeling comfortable and be at ease with yourself
– Being able to take minor day-to-day stressors in your stride
– Being content with your life and accepting circumstances the way they are
– Feeling confident that you can manage anything that comes your way
– Being empathetic toward others and being able to build healthy relationships
– Not being dependent on others’ approval for your happiness
– Having a calm and positive outlook on life

ISSUES AND REASONS
– Stress
– Insecurity
– Anxiety
– Depression
– Conflict
– Mental Health Conditions
– Difficult Circumstances
– Stress Or Anxiety

ADVANTAGEOUS ‘PRACTICES’
Well, the most important thing I have learned about one’s peace of mind is that it is not ‘situational’. A lot of people look for peace of mind by trying to predict the future and by controlling everything and everyone around them. However, when they try to ‘anchor’ their sense of well-being to an ever-shifting, chaotic world, they will undoubtedly feel constantly anxious and unsettled.

True peace of mind is not contingent upon circumstances. It is a way of thinking—a choice to ‘rise above’ one’s situation. One has to be a person of peace and choose to live a life of peace—which paradoxically means they have to be prepared to encounter difficulty.

Now, the best way, which has been suggested by psychological experts, is to have ‘PRACTICES’ that prepare one for life’s challenges when they come. So then, the following are some ‘practices’ that can help one find peace of mind (with more available in the “Articles” section below):

– Monitor Your Thoughts
– Reframe Your Negative Thoughts
– Find Positive Outlets For Negative Emotions
– Accept Things You Cannot Change
– Live In The Present
– Gain Perspective
– Avoid Self-pity
– Do Not ‘Link’ Your Happiness to External Circumstances
– Be Grateful
– Be Kind
– Take Responsibility for Your Actions
– Don’t Let Your Past Mistakes Define You
– Practice Acceptance and Contentment
– Distract Yourself
– Do Not ‘Pressure’ Yourself
– Resist Guilt
– See Failure As A Learning Opportunity
– Challenge Your “Shoulds” and “Musts”
– Do Not Compare Yourself With Others
– Worry Less
– Slow Down
– Less is More
– Practice Forgiveness
– Keep A Journal
– Get Back To Nature
– Laugh A Lot
– Social Media Detox
– Make Time For Yourself
– Practice Self-Care
– Love Unconditionally
– Take Stock
– Have Goals

Now, while greater mental and emotional peace is possible for anyone, it may not happen overnight. Offering yourself kindness and compassion along the way—while remembering that patience also plays an important part—can make all the difference.

As mentioned previously, peace of mind is a ‘JOURNEY’ and may look different for everyone in attaining it.

Finding peace helps us beyond feeling relaxed. It helps us cope with tough times and bounce back from adversities.

What is important to remember is that developing peace of mind is a ‘SKILL’—it can be ‘learned’. Like any other skill, to be good at it, all it takes is some ‘baby steps’, consistency, and plenty of patience.

ISRAEL’S ‘QUEST’ FOR PEACE
One pertinent and current example of ‘looking’ for and wholeheartedly desiring peace is the country of Israel. For over the past 75 years—since Israel became a ‘State’—Israeli leaders have tried time and time again to make the dream of peace a reality.

Territorial disputes, security concerns, the status of Jerusalem, settlements, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees have remained significant obstacles—as well as Palestinian leadership always saying, “No!”

In last month’s post, I discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and what the Bible says about how Israel will successfully defend itself in this conflict, and will ‘stand’ against its neighboring enemies to ‘survive’ for the long term.

Although I presented some information about the current situation and a historical timeline of Israeli wars, I would like to focus on Israel’s fervent desire and passionate ‘LONGING’ for peace in their land.

A ‘BIT’ OF HISTORY
In 1947, the United Nations proposed a plan whereby land that was owned and occupied by Jews would become Israel and the land owned and occupied by Arabs would become an Arab state, with Jerusalem under international control.

The Jews accepted the plan however the Arab nations rejected it. So, on May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. However, less than 24 hours later, the Egyptians, Syrians, Iraqis, the Transjordanian Arab Legion, and the Arab Liberation Army combined their forces to sweep into Israel intending to put the infant nation to ‘death’.

For nearly a month, the contest raged over the length and breadth of the land. Jewish forces—initially with a tank, fighter plane, and field gun—suffered heavy casualties. HOWEVER, they were able to ‘STAND’ against the invaders, and on June 11, in response to an initiative by the United Nations, a truce was called.
———
[ FYI: For more details on the history of Israeli conflicts, view last month’s “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/israel-will-stand-v297/ ]
———
However, the vaunted Palestinian “cause”—which Hamas has dutifully pursued—has never been about creating peace. Its followers have made it clear, for more than a century, in words, actions, and strategic decisions, that their “cause” was always the prevention, and then the destruction of a Jewish state in any part of the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Hence, the saying, “Free Palestine from the River to the Sea.”

Had Palestinians truly pursued the rational goals that the West had suggested, they would have achieved peace a long time ago. However, for far too long, Palestinian groups have been nourished, indulged, and sustained by their ‘enablers’ to keep fighting for an annihilationist cause, rather than moving on, and creating prosperous lives for themselves.
———
There has never been a sincere and genuine effort toward peace with their Jewish neighbors. To the contrary, despite false rhetoric, the enemy’s goal remains the elimination of Israel and replacement with the hoped-for (single) State of “Palestine.”
———
Now, has Israel applied everything perfectly? Nope, but where is such perfection found anywhere in the world?

The so-called “occupied” territories are far more accurately termed “disputed.”

They are in large part populated by people who are conditioned toward hatred and violence by a corrupt “leadership” obsessively driven toward Israel’s destruction. This “leadership” has NO motivation toward a peaceful “two-state” solution.

This opportunity has been offered by Israel at least twice. It has been rejected. Painful concessions in Gaza have led to disastrous results. Terror continues unchecked, even encouraged.

It seems to me that Israel REALLY longs for a true and secure peace.

Israel’s opponents will achieve peace with consequent full freedom and unfettered economic development when they change their “leadership,” recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and agree to sincere face-to-face negotiations.

Sadly, this does not seem to be likely in the foreseeable future.

‘LAND’ FOR PEACE
Until the Palestinians and Israel’s other recalcitrant neighbors give up their obsession with ending the Jewish state, no sacrifice of territory will succeed!

For more than 50 years, “land for peace” has been the strategic paradigm for all who seek to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Israel’s peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates has finally repudiated that concept, however, and politicians and pundits should toss out their tired, old models and start visualizing new possibilities.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, passed in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967, laid out the concept of Israel relinquishing land it captured during its defensive war in return for recognition, an end of conflict, and peaceful relations with its neighbors. In the 53 years since, more often than not (with the exception of Israel’s treaty with Egypt), “land for peace” has failed to solve the conflict. While Jordan gave up its illegal claims to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (aka “the West Bank”) after the 1967 war, its later treaty with Israel did not formalize trading this land for peace.
[ more…]

LONG ‘ROAD’ TO PEACE
Peace in the Middle East is a highly discussed topic by not only Jews and Arabs but by the entire world. It is something many people dream of and hope to see in their lifetime. To accomplish peace, both sides must value the idea of peace and prove that it is something they desire. Israel is a country that strongly values putting forth an effort to make peace with its surrounding countries. On countless occasions throughout history, Israel has demonstrated its willingness to make painful concessions with its neighbors to achieve peace.

It is important to understand that peace can only be achieved if both sides are willing to negotiate and make sacrifices. In the past, both sides have acted in ways that have made it difficult to achieve peace. The Arab League has three fundamental policies that have made it difficult to make peace, the “Three No’s” (“No peace with Israel; No recognition of Israel; No negotiations with Israel”). These three guidelines have been one of the main causes of the failure to make peace deals in the past. Despite a slow shift away from these three “No’s” by Arab countries that have been normalizing relationships with Israel, peace can only be achieved if both sides recognize a desire for peace and are willing to negotiate with one another. As more Arab countries disregard the “Three No’s” and recognize the need for peace, a huge ‘step’ will be made in the right direction.

ISRAEL PEACE PLANS
FAILED PEACE PLANS
There have been numerous international efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In each case, Israeli leaders agreed to negotiate or said “Yes,” while Palestinian leaders said “No.” The following gives a summary of the ‘major’ peace plans and ‘frameworks’—all of which failed:

– 1920: BRITISH MANDATE
– 1937: PEEL COMMISSION
– 1947: UN PARTITION PLAN
– 1967: UN RESOLUTION 242
– 1978: CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
– 1988: THE FIRST INTIFADA
– 1991: MADRID CONFERENCE
– 1993: OSLO
– 1995: OSLO II
– 2000: CAMP DAVID/CLINTON PARAMETERS
– 2002-2003: VARIOUS ‘FRAMEWORKS’
– 2005: ISRAEL’S WITHDRAWALS
– 2008: OLMERT’S PEACE OFFER
– 2014: KERRY INITIATIVE
– 2020: PEACE TO PROSPERITY/“DEAL OF THE CENTURY”
– 2023: U.S. CALLS FOR A TWO-STATE SOLUTION

THE GAZA GREENHOUSES: A ‘PARABLE’
Sadly, as I write this at the end of the year in 2023, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is still in the Gaza Strip—since the Hamas invasion on October 7th—ferreting the terrorists out of the immense ‘network’ of underground tunnels and in ‘civilian’ building such as hospitals.

Author Robert Spencer, in his book “The Palestinian Delusion,” created sort of a ‘parable’ to explain the attitudes and actions of Hamas and the Israelis in the Gaza Strip.
[ more…]

CAN ANYTHING BE ‘DONE’?
Even though Israel gave the Palestinians a wonderful economic ‘foundation’ to grow from, they squandered it. It could have been the next ‘must see’ tourist attraction on the Mediterranean Sea, with a substantial economic ‘base’ to support all of the Palestinian civilians well. Instead, they have spent the past almost two decades destroying the foundation given to them, and worse, turning it into a “massive military base brimming with weapons to make endless war” on the country that gave them so much.

SO, WHAT’S THE ‘SOLUTION’?
Well, sadly but realistically, according to Robert Spencer, there is no solution, at least not one that will bring about genuine amity and a situation in which Israelis and Palestinians live peacefully as neighbors.

Now, that is not something that people today, particularly Americans, want to hear. There is a prevailing assumption that if we just sit down and talk with one another, we will ultimately be able to find common ground and work out all our differences.
[ more…]

NEGOTIATE ‘REALISTICALLY’
Again, Robert Spencer says that if open-eyed and courageous leaders were in office in Jerusalem and Washington, they would make any further negotiations with the Palestinians contingent upon the renunciation of Jihad terrorism in word and deed. That is, Palestinian leaders must arrest and prosecute the leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terror groups, and move energetically to end all terror activities against Israel. Programs must be instituted in mosques and Islamic schools in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, teaching young Muslims that the doctrine of Jihad and the idea that no land can be ruled by non-Muslims after it has been ruled by Muslims, and must be rejected now and for all time. This cannot be a matter to which the Palestinians pay lip service while continuing jihad activities; jihad terror must be fought in word and deed, in a manner that would be transparent on inspection.

Previous negotiated settlements have included the requirement that Palestinians renounce terrorism, and they did so on paper but never made even a token effort to do so in reality. Any future negotiations should not even begin until this has been done and the Palestinians can show that it has been done to the satisfaction of all parties.

So, is this likely ever to happen? Well, probably not, if the Palestinians continue to incite hatred and violence against Israel.

TIME FOR A ‘NEW’ APPROACH
The response of Israel, and the free world in general, should not be fear or hatred, but a sober realism and a determination to remain resolute against the Jihad, to defend Israel as a legitimate state and a free society, and to stand firm for humane values and the principles of human rights.

The 1,400-year history of Jihad is full of infidels deluded by wishful thinking or debilitated by cowardice, and the history of the Israel-Palestinian “peace process” is full of examples of both. These fantasies have been fatal for all too many people.

The people of Israel have endured enough. The Palestinian Arabs have endured enough. They both deserve better. Only those of true ‘goodwill’ can solve this dilemma. Peace is based on parity and equality. Peace requires ‘partners’, and so far the Palestinians have failed to step forward and become one.

‘PSEUDO’ PEACE
The thing is, the Bible tells us of a man who will, one day in the near future, negotiate a peace for the entire Middle East. However, it describes it as a ‘deceptive’ peace—led by a man called the Antichrist.

ANTICHRIST
The prophet Daniel told us that there will be a time when a very ‘charismatic’ man will sign a peace “covenant” with Israel and her neighbors in the Middle East (Daniel 9:27a). This will probably be after the “Gog and Magog” war that will have Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a few other Arab countries attack Israel for their “great booty.”

[ FYI: For more details about the “Gog and Magog” war and the entire Tribulation time, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ]
[ more…]

PEACE COVENANT
Israel WILL experience the peace that they have long desired! That is why they will ‘jump’ at the opportunity to sign the peace covenant that the Antichrist will be promising—and they will truly believe that he has the power to do so.

This will then allow Israel to live in “peace and safety” (1 Thessalonians 5:3a) and build their third Temple so they can resume the animal sacrifices that their forefathers did to atone for the sins of the people.

Another probable thinking of Israel’s leaders at is time will probably be the belief that all this will hasten the coming of the Messiah and, in turn, the beginning of the glorious Messianic Kingdom age. [ However, the prophet Isaiah warns that the covenant will be short-lived: “Your covenant with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last” – Isaiah 28:18a ].
[ more…]

GREAT TRIBULATION
So, Antichrist will pick up where Hitler left off, and attempt to annihilate the Jewish people from the face of the earth. The Antichrist’s extermination campaign prompts many Jews to flee, “into the wilderness” to a special place where they will be protected and nourished by God for the last half of the Tribulation.

The prophet Daniel indicates the location of the wilderness safe place where the Jews will flee. He states that the Antichrist will conquer all the Middle East except Edom, Moab, and Ammon. These are areas that are all included in modern-day Jordan. The wilderness hideaway in Jordan is likely to be the remarkable box-canyon city of Petra. It is a city whose buildings are carved out of the walls of the surrounding canyon. In its heyday, about 400 years before Christ, it contained a population of tens of thousands.

Even though the Antichrist will be very successful in his war against the Jews [ the Bible indicates that two-thirds of the Jewish people will be killed by the Antichrist during this time (Zechariah 13:8) ], however, he will fail in his ultimate goal of ‘totally’ annihilating all the Jews. The Scriptures repeatedly tell of a great ‘remnant’ of the Jews who will live to the end of the Tribulation at which time they will receive Jesus (Yeshua) as their Messiah (Isaiah 10:20-23; Zechariah 12:10; Romans 9:27-28; and Romans 11:25-26).

All this to say, peace WILL FINALLY ‘COME’ to Israel—including the entire Middle East—HOWEVER, it is all a ‘TRAP’ and will end with the ‘CAMPAIGN’ OF ARMAGEDDON!

[ FYI: For more details about the “Campaign of Armageddon,” view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ]

SO, IS ‘WORLD’ PEACE REALLY POSSIBLE TODAY?
Is world peace really possible today—especially with 32 countries involved in armed conflicts? [ According to “World Population Review”; As of September 2022 ]. So, is there even a ‘glimmer’ of hope, amidst the ongoing conflicts we see around the world, for world peace?

Well, historians might quibble over the exact details, but by most accounts, there have been only a few brief periods in history that have been free from war. Much of recorded history has also been filled with imperial or colonial occupations (where a powerful nation uses force to rule over other nations).

Now, in some of the relatively peaceful periods in history—including certain periods under the Roman Empire, and the so-called “long peace” after World War II—the relatively war-free state of politics was due to there being one super-powerful nation that had a particularly strong imperial influence over the rest of the world. If the only reliable way to avoid war is to have global empires ruling by force, then the prospects for any meaningful world peace seem a bit grim.
[ more…]

WHY ARE SOME COUNTIES MORE ‘PEACEFUL’?
Decades ago, Dr. Peter T. Coleman, Ph.D. (professor at Columbia University who directs the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution) and Dr. Douglas P. Fry, Ph.D. (a professor of peace and conflict studies at the University of North Carolina) pulled together a multidisciplinary team of researchers to discover what makes some societies more peaceful than others. It was an eclectic group of scholars (which started gathering together in 2014). They were psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers, astrophysicists, environmental scientists, political scientists, data scientists, and communications experts, who were interested in gaining a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of lasting peace.

Back in 2018, they produced some findings that, even a cursory glimpse at their causal-loop diagram of the science of sustaining peace, gives one a sense of the highly complex nature of the system of ‘drivers’. They found that there are many different paths to peacefulness through both our review of the science and our conversations with community members living in peace.

Most of the societies that currently rank as highly peaceful—the Nordic nations, New Zealand and Australia, Costa Rica, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Canada, and Qatar—came to peace through very different processes and maintained it through distinct means.

However, when our team systematically compared a sample of peace systems with a randomly selected comparison group, we discovered that peace systems tend to share certain commonalities:
[ more…]

‘WAYS’ TO PROMOTE PEACE
Another organization focused on promoting world peace—the nonprofit, “Universal Fundraising Organization” (that helps World Peace organizations with funds and promotions for the causes to which they are directed)—suggested 50 ways to promote peace:
[ more…]

‘PEACEMAKERS’
Well, let me suggest that there has been a concept similar to “peacebuilding” for MANY years now—called “peacemakers”—that is focused on the individual ‘becoming’ one of these.

In the Bible, “peacemakers” are described as being like farmers who are sowing seed for a harvest—which requires time and patience. But the outcome is ‘profitable’ and is referred to as “a harvest of righteousness.” This is meant to be ‘applied’ to the peace and justice for both individuals and society. It so happens there is a Hebrew concept for this termed “shalom.”

Shalom is a word that is very large and all-encompassing. The root meaning of shalom is “to be whole,” and describes a “state of being at ease.” In essence, it’s a desire for completeness, contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, blessing, and well-being—for ‘prosperity’ on all levels. It promotes ‘internal’ peace in the hearts of individuals, and ‘external’ peace between peoples and nations.

As Shalom suggests, the reality is that there will never be peace in the world until peace exists between nations. There will not be peace inside a nation unless peace resides in each community. There won’t be peace in our communities until there is peace in our families. There will not be peace in our families until peace dwells within each of us—and that won’t happen unless the “Prince of Peace” (Jesus) ‘reigns’ in our hearts.

This sentiment is summarized by the song, “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” which ends with: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” [ Links to video presentations of this song are below in the “Songs” section. ]
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“Peacekeepers” are those who avoid being confrontational, and try to keep ‘tensions’ from rising by guiding conversations away from subjects that might cause strife.
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“Peace-lovers” might be considered an ‘extreme’ case of a “peacekeeper”—they are ‘pacifists’.
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“Peacemakers” are those who desire to create ‘settlements’ between disputing parties.
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Peacemaking is a more encompassing term than it appears. Since it means “everything which makes for a man’s highest good,” it is another, more specific term for love. Loving under every circumstance is not easy but is possible with God’s help!

So then, what specifically should someone do?
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THE ‘KEY’ TO INNER PEACE
Well, the Bible says that humans were created with a deep longing for harmony, balance, and peace—with God, and with ourselves. Longing for the lost ‘Garden of Eden’.

Now, God has a plan to bring back humanity and all creation to this lost state of eternal peace and joy. Through Jesus—called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6)—God has triggered His redemptive and restoration plan. The plan’s conclusion is a heavenly Jerusalem and the New Heavens and the New Earth. This is life without curse, suffering, weeping, pain, sorrow, and death (Revelation 21:3-4)—‘TOTAL’ PEACE!

So, we find ourselves now in this world in a ‘state’ in between. We are ‘in-between’ the Garden of Eden and the New Heaven and New Earth—a ‘transitional’ interval of time. HOWEVER, while we are waiting for this perfect peace, God gives us access to ‘inner’ peace and joy ‘IN’ Jesus.
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PEACE ‘WITH’ GOD
Peace with God is never available apart from grace. The cross of Christ is the focal point of grace and is the source of peace. Jesus Christ is our eternal peace. “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” [ Romans 5:1 ].

Jesus removed the ‘barrier’ and made peace between man and God. So, when the unbeliever responds to grace by faith, the result is peace.

The Apostle Paul provides a good illustration of how God made it possible for anyone to have peace with Him, with special emphasis on the fact that such different people as Jews and Gentiles have a clear opportunity for accepting Jesus as their Savior—the ‘Substitute’ for their sins and the ‘Reconciler’ to God the Father.
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PEACE ‘OF’ GOD
In one’s lifetime, one can experience some peaceful moments daily. However, when the believer responds by faith to grace, God provides them with many blessings which can result in an inner peace that transcends human understanding:
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‘TRUE’ INNER PEACE
So, the Bible assures us that one CAN HAVE true inner peace—no matter one’s circumstances—and the ‘source’ of this peace is ‘fleshed out’ by the Apostle John:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”
[ John 14:27 ].

In this wonderful verse, Jesus promises to give the believer His peace. As the eternal God of peace, He is the unique Source of true peace—which is altogether different from what the ‘world’ gives.

The thing is, there is NO ‘WAY’ to find true or lasting peace in the world. But, no matter how impossible our outward circumstances may seem, the believer WILL enjoy true peace from Jesus, and they do not need to be troubled or afraid. “These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but take courage; I have overcome the world” [ John 16:33 ].
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TRUST ‘INCREASES’ PEACE
The more on trust God, the more peace they will experience. Maybe an illustration will help with this:

Think about sitting on a chair (Perhaps you’re sitting down right now). When you sit on a chair, you let your entire body rest as you lean on it. You don’t hold back because you are ‘trusting’ the chair will support you. If a chair fails you, it most likely will result in a painful and humiliating and, most likely, a ‘comical’ experience.

Now, perhaps the chair was not as sturdy as it seemed, someone decided to play a prank, or termites got the best of it. Regardless, it is evident that we often ‘blindly’ trust chairs to properly support us even when they could fail us.

When it comes to trusting God, though, one can keep their mind steadfast on Him because He is TRUSTWORTHY and will never fail the believer. The kind of trust one often has sitting in a chair should be the kind of all-encompassing trust one should have in God! “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” [ Isaiah 26:3 ].

JESUS, THE ‘PRINCE’ OF PEACE
As I just mentioned above, Jesus is the believer’s ‘Source’ of peace and it is altogether different from what the ‘world’ offers—‘WAY’ DIFFERENT—because it offers MUCH ‘MORE’.

So, who hasn’t longed for peace, living in a world that is so often full of strife? Well, the Hebrew word for peace, “shalom,” means much more than the absence of conflict or the end of turmoil. It conveys not only a sense of tranquility but also of wholeness and completion. To enjoy shalom is to enjoy health, satisfaction, success, safety, well-being, and prosperity.

Now, when Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah (Jesus) some 700 years before His birth, he gave Him four ‘titles’:
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‘WHY’ IS JESUS OUR PRINCE OF PEACE?
Jesus shows the believer peace through how He lived back when He was on earth, and through the peace He ‘imparts’ to them in their lives today. So, let me explore a few specific reasons ‘WHY’ Jesus is a believer’s “Prince of Peace.”

– A Peaceful Ministry And Example
– A Peaceful Relationship With God
– Restoration Of Relationships
– Peace Of Mind During Difficult Tribulations
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkdyNUYeuHA
[ VIDEO: “For Unto Us a Child is Born” – Handel’s Messiah ]

THE ‘COMFORTER’
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He promised the disciples that He would be sending the “Comforter”—the Holy Spirit—after His departure:

While Jesus was on earth with His disciples, His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time. However, the Holy Spirit can be everywhere, in all places, at all times.

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you”
[ John 16:7 ].

“Comforter”—as well as “Helper” and “Advocate”—is the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. The Greek word for the Holy Spirit in these verses is “parakletos,” meaning “one who comes alongside to help.” When the believer receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior, God dispatches His Holy Spirit to reside ‘in’ the believer, always ready to assist, reassure, comfort, and guide them in times of distress or need.

The ‘comfort’ of the Holy Spirit refers to the encouragement available to believers because of the Spirit’s indwelling presence (Acts 9:31). The “comfort” referred to here (paraklēsis) includes the idea of earnestly ‘supporting’ or ‘encouraging’ someone. The believer is ‘indwelt’ and ‘controlled’ by the Holy Spirit because they have been made ‘right’ with God.
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‘REAL’ WORLD PEACE
Given the cruel, debilitating effects of war, mankind has often ‘LONGED’ for peace. The thing is, the Bible explains WHY it has been so elusive, and HOW world peace will come.

According to the Bible, the entire world will prove unable to find true peace in this age of human rule before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Why? Well, God gave us the reason centuries ago through the prophet Isaiah: “The way of peace they have not known” [ Isaiah 59:8 ].

What an apt characterization of this world and its weak attempts to bring peace to humanity. People pay ‘lip service’ to the goal, but lack knowledge of the ‘WAY’ to get there.
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Every human effort to bring lasting peace has failed—and will continue to do so. World peace IS ‘IMPOSSIBLE when it depends upon mankind. World peace will come ONLY through the “Prince of Peace”—Jesus!

Simply stated, on its own, humanity lacks the divinely revealed knowledge of how to bring about peace. It is ultimately going to require the return to earth of Jesus, and the setting up of the Kingdom of God, to bring true, just, and lasting peace.

Jesus will bring with Him the administration of true justice and the pathway to real peace:

“He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore”
[ Isaiah 2:4 ].

That time IS coming, so BE SURE YOU ARE ‘READY’!
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Once Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He will first have to act swiftly and decisively to put down rebellion against His rule. We read of the aggressive action of the last world-ruling empire (based in Europe) and its leader, the Antichrist, who “will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:8, Revelation 17:14).

But, this evil military campaign will not be successful. Rebellion against the righteous rule of the Messiah will be forcibly put down, and Jesus will begin to introduce the elusive way of peace.
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Everyone will have the chance to learn the way of peace—God’s way. Jesus’ government, and the way of peace that it brings.

Yes, world peace IS ‘REALLY’ COMING and it WILL BE a reality in the coming Millennium!

MILLENNIUM
The Millennium is the time that comes after Jesus’ Second Coming. It is the transition between the old Earth and the New Earth. The Millennium will be a ‘foretaste’ of the New Heaven and a New Earth—a precursor of the eternal state. It will be different than life as we know it today, but it will still fall short of the absolute perfection of the New Heaven, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem.

The Bible tells us that Jesus will return triumphantly to the earth, split the Mount of Olives in half, march through the Eastern Gate, and sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem. He will then start His rule of the world for 1,000 years in a mediatorial Messianic Kingdom on Earth.

This is a literal Kingdom, a theocracy, in which God fulfills His promises to the Jewish prophets that He would one day bring the Kingdom to Jerusalem and that the King would literally reign upon the earth. This will also be a time when Satan is bound in the “bottomless pit” for the same 1,000 years.
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NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH
The biblical doctrine of the New Earth implies something startling: If we want to know what the ultimate Heaven—our eternal ‘Home’—will look like, the best place to start is by looking around us right now (as C. S. Lewis envisioned at the end Narnia series). We should not close our eyes and try to imagine the unimaginable. We should just open our eyes because the present earth is as much a valid ‘reference point’ for envisioning the New Earth as our present bodies are a compelling ‘guide’ for envisioning our new bodies (like Jesus’ resurrection body).

After all, we are living in the ‘remembrance’ (built ‘into’ humans) of a perfect world (Garden of Eden) and the remembrance of perfect humanity (Adam and Eve before the “Fall”). We should not be ‘concerned’ that the New Earth will have anything to do with what is wrong with this one. Can we not imagine what Earth would be like unhindered by ‘sin’, ‘disease’, and ‘death’? Can we not envision natural beauty untainted by ‘degradation’ (The Second Law of Thermodynamics)?

The idea of the New Earth, as a physical place, is the invention of a transcendent God who made physical human beings to live on a physical earth and who then becomes a man Himself (Jesus) to live on that same earth. He did this so He might redeem mankind and the earth, and to forever enjoy the company of humanity in a world He made ‘ESPECIALLY’ for them!

So, when this ‘new’ creation is finished, and God will have ‘purified’ and ‘renovated’ it—being the same Earth and the same Heaven—it will be made ‘fresh’ and new. All the things of sin will be gone! All the evidence of death and the signs of disease will all be gone! What, then, will the world be like?

– ‘Reversal’ Of The Curse
– ‘Restoration’ Of All Things
– ‘Removal’ Of The Seas
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FINALLY, ‘UTOPIA’!
The Apostle John portrays, in picturesque language, the beauty of the eternal Kingdom and the blessings that will be ours:

“Then I saw ‘a New Heaven and a New Earth,’ for the first Heaven and the first Earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”
[ Revelation 21:1-2 ].

Here we FINALLY will experience a peace that we have probably only experienced in our dreams— a ‘REAL’ UTOPIA! But, unlike man-made utopian communities that fail when they succumb to human nature, the Kingdom of God will last forever—because it is ‘Divinely’ crafted and maintained. It will not, and cannot fail—for a perfect, all-knowing, all-powerful God will have created it—as He did originally! A PERFECTLY PEACEFUL, ETERNAL ‘HOME’!

[ FYI: For more details about the believer’s final ‘home’—the New Jerusalem, the New Heavens, and the New Earth—view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/home-at-last-v290/ ]

WRAP-UP
Peace is commonly defined as the sense of calm, tranquility, quietness, bliss, contentment, and well-being we feel when everything is going the way we would like it to go. That definition, however, is incomplete because that feeling can be produced also by a pill or by alcohol, a nap, a generous inheritance, or even deliberate deception. The reassurance of a friend or someone you love whispering sweet nothings into your ear can also give you that type of peace.

However, that is not the kind of peace the Apostle Paul had in mind. The thing is, Godly peace has nothing to do with human beings or human circumstances. In fact, godly peace cannot be produced on a human level at all.

Any peace that humans can produce is very ‘fragile’. It can be destroyed instantly by failure, doubt, fear, difficulty, guilt, shame, distress, regret, sorrow, the anxiety of making a wrong choice, the anticipation of being mistreated or victimized by someone, the uncertainty of the future, and any challenge to our position or possessions—and we experience these things daily.

The peace that God gives is not subject to the ‘vicissitudes’ of life. It is a ‘spiritual’ peace—an attitude of heart and mind when one believes and thus knows, deep down, that all is well ‘between’ themselves and God.

Along with this is the assurance that He is lovingly in control of everything. Believers know for sure that their sins are forgiven, that God is concerned with their well-being, and that Heaven is their destiny. God’s peace is their ‘possession’ by divine right!

THE ‘ORIGIN’ OF PEACE
This peace is defined for us in several ways. To begin with, it is ‘divine’:
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way” [ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ].

Jesus is the One who gives one peace. The pronoun “Himself” is emphatic in the Greek, and underscores God’s personal involvement. Christian peace—the peace unique to Christians—comes personally from Him. It is the very essence of His nature.

To put it simply, peace is an attribute of God. If I asked you to list the attributes of God, these are the ones that would probably come most readily to mind:

His love, grace, mercy, justice, holiness, wisdom, truth, omnipotence, immutability, and immortality.

So, God ‘IS’ peace. There is no lack of perfect peace in His being. God is never stressed, anxious, worried, doubtful, or fearful. He is never at cross-purposes with Himself.

God lives in perfect calm and contentment. Since He is omniscient, He is never surprised nor can anything threaten His omnipotence. Even His wrath is clear, controlled, and confident. There is no regret in His mind. He has never done, said, or thought anything that He would change in any way!

The ‘source’ of all peace is God and Him alone!

PEACE IS A ‘GIFT’
Not only is this peace divine in origin, but it is also a ‘gift’. When the Apostle Paul said: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace,” the word translated “grant” is the verb meaning “to give.” It speaks of a gift. God’s peace is a sovereign, gracious gift given to those who believe in Jesus.

The psalmist stated, “I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones” [ Psalm 85:8 ]. God grants peace to those who ‘belong’ to Him. Jesus said, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” [ John 14:27 ]. There is no greater gift for the anxious than God’s peace!

Some, however, will seek relief from their anxieties through a false peace. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near, says the LORD, and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. ‘There is no peace’, says my God, ‘for the wicked’.” [ Isaiah 57:19-21 ]. He will grant peace to those who come to Him from near and far—those who grew up hearing much about Him and those who heard little to nothing—but those who don’t come to Him, the wicked, enjoy no real peace.
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NOT SUBJECT TO ‘CIRCUMSTANCES’
God’s peace is not subject to anything that happens in the worldly realm. It is built on an unchanging divine relationship and a divine plan and promises from an unfailing God who will secure one in Himself and who will do everything for their good. This peace is unbreakable, unassailable, and transcendent.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” [ John 14:27 ]. He was essentially saying, “There’s nothing to fear or be anxious about because I’m giving you a transcendent peace that—unlike the world’s peace—is unassailable by any human circumstance.”

The believer demonstrates their trust in Jesus and His promises when they remain calm amid worldly upheavals that would normally trouble one’s life.

CHRISTMAS IS ‘SPECIAL’
As I write this at the end of the month in December, there is just something a bit ‘special’ about the Christmas season that makes one long for peace all the more, isn’t there? However, though we all long for peace, it can seem impossible to find—even during the Christmas season.

Our news ‘feeds’ show a variety of images, from around the globe, that are very discouraging about obtaining world peace. We even witness hardship and brokenness in our close relationships that make peace even within our own lives seem unattainable.

However, there is ‘inner’ peace. I don’t know about you, but some days this one seems even more elusive than the ones previously mentioned.

Well, poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow seemed to know something of this as well. In 1861, he lost his beloved wife in a tragic fire in their home.
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[ VIDEO: “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” – Casting Crowns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7yUnt8_dc ]
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CLEAR ‘SIGNS’ OF GOD’S PEACE
The ‘world’ regards peace as being the by-product of doing the right deeds, saying the right words, working in the right job, or having the right intentions. However, these are not all the criteria for peace described in the Bible. Biblically, peace is an ‘inner’ quality that flows out of a right ‘relationship’ with God.

Pastor and author Charles F. Stanley wrote a book entitled “Finding Peace,” and the following are a few clear ‘signs’ and benefits of God’s peace that he mentioned:

– God’s Peace Transcends ‘Circumstances’
– God’s Peace ‘Surpasses’ Understanding
– God’s Peace Is ‘Available’ To All Believers
– God’s Peace Is Intended To Be A ’State Of Being’

WHY ONE ‘LOSES’ THEIR PEACE
There is only one way to experience an abiding peace that transcends circumstances. It is by faith.

By faith one asks and then trusts God to be present in their lives. It is as though they have put a sum of money in the bank, and by faith, they write checks because they know that there are funds already deposited to cover their withdrawals.

When one asks God to be present in their lives with His abiding peace, then they can go out and live expectantly.

So, the foundation for living in God’s peace is Faith—in active, confident trust in His presence and power to sustain in comfort one no matter what circumstances they are facing. There are, however, certain issues that can rob one of their peace. A few of them are the following:

– Sudden ‘Fear’
– Satan, The ‘Enemy’
– Sin
– ‘Giving Up’ Peace
– Losing ‘Focus’

ESSENTIAL ‘BELIEFS’ FOR A PEACEFUL HEART
Understanding the ways of God always leads to an understanding that He will act in a way that brings about eternal blessing for His ‘children’ (Romans 8:28). It is what they believe that makes it possible to ask the right questions in the face of a tragedy. A believer’s faith is determined by the degree to which they trust God.

The following are a few essential ‘beliefs’ for one to have to experience a peaceful life:

– God Is Absolutely ‘Sovereign’
– God Is The Believer’s ‘Provider’
– God Made The Believer For A ‘Purpose’
– God Has A ‘Place’ For The Believer To Belong
– God Has A Plan For The Believer’s ‘Fulfillment’

HOW THE ‘THOUGHT LIFE’ AFFECTS ONE’S PEACE
One’s thoughts, which flow out of they are basic beliefs, are like the ‘traffic controller’ of their life. They determine where one goes, what activities one pursues, how one pursues them, the people one is willing to include in their life, and many other factors—all of which result in one’s ultimate success or failure in life.

The following are seven ‘categories’ of thought that will do great damage to one’s peace:

– Sinful Thoughts
– Self-limiting Thoughts
– Erroneous Thoughts
– Unrealistic Thoughts
– Rebellious Thoughts
– Obsessive Thoughts
– Enslaving Thoughts

THE ‘POWER’ TO CHOOSE
Any ‘child’ of God who takes a willful stand against harmful thought patterns is going to be provided a way of escape from that circumstance by God. He will help one focus their mind and something other than their problem, or thought pattern if they will just make the initial step in that direction.

Again, the Apostle Paul, sitting in chains in a prison, wrote this: “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” [ Philippians 4:6 ].

Essentially, Paul was saying that everyone can make a choice, to involve God in their lives or go alone. He then added: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” [ Philippians 4:8-9 ].
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LIVING WITHOUT ‘REGRET’
Regret is not something that pertains to what others do or the responsibility others have. Regret pertains only to what one personally can control, influence, or choose.

Anyone who is feeling regret over their past needs to ask themselves the following very important questions:
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GIVING UP ‘ANXIETY’
The word “anxious” is also translated as “worry” in the Bible. For many people, worry has become a way of life. They live in a state of uncertainty. If that describes you, let me encourage you to read again the words of Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount”:
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‘OVERCOMING’ FEAR
Many people think the opposite of a figure is hope or courage. However, the true opposite of fear is faith—and when fear causes paralysis, it not only quenches one peace, but it attacks the ‘foundation’ of that peace, namely, one’s faith. Peace is thrown out of the ‘window’ when fear is present.

Much of the fear is rooted in doubt that God will be present, provide justice or help, or be capable of dealing with the crisis at hand. However, faith believes that God is capable of all things and WILL provide!

There are several ‘steps’ one can take to overcome fear:

– Acknowledge the fear you are experiencing
– Immediately asked for God’s help
– Determine the root of the fear
– Go to God’s word
– Praise God for who He is
– Make a decision
– Take a positive step forward

As one does these things, God will ‘melt away’ their crippling fears so that they can truly experience the depth of His abiding peace!

LEARNING TO LIVE ‘CONTENTLY’
The more one open is to God, the easier one will find it is to trust Him. Then, the more they trust Him, the greater peace they will experience.

One of the greatest lessons that one can learn as one starts to live in contentment is that they have the power to ‘respond’ to any situation, not merely to ‘react’ to it. The power of the Holy Spirit, resident in the believer, will always enable them to confront a problem with faith and wisdom if they will only ‘TRUST’ Him.

[ FYI: For more details about ‘trusting’ God, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/learning-to-t-r-u-s-t-v263/ ]

To live in a lasting, confident state of inner contentment, there are several things one must do:

– Stop being ‘conditional’
– Cast all your cares on God
– Stay in the Word
– Take charge of your thinking

Again, God calls one to respond to life, not nearly react to it. Certainly, one may ‘react’ in the initial moment or two of a negative circumstance or crisis However, one must very quickly think, “Don’t panic. God is in control!”

When one goes immediately to God, crying out to Him for help and adding their proclamations of thanksgiving and praise, God will be present in that situation and be of help to them.

Remember this: The larger your thoughts about God, the smaller your thoughts about your problem! Refuse to have a ‘pity party’ or slide into depression. Choose instead to see God’s loving ‘arms’ wrapped around you, lifting you up to safety, provision, and peace.

MAINTAIN YOUR ‘FOCUS’ ON GOD
So, the central truth is to focus one’s life on Jesus.

Note that it is not the ‘good’ circumstances that give one peace. It is the awareness of God that one experiences in their ‘heart’ when they are in those circumstances that produce peace. An important distinction.

It is the sense that God is ‘with’ one that is important when times of trouble arrive. It is living a Christ-centered life—not a self-centered life—that gives one peace. It is asking Jesus, “What do You want from me and what do you want me to do.” If one is truly in fellowship with Him, He will give them His desires: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act” [ Psalm 37:4-5 ].

A ‘relationship’ with Jesus is THE ‘SOURCE’ of one’s peace:

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him… My peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”
[ John 14:21, 27 ].

PEACE WHILE ‘SUFFERING’
What’s not to like about peace? Everyone craves it. However, if there is one issue that causes people to doubt or become ‘suspicious’ about the peace of God: It is the problem of suffering.

Indeed, the storyline we are following is far from promising. All of us ‘groan’ at man’s inhumanity to man, natural disasters, catastrophic accidents, obscene terrorists, and rogue viruses, which all contribute to a daily diet of pain bordering on despair.

So, how does one reconcile the Bible’s lofty promises with the brutal intrusion into everyday life of the sometimes horrific suffering many people have to endure, including those who have placed their trust in God?

Well, before one cast a ‘stone’ in God’s direction, with the implied charge, “Why don’t You do something about all this?,” one must reckon with the fact that GOD HAD DONE ‘SOMETHING’. He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to become our ‘substitute’ for OUR sins (1 Peter 2:24).

Then, God promises to restore the earth—and the universe—back to the perfect environment it once was (Revelation 21:1). The thing is, God is VERY ‘PATIENT’, wanting everyone to choose repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
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‘ETERNAL’ PEACE
After Jesus resurrected from the grave, He stood among His disciples and said: “Peace to you!” [ Luke 24:36d ]. However, they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a ‘ghost’.

When the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples three days after His death, they were understandably frightened. So, Jesus spoke to them. What He said was a typical greeting: “Shalom!” But, since they were frightened, He followed that greeting up by showing them His wounds and encouraging them to touch Him—so they could be sure He wasn’t an apparition.

The thing is, Jesus had something a bit more in mind when He appeared to his disciples. He wanted for them to be sure about their salvation—that He was whom He said He was—and for them to proclaim this truth to all the ‘nations’.
———
Now, just as Jesus appeared to His unsettled disciples amid their emotional turmoil, He comes to all of us TODAY and promises us peace unlike any other!

Indeed, He said specifically, “My peace I give to you” [ John 14:27 ], SO DON’T BE ‘TROUBLED’, BE ‘PEACEFUL’! For, if you are a believer, you ARE AT PEACE with your Creator, loved with the only ‘eyes’ that matter!

Jesus summarizes this when He said, in another instance: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” [ Luke 7:50 ].

‘LONGING’ FOR PEACE?
So, are you tired of all of the conflict in our world and ‘LONG’ for peace? Well, one day, the world WILL be at peace. Jesus will return to this earth, banish the Devil to Hell, and set up His government for 1,000 years!

However, one doesn’t have to wait for Jesus to come back! They can have peace TODAY—in their spirit and soul—even when everything around them is the very opposite of peace.

This is done by ‘surrendering’ to Jesus, and accepting what He did on the Cross to reconcile them back to God the Father. Then, one will be at peace WITH God (saved and going to Heaven), and they will then be given the peace OF God (to live a life of tranquility and wisdom).

Jesus is the ‘SOURCE’ and ONLY ‘WAY’ TO TRUE PEACE. All attempts by man to create peace apart from God will end in destruction and chaos and has been ever since Adam and Eve were ‘kicked’ out of the Garden of Eden. SATAN is a ‘thief’ and comes only to steal, kill, and destroy—and to keep you from experiencing and knowing God, and experiencing peace in this life.

[ FYI: For more details about Jesus being the “only way” to Heaven, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-only-way-v253/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/two-choices-one-way-v254/ ]

Jesus came to offer His peace such that the believer could live a ‘fearless’ life:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”
[ John 14:27 ].

<<< END OF SUMMARY >>>

<<< ALL THE DETAILS >>>

The following is a comprehensive presentation of the topic that follows the ‘headings’ laid out in the Summary.

The thing is, there are some ‘characteristics’ that can help one feel at ease and ‘centered’ amidst chaos.

CHARACTERISTICS
So, what are some of the ‘signs’ and characteristics of peace of mind:

– Feeling comfortable and be at ease with yourself
– Being able to take minor day-to-day stressors in your stride
– Being content with your life and accepting circumstances the way they are
– Feeling confident that you can manage anything that comes your way
– Being empathetic toward others and being able to build healthy relationships
– Not being dependent on others’ approval for your happiness
– Having a calm and positive outlook on life

ISSUES AND REASONS
So then, what happens when one does not have peace of mind? Well, one may experience some or all of the following:

– Stress: You may constantly be stressed and feel incapable of coping with everything on your plate. You may often feel physically and emotionally drained. Minor setbacks can feel overwhelming.

– Insecurity: You may not feel confident and constantly doubt yourself and your abilities. You may look to others for approval and let your happiness be dictated by them.

– Anxiety: You may constantly feel worried or anxious about something, which can make you feel restless or tense. You may also experience physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, hyperventilation, nausea, tremors, and sweating.

– Depression: You may feel unhappy about your life and experience feelings of guilt, shame, helplessness, or hopelessness. You may find yourself withdrawing from others and not wanting to do things you once enjoyed. You may also feel fatigued, have difficulty sleeping, and experience weight changes.

– Conflict: You may find yourself experiencing tension and conflict in your relationships at home, work, school, or among your social circle.

Okay then, knowing all this, what are the ‘reasons’ why one cannot find peace of mind? Well, the following are a few of the ‘main’ reasons:

– Mental Health Conditions: You may find it harder to feel calm if you have a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety.

– Difficult Circumstances: It can be hard to feel peaceful if you’re experiencing difficult circumstances, such as the loss of a job or the loss of your home in the wake of a natural disaster.

– Stress Or Anxiety: You may also have trouble finding inner peace if something is stressing you out or upsetting you. It can be helpful to identify it, take steps to resolve it, or accept that you can’t change it. Processing your emotions about it will help you feel more peaceful.

– Monitor Your Thoughts
Our thoughts can make or break our quality of life. Make sure to choose the thinking that works for you.

Self-loathing serves no purpose and will undoubtedly extract joy from your life. Your thoughts can be a source of great joy or despair. The choice is always yours to take.

– Reframe Your Negative Thoughts
Often, our biggest critic is the nagging voice in our head that is telling us negative things. Negative thoughts can steal your peace of mind and make it hard for you to feel relaxed and content.

– Find Positive Outlets For Negative Emotions
Sports, online forums, like-minded people, hobbies, or whatever ‘strikes’ your fancy helps suppress negative emotions that can lead to ill health. Releasing tension and frustration in a ‘social’ way makes one feel much happier.

When one learns how to channel their negative emotions well, they can avoid blowing things out of proportion. If they constantly repress their emotions, it will simply ‘drain’ them. So, whenever they feel themselves feeling a negative emotion, they need to remember their ‘outlet’.

– Accept Things You Cannot Change
Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes we are faced with difficult situations we can’t change, no matter how much we may want to. For instance, a loved one may be diagnosed with a serious health condition, a close friend may move away, a relationship may not work out, or a beloved pet may pass away.

It can be difficult to face things that make one feel upset, stressed, or uncomfortable, but it is essential to do so to gain peace of mind. Facing them head-on can help one grieve for their loss and eventually learn to accept the circumstances.

Avoiding the situation, pretending things are different, or harboring anger and bitterness will not help one gain peace of mind.

– Live In The Present
One can find peace by being ‘in’ the present moment. Most people live in the past with past events circling their minds non-stop or panicking about what will go wrong in the future. One can do a meditation practice to help them focus on the present instead of a different time frame. Everyday life does not need to be complicated. When things around them are stressful, they need to focus on the present with a hyper-focus.

Instead of worrying about the past or panicking about the future, really enjoy the NOW. It is all one has—this ‘moment’ in time.

When one lives in the present, the concerns of the past and future cannot worry them. More than that, they will get more from life when they pay attention to the present.

– Gain Perspective
If one is concerned whether or not a current experience in life will be considered as ‘important’ in the future, if they will feel the same about it then, one always needs to keep their ‘eye’ on the bigger picture.

More often than not, things will work out just fine. Shifting their perspective will help them to clarify what they really want and need. Remember, there is much more to one’s life than what one can see and touch. If one keeps the bigger picture in mind—and being grateful for all that they have—they will be ‘enriched’ in the best way possible.

– Avoid Self-pity
In a way, this is connected to what was mentioned above in negativity. As humans, we have this immense tendency to go in a self-pity routine when things aren’t going our way. If we didn’t get that job or we go through a breakup, we integrate feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and regret within ourselves, which is why we lose our peace entirely. However, this isn’t supposed to be the case. It may be a normal tendency, but it isn’t exactly a healthy habit. Self-pitying yourself is one of the fastest ways to not only dwell on your emotions even more, but it gives you feelings of depression and anxiety.

Life is generally hard, and self-pity isn’t going to change the fact that life is painful sometimes. The only thing self-pity does is that it typically makes you feel worse than you initially did and takes the blame for other people. To gain back your peace, take awareness and accountability of the situation rather than self-pitying yourself. Rather than telling yourself, “I’m such a worthless person,” take responsibility and tell yourself, “I may have messed up, but I can do better next time.” By practicing this habit, you’re taking back your control, building more confidence, and you’re deciding to do something about your life. We fail to realize that our life, including our peace, is in our control, and we can’t have peace if we don’t do something about our lives first.

– Do Not ‘Link’ Your Happiness to External Circumstances
We sometimes seek inner peace from external sources. For instance, you may think: “I’ll be happy when I get a promotion,” or “I’ll be able to relax once tax season is over.”

However, it is important to understand that you can’t link your happiness to external factors beyond your control. You have to find it within yourself and apply a happy, relaxed, and positive attitude to everything you do.

Rather than waiting for things to change to improve your mindset, changing your mindset can help improve things for you.

– Be Grateful
Finding your peace and taking care of your well-being means being grateful for what you have, and not complaining about what you lack in life. When you appreciate what you have, you will find more peace. It has been found that individuals with a grateful heart and the ones contented with their life’s blessings find peace and happiness within.

Focusing on all the things in our lives that we are grateful for promotes inner calm and reminds us that there are always positives. Sometimes we just have to nudge our awareness.

The key to being grateful is to notice the little things. Had a great breakfast? Be grateful for it. Was your morning commute free of traffic? Give thanks for it. No matter how little it may seem, acknowledge the positive things happening in your day.

– Be Kind
It’s free, and it makes a difference. When we show kindness, it gives us an inner boost, too. Often, we are inclined to treat ourselves as we would our favorite person, so it’s good to remind ourselves as often as possible that kindness is free and there’s no downside to practicing it.

– Take Responsibility for Your Actions
Taking responsibility and accountability for all your actions takes a whole level of maturity. Even when it’s hard, you’ll find peace and happiness by admitting your mistakes. Accept criticisms and use them to improve yourself, as accepting that you made mistakes will make you a more resilient person.

– Don’t Let Your Past Mistakes Define You
We all have made mistakes in the past that we are not proud of. However, dwelling on them will take the best of you. So, don’t let your past mistakes ‘define’ you, and don’t let those memories stop you from growing into a better individual.

There are some things that you just cannot change, no matter how hard you try. Know when to cut your losses and detach (just like how Elsa!). The best thing to do to let go is to accept what you cannot change. Acceptance will set you free from the struggle.

To find your peace and happiness, ‘let go’ of your regrets. Remember that these mistakes made you a better person. You are going to commit mistakes in the future anyway, so learn to pick yourself up and move on.

– Practice Acceptance and Contentment
In finding peace and happiness, acceptance and contentment are key. Accept that you will have problems in life and learn how to deal with them.

Being contented means having emotional, physical, or even financial contentment. The desire for material things and financial wealth does not excite an individual with inner peace.

– Distract Yourself
I know that it can be unhealthy to use distractions to forget your emotions. However, in some instances, distractions can actually be right for you and help you get your feelings in check. If you are overwhelmed by anxiety or your own thoughts, it is reasonable to run to video games, working out, or Netflix to help you regain a sense of control. Our emotions can control us if we’re not careful, and it’s not a pretty sight. By using distractions, it can help you think straight and get your mind in order again. You’re not using your distractions as an escape from feeling things, but it’s an outlet to process your emotions better.

Furthermore, by processing your thoughts and your emotions correctly, this helps you regain your peace. On the contrary, distractions such as anxiety relief games also help you focus and think straight compared to using your emotions to make individual decisions. As you’re overwhelmed, if you attempt to even do anything while you’re high on emotions, it could be disastrous.

– Do Not ‘Pressure’ Yourself
Feeling burned out and drained is a real thing you can feel if there is a lack of balance in your life. As an individual, you’re continually striving to gain that work-life balance for yourself, and it’s very much possible. However, you can’t always perfect it. Some days, you put too much of your energy into your work, and other days, you feel unmotivated and unfulfilled. In attempting to balance everything, you should also take it easy on yourself. Especially if you’re a perfectionist and you have a tendency to control things, you may tend to pressure yourself into getting all aspects of your life together, and this is why you probably lost your sense of peace.

If you ultimately want inner peace, you should realize that you are human, and you’re just as flawed as everyone else. You don’t have to put every ounce of energy into your work if it means being harsh on yourself if you see yourself fail. It also doesn’t mean that your worth is somehow less if you choose to take a break from your work. Decide on a healthy balance between certain aspects of your life, and deal with your frustration if you don’t get it perfect.

– Resist Guilt
Guilt is a negative emotion that removes peace of mind. Although it can motivate us (in the wrong way), it is still a toxic emotion. In fact, one study showed that it could literally weigh you down.

Challenge the reasons for your guilt to make sure you aren’t placing unnecessary pressure on yourself. If something doesn’t happen the way you want it to, don’t blame yourself. Remember that there are things you cannot control.

– See Failure As A Learning Opportunity
Failure has such negative connotations, but actually, everyone fails. How can you improve or learn anything if you never fail? Even the most famous people failed at some point in their lives.

A healthy attitude towards failure encourages bravery. It’s not you that is the failure. Instead, it is what you tried that failed. There is a big difference. Eventually, you will get the hang of it. Just don’t be afraid to try again.

– Challenge Your “Shoulds” and “Musts”
Self-induced pressure never leads to inner tranquility or peace of mind. Replace “should” with “could” and live more on your terms.

“Shoulds” and “musts” are binding and lead to constant self-imposed pressure. Gently remind your inner child that life is not a competition and you don’t have to be the best at everything. You’re allowed to fail without being a failure.

– Do Not Compare Yourself With Others
The more we compare, the more we lose ourselves. Forget what everyone else is doing or saying. What do YOU want? We all have our paths to follow, and we are all learning and going through life at our unique pace.

Focus on your journey and lose the stress of comparing yourself to what you think is going on in the lives of others. Comparison is the thief of joy. Our happiness lies in following our path, not in the feeling of being the same as other people.

– Worry Less
I have read that one has about 6,000 thoughts running through their mind every day. So, learn to ‘shelve’ worrying by reminding yourself that most of your worries are unproductive and remove any chance of peace of mind. (It has been said that about 85% of what people worried about never happened, and with the 15% that did happen, 79% of the people discovered that they either could handle the difficulty better than expected, or the difficulty taught them a lesson worth learning!)

– Slow Down
Why does everything need to be accomplished today? Often, we place unrealistic pressure on ourselves when there is no need to. Challenge your impatience, be mindful, and enjoy life at the moment. This is how you can be calm and peaceful. But how can you slow down? Be deliberate in your actions and try not to rush.

– Less is More
Money buys choice, but it doesn’t buy us the happiness we crave. Be content with the simpler things in life—that’s where the real, long-lasting joy and peace of mind come from. When you apply this principle in your life, you will not only feel happier, but you will also instantly feel richer. So let go of your excessiveness and get to know what matters most.

– Practice Forgiveness
Feeling hurt, even angry, when someone wrongs you or treats you unfairly is an understandable (and completely natural) response. Yet holding on to grudges or slights won’t do much to help you find inner peace.

Nursing feelings of anger, disappointment, or resentment take up plenty of emotional energy and can contribute to physical and mental health symptoms, including: Poor heart health; Sleep problems; Stomach distress; Depression; and Anxiety.

Forgiveness does not just benefit the person you forgive. It could do even more for you, in the end. (Self-forgiveness is also helpful.)

– Keep A Journal
Maybe an English teacher assigned daily journal entries. You completed the exercise grudgingly at first, but with more enthusiasm and commitment once you realized putting your feelings on paper did, in fact, provide you with a different perspective.

Journaling can help you process and express emotions you might otherwise keep inside.

Writing, of course, won’t get rid of your troubles. But you might find that committing them to paper helps ease some of their emotional weight and transforms inner peace from an exception to more of a rule.

– Get Back To Nature
An abundance of research backs up your instincts: Natural environments, green spaces in particular, can ease emotional distress and foster feelings of inner calm and peace of mind.

Spending time in nature can help you have peace of mind by:

– Soothing worry, anger, or fear
– Easing stress and promoting relaxation
– Lower your risk for depression and other mental health conditions
– Enhancing feelings of kindness and social connection improving concentration and focus

– Laugh A Lot
You can’t expect peace from a place wherein you’re taking your life too seriously. Life can be challenging enough, and ultimately, the best thing you can do for yourself is find the beauty in your life. It’s okay to laugh, even at the silliest of things. Laughing has been proven to be the best medicine for struggle, after all. Contact your friends and arrange a meetup. Watch a funny movie on Netflix. Have a wine night with your friends. Just find humor in even the most mundane things. Inner peace is often gained from a place you never expect to, and sometimes, that’s from a place of humor and laughter.

– Social Media Detox
One of the causes that disrupt inner peace is social media. Social media is the most accessible platform where a comparison is present. It is a ‘competition’ of the highlights in your life. However, what you fail to realize is that nobody ever posts the moments that are mundane and normal. If you are always on social media seeing highlight reels, this can give you anxiety that you may not be living your best life. As you see your friends and followers posting their travels, their relationships, and their successes, you are stuck there comparing your own life to theirs. If you’re not careful enough, social media can disrupt your inner peace.

This is where the concept of “FOMO” or “Fear of Missing Out” comes from. Social media can cause you to fear not living your best life, and comparing yourself to your friends’ stories and posts will disrupt your inner peace. You don’t necessarily have to do a complete social media detox for a week or a month. However, every once in a while, it is best to take a break from your social media platforms. Doing this helps you gain control of reality and peace of mind. Social media can be a facade, and you may fail to differentiate what’s real and what’s not.

[ Suggestion: Consider leaving your phone at home (or power down in your backpack if on a hike). A constant stream of notifications or the urge to refresh your social media feeds can quickly chip away at your newfound calm. ]

– Make Time For Yourself
While too much time alone can lead to loneliness, spending just the right amount of time on your own could benefit your well-being and lead to finding peace in a frantic world.

Setting aside space for solitude can promote some people’s deeper sense of contentment over time.

Solitude offers the chance to: Reflect on personal values; Explore your self-identity; Reconnect with your needs; Reevaluate your boundaries; and Embrace your creative side.

Any of these activities can boost peace of mind in daily life by helping you recharge, relax, and focus on your personal needs.

– Practice Self-Care
Self-care can take many forms, depending on your needs:

Physical: Physical self-care involves taking care of your body by ensuring adequate rest, nutrition, and exercise.

Emotional: Emotionally speaking, self-care could look like setting boundaries with people in your life to protect yourself. It can also mean shutting down negative self-talk.

Social: Spending time with loved ones is an important part of self-care. Social self-care can also involve cutting out people or social activities that don’t fulfill you.

Intellectual: Intellectual self-care can involve reading more books you enjoy, doing the crossword every day, or making time for a new hobby.

Spiritual: Spiritual self-care can involve meditation, being mindful of the present moment, listening to music, or practicing the religion you believe in.

– Love Unconditionally
When you don’t expect anything back, it makes it easier to love without fear. When we love with conditions attached, our unmet expectations can create inner turmoil and feelings of resentment. Insecurities destroy the peace of mind.

Unconditional love is the opposite of conditional love. Conditional love is your love for someone when you expect something in return. When conditional love is present in your relationships, it creates unmet expectations, leading to resentment, disillusionment, conflict, and unhappiness.

– Take Stock
Now and then, it’s a good idea to check whether you’re happy with the quality of your life. Do you like your job? Your relationship? Are you on the right track? Make adjustments if necessary to restore inner calm.

By constantly assessing your life, you can catch both minor and major aspects that you need to change. This could be your career, romantic relationships, diet, or more.

– Have Goals
This ties in with the one above. Goals keep us going in the right direction and give us a sense of purpose.

However, making goals is not enough. Make your goals SMART; they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. These parameters will make you more accountable.

As mentioned previously, peace of mind is a ‘JOURNEY’ and may look different for everyone in attaining it.

Finding peace helps us beyond feeling relaxed. It helps us cope with tough times and bounce back from adversities.

[ Now, I am not a doctor or health professional, but many people I know that are have said to me that if peace of mind constantly eludes you and you often feel stressed, anxious, or worried, it may be helpful to visit a mental healthcare provider for support. ]

When the truce expired on July 9 and fighting resumed, the Arabs experienced a rude awakening. During the truce, the Jewish forces had managed some incredible feats in securing and transporting vital military supplies into the country. The day before the truce expired, Egyptian troops renewed their attacks on the southern front. The Israelis were ready for them. Strong fortifications and mobile commando units met them head-on. Within 10 days, the Egyptians were defeated and found much of their military equipment in Jewish hands.

The Arab Liberation Army and their comrades in arms fared no better than the Egyptians. They were driven back into Lebanon. Soon Arabs in Cairo and Damascus were hearing the drone of Israeli bombers in the skies above their cities. It was something the Arabs had not expected, nor were they prepared to accept it. They sued for a cease-fire.

So, by January 7, 1949, all hostilities concluded. The “War of Independence” was over. The State of Israel was now a fact, even though Jewish forces paid a high price for the survival of their homeland. Some 4,000 soldiers and 2,000 civilians had been killed (nearly one percent of the country’s Jewish population at the time).

[ FYI: For more details on the history of Israeli conflicts, view last month’s “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/israel-will-stand-v297/ ]

Now, despite some criticism of Israel’s political posture over the last few years, Israeli leaders have demonstrated, time and again, the Jewish state’s commitment to peace. Tragically, since its inception in 1987, Hamas has categorically rejected the notion of peace and Jewish statehood.

Today, led by the Abraham Accords and efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, we are at a rare moment in history where the Arab world could play a constructive role in bringing Israelis and Palestinians together in ways never imaginable.

However, the vaunted Palestinian “cause”—which Hamas has dutifully pursued—has never been about creating peace. Its followers have made it clear, for more than a century, in words, actions, and strategic decisions, that their “cause” was always the prevention, and then the destruction of a Jewish state in any part of the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Hence, the saying, “Free Palestine from the River to the Sea.”

Now, I do not present myself as an expert regarding the long history of the Middle East conflict, but, to my perception, the conflict began long before the existence of the Jewish state. From the late 1800s, Jewish immigrant pioneers who legally purchased uninhabited and poor-quality land from Ottoman landlords were violently opposed by Muslim Arabs. They perpetrated pogroms (massacres) in Hebron and Jerusalem, among others.

After the establishment of Israel in May 1948, the violence against the “Zionist Entity” persisted and escalated. There has been a series of aggressive wars (intended annihilation) pursued by Arab enemies. When these failed, tactics of terror of various types were initiated along with incitement of hatred among youth. This perpetuates the “holy war.”

There has never been a sincere and genuine effort toward peace with their Jewish neighbors. To the contrary, despite false rhetoric, the enemy’s goal remains the elimination of Israel and replacement with the hoped-for (single) State of “Palestine.”

All of this is well-known and obvious to any ‘fair’ observer.

To my perception, Israel’s record regarding these grim circumstances is the following: all loyal citizens (regardless of ethnicity or nationality) are accorded civil, political, cultural, and religious rights. Religious shrines are fully protected with unrestricted access assured.

Now, has Israel applied everything perfectly? Nope, but where is such perfection found anywhere in the world?

The so-called “occupied” territories are far more accurately termed “disputed.”

This opportunity has been offered by Israel at least twice. It has been rejected. Painful concessions in Gaza have led to disastrous results. Terror continues unchecked, even encouraged.

It seems to me that Israel REALLY longs for a true and secure peace.

Sadly, this does not seem to be likely in the foreseeable future.

‘LAND’ FOR PEACE
Until the Palestinians and Israel’s other recalcitrant neighbors give up their obsession with ending the Jewish state, no sacrifice of territory will succeed!

As it is, Israel remains at war—in an active and daily sense—with many of its direct neighbors, who do not seek peace, but rather Israel’s ultimate destruction. No amount of land will—or has—quenched this bloody ‘thirst’.

However, there has been a recent influx of Arab countries who are willing to negotiate for peace with Israel, which has led to several recent peace deals between Israel and Arab countries. Back in the fall of 2020, Israel signed peace deals—called the “Abraham Accords”— with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco and Sudan. The document outlines the importance of peace which is based on mutual coexistence and religious freedom. The document emphasizes the need to end conflict and the promising future that will come with it.

These recent steps forward provide hope for further peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors and have made it clear that a willingness and desire to achieve peace from both sides leads to groundbreaking peace deals and a brighter future!

Arabs ‘Betrayed’ The Palestinians
The more Arab nations begin to normalize relations with Israel, the more stable and lasting peace based on a mutual understanding of the benefits of ending enmity and hostility in the region rather than relinquishing land to make peace.

If the acquisition of land by Israel was really the ‘obstacle’ to peace, there would have been peace between Israel and its neighbors before 1967. Rather it has been the refusal to accept Israel’s existence from day one by its neighbors—as well as their insistence on attacking it ceaselessly—that fuels the conflict.

Even though Israel relinquished well over 90% of all territory gained in the 1967 war back to Jordan and Egypt—thus meeting the demands of the resolution in every way—Israel has not gained peace from relinquishing this territory—only further violence and conflict.

Then, even though Israel retreated to the last inch of internationally recognized borders with Lebanon and Gaza, both Hezbollah and Hamas respectively have stated that they will not end their conflict with Israel until the Jewish state has been annihilated. This is the lesson of land that peace WILL NOT work with the Palestinians.

On numerous other occasions—most famously in 2001 and 2008—Israel has offered the Palestinians all or the vast majority of Judea and Samaria. Each time, the Palestinian leadership walked away from the negotiating table or refused the offer outright. This amply demonstrates that land HAS NOT been the most ‘significant’ issue for the Palestinians. (Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas walked away from the offer by then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, which met the Palestinians’ ostensibly maximalist demands because it would have involved recognition, an end of claims, and an end-of-conflict clause—in other words, a true peace.)

History demonstrates that Palestinian leaders want land without stopping their war with Israel. This is not in any way the peace commonly signed between parties in international conflicts. It shows that there is a desire on behalf of the Palestinians to gain more and more territory, without offering real peace—an end to the conflict.

Peace between nations or parties is based on mutual respect, equal recognition, and the ability to solve disagreements through peaceful means. This is the concept that guides the international community and relations among all other nations, and it should form the basis for ties between Israel and all of its neighbors.

The thing is, even though peace will be beneficial for Israel, it will be FAR MORE so for the Palestinians. While Israel is a modern, progressive, and developed country, the Palestinian leaders have used much of their energy, funds, and resources to continue the conflict. Once peace arrives for the Palestinians, they will be able to devote their resources and funds towards welfare, education, and land development.

Nonetheless, until the Palestinians and Israel’s other recalcitrant neighbors give up their obsession with ending the Jewish State, no sacrifice of territory will succeed. Because “land for peace” bears no relation to the feelings of fraternity, or even cordiality, necessary for a true and lasting peace between neighbors.

ISRAEL PEACE PLANS
The following is a list of all of the peace plans that Israel has signed in the past 100 years:

– Bi-Nationalism (1925-1938)
– The Peel Commission (July 1937)
– Pre-State Peace Efforts
– Partition (November 29, 1947)
– Multilateral Talks
– The Johnston Mission (1953-1955)
– The Johnston Mission Fails
– The Israeli Peace Plan of Levi Eshkol (May 17, 1965)
– The Allon Plan (June 18, 1967)
– President Johnson’s Five Principles for Peace in the Middle East (June 19, 1967)
– The Rogers Plan (December 9, 1969)
– The Jarring Mission (January 4, 1971)
– The Jarring Mission II (January 4, 1971)
– Shuttle Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Dispute (1974-75)
– Autonomy Plan for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (December 28, 1977)
– Saudi Crown Prince Fahd’s Eight-Pointe Plan (August 7, 1981)
– The Reagan Plan (September 1, 1982)
– Shamir Peace Proposals (April 6, 1989)
– Israeli Peace Initiative of 1989 (May 14, 1989)
– Ten-Point Peace Proposal by President Mubarak (September 11, 1989)
– Five-Point Election Plan of Secretary of State Baker (November 1, 1989)
– The Madrid Conference (October 30-November 1, 1991)
– Declaration of Principles (September 13, 1993)
– The Oslo Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process (1993-2000)
– Oslo II (September 28, 1995)
– The Zinni Plan for Peace Between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (March 26, 2002)
– The Clinton Peace Plan (October 23, 2000)
– The “Clinton Parameters” (January 7, 2001)
– The Future Borders of Israel and Palestine
– The Arab League “Peace Plan” (March 27, 2002)
– The Ben-Eliezer Plan (July 2002)
– The Ayalon-Nusseibeh Plan (July 27, 2002)
– “Bush Peace Plan” (June 24, 2002)
– The Middle East Road Map (April 30, 2003)
– The Geneva Accord (October 20, 2003)
– The “Sharon Plan” (December 2003-September 2005)
– Ehud Olmert’s Peace Offer (2006-2008)
– The Kerry Initiative (July 29, 2013 – April 23, 2014)
– Obama’s Principles for Middle East Peace (December 29, 2016)
– Peace to Prosperity (January 28, 2020)

[ FYI: For details of each one of these plans, visit the following website:
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/peace-plans ]

FAILED PEACE PLANS
There have been numerous international efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In each case, Israeli leaders agreed to negotiate or said “Yes,” while Palestinian leaders said “No.” The following gives a summary of the ‘major’ peace plans and ‘frameworks’—all of which failed:

1920: BRITISH MANDATE
In 1920 the League of Nations unanimously recognized the land of Israel, then known by the Roman name ‘Palestine’, as the home of the Jewish people under international law. The Jews, an indigenous people from the area in and around Israel, who were dispossessed and oppressed for 1,900 years across Europe and the Middle East, were finally granted their right to self-determination in their ancestral home.

1937: PEEL COMMISSION
In 1937, as the conflict escalated, the British Peel Commission proposed to divide the land into two states for two peoples—one for the Jews and one for the Palestinian Arabs. The proposed Jewish state represented only 20% of the land promised to the Jews by the League of Nations, but the Jewish leadership said yes to it as a basis for negotiations

The British were given the responsibility to facilitate the return of Jews and rebirth of the Jewish state, while doing nothing to, “prejudice the civil and religious rights” of Arab residents and others. Unfortunately, in 1920 the British empowered a racist extremist named Haj Amin al-Husseini to lead the Palestinian Arabs. Husseini proceeded to organize violent attacks and boycotts throughout the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to kill the local Jews and suppress their liberation movement.

Haj Amin al-Husseini and the rest of the Palestinian Arab leadership said no to the peace plan. They refused to accept any form of Jewish independence or self-determination. They continued to incite violence, and a few years later al-Husseini allied with Nazi Germany at the highest levels.

1947: UN PARTITION PLAN
Conflict continued between the Jews who sought to reestablish a state in their ancestral home and the Palestinian Arab leadership which opposed these aspirations. Seeking a peaceful compromise, the United Nations proposed another division of the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. Roughly 70% of the land proposed as a state for the Jews consisted of the arid Negev Desert, but Jewish leaders said yes, and offered citizenship to Arabs in their territory

Palestinian and Arab leaders said no and offered no alternative. Two years after the Holocaust ended, they launched a war to wipe out any possibility of a Jewish state.

1967: UN RESOLUTION 242
In 1967, Israel fought Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in the Six-Day War, a brief but intense conflict over water, land, and Palestine. Israel defeated the three Arab states, capturing Gaza, the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, parts of East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.

Following the conflict, the UN adopted Resolution 242, which calls on Arab countries to recognize Israel’s right to “live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force,” as well as for Israel to withdraw from “territories occupied” in the conflict — essentially, to revert to its pre-1967 borders, a provision that Israel has since resisted.

Israel, Egypt, and Jordan all came to accept the resolution, ushering in temporary peace between them. Egypt and Jordan recognized Israel’s existence and ceased direct hostilities with the country, though Israel didn’t uphold its part of the deal, never fully reverting to its pre-1967 borders — a choice that led to the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Still, achieving buy-in from Arab nations that were once hostile to Israel was a significant step toward opening formal Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. The resolution was later affirmed in 1973 in UN Resolution 338, which, along with Resolution 242, served as the foundation of peace talks in the region for decades to come.

1978: CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
The Camp David Accords established long-lasting (but cold) peace between Egypt and Israel and also had a significant impact on the trajectory of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

The Accords, brokered by then-US President Jimmy Carter, came after a ceasefire in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which Egypt and Syria fought Israel, hoping to regain territory lost in previous conflicts. As part of the deal, Egypt and Israel agreed to refrain from the use of force to resolve their disputes, and Israel agreed to a path toward returning the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. (Syria signed a separate disengagement agreement with Israel.)

Israel and Egypt also addressed the fate of Palestinians: They reiterated their commitment to UN Resolutions 242 and 338. Both countries called for Palestinians to participate in future negotiations, “full autonomy” for people in the West Bank and Gaza, a provisional government in those territories supported by Israeli security forces, and negotiations to determine Palestinians’ final status within five years. Palestinians were not formally invited to participate in the talks because the US refused to deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization, an umbrella group for Palestinian nationalists, so long as they refused to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and to renounce terrorism.

The Accords are considered a major watershed moment in Middle East peacemaking—earning then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat Nobel Peace Prizes—and provided a blueprint for subsequent negotiations.

Essentially, the Accords successfully kept war from breaking out between Israel and Egypt. But in the view of Carter and others critical of the deal’s limitations, the agreement also removed incentives Israel may have had to pursue peace with the Palestinians, setting the stage for the next few decades of difficulties.

1988: THE FIRST INTIFADA
In 1987, Palestinian frustrations had reached a boiling point following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon to root out the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) presence there, the construction of new Israeli settlements, and increased repression by Israeli security forces in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians staged their First Intifada, Arabic for “shaking off,” engaging in nonviolent mass protests that often turned into violent clashes with Israeli security forces. It was amid this fighting that Hamas rose in prominence, initially committing to a nonviolent strategy alongside the PLO to facilitate peace talks.

With the intifada unfolding, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, known as the father of Palestinian nationalism, made an announcement that paved the way for direct negotiations with the Israelis.

Arafat sought to defeat and replace the state of Israel—often via violent means, like airplane hijackings and bombings of Jewish civilians across the globe.

Though the initial reception from the US and Israel was icy, it was a significant capitulation. The PLO was still widely regarded as a terrorist group, including by the US, following the announcement. But it would begin to take a more active role in determining the future of the Palestinians.

1991: MADRID CONFERENCE
In 1991, representatives from the US, Soviet Union, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, as well as non-PLO Palestinian delegates, convened for the first time in Madrid to hold negotiations to create a new framework for the peace process. The conference was conceived by then-US Secretary of State James Baker to change course from a continued pattern of conflict during the final years of the First Intifada.

There were still significant disagreements between the US and Israel around what peace should look like, particularly on settlement expansion, and no formal agreements came of the conference.

But “what Madrid did achieve was significant,” write George Mitchell, former US President Barack Obama’s special envoy for Middle East peace, and Alon Sachar, a Middle East expert and former adviser to the US Ambassador to Israel, in the 2016 book A Path to Peace. That included bolstering public support for negotiations in Israel, which elected Yitzhak Rabin as prime minister in 1992 on a platform that focused on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. Together, Rabin’s election and the hope generated in Madrid laid the groundwork for the first major breakthrough in decades.

1993: OSLO
The year 1993 marked a breakthrough that established the modern peace process as we know it.

The PLO and Israel entered secret negotiations—facilitated by Norwegian politicians through a think tank in Oslo—at a moment when both felt backed into a corner. Israel was facing increasing international pressure to engage in peace talks following its violent clampdowns on Palestinian protesters in the intifada. The PLO was weakened after supporting Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein before his defeat by US and international forces in the First Gulf War. The fall of the Soviet Union had also reduced Cold War tensions in the Middle East that had previously made peacemaking difficult.

The secret talks allowed the negotiators to discuss difficult issues without fear of political blowback. After some progress had been made, the Israelis elevated them to official, public negotiations in Oslo. Then-US President Bill Clinton had a limited role in the negotiations, but held a formal signing ceremony for the so-called Oslo Accords on the White House lawn in Washington, DC, in 1993, in which Rabin and Arafat famously shook hands.

The Accords allowed Palestinians to self-govern in the West Bank and Gaza and established the Palestinian Authority as the government of those areas. Israel agreed to withdraw its security forces from Gaza and “redeploy” those located in the West Bank in phases. In exchange, the PLO formally recognized the state of Israel and the right of its citizens to live in peace, accepting the language of UN Resolution 242.

Critically, the PLO failed to limit Israel’s continued military presence in Gaza and the West Bank in key ways. The agreement provided no timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and gave Israelis exclusive jurisdiction over their settlements in the occupied territories.

Meanwhile, the Palestinians were left to manage their own affairs, including administering security and public services, relieving Israel of “formal responsibility for the living conditions and welfare of the territories’ rapidly increasing population, still completely dominated by Israeli forces,” Carter writes.

The Accords also established a five-year interim period in which the thornier issues of the conflict were meant to be resolved once and for all: the fate of a Palestinian state and its borders, whether Palestinian refugees would be able to return to Israel or the Palestinian territories or be compensated, what would happen to Israeli settlers and Jerusalem, and water usage. But that would never come to be.

1995: OSLO II
Oslo II built on the momentum of the first Oslo agreement, which was received positively by both Palestinians and Israelis. In September 1995, Rabin and Arafat convened to sign a second agreement in DC that divided the West Bank into three zones, labeled Areas A, B, and C, keeping Gaza continuous. The hope was that, eventually, the Palestinian state would be formed in these areas.

The newly created Palestinian Authority was given full control over Area A, which encompassed the Palestinian cities of Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem. In Area B, which spans a dense zone around those Area A cities, the Palestinian Authority was to have civil jurisdiction in partnership with Israel, which would administer security. Area C, which represented most of the West Bank (and encompassed all of the settlements that Israel had built since it captured the territory in 1967) was to be administered entirely by Israel. Israel was still permitted to collect taxes from the many Palestinians living anywhere in the West Bank and Gaza if they worked in Israel, which it would then distribute to the PA. The Israelis had agreed to withdraw from most of Gaza ahead of Oslo II.

Rabin also agreed that Israel would withdraw from Areas A and B within three months of the signing of the agreement, and would negotiate further withdrawals in the five-year interim period established in the first Oslo agreement.

Radicals on both sides sought to prevent both Oslo I and II’s implementation. Rabin, who had become the face of the peace movement in Israel, was assassinated by a Jewish extremist who opposed the Accords just months later. A period of heightened attacks by Hamas followed. Public support for the peace process eroded, leading to Netanyahu’s election as prime minister in 1996. He opposed the Oslo Accords, arguing they only encouraged attacks like those Hamas was launching at the time, and that Israel needed to take a hard line against the Palestinians. He also distrusted the PLO’s Arafat, a mutual feeling.

Netanyahu’s first government wasn’t as far right as his latest one, but decisions he made in the years to come would make negotiations increasingly difficult.

2000: CAMP DAVID/CLINTON PARAMETERS
Following Rabin’s assassination and Netanyahu’s election, the Accords were threatened, and Clinton tried to salvage the negotiations by inviting Arafat and Netanyahu to Maryland’s Wye River plantation in 1998. There, the leaders agreed to additional Israeli withdrawals from the West Bank as well as Palestinians taking measures to prevent violence against Israel — but both sides accused each other of failing to properly implement the agreement.

That contributed to a deteriorating political situation in Israel, where Netanyahu was facing criticism from the left for failing to make enough progress on negotiations and from the right for making what they saw as unreasonable territorial concessions. Netanyahu was subsequently voted out in 1999, with Ehud Barak taking his place as prime minister and promising an agreement with the Palestinians within 15 months.

At Barak’s urging, Clinton held another summit at Camp David in July 2000, where the leaders failed to agree on borders, Jerusalem, and Palestinian refugees’ “right of return.” Why they failed is a subject of disagreement: Clinton and other pro-Israel voices have blamed Arafat, arguing that he was unwilling to make peace, while others say the negotiations were designed to fail because they didn’t meet the “minimum requirements of any Palestinian leader,” as Robert Malley, one of the US negotiators, argued several years later. It was nevertheless a blow to Barak, who would not survive long as prime minister.

The failures of Camp David led Clinton to undertake a last-ditch effort to salvage negotiations before he left office. At the outset of a Second Intifada, which would prove more bloody than the last, Clinton proposed his parameters for peace.

In Clinton’s plan, 80% of Israeli settlers would remain in the West Bank, covering about 10% of the occupied land. Israel would have exclusive access to the utilities and certain roads that serviced them and would be allowed to create a security perimeter around the settlements. Palestinians would get some land adjacent to Gaza in exchange.

The rest of the West Bank would go to the new state of Palestine, which would also encompass all of Gaza. The new country would be demilitarized and supported by an international force. Palestinians would control the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem, including what is known to Muslims as the al-Aqsa Mosque, and Israelis would control the Western Wall.

Israel accepted the framework with reservations that Clinton said were “within [his] parameters.” Arafat also accepted the parameters but with reservations that Clinton deemed incongruous with an agreement. Part of the problem for Arafat was that the parameters required too many Palestinian concessions on land for settlers and the right of return, some foreign affairs experts have argued.

Clinton later wrote in his memoir that Arafat had made an “error of historic proportions.”

This was the closest that the Israelis and Palestinians have come in recent years to achieve a peace agreement.

2002-2003: VARIOUS ‘FRAMEWORKS’
The Second Intifada, which ended with a ceasefire in 2003 following significant loss of life, made official peace overtures difficult. However several initiatives that were not orchestrated by Israeli or Palestinian government representatives were nevertheless pursued during this period.

That included the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative proposed by the Saudi Crown Prince, which proposed Arab nations’ recognition of Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from the occupied territories, among other elements of a peace plan. It was embraced by many Arab countries and Palestinian leaders, but dismissed by the new Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government as a “nonstarter” just as it was launching a major invasion of the West Bank in response to the Second Intifada. There was also the 2003 Geneva Initiative, spearheaded by former Israeli and Palestinian officials, which aimed to provide a comprehensive plan for the implementation of a two-state solution based on the framework discussed in the Clinton Parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative. It was also rejected by Sharon.

The US, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations—together, the Quartet—also announced a roadmap for peace in 2003 that described progressive steps toward a two-state solution over three years, with political, security, economic, humanitarian, and institution-building benchmarks.

The roadmap was grounded in then-US President George W. Bush’s belief that Palestinian militant violence was a primary obstacle to peace. He and the international community therefore demanded that Arafat step aside in favor of new Palestinian leadership to continue negotiations. At the time, there were still significant numbers of suicide bombings on Israeli and Jewish targets committed by Palestinian militants. Arafat agreed to step aside; the more ‘moderate’ Mahmoud Abbas replaced him.

The Palestinians accepted the roadmap—even though Bush had made assurances to the Israelis that they would not be expected to totally withdraw from the occupied territories and that Palestinians would not have the right to return to Israel. But the Israeli government, led by Sharon, demanded prerequisites that ultimately doomed the deal. Those included dismantling all Palestinian militant groups, precluding any reference to UN Resolution 242, and barring discussion of Israeli settlements.

2005: ISRAEL’S WITHDRAWALS
Despite previously advocating for expansionist policies in the occupied territories, Sharon announced an Israeli “disengagement plan” for Gaza in 2005 that involved the unilateral withdrawal of Israeli settlements and military forces. However, Israel maintained control of the Gazan airspace and cooperated with Egypt in administering its border with Gaza.

Approximately 8,500 Israeli settlers—some of whom had lived there for decades and resisted the plan—were removed from their homes, and some were compensated. Israel ceded control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, who was elected its president that year. Israel also vacated four Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The move was surprising for Sharon, who had for years pursued a dream of a “Greater Israel,” understood by many Israelis as their biblical lands that encompass the Palestinian territories. It earned him a reputation as a peacemaker who was seeking to de-escalate the situation. But as Dartmouth professor Bernard Avishai later argued in the New Yorker, the decision was “not meant to precede a negotiated settlement of any kind but to obviate the need for one.”

Sharon wanted to “cut Israel’s losses” in Gaza, Avishai argues, while pursuing his long-term goals of annexing Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley, and all major Israeli settlements in the West Bank, pushing the Palestinians well beyond Israel’s 1967 borders and behind the illegal “separation barrier” he had built. Sharon, however, suffered from a stroke soon after that would leave him incapable of fully carrying out that vision.

Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian Authority in the 2006 elections following the withdrawal. The US refused to recognize their new government and pressured Abbas’s government to overturn the results, helping spark a brief civil war that culminated in the group taking control of Gaza while the PA, led by politicians aligned with Abbas, continued to govern in the West Bank.

2008: OLMERT’S PEACE OFFER
After the schism in the Palestinian government, Ehud Olmert, who became Israel’s prime minister after Sharon suffered from a stroke, decided to reopen peace talks with the Palestinian Authority in Annapolis, Maryland, for the first time since 2000.

Hamas supported the talks and was prepared to reverse its policy of rejecting Israel if an agreement that the Palestinian people would approve of could be finalized.

Olmert presented a proposal to Abbas that included significant territorial concessions, though the exact contours of the proposal were vague and were never fully disclosed. Reportedly, Olmert offered Palestinians 5.8 percent of Israeli land, consisting of lightly populated farmland, in exchange for 6.3 percent of the West Bank, encompassing major Israeli settlements. On other issues, however, there appeared to still be significant gaps between the Israeli and Palestinian positions on refugees, Jerusalem, and an Israeli withdrawal.

Abbas did not accept the proposal, later saying he wasn’t provided enough detail, though Olmert speculates that Abbas was “entirely for it” and believes Abbas likely regrets that he did not sign the deal. In that respect, Abbas’s rejection of the offer is sometimes compared to Arafat’s reaction to the Clinton Parameters: It was “the best an Israeli prime minister had ever offered to a Palestinian leader” in terms of territory, Mitchell and Sachar write. But Abbas later stated that he believed the offer did not meet Palestinian aspirations for an independent and viable state.

Some reports suggest that Abbas was also concerned about the political situation in Israel at the time, as Olmert had announced his intention to resign over corruption allegations. Olmert later served a prison sentence for accepting bribes and committing obstruction of justice. Netanyahu succeeded him and rejected the talks as dangerous for Israel, raising questions as to whether he would have honored any agreement signed.

2014: KERRY INITIATIVE
Obama’s presidency began in 2009 with the ending of a Gaza war, known as Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, and he appointed George Mitchell, co-author of the 2016 book A Path to Peace, to shepherd peace talks. However the Israeli government was skeptical of Obama, and the heft Mitchell brought as a former negotiator with Northern Ireland did not directly translate to Israel and Palestine.

It quickly became clear Obama’s peace overtures weren’t working. Senior US officials had begun warning that because of the pace of Israel’s settlement expansion, the horizon of the two-state outcome was approaching, and human rights organizations were increasingly calling the situation in the West Bank apartheid. US Secretary of State John Kerry put his hat in the ring, setting a deadline of mid-2014 to reach a comprehensive agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Kerry started with a series of confidence-building measures: Israel agreed to progressively release Palestinian prisoners in four parts while Palestinians agreed to halt the process of applying for membership as a country in international bodies. However, when Israel refused to release the fourth group of prisoners and continued to expand its settlements, Abbas reacted by applying for Palestine to be recognized by 15 UN and other international bodies.

Both sides also faced opposition within their own camps. Hamas rejected the talks, saying that Abbas had no authority to negotiate on behalf of Palestinians since no formal elections had been held in the Palestinian territories since 2005. The group called for a third intifada, though it never materialized.

Netanyahu’s Likud party proposed legislation to annex the Jordan Valley in direct contradiction to the US’s proposal during the talks that the area go to Palestinians. Hardliners also threatened to resign from Netanyahu’s government if he agreed to Israel’s 1967 borders as a starting point for negotiations.

These challenges led to a breakdown in the talks in April 2014.

2020: PEACE TO PROSPERITY/“DEAL OF THE CENTURY”
Former President Donald Trump severely undermined the prospect of Palestinian autonomy, delivering several major wins for Israel that poisoned dialogue with the Palestinians.

He recognized the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights, which Syria says should rightfully be its property—a decision later reaffirmed under Biden. He reversed decades of US policy and moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018—a decision made in recognition of the fact that Israel had made unified Jerusalem its capital, but that ignores Palestinian claims on East Jerusalem that are recognized by the UN. It’s now incredibly politically difficult for any American president to move the embassy back to Tel Aviv.

The Trump administration also argued in 2019 that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not necessarily illegal, lending legitimacy to Israel’s claims on the territories. Israel’s annexations and settlements are widely regarded as illegal under international law, and no other country has recognized them.

Though Trump unveiled a plan in 2020 that he hailed as the peace “deal of the century,” Palestinians vehemently rejected it. The proposal would have allowed Israel to absorb the vast majority of settlements in the occupied West Bank, home to more than half a million Israelis, required that Palestine be fully demilitarized, and rejected Palestinian refugees’ right of return outright. It would have also recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, while also impossibly recognizing Jerusalem as the “undivided capital” of Israel.

“We say a thousand No’s to the Deal of The Century,” Abbas said at the time.

Trump’s barefaced pro-Israel policies undermined the US’s ability to credibly moderate peace talks going forward. There’s also no one credible representative for Palestinians across the occupied territories with which to negotiate. Polling in recent years but before Hamas’s October 7 attack has shown that the PA, under Abbas’s leadership, is broadly unpopular when compared with Hamas, and as Mitchell and Sachar note, has become seen as “behaving like a security subcontractor easing the burden for Israel of the occupation.” That’s partially by the design of Netanyahu, who has propped up Hamas at the expense of a unified Palestinian voice in peace talks.

Even if there were strong representatives, Trump wasn’t interested in pursuing a peace plan. His administration created the Abraham Accords, which were normalization deals between Israel and Arab states like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco (Arab states that had previously not recognized Israel); such deals did not include any progress on the Palestinian issue. Biden took up this policy, and his team put a major emphasis on bringing Saudi Arabia into the normalization fold during his first two and a half years in office. This Trump-Biden approach went against the Arab Peace Initiative and cut Palestinians out of the conversation.

2023: U.S. CALLS FOR A TWO-STATE SOLUTION
For years after Trump announced his framework, no meaningful attempts were made to reopen peace negotiations, with US President Joe Biden looking to turn his attention to other parts of the world, including China and Russia, and Israel signing normalization agreements with some of its Arab neighbors.

But that calculus changed with the onset of the war in Gaza. The Biden administration has offered its nearly unconditional support to Israel but has raised concerns about Israel’s ability to achieve its stated goal of eliminating Hamas and its methods as civilian casualties skyrocket. It has also called for a renewed commitment to a two-state solution.

The Biden administration’s focus on a two-state solution raises the question as to whether the window for that path to peace has passed. Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories has become entrenched, and its settler population in the West Bank has grown to at least 700,000, leading some observers—including Carter—to argue that the reality is that Israel and Palestine are a de facto one state.

As the war continues, Biden has called on Israel to disentangle itself from Palestine and has warned the country against trying to occupy Gaza once it concludes its offensive. But Following Hamas’s October 7 attack and the destruction Israel has wreaked in Gaza, reversing the status quo now seems more difficult than ever.

Author Robert Spencer, in his book “The Palestinian Delusion,” created sort of a ‘parable’ to explain the attitudes and actions of Hamas and the Israelis in the Gaza Strip.

“Some thought that the unilateral Gaza withdrawal was an excellent opportunity for Israel to show yet again its goodwill toward those who wanted only its destruction. In Gaza, Israeli farmers had built and operated four thousand greenhouses that employed around 3,500 Palestinians and earned around one hundred million dollars a year. James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank, and a Middle East envoy for the Bush White House approached Mortimer Zuckerman, publisher of the New York Daily News, and asked him to raise $14 million to buy the irrigation systems and other necessary equipment for the continued operation of the greenhouses, so that the Palestinians could keep on operating them and would immediately have an opportunity to establish a normal society, providing employment for some of their citizens who would presumably be turning away from terrorism now that the Israelis were leaving.

“‘Despite my skepticism’, Zuckerman said in an August 2005 interview with the New York Times, ‘I thought to myself, ‘This is perhaps the only illustration or symbol of what could be the benefits of a co-operational, rather than a confrontational attitude.’

“Leonard Stern, a wealthy real estate entrepreneur and former owner of the Village Voice, was one of the donors; he recounted that he got a phone call from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: ‘She said that she wanted to let me know that myself and every member of the group that helped make this possible had made a very positive contribution to the peace.’

“The Palestinians did not receive this ‘contribution to the peace’ in the way that was expected or intended. When the Israeli withdrawal was complete, Palestinians immediately looted and destroyed hundreds of the greenhouses, causing two million dollars in damage:

“Police sometimes joined the looters.

“The destruction of the greenhouses was emblematic of the entire ‘peace process’—so much so that the entire greenhouse incident serves as a parable of the ‘peace process’ itself. Throughout the process, Israelis would make gestures of goodwill that would not be reciprocated, or the Palestinian Arabs would say everything they were expected to say and then act as if they had meant none of it. Instead of calling the Muslims to account, however, the world powers—Britain first and then the United States, would put more pressure on Israel to make more concessions, as if some new manifestation of generosity would finally have the desired effect. Every one of Israel’s concessions and goodwill gestures would be received in the same way, and yet the obvious lesson was never learned.

“In fact, it was studiously avoided, although Mortimer Zuckerman himself appears to have awakened to some unpleasant realities. On August 6, 2014, without mentioning his own involvement in raising money to help the Palestinians continue to operate the greenhouses, he wrote:

“Let us remember that Israel withdrew all of its citizens, uprooted its settlements, and completely disengaged from Gaza in 2005. It wanted this new Palestinian state to succeed. To help it economically, the Israelis left behind 3,000 working greenhouses. They also disassembled four smaller settlements in the northern West Bank—a sign that they wanted to live peacefully, side by side with Gaza.

“And how did the Palestinians respond? They demolished the green-houses, elected Hamas, and instead of building a state, says Charles Krauthammer in the “National Review Online, spent most of the last decade turning Gaza into a massive military base brimming with weapons to make endless war on Israel!

“The ‘Death’ of the Peace Process
On January 25, 2006, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza went to the polls to elect members of the Palestinian Authority’s legislature. The result was an overwhelming victory for Hamas, which won seventy-six of the 132 seats in a decisive repudiation of Mahmoud Abbas’s negotiations with Israel, and of the very premise that negotiations with Israel were worth pursuing.”

Sadly, I think this ‘parable’ says it all about the attitude of Hamas toward peace—again, the “Three No’s.”

Well, the Israelis and the Muslim Arabs have done this again and again and again for more than four decades now, and the conflict still rages. Borders have been adjusted, troops have been withdrawn, settlements have been dismantled, and yet the Palestinian media still daily seethes with rage and hate against Israel, and calls for its destruction. For talks to succeed, both sides have to be willing to make compromises and abide by agreements. The Palestinians have repeatedly shown that they are willing to do neither. They see negotiations with Israel as a means to gain concessions that are steps on the way to the ultimate collapse of the Jewish state. Going forward, therefore, there should be no negotiations at all, or if there are, they must be conducted on a more realistic basis.

So, is this likely ever to happen? Well, probably not, if the Palestinians continue to incite hatred and violence against Israel.

The Antichrist will come to power through deception and be a master of intrigue, ‘elevating’ himself as god—and will offer peace and security to a war-torn world.

He will be able to perform “signs and miracles” to convince the world that he fulfills all the messianic prophecies in the Bible and those of all religions around the world. Eager to take Jesus’ place and rule over the earth, the Antichrist will even ‘counterfeit’ His own death and resurrection. The world realizes that no one can ‘stand’ against this guy, and they submit their power and authority over to him.

In addition to the Antichrist’s ‘supernatural’ ability to win people to his position through diplomacy, it may even be possible that the Arab world will accept him as the returning “12th Imam” of Islamic prophecy.

One might wonder how one man will be able to convince the entire world to follow him and give him all the power and authority over a global government. Well, the fact is, the world has been waiting for just such a man for centuries. Mankind has been striving to create a ‘utopian’ world ever since they first attempted to ‘reach heaven’ by building the Towel of Babel.

Only in this current generation could one person be able to rule over the entire economy of the world, since the technology required is pretty much here today.

[ FYI: For more details about the ‘final’ Antichrist, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/the-final-deception-v268/ ]

HOWEVER, the Antichrist’s signing of a covenant with Israel marks the actual beginning of the seven-year Tribulation period (Daniel 9:26-27), which will only allow Israel to be at peace for about 3-1/2 years—after which the Antichrist will set his ‘sights’ on eliminating ALL of the Jews, since he is ‘indwelt’ by Satan and he has an insane hatred for the Jews.

He hates them with a passion. He hates them because they are the ‘chosen’ people of God. He hates them because through them God gave the world the Scriptures. He hates them because through them God gave the world the Messiah. And he hates them because God has promised, over and over and over in His Word, that one day He is going to bring a great remnant of the Jews to salvation in Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah. Satan wants to destroy the Jews so that God cannot keep that promise!

All this to say, peace WILL FINALLY ‘COME’ to Israel—including the entire Middle East—HOWEVER, it is all a ‘TRAP’ and will end with the ‘CAMPAIGN’ OF ARMAGEDDON!

[ FYI: For more details about the “Campaign of Armageddon,” view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/final-tribulation-v246/ ]

Now, if humankind is ever going to manage a more peaceful world, we need to learn how we can peacefully move on from historical injustices—and there is a moral dilemma involved in this. On one hand, if people keep holding grudges, for the wrongs that they or their people have suffered in the past, or for present-day disadvantages that stem from those wrongs, then peace is always going to be tenuous. Real, lasting, stable peace requires trust and solidarity among people. Those things quickly unravel if old grudges are constantly resurfacing.

Then, on the other hand, the moral value of peace seems undermined if, to attain peace, we require people to simply ignore or become content with the unjust suffering that has been inflicted on them. This intuition is captured in the slogan “no peace without justice.”

The question is then whether we can right historical wrongs and establish the conditions for a future-looking peace, without reigniting the conflicts that surround those wrongs.

However, when our team systematically compared a sample of peace systems with a randomly selected comparison group, we discovered that peace systems tend to share certain commonalities:

– Overarching common identities, such as shared national or regional identities (like Africans, Latin Americans, or Christians) that emphasize commonalities between different ethnic groups.

– Greater positive interconnectedness and independence in the realms of economics, ecology, and security. In other words, they have public spaces, institutions, and activities that bring members of different groups together and help them realize that their fates are closely linked.

– Stronger non-warring norms, values, rituals, and symbols, like commemorations of successful peacemakers and monuments that celebrate the prevention of war. Using a machine learning technique called Random Forest, we discovered that the single most important contributor to peace is non-warring norms, followed in decreasing importance by non-warring rituals, non-warring values, mutual security dependencies, superordinate institutions, and economic interdependence. This suggests that developing norms that are supportive of positive reciprocal social relationships may be more important for peace than previously assumed.

– Peace language in the press. We have been developing a technique to help us measure and track the power of peace speech—peaceable language for building and maintaining more peaceful communities. Our preliminary findings are promising, suggesting that the distinct qualities of conflict vs. peace words in our lexicons are related to the relative “tightness/ordered” versus the “looseness/creative” nature of the terms. In other words, journalism in peaceful places seems to employ the language of a looser, more open, playful nature, while reporting from non-peaceful societies reflects tighter, more closed, or bureaucratic language.

– A greater degree of peace leadership from politicians, corporations, clergy, and community activists who help establish a vision and set a course toward peace. Peace leadership occurred, for instance, when the Iroquois peace prophet unified five warring tribes and replaced the weapons of war with dialogue and consensus-seeking. Other bastions of peacefulness like Costa Rica and the E.U. have evidenced similar visionary leadership for peace.

Ultimately, they found that when these different peace variables align and reinforce one another, virtuous cycles are often created that become more resistant to changing conditions. This, they suggested, is the essence of sustainability.

They launched a short video and a public website that provides an overview of the project and the team, which includes a map locating contemporary societies sustaining peace, an interactive version of the causal-loop diagram that allows users to explore the evidence behind it, and an interactive version of the mathematical model that encourages users to plug in values and play with the model.

In the end, it is vital to remember that peace exists today in ‘pockets’ all around the globe and that the more we study and learn from such societies, the higher our chances of building a global peace system for all. Peace IS possible—and the more we understand, the more probable it becomes.

[ Note: The article, with a lot of the details about the research—and a few videos and their website—is in the “Article” section below. ]

– Treat all people with kindness, regardless of race, gender orientation, sexual orientation, religion, etc.
– Attend a peace rally
– Write to your government (local and federal)
– Create a peaceful affirmation/mantra
– Don’t engage in violence of any kind
– Don’t purchase weapons
– Embrace diversity and get to know other cultures by traveling the world and doing research
– Start a collection to donate to a charity
– Volunteer for the Peace Corps
– If you have a platform, use it to educate
– Advocate for animal rights (including slaughter laws)
– Meditate and teach/encourage others to meditate
– Organize community projects to build camaraderie (group mural, clean-up, etc.)
– Think about other people’s intentions vs. their outcome
– Never honk your car horn unless you’re unsafe
– Make art installations with the word “peace” or the peace symbol
– When you see someone who is in trouble, help them
– Learn mediation/conflict resolution skills
– Advocate peace with T-shirts, bumper stickers, patches, etc.
– Call out people when you see them being sexist, racist, etc.
– Spend time in nature
– Stay abreast of current events
– Take a break from watching the news when you need to
– Register to vote (and actually vote!)
– Create a safe space/sanctuary in your home
– Engage in random acts of kindness regularly
– Hang Tibetan prayer flags
– Reduce your carbon footprint
– Volunteer at a domestic violence shelter
– Try hard not to judge others
– Research influential peace promoters in history
– Talk to kids about peaceful virtues early on
– Have a plan for dangerous situations of all types (being mugged, a house fire, etc.)
– Respect your environment (i.e., don’t litter)
– Sign a peace pledge
– Think about any prejudices you might have and explore why they are a part of you, with the ultimate goal being that you release them
– Learn about symbols of peace and use tangible examples as reminders in your own home, workspace, car, etc.
– Attend local government meetings
– Forgive others, even long-standing enemies
– Read books about peace and recommend them to your friends
– Help the homeless/Volunteer at a shelter
– Take a nonviolent crisis intervention class
– Develop meaningful relationships outside your own race
– Sign an appeal to end nuclear threats
– Host art/music/poetry events with the theme of peace
– Be patient in all aspects of life
– Learn what the main causes of violence in your city are
– Practice self-love and care so you can radiate goodness to others
– Say you’re sorry, when necessary, even if it is belated
– Define what the word “peace” means to you

Professor and counselor of psychology, Carrie Steckl, Ph.D. (with a Minor in Gerontology), also has suggested the following some positive ways to promote peace in our badly broken world:

– Make a personal commitment to nonviolence
– When you see someone in trouble, whether he or she is lost, confused, upset, or has fallen, don’t act like you don’t see the person – provide some help
– Show a child how to achieve calmness through deep breathing
– Show a child how to be kind to animals
– Show a child how to be kind to vulnerable people – the homeless, those with physical or cognitive disabilities, older people, and anyone else who appears different to the child
– Speak out against prejudice and discrimination when you see it
– When you feel angry, count to ten before saying anything. Then, ask yourself what response will be best for the greater good
– When you feel slighted, ask yourself if what happened was really about you or if it was about the other person
– When you realize that it was about the other person, find in your heart some compassion for that person, realizing that he or she is most surely struggling
– Regard people who hurt your feelings as your personal teachers of how to maintain a peaceful nature
– If you are a member of a religious community, ask how you can get more involved in promoting peace through its programs and ministries
– If you are not a member of a religious community, find a not-for-profit community organization that works toward peaceful communities and volunteer. To get started, search the directory at GuideStar
– Choose a career that yields only good things for our families, our communities, and our planet
– Look people in the eye and smile when you pass them on the street. Better yet, actually say, “Hello”
– Become trained in mental health first aid so you can respond to people in mental distress
– Serve on committees and task forces that work to make your neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces safer
– Celebrate successes in the quest for peace and nonviolence
– Don’t hide from life. Have faith that there is still an abundance of good in this world.

Well, it looks like to me—from these (and other) lists—that there is a lot of ‘FOCUS’ on the INDIVIDUAL. So, the hope of world peace may just hinge, in part, on individual people’s creativity and courage in trying to figure out how to get more communities to buy into these kinds of ‘peace-building’ endeavors.

It also looks like a lot of these suggestions reiterate exactly what I presented in the ADVANTAGEOUS ‘PRACTICES’ for finding peace section above.

The thing is, there is a concept called “peacebuilding,” which is the proactive pursuit of harmony and cooperation—which, as I mentioned in the introduction of this post—starts with each one of us!

Peacebuilding can seem like an impossible and overwhelming task deemed fit only for people who have the power or knowledge to do so. But, it is essential that we, as citizens of the world, not only educate others but actively ‘engage’ in peacebuilding.

[ FYI: For more details about how to have peaceful relationships with others, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/be-a-peacemaker-v202/ ]

Well, Jesus tells us in one of His most ‘famous’ teachings, the “Sermon on the Mount” (also referred to as “The Beatitudes,” which are ‘sayings’ that speak of certain character qualities of the ‘ideal’ disciple, and how they will be “blessed” for ‘possessing’ and ‘implementing’ them).

Specifically, in the seventh Beatitude—the last of the ‘personal’ qualities—Jesus says: “God blesses those who are peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” [ Matthew 5:9 ].

Okay then, how does one be a “peacemaker”? Well, peacemaking ‘grows out of’ the previous three ‘grace’ Beatitudes of seeking “righteousness,” wanting to be “merciful,” and being “pure in heart” to do what is right. After realizing the ‘blessings’ of these ‘virtues’, a believer is ‘inspired’ to be used by God to help people attain peace.

Notice that Jesus does not say, “Blessed are the peacekeepers,” or “Blessed are the peace-lovers.” He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers”—and there’s a big difference between them!

“Peacekeepers” are those who avoid being confrontational, and try to keep ‘tensions’ from rising by guiding conversations away from subjects that might cause strife.

– Peacekeepers ‘run’ from a problem
– Peacekeepers pretend that a problem doesn’t exist
– Peacekeepers are afraid to talk about the issue, and prefer not to ‘rock the boat’
– Peacekeepers ‘sweep everything under the rug’
– Peacekeepers ‘grin and bear it’
– Peacekeepers procrastinate and shift responsibility
– Peacekeepers want everyone to speak well of them
– Peacekeepers prevent people from attacking each other by putting some kind of ‘barrier’ between them
– Peacekeepers prefer to ‘cover over’ problems
– Peacekeepers pretend that nothing is wrong
– Peacekeepers can endure fake peace for decades while the tension erodes their well-being
– Peacekeepers keep the status quo to keep the peace
– Peacekeepers ‘walk on eggshells’ to not upset anyone
– Peacekeepers don’t share how they really feel so they won’t start an argument
– Peacekeepers avoid conflict and apologize for things that they haven’t even done
– Peacekeepers always feel taken advantage of, and find their identity in not making ‘waves’
– Peacekeepers are experts at changing the subject, preventing arguments and misdirecting the conversation
– Peacekeepers ‘invented’ the “No Talk Rule”—keeping dysfunctional families in ‘abusive’ cycles
– Peacekeepers can cause churches to avoid questioning sinful conduct
– Peacekeepers do achieve a ‘pretend’ peace, but it’s momentary (This peace is outward, external, and incapable of changing anyone’s heart or mind)

“Peacekeeping” is ‘cowardice’.

“Peace-lovers” might be considered an ‘extreme’ case of a “peacekeeper”—they are ‘pacifists’.

– Peace-lovers create a ‘false’ peace—they want “peace at any price.”
– Peace-lovers are never ‘disturbed’ by anything
– Peace-lovers promote appeasement, and are someone whom always ‘give in’
– Peace-lovers allow themselves to be a ‘doormat’
– Peace-lovers avoid hard decisions and settle for ‘artificial’ peace—which actually causes more conflict in the end
– Peace-lovers allow wrong attitudes and evil to continue unchallenged
– Peace-lovers will never confront or challenge another
– Peace-lovers ‘live and let live’
– Peace-lovers want to please everyone, and be liked by everybody, so they don’t take a ‘stand’ for anything, and therefore, they ‘fall’ for anything
– Peace-lovers just ‘hope’ the problem will go away

Peace sought in this manner will, most of the time, ultimately result in future conflicts, that are even worse than they were originally!

“Peace-loving” is ‘pollyanna’.

“Peacemakers” are those who desire to create ‘settlements’ between disputing parties.

– Peacemakers look for a point of agreement
– Peacemakers contend without being contentious
– Peacemakers disagree without being disagreeable
– Peacemakers confront without being abusive
– Peacemakers never seek “cheap peace” (unity at the expense of biblical teaching)
– Peacemakers strike a balance (without compromising truth and righteousness)
– Peacemakers ‘work’ for peace, even when it is unpopular and costly
– Peacemakers lovingly confront others
– Peacemakers look beyond the presenting conflict, wanting to know what is causing the conflict
– Peacemakers look for ways to achieve lasting friendship and harmony
– Peacemakers address issues of injustice and oppression
– Peacemakers call others to the right behavior and attitudes
– Peacemakers are willing to have short-term disturbance and disruption
for true long-term peace
– Peacemakers actively initiate ‘action’ (even though sometimes personally sacrificial)
– Peacemakers allow tensions to surface and encourage them to be aired (even if it precipitates conflict)
– Peacemakers see a problem and immediately go to work to correct, reconcile, and restore (They implement long-lasting solutions)

Though peacemakers are often accused of being unloving, judgmental, ‘trouble makers’, that are legalistic and intolerant, Jesus, the “Prince of Peace,” called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers,” and regularly ‘rebuked’ the scribes and Sadducees (‘important’ religious people in Jesus’ day), governmental officials, and even His disciples. Rather than avoid conflict, Jesus lovingly confronted people, but desired for them to repent and be redeemed.

Peacemakers ‘invite’ necessary conflict because they know there is no other pathway to increase the understanding between ‘warring’ people and groups, and create ‘authentic’ peace. Some have termed this “tough love”—that provides loving correction and restoration. Peacemakers are those who are willing to do whatever it takes to confront violence and wrongdoing, and to bring it under the ‘judgment’ of God.

“Peacemaking” is about ‘reconciliation’.

Now, reconciliation is what the ‘true’ meaning of Christmas is—Jesus came to this earth to reconcile humanity to God The Father. The Apostle Paul called attention to this and added that it is God’s desire, for those who have been reconciled to Him, to become ‘ambassadors’ of reconciliation to those around them:

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”
[ 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 ].

Peacemaking is definitely more complex and involved than it first appears because it entails the way we live all of life. This produces peace both passively and actively: passively, because we are not a cause of disruption, and actively, because we create peace by drawing others to emulate our example and by them seeking for the tranquility and joy we have as a result.

Of course, being human, one must work to be continually ‘transformed’ themselves, dissolving their own enmities and having peace be thoroughly established in their character. The ‘sanctification’ process transforms us into the likeness of Jesus, enabling us to break free from sinful habits and mature into peacemakers who reflect God’s reconciling love amid conflict (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Colossians 3:12-15).

Now, realistically, it is a constant challenge to maintain peace with God and others. The Apostle Paul vividly describes his battle with it:

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway”
[ Romans 7:18-19 ].

Peacemaking is a more encompassing term than it appears. Since it means “everything which makes for a man’s highest good,” it is another, more specific term for love. Loving under every circumstance is not easy but is possible with God’s help!

So then, what specifically should someone do?

The word peace in the Bible, from the Greek word (“eireinei”), refers to a mental attitude of tranquility based on a relationship with God in the Christian way of life. It is a word which describes the result of a person’s correct response to God’s
grace.

The Bible uses peace in two ways. There is personal peace WITH God which comes when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior. Then, there is the peace OF God which is available daily as the believer participates in the Christian way of life according to the plan of God.

Jesus removed the ‘barrier’ and made peace between man and God. So, when the unbeliever responds to grace by faith, the result is peace.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him, we both have access to the Father by one Spirit”
[ Ephesians 2:14-18 ].

This passage shows peace as a product of reconciliation, that the enmity between God and man was abolished once and for all, and the believer has been brought into ‘union’ with Christ through the ‘baptism’ of the Holy Spirit.

PEACE ‘OF’ GOD
In one’s lifetime, one can experience some peaceful moments daily. However, when the believer responds by faith to grace, God provides them with many blessings which can result in an inner peace that transcends human understanding:

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock”
[ Isaiah 26:3-4 ].

Then, in the believer’s life, peace comes through fellowship with God followed by daily growth and advancement in spiritual things—which brings stability, a relaxed mental attitude, orientation to the plan of God, ‘relations’ with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and the ability to employ faith principles in all areas of life:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you”
[ Philippians 4:6-9 ].

Peace or tranquility precedes the enjoyment of prosperity. It is part of the preparation for prosperity. One must have peace to have the capacity for prosperity. God may hold prosperity back until one has developed the ‘capacity’ to enjoy it:

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper”
[ Jeremiah 29:7 ].

Then, any loss of peace is followed by an ‘adjustment’ to God’s plan for the believer. Confession and restoration to fellowship, faith rest a relaxed mental attitude and peace will appear in the new situation from God’s viewpoint, and followers of Christ can choose to accept God’s best plan for the believer

The man or woman who receives grace and peace from God is in a perfect position for spiritual production and reproduction:

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness”
[ James 3:13-18 ].

The peace of God is shown through wisdom. The believer has to choose to follow God’s wisdom which is first pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, and full of mercy. They can choose to follow the wisdom of the world—which leads to bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder, and every evil thing—or they can choose God’s wisdom which leads to peace in all decision-making.

‘TRUE’ INNER PEACE
So, the Bible assures us that one CAN HAVE true inner peace—no matter one’s circumstances—and the ‘source’ of this peace is ‘fleshed out’ by the Apostle John:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”
[ John 14:27 ].

Now, just to be clear, Jesus never promised that one would not experience difficulties in their life. He plainly said, “In the world you have affliction” [ John 16:33a ]. Even though believers are ‘saved’, they still live in this world full of suffering and distress. However, Jesus continued by saying, “But take heart; I have overcome the world” [ John 16:33b ]. These words from Jesus should bring the believer comfort, assuring them that, even amid their trials, they WILL have a peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:7).

So, having true inner peace does not depend on one’s circumstances or ‘environment’, but on practicing fellowship with God in prayer and petition. If one does this, God will give the believer the much-needed ‘antidote’ to their easily troubled soul!

TRUST ‘INCREASES’ PEACE
The more on trust God, the more peace they will experience. Maybe an illustration will help with this:

When it comes to trusting God, though, one can keep their mind steadfast on Him because He is TRUSTWORTHY and will never fail the believer. The kind of trust one often has sitting in a chair should be the kind of all-encompassing trust one should have in God! “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” [ Isaiah 26:3 ].

Now, when Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah (Jesus) some 700 years before His birth, he gave Him four ‘titles’:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore”
[ Isaiah 9:6-7 ].

The names of God in the Bible often reveal a character trait. So, Jesus, God in the flesh, is the believer’s “Wonderful Counselor” who coming to show them that His ways are better than their ways, His thoughts are better than their thoughts., and His wisdom is far higher, better, more beneficial, more beautiful than their wisdom.

Being the God-man, Jesus is the believer’s “Mighty God” because He is the ONLY One that God the Father will accept as a ‘substitute’ for the believer’s sins, saving them from eternal Hell. The One that can fully identify with God, and bear the divine justice and judgment due them for their sins.

Jesus is then called the “Everlasting Father” since He longs to take care of the believers, longs to protect and provide for them, and then help them become all that they can be.

– A Peaceful Ministry And Example
When we observe Jesus’ ministry, we realize He did the opposite of what most disciples and followers expected. They wanted a zealot who could topple the Roman government. However, instead, Jesus preached on turning the other cheek (Matthew 5) and didn’t even open his mouth to protest when Pilate questioned Him before His crucifixion. Jesus led a life of humility and peace.

One also notices that during His ministry, He tried to restore things to the Jewish understanding of shalom. He healed—even on the Sabbath—and He mended broken relationships.

– A Peaceful Relationship With God
As I mentioned above, Jesus restored that shalom between them and God. What had been previously thrown into chaos and disarray due to sin, Jesus restored. Through His death and resurrection, the believer then can experience the peace ‘OF’ God and a rehabilitated relationship ‘WITH’ God.

[ FYI: For more details about the peace ‘of’ God and ‘with God, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/know-peace-v201/ ]

– Restoration Of Relationships
Sin destroys relationships. Husbands and wives divorce, families split apart, and friends desert us. Sin has utterly and completely decimated relationships.

However, because Jesus allows the believer to be in a relationship with Him, the love, joy, and peace that comes from that union spread to all areas of their lives. This means that they can re-commune with estranged ones, forgotten ones, and betrayed ones because of the example of how He allowed them to do the same with Him.

– Peace Of Mind During Difficult Tribulations
Whether one has entered a season in their life where they question their own salvation or whether it seems that they can’t catch a break from all the trials they have faced—“when it rains it pours”—God often grants believers a ‘peace of mind’ during difficult moments that “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

Now, this does not mean that the believer will not wrestle with their circumstances or not have bad days. (Take a look at the Psalms and see how often David cries out to God in distress.)

Nevertheless, it does mean that God does and will give us peace in our darkest moments.

So, in a world of turmoil, wars, strife, division, enmity, hatred, hurt, pain, and sorrow, Jesus is the ‘ruler’ whose reign brings peace in the ‘hearts’ of all who trust in Him. Jesus then has made peace with God on our behalf, and the believer will experience peace, joy, justice, and righteousness forever! In addition to that, Jesus seeks to restore relationships, assure the believers of their destination in Heaven, and provide them with a peaceful ‘rhythm’ and balance in their lives. Woo-hoo!!!

Then, the believer can look forward to the fulfillment of Jesus’ perfect peace—in the New Heaven and on the New Earth, where all wrongs will be made right and where justice, righteousness, and peace will reign.

Jesus restores ‘true’ shalom, guiding everything back to the way they were meant to be originally, before the ‘Fall’ in the Garden of Eden. This means revived relationships, balanced living, and assurances of our eternal bliss!

Now, after all of this has been said, for some of you, a certain portion of Handel’s Messiah chorus may be running through your head right now.

[ VIDEO: “For Unto Us a Child is Born” – Handel’s Messiah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkdyNUYeuHA&t=74s ]

THE ‘COMFORTER’
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He promised the disciples that He would be sending the “Comforter”—the Holy Spirit—after His departure:

While Jesus was on earth with His disciples, His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time. However, the Holy Spirit can be everywhere, in all places, at all times.

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you”
[ John 16:7 ].

Through the Holy Spirit, the believer receives constant assurance that they are God’s ‘children’ (Romans 8:16) and provides many ‘things’ to them:

– He ‘draws’ them closer to Jesus and strengthens their inner being (Ephesians 3:16-17)
– Helps the believer in their weakness when they don’t even know how to pray (Romans 8:26)
– Gives power and wisdom to witness with boldness (Acts 4:31; 1 John 5:6-8).
– Teaches John 14:26; 16:13; 1 John 2:27)
– Reveals the deep mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 2:9–10)

So then, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the believer can provide comfort for others.

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to affliction and hardship, having endured stonings, whippings, and shipwrecks. He spent roughly three years imprisoned in Rome. Yet, there in prison, surrounded by misery, he was able to comfort distressed fellow inmates because he intimately knew the ultimate Comforter, God, through the Holy Spirit.

During his imprisonment, he also wrote four letters to newly formed churches, encouraging them to remain faithful under persecution. He told the Philippians to look for joy while suffering, to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:7). To the Colossians, he wrote, “Whatever you do, work… for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23), and to those in Ephesus, “make the most of every opportunity…” (Ephesians 5:16). “Every opportunity” included trials and tribulations.

Writing to the church of Corinth, Paul said, “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort” [ 2 Corinthians 1:6-7 ].

Paul’s life demonstrated how the Holy Spirit, strengthens, and supports the believer during troubling times, even BEFORE they cry out for help (Romans 8:26). Paul reminds the Corinthians that only God is the source of abiding consolation and admonishes them—and believers today—to remain faithful and continue to trust the Lord in all circumstances.

Despite what Paul knew about suffering, he was able to rejoice and remain hopeful because suffering produced godly patience and endurance. As with Paul, God uses hardship and affliction to sanctify the believer. Come what may, God is faithful and true and sets the believer’s ‘feet’ on solid, sure ground, moving them from a state of faltering self-sufficiency to steadfast security in His all-sufficient grace.

Being comforted with hope, the believer can persevere, reminding themselves that their troubles are only ‘temporary’, not eternal. They can remain steadfast and confident because they will be helped and comforted by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent and comforts the believer with His peace in all their struggles. However, even though that is great, additionally, He also showers them with grace, love, and eternal hope!

These days, everyone greatly needs some comfort and peace. The thing is, in the believer’s deepest troubles, the Holy Spirit prompts their minds to think about the Words of God and the assured ‘guaranteed’ promises of God. In these promises, they will find great peace and comfort. As a reminder, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” [ John 14:27a ].

So, it is a great comfort to the believer that the Holy Spirit dwells ‘in’ them and will direct and guide them in times of trouble—and even in times of joy—to experience a “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

According to the Bible, the entire world will prove unable to find true peace in this age of human rule before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Why? Well, God gave us the reason centuries ago through the prophet Isaiah: “The way of peace they have not known” [ Isaiah 59:8 ].

What an apt characterization of this world and its weak attempts to bring peace to humanity. People pay ‘lip service’ to the goal, but lack knowledge of the ‘WAY’ to get there.

A clue as to WHY can be found in the “Four Horsemen” of the Apocalypse, and it is easy to miss the significance of the sequence of the horsemen. Notice that the first horse, the white one, goes forth “conquering and to conquer” (Revelation 6:1-2). This first horseman ‘resembles’ Jesus Christ, the King of Kings who will come back from Heaven on a white horse (Revelation 19:11), HOWEVER, in what seems to be a paradox to many, the rider of this horse doesn’t bring peace! Quite the contrary. It is this impostor—the Antichrist—whose influence stokes the ‘fires’ of war, suffering and destruction.

The second horse, the red one, “was granted… to take peace from the earth” and to cause people to kill one another (Revelation 6:3-4). There is a cause-and-effect factor here: The riding of the first horseman, symbolizing false religion and false philosophies, gives rise to the second—widespread war on the earth.

The prophet Jeremiah summed it up well in a phrase that has made its way into common usage: “Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11).

So, will the famous “swords-into-plowshares” statue that sits in front of the United Nations building in New York become a reality as a result of peace talks? Sadly, no. Peace will not come about through peace talks. Many world leaders and diplomats have worked tirelessly to try to bring cease-fires and peace treaties. But throughout history, those efforts have proven powerless to bring real, lasting peace.

Every human effort to bring lasting peace has failed—and will continue to do so. World peace IS ‘IMPOSSIBLE when it depends upon mankind. World peace will come ONLY through the “Prince of Peace”—Jesus!

Jesus will bring with Him the administration of true justice and the pathway to real peace:

That time IS coming, so BE SURE YOU ARE ‘READY’!

[ FYI: For more details about being sure you are ‘ready’ to meet God and be let into His Heaven, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/are-you-prepared-v210/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/how-to-prepare-to-meet-someone-important-v276/ ]

Once Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He will first have to act swiftly and decisively to put down rebellion against His rule. We read of the aggressive action of the last world-ruling empire (based in Europe) and its leader, the Antichrist, who “will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:8, Revelation 17:14).

World peace will come, starting with Jerusalem. Under God’s inspiration, the prophet Zechariah gave us a beautiful description of the changed conditions in the city of Jerusalem under the Kingdom of God:

“Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets”
[ Zechariah 8:4-5 ].

Jesus’ government—and the way of peace that it brings—will expand outward from Jerusalem and encompass the whole earth and its inhabitants. Both the aged and the young will then be free to enjoy the beauty and security of this, God’s capital city, with no fear of bombs or violence.

Then, once Jesus has returned and set up His rule, peace will expand outward from the city of Jerusalem to finally bring rest to this war-weary world:

“Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this”
[ Isaiah 9:7 ].

God’s government of peace will be established, beginning with the city of Jerusalem, and people will stream to that city to learn of God and His ways.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us to up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

“He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

“But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken”
[ Micah 4:1-4 ].

Everyone will have the chance to learn the way of peace—God’s way. Jesus’ government, and the way of peace that it brings.

Yes, world peace IS ‘REALLY’ COMING and it WILL BE a reality in the coming Millennium!

It will be an unprecedented time of peace, that will most likely serve as the greatest ‘harvest’ of souls in human history (becoming “born again”). In addition to this, part of the millennial Kingdom’s importance will be to fulfill the biblical covenant God has made throughout history: The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12, 15); The Land Covenant (Deuteronomy 30); The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16); and the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Another reason for the Millennial Kingdom is that Jesus must be, as theologian Charles Ryrie said:

“Triumphant in the same ‘arena’ where He was seemingly defeated. His rejection by the rulers of this world was on this earth (1 Corinthians 2:8). His exultation must also be on this earth. And so it shall be when he comes again to rule this world in righteousness. Hey has waited long for His inheritance; soon he shall receive it.”

The Millennial Kingdom is essential and fulfilling the long-awaited promise of an inheritance of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

[ FYI: For more details about the Millennium, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/home-at-last-v290/ ]

As wonderful as the Millennial Kingdom will be, it will not be “Heaven.” Despite the amazing blessings and a prophetic fulfillment in the Millennial Kingdom, this time will be sandwiched between two important conflicts. Before the Millennial Kingdom, Satan and his forces are defeated by Jesus at Armageddon (at the end of the Tribulation). Then, at the end of the 1,000-year Millennial Kingdom, Satan is released for one final rebellion:

“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”
[ Revelation 20:7-10 ].

Satan and his enemy army surround Jerusalem, however, the battle will be short-lived. This so-called battle will actually serve as an ‘execution’, and they all will be instantly destroyed—with their souls entering the realm of punishment, the “Lake of Fire,” forever! (Revelation 20:11-15)

The Millennial Kingdom is not an ‘optional’ part of God’s plan for the final eternal Kingdom. It must occur for God to keep His promises.

– ‘Reversal’ Of The Curse
– ‘Restoration’ Of All Things
– ‘Removal’ Of The Seas

The New Heaven will be splendid beyond comparison, a place characterized by laughter without tears, life without death, singing without mourning, contentment without crying, and pleasure without pain! Then, a resplendent city will crown the New Heavens and New Earth, called the New Jerusalem!

At the dawn of the eternal age, this celestial city will descend with its glorious foundations and rest upon the Earth. We will live ‘within’ the New Heaven, ‘on’ the New Earth, and ‘in’ the New Jerusalem, ‘THE’ eternal City. Our eternal destinations will be an unlimited domain! Woo-hoo!!!

The eternal Heaven will be vastly different—much expanded—from the Heaven where God now dwells. In the consummation of all things, God will remake the Heavens and the Earth, merging His Heaven with this Earth in a perfect dwelling place that will be the believer’s ‘Home’ forever. In other words, Heaven, the realm where God dwells, will ‘expand’ to encompass the entire universe of creation—which will be fashioned anew in a manner fit for the glory of God!

The Apostle Peter described this as the hope of every redeemed person: “According to His promise, we are all waiting for New Heavens and a New Earth in which righteousness dwells” [ 2 Peter 3:13 ]. In addition to that, centuries previous, the prophet Isaiah gave some ‘insight’ into God’s promise for the New Heavens and the Earth (Isaiah 66:22). What we see in microcosm at the end of Isaiah is spelled out more fully at the end of the Revelation.

So, the New Heavens and the New Earth will come when the first Heaven and the first Earth have “passed away.” The Greek word translated “new” is “kainos,” which means “ New in nature, or something that has been refurbished or improved.” This stresses that the New Earth that God will create will not just be new—as opposed to old—it will also be ‘different’.

In Revelation, 21:1, the Greek word used for the New Heaven, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem is also “kainos.” So, they are not a different Heaven, a different Earth, and a different heavenly Jerusalem, but they have all ‘been restored’, ‘refurbished’, and ‘upgraded’ to brand-new condition.

The Apostle Paul also uses the same Greek word twice in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” The word also denotes a change in ‘quality’. The New Heavens and New Earth, like a believer’s newness in Christ, will be glorified, free from sin’s curse, and will be eternal.

Now, the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what the New Earth will look like, but we have reason to believe that it will be, in many respects, familiar. The city of Jerusalem will be there—albeit a New Jerusalem—which has streets, walls, and gates. The Apostle John also mentions a high mountain, water, a stream, and trees. Best of all, it is populated with the people of God—real, ‘physical’ people whom we will know and with whom we will have eternal fellowship! That’s going to be REALLY cool!

The New Earth’s natural wonders will presumably be more spectacular than those we know now. We can expect more magnificent mountains, more beautiful lakes, and more beautiful flowers than those on this earth today. When we see the New Earth, we will look back at the present Earth and conclude, creatively speaking, that God was just ‘warming up’ and getting started on creating our eternal home (i.e. C. S. Lewis’ “Shadowlands”).

So, just as a ‘thought starter’, take a look at God’s ‘track record’ in creating natural wonders in this universe. On Mars, the volcano Olympus Mons rises 79,000 feet, nearly three times higher than Mount Everest. The base of this volcano is 370 miles across and would cover the entire state of Nebraska. The “Valles Marineris” is a vast canyon that stretches one-sixth of the way around Mars—2,800 miles long, 370 miles wide, and 4.5 miles deep. Hundreds of our Grand Canyon could fit inside it. I’m thinking that we will all be STUNNED by the awesomeness of God’s renewed creation!

Now, the New Earth probably will have much more spectacular features than these. Then again, also imagine what we might find on the new Mars, or the new Saturn, or the new Jupiter after the entire universe has been ‘reconditioned’.

The Bible’s final two chapters make it very clear that every aspect of the new creation will be greater than the old. Just as the present Jerusalem is not nearly as great as the New Jerusalem will be, no part of the present creation—including the Earth and the celestial heavens—is as great as it will be in the new creation.

The Bible promises that have and will be a realm of perfect bliss. Tears, pain, sorrow, and crying will have no place whatsoever in the New Heavens and the New Earth. It will be a place where God’s people will dwell together with Him eternally, utterly free from all the effects of sin and evil! Woo-hoo!

The New Heaven and New Earth will be “where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Isaiah says that “the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” [ Isaiah 65:17 ]. Eden WILL BE ‘restored’.

The creation of the New Heavens and New Earth brings the promise that God “will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4). This event comes after the Tribulation, after Jesus’ Second Coming, after the Millennial Kingdom, after the final rebellion, after the final judgment of Satan, and after the Great White Throne Judgment.

FINALLY, ‘UTOPIA’!
The Apostle John portrays, in picturesque language, the beauty of the eternal Kingdom and the blessings that will be ours:

THE ‘ORIGIN’ OF PEACE
This peace is defined for us in several ways. To begin with, it is ‘divine’: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way” [ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ].

To put it simply, peace is an attribute of God. If I asked you to list the attributes of God, these are the ones that would probably come most readily to mind:

His love, grace, mercy, justice, holiness, wisdom, truth, omnipotence, immutability, and immortality.

So, God ‘IS’ peace. There is no lack of perfect peace in His being. God is never stressed, anxious, worried, doubtful, or fearful. He is never at cross-purposes with Himself.

The ‘source’ of all peace is God and Him alone!

The psalmist stated, “I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones” [ Psalm 85:8 ]. God grants peace to those who ‘belong’ to Him. Jesus said, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” [ John 14:27 ]. There is no greater gift for the anxious than God’s peace!

The English Puritan preacher Thomas Watson explained this further:

“Peace flows from sanctification, but they being unregenerate, have nothing to do with peace… They may have a truce, but no peace. God may forebear the wicked a while, and stop the roaring of his cannon; but though there be a truce, yet there is no peace. The wicked may have something which looks like peace, but it is not. They may be fearless and stupid; but there is a great difference between a stupefied conscience, and a pacified conscience… This is the devil’s peace; he rocks men in the cradle of security; he cries, Peace, peace, when men are on the precipice of hell. The seeming peace a sinner has, is not from the knowledge of his happiness, but the ignorance of his danger.”

The peace of the unbeliever is ‘born’ of delusion. True peace is the ‘child’ of saving grace. The Apostle Paul said, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” [ Romans 15:13 ]. Again, peace is a ‘gift’ to those who believe in Jesus.

God’s peace is the gift that keeps on giving. Paul said, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way” [ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ]. By adding “continually,” Paul was emphasizing that it is ‘constantly’ available. The implication is, however, that it can be ‘interrupted’.

The thing is, it is not God who ‘interrupts’ one’s spiritual peace, but it is us who do it. We can suspend the flow of peace in our lives by giving in to our ‘flesh’. Unless one ‘walks by the Spirit’—their means of controlling the flesh (Galatians 5:16)—they are ‘open season’ to all kinds of anxieties: the dread of the unknown; the fear of disease; and the fear of death (among a list of others). This unfortunate process begins when one stops focusing on their permanent condition in Christ, who will certainly bring one His happiness to the ‘fleeting’ things of the world. Thus, if one continues to rely on worldly ‘things’—which by definition will always change—they will spend their lives in distress!

People who can ‘ride through’ the toughest issues of life and remain calm are not indifferent; they are just ‘trusting’ God. What if our ride is a little bumpy? What if were feeling troubled, anxious, and fearful? How can we restore the peace? How can it remain uninterrupted?

The psalmist said, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” [ Psalm 42:11 ]. He reminded himself that God was there to help him. The believer CAN trust God because He is trustworthy and He genuinely cares for them.

In the Old Testament, God made it perfectly clear to Israel that peace comes from obeying His Word (Leviticus 26:1-6). Well, the same truth applies today. Peace is ‘restored’ through obedience.

The first step is to turn away from sin. Sometimes the sin is actually the doubt, fear, or anxiety itself, however, it can also be an underlying sin that has produced those feelings. So, one needs to isolate the cause of the unrest, and ‘give up’ the sin that has been ‘revealed’ to you—and obey God by applying the opposite virtue. In the case of anxiety, that means having faith in God to help you manage life’s details.

So, if one understands that God is using all the difficulties they face to ‘perfect’ them—to be ‘like’ Jesus—then one WILL experience peace. One may not always know why they are going through something, but they can be encouraged that there is a good reason for it.

The Apostle Paul said that if you want peace, do good (Romans 2:10). To be more specific, James said, “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable… And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” [ James 3:17-18 ]. Living according to God’s revealed standard—the Bible—brings one peace.

So, if you do not have God’s peace in your life, start by trusting God in everything, turning away from sin, and walking in obedience to the Word. Then, the believer will be able to endure God’s ‘refining’ work in your life, do what is good, and live by His Word in a righteous way. As Paul said, God’s peace is continually available to you. Avail yourself of it.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” [ John 14:27 ]. He was essentially saying, “There’s nothing to fear or be anxious about because I’m giving you a transcendent peace that—unlike the world’s peace—is unassailable by any human circumstance.”

The believer demonstrates their trust in Jesus and His promises when they remain calm amid worldly upheavals that would normally trouble one’s life.

However, there is ‘inner’ peace. I don’t know about you, but some days this one seems even more elusive than the ones previously mentioned.

Well, poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow seemed to know something of this as well. In 1861, he lost his beloved wife in a tragic fire in their home.

He would later write in his diary, “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays.” And then another entry a few months later reads, “I make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.”

Longfellow was broken and grieving when he received more devastating news. His son, while serving the Union Army as a Cavalry officer during the Civil War, was shot down from his horse in Virginia. He would live, but the young man would be forever crippled.

“And in despair, I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men’!”

How do you go on when so much is lost? How do you find joy? How do you find peace? Is it possible to find peace when our world feels out of control, and even our personal lives seem wrought with sorrow, anxiety, and struggle? Well,

Longfellow would later write a poignant poem—in 1863—entitled “Christmas Bells”:

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.’”

[ VIDEO: “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” – Casting Crowns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7yUnt8_dc ]

Perhaps, Longfellow shares with us the answer. We must believe that God is not done with this world—and us—and that He WILL renew everything one day.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that, “You [God] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.” [ Isaiah 26:3 ].

So, DO YOU ‘TRUST’ God? Do you trust that He is working to make all things good (Romans 8:28)? Do you believe that He is good?

The thing is, ‘true’ peace is not found in the absence of conflict or the power of positive thinking. Inner peace is only found in the belief that God is at work bringing beauty from ashes and restoring our souls if we will allow it. A peace that can transcend even our most anxious days comes when we release it all to the One who is in control, the One who knows our every need, the One who made the ‘Way’ because His love for us is unending.

Pastor and author Charles F. Stanley wrote a book entitled “Finding Peace,” and the following are a few clear ‘signs’ and benefits of God’s peace that he mentioned:

– God’s Peace Transcends ‘Circumstances’
God’s peace is not a denial of reality. God never intends for us to turn a blind eye to the reality of any situation, including evil. Rather, God intends for us to confront reality with our faith and with an abiding peace in our hearts.

Neither is God’s peace and escape from reality. We are not transfixed or somehow mentally removed from feeling pain or struggling. Peace is not a stupor that does our senses. It is not an elimination of responsibility for addressing heart issues and difficult circumstances. Rather, peace is in undergirding rock-solid ‘foundation’ so that no matter the tears we cry or the sorrow we feel, deep down inside we know, with an abiding assurance, that God is with us and He is in control. His joy will then emerge far greater than any depth of agony we may be experiencing.

– God’s Peace ‘Surpasses’ Understanding
The peace God gives is something one cannot necessarily ‘figure it out’ and how it ‘operates’ in oneself. The thing is, God does not really intend it to be understood by the human mind, or explained in a ‘natural’ manner.

In fact, the Apostle Paul was chained in prison when he wrote: “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” [ Philippians 4:7 ]. For Paul to be encouraging his friends to trust God’s presence and peace to keep them going through the difficult days they were experiencing—while he was in prison—is astounding in itself! (To the objective observer, peace is the last emotion in the world that Paul should have been feeling at that time, but he was just expressing what he was experiencing at that time.) The one foundational truth Paul knew was that God’s peace, though mysterious and impossible to comprehend rationally, can see anyone through the trials of life.

God’s peace is functional in us—it is operative in us and available to us—far beyond our ability to understand it. God’s promise of peace is a ‘gift’ beyond compare!

– God’s Peace Is ‘Available’ To All Believers
God’s peace is available to every person who accepts Jesus as their Savior—turning from their sin and pursuing a life of obedience to God’s Word in the Holy Spirit.

Peace is a promise of God, and He does not offer it and then fails to ‘deliver’ on it!

The Bible has more than 300 verses about peace. The Bible presents the resounding truth that God wants you to be at peace with Him, and through your peace with Him, to have peace within your own heart, and as much as it depends on your actions, be at peace with your neighbors.

– God’s Peace Is Intended To Be A ’State Of Being’
So, in our perturbed world, can peace be experienced in one’s life most of the time?

The Greek word for peace means to “bind together” something that has been broken or disjointed. This Greek word also refers to a prevailing sense of quietness and rest in a person’s heart and/or emotions—of being perturbed in unruffled. Peace is synonymous with being tranquil, serene, untroubled, in calm. It is a very real ’state’ of the soul.

God desires that one feels an abiding peace all the time, a peace that includes Joy any feeling of purpose in every area of one’s life—with times of anxiety or frustration being very infrequent, only in times of ‘tremendous’ crisis.

WHY ONE ‘LOSES’ THEIR PEACE
There is only one way to experience an abiding peace that transcends circumstances. It is by faith.

When one asks God to be present in their lives with His abiding peace, then they can go out and live expectantly.

– Sudden ‘Fear’
One needs to say “No” to fear. Instead, they need to practice the life of trust. Every day the believer should begin with an affirmation something like, “I trust You, Jesus. I will count on your presence and peace today.”

– Satan, The ‘Enemy’
The Bible urges the believers to resist the Devil, and when they do, he will flee from them (James 4:7). So, in moments of fear and anxiousness, resist the Devil in the name of Jesus.

– Sin
Peace and rebellion cannot coexist. The only recourse is to confess the rebellion to God, surrender that area of life to Him, and ask Him for help in turning away from their sin and resisting all temptation to return to it. Then, God’s peace will ‘flow’ into one’s life again.

– ‘Giving Up’ Peace
Nobody can take your peace from you. If you have lost your peace, you have ‘surrendered’ it. ‘Choose’ to have it again.

–Losing ‘Focus’
Sometimes, instead of having one’s mind set on God and trusting Him for His peace and presence, we allow our thoughts to get sidetracked and ‘galvanized’ by the negative news in circumstances one sees and hears.

Jesus never called His believers to live in denial or to live with their heads in the sand. He specifically said that His disciples would experience trials. However, He told them not to keep worrying about tomorrow—whether they would have clothes to wear or sufficient food to eat (Matthew 6:25-27). He reminded them that their heavenly Father looked after the sparrows in clothed the “lilies of the field,” and he would, no doubt do the same for them (Matthew 6:28-33).

The assurance of Jesus is that, because God is with us, the believer does not have to give into, sink beneath, or become defeated by troubles. They can face trials head-on, confront them, challenge them, deal with them, and then, in the end, overcome them! What a consolation this should bring to the heart of a believer!

The passing nature of troubles is something Jesus calls one to recognize. His challenge is to endure, to persevere, to learn, to grow, and to overcome. Jesus knew that God permits things to happen to one’s life only for a certain period of time, for a particular reason.

The following are a few essential ‘beliefs’ for one to have to experience a peaceful life:

– God Is Absolutely ‘Sovereign’
Recognizing and accepting the truth that God is sovereign over absolutely everything is vital for one’s inner peace. Nothing related to the believer is beyond His watchful eye and living care.

– God Is The Believer’s ‘Provider’
You cannot have peace and at the same time doubt that God will provide for you. Settle the issue once and for all in your heart and mind. God IS your provider for everything!

– God Made The Believer For A ‘Purpose’
Everyone on earth is a very special creation of God. However, the believer is designed for a particular purpose that God has had in mind for them from eternity past. So, accept who God made you to be and ask Him to lead you to that destiny.

– God Has A ‘Place’ For The Believer To Belong
As believers in Jesus, they are all part of the same ‘Body of Christ’ that encompasses the entire world. It is the Holy Spirit that ‘connects’ believers everywhere and fashions them to become a ‘part’ of the metaphorical Body (1 Corinthians 12:4:12). This is called the “Church.”

– God Has A Plan For The Believer’s ‘Fulfillment’
The very fact that one is capable of continuing to learn and develop tells them that they will never be fully competent at anything. Every believer will always have plenty of room for growth, and that is part of God’s ‘design’ for them. (The Bible says that we will even continue to learn in Heaven!)

God desires that believers experience serenity in their hearts so that they can truly enjoy their lives, their relationships with other people, and their relationship with Him. He wants to bind up the fragmentation, Connect the pieces of their lives, and calm the ‘agitation’ they feel within. He desires to give them peace and end the turmoil in their hearts.

The following are seven ‘categories’ of thought that will do great damage to one’s peace:

– Sinful Thoughts
– Self-limiting Thoughts
– Erroneous Thoughts
– Unrealistic Thoughts
– Rebellious Thoughts
– Obsessive Thoughts
– Enslaving Thoughts

Most of us fall into patterns of unproductive thinking from time to time. However, the ‘key’ is not to make it a ‘habit’. Unproductive thoughts do not need to become unproductive ‘patterns’ of thinking!

[ FYI: For more details about productive habits and thinking, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/what-really-matters-v270/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/realistic-expectations-v281/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/journey-toward-maturity-v295/ ]

The thing is, there are some things you can do. You can refuse to allow negative impressions and images to ‘lodge’ into your mind. You can also refuse to dwell upon them, rehearse them, visualize them, or embellish them in your imagination. You then can refuse to pursue them, seeking “more of the same.”

Of course, the best thing to do just to turn it over to God and let Him deal with it— trusting Him to resolve it in a way that results in good.

Again, the Apostle Paul, sitting in chains in a prison, wrote this: “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” [ Philippians 4:6 ].

So, the believers should meditate on good things, dominated by, permeated by, totally captivated by, in fully occupied by good ideas, concepts, and noble thoughts about God. One can do this by:

– Choosing to respond to life the way Jesus did
– Guarding one’s thought life
– Seeking God and all that is godly

The Bible promises that when the believer fills their mind with what is virtuous in praiseworthy, “the God of peace will be with them” (Philippians 4:9).

LIVING WITHOUT ‘REGRET’
Regret is not something that pertains to what others do or the responsibility others have. Regret pertains only to what one personally can control, influence, or choose.

Anyone who is feeling regret over their past needs to ask themselves the following very important questions:

– Was there something more I could have done?
– Did I fail to trust God?
– Did I sin?
– Have I forgiven everybody involved in the situation I regret, including myself?
– Did I deny or turn away from God’s revealed will for my life?

So, the best way to live without regret is to maintain a clear conscience. Let me turn each of the above five questions into positive statements of choice:

– Choose to live in such a way that you do your best in every task and every relationship. Give your most and your best effort to live in a godly manner.
– Choose to trust God in every area of your life—every decision, every choice, every opportunity that he sends her way
– Choose to obey God and keep His commandments
– Choose to forgive others fully in freely
– Choose to pursue what God reveals to you as His ‘path’ for you to follow

The degree to which your conscience ‘speaks’ to you is in direct relationship to the amount of rebellion in your ‘heart’ and the number of times you have refused to do what the Holy Spirit has prompted you to do. The sensitivity of your conscience is a ‘barometer’ of the degree to which you desire to obey God.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
[ Matthew 6:25-26 ]

This is not a suggestion—this is a ‘command’. There is nothing about a circumstance that automatically creates anxiety. Anxiety occurs because of the way one responds to a problem or troubling situation. One’s ability to choose is part of God’s gift of free will to them. One can choose how to feel, and what you think about, and then choose how they will respond to a circumstance.

Now, one must be very careful not to confuse concern with anxiety. It is normal for a believer to have deep concerns. Concern motivates them to intercede and to take godly action toward meeting the needs of others.

The concern is rooted in caring. One should be concerned, for example, about their families, their health, in doing a good job at work—because they care. The concern involves wanting to see things done well such that God receives glory from their actions.

The thing is, there are a few highly negative results that are associated with anxiety. They are:

– Anxiety divides a person’s mind
– Anxiety lowers a person’s productivity
– Anxiety leads a person to make unwise decisions
– Anxiety drains a person’s energy
– Anxiety produces physical ailments
– Anxiety alienates other people
– Anxiety depletes a person’s joy

The key to ever coming anxiety is to get you thinking right about God. The fact is, He knows absolutely everything about your situation and He knows how to produce wholeness out of your brokenness. He knows how to build strength out of your weakness. He knows how to heal your sickness. He knows how to bring reconciliation and love out of estrangement.

Furthermore, God loves the believer with an unconditional, unfathomable, immeasurable love. Even though He knows every fault and thought you have, He still loves you!

So, the choice is yours. You can fall into a downward ‘spiral’ of anxiety or you can cry out to God and tell Him that you feel helpless in need His help to handle the situation in the way He sees fit.

The ‘key’ to overcoming anxiety is first in for most to get your thinking right about God.

[ FYI: For more details about how to have peaceful relationships with others, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/be-a-peacemaker-v202/ ]

There are several ‘steps’ one can take to overcome fear:

As one does these things, God will ‘melt away’ their crippling fears so that they can truly experience the depth of His abiding peace!

LEARNING TO LIVE ‘CONTENTLY’
The more one open is to God, the easier one will find it is to trust Him. Then, the more they trust Him, the greater peace they will experience.

[ FYI: For more details about ‘trusting’ God, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/learning-to-t-r-u-s-t-v263/ ]

To live in a lasting, confident state of inner contentment, there are several things one must do:

– Stop being ‘conditional’
– Cast all your cares on God
– Stay in the Word
– Take charge of your thinking

When one goes immediately to God, crying out to Him for help and adding their proclamations of thanksgiving and praise, God will be present in that situation and be of help to them.

MAINTAIN YOUR ‘FOCUS’ ON GOD
So, the central truth is to focus one’s life on Jesus.

It is the sense that God is ‘with’ one that is important when times of trouble arrive. It is living a Christ-centered life—not a self-centered life—that gives one peace. It is asking Jesus, “What do You want from me and what do you want me to do.” If one is truly in fellowship with Him, He will give them His desires: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act” [ Psalm 37:4-5 ].

A ‘relationship’ with Jesus is THE ‘SOURCE’ of one’s peace:

So, in the meantime, the believer can also ‘choose’ to love, be gentle, be kind, and be compassionate to others. They can choose not to hate, be violent, be harsh, or even just be ‘cold’ toward others. Their free will choices are what makes us human and can also make us into ‘peacemakers’.

[ FYI: For more details about being a ‘peacemaker’, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/be-a-peacemaker-v202/ ]

Even though one has to deal with suffering daily, a ‘theology’ of Heaven helps them realize that one day their sufferings will be taken away—forever! As the Apostle Paul said, “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” [ Romans 8:18 ]. That realization should give the believer a bit of peace!

[ FYI: For more details about what Heaven will be like, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/where-you-return-to-v273/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/preparing-for-the-future-v286/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/theres-no-place-like-home-v288/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/heaven-on-earth-v289/
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/home-at-last-v290/ ]

In addition to that, there is the “Blessed Hope” that a believer has that they will be ‘raptured’ into Heaven before the Great Tribulation and Armageddon:

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord”
[ 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ].

Now, an important aspect of all this is that there is NOTHING that must be prophetically fulfilled before the Rapture happens—it is a ‘signless’ event (in contrast to Jesus’ “Second Coming”—which comes at the end of Armageddon—which has seven years worth of ‘signs’ beforehand). It is no wonder that James said, “The coming of the Lord is at hand” [ James 5:8 ].

The fact that the Rapture can occur any moment should spur all believers on to LIVE ‘PEACEFULLY’… right now!

‘ETERNAL’ PEACE
After Jesus resurrected from the grave, He stood among His disciples and said: “Peace to you!” [ Luke 24:36d ]. However, they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a ‘ghost’.

Throughout the Gospel of Luke, peace and salvation are almost synonymous. At the start of Luke, Simeon had responded to the news of Jesus’ coming birth by praying, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation” [ Luke 2:29-30 ]. When Jesus was grown, He told the woman who had anointed His feet with her tears, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” [ Luke 7:50 ]. When the risen Jesus spoke peace to His disciples, then, He was using familiar terminology but in a whole new context.

Jesus’ promise of peace can be a ‘stumbling block’ for those new to Christianity. Especially a Christmastime, people hear phrases like “Peace on earth and goodwill to men” and perhaps say to themselves, well, clearly, such peace is not happening. There seem to be more wars, factions, and disagreements today than there have ever been. So then, what did Jesus really mean in promising His disciples peace?

Well, if you notice that His declaration of peace was followed by an invitation to see and touch His hands and His feet. Evidence of His crucifixion, which was His ‘substitutionary’ death on behalf of sinners in order to make “peace by the blood of His Cross” [ Colossians 1:20 ].

If what Jesus meant by peace was the instant end of all bloodshed and the inhumanity of man to man, then yes, Christianity is a ‘bust’ not to be believed. If He was referring to a kind of valium-enhanced tranquility whereby one just drifts through their days with nothing able to bother them, then Christianity is a ‘failure’. HOWEVER, if He was speaking of the peace that would be established between the holy God and sinful humankind through His blood shed on the Cross, then His message of atonement—the Gospel—truly IS the greatest story ever told!

Now, just as Jesus appeared to His unsettled disciples amid their emotional turmoil, He comes to all of us TODAY and promises us peace unlike any other!

Jesus summarizes this when He said, in another instance: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” [ Luke 7:50 ].

However, one doesn’t have to wait for Jesus to come back! They can have peace TODAY—in their spirit and soul—even when everything around them is the very opposite of peace.

Jesus came to offer His peace such that the believer could live a ‘fearless’ life:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”
[ John 14:27 ]

[ Excerpts by: Kait Hanson; Selena Barrientos; Yaa Bofah; Ginger Hughes; Sheila Alewine; Hadassah Treu; Sanjana Gupta; Vama Oswal; Dr. John Delony; John MacArthur; Jewish Virtual Library; Jerrold Terdiman; Einat Wilf; James Sinkinson; Sierra Goodman; Dr. Peter T. Coleman; Dr. Douglas P. Fry, Ph.D.; Universal Fundraising Organization; Nicole Narea; Samantha Rodriguez; Danny Saavedra; Laura Bailey; Ralph Levy; Got Questions; Charles F. Stanley; Abundant Life; Hope Bolinger; Rebecca Barlow Jordan; Alistair Begg ]

RELATED POSTS:

“Israel Will ‘Stand’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/israel-will-stand-v297/

“Are YOU ‘Adopted’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/are-you-adopted-v293/

“Jerusalem’s ‘Near’ Future”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/jerusalems-near-future-v292/

“Why ‘Jerusalem’?”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/why-jerusalem-v291/

“‘Home’ At Last!!!”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/home-at-last-v290/

“‘Heaven’ On Earth?”:
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“There’s No Place Like ‘Home’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/theres-no-place-like-home-v288/

“Preparing For The ‘Future’”:
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“Developing One’s ‘Character’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/developing-ones-character-v283/

“‘HOW’ To Prepare To Meet Someone Important”:
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“‘WHEN’ Will Something Important Happen?”:
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“A Sense Of ‘Urgency’”:
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“The ‘Final’ Deception”:
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“Being ‘Discerning’”:
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“Got Your ‘Attention’ Yet?”:
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“Two ‘Choices’, One Way”:
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“The Only ‘Way’”:
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“‘Heed’ The Warning”:
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“‘Final’ Tribulation”:
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“‘Blessed’ Hope”:
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“‘Benefits’ Of Assurance”:
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“Are You ‘Prepared’?”:
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“Be A ‘Peacemaker’”:
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“Know ‘Peace’”:
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“‘Hope’”:
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‘PRAYER’ OF REPENTANCE
In the Bible, there is a parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the Temple.

In the parable, we read of a Pharisee and tax collector who pray in the Jerusalem Temple. The Pharisee thanks God that he is more righteous than others, giving evidence to prove it such as that he fasted twice a week (Luke 18:10-12). He far exceeded the demands of the law, which requires fasting only on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).

Reformed theologian John Calvin states in his commentary that the Pharisee’s problem does not lie in a rejection of the necessity of grace for salvation. His thanksgiving to God implicitly recognizes that his good works come from grace and are given to him by God—otherwise, there would be no need to thank God for his righteousness. The issue, Calvin argues, is that the Pharisee trusts in the merit of his works for salvation. It is not enough to confess that our good works come from God Himself, but we must also recognize that as good as these works may be, they are never perfect on this side of glory and cannot merit heaven. “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” [ Isaiah 64:6 ].

Now, many first-century Jews regarded the Pharisees as paragons of true righteousness and tax collectors as terrible sinners. Thus, they were no doubt shocked when Jesus said that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went away from the temple justified—that is, declared righteous. He was justified because he did not trust in his own works, even works given to him by God. The tax collector forsook his own righteousness, admitting his sin and humbly asking for mercy. Instead, he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’”—and Jesus said that the tax collector “went home justified,” he had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ to God (Luke 18:13-14).

John Calvin writes, “Though a man may ascribe to God the praise of works, yet if he imagines the righteousness of those works to be the cause of his salvation, or rests upon it, he is condemned for wicked arrogance.” God gives His people good works to do, but our salvation is not based on those works. It is based only on Christ and His righteousness, which we receive by grace alone through faith in Jesus alone. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” [ Ephesians 2:8-10 ].

So, if you are ‘sensing’ something like that right now, let me strongly encourage you to HUMBLE YOURSELF, CRY OUT to God, and PLEAD for Him to mercifully ‘SAVE’ YOU! None of us have a ‘claim’ on our salvation, nor do we have any ‘works’ that would cause us to deserve it or earn it—it is purely a gift of Divine grace—and all any of us can do is ask. So, CONFESS YOUR SINS and acknowledge to God that you have no hope for Heaven apart from what He provides through Jesus. [ See Psalm 51 ].

There is no ‘formula’ or certain words for this. So just talk to God, in your own words—He knows your ‘heart’. If you are genuinely sincere, and God does respond to your plea, you will usually have a sense of joy and peace.

Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will not cast out” [ John 6:37 ].

[ FYI: This is a great sermon on the “Call to Repentance” by John MacArthur from his book “The Gospel According to Jesus”: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-22/the-call-to-repentance (Transcript: http://www.spiritedesign.com/TheCallToRepentance-JohnMacArthur(Jul-27-2019).pdf) ].

[ NOTE: If you have ‘tasted the kindness of the Lord’, please e-mail me—I would love to CELEBRATE with you, and help you get started on your ‘journey’ with Jesus! ].

<<< RESOURCES >>>

“Own Your Past Change Your Future: A Not-So-Complicated Approach to Relationships, Mental Health & Wellness”
By: Dr. John Delony

Your Mental Health Matters.

We’re the most technologically advanced society in history, but we’ve never been more stressed, medicated, or lonely. We have 1,000 Facebook friends but no one to help us move our couch. The pace of life is making us exhausted.

We’re all carrying the weight of our trauma based on the stories we were told by others and the ones we tell ourselves—and those stories are like bricks in a backpack that keep us from being happy and healthy. In his new book, national bestselling author Dr. John Delony provides a clear, five-step path to being well.

You’ll learn how to:

– Redefine what trauma is and how to identify it in your life.
– Grieve and heal from past hurt and trauma.
– Make friends as an adult—it’s not easy, but it is necessary.
– Change your thoughts—it’s possible.
– Assess and evaluate your actions—these can change too

You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. Your thoughts and actions will be challenged. And if you take the steps John outlines, you’ll learn how to leave the past where it belongs and get on the path to healing.

“Finding Peace in a Chaotic World: Strategies for Inner Calm amidst Turbulent Times”
By: Jacob Dunn

Finding Peace in a Chaotic World: Strategies for Inner Calm amidst Turbulent Times is a book that offers readers a roadmap to finding peace in the midst of a chaotic world. In a time of great uncertainty, this book provides practical advice and strategies to help readers find their inner calm and peace of mind.

The book begins by exploring the concept of chaos and how it affects our lives. It examines the various sources of chaos, from the global economy to our own personal lives, and how these can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. It then provides strategies for dealing with chaos, from mindfulness and meditation to more practical approaches such as goal setting and time management.

The book then moves on to explore the concept of inner peace and how it can be achieved. It looks at the importance of self-care and how to create a healthy balance between work and leisure. It also examines the role of spirituality in finding inner peace and how to use it to help cope with difficult situations.

The book then provides readers with practical strategies for finding peace in a chaotic world. It looks at how to create a sense of calm and balance in our lives, from setting boundaries to creating a supportive environment. It also examines the importance of self-care and how to make time for yourself.

Finally, the book provides readers with a range of tools and techniques to help them find peace in a chaotic world. It looks at how to use positive affirmations, visualizations, and meditation to create a sense of inner calm. It also looks at how to use journaling and creative expression to help process difficult emotions.

Finding Peace in a Chaotic World: Strategies for Inner Calm amidst Turbulent Times is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to find peace in a chaotic world. It provides readers with practical advice and strategies to help them find their inner calm and peace of mind. With its clear and concise advice, this book is sure to be a valuable addition to any business or personal library.

“Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World”
By: Mark Williams and Danny Penman

The life-changing international bestseller reveals a set of simple yet powerful mindfulness practices that you can incorporate into daily life to help break the cycle of anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and exhaustion.

Mindfulness promotes the kind of happiness and peace that gets into your bones. It seeps into everything you do and helps you meet the worst that life throws at you with new courage.

Based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), the book revolves around a straightforward form of mindfulness meditation which takes just a few minutes a day for the full benefits to be revealed. MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and is widely recommended by US physicians and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence—in other words, it works. More importantly it also works for people who are not depressed but who are struggling to keep up with the constant demands of the modern world.

MBCT was developed by the book’s author, Oxford professor Mark Williams, and his colleagues at the Universities of Cambridge and Toronto. By investing just 10 to 20 minutes each day, you can learn the simple mindfulness meditations at the heart of MBCT and fully reap their benefits. The book includes links to audio meditations to help guide you through the process. You’ll be surprised by how quickly these techniques will have you enjoying life again.

“Seeking God First: A Practical Plan for Finding Joy and Peace in Him”
By: Anita Keagy and Bethany McShurley

Years of going through religious motions left Anita Keagy feeling empty, frazzled, and wondering why Jesus hadn’t delivered her the abundant life promised in John 10:10. Everything changed the week she realized the Lord wants people to seek Him and what He wants first.

In this inspirational and empowering eight-session Bible Study, perfect for individuals or groups, Anita shares Biblical principles and practical tools for welcoming God, not religion, to be central to each day. She also discusses the spiritually transformative benefits you’ll gain from doing so. With warmth and humor, she invites you to discover for yourself the delight that comes of prioritizing a relationship with God.

To help you put these principles into practice, she teaches simple steps to making quiet time in His presence the highlight of your mornings. Optional eight-session Leader’s Guide included.

“A Durable Peace: Israel and its Place Among the Nations”
By: Benjamin Netanyahu

This examination of the Middle East’s troubled history traces the origins, development, and politics of Israel’s relationship with the Arab world and the West. It argues that peace with the Palestinians will leave Israel vulnerable to Iraq and Iran.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s primer on pro-Israel politics is an updated version of an earlier book, A Place Among the Nations. There’s a good reason for the revision, of course: in the years since the first book was published, Netanyahu has served as the prime minister of Israel. Yet A Durable Peace is not a stale politician’s memoir. It’s a resounding plea for Israel’s acceptance as a full member of the world community, as well as a call for understanding its unique security needs.

Netanyahu displays his knack–perfect for the television era but also helpful on these pages–for channeling complex ideas into pithy statements. Here’s Netanyahu on the importance of Israel to the Jewish people: “If there had been a Jewish state in the first half of the [20th] century, there would have been no Holocaust. And if there had not been a Jewish state after the Holocaust, there would have been no Jewish future.” On the need for Arab concessions in the peace process: “For the sake of peace, [the Arab states] must renounce their claims to part of the four ten-thousandths—.0004—of the lands they desire, which constitute the very heart of the Jewish homeland and the protective wall of the Jewish state.” These are the statements of a skilled debater, and they represent a one-sided view of Middle Eastern politics. Yet Netanyahu also provides an excellent introduction to Zionism and the need to protect a small country against neighbors who have waged war against it. –John J. Miller

“The Case for Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved”
By: Alan Dershowitz

All reasonable people, Dershowitz argues, know what a final peace settlement will look like: two states, based on Israeli withdrawals from Gaza and most of the West Bank; a symbolic recognition by Israel of the rights of Palestinian refugees, with some compensation but no “right of return”; the division of Jerusalem; and a renunciation of violence, with the Palestinians taking all reasonable measures to stamp out terrorism. The problem is how to get there without more bloodshed.

To that end, Dershowitz identifies twelve geopolitical barriers to peace—and explains how to move around them and push the process forward. From the division of Jerusalem and Israeli counterterrorism measures to the security fence and the Iranian nuclear threat, his analyses are clear-headed, well-argued, and sure to be controversial. To cite just a few of his points:

– The “one-state” solution propounded by hard-line Palestinians and their allies on the left is an absolute nonstarter—a smoke screen for those who are enemies of peace.

– Palestinians cannot expect to get more West Bank land than they would have under the Camp David and Taba negotiations of 2000 and 2001; additional territorial concessions would be an implicit reward for Palestinian terrorism in the intervening years.

– A multinational force, including U.S. troops, may be necessary to respond to Palestinian terrorist provocations after a settlement is reached.

– In addition to cracking down on terrorists, Palestinians must consider extending their laws against “hate speech” to reduce the level of hostility toward Israel.

But, according to Dershowitz, achieving a lasting peace will require more than tough- minded negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. In academia, Europe, the UN, and the Arab world, Israel-bashing and anti-Semitism have reached new heights, despite the recent Israeli-Palestinian movement toward peace. Surveying this outpouring of vilification, Dershowitz deconstructs the smear tactics used by Israel-haters and shows how this kind of anti-Israel McCarthyism is aimed at scuttling any real chance of peace.

For anyone concerned about the fate of Israel and the Middle East, this provocative, hard-headed look at the prospects for peace will be required reading.

“The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Beginner’s Guide to Objective Understanding Through a Fact-Based Journey From Past to Present”
By: Peter Schwartzman

Are you seeking a clear, unbiased understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but don’t know where to start?

Explore this comprehensive guide to embark on an enlightening journey from past to present.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an enduring issue that has spanned generations, remains unresolved, consistently capturing world attention and fueling passionate debates.

For many Westerners, this contentious topic feels distant, yet understanding its nuances is vital. Without comprehensive knowledge, it’s easy to fall prey to misinformation, perpetuate stereotypes, and engage in misinformed discussions.
This lack of clarity not only stifles constructive dialogues but also fans the flames of division.

Imagine a scenario where the conflict intensifies, drawing the world into its vortex. As Israel’s staunch ally and an influential figure in Middle Eastern politics, the US stands on the brink of deeper involvement—posing risks to American resources and lives.

Daily, disturbing images from the conflict zone could permeate our screens, raising ethical questions about international responsibilities. Furthermore, this issue has the power to polarize, fracturing American communities and straining interpersonal relationships.

Highlights of this book include:

– A thorough history and analysis of the conflict, enabling readers to gain a well-rounded understanding and engage in enlightened conversations.
– Insightful exploration of the geopolitics and possible ramifications, offering guidance on supporting peaceful resolutions.
– Unveiling the humanitarian aspects, with balanced perspectives from both sides, suggesting avenues for the international community’s involvement in upholding human rights.
– A focus on fostering empathy and mutual respect, ensuring readers can navigate this sensitive topic without adding to the existing divisions.
– Exclusively in the paperback version, a bonus section delves into the intricacies of both Israeli and Palestinian intelligence operations, elucidating how these activities have at times facilitated, and at other times hindered, the path to peace.

And specifically for the current revised and expanded edition:

– Containing no personal opinions or unverifiable anecdotes, only facts.
– Enhanced with numerous detailed maps, this release vividly illustrates the area’s present situation and key historical moments, enriching the reader’s visual understanding of the conflict.

To truly comprehend the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, equip yourself with unbiased, fact-based knowledge.

Acquire this essential guide to build an informed, objective opinion on one of the world’s most complex issues.

“Sledgehammer: How Breaking with the Past Brought Peace to the Middle East”
By: David Friedman

The Trump administration’s peace agreements in the Middle East were the greatest foreign policy accomplishment in decades. Now, for the first time, his ambassador to Israel explains how they pulled it off.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity. For decades, the U.S. State Department called it diplomacy.

David Friedman was an outside candidate when President Trump appointed him U.S. ambassador to Israel. He took office to find U.S.-Israel policy stuck in stalemate. For years, accepted wisdom was that extensive experience and detailed knowledge of Middle Eastern history and culture were necessary to negotiate treaties. In truth, Friedman realized, all parties played on that accepted wisdom to stall—expecting to get a better deal further down the road.

Tossing the State Department playbook aside and incorporating insights from his many years as a negotiator in the American private sector, Friedman and a small team with no prior diplomatic experience revamped American diplomacy to project “peace through strength.” He emphasized the importance of leverage, the key to any good negotiation. After painstaking, behind-the-scenes work, the Abraham Accords were signed: a historic series of peace deals between Israel and the five Muslim nations.

In Sledgehammer, Friedman tells the true story of how the Abraham Accords came about. He takes us from the Oval Office to the highest echelons of power in the Middle East, putting us at the table during the intense negotiations that led to this historic breakthrough. The inside story of arguably the greatest achievement of the Trump Administration, Sledgehammer is an important, inspiring account of the hard, hopeful work necessary to bring long overdue—and lasting—peace to one of the most turbulent and tragic regions of the globe.

“The Palestinian Delusion: The Catastrophic History of the Middle East Peace Process”
By: Robert Spencer

Every negotiated settlement between the State of Israel and its Palestinian adversaries has failed to establish a stable and lasting peace. This is the history of what was attempted, why those failures were inevitable, and what must be done instead.

Every new American President has a plan to bring about peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and every one fails.

Every “peace process” has failed in its primary objective: to establish a stable and lasting accord between the two parties, such that they can live together side-by-side in friendship rather than enmity.

But why? And what can be done instead?

While this failure is a consistent pattern stretching back decades, there is virtually no public discussion or even basic understanding of the primary reason for this failure.

The Palestinian Delusion is unique in situating the Israeli/Palestinian conflict within the context of the global jihad that has found renewed impetus in the latter portion of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. Briskly recounting the tumultuous history of the “peace process,” Robert Spencer demonstrates that the determination of diplomats, policymakers, and negotiators to ignore this aspect of the conflict has led the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the world down numerous blind alleys. This has often only exacerbated, rather than healed, this conflict.

The Palestinian Delusion offers a general overview of the Zionist settlement of Palestine, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the Arab Muslim reaction to these events. It explores the dramatic and little-known history of the various peace efforts—showing how and why they invariably broke down or failed to be implemented fully. The Palestinian Delusion also provides shocking evidence from the Palestinian media, as well as statements from the Palestinian leadership, showing that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will never work.

But there is still cause for hope. Spencer delineates a realistic, viable alternative to the endless and futile “peace process,” that shows how the Jewish State and the Palestinian Arabs can truly coexist in peace—without illusions or unrealistic expectations.

“In Pursuit of Peace in Israel and Palestine”
By: Gershon Baskin

Gershon Baskin’s memoir of thirty-eight years of intensive pursuit of peace begins with a childhood on Long Island and a bar mitzvah trip to Israel with his family. Baskin joined Young Judaea back in the States, then later lived on a kibbutz in Israel, where he announced to his parents that he had decided to make aliya, emigrate to Israel. They persuaded him to return to study at NYU, after which he finally emigrated under the auspices of Interns for Peace. In Israel he spent a pivotal two years living with Arabs in the village of Kufr Qara.

Despite the atmosphere of fear, Baskin found he could talk with both Jews and Palestinians, and that very few others were engaged in efforts at mutual understanding. At his initiative, the Ministry of Education and the office of right-wing prime minister Menachem Begin created the Institute for Education for Jewish-Arab Coexistence with Baskin himself as director. Eight years later he founded and codirected the only joint Israeli-Palestinian public policy think-and-do tank in the world, the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information. For decades he continued to cross borders, often with a kaffiyeh (Arab headdress) on his dashboard to protect his car in Palestinian neighborhoods. Airport passport control became Kafkaesque as Israeli agents routinely identified him as a security threat.

During the many cycles of peace negotiations, Baskin has served both as an outside agitator for peace and as an advisor on the inside of secret talks—for example, during the prime ministership of Yitzhak Rabin and during the initiative led by Secretary of State John Kerry. Baskin ends the book with his own proposal, which includes establishing a peace education program and cabinet-level Ministries of Peace in both countries, in order to foster a culture of peace.

“Searching for Peace: A Memoir of Israel”
By: Ehud Olmert

A revealing memoir by the Israeli leader who almost made peace with the Palestinians

Written almost entirely from inside a prison cell, Searching for Peace is the compelling memoir of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.

The child of parents who were members of the Irgun, the paramilitary group that fought for the establishment of Israel, Olmert became the youngest member of the Israeli Knesset in 1973, serving in the right-wing Likud party. He rose quickly in the party, serving in national government before being elected mayor of Jerusalem in 1993.

As mayor he overcame decades of municipal malaise, inertia, and waves of terror attacks to bring huge improvements in the city’s infrastructure, education, and welfare. Although a child of the Israeli right, it was during his mayoralty that he realized the inevitability of compromise and the need to divide the city in any future peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Olmert rejoined the national government in 2003 as a top aide to then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. After Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke in 2006, Olmert took over as acting prime minister, then led Sharon’s new centrist party Kadima to victory in elections. Heading a coalition government, Olmert led Israel through the war with Lebanon in July 2006 and approved the dramatic strike on Syria’s nuclear reactor the following year.

From late 2006 through 2008, Olmert engaged in some three dozen negotiations with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The talks, Olmert says, came within a hair’s breadth of reaching a comprehensive peace deal.

At the same time, Olmert was fighting allegations that he had illegally accepted large sums of money from a well-connected American businessman. He was acquitted of all but a minor charge against him, but in 2014 he was convicted on charges of taking $15,000 in bribes involving the construction of an industrial park while he served as Minister of Industry and Trade. He served 16 months in prison, using his time to write these memoirs.

Searching for Peace offers a riveting political story and an unparalleled window into Israeli history, peacemaking, politics, U.S.-Israel relations, and the future of the Middle East.

“A Path to Peace: A Brief History of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations and a Way Forward in the Middle East”
By: George J. Mitchell and Alon Sachar

The “illuminating” (Los Angeles Times) answer to why Israel and Palestine’s attempts at negotiation have failed and a practical, “admirably measured” (The New York Times) roadmap for bringing peace to the Middle East—by an impartial American diplomat experienced in solving international conflicts.

George Mitchell knows how to bring peace to troubled regions. He was the primary architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement for peace in Northern Ireland. But when he served as US Special Envoy for Middle East Peace from 2009 to 2011—working to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—diplomacy did not prevail. Now, for the first time, Mitchell offers his insider account of how the Israelis and the Palestinians have progressed (and regressed) in their negotiations through the years and outlines the specific concessions each side must make to finally achieve lasting peace.

“Israel and Palestine: Peace Plans and Proposals from Oslo to Disengagement”
By: Galia Golan

The Oslo Accords, inaugurated with the historic Rabin-Arafat handshake on the White House lawn, marked a promising breakthrough for resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These Accords, however, turned out to be but the first in a series of numerous proposals and plans over the next ten years, all designed to cope with repeated failures and disappointments as well as the major issues of the conflict itself. Golan explores these plans and proposals, concentrating on the key issues addressed by the parties directly involved, along with the contributions of the Americans, the Quartet as a whole, and the Arab League. This book is a valuable resource for understanding the conflict, the issues involved and the prospects for peaceful resolution.

“Reclaiming Israel’s History: Roots, Rights, and the Struggle for Peace”
By: David Brog

“When listeners to my radio show ask me for one book to read in order to understand the Middle East conflict and Israel’s history, this is the book I will recommend.”
– DENNIS PRAGER, nationally syndicated radio talk show host, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of the Prager University website

“Anyone interested in defending Israel must read this book.”
– PASTOR JOHN HAGEE, founder and chairman, Christians United for Israel

“David Brog is a friend of mine and of Israel, because he is a friend of the truth. He does his homework and lets the chips fall where they may… If you are a friend of the truth as well, Reclaiming Israel’s History is required reading to effectively defend and stand with Israel.”
– GLENN BECK, founder of The Blaze television network, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and nationally syndicated radio host

No history is so disputed as the history of Israel. Some see Israel’s creation as a dramatic act of justice for the Jewish people. Others insist that it was a crime against Palestine’s Arabs.

Author David Brog untangles the facts from the myths to reveal the truth about the Arab-Israeli conflict. In Reclaiming Israel’s History you’ll learn how the Jewish people have maintained a continual presence in the Land of Israel for over 3,000 years—despite centuries of Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim persecution; how the Romans invented the word “Palestine” as a way to sever the connection between the Jewish people and their land (and how subsequent conquerors doubled down on this strategy); how modern Jewish immigration to Palestine did not displace Arabs but instead sparked an Arab population boom; and the largely untold story of how the leader of Palestine’s Arabs collaborated with the Nazis to murder Jews in Europe before they could reach their ancestral homeland. You’ll also learn why most of Palestine’s Arabs never identified themselves as “Palestinians” until after the 1967 War; the extraordinary lengths to which Israel’s military goes to protect Palestinian civilians (and the high price Israel’s soldiers pay for this morality), and how the Palestinians have on separate occasions rejected Israel’s offers of a Palestinian state in virtually all of the West Bank and Gaza.

Brog frankly admits to Israel’s “sins both large and small,” but notes that in any fair-minded analysis these have been far out- weighed by Israel’s commitment to Western values, including freedom, democracy, and human rights. Honest, provocative, and timely, especially given rising anti-Semitism and the aggressive delegitimization of Israel, David Brog’s Reclaiming Israel’s History is the book for every reader who wants to understand what is really happening in the Middle East.

“Plans for Peace: Negotiation and the Arab-Israeli Conflict”
By: Karen Feste

Although much has been written about the Arab-Israeli conflict and about general theories of negotiation, this analysis and history is unique in linking major issues and peace plans to negotiation theory and strategy. Feste studies the basic structures of conflict and negotiation, offering no suggestions for radical solution but arguing for changes in approach that may bring about steps forward. This overview of all major peace efforts since 1947 and of negotiating strategies is intended for undergraduate and graduate courses in conflict resolution, Middle Eastern politics, and international relations; and for the use of political scientists, sociologists, students, and teachers concerned with ethnoconflict.

The text analyzes the framework of the Arab-Israeli conflict, how it has built up, and how it has been maintained. The structure of the negotiation process is then viewed in the same way. Key elements in the Arab-Israeli conflict are considered historically and related directly to the process of negotiation and to theories about positional and principled bargaining and tactics needed in a pre-negotiation period and during negotiation to produce more successful results.

“Peacemakers in Israel-Palestine”
By: Robert Hostetter

This book offers an analysis of the major sources of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggests principles and processes for building a peacemaking platform.

The primary aim of this book is to analyze the crucial roles and capacities of mid-level, nongovernmental peacemakers as they provide unique approaches to transforming the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It also aims to analyze and experience dialogue as the primary mode of peacemaking communication. The two-part format of this book creates a structural dialogue. Part One provides an academic introduction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, why it matters, the role of identities, and strategies for transforming the conflict based on international law and human rights. Part Two is presented in a dialogue format, providing further conflict analysis through storytelling and dialogues with peacemakers.

This book will be of great interest to anyone engaged with peace and conflict transformation, ethnography, social justice, communication studies, and Middle Eastern studies, human rights and international law.

“Defending Israel: A Controversial Plan Toward Peace”
By: Martin van Creveld

Israel is a tiny country. From tip to toe, it stretches 260 miles long but is only 60 miles at its widest point. Since the days of the British mandate, the question of “defensible borders” for the Jewish state has always been problematic. Yet considering the larger picture of what has happened in the Middle East over the last 25 years—the peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, the weakening of Syria as a result of the collapse of the USSR, the smashing of Iraq by the U.S—Israel is, militarily speaking, stronger than ever before. The greatest remaining threats are terrorism and guerilla warfare; and those, this book argues, are best dealt with territorial concessions. This is a compact, incisive study that is certain to draw attention.

“A Possible Peace Between Israel and Palestine: An Insider’s Account of the Geneva Initiative”
By: Menachem Klein

In 2003, after two years of negotiations, a group of prominent Israelis and Palestinians signed a model peace treaty. The document, popularly called the Geneva Initiative, contained detailed provisions resolving all outstanding issues between Israel and the Palestinian people, including drawing a border between Israel and Palestine, dividing Jerusalem, and determining the status of the Palestinian refugees.

The negotiators presented this citizens’ initiative to the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and urged them to accept it. One of the Israeli negotiators was Menachem Klein, a political scientist who has written extensively about the Jerusalem issue in the context of peace negotiations. Although the Geneva Initiative was not endorsed by the governments of either side, it became a fundamental term of reference for solving the Middle East conflict. In this firsthand account, Klein explains how and why these groups were able to achieve agreement. He directly addresses the formation of the Israeli and Palestinian teams, how they managed their negotiations, and their communications with both governments. He also discusses the role of third-party facilitators and the strategy behind marketing the Geneva Initiative to the public.

A scholar and participant in the Geneva negotiations, Klein is able to provide both an inside perspective and an impartial analysis of the diplomatic efforts behind this historic compromise. He compares the negotiations to previous Israeli-Palestinian talks both formal and informal and the resolution of conflicts in South Africa and Algeria. Klein hopes that by treating the event as a case study we can learn a tremendous amount about the needs and approaches of both parties and the necessary shape peace must take between them.

“The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace”
By: Dennis Ross

“The definitive and gripping account of the sometimes exhilarating, often tortured twists and turns in the Middle East peace process, viewed from the front row by one of its major players.”–Bill Clinton

The Missing Peace, published to great acclaim last year, is the most candid inside account of the Middle East peace process ever written. Dennis Ross, the chief Middle East peace negotiator in the presidential administrations of George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, is that rare figure who is respected by all parties: Democrats and Republicans, Palestinians and Israelis, presidents and people on the street in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Washington, D.C.

Ross recounts the peace process in detail from 1988 to the breakdown of talks in early 2001 that prompted the so-called second Intifada-and takes account of recent developments in a new afterword written for this edition. It’s all here: Camp David, Oslo, Geneva, Egypt, and other summits; the assassination of Yitzak Rabin; the rise and fall of Benjamin Netanyahu; the very different characters and strategies of Rabin, Yasir Arafat, and Bill Clinton; and the first steps of the Palestinian Authority. For the first time, the backroom negotiations, the dramatic and often secretive nature of the process, and the reasons for its faltering are on display for all to see. The Missing Peace explains, as no other book has, why Middle East peace remains so elusive.

“Obstacle to Peace: The US Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”
By: Jeremy R. Hammond

Why has peace in the Middle East remained so elusive?

Obstacle to Peace not only provides the answer, but also explains why you won’t hear it from US government officials or the mainstream media.

With incisive and provocative analysis, Jeremy R. Hammond provides a meticulously documented account that explodes popular myths and deconstructs standard narratives about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

For anyone seeking a better understanding of the conflict’s root causes, the true reasons for its persistence, and the way forward, Obstacle to Peace delivers the knowledge and insights to effect the paradigm shift required to achieve justice and peace in the Middle East.

Inside its pages, you’ll learn:

– How US and Israeli policies have strengthened Hamas
– Why Israel implemented an illegal policy of collectively punishing the civilian population of Gaza, and how it’s been able to do so with impunity
– What really happened during Operation Cast Lead and Operation Pillar of Defense, two of Israel’s large-scale military assaults on the defenseless Gaza Strip
– What the so-called “peace process” is and why the US pursues it so aggressively
– Why Israel attacked the Mavi Marmara in international waters, and why the US defended the killing of nine peace activists on board
– How Israel has maintained its occupation of Palestine and what must happen to bring it to an end
– What must occur for Palestinian refugees to have a realistic hope of exercising their right to return to their homeland
– How and why the US mainstream media manipulate information so as to manufacture consent for US foreign policy
– How to decipher the euphemistic language used by the government and media to deceive the public
– How the United Nations helped create the conflict and how Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has played a duplicitous role
– What the Goldstone Report was, what its findings were, and why it so upset the US and Israel
– How, despite congenial rhetoric to the contrary, the Obama administration has continued the longstanding US policy of rejecting the rights of the Palestinian people
And much more!

“Israeli and Palestinian Conflict: A Comprehensive, Unbiased Exploration of the History and Perspectives of Both Nations”
By: Ethan Fakhoury

Israeli and Palestinian Conflict: A Comprehensive, Unbiased Exploration of the History and Perspectives of Both Nations

Description: “Israeli and Palestinian Conflict: A Comprehensive, Unbiased Exploration of the History and Perspectives of Both Nations” offers a deep dive into one of the most intricate and long-standing conflicts of our time. This book presents a meticulously researched and impartial account, making it a crucial read for those seeking a thorough understanding of the historical and contemporary narratives of both Israelis and Palestinians.

The book unravels the complex tapestry of events, ideologies, and personalities that have shaped the conflict. From the ancient eras of the Jewish kingdoms and Islamic caliphates to the decisive events of the 20th and 21st centuries, the author navigates through historical milestones with scholarly precision and narrative flair. This chronological journey illuminates the roots and ramifications of the conflict, ensuring readers grasp the full spectrum of its historical context.

What distinguishes this work is its unwavering commitment to neutrality. The author presents a balanced view, shedding light on both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives without bias. This balanced approach offers readers a unique opportunity to understand the motivations, fears, and aspirations of both sides, fostering a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of the issue.

Ideal for students, educators, policymakers, and anyone interested in Middle Eastern affairs, this book transcends mere historical recounting. It is an invitation to engage with the conflict intellectually and emotionally, encouraging readers to consider the multifaceted nature of this enduring struggle.

Key Features:
– Detailed exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from ancient times to the present.
– Unbiased and balanced, providing equal weight to Israeli and Palestinian perspectives.
– Engaging and accessible narrative suitable for diverse audiences.
– Valuable resource for those interested in Middle Eastern history, politics, and international relations.

“Israel On The Road To Peace: Accepting The Unacceptable”
By: Ziva Flamhaft

An in-depth study of the effects of Israel’s internal struggles on the Arab-Israeli peace process, this book examines how Israel’s leaders and citizens have reacted to the various proposals in the post?Camp David era, including the 1982 Reagan plan, the 1988 Shultz initiative, and the 1989 Mubarak and Baker plans. Ziva Flamhaft also analyzes reactions to the signing of the Declaration of Principles in 1993. Focusing on the domestic political scene, she exposes the efforts of the Israeli political right to undermine the peace process and illuminates the dramatic consequences of that process?the reaction of Prime Minister Begin to the Reagan plan, the near collapse of the National Unity Government (NUG) in 1987-88, and the ultimate fall of the NUG in 1990 as a result of the Baker plan.Flamhaft then looks at how the end of the Cold War and the Gulf War helped to encourage negotiations and evaluates why the Likud Party was replaced by Labor in 1992. Finally, Flamhaft demonstrates the futility of third-party mediation when negotiations are rejected domestically and discusses the essential conditions required for effective mediation.

“Israel, the Palestinians, and the Administration’s Peace Plan”
By: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs House of Representatives

During the campaign and since he took office, President Trump has repeatedly stated that it is his mission to achieve the ultimate deal. A negotiated peaceful settlement between Israelis and Palestinians, a simple task, as anyone who has ever heard of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can tell you. Administration after administration, Secretary of State, after Secretary of State, all have had their eyes on the prize. Broker a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians and your name will be etched in the history books for all time. At this point in any previous administration, we would convene and ask ourselves the very same questions we always ask. Does the administration have a legitimate chance of brokering peace? What will it take to bring the parties to together to the negotiation table? What will the peace process look like? And can we build enough support and momentum to move the process forward? Every administration that has come before has always operated in the same space, strictly diplomacy. This is an agreement between two parties, one a sovereign state, and the other, a people aiming to realize their own statehood. So the only way to resolve this, according to the conventional wisdom, is through diplomacy. But the Trump administration has approached this like a business deal. Not only has this upset the status quo, but it has thrown the Palestinian leadership into a “what?” kind of mode. They knew how to respond to every approach we made. Now, they are in unchartered territory. And this may work to our advantage, and ultimately, to the advantage of peace for the region.

“Peace Process: American Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict since 1967”
By: William Quandt

Updated through the first term of President George W. Bush, the latest edition of this classic work analyzes how each U.S. president since Lyndon Johnson has dealt with the complex challenge of Arab-Israeli peacemaking. There have been remarkable successes – such as the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty – frustrating failures, and dangerous wars along the way. This book helps to situate the current Middle East crisis in historical context and point to some possible ways out of the impasse between Israelis and Palestinians. Quandt suggests a clear U.S. commitment to a two-state solution – one that would assure Israel of security and peace within the 1967 treaty-established borders, offer the Palestinians an early end to Israeli occupation of Gaza and most of the West Bank, and establish both a Jewish and Arab Jerusalem.

Written especially for classroom use, Peace Process is also an invaluable resource for policymakers and anyone interested in this vital region of the world.

Praise for previous editions of Peace Process

– Clearly written, carefully balanced and comprehensive in scope… should prove invaluable to all serious students of American foreign policy.” New York Times Book Review

– A major work, whether judged by the standards of classical diplomatic history or modern political science.” Foreign Affairs

– Provides fresh insights into the complexities of creating the process and defining the substance of American foreign policymaking.” Survival

– While objective to a fault, Quandt writes with an insider’s knowledge of policymaking and decisions taken at the highest levels of government.” Middle East Policy

– Both a history and analysis of an evolving relationship between Israel and its Arab opponents.” Choice

– A major contribution to understanding the complexity of U.S. presidents’ handling of the [Arab-Israeli] conflict. It should be compulsory reading for anyone studying the Middle East conflict, peacemaking and conflict resolution.” Journal of Peace Research

“Peace to End All Peace, 20th Anniversary Edition”
By: David Fromkin

Published with a new afterword from the author―the classic, bestselling account of how the modern Middle East was created

The Middle East has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. All of these conflicts―including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis, and the violent challenges posed by Iraq’s competing sects―are rooted in the region’s political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the Allies after the First World War.

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time, showing how the choices narrowed and the Middle East began along a road that led to the conflicts and confusion that continue to this day.

A new afterword from Fromkin, written for this edition of the book, includes his invaluable, updated assessment of this region of the world today, and on what this history has to teach us.

“Breakthrough: A Personal Account of the Egypt-Israel Peace Negotiations”
By: Moshe Dayan

A Personal Account of the Egypt-Israel Peace Negotiations [Sep 01, 1981] Dayan, Moshe

“Menachem Begin and the Israel-Egypt Peace Process: Between Ideology and Political Realism”
By: Gerald M. Steinberg and Ziv Rubinovitz

Focusing on the character and personality of Menachem Begin, Gerald Steinberg and Ziv Rubinovitz offer a new look into the peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt in the 1970s. Begin’s role as a peace negotiator has often been marginalized, but this sympathetic and critical portrait restores him to the center of the diplomatic process. Beginning with the events of 1967, Steinberg and Rubinovitz look at Begin’s statements on foreign policy, including relations with Egypt, and his role as Prime Minister and chief signer of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty. While Begin did not leave personal memoirs or diaries of the peace process, Steinberg and Rubinovitz have tapped into newly released Israeli archives and information housed at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and the Begin Heritage Center. The analysis illuminates the complexities that Menachem Begin faced in navigating between ideology and political realism in the negotiations towards a peace treaty that remains a unique diplomatic achievement.

“My Country, My Life: Fighting for Israel, Searching for Peace”
By: Ehud Barak

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My Country, My Life tells the unvarnished story of his – and his country’s – first seven decades; of its major successes, but also its setbacks and misjudgments. He offers candid assessments of his fellow Israeli politicians, of the American administrations with which he worked, and of himself.

“Peace in the Making: The Menachem Begin – Anwar Sadat Personal Correspondence”
By: Zvi Harry Hurwitz and Yisrael Medad

Here, for the first time, is the complete correspondence between Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt’s President Anwar el-Sadat as they wrestled with what would become their Nobel Peace Prize–winning accomplishment. The letters, together with transcripts of speeches, press conferences, interviews, rare photos and official documents, reveal the personal relationship the two leaders constructed, which was eventually reflected in the treaty they signed. The personalities, the principled issues, the maneuverings, the clashes, the compromises and agreements are all revealed in these letters. Covering the period from June 1977 until a day before Sadat’s assassination in October 1981, the Begin-Sadat correspondence affords a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the efforts, crises, and agonizing decisions these two leaders faced and overcame to achieve peace. Supplemented with photos and the full texts of the Camp David Accords and the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, this groundbreaking volume sheds new light on a peace process that succeeded.

“The Case Against Israel’s Enemies: Exposing Jimmy Carter and Others Who Stand in the Way of Peace”
By: Alan Dershowitz

The New York Times bestselling author of The Case for Israel takes on the greatest threats faced by Israel today

In addition to Hamas, which provoked the recent war and Gaza with its rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, Alan Dershowtiz argues that Israel’s most dangerous enemies include Jimmy Carter and other western leaders who would delegitimize Israel as an apartheid regime subject to the same fate as white South Africans; Israel’s academic enemies, led by professors Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, who would accuse supporters of Israel of dual loyalty and indeed disloyalty to America; and Iran, led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which threatens Israel by its development of nuclear weapons, which it has publicly threatened to use against the Jewish state.

– Persuasively argues that Jimmy Carter and other enemies of Israel are also enemies of peace, imperiling not only Israel but the rest of the world
– Sparks controversy and lively discussion across the entire spectrum of opinion on the Middle East
– Passionate and outspoken: “”As always when Israel needs to be defended . . . Alan Dershowitz speaks with great passion and personal courage.””-Elie Wiesel

Alan Dershowitz is at his outspoken, thought-provoking best in The Case Against Israel’s Enemies, changing both the tone and the focus of the debate about Israel’s adversaries at a time when the future existence of Israel is increasingly imperiled.

“The Case for Israel”
By: Alan Dershowitz

The Case for Israel is an ardent defense of Israel’s rights, supported by indisputable evidence.

– Presents a passionate look at what Israel’s accusers and detractors are saying about this war-torn country.
– Dershowitz accuses those who attack Israel of international bigotry and backs up his argument with hard facts.
– Widely respected as a civil libertarian, legal educator, and defense attorney extraordinaire, Alan Dershowitz has also been a passionate though not uncritical supporter of Israel.

“The Case for Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved”
By: Alan Dershowitz

In the bestselling The Case for Israel, Alan Dershowitz used all his skills as an advocate to defend the Jewish state against the lies and distortions hurled at it in recent years. Now, as the Israelis and the Palestinians take tentative steps toward peace following the death of Yasser Arafat, Dershowitz offers a timely and provocative analysis of the opportunities and challenges ahead.
All reasonable people, Dershowitz argues, know what a final peace settlement will look like: two states, based on Israeli withdrawals from Gaza and most of the West Bank; a symbolic recognition by Israel of the rights of Palestinian refugees, with some compensation but no “right of return”; the division of Jerusalem; and a renunciation of violence, with the Palestinians taking all reasonable measures to stamp out terrorism. The problem is how to get there without more bloodshed.

The “one-state” solution propounded by hard-line Palestinians and their allies on the left is an absolute nonstarter—a smoke screen for those who are enemies of peace.

Palestinians cannot expect to get more West Bank land than they would have under the Camp David and Taba negotiations of 2000 and 2001; additional territorial concessions would be an implicit reward for Palestinian terrorism in the intervening years.

A multinational force, including U.S. troops, may be necessary to respond to Palestinian terrorist provocations after a settlement is reached.
In addition to cracking down on terrorists, Palestinians must consider extending their laws against “hate speech” to reduce the level of hostility toward Israel.
But, according to Dershowitz, achieving a lasting peace will require more than tough- minded negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. In academia, Europe, the UN, and the Arab world, Israel-bashing and anti-Semitism have reached new heights, despite the recent Israeli-Palestinian movement toward peace. Surveying this outpouring of vilification, Dershowitz deconstructs the smear tactics used by Israel-haters and shows how this kind of anti-Israel McCarthyism is aimed at scuttling any real chance of peace.

For anyone concerned about the fate of Israel and the Middle East, this provocative, hard-headed look at the prospects for peace will be required reading.

“War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism”
By: Alan Dershowitz

In War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism, Alan Dershowitz—#1 New York Times bestselling author and one of America’s most respected legal scholars—explains why the horrific attack of Oct 7 and Israel’s just response changes everything.

– It has changed the relationship between Israel and the United States, especially with regard to the possibility of direct American intervention.
– It has required Israel to consider its nuclear option as a last resort to assure its survival.
– It has revealed dangerous attitudes among America’s future leaders on today’s college campuses toward Israel’s possible destruction.
– It has exposed media biases that have been exacerbated with Israel’s vulnerabilities.
– It has united Israelis and Jews around the world as never before, despite the deep divisions among them politically, religiously, and ideologically. Nothing will ever be the same.
– It has clouded the future of peace between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors and has diminished the proposals for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
– It has made predictions about the future of the region nearly impossible, except that imposing instability is inevitable.

In this short book, Dershowitz analyzes these transforming events and suggests how to move forward.

“The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East”
By: Caroline Glick

A landmark manifesto issuing a bold call for a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

The reigning consensus in elite and academic circles is that the United States must seek to resolve the Palestinians’ conflict with Israel by implementing the so-called two-state solution. Establishing a Palestinian state, so the thinking goes, would be a panacea for all the region’s ills. In a time of partisan gridlock, the two-state solution stands out for its ability to attract supporters from both sides of America’s ideological divide. But the great irony is that it is one of the most irrational and failed policies the United States has ever adopted.

Between 1970 and 2013, the United States presented nine different peace plans for Israel and the Palestinians, and for the past twenty years, the two state solution has been the centerpiece of U.S. Middle East policy. But despite this laser focus, American efforts to implement a two-state peace deal have failed—and with each new attempt, the Middle East has become less stable, more violent, more radicalized, and more inimical to democratic values and interests.

In The Israeli Solution, Caroline Glick, senior contributing editor to the Jerusalem Post, examines the history and misconceptions behind the two-state policy, most notably:

The huge errors made in counting the actual numbers of Jews and Arabs in the region. The 1997 Palestinian Census, upon which most two-state policy is based, wildly exaggerated the numbers of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza.
Neglect of the long history of Palestinian anti-Semitism, refusal to negotiate in good faith, terrorism, and denial of Israel’s right to exist.
Disregard for Israel’s stronger claims to territorial sovereignty under international law, as well as the long history of Jewish presence in the region.
Indifference to polling data that shows the Palestinian people admire Israeli society and governance. Despite a half-century of domestic and international terrorism, anti-semitism, and military attacks from regional neighbors who reject its right to exist, Israel has thrived as the Middle East’s lone democracy.

After a century spent chasing a two-state policy that hasn’t brought the Israelis and Palestinians any closer to peace, The Israeli Solution offers an alternative path to stability in the Middle East based on Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

“Telling Our Story: Recent Essays on Zionism, the Middle East, and the Path to Peace”
By: Einat Wilf

The story of Israel and Zionism has been hijacked, disfigured, and trampled upon. It has been deliberately replaced by a story about sinister ideologies and evil motivations. When this tale of evil becomes the reigning story, peace becomes ever less possible, since evil is not to be negotiated with, but defeated. If peace is ever to be made, the story of Israel and Zionism is to be told anew.

In this book, Dr. Einat Wilf does just that, demonstrating in the process how the true telling of the story of Israel and Zionism opens the path to peace with the Palestinians and the entire Arab and Muslim world. In the book’s opening chapter, “Telling Our Story,” Wilf provides a context, telling the story of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their homeland and how through deliberate Jewish action – not foreign hand-outs or Holocaust-motivated guilt – the State of Israel was born. This story of the Zionist movement remains among the most inspiring dramas in human history: although dealt some of the worst cards in history, through force of vision, desire and work, the Jewish people returned to history as active agents and shaped a future in which they are not the victims of others.

This story is crucial to understanding the importance of the Jewish state to the Jewish people, as well as in its broader ability to inspire people throughout the world. In chapter two, “On Why There Is No Peace,” Wilf examines why decades after the establishment of the State of Israel conflict continues to persist with no end in sight.

The core of her argument is that the requisite condition for any solution – whether it be a one-state or two-state solution – is for both sides of the conflict to recognize the equal rights of the other as collectives and individuals to all of the land, and the acceptance that neither can have the land in its entirety. As this requisite is absent – specifically on the Arab side – compromise, and thereby peace, has not been viable.

In chapter three, “On What Israel Should Do,” Wilf explores the steps Israel should take towards peace. Wilf argues that although peace may not be viable now, Israel should prepare for the hopeful eventuality of the creation of two states for two peoples between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River. Israel should do this by specifically delineating its eastern border – including the annexation of the large Jewish settlement blocks that are contiguous to the Green Line – and renouncing is territorial claims beyond that eastern border.

Given the very real security issues that Israel faces, however, she should implement a policy of continued military occupation until she feels there is a partner for peace on the Palestinian side. This policy is one of “yes to the occupation, no to the settlements,” east of that border.

Regarding Jerusalem, Wilf clarifies that the only place where controversy persists is in regard to the Old City. The status of the Old City will be determined through a final peace agreement, but the status of the overwhelming majority of Jerusalem can already be specified; and that final peace agreement, Wilf explains, would be in a much better position if the ambiguity regarding the Old City did not spill over into the issue of Jerusalem as a whole.

In the concluding chapter, “On What the International Community Should Do,” Wilf explores what roles and policies might be pursued by the international community.

Foremost, however, Wilf posits that it is critical for the international community to understand that the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East, rests on serious issues that go to the core of matters of each other’s sense of justice, history, and identity. Additionally, it is most important to bear in mind that Israelis, Palestinians, and Arabs are sovereign agents who need to determine their future for themselves and by themselves.

“We Should All Be Zionists: Essays on the Jewish State and the Path to Peace”
By: Dr. Einat Wilf

“We Should All Be Zionists” is the third volume in Dr Einat WIlf’s trilogy, after “Winning The War of Words” and “Telling Our Story”. It brings together her essays on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace, which were published in a wide range of publications over the past four years. They present Wilf’s key insights on the Jewish State, the essence of the conflict, and the hope for peace that is to be found in the Abraham Accords and changes in the Arab world.

“Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth”
By: Noa Tishby

A “fascinating and very moving” (Aaron Sorkin, award-winning screenwriter of The West Wing and The Social Network) chronological timeline spanning from Biblical times to today that explores one of the most interesting countries in the world—Israel.

Israel. The small strip of arid land is 5,700 miles away but remains a hot-button issue and a thorny topic of debate. But while everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Israel, how many people actually know the facts?

Here to fill in the information gap is Israeli American Noa Tishby. But “this is not your Bubbie’s history book” (Bill Maher, host of Real Time with Bill Maher). Instead, offering a fresh, 360-degree view, Tishby brings her “passion, humor, and deep intimacy” (Yossi Klein Halevi, New York Times bestselling author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor) to the subject, creating an accessible and dynamic portrait of a tiny country of outsized relevance. Through bite-sized chunks of history and deeply personal stories, Tishby chronicles her homeland’s evolution, beginning in Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel’s creation to the disputes dividing the country today. Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of facts, Tishby provides critical context around headline-generating controversies and offers a clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel.

“The Peace Brokers: Mediators in the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-1979”
By: Saadia Touval

From Israel’s establishment as a state to the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, this work analyzes the role of third-party mediators of the Arab-Israeli dispute. What interests prompted the mediators to undertake their efforts? What effect did their intervention have on regional and global power struggles? Did the mediators actually make any difference? In a thorough treatment of the struggle for a negotiated peace, Saadia Touval answers these questions and tests his answers against the existing theories of international relations. Including a discussion of both United States and United Nations attempts at mediation, and providing a detailed picture of American-Israeli relations, he maintains that successful mediators do not have to be impartial.

Drawing on official documents, memoirs, and other sources, this book discusses the mediation efforts of Count Folke Bernadotte; Ralph Bunche; the United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission; President Eisenhower’s emissary, Robert Anderson; Gunnar Jarring; the 1971 mission of the African heads of state; and Secretaries of State William Rogers and Henry Kissinger. Finally the author analyzes President Jimmy Carter’s mediation, which led to the Camp David accords and the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.

Since 1948 various powers have sought to protect their own interests by active assistance to one party or another in the Arab-Israeli struggle. This book shows how those countries and institutions that have attempted to mediate the conflict have also acted out of self-interest.

“Israel on High Alert: How Conflicts and Wars in the Middle East Are Setting the Stage for the End Times”
By: Ron Rhodes

What Does the Future Hold for Israel?

The Middle East has long been spiraling out of control, causing global uncertainty and fear. What does this turmoil mean for Israel, and why has peace been so elusive?

In this updated and expanded edition of Israel on High Alert, author and Bible teacher Ron Rhodes offers a clear view of the situation—and future—faced by Israel. You will explore

the causes of the rising conflicts and wars in the Middle East
what Scripture says about the ongoing battles and God’s plans for Israel
how the events in the Middle East affect each of our lives today

Touching on everything from mainstream and radical Islam to the current efforts to rebuild the Jewish temple, this book will guide you through the past, present, and God-ordained future for the nation of Israel. Find assurance in knowing that even amid chaos and uncertainty, God’s plan is already in action—and it will never fail.

“The Story of Israel: From Theodor Herzl to the Dream for Peace”
By: Martin Gilbert

A leading historian, and Winston Churchill’s official biographer, tells the complete story of Israel’s birth and development as a nation.

Just over 100 years ago, Theodor Herzl launched the Zionist movement. Fifty years later, after the Holocaust, the State of Israel came into being, established so that Jews anywhere in the world could have a homeland. In the years since, five wars have tested Israel’s ability to survive. Influxes of emigrants enhanced the country’s cultural riches yet strained its social fabric, even as Israel’s Arab neighbors sought to redress their own grievances. After more than 70 years of independence, the nation’s fascinating story is told by renowned historian Martin Gilbert, complete with images of important historical documents.

“Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs, 1948-2003”
By: Itamar Rabinovich

Considerably expanded to include the impact of the 2003 war in Iraq and its aftermath, this new edition of Waging Peace provides a unique insight into the critical debate on the future of peace in the Middle East. A former chief negotiator for Israel, noted scholar-diplomat Itamar Rabinovich examines the complete history of Arab-Israeli relations beginning in 1948. He then gives a vivid account of the peace processes of 1992-1996 and the more dispiriting record since then. His updated analysis on Iraq, Ehud Barak, and Ariel Sharon–and on the expanding role of the United States in the Middle East–sheds new light on the long and tumultuous history between Arabs and Jews.

As Rabinovich brings the conflict into this century, he widens the scope of his proposals for achieving normalized and peaceful Arab-Israeli relations. While he considers the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians–a classic dispute between two national movements claiming the same land–Rabinovich also studies the broader political, cultural, and increasingly religious conflict between Israel and Arab nationalism and discusses the region in an international context.

Rabinovich’s firsthand experiences as a negotiator and an ambassador provide an extraordinary perspective on the major players involved. The result is a shrewd assessment of the past and current state of affairs, as well as a hopeful look at the possibilities for a peaceful future.

“Understanding God’s Eternal Plan for Israel”
By: Deby Brown and Song for Israel

There is no other nation in history that has experienced what Israel has. Throughout history, people and nations have tried to destroy the Jewish people. With anti-Semitism on the rise once more and enemies threatening to wipe Israel from the face of the earth, many Christians want to instead show their love for Israel and the Jewish people. However, most Christians have no idea how to show support for or defend the Jewish people. Understanding God’s Eternal Plan for Israel provides an overview of Israel’s spiritual, historical, and political history, challenging believers in Christ to bless Israel and its people. Christian believers can learn about the biblical holy days (or feasts), how God called Israel to be a chosen nation to accomplish his work, and how the Middle Eastern conflict began and why it matters for both the Jewish people and Christians today. If Christians can understand God’s plan for Israel, then we can be in alignment with the Word of God.

“When They Speak Israel: A Guide to Clarity in Conversations about Israel”
By: Alex McDonald

When They Speak Israel is a guide for better understanding one’s own and others’ association with Israel. It is a guide written primarily for people who oppose racism and stand for human rights yet want to build relationships and conversations with others who may have different views. When They Speak Israel responds to talking points that we hear in the press and from politicians about Israel, Palestine, and everyone in between. The guide offers queries to unpack these talking points offering potential bridges for thinking, caring, and conversations where they would otherwise be almost impossible.

“Cultivating Shalom: Finding peace in the midst of disruption, uncertainty and ordinary life”
By: Deborah Judas

With all the noise and uncertainty, along with our fast-paced world and jam-packed schedules, it is often difficult to keep sight of the goodness and beauty that surrounds us. Finding peace seems elusive when we are constantly bombarded with bad news, negativity, and reminders that we don’t have enough. Is it possible to be content and fulfilled when there is a perpetual underlying sense that we don’t measure up? How can we contribute in positive ways to bring about healing, justice and hope to our world, even in the midst of disruption and disappointment? The answers to these questions seem to lie in a familiar, ancient writing. Cultivating Shalom uses the imagery and wisdom of Psalm 23 to uncover new insights on what it means to flourish and experience a deep sense of wholeness, delight and wonder in all seasons of life. This is not ten easy steps to wellness. Rather, it is an invitation to keep company with God and others, providing a new lens that reveals the extraordinary power of ordinary life. Cultivating Shalom is down to earth and practical as it examines how paying attention to the small things and putting simple practices into place will cultivate the wonder of shalom in your own life.

“Prince Of Peace In A World Of Wars”
By: David Kerrigan

The biblical title `The Prince of Peace’ leaves us in no doubt that God’s purpose in Jesus Christ is to bring peace – universal peace, both with God and with our neighbours. But have we really understood what this peace might look like, especially in a world of wars and suffering? David Kerrigan sees the coming of Jesus at Christmas as central to the divine plan to bring peace to the world. Through reflection on biblical texts and mission stories he locates God at the centre of our mission and encourages us to restore the peace, joy and hope that come from accompanying Jesus.

“Finding Peace: God’s Promise of a Life Free from Regret, Anxiety, and Fear”
By: Charles Stanley

In times of crisis and confusion, Dr. Charles Stanley has learned the one phrase that can carry him through: “God, You are in control.” The peace he has experienced in life stems from that foundational belief. In Finding Peace, Dr. Stanley shares with readers how they, too, can experience an unshakeable peace which “passes all understanding.”

Filled with encouragement to lift the soul, Finding Peace offers insight on what causes us to live without God’s peace in our lives, and how we can reverse course and open our hearts to receive it. Also, Stanley gives his perspective on the things that hinder peace-including the “Four Great Hallmarks of God’s Peace” and “Five Essential Beliefs for a Peaceful Heart”-to put the important message of this book into concrete terms. Addressing regret, anxiety, and fear, Dr. Stanley extends hope for overcoming the obstacles that block peace with the Lord. Finally, he gives direction on learning to live a life of contentment.

“Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World”
By: Max Lucado

Does the uncertainty and chaos of life keep you up at night? Is irrational anxiety your constant companion? Let God help you win the war on worry and receive the lasting peace of Christ.

We all experience anxiety, but we don’t have to let worry and fear control our lives. Anxious for Nothing, from New York Times bestselling author, Max Lucado, provides a roadmap for coping with and healing from anxiety. Complete with Lucado’s signature storytelling and relatable anecdotes, Anxious for Nothing invites you to study Philippians 4:6-7—the most highlighted passage of the Bible and any book on the planet according to Amazon.

You will experience CALM as Max encourages you to:

Celebrate God’s goodness
Ask God for help
Leave your concerns with God
Meditate on good things
Stop letting anxiety rule the day. Join Max on the journey to true freedom and experience more peace, joy, clarity, physical renewal, and contentment by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Look for additional inspirational books and audio products from Max:

He Gets Us
Calm Moments for Anxious Days
Help Is Here

“Peace with God: The Secret of Happiness”
By: Billy Graham

Billy Graham shares God’s gentle, reassuring promise of spiritual calm and authentic peace in a world falling apart at the seams.

In a culture that values “quality of life” and personal happiness above all else, why are so many of us unhappy, anxious, lonely, on the brink of despair? Why do so many of us feel empty, even though we live surrounded by plenty?

In Peace with God, Reverend Graham takes you on a great quest to find the answers to life’s purpose. Along the way, he answers essential questions to understanding the true hope at the foundation of the Christian faith—questions like:

– What is God like?
– Why did Jesus come?
– What is repentance?
– How can I be sure of salvation?
– How should a Christian live?

“God’s peace can be in your heart—right now . . .Whatever the circumstances, whatever the call, whatever the duty, whatever the price, whatever the sacrifice—His strength will be your strength in your hour of need. It’s all yours, and it’s free.”

Peace with God is a timeless message of hope for all those struggling with despair and loneliness. Billy Graham will beckon you on the path to lasting peace as he describes the basics of the biblical message, the problem of sin, the tenets of the Christian way of life, and the glorious hope for the future.

“Peace for Each Day”
By: Billy Graham

Beloved evangelist Billy Graham understood the flurry of modern life and the constant temptation of busyness. In a world in which everyone seems to be rushing to finish their to-do list, answer their emails, and respond to their cell phones, peace is still possible. In Peace for Each Day, a 365-day devotional, Graham shares God’s gentle, reassuring promise of spiritual calm.

Each daily passage in Peace for Each Day invites you to joyfully engage with Scripture as you meditate on God’s peace–peace that can be found whatever the circumstances, whatever the calling, whatever the future holds.

This 365-day devotional features:

– A larger trim and print
– A beautiful leathersoft cover
– A ribbon marker and presentation page

As Graham wrote, “Millions are searching for [peace], but we Christians have found it! It is ours now and forever.” Peace for Each Day makes a beautiful gift book for men and women of all ages for:

– Birthdays
– Christmas
– Mother’s and Father’s Day
– Grandparent’s Day

With words from one of the most popular and respected authors of our time, Peace for Each Day invites you to receive a peace that no one can take away.

Look for additional 365-day devotionals from Billy Graham:

– Truth for Each Day
– Wisdom for Each Day
– Hope for Each Day

“The Key to Personal Peace”
By: Billy Graham

People are seeking the answer to the confusion, the moral sickness, the spiritual emptiness that oppresses the world. We are all crying out for guidance. For comfort. For peace. Is there a way out of our dilemma? Can we really find personal peace with God? Yes! But only if we look in the right place.

The Key to Personal Peace includes trusted Biblical insights from renowned evangelist Dr. Billy Graham. The Key to Personal Peace offers a look into how to live life in the fullness of God.

Sections include:

– The Great Quest
– Our Dilemma
– What is God Like
– What Did Jesus Do for Us?
– Finding the Way Back
– Peace at Last
– Heaven, Our Hope

“Wisdom for Our Worries: Finding Joy and Peace in Difficult Times”
By: Bill Crowder

Where do you turn when you feel afraid?

It’s exhausting to constantly worry about the things you don’t know and can’t control. But Bill Crowder provides a perspective on fear like no other. Rather than paralyzing us, our worries can point us in a surprising direction: toward God and His sovereignty.

Unpack different elements of fear through real-life examples from Bible heroes who learned to lean on God amid the piercing anxieties they experienced. Discover scriptural truths and let the guiding discussion questions help you understand how God’s faithfulness from the past lets you confidently face the anxieties of the present and future.

Fear may be unavoidable in this life, but the way you respond to fear is a choice.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SPECIAL ‘GENERAL’ RESOURCE

“ApologetiX Songbook”
(An interactive PDF)

It features the lyrics to every song on every CD and every “download” from 1993-2020

Special features:

indexed by title, original song, original artist, subject, and Bible verse
each song’s page has icons showing what albums it appears on
each song’s page has a commentary from lyricist J. Jackson
each album’s page includes liner notes and track listing
print any pages you like or use for slides in church
photos from ApologetiX’s debut concert in 1992
discography of out-of-print cassettes
downloadable in PDF format

New features in this edition:

all song commentaries from J. Jackson updated and expanded
also indexed by year when original song spoofed was a hit
J.’s original handwritten rough lyrics to 40 ApX classics
scads of photos from ApX 25th-anniversary concerts
list of 40 ApX parodies most likely to be redone
over 200 new parodies and journal entries
list of the first ApX concerts in each state
six new full-length feature articles
DVD discography and synopses
never-before-seen rare photos
lyrics for over 700 parodies
over 1000 pages!

Interactive features:

click on any page number in indexes or TOC to go to that page
click on any album icon to go to its liner notes and track listings
click on any song title on an album page to go to that song

Note: This e-book is a download-only and doesn’t include sheet music.

The songbook is available for a donation of $50 or more. After we receive your donation, we’ll send you a follow-up email with the link.

Get the Songbook for a donation:
http://www.apologetix.com/store/store.php#songbook

Songbook Demo Video: https://rumble.com/vfazhl-apologetix-songbook-2020-demo.html

“THE SEARCH FOR MEANING” WEBSITE

This site presents discussions on the 12 most commonly asked questions about the Christian faith.

The 12 discussions are accessed by the “tabs” at the bottom of the page. The tabs are numbered 1-12. Roll your mouse over them and you will see the question displayed at the right. Click on the number to select that question.

Within each question (i.e. tabs 1-12), there are subtopics (or dialogues) to select that appear as smaller tabs underneath the numbered tabs. Roll your mouse over them and the title of these topics is also displayed to the right. Click on the open rectangle to select that dialogue.

For each question (1-12), a link to related resources and an optional flowchart is provided. To access this material, click on the respective words, “Related Resources” or “Options Flowchart.”

To play a more detailed discussion of the subject, between two people, select the desired dialogue and click on “Play Audio Dialogue.”

In the upper right-hand corner of the page, there is an icon that looks like binoculars looking at a question mark. Click on this icon to return to the homepage.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Related Resources” page, there is an icon that looks like some books. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the resources for all of the questions. There also are additional “appendices” for most of the questions.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Flowchart” page, there is an icon that looks like an Org chart. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the flowcharts.

http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q1_d1_1of10.html

[ Content by: Bill Kraftson and Lamar Smith; Website by Mark Besh ]

“FRUITS OF THE BEATITUDES” WEBSITE
(The ATTITUDES of Jesus that produce the CHARACTER of Jesus)

CLICK ON THE LINK to view:
http://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/

FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/FruitsOfTheBeatitudes/

[ Mark Besh ]

[ P.S.: If you would like to investigate further about what it really means to “believe,” visit the following link:
http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q10_d1_1of10.html ].

<<< ARTICLES >>>

“16 Ways To Find Peace Of Mind”

Dr. John Delony—a mental health expert that wrote the #1 bestseller “Own Your Past, Change Your Future”—suggests the following ‘best practices’ for becoming a person of peace:

– Face Uncomfortable Truths Head On
Finding peace of mind isn’t about erasing every uncomfortable emotion or thought. It’s about braving the rapids for stiller waters. Numbing, suppressing and avoiding disappointment and anxiety will only make everything worse. Don’t run from or judge your feelings. Instead, be compassionate and curious. Sometimes, simply giving yourself permission to call it like it is will allow you to feel tremendous relief.

– Journal
Journaling is an excellent practice for unearthing what’s going on in your heart and mind. Get your swirling, chaotic thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Just sit down with a blank sheet of paper and write. Word vomit all over the page. Don’t edit yourself. And don’t lie or hide from yourself. The goal isn’t to be pretty or eloquent or even make sense—it is to get in touch with what’s going on inside your head.

– Connect With People You Love And Trust
You cannot do life alone. Period. Healthy relationships are the foundation for a still mind and overall wellness. You need people. When you’re feeling stressed, anxious and lonely, go to someone who will listen to you, love you, and just be with you. Human connection is one of the most powerful antidotes to that low-grade anxiety that might be robbing you of your peace of mind.

– Be Active
One of the best ways to get stress out of your body is to be active. Lift weights. Ride a bike. Join a team. Do anything you can to be active. Exercise will clear your mind and heal your body unlike anything else.

The best exercise plan is the one you will actually do!

– Spend Time Outside
Be outside whenever possible. Get a blanket if it’s cold or wear shorts if it’s too hot. But get outside. Nature is healing and restorative for your heart, mind and body. Put your bare feet in the grass, listen to the birds, take a hike, sit by a lake or a river and just breathe in the air.

– Get Proper Sleep
Getting a full seven to nine hours of sleep every night is ridiculously important because sleep fixes so many health issues—including stress and anxiety. Sleep is about as close to a silver bullet as you can get.

If you have trouble actually getting to sleep because your thoughts are spinning, create a wind-down routine an hour before bed where you get off technology, dim the lights, take a relaxing bath, take pure supplements (not medications), read a good book, and meditate and journal to help calm your mind.

– Eat Well
Along with sleep, nutrient-rich foods are a foundational pillar of health. There’s no such thing as “mental health” and “physical health.” It’s all just health. And food has a direct impact on your mood, as well as your body’s ability to function, respond and recover. A diet that’s high in sugar and processed foods and other trash will contribute significantly to your anxiety levels. Be a good steward of the one body you have and eat well.

– Practice Forgiveness
Unresolved conflict can be a huge source of anxiety. Do you need to forgive someone for the hurt they caused you? Do you need to forgive yourself for a mistake that haunts you? Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, and it’s been said that bitterness is the poison we drink hoping someone else will die. Don’t carry the bricks of bitterness or anger. Set the bricks down. Choose to forgive.

– Listen To Music
Music is healing for the soul—whether you’re jamming to ’80s hair metal (one of my personal favorites) or some lo-fi beats to create some Zen. Find a playlist or an album that brings you joy and turn up the volume.

– Do Something Creative
Creativity is a remarkable outlet for stress relief and peace. I love this quote from Brené Brown: “Unused creativity is not benign… It metastasizes into resentment, grief, heartbreak.” Is there a creative outlet you’ve been missing? Dust off your guitar. Start that business. Plant a garden. Cook a meal for your neighbors.

Getting lost in a good novel is another great way to increase creativity. Pick up a book and give your brain a break from problem-solving mode.

– Practice Gratitude Every Day
I keep a gratitude journal every single day—it is powerful and transformative. Anxiety keeps us fixated on past experiences or worried about future ones, but gratitude is grounding because it centers us in the present. It reminds us to stop complaining and whining and internalize our blessings.

Write down five things you’re grateful for, beginning with “I’m grateful for…” Gratitude is a foundational practice for a life of peace. Bonus points if you do this twice a day: when you first wake up and right before you go to bed.

– Pay Attention To And Redirect Your Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but the more stressed I become, the more I lose control of my thoughts. If I don’t step in, my brain starts to spiral, with unwelcome and frightening thoughts spinning faster and faster.

Ruminating (thinking the same things over and over) and worrying make us feel like we’re doing something important. We get a false sense of accomplishment from these mental scenarios: preparing for the worst, rehearsing disaster, or practicing imaginary hard conversations we’ll never have in real life. Hear me clearly: Ruminating and worrying are a complete waste of time. They do nothing except leave us feeling more helpless and anxious.

But here is the exciting thing: We can learn to control our thoughts. We get to decide where we fix our attention. Pay attention to the thoughts running through your mind and redirect them to something actually true and pleasant and good to think about.

– Try a meditation
Okay, I know what you might be thinking: Meditation is a woo-woo practice for yogis and granola people that only eat kale. But in reality, meditation is the practice of paying attention to and controlling our thoughts. It is learning where your body and your mind connect and how you can take a bird’s-eye view of your desires. It can be a ‘game changer’.

– Clear Up Your Schedule
You cannot outrun or outperform your anxiety and depression. Being rushed and overcommitted will destroy your peace of mind. Are you too busy? Stressed out by commitments you can’t keep? Look at how you’re spending your time and find things you can say no to. Slow down, create boundaries around your calendar and find time to breathe.

– Disconnect From Your Devices
Our devices are stealing our attention, our joy and our ability to be present with ourselves and with others. I don’t propose that we all go off the grid and live in the woods without electricity or smartphones or plumbing. I’m writing this article on a laptop, and I just posted some quippy saying on Instagram. For most of us, technology is an important tool for our work and our lives. But I’m certain of the fact that we need to have major guardrails around technology use.

Reevaluate your relationship with technology. Is it serving you, or are you serving it? Treat your attention as your most important commodity. Treasure it. Value it. Protect it.

– Pray
Prayer is important to many people. So, if you are a person of faith, I encourage you to make regular time to pray and calm your spirit. I also like to write a Scripture verse on an index card and carry it around with me throughout my day.

Prayer reminds us to sit in our smallness and helps us remember that we all need help getting through each moment.

A Long-Term Solution for Finding Peace of Mind
Most of the time, our general sense of unease or stress or guilt stems from unresolved anxiety. It’s like a low-grade fever. It’s your brain and body’s way of letting you know something is off.

But this is what is exciting: Once you lean in and pay attention to the root cause of your anxiety, you can begin to make deep, lasting changes for healing.

[ Dr. John Delony]

“Finding Peace During Times of Chaos”

How to deal with chaos and uncertainty in the modern world.

KEY POINTS
– Realizing what is and is not under our control (and accepting it) may help with uncertainty and chaos.
– Stress reduction techniques such as yoga, meditation, taking deep breaths, and sound healing may help.
– Individuals who grew up in chaotic families may experience more stress in times of uncertainty and chaos.

As I gazed out onto the mounds of boxes in the living room (preparation for a big housing move), I was struck by the unnerving chaos of it. How do we feel peace when our world is being shaken up?

It’s a question all of us face at some point in our lives; sometimes we are fighting chaos around us. What calms your nerves when the ground beneath you shakes? A cup of tea? Yoga? Deep breaths? Or maybe a tool that’s not quite as productive and healthy—a few glasses of wine or over-working, perhaps?

Finding an inner reserve of strength can also be a helpful part of the process and challenge. We may need to reach deep inside ourselves for something to grab onto when our earth is shaking.

Then There’s Uncertainty…Ugh
I don’t know about you, but being amidst chaos and uncertainty makes me a little nuts. And there’s been a fair amount of it for many of us recently. There’s a safety in knowing what to expect each day. But “life happens” and we grasp at whatever safety railing we can to steady ourselves.

Go with the flow? Much easier said than done. Do you need to be a New Age guru to find peace in the chaos? No. There are, however, steps we can take to gracefully find peace amidst seeming chaos and uncertainty, reducing our feelings of stress.

Going With the Flow of Life: Letting Go of Control
We hear many phrases about the importance of letting go: “Let it be”, “Let go and let God,” etc. Trite sayings, perhaps, but there may be something to them.

Let’s face it. Letting go of control in our lives can be scary. We want to peak around the corner or over the fence to see what lies ahead to control it. It makes life more manageable and predictable.

When we were children, many of us felt a lack of control over our lives and our destinies. For those who grew up in chaotic or dysfunctional families, this need to control our lives as adults may be even more profound and felt even more strongly.

There’s a certain amount of faith in letting go of control. Faith may come in the form of a spiritual or religious belief, just a general belief that all will turn out alright, or even in an awe-inspiring natural moment gazing at a beautiful sunset. Faith may be challenging to maintain, though, when the next wave of chaos crashes down on us. A positive psychology model of well-being has even been proposed as the Faith-Hope-Love model that may help with stressful long-term situations.

Stress and Uncertainty
I’m not saying I have all the answers or that I don’t have stress. Stress has become far too common in Western society; we could even consider it a stress pandemic. But we can try to remember to slow down for a little while, take a few deep breaths, and utilize some stress reduction techniques.

Certain techniques may allow us to “go with the flow” with more ease and be gentler on ourselves. For instance, when I remember gratitude, it helps me live with more ease and grace; research has shown that gratitude may help improve well-being. And it allows us to get unstuck, to get out of the “woe is me” perspective. Remembering this when we are in the middle of our emotional stuff, though, can be a challenge.

Tools: Dealing with Uncertainty and Chaos
One goal, though, may be to find a belief or practice that gets us smoothly and safely through life’s ups and downs. Many have found yoga, meditation, and sound healing to assist in dealing more gently with the hills and valleys. While in the past these practices were considered too “out there” for many individuals, they have become much more accepted as a means of navigating the storms we encounter throughout our lives. In fact, there has been a great deal of research in these areas in recent years to support the use of these practices in lowering stress, as well as assisting with anxiety and depression.

Realizing and accepting the difference between what is under our control and what is not (such as in the Serenity Prayer in 12-Step programs) may be a helpful tool. Even for those who are agnostic or atheist, this philosophy may still be beneficial.

The first step is accepting what is—and is not—under our control. The second step (and this is the clincher) is to try to let it go: Let go of the worry and anxiety. Sometimes, merely the act of letting go of a situation that is out of our control can be extremely freeing. Whether one trusts this to a higher power, the universe, or just a faith that things turn out the way they’re supposed to can be a big sigh of relief. Ahhhh…

Speaking of sighs of relief, this may be another way to help us to let go of that which is out of our control. When you feel that anxiety over not knowing a situation’s outcome—whether it’s getting that job you really want, the dream house, a family situation, or even larger situations such as what’s happening with the country or the world—breathing is important. Stop and take at least three long, deep breaths. Take a few more long, deep breaths and let it go!

Perhaps trying a stress reduction technique, such as those listed above may help. Positive affirmations may also be helpful. Try an affirmation that all will turn out the way it’s supposed to, such as “I am filled with faith that all will be well for (fill in the situation)”.

Let’s get unstuck and try to find our inner peace. We can all use it.

[ Tamara Goldsby Ph.D. ]

“9 Ways To Stay Mentally Strong In This Chaotic World”

Life is not easy for most people lately. The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc, causing a brutal health, economic and jobs crisis. Since mid-March, 40 million Americans have lost their jobs. Those who hold a job are worried about its long-term safety. We’ve been locked up indoors with our homebound children, as schools were closed. Business owners watched helplessly, as their companies have been ordered to shut down, raising concerns if they’ll be financially ruined. Over the last eight days, we’ve seen well-meaning, peaceful protests held for George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer, infiltrated by people who use it as an excuse to riot, steal and commit vicious, violent acts.

On social media, at the family dinner table and in small gatherings, we fight each other about politics. There’s a built-up tension in the air that’s creating animosity, fear and hate. It also makes people feel despondent and depressed. We worry about our physical safety, job security and financial situation. It takes Herculean effort to get up each morning, dreading what new problem we’re going to have to deal with today.

Things may be awful, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel awful.
You can control how you view, process and react to events. Most people handle stress and unfortunate circumstances with a knee-jerk, panicked response. They dwell on the worst-case scenario happening.

Instead of habitually doing this, take a deep breath, pause, then analyze the situation. Look at it head-on with clarity and objectivity. “Is this really bad or am I overreacting?” Even if you’re in a tough spot, you need to find the mental fortitude to think of positive solutions to make things better.

Try to put aside your negative thoughts.
We’re constantly overwhelmed with bad news lately. The negativity can be debilitating. While it’s not easy, tune out the noise.

Focus on what you want to achieve in your life and career. Design a game plan and put systems into place to achieve your goals. Replace bad thoughts with positive ones. The more time you allocate toward constructive contemplations centered around self-improvement, the less time you’ll spend ruminating about matters that just wear you down.

Stop caring about failing.
Go after what you want with gusto. No one will hand you a job or opportunity. You’ll need to make your own breaks in life. Keep in mind, the more you try to achieve something, the greater amount of times you’ll fail. That’s okay, as it’s part of the process. Failing is a way to learn from your mistakes.

Take stock of what you did right and the mistakes you made along the way. Accept what happened without beating yourself up over it.

Then, hyperfocus on what you need to do to improve, grow and develop, so you can succeed the next time around. You either win or learn. Life is one big learning session. The lessons learned from falling down will help pick you up in the future.

You can’t take life personally.
It’s not just you. We all get rejected, doors slammed in our faces, lose out on a promotion and not get called back for a second interview.

In our society, people tend to brag about and broadcast on social media all of the cool and awesome things that are happening in their lives and careers. We then falsely assume that everyone else is doing great, while we are personally struggling. You’re comparing yourself to something that’s not real. The Instagram photos are manufactured, cultivated fake realities.

Mentally tough folks don’t take the obstacles, setbacks and hurdles personally. They recognize that it’s all part of the game we’re all playing.

No one is entitled to success.
It takes a lot of time, planning, hard work, execution and luck to succeed. Sometimes luck’s not on your side. This shouldn’t stop you. If you keep trying, eventually things will turn out in your favor. Remain calm, cool and collected. Understand that there will be highs and lows and try to ride out both with professionalism and grace.

Most people give up too soon. Look at your career as a marathon and not a sprint. Maybe it’s more appropriate to view it as a Tough Mudder course. You’ll need to scale walls, climb ropes, wade through mud and endure grueling obstacles designed to test your endurance and strength. It’s the same thing when you try to attain career success.

Avoid getting goaded into arguments with strangers on social media.
It’s a no-win proposition. Your blood pressure rises, you get aggravated and nothing gets accomplished. There’s the risk of saying something inappropriate in the heat of the moment that could later come back and haunt you when a hiring manager checks your social media footprint.

In all the times you have spent on Twitter and Facebook, when have you ever read, “Hey, thank you! You’re right and I’m wrong. You convinced me. That was a brilliant point that you raised. I appreciate it!”?

The algorithms are rigged to trigger anger, rage and jealousy. Spending too much time on your phone isn’t good for your mental and emotional health. Mentally tenacious people practice avoiding all of the noise and distractions and stick with hyperfocusing on their goals.

It’s natural to be afraid of trying something new.
We all worry about pursuing a new job, romance, friendship or potentially life-changing endeavor. Fear of the unknown can be daunting and debilitating. It becomes easier to simply stay where you are. However, if you do that, you’ll be stuck and never improve or grow.

Mentally rugged people may be afraid, but they forge ahead anyway. They’ll still be scared, but they won’t let it stop them from achieving their goals.

You can start small with a little mental hack. Embark on hobbies or activities in which you can score some easy points by doing them well. This will instill confidence. As you build up small incremental successes, you’ll then feel comfortable taking on new and bigger challenges.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Avoid getting roped into petty nonsense. We all take to heart a mean comment made by your boss, co-worker or a salesperson at a department store. Some get enraged when they’re cut off by a bad driver or a rude customer-service person.

The trick is to take these things in stride and not let these petty annoyances ruin your day. After all, you don’t know what the other person is dealing with and what they’re going through. If you hold onto that negative energy, it won’t let you focus on what really matters most to you.

Mentally strong people brush these nuisances off their shoulders and move on with their lives. They save their strength for the important struggles, which yield meaningful results.

Learn to say “No.”
We have a tendency to want to be liked. When you’re asked to commit to a business function or social engagement, you feel obligated to say “yes.” It’s difficult to turn down opportunities, as you risk alienating the other person, but sometimes it’s more productive to just say “no.”

You only have so much time and energy and need to be discerning in how you allocate precious moments of your life. You know when something will be a time suck, distraction and make you feel bad. When something does not fit into your overarching life plan and long-term goals, have the courage to politely turn it down.

We’re all subjected to constant pressures that can break us. If you work on building up your mental strength, you will be able to have better clarity, focus, less stress and the ability to pursue and achieve your goals with a clear mind.

[ Jack Kelly ]

“Finding Peace in Chaos”

Chaos is inevitable, especially for people who set out to do good, powerful, world-changing things. Expect it. The wheels will come off. When they do, finding peace will be job #1.

But chaos stirs up all manner of malady – fear, bitterness, jealousy, addiction; a mountain of chaotic emotions. In the pain and fear that comes to the surface, our first impulse is to run, hide, escape.

Quit.

While finding peace in chaos is one of the most difficult endeavors, it’s not impossible. Following are a few things to consider. [ more…]

[ Peace Hacks ]

ARTICLE: https://peacehacks.com/finding-peace-in-chaos

“What Can We Learn From the World’s Most Peaceful Societies?”

A multidisciplinary team of researchers is discovering what makes some societies more peaceful than others.

Given the grinding wars and toxic political divisions that dominate the news, it might come as a surprise to hear that there are also a multitude of sustainably peaceful societies thriving across the globe today. These are communities that have managed to figure out how to live together in peace—internally within their borders, externally with neighbors, or both—for 50, 100, even several hundred years. This simple fact directly refutes the widely held and often self-fulfilling belief that humans are innately territorial and hardwired for war.

The international community has struggled with a similar attention-to-peace deficit disorder. In fact, the United Nations has been attempting for decades to pivot from crisis management to its primary mandate to “sustain international peace in all its dimensions.” Yet by its own account, “the key Charter task of sustaining peace remains critically under-recognized, under-prioritized, and under-resourced globally and within the United Nations.”

Science could play a crucial role in specifying the aspects of community life that contribute to sustaining peace. Unfortunately, our understanding of more pacific societies is limited by the fact that they are rarely studied. Humans mostly study the things we fear—cancer, depression, violence, and war—and so we have mostly studied peace in the context or aftermath of war. When peaceful places are studied, researchers (much like the U.N.) tend to focus primarily on negative peace, or the circumstances that keep violence at bay, to the neglect of positive peace, or the things that promote and sustain more just, harmonious, prosocial relations. As a result, we know much more about how to get out of war than we do about how to build thriving, peaceful communities. [ more…]

[ Peter T. Coleman, Ph.D. and Douglas P. Fry, Ph.D. ]

ARTICLE: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_we_learn_from_the_worlds_most_peaceful_societies

VIDEO : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJWgCDFusXc

“Invest in Peace: The Sustainable Peace Project”

This brief video, created by filmmaker Luz Marina Zamora, introduces the Sustainable Peace Project at the Earth Institute at Columbia University – a decades long journey to learn from scientific research on peaceful societies to promote world peace.

[ AC4, Earth Institute ]

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geu2xw3GPps

“Five Steps Toward Peace On Earth”

A Developmental Psychology Perspective
Welcome to From Insults to Respect.

I hope all of you are having a fine holiday season. This, of course, is the time of year when the longing for peace on Earth and good will to all is beautifully expressed in songs and stories.

Despite this longing, over the centuries, during the holiday season, for many, it brings a lamenting because we have not achieved this deeply heartfelt desire. For example, during the American Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem titled “Christmas Bells.” It begins with pleasant images of the season, but then the reality of the war sets in:

“And in despair, I bowed my head; ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said; ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men.’”

Being among those who respect people that take some responsibility for actually doing something to achieve that which is desired, each year I find myself seeking some way to help bring about a more peaceful world. This post, meager as it is, presents the result of that effort. [ more…]

[ Dr. Jeffrey Rubin ]

ARTICLE: https://www.frominsultstorespect.com/2020/12/19/five-steps-toward-peace-on-earth/

“What is the Global Peace Index?”

Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the Global Peace Index (GPI) is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. This report presents the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to-date on trends in peace, its economic value, and how to develop peaceful societies. The Global Peace Index covers 99.7% of the world’s population, and is calculated using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace across three domains:

– the level of Societal Safety and Security,
– the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict,
– and the degree of Militarisation.

Key Trends in Global Peace Index 2023

Despite 126 countries improving their positive peace from 2009 to 2020 the 2023 Global Peace Index (GPI), reveals the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated for the ninth consecutive year, with 84 countries recording an improvement and 79 a deterioration. Positive Peace measured by the Positive Peace Index (PPI) represents attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies. This demonstrates that the deterioration was larger than the improvements, as the post-COVID rises of civil unrest and political instability remain high while regional and global conflicts accelerate.

– Deaths from global conflict increased by 96% to 238,000
– New data shows a higher number of conflict deaths in Ethiopia than in Ukraine, eclipsing the previous global peak during the Syrian war
– 79 countries witnessed increased levels of conflict including Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ukraine, Israel, and South Africa
– The global economic impact of violence increased by 17% or $1 trillion, to $17.5 trillion in 2022, equivalent to 13% of global GDP
– A Chinese blockade of Taiwan would cause a drop in global economic output of $2.7 trillion, almost double the loss that occurred due to the 2008 global financial crisis
– Despite the conflict in Ukraine, 92 countries improved on military expenditure and 110 decreased their military personnel
– Conflicts are becoming more internationalised with 91 countries now involved in some form of external conflict, up from 58 in 2008
Impact of the War in Ukraine on Peacefulness

– Ukraine recorded the largest deterioration, falling 14 places to 157th
– The economic impact of violence has increased by 479% or $449 billion, equivalent to 64% of Ukraine’s GDP
– Despite the conflict, Russia’s incarceration rate, violent demonstrations, terrorism impact and homicide rates have improved over the past year, with the homicide rate at its lowest since 2008
– 65% of men in Ukraine aged 20 to 24 years have fled the country, or died in the conflict
Read more: Conflict deaths at highest level this century

Key Trends in Global Peace Index 2022
Global Peace Index 2022 results show that the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.03%. Although slight, this is the eleventh deterioration in peacefulness in the last fourteen years, with 90 countries improving, 71 deteriorating and two remaining stable in peacefulness, highlighting that countries tend to deteriorate much faster than they improve.

– Deaths from external conflict recorded a sharp deterioration driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
– Despite recent commitments, militarisation has improved in 113 countries since 2008.
– Terrorism continued to improve, with 70 countries recording no attacks in 2021. This is the best result since 2008.
– The rise in costs has increased food insecurity and political instability globally, with Africa, South Asia and the Middle East under greatest threat.
– The political terror scale, political insecurity, neighbouring country relations, refugees and IDPs reached their worst score since the inception of the GPI.
– The global economic impact of violence was $16.5 trillion in 2021, equivalent to 10.9% of global GDP, or $2,117 per person.
– Iceland remains the most peaceful country in 2022, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark and Austria.
– For the fifth consecutive year, Afghanistan is the least peaceful country, followed by Yemen, Syria, Russia and South Sudan.
– Seven of the ten countries at the top of the GPI are in Europe, and Türkiye is the only country in this region to be ranked outside the top half of the index.

Impact of the War in Ukraine on Peacefulness
– Two of the five countries with the largest deteriorations in peacefulness were Russia and the Ukraine.
– Social media is changing the way intelligence is gathered – it is now shared instantaneously, raw and with little analysis.
– In contrast to the global trend, positive sentiment in the Ukraine was rising in 2021. Support for the West was strong, with 58% wanting to join a Western economic union, and 54% supporting joining NATO.

Read more: Peacefulness declines to lowest level in 15 years

Key Trends in Global Peace Index 2021
– Since 2008, the level of global peacefulness has deteriorated by 2%, with 75 countries recording a deterioration, while 86 improved.
– The average level of global peacefulness has deteriorated for nine of the past 13 years.
– The gap between the least and most peaceful countries continues to grow. Since 2008, the 25 least peaceful countries declined on average by 12.1%, while the 25 most peaceful countries improved by 4.3%.
– Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world in 2021, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia.
– Conflict in the Middle East has been the key driver of the global deterioration in peacefulness since 2008.
– Of the three GPI domains, two recorded a deterioration, while one improved. Ongoing Conflict deteriorated by 6.2% and Safety and Security deteriorated by 2.5%. However, Militarisation improved by 4.2%.
– The improving trend in Militarisation was widespread, with 111 of the 163 countries covered in the GPI improving. 87 countries reduced their military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, although military spending increased in absolute terms.

Read more: Global Peace Index 2021 Summary and key findings

Key Trends in Global Peace Index 2020
– The average level of global peacefulness deteriorated 0.34 per cent on the 2020 GPI. This is the ninth time in the last 12 years that global peacefulness has deteriorated.
– In the past year 80 countries recorded deteriorations in peacefulness, while 81 recorded improvements.
– The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world’s least peaceful region.
– Europe remains the most peaceful region in the world, although it recorded a slight deterioration in peacefulness.
– Iceland maintained the title of number one as the most peaceful country in 2020 since the first the Global Peace Index launched 13 years ago.
– Peacefulness improved on average on the Militarisation domain, but deteriorated on both the Ongoing Conflict and Safety and Security domains.
– The global economic impact of violence was $14.5 trillion PPP in 2019, equivalent to 10.6 per cent of global GDP or $1,909 per person.

2023 GPI REPORT: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GPI-2023-Web.pdf

VISION OF HUMANITY: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/maps/#/

“10 STEPS TO WORLD PEACE”

The pressures on our world are serious, and expected to grow. Humankind must ditch the military habit – and tackle conflict at its roots, Hazel Healy writes.

1 Start by stamping out exclusion
Evidence shows that conflict happens in places where people can’t trust the police or get access to justice, and their prospects for a decent life are stolen by corrupt elites. Governments everywhere need to stop the neglect, abuse and stigmatization of their own people. Media and others that promote ‘them-and-us’ thinking must be challenged to stop spreading hate.

2 Bring about true equality between women and men
The larger a country’s gender gap, the more likely it is to be involved in violent conflict, according to research in Valerie Hudson’s Sex and World Peace (2012). Gender inequality trumps GDP, level of democracy or ethnic-religious identity as the strongest push factor for both external and internal conflict more likely, and being the first to resort to force in such conflicts. In contrast, when women participate in peace processes, peace is more likely to endure.

3 Share out wealth fairly
According to a World Bank survey, 40 per cent of those who join rebel groups do so because of a lack of economic opportunities. Relative poverty is just as important, with more equal societies marked by high levels of trust and low levels of violence. Economic fairness when it comes to public resources, taxation and tax evasion is also key. The systematic transfer of wealth from rich to poor – instead of the other way round – improves security for everyone.

4 Tackle climate change
Ecological stress from global warming is proven to exacerbate conflicts over resources such as land and water, particularly in East Africa. For all its shortcomings, the UN climate agreement is evidence that the world can tackle and mitigate crises by co-operation, instead of war. A functioning climate deal ‘is the greatest peace deal the world could have,’ according to Dan Smith, from the leading arms-control thinktank SIPRI.

5 Control arms sales
The promotion of arms sales and heavy spending on aggressive military capabilities is heightening global tensions. The proliferation of arms drives conflict and makes violence more likely. Arms treaty signatories must be held to their word, as we build evidence of violations and hold sellers accountable. We can also build support for a groundbreaking new convention that bans nuclear weapons and makes it illegal to possess or use them.

6 Display less hubris, make more policy change
A look at the track record of counter-terrorism, the ‘war on drugs’, stabilization and state-building efforts and colonial wars ‘shows a pattern of largely very sobering failure’ says Saferworld’s Larry Attree. Humility and willingness to atone for past aggression on the international stage is essential – as is an end to the self-serving and counter-productive policy in the Middle East.

7 Protect political space
If governments expect young, marginalized people to embrace an open society rather than pursue more violent and vengeful paths, they must allow public dissent. Across the world – and the political spectrum – this space must be defended from repressive tools such as ad hoc administrative regulation, misuse of anti-terrorist measures, arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, even torture and murder.

8 Fix intergenerational relations
Much conflict can be understood as a youth revolt against established corrupt systems run by, generally, older men. In countries with strict age hierarchies young people can’t voice their frustrations, which creates a dangerous dynamic, explains researcher and peacebuilder Chitra Nagarajan. This is compounded by classic victim-blaming, in which young men are treated as a ticking time bomb.

9 Build an integrated peace movement
Short-term anti-war movements have taken the place of active and permanent peace movements. We need to promote nonviolent alternatives and successes; peace campaigner Phyllis Bennis believes peace must be woven into other social movements, giving the example of the Poor People’s Campaign in the US last March, which attacked the war economy and linked it to poverty at home.

10 Look within
Peace starts with you. Ordinary citizens can make a difference. When’s the last time you said sorry? Think about who loses when you win. Are the people around you heard and respected or marginalized, ignored and left out? Make a decision to care about what happens to them. Start a constructive conversation with someone you disagree with. Challenge ‘them-and-us’ thinking in yourself as well as in others. Every one of us can choose to make society more just and peaceful, or more unjust and warlike.

[ New Internationalist ]

“Peace Speech”

“And that is the most important topic on earth… peace. What kind of a peace do I mean and what kind of a peace do we seek?

Not a Pax Americana enforced in the world by American weapons of war. Not the Peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace. The kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living. The kind that enables many nations to grow and a hope and build a better life for their children.” [ more…]

[ President John F. Kennedy’s ]

SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fkKnfk4k40&t=154s

ARTICLE/TRANSCRIPT: https://historyinpieces.com/research/photos/jfks-american-university-commencement-address

“21 Of The Best Songs About Peace”

These days, it’s disheartening to watch the news. There’s almost always a broadcast about war, conflict, famine, and corruption everywhere. Countries wage war against other countries, with innocents caught in the middle.

Despite the chaos, we do not stop to fight for peace. We do not give up because peace is a beacon of hope that encourages dialogue over confrontation, love over hate, and understanding over ignorance.

And so today, we’re presenting 21 of the best songs about peace. May these songs be an inspiration to start change within ourselves. Let’s get started! [ more…]

[ Dan Farrant ]

ARTICLE: https://hellomusictheory.com/learn/songs-about-peace/

“Benjamin Netanyahu tells UN that Israel is ‘at the cusp’ of an historic agreement with Saudi Arabia”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “on the cusp” of a historic breakthrough leading to a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. (Sept. 22)

[ Benjamin Netanyahu ]

SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTehyVodwo

“Timeline: How the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process Fell Apart in the Three Decades After the 1993 Oslo Accord”

The Israel-Hamas war has brought renewed attention to the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

FRONTLINE’s 2002 documentary Shattered Dreams of Peace, newly re-broadcast on PBS, examines how the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, cemented in the 1993 Oslo Accord, was derailed by politics and violence from both sides. This timeline chronicles some of the major events that shaped Israeli-Palestinian relations within the past three decades — from the 1993 Oslo peace agreement to the Hamas terror attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and Israel’s war in Gaza. [ more…]

[ Inci Sayki ]

ARTICLE: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/timeline-israeli-palestinian-peace-process-1993-oslo-accord/

“The Oslo Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process”

On September 13, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas signed a Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, commonly referred to as the “Oslo Accord,” at the White House. Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians, and the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist in peace. Both sides agreed that a Palestinian Authority (PA) would be established and assume governing responsibilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over a five-year period. Then, permanent status talks on the issues of borders, refugees, and Jerusalem would be held. While President Bill Clinton’s administration played a limited role in bringing the Oslo Accord into being, it would invest vast amounts of time and resources in order to help Israel and the Palestinians implement the agreement. By the time Clinton left office, however, the peace process had run aground, and a new round of Israeli-Palestinian violence had begun.

President Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin, and Yasir Arafat at the signing ceremony for the Oslo Accord, September 13, 1993. (William J. Clinton Presidential Library)
The Clinton Administration and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process, 1993–1996

The Clinton administration did not initially make Israeli-Palestinian peace a priority. Clinton and his advisors believed that a diplomatic breakthrough on the Israeli-Syrian track would be more likely, and that Israel’s leaders would find it politically easier to pull back from the Golan Heights than to withdraw from the West Bank. An Israeli-Syrian agreement, they reasoned, would also lead to an Israeli-Lebanese agreement, and help isolate Iraq and Iran, the principal regional opponents of the peace process. U.S. officials were briefed on secret negotiations that the Israelis and Palestinians had begun in Oslo in December 1992, but made little effort to get involved in them.

The United States did not play a major role in the negotiations that led to the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty of October 1994, though Clinton lent his support by hosting King Hussein and Rabin in Washington and urging Congress to forgive Jordan’s debts. Nor did the United States play a critical part in the negotiations leading up to the May 1994 Cairo Agreement, which finalized Israel’s withdrawal from most of Gaza and Jericho, or the Taba (or “Oslo II”) Agreement of September 1995. The latter agreement divided the West Bank into separate areas under Israeli control, Palestinian control, and Israeli military responsibility with Palestinian civil administration, respectively. Oslo II aslo spelled out provisions for elections, civil/legal affairs, and other bilateral Israeli-Palestinian cooperation on various issues. Since the Oslo Accord did not give the United States monitoring responsibilities, the Clinton administration found itself largely confined to defusing crises and building up the Palestinian Authority with economic aid and security assistance.

On the Israeli-Syrian track, the administration exerted itself more forcefully, but with few results. Clinton, Secretary of State Warren Christopher, and Special Middle East Coordinator Dennis Ross tried to build on Rabin’s August 1993 promise to withdraw fully from the Golan if Syria agreed to full peace and necessary security arrangements. By 1994, these talks stalled over Israel and Syria’s different definitions of “full withdrawal.” The Syrians insisted that the Israelis should withdraw to the line of “June 4, 1967,” when they had controlled a pocket of land on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s principal source of water. The Israelis wanted to pull back to the 1923 international border, which would have left the Sea of Galilee under their sovereignty. That July, Rabin indicated to Christopher that Israel would withdraw to the June 4 line if Syria met its other needs, paving the way for talks between Israeli and Syrian military officers. However, these negotiations eventually bogged down over whether Israel could retain early warning stations on the Golan, and also became politically controversial in Israel. Rabin thus chose to suspend them until after Israel’s elections in 1996.

Oslo’s Collapse, 1996–2000

In November 1995, Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, an Israeli who opposed the Oslo Accords on religious grounds. Rabin’s murder was followed by a string of terrorist attacks by Hamas, which undermined support for the Labor Party in Israel’s May 1996 elections. New Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hailed from the Likud Party, which had historically opposed Palestinian statehood and withdrawal from the occupied territories.

Worried that the peace process might collapse, the Clinton administration involved itself more actively in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. In January 1997, following intensive U.S. mediation, Israel and the PA signed the Hebron Protocol, which provided for the transfer of most of Hebron to Palestinian control. In October 1998, Clinton hosted Netanyahu and Arafat at the Wye River Plantation, where they negotiated an agreement calling for further Israeli withdrawals from the West Bank. Infighting over the implementation of the Wye Memorandum, however, brought down Netanyahu’s government in January 1999.

In Israel’s May 1999 elections, the Labor Party’s Ehud Barak decisively defeated Netanyahu. Barak predicted that he could reach agreements with both Syria and the Palestinians in 12 to 15 months, and pledged to withdraw Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. In September, Barak signed the Sharm al-Shaykh Memorandum with Arafat, which committed both sides to begin permanent status negotiations. An initial round of meetings, however, achieved nothing, and by December the Palestinians suspended talks over settlement-building in the occupied territories.

Barak then focused on Syria. In January 2000, Israeli, Syrian, and U.S. delegations convened in West Virginia for peace talks. These negotiations foundered when Barak refused to reaffirm Rabin’s pledge to withdraw to the June 4, 1967 line, arguing that none of the concessions offered by the Syrian delegation in return could be considered final, since Syrian President Hafiz al-Asad was not present. A subsequent meeting between Clinton and Asad in Geneva failed to produce an Israeli-Syrian accord.

Barak then withdrew Israeli forces unilaterally from Lebanon and returned to the Palestinian track. At the prime minister’s insistence, Clinton convened a summit at Camp David in July 2000, where he, Barak, and Arafat attempted to reach a final agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Accounts differ as to why Camp David failed, but it is clear that despite additional concessions by Barak, the Israelis and Palestinians remained strongly at odds over borders, Jerusalem, and whether Israel would recognize Palestinian refugees’ “right of return.” The summit ended without a settlement; Clinton would blame Arafat for its failure.

On September 28, riots erupted following a visit of Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount, and soon escalated into a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that became known as the al-Aqsa Intifada. In December 2000, Clinton put forward his own proposals for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. By this point, however, the president was leaving office, Barak faced electoral defeat, and Israeli-Palestinian violence continued unabated.

Thus, by the end of 2000, the prospect of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict looked more distant than it had eight years earlier. The Clinton administration had helped facilitate Israeli-Jordanian peace and lay the foundations for Palestinian self-rule. More broadly, the negotiations of the 1990s helped Israel, the Palestinians, and Syria break with numerous diplomatic taboos and establish a basis for what a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace might look like. But a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict remained elusive.

[ US Department of State – Office of the Historian ]

“Overview of the 2020 U.S. Peace Plan”

The “Peace to Prosperity” plan calls for a demilitarized Palestinian state in all of Gaza, roughly 70% of the West Bank, and portions of Israeli land near those two territories. Roughly 30% of the West Bank would become part of Israel. The plan conditions the establishment of the State of Palestine on several requirements, summarized below.

The plan also calls for wide scale economic cooperation across the region and a $50 billion investment to help Palestinians improve their education system, create 1 million new jobs, and establish reliable government institutions. [ more…]

[ Stand With Us ]

ARTICLE: https://www.standwithus.com/factsheets-2020-peace-plan

“Israel agreed to give up sovereignty in part of Jerusalem Old City in 2000— document”

Newly declassified response to Clinton proposal under PM Ehud Barak shows Jerusalem was willing to accept Palestinian sovereignty in much of Temple Mount as basis for peace talks

Israel agreed in principle to give up its sovereignty in parts of Jerusalem’s Old City, including part of the Temple Mount, during peace negotiations with the Palestinians 23 years ago, according to a newly declassified document.

The Israel State Archives on Sunday published Jerusalem’s official response to then-US president Bill Clinton’s Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal in 2000, the Ynet news site reported.

The document also showed that Israel under left-wing prime minister Ehud Barak demanded eight percent of the West Bank — home to 80% of Israeli settlers and some Palestinians — without any land swap in that territory, while a land swap in the Gaza Strip — which at that point included some 20 Israeli settlements, home to some 7,000 Israelis — would be no more than 2%.

The papers were published as part of the archival file of the late Noah Kinarti, who was one of Israel’s negotiators during the ultimately failed peace talks.

The document features the Palestinian and Israeli formal, English-language responses, highlighting the differences between the sides, as well as a Hebrew-language document that detailed Israel’s reservations regarding Clinton’s proposal.

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On Jerusalem, the Clinton proposal suggested that “what is Arab should be Palestinian and what is Jewish should be Israeli.”

Israel noted that this principle “creates severe problems of [territorial] contiguity” and that “special arrangements” would be needed. The Jewish state gave up on its demand that the Palestinian sovereignty in Arab-majority neighborhoods would be limited just to neighborhoods adjacent to the Old City.

Regarding the Old City, the proposal included a “special regime” that would divide it between Israel and Palestine. Jerusalem noted in its response that the Armenian Quarter should remain in Israel since “the Armenians aren’t Arab.”

Israel suggested a principle that from the Old City’s Jaffa Gate, the territory “straight ahead and to the left” would be Palestine, while the territory to the right would be Israel.

Regarding the fiercely contested Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest to Muslims, who refer to it as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound or the Noble Sanctuary (Haram al-Sharif) — the Clinton proposal included two alternatives, both of which would hand Palestinians sovereignty over the Mount and Israel sovereignty over the adjacent Western Wall.

The first formulation would additionally hand Israel sovereignty in “the space sacred to Jews of which it is a part; or the holy of holiest of which it is a part. The second formulation would include “shared functional sovereignty over the issue of excavation under the Harem [sic] or behind the wall.”

In its response, Israel noted that the first formulation was too vague and should include more detail and “incorporate the Kotel [Western Wall] Tunnel, the Makhkame building, the Kotel itself and the remaining part of the Wall towards the South Wall, as well as the Ofel Garden, the City of David, Mt. Olives, and the Tombs of the Kings and Prophets.”

Israel’s notes said the formulation included “de facto division of sovereignty on the Mount.”

Israel’s English-language response was written by Barak’s chief of staff, Gilead Sher, and sent to Clinton’s national security adviser Sandy Berger in January 2001.

Sher wrote that Israel considered Clinton’s outlines to be “a basis for discussion, provided that they remain, as they are, a basis for discussion acceptable to the Palestinians.” He added that “Israel will request a number of clarifications concerning matters of vital interest to Israel.”

The talks were conducted amid intense fighting in the West Bank and Gaza after the Palestinians launched the Second Intifada, marked by an onslaught of suicide bombings against Israelis, in September 2000.

The Palestinians had more significant reservations regarding the Clinton proposal, and the talks eventually collapsed. Barak lost the following elections.

Peace talks have been moribund since 2010.

[ TOI Staff ]

“Netanyahu’s government revived Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, PA official says”

The official told The Jerusalem Post that the “peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has effectively been revived through the two summits.”

Palestinian officials on Monday expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the security summit with Israel in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, while Hamas and other Palestinian factions continued to criticize the Palestinian Authority for participating in the gathering, held under the auspices of the US Representatives of Jordan and Egypt also took part in the summit.

One Palestinian official said the results of Sunday’s Sharm El-Sheikh summit, as well as the previous summit held in Jordan’s Aqaba resort city on February 26, “show that the Palestinians can work with the government of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu.”

PA officials on the status of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process
The official told The Jerusalem Post that the “peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has effectively been revived through the two summits.”

He pointed out that the previous government of Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid had refused to conduct any political negotiations with the Palestinians, keeping the contacts limited to security matters.

PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh, who headed the Palestinian delegation to Sunday’s summit, said the negotiations were “characterized by difficulty in the face of the Palestinian delegation’s firm position by refusing to engage in any security or economic path before reaching a political agreement where Israel is committed to stopping all unilateral measures.”

Sheikh, however, pointed out that “there has been progress in some issues and tracks, and there are still some disputed files.”

He did not provide further details regarding the reported progress and differences.But Palestinian sources claimed that Israel agreed to carry out a series of measures to calm the situation, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins on March 22.

The sources claimed that Israel agreed to suspend military activities inside Palestinian cities and villages and refrain from arresting Palestinian suspects unless they are considered a “ticking bomb.”

The sources also noted that Israel has again agreed to freeze settlement construction and expansion and release some of the Palestinian tax revenues seized by the Israeli government in response to the payments made by the PA to security prisoners and the families of those killed while carrying out terror attacks against Israelis.

A communique released after the Sharm El-Sheikh summit said the five parties “held thorough discussions on ways and means to de-escalate tensions on the ground between Palestinians and Israelis in order to pave a way forward towards the peaceful settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

According to the communique, the parties “reaffirmed their commitment to advancing security, stability and peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and recognized the necessity of de-escalation on the ground, the prevention of further violence, as well as pursuing confidence building measures, enhancing mutual trust, creating political horizon, and addressing outstanding issues through direct dialogue.”

In addition, Israel and the PA reaffirmed their joint readiness and commitment to immediately work to end unilateral measures for a period oof 3-6 months. This includes an Israeli commitment to stop discussion of any new settlement units for four months, and to stop authorization of any outposts for six months, the communique read.

They also agreed to develop a mechanism “to curb and counter violence, incitement, and inflammatory statements and actions” and to “significantly enhance the fiscal situation of the Palestinian National Authority.”

Monir al-Jaghoub, a senior official with the ruling Fatah faction, dismissed the criticism by Hamas and some Palestinian factions. Jaghoub told the Al-Jazeera network that these Palestinian factions are “talking about rejection, not solutions or stopping the bloodletting in the West Bank.”

Tayseer Khaled, a senior official with the PLO’s Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), criticized the PA for agreeing to attend the summit in Egypt. He said that instead of calling for a cessation of all settlement activities, the communique issued after the summit talks about a 4–6-month suspension only.

Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas official, said the Palestinians don’t accept the results of the summit. “The will of the Palestinian people is clear: to resist the occupation and expel it from the land of Palestine,” Mardawi said. “The meetings in Aqaba and Sharm El-Sheikh aim to prevent the Palestinians from confronting the occupation; they also aim to eliminate the Palestinian resistance.”

Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed al-Hindi said the aim of the summits was to resume security coordination between the PA and Israel “in order to end the Palestinian resistance.” Hindi added that the attacks against Israel “will continue, with and without Ramadan, in response to the crimes of the enemy and threats to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.”

[ Khaled Abu Toameh ]

“Unraveling the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: An Insightful Exploration of History and Delusions”

Join Dr. Einat Wilf in a profound discussion on the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this powerful talk, she delves into the decades-long development of two key aspects: the sustaining of the Palestinian vision and the global mental preparation that led to the events of October 7th, 2023. Dr. Wilf challenges prevailing delusions, addressing the roots of the conflict and the need for a radical vision to transform societies. 🌐 Gain unique insights and confront the tough questions surrounding the Middle East.

[ Einat Wilf ]

PRESENTATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ku4cE_e4U

“Caroline B. Glick, The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East”

Caroline B. Glick, The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East, New York: Crown Forum, 2014, 324 pp.

The Israeli Solution does not simply present another plan for ending the intractable conflict in the Middle East. It is a solid defense of Zionism that provides Israelis and Israel’s friends who, over the years, may have forgotten the basic goals of Zionism and the major facts of twentieth-century history. Moreover, the book by Caroline B. Glick, the well-known senior contributing editor of the Jerusalem Post, has a didactic structure which makes it a convincing and concise guide to the history of the Arab-Israel conflict.

The book is divided into three parts: The first consists of an analysis of the idea of the two-state solution. It presents a record of the continued attempts to leave the Jews with as little land as possible. In her historical account of the evolution of the conflict, Glick carefully introduces the major protagonists and follows the events that have led to the current impasse. She refrains from any contrived political correctness and raises issues such as the origins of Arab terrorism; the Nazi affiliation of Palestinian leaders; the absence of any Palestinian national claims even decades after the consolidation of the Zionist movements; and more recently, the corrupt and anti-democratic character of the Palestinian Authority. Glick also describes the Islamic world that basically denies any future possibility for true peace either with Israel or with the United States.

The second part of the book introduces the one-state solution. Glick points out that after the Six-Day War in 1967 Israelis preferred this option. Looking toward the future, she recalls life under the Israeli military government in Judea and Samaria. Indeed, several decades of Palestinian propaganda may have caused readers to forget that

Everyday life under Israeli military government undoubtedly provides more freedom and more economic opportunities, to Palestinians and Israelis alike. Israeli military control facilitates the terror-free environment that attracts investments and enables Palestinians to move freely between Israeli population centers and their homes…(116)

Likewise, Glick also notes pro-Israel integrationist trends among Israeli Arabs. She cites testimonies and introduces evidence of how some Arabs wish to serve in the Israel Defense Forces and to openly express their loyalty to Israel.1

This section also discusses the difficulties and the possible flaws of the one-state plan and the methods of overcoming objections. The latter include the so-called demographic threat, which is behind the desire of Israel’s leaders to divide the land. Glick argues that it is a part of Palestinian political warfare, which has met with success. Moreover, she exposes the demographic threat as a psychological campaign based upon fraud, which its initiators apply as a form of terror— statistical terror—against Israel. Noting the historical precedents of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, Glick points out how non-Jewish populations actually have preferred Israel’s governance and how, contrary to predictions and warnings, those areas are stable and secure because of Israel’s presence.

The third part of The Israeli Solution reviews possible reactions to the one-state plan on the part of the international community. Glick’s analysis of past events and present interests attempts to show how the international community eventually will accept the concept of Israel’s control over the historic Land of Israel.

The Israeli Solution is exceptional because, for several decades, a resolution discourse has developed in Israel, which may be described as follows: A retired general or colonel who may have participated in some of the negotiations with the Palestinians, perhaps as a coordinator of a particular committee, serves as the major discussant. His military experience imbues him with authority and he advocates dividing the land, placing sophisticated intelligence equipment on certain hilltops and allocating international peace-keeping forces in a given strategic area.

He does not serve in the Knesset, but he is confident that his ideas are correct because he has spent many years giving orders and reading maps. Therefore, such conflict resolution discourse contains sketches of new borders and technological equipment. His plans may include the future of the entire region. These retired generals divide the land into “theirs” and “ours,” according to the words of a popular Hebrew song.2 Eventually, the emerging political consensus supports the two-state solution.

Caroline Glick does not fit the stereotype of the conflict resolution discussant mentioned above. She convincingly argues that the Middle East peace process has led to increased violence and terrorism and has undermined Israel’s standing. Rather than adopting a military viewpoint, Glick refers to classical Zionist thinkers, such as Theodor Herzl, Ahad Ha’am, Chaim Weizmann and others. She debunks the hypothetical discussant’s formula for conflict resolution and courageously dismisses the two-state solution. This position is exceptional in an era when repartition of the Land of Israel is the common denominator for both American and Israeli politicians who do not wish to be condemned for sabotaging the chance for peace. While those with professional military background have been repeating the same, stale two-state mantra, Glick boldly proposes a new paradigm (or, in her words, an old/new paradigm).

The Israeli Solution has several drawbacks. Caroline Glick writes for an American audience. In the preface, she declares: “My objective is … to provide a reasonable starting point for a conversation … in America ….” (xxvi) Consequently, she seems to ignore the Israeli public. Likewise, the author concentrates on American political failures. For example, when she notes reality rejection syndrome as a bipartisan failure of both the Bush and the Obama administrations (249), she actually should have mentioned that, since the beginning of the 1993 Oslo process, some Israeli leaders also suffer from the same syndrome. Glick accurately describes the Palestinian legal jungle and the dire consequences of the corruption of the Palestinian Authority (144–154). The details in her description, however, have been known to the governments of Israel for some time. Like the Americans, Israeli leaders have preferred to ignore reality. Glick bravely brings that reality into focus. Perhaps, by writing about Israeli leaders, she may be endangering her status in some Israeli elite circles. Hence, she generally spares them from her critique, but blames their American counterparts.3 While she expresses what many others fear to acknowledge, and despite her meticulous scholarship, she humbly states that her objective is simply to present a framework for further discussion: “… to provide a reasoned starting point for a conversation that can lead to a rational and relevant debate…” (xxvi). In fact, such issues constituted part of the intense debates on Zionist strategies of an earlier era. The current situation in the Middle East would benefit by the renewal of such discussion in books such as The Israeli Solution.

Notes

1 These testimonies certainly correspond with the statistical results of various longitudinal surveys. See, for example: Gabi Ben-Dor, Daphna Canetti, and Eyal Lewin, “The Social Component in National Resilience,” in: The Annual Herzliya Conference on National Resilience Impact (Haifa: Haifa University, 2009; 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014).

2 Yehonatan Geffen and David Broza, “It Will Be Good [Yihye Tov],” is a popular song written and sung during the 1978 peace talks with Egypt.

3 For reality rejection syndrome in Israel, see: Efraim Karsh, The Oslo War: An Anatomy of Self-Delusion (Ramat-Gan: BESA Center for Strategic Studies, 2003). For another analysis that counts cultural and ideological factors that distorted perceptions of reality of the Oslo peace process proponents, see: Efraim Karsh and Joel Fishman, La Guerre D’Oslo (Paris: Les Editions de Passy, 2005), 107–254. See also: Kenneth Levin, The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People under Siege (Manchester: Smith & Kraus, 2005). Levin presents the entire course of the peace process and Israel’s dogged adherence to its obligations as the greatest self-inflicted wound of political history, arguing that Israeli leaders hallucinated that there was moderation in a murderous enemy. For another analysis in the same spirit, see: Ofira Seliktar, Doomed to Failure? The Politics and Intelligence of the Oslo Peace Process (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2009). Seliktar questions the ability of Israeli leaders on all levels to assess the motives of the Palestinian negotiators correctly. The phenomenon of reality rejection is also discussed in the context of an entire civil religion of war-denial, in: Eyal Lewin, “The Clash of Civil Religions: A Paradigm for Understanding Israeli Politics,” Jewish Political Studies Review, 25, 1 & 2 (Spring, 2013), 72–92.

[ Eyal Lewin ]

“Book TV: Caroline Glick, ‘The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East’.”

Caroline Glick argues that the U.S. pursuit of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict has failed miserably and is based on Palestinian claims to land that are unfounded. She argues that the U.S. should push for a one-state solution, with Israel having sovereignty over the entire West Bank. This event was hosted by the David Horowitz Freedom Center in Los Angeles.

PRESENTATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV76aAfhvrA

“‘Land for peace’ is dead, long live ‘peace for peace’”

Until the Palestinians and Israel’s other recalcitrant neighbors give up their obsession with ending the Jewish state, no sacrifice of territory will succeed.

(August 31, 2020 / FLAME)
For more than 50 years, “land for peace” has been the strategic paradigm for all who seek to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Israel’s peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates has finally repudiated that concept, however, and politicians and pundits should toss out their tired, old models and start visualizing new possibilities.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, passed in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967, laid out the concept of Israel relinquishing land it captured during its defensive war in return for recognition, an end of conflict and peaceful relations with its neighbors. In the 53 years since, more often than not (with the exception of Israel’s treaty with Egypt), “land for peace” has failed to solve the conflict. While Jordan gave up its illegal claims to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (aka “the West Bank”) after the 1967 war, its later treaty with Israel did not formalize trading this land for peace.

However, when the State of Israel and the UAE on Aug. 13 announced their intent to normalize relations—with other Arab nations reportedly in the wings—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the so-called Abraham Agreement demonstrates that “peace for peace” is more effective than “land for peace.”

“Peace for peace” simply means that peaceful relations, acceptance and recognition will be shared equally between two nations, without one ceding territory or being overloaded with concessions. It is a peace based on parity and equality. [ more…]

[ James Sinkinson ]

ARTICLE: https://www.jns.org/land-for-peace-is-dead-long-live-peace-for-peace/

“The Deception Of The Nations: Five Great Lies Against Israel”

Associate Pastor David Howell shares his message of the Five Great Lies Against Israel.

[ David Howell ]

PRESENTATION: https://rumble.com/v40849w-david-howell-the-deception-of-the-nations-five-great-lies-against-israel.html

“Peace in the Middle East? Is it Possible”

We’re the Prophecy Watchers. We have a long history of working to bring the truth of Bible prophecy to an audience of Christian believers who may not have local access to sound prophetic teaching, based upon the inspired writings of the Apostles and the traditional doctrine concerning the rapture of the church. Though we don’t believe in setting dates, it is clear that the rapture of the church is imminent, perhaps much nearer than we think.

[ Bill Salus ]

INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhJwoUIxIPA

“5 Steps to Find Peace in a Really Bad Situation”

How do you get peace in a really bad situation? You may be in the fight of your life financially and about to lose your home. It may be that you’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer as my father-in-law was. It may be that your marriage is falling apart. You fill in the blank. We’re either headed into a crisis, in the midst of one, or coming out of one. Now, coming out of one is great. We can see what God was up to in part, and we get a measure of peace from that. But how can we get peace if we’re headed into or in the midst of a crisis? God tells us how to do just that in Philippians 4:4-9.

Adjust your focus
The first thing you have to do to find true inner peace is to focus on God instead of your situation. That’s easier said than done, but that’s what Paul means when he says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). He’s not saying that we’re happy about what we’re going through; he’s not even saying to rejoice in our difficulties. He’s saying rejoice in the Lord, and that’s something altogether different.

Biblical joy is the knowledge that God is in control of your circumstances and allows only that which is good for you into your life (Romans 8:28). That’s why James says to consider it joy when a trial comes your way (James 1:2). It’s not that the trial brings joy; it’s what God is doing for us through the trial; His good work is coming into our lives. Because we know that, we consider the trial joy; we rest in the Lord. In essence, we worship Him. That’s what Job did when he lost his possessions and his family; he said, “Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

The morning my father died was sad; not only were we very close, but it pained me to see my mother suffer as well. At the same time, we knew that God was involved in every detail and was doing a good thing in our lives through our hurt. As we focused on that, we were able to worship, find joy, and tell others about the goodness of God and the good times we had with my dad. A couple of deacons from the church arrived within an hour of his passing. As they came into the room, we were laughing about some story as we’d been reminiscing, and one of them made the comment, “Somehow I knew there would be joy in this house today.” Again, it’s not that we were happy about my father’s death. But we forced ourselves to focus on God and in so doing we found joy.

Work to serve others
But that’s only the beginning; we can’t stop there because Satan and the flesh have a way of coming back to bite us. From our focus on God, we have to literally engage in serving others. Paul says, “Let your gentleness be known to all men; the Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5). As you rejoice in God, that should move you to then focus on others. Let your gentleness, kindness, patience, and heart be known to others. How can you do that? Paul says the Lord is at hand; God is near and will help you.

And it’s not just that God wants you to serve others in the midst of your trouble. It’s that He knows our weakness. Our tendency will be to focus on ourselves and spiral down into despair. But if we focus on others, we’ll be distracted and not have time to spiral down. More than that, we’ll derive a certain joy and peace in serving others before the Lord.

The morning my father died, a man’s car broke down in front of our house. He was taking his daughter to school, and the car just quit on him. I saw him, went out to help, and gave them a lift to school so the little girl wouldn’t be late. The man and I came back to check on the car. While we were doing that, I remember looking over as the funeral home folks were carrying my father out of the house and thinking, “That’s just like the Lord to be kind enough to get my focus on someone else. Thank you Lord.”

Give your pain to God through prayer
Now, that’s well and good. But what happens when we’re alone or when it’s time to go to bed? We have to give our trouble to God through prayer. I remember tossing and turning one night as my mom was to have open heart surgery the next day. I couldn’t get any peace. I did remember God’s Word though: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Well, that’s what I was doing; I was praying over and over again but I still couldn’t get any peace or sleep!

And then I realized; I was praying like the pagans do (Matthew 6:7-8). I was worried if I didn’t say just the right thing, mention every possible problem, or pray with just the right attitude, that God wouldn’t hear my prayers. When I realized what I was doing, I simply gave it to the Lord. That’s why He says to pray; He means for us to tell Him what’s burdening our hearts and give it to Him so we can rest. He gives us permission (and commands us even) to stop thinking about our problems and let Him deal with them. When we do that, He gives us the peace. When I did that, I went right to sleep. If we pray and leave our burden with God, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). God’s peace, like a Roman soldier, will guard our hearts and minds so that no troubling thing plagues us.

It doesn’t work! That’s what we say when we’re filled with worry, fear, or despair. The truth is we can’t take any one of these things without the other. Each of the things we’re talking about forms a whole. God is telling us what to do in the midst of a troubling state of affairs. He’s telling us to focus on Him and others; to think about Him, to pray to Him, and to think about Him again. It’s not enough to pray. Once we pray, Paul says we’re to force ourselves to think about the things of God and not what’s bothering us. It’s not easy; that’s why it’s called a battle. But the way we fight is to change what we’re thinking about.

Don’t dwell on your circumstances
You might say certain thoughts plague you because you’re in a longterm dilemma that seems never ending. Yes, but you don’t have to dwell on the difficulties. Reorient the focus of your thoughts. Paul says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Take it one step further. The more you meditate on the things of God, as Paul says, the more you’ll know God and His ways. You’ll know that He is indeed working these things for good in your life. You know that “the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalms 84:11).

Don’t give up!
But there’s one more thing. You’ve moved your focus from your troubles to God and others. Paul says now to make sure you keep doing that. Keep doing the things God has told you to do. “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). If you do what God is teaching you to do, you’ll have peace. And don’t overlook the nuance of what Paul says here. Earlier, he said that the peace of God will guard your heart. That’s true; that’s what we want. But here he says the God of peace will be with you. That’s even better! You get peace because you have the God of peace walking with you through the fire.

Jesus was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and He’ll be with you in your fiery furnace as well (Daniel 3:25). They were at peace even though they didn’t know whether God would actually keep them alive or not (Daniel 3:17-18). All they knew was that God was with them and would see them through one way or the other. And that’s what you need to realize; God is with you and will see you through one way or the other. And that’s not resignation or defeatist. That’s confidence. God has a plan for you and it’s good. You walk with Him because He’s walking with you. That’s how you get peace in a really bad situation.

[ Dr. Paul Dean ]

“The Secret to Peace and Contentment”

The secret to Christian peace and contentment is not a gnostic secret. It is not concealed knowledge only revealed to those who achieve higher degrees of holy enlightenment. This secret is hidden in plain sight throughout the Scripture and is available to anyone who is willing to believe it.

The Secret
God has not only gone public with this secret, but he invites us and longs for us to know it. He does not want us to merely know about this secret — not to merely preach it, explain it, enjoy the idea of it, or wish for it — but to know it by experience.

Jesus described the kind of experience he wants us to know:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. . . . [For] your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” (Luke 12:22, 30–31)

Paul, from prison, shared his experience of the secret with all who would listen:

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11–13)

The secret to contentment is very simple. And it does not require heroic acts of piety. No, in fact it requires a childlike response from us. The secret is beautifully summed up in this phrase: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5).

Could It Really Be So Simple?
Is it really that simple? Just trust God? Yes. So simple, but its reality is revolutionary.

God designed us to operate on trust. We are reasoning creatures made in God’s image. But God did not make us gods; he made us in small measure like God. He did not give us his capacities to contain all knowledge and all wisdom. We only contain very small amounts of each. Nor did he give us his power to bring into being whatever we wish. Our power is very limited. God designed us to trust him in whatever knowledge, wisdom, and strength he provides us and to trust his knowledge, wisdom, and strength when ours reach their limits.

What happened with Adam and Eve in the garden is that they broke trust with God by eating the forbidden fruit. When they did this, they unhinged their reason from Reality (Genesis 3:6) and besides living in a world subjected to futility (Romans 8:20), they had to deal with the overwhelming complexities of the knowledge of good and evil without the capacities of wisdom and knowledge and strength to adequately process them.

The story of redemptive history, culminating in Jesus’s incarnation, death, and resurrection, is God undoing the catastrophe of the garden and restoring sinful humans to holiness and once again trusting in him with all their heart.

No matter who we are, no matter what our gifts and abilities, no matter what our background, it all really does come down to trusting God with all our heart. If we trust him, our hearts will not be sinfully troubled (John 14:1). And trusting is simple. But it is by no means easy.

Why Trusting (and Obeying) Is Hard
The devil’s treachery and Adam and Eve’s fall from grace is why God chooses to save us by grace through faith, and not through works (Ephesians 2:8–9). God is looking for trust. Our works are important, in fact they’re crucial, but only in that they demonstrate that we trust God.

God knows that our living in simple trust in him will be hard for us in this age. Jesus promised that it would be (Matthew 7:14). It’s hard because we’re called to trust Jesus, demonstrated by our obeying Jesus, in a world under the power of the evil one that rejects and hates Jesus (1 John 5:19; John 14:15; 15:18), while living in a body of death that has faithless impulses (Romans 7:23–24).

But what we need to remember is that every time we are called to trust Jesus’s promises over our perceptions and the devil’s deceptions, we reenact what happened in Eden. And every time we exercise trust Jesus by obeying what he says, it’s a smack in the devil’s lying mouth.

We do not need to understand the “why” to every command of God or be able to answer every objection or shadow of doubt cast upon God’s word. But we do need to trust God and therefore obey him. In fact, God is particularly glorified when, in the face of disorienting temptation, we do not fully understand God’s reasons and we trust and obey him anyway — we rest our reason on the Reason of God.

Experience the Secret
Trusting God is not easy, but it’s not complex. The knowledge of good and evil is complex. It produces Gordian knots we cannot untie. But we were never meant to. We were meant to trust God with them. And when we do, it is a great relief.

Trusting God is the secret:

To forgiving those who have sinned against us (Ephesians 4:32).
To turning away from sexual temptation (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
To giving generously to kingdom needs, even beyond your means (2 Corinthians 8:3).
To not allowing material abundance to choke the word in us (Matthew 13:22).
To rejoicing even when sorrowful (2 Corinthians 6:10).
To contentment even when experiencing deprivation (Philippians 4:12).
To boldness even in the face of fearful threats (Acts 4:29).
To peace even when facing pressured trials (Philippians 4:6–7).
To joy even when enduring withering affliction and illness (2 Corinthians 1:3–5).
To hope when all around our soul gives way (Psalm 42:11).
To gracious patience under pressured labors (Colossians 1:11).
To blessing those who persecute us (Romans 12:14).
To courage in leaving family and property for Jesus’s sake (Matthew 19:29).
To overcoming discouragement due to adversity and weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10).
To not allowing indwelling sin to reign over or condemn us (Romans 6:12, 8:1).
To loving saints who sin and sinful unbelievers (John 15:12; Romans 12:10; Romans 9:1–3).
To facing every other fear and anxiety-producing temptation.
God promises to give us peace and contentment if we trust him (Philippians 4:6–7). He really wants us to experience them in increasing measure, even here in this troubled world (John 16:33). So he has given us the simple, hard secret: Trust me. It is the only way.

[ Jon Bloom ]

“Finding Peace in The Chaos”

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints” – 1 Corinthians 14:33

We are in an odd season of life where everything is uncertain and unknown. The world has gone into chaos and our lives have been disrupted. We fear the unknown, but we need to find peace in our current situation and the only way we can do that is with God.

Take Some Time For Yourself
When life feels chaotic and you feel overwhelmed, whether it be with work, school or family situations, make sure to take some time for yourself. Take some time to breathe and gather your thoughts. Take some time doing something you enjoy, as well as getting everything in order. Write down lists of tasks you would like to complete, that way you do not have to keep a mental list in your head.

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” – Isaiah 32:17-18

Focus on The Positives
When our lives get chaotic, we sometimes feel like everything is falling apart and nothing is going our way. That is not true. Even as things are falling apart, there is always something to be thankful for. Think about the small things you have that you are grateful for. You have a roof over your head, food on your table and friends and family in your life who love you. These things may be simple, but they are things to be very grateful for.

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control” – 2 Timothy 1:7

Love Those Around You
Look around to see the people you have around you. Think about how much you love and care for them. What are they going through? What can you do to help them or support them? Are they struggling with anything? Are they upset? These are all questions to ask yourself. You are not the only one struggling. How can you pause and help others for awhile?

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another — just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” – John 13:34

Spend More Time With God
While you have some time on your hands, make sure you are spending it wisely. Spend your extra time with God. Go to Him with your worries and problems. Praise Him for what He has done and is doing.

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet” – Matthew 24:6

Trust in His Plan
The Lord is always working for us and helping us through hard times. He always does and always will have a plan. No matter what we go through as individuals, a family, a city, country or even the world, He has a plan. He has a plan for each and every one of us. His story does not end here. Trust in Him and lean on Him during difficult times.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Grand Canyon University is committed to following the Lord in all circumstances. If you would like to learn more about GCU’s Christian identity and mission or would like to read more devotionals please visit our website and check out the GCU Blog. Learn more about the College of Theology and their degree options by checking out our website or requesting more information with the button on this page.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.

[ Kennedy Lane ]

“Longing For Peace | Matthew 1:1-17”

Week: 2015-49

[ Jon Medlock ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWdGrJmilQ

“The Key to Continuing Peace”

The peace that God gives isn’t dependent on how stable the world is. In fact, as we’ve already experienced, we see that the world is unstable. But our heavenly Father assures us that He will uphold us and give us inner contentment—and nothing can take that away. In this message, Dr. Stanley explains the important topic of peace by highlighting Life Principle #12: “Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.”

[ Dr. Charles Stanley ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuz88KhGURo

“Prince of What Peace? How Christmas Overcomes Our Conflicts”

[ John Piper ]

SERMON: https://youtu.be/iL2HgS5Tn1Y?t=243

“Prince of Peace | Longing for Peace | Week One”

[ New Life Bible Fellowship ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck9HO1zZDu4&t=129s

“How To Have Peace During Life’s Ups and Downs”

Job loss, illness, loss of a friend, financial struggles, and even relationships that go bad. All of us will experience trials, tribulations, and storms throughout our lives.

All of us need peace when we experience trials, tribulations, and storms throughout our lives.
When we lose our job.
When we endure chronic illness.
When a close friend or family member passes away.
When our finances are scraped perilously thin.
When a relationship goes sour.

During these trials and tribulations, we desperately need the peace of God that surpasses understanding and transcends the circumstances of our lives. We need a deep, lasting peace that can’t be easily shaken. We need a peace that will sustain us as the storm rages around us.

But where do we find this precious peace? How do we experience peace when life is full of storms?

Scripture gives us two simple, yet profound ways to experience the peace of God amid trials.

Step #1: Fix Your Mind On God
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”
The first step in experiencing the peace of God during the storms of life is to fix our minds on God.

Isaiah 26:3 says that God gives peace to those whose minds are stayed on him. In other words, peace comes when we remember God.

We experience peace when we call to mind the character of God and the promises of God.
fix-mind-on-god
Scripture tells us that God is always faithful to us. He never leaves us, never forsakes us, never abandons us. He is always with us, always sustaining us, always preserving us. He loves us and is our Good Shepherd who will guide us to green pastures and still waters.

Even when we’re going through the storms of life, God is faithful. He will bring us through to the other side. He won’t let the waters overwhelm us. The fires won’t consume us. He will gently shepherd us to good places of rest and peace.

God has promised to always do good to us and not even the storms of life can stop God from fulfilling His promises.

As it says in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
If we want to experience peace, we must actively call these things to mind. We must remember that God’s love is steadfast and that even though we are weak, He is faithful. We must fix our minds firmly on God’s good character and unshakable promises.

When we do that, we experience peace.

Understanding the Fruit of the Spirit
We’ve heard so much about the fruit of the Spirit that we don’t take the time to meditate upon them and consider what they mean for us. They are not simply moral commands. They’re not just nine ways to live a better life. They are so much more than this.

Step #2: Prayer and Supplication
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The second step to experiencing God’s peace in the midst of trials and troubles is to constantly be in prayer before God.
prayer-and-supplication
Whenever we experience the slightest bit of anxiety or worry, that should be a signal for us to run to God in prayer and supplication.

God is our almighty, loving, gracious, powerful Father. He is the one who controls all things and rules over the universe. This same God invites us to lay all our burdens and anxieties and worries at His feet. He wants us to cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for us.

The simple truth is that we’re not strong enough to bear our burdens on our own. We need God Himself to bear our burdens for us and we must cast our burdens upon God through prayer and supplication.

First Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
If we want to experience peace, we must cast all our anxieties upon the Lord. We must run to our glorious, mighty, strong God and give Him the burdens that we can’t bear. We can do this knowing that He cares abundantly for us. We can exchange our burdens for the wonderful peace that He offers.

[ Adrian Rogers ]

“The Foundations of Peace”

[ Jimmy Evans ]

TEACHING: https://endtimes.substack.com/p/tipping-point-show-122023

“Christmas PROPHECIES About PEACE”

What biblical prophecies related to Christmas promise peace? Find out with hosts Tim Moore and Dave Bowen on the television program, Christ in Prophecy!

[ Christ In Prophecy – Tim Moore and Dave Bowen ]

SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7EwW91-0_s

“A False Peace Treaty”

“Season 10, Ep. 6

[ The Prophetci Connection ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCgGbjw28Hc

“Signs Of The Coming Antichrist”

Who is the Antichrist, what will he do, and why do we as Christians need to know about him? These are all questions that Pastor Jack addresses in this captivating episode of Real Life TV.

[ Jack Hibbs ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6YAqLXm5-A

“Antichrist – Coming Of The Lawless One”

In a world filled with division, wars, and rumors of wars, the Antichrist’s promise of peace will secure the affection of the masses. But that peace will be short-lived, and he will then reveal his true colors as a demonic, destructive tyrant.

[ Jack Hibbs ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRk_-DjQN2U

“Antichrist – Mr. 666”

Under the guise of security and convenience, the Antichrist will introduce a cashless economy to the world. But before long, he will use that system to control who can buy and sell. Find out why that’s not good in today’s episode of Real Life TV.

[ Jack Hibbs ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO1_DSMvMEY

“The Antichrist – A Man Possessed By Satan”

The Willful King, the Son of Perdition, the Idol Shepherd-these are all names to describe a man who will be possessed by Satan to bring terrible harm to the entire world. Get ready to hear more about the Antichrist now.

[ Jack Hibbs ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLCSJfLfcyU

“Antichrist will bring peace to the Middle East? (Bible Prophecy)”

Are these the end times? Who is the Antichrist and when is Christ’s Return? A look at end times prophecy as revealed in the Bible.

[ 100 Huntley – Interviews Bryant Wright ]

INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWAVguWWaFE

“Antichrist will make Peace Treaty with Israel (Bible Prophecy)”

What is the mark of the beast? What happens in The Great Tribulation? Where is Armageddon?

[ 100 Huntley interviews Dr. Mark Hitchcock ]

INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B1oujuoF6I

“Amir Tsarfati: Suffering and Repentance”

The next life is nothing like this one. Because of that, we can be of good cheer. This world system and the fallen nature of man are soon to be replaced with “fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11) for all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved.

[ Amir Tsarfati ]

TEACHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRKKyfx4UlI&t=76s

“Peace and War: Navigating the Paradox of Human Conflict”

In this article, we delve into the multifaceted nature of peace and war, exploring the theoretical underpinnings, the costs and dividends of war, the mechanics of warfare, peace processes, the military-industrial complex, moral and ethical quandaries, cultural narratives, the geopolitical context, war-to-peace transitions, and future trajectories. By examining these aspects, we hope to shed light on how we can navigate the paradox of human conflict and strive towards sustainable peace.

Theoretical Underpinnings
At the heart of understanding peace and war are the theoretical frameworks that seek to explain the motivations and behaviors of individuals, groups, and states. Two contrasting perspectives, realism and idealism, provide insights into the underlying dynamics of conflict and cooperation. Realism posits that states are driven by self-interest and the pursuit of power, highlighting the role of competition and the inevitability of conflict. On the other hand, idealism emphasizes the importance of shared values, international institutions, and cooperation in fostering peace. While these perspectives offer different lenses through which to view conflict, both contribute to our understanding of the complexities inherent in peace and war.

Realism and idealism represent two distinct paradigms in international relations theory, each offering unique insights into the causes and dynamics of conflict. Realism, grounded in the pursuit of power and self-interest, argues that states act with the primary goal of ensuring their own survival and maximizing their relative power in the international system. According to realists, conflict is an inherent feature of the international order, driven by the anarchic nature of the system and the absence of a higher authority. [more…]

[ GGI Insights ]

ARTICLE: https://www.graygroupintl.com/blog/peace-and-war

“The Illuminating Role of the Holy Spirit (John 14:24–26)”

Open your Bible, if you will, to the 14th chapter of John, I want to draw you to three verses in John chapter 14. John chapter 14. I just want you to look at verses 24, 25, and 26. Now, you know where we are. We are in the upper room with our Lord and the 11 disciples. Judas has already left to launch the arrest of Jesus in the middle of the night, to lead to His crucifixion the next morning. The 11 disciples are with our Lord, and that incredible evening is when He gives them massive, far-reaching, sweeping promises. Those promises begin in chapter 14 and run through chapter 16. They are sealed in prayer in chapter 17 as – the Lord asks the Father to fulfill all His promises.
It’s an unparalleled portion of Scripture. We have already seen some of the promises. The promise of a room in the Father’s house; eternal heaven was given early in chapter 14, the promise that the Lord will come and take His own to be with Him in the place that He’s prepared for them. Then, in the meantime, the promise that all of heaven’s resources are available here and now; all we have to do, according to verses 12 through 14, is ask. And if we ask according to His will and in His name, He will provide. [ more…]

[ John MacArthur ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UgjiEvvIQQ

“A Thousand Years of Peace – Revelation 20”

Episode 21 from the series The End Is Near? with Skip Heitzig. Watch the complete series:

The End Is Near?

Can you envision, or even imagine, a world without conflict or war—a peace-filled, fair, and just environment? This has been the stuff of dreams, fairytales, and fiction. Bumper stickers tell us to “Visualize World Peace,” yet we find it impossible to do so because of our own history. But it is actually scheduled to happen for an entire millennium! For the next two weeks, we will explore this theme of the kingdom age—an era dominated by righteousness, justice, and goodness.

[ Skip Heitzig ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3fQAJ6k4E

“What on Earth is the Millennium?”

With mankind’s long history of war, greed, poverty and moral decay, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll ever see a time of peace on earth. But the Bible says that day is coming! Dr. David Jeremiah describes Christ’s Milllennial reign, which will usher in perfect peace.

[ David Jeremiah ]

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JurtiKYOFOY

“One Thousand Years of Peace”

Over 100 years ago, Victor Hugo, the French novelist and author of “Les Miserables,” wrote these words:

In the twentieth century war will be dead. The scaffold will be dead. Hatred will be dead. Frontier boundaries will be dead. Dogmas will be dead. But man will live. He will possess something higher than all these: a great country, the whole earth, a great hope, the whole heaven.

Today is Earth Day. We are almost at the end of the twentieth century. Meeting in the midst of our drugged and polluted planet, we have to say: “How mistaken Hugo was!” Or was he? Those words reflect the hope that has been burning in men’s hearts for centuries—the dream that there would come some day, somehow, a golden age upon the earth, a time when peace would spread throughout the whole world, a utopia, where men would live in unbroken peace and abounding prosperity. This has been the promise of every politician since governments began, but they have never been able to bring it to pass.

It is a hope that is yet unrealized. But still, as we have studied the book of Revelation, perhaps we have come to the realization that this wonderful dream could be only a few years away—or even less than that! In our last study we saw the prophesied climax of history: The Second Coming of Jesus in visible power and glory to reclaim the earth from the devil and his angels, to end the domain of evil among men, and to fulfill the promise of an earthly kingdom made to Abraham and again to David many centuries ago. It is very important to understand that there should be no chapter break between Chapters 19 and 20. In the original Greek this account moves without a break to what follows the return of the Lord. I invite you to look with me at this, in Verses 1-3 of Chapter 20:

“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time”
[ Revelation 20-1:3 ]

Twice in that passage appears the phrase “a thousand years.” It actually occurs six times throughout the whole chapter. The word “millennium” comes from the Latin mille annum, which means “a thousand years.” This is the passage that teaches clearly and distinctly about a millennium of peace yet to come upon the earth. This passage is one of the great battlefields of Scripture. Two differing views of end events clash headlong in this chapter, premillennialism and amillennialism. Those are jaw-breaker terms, so to help you (and me) I will refer to those who hold these views as “premills” and “amills.” Premills, (among whom I include myself), take this passage literally and believe that there is coming a thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth. That will be a fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies concerning an earthly reign of Christ.
[ more…]

[ Ray C. Stedman ]

ARTICLE: https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/revelation/one-thousand-years-of-peace

<<< SONGS >>>

“Let There Be Peace on Earth”

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

[ Written by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller – Sung by Vince Gill ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86_4BesaOVc

“A Desperate Benediction (Peace On Earth)”

Peace on the mountain
Peace in the valley
Peace on the bulls on wall street
And the lost sheep in the alley
Peace on the painted desert
Down the Mississippi river
Peace on the takers and
Peace to all the givers
Peace in the blessing and the curse
Oh, let there be peace on earth
Oh, let there be peace on earth

Peace on the lovers
Peace on the leavers
Peace on the doubters
And peace on the true believers
The star in the spotlight
The addict in the shadows
The divers in the deep end
And drowners in the shallows

For all I’m not and all it’s worth
Oh, let there be peace on earth
Oh, let there be peace on earth

Peace on the poor man
Peace on the king
The radio flyers and the broken wings
Let there be peace
Oh, let there be peace on
The babies being born
And the roses on the grave
The losers the winners
And the fearful and the brave
We’re all brothers and sisters
Crying to the Father for

Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Oh, let there be
Peace on earth
Oh, let there be
Peace on earth
And let it start with me
(Peace on earth)
Oh, let it start with me
(Peace on earth)

Peace on earth
Peace on earth
Let it start with me

[ Steven Curtis Chapman – “Still” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUr9GydqROM

“Peace”

Anybody out there got some troubles
Anybody out there got some heartache
Me too
Just when you think it can’t get any worse
Somehow it gets worse
But my friend hold on

When it feels like I might have a breakdown
I got friend closer than a brother saying lay down
Your burdens
Your heartbreak your hurtin’
It may not make sense
But here in this mess

I have peace, I have peace
Peace that surpasses understanding
I know life’s out of my hands
But I’ll make it through
Cuz I got You
When my worlds in a thousand pieces
Jesus you’re the only reason
I have peace

Let me go a little further, I’m about to break it down
Every life has 2 choices yeah you can
Let go or you can control
I chose to let go
Now deep in my soul

In the valley, In the waiting, In the trials, In the hurting
Even in a hospital, facing the impossible,
You give me peace
Even pain, persecution,
Take it all away, there’s one thing I’m not losing
I feel the wave of your presence wash over my soul
And I know yes I know I have

[ Danny Gokey ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYWrtyc87H8

“Peace”

When my mind is like a battlefield
And my heart is overcome by fear
And hope seems like a ship that’s lost at sea

My enemies on every side
And I’m tempted to run and hide
Your gentle whisper reaches out to me

Peace
Holds me when I’m broken
Sweet peace
That passes understanding

When the whole wide world is crashing down
I fall to my knees
And breathe in
Your peace

Fiery arrows whistling
The terror of the night sets in
But I can feel Your angels all around

I am resting underneath
The shelter of Your mighty wings
Your promises are where my hope is found

I remember Who You are
You’re the God who’s never far

So I will not be afraid
God You always keep me safe

Take a deep breath and be still and know that You are God alone

[ We The Kingdom ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoL2W9MuA9k

“Prince of Peace”

Birth that brought the morning
A cry that meant the night would have to end
Angels’ song announcing
Blessed son come down to all mankind
What was prophesied has come to pass
Hope arriving means I’m free at last

Prince of Peace rule over me
Prince of Peace reign

O come all you despairing
There’s rest and comfort here under the star
Love fulfilled the promise
Messiah take the crown here in my heart
I’ll drop everything and run to you
Spend my life declaring this good news

Glory to God
Glóir a bhith dhut

[ Celtic Worship – “Come Behold: Christmans Collaborations” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr2RG-xR2lA

“You are Holy (Prince of Peace)”

GUYS:
You are holy(echo girls)
You are mighty(echo girls)
You are worthy(echo girls)
Worthy of praise(echo girls)
I will follow(echo girls)
I will listen(echo girls)
I will love You(echo girls)
All of my days(echo girls)

I will sing to
And worship
The King Who
Is worthy
I will love and,
Adore Him
I will bow down
Before Him
(Repeat)

You’re my Prince of peace
And I will live my life for You

Chorus x2

You’re my Prince of peace
And I will live my life for You (x2)

GIRLS:
You are holy (echo)
You are mighty (echo)
You are worthy (echo)
Worthy of praise (echo)
I will follow (echo)
I will listen (echo)
I will love You (echo)
All of my days (echo)

You are Lord of lords
You are King of kings
You are Mighty God
Lord of everything
You’re Emmanuel
You’re the great I AM
You’re the Prince of peace
Who is the Lamb
You’re the Living God
You’re my Saving Grace
You will reign forever
You are Ancient of Days
You are Alpha, Omega
Beginning and End
You’re my Savior, Messiah,
Redeemer and Friend

You’re my Prince of peace
And I will live my life for You

Chorus x2

You’re my Prince of peace
And I will live my life for You (x2)

[ Michael W. Smith – “Worship Again” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsYyuK1w3q0

“Wonderful Peace”

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm
In celestial-like strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm

Peace, peace, wonderful peace
Coming down from the Father above
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love

Ah, soul are you here without comfort and rest
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your friend ere the shadows grow dark
O accept of this sweet peace so sublime

Peace, peace, wonderful peace
Coming down from the Father above
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love

[ Church of Southland Quartet – Written by W.D. Cornell ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0lu1HPtBaE

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

And the bells are ringing (peace on Earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (peace on Earth)
In my heart I hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on Earth, ” I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing (peace on Earth)
Like a choir singing (peace on Earth)
Does anybody hear them? (Peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
(Peace on Earth)
(Peace on Earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on Earth, good will to men

Then ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

And the bells, they’re ringing (peace on Earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (peace on Earth)
And with our hearts, we’ll hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells, they’re ringing? (Peace on Earth)
The light, the angels singing (peace on Earth)
Open up your heart and hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth, good will to men

[ Casting Crowns – “Peace On Earth” album (“Christmans Bells” written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7yUnt8_dc

“For Unto Us A Child Is Born Handel’s Messiah Lyrics”

From Handel’s Messiah

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

[ ProChriste Choir and Orchestra ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkdyNUYeuHA

“Thou Wilt Keep Him In Perfect Peace”

[ Martha Reed Garvin ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUeiICiu-_k

“We Are The World”

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it’s time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone somewhere will soon make a change
We’re all a part of God’s great big family
And the truth, you know
Love is all we need

We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So, let’s start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart so they’ll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand

When you’re down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There’s no way we can fall
Well, well, well
Let’s realize that a change can only come
When we stand together as one

[ U.S.A. for Africa ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3LQXYH_mNk

“Peace on earth…Good will to men!”

“Peace on Earth”, the message of the angels on that special night. Casting Crowns helps us remember that no matter what that situation, we can have peace on earth through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Merry CHRISTmas!

[ Instruments of Your Peace – Casting Crowns ]

PRESENTATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNbdiU1HzUs

<<< APOLOGETIX SONGS >>>

“God of Peace”
(Parody of “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by The Eagles)

I like the way that God can eas’ly save
A man from sin so foul
And I want to speak to you ‘bout the devil tonight
If your willing hearts all allow
‘Cause my God of peace will eas’ly beat him
And I know He won’t let me down
‘Cause He already sent him underground

And I found out a long time ago
What the devil can do to your soul
Ah, but he can’t tempt you any more
Than God tells him he’s allowed to go
‘Cause my God of peace will eas’ly beat him
And I know you know that deep down
‘Cause He already sent him underground

I guess those demons might still call you
‘Cause they love to tempt the flesh
But His voice keeps whispering if you’ll only hear:
Call Me; I never leave you in distress

‘Cause my God of peace will eas’ly beat them
And I know they won’t just rebound
‘Cause He already sent them
Christ already sent them
Yes, Christ already sent them Underground

[ ApologetiX – “Music Is as Music Does” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybzQHamERDY

“Talking Inner Peace”
(Parody of “Talking in Your Sleep” by The Romantics)

When you close your eyes, can you go to sleep?
Can you drown out the sounds of a hard week?
Are there fears and things that you’re seething about?
Are you hopin’ that your heart makes it through somehow?

You tell me that you want peace
You tell me that you need peace
You tell me that you’d love peace
And I know where to find
All the peace you’ve been denied

Find here the secrets that you seek
When you talk of inner peace
Find here the secrets that you seek
When you talk of inner peace

When you hold it in, your heart has strife
Don’t you know to keep it in is not right
Give all your cares back to Jesus Christ
5:7 in First Peter gives the best advice
You tell me that you want peace

You tell me that you need peace
You tell me that you’d love peace
And I know where to find
‘Cause it’s here in Jesus Christ

CHORUS (2X)

When you go to Christ, things’ll fall in place
Check Philippians chapter 4, verse 6–8

You tell me that you want peace
You tell me that you need peace
Isaiah 26:3
Now you know where to find
‘Cause it’s here, it’s in the Bible

Find here the secrets that you seek
When you talk of inner peace
REPEAT
Find here the secrets that you seek
In the Gospel John 14
Right here is the verse that you need
27 take a peak
Find here the secrets that you seek
When you talk of inner peace
Find here the secrets that you seek

[ ApologetiX – “Play Nice” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLOs6XdDHts

“Get Serene”
(Parody of “Glycerine” performed by Bush)

I just need more strength — it’s finally sinkin’ in
I must be more still — that’s how I get filled
The quiet is fine — it’s God’s lifeline
But God’s prime time gets undermined
If there’s things on your mind — you’ll never think straight
Clouds appear while you pray
You don’t want stress to dim your path
Philippians 4:6 and 7 shows that

Don’t let the day blow by
Get serene — get serene

You’re never alone — get alone for some time
A party of one can be divine
We’re livin’ too quick — and if you want fixed
Then memorize verse 10 in Psalm 46
Retreat and do that and use the brake
Find a lovely forest on a beautiful lake

Don’t let the day blow by

Do the thing Jesus used to do
He’d go and pray in some solitude
Be sure to get peaceful and serene
Our Lord waits there for you and me

Get serene, get serene
Don’t let the day blow by — get serene
Don’t let the day blow by

Get serene, get serene
Oh, get serene, get serene

Bad mood’s gone again
Bad mood’s gone again
In these calm surroundings

When Jesus our Lord — He wanted less stress
He took short trips — just to re-set
Luke 5, verse 16 — He’d slip off and pray
Well, that’s just fine — Christ just wanted time away

Don’t let the day blow by
Do the thing Jesus used to do, do, do

Get serene, get serene
Get serene, get serene

[ ApologetiX – “Decent Alternative” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbBpxFpKYEM

“If You Believe”
(Parody of “If You Leave” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)

If you believe, don’t be proud
Please don’t think you’re smart or great
Honestly, just run your life — in a good, respectful way
We always have Christ on our side
Now we’re faced with tasks
Every secular — man and woman — needs God, too
We’ve gotta make them ask

They watch you once, they watch you twice
They won’t just go askin’ advice
They’ll read you now like you like you read to them
Be always ready to defend — the Way

If you believe — our Lord Christ
Hide your face from sinful ways
But if you speak, don’t lose tact
Follow Titus 2:7 and 8
Heaven cheers when someone repents
Act wisely and with skill
If you know the fourth chapter now
Of Colossians, verse five and six, you will

They watch you once, they watch you twice
They won’t just go ask any guy
They’ll seek you out like First Peter said
In verse 3:15, read again

They watch you once, they watch you twice
They won’t just go ask any guy
They need you now like a see-through friend
Be salty yet sweet till the end

They watch your walk, they watch your life
They watch if you have any strife
They need to know why you seem to them
To always have peace even then — some way

(Ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh) If you believe
(Ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh) Ohhh, if you believe
(Ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh) Ohhhh, if you believe
(Ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh) Don’t look bad
(Ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh) Don’t look bad
(Ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh, ho-oh-oh

[ ApologetiX – “Never Before, but Then Again…” album

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYnlglQbGds

“Eight Ways to Be”
(Parody of “Eight Days a Week” by The Beatles)

You might need to know, babe
Chapter 5 Matthew
Helps you see my Lord’s eight
Blest Beatitudes
Holy, happy, holy, happy
There’s eight God wants ya to know, babe
Eight ways to be

Blessed are the humble
Blest are those who mourn
Blessed are the gentle
Of meek and lowly form
They’ll be happy, you’ll be happy
There’s eight God wants ya to know, babe
Eight ways to be

Eight ways to be
In Matthew
Eight ways to be
In Matthew 5:2 go right there

Blessed are the thirsty
For righteousness and truth
Blest are those with mercy
They’ll get Christ’s mercy, too
Oh-oh whoa
They’ll be happy, you’ll be happy
There’s eight God wants us to know, babe
Eight ways to be

Eight ways to be
In Matthew
Eight ways to be
That’s why they’re called Beatitudes

Blest are the pure of heart
And those who peace do make
Blest are those who suffer
For righteousness’ sake
Holy, happy, holy, happy
And eight is plenty enough, babe
Eight ways to be
Eight ways to be
Eight ways to be

[ ApologetiX – “Apol-acoustiX” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIbiJuKKsn4

“Child King”
(Parody of “Wild Thing” by Tone Loc)

Yeshua!

Work with all the sheep — that’s my prime source of money
So when the sheep get dumb I can go and I find where they’re runnin’
Most were sound asleep — I saw this curly sheep was jumpy
In the blink of an eye, she got mesmerized and went to discover something
Went to use my shepherd’s crook, she headed for the briars
I said, “There’s something goin’ on, baby girl” and “I’m gonna find ya”
She took a little spill and fell — she slipped, poor little thing
I went to free my sheep in her moment of need
And that led us to the Child King
Child King
Child King

Shocking as it was, looking awesome, way up high
I saw this person it was not some bird but if he had to he just might fly
He looked at me, “A child,” he said, “that God sent is born tonight”
‘Cause there’s hope for thee, I bring goodwill and peace and news of Christ
So I turned into a mouse – I think that dude could hover
I feared before but yo, here’s some more
I looked up and there were some others
I didn’t know what to say – all those angels on the wing
But they sang a tune – and I was quite moved
And I left to view the Child King
Child King
I left to view the Child King
Child King
Please, baby, baby, please

You’d possibly expect they’d bling Him out with all this hype
But when me and the crew went to his digs
He wasn’t really the rich-guy type
Saw this precious little babe cryin’, lyin’ on a bed of straw
This sweet young miss, though, gave Him a kiss
And I knew that she was His ma
She took us to their living room – it was part outside
He didn’t glow but He fit the profile
I made up my own mind
I couldn’t get Him off my thoughts
It was … a dramatic thing
But that’s what happened to a lot of us after
From viewin’ the Child King
Child King
We went to view the Child King
Please, baby, baby, please

Child King!

You know that Kid’ll grow and I mean no disrespect
But sometimes some Christians want Him to stop
So they’re spared His blood and death
They want Him to come and stay
A cute and little prince
But if He’s still a child He can’t save you later, and forgive your sins
So when there’s snow at Christmas
Let’s look at it another way
Our sins are whiter than snow because He took the toll
We weren’t prepared to pay
He was all alone when He set the tone
When they killed Him one spring
He needed to be older
To make you holy
‘Cause a babe can’t do that kind of thing
Save us?
Yo, suffering’s not for kiddies
That swaddlin’ babe?
Just wait about 30 years
Catch Him at Easter, baby

Child King!

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.”

[ ApologetiX – “Handheld Messiah” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_-BxTD6Nqw

“It’s You in Me”
(Parody of “Just You ‘N’ Me” by Chicago)

Ooh ooh-hoo-ooh, yeah-eh-yeah-eh
You are the Lord of my life
You are my inspiration
It’s You in me
People can see
Gave me each clever thing
I ever dreamed up

Made me Your own precious child
Promised You’d never leave me
It’s You in me
People can see
I’ve been so peaceful since
You’re inside me

Come Holy Ghost
Shepherd and lead me
Oh, I pray I won’t aggrieve Thee!
Open our hearts, cleanse us from sin
Every sin, every sin, every sin
Help me do right
Help me do better and better
You know I want perfection

It’s You in me
You cheer me on
People can see You love me
You told us, Lord, You loved the world
I want to go and show them Jesus

Yeah, yeah-eh-eh
You are the Lord of my life
You are my inspiration
It’s You in me
People can see
Saved me from everything
I’ve been redeemed from

[ ApologetiX – “Churchigo” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kemu5WAmpRw

“The Power Above”
(Parody of “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News)

The power above is a glorious thing
Baby, one man’s weakness is another man’s strength
Change your heart through a little white dove
The Holy Spirit – has the power above

Thumb through the Bible, and it’s quite clear
You’re stronger and smarter when you have God’s Spirit
If you have Him, good – if you don’t, then why?
The power above can give you a whole new life

And you don’t need money, only faith
Don’t need to sweat it ’cause the price is paid
Yes, all of a sudden in a room sometimes
Then a mighty wind blows by
That’s the power above, that’s the power above

The fruit of the Spirit it’s not grapes of wrath
It’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness
And goodness, gentleness, self-control
That’s the power above in the world below

And it don’t take money, only faith
Don’t need to study hard to find these traits
Your soul is a garden — it can bear fruit sometimes
That you’ll find in Galatians 5

The spiritual gifts God prepared
Yeah, for you to share
In First Corinthians (Chapter 12)
You’ll find a list of them
And with a little faith, hope, and love
You’ll feel the power above
Feel the power of above
Can you feel it?

And you don’t need money, only faith
Old Peter said it back in Acts chapter 8
He’s talking to Simon, he talks to us still
You don’t need nothin’ to be filled
Be filled with power, be filled with power above
Got the power? Get the power above
Be filled with power above
Be filled with power above
Be filled with power above

[ ApologetiX – “Wise Up and Rock” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBjNGcA-ds

“Seek Out God to Be Free”
(Parody of “People Got to Be Free” by The Rascals)

Go the world over, go preach in the streets
People need aware of just what is decreed
Listen, please, Christians, spread the Word like good seed
Peace is available with God completely free
Ha ha yeah
Ha ha yeah

You can see – what a lovely, lovely world this would be
If everyone were to live forever – uh huh
Seems to me – stuff that Jesus preached can bring you peace
Uh, why can’t you and me learn to trust in the Father?
No, now …

Go the world over, go preach in the streets
People need aware of just what is decreed (what is decreed)
The heavenly plan is so simple to me (it is)
People everywhere, trust God to be free
Ha ha yeah
Ha ha yeah

If there’s a man who is bound up in some filthy sin
God has grace so you can come to him and to pull him through – uh huh
Seems to me that God absolves us unconditionally, uh huh
So go tell ‘em the truth that can set you free
Yes, go …

You can shout unto a mountain, “Go into the sea”
Don’t you ever doubt it – it will actually be
Ask if I’m a sinner – I’m a sinner indeed (uh huh)
That’s our situation but a man can be freed
Get right with the Lord now

All of the freedom that someone could need
Comes to you from One who made the blind man see (made the man see)
Everybody sins but c’mon and don’t weep
Peace is available with God through J.C.

Spoken:
Look! See that man over there?
That’s a man that needs Him
He’s about to expire any minute now
You know it’s in John 8:32
Look out now ‘cause he’s comin’ right over to you
John 8:31-32
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,
you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free.”

[ ApologetiX – “Unconditional Releases” album ]

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKHyMh6QcF8

“Good News/Bad News”

This is a Gospel presentation and personal testimony of J. Jackson, lead vocalist of ApologetiX from their 20th-anniversary concert. It is available on the “20:20 Vision” DVD.

VIDEO (audio only): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q21Jnaq-EL8

<<< DEEP THOUGHTS >>>

“Perpetual peace is no empty idea, but a practical thing which, through its gradual solution, is coming always nearer its final realization.”
[ Immanuel Kant ]

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
[ Albert Einstein ]

“One minute of patience, ten years of peace”
[ Greek Proverb ]

“A bi-national state I not the alternative for Israel. It is an alternative to Israel.”
[ Leon Wieseltier ]

“You ought to let the Jews have Jerusalem; it was they who made it famous.”
[ Winston Churchill ]

“Our plan is the only hope of achieving a real and genuine breakthrough to peace between the Palestinians and ourselves. It is a plan which has been accepted by the majority of the world. Any deviation from it will release the Palestinians from the commitments they took upon themselves, and from the international demands made on them to uproot terror. Any such deviation will only encourage terrorist organizations.

“It is no wonder that they are trying to renounce these commitments—and it is a pity that there are those in the world, and in Israel, who assist them by creating a false impression of alternative plans, without the Palestinians’ making any effort to stop the terror directed at us.”
[ Ariel Sharon ]

“We shall fight terrorism as if there is no peace process, and pursue the peace process as if there is on terrorism.”
[ Yitzhak Rabin ]

“Communists, when faced with ideology and survival, chose survival, but Islamic militants, when faced with the same choice, often choose ideology, making them a culture of death.”
[ Benjamin Netanyahu ]

“Israel reserves the right to defend its citizens, just like the U.S.”
[ Ariel Sharon ]

“A lasting peace will require a demilitarized Palestine, with only a domestic police force capable of keeping the peace and preventing terrorism, but without an army, navy, and air force capable of waging aggressive war against Israel.”
[ Alan Dershowitz ]

“The idea that this tyranny of Iran will hold a nuclear bomb is a nightmare not only for us but for the whole world.”
[ Silvan Shalom ]

“Today, we are extending our hands in peace… The Palestinian people want peace, the Israeli people want peace. The world wants peace. Will we allow a few enemies of peace to destroy our dreams?”
[ Yasser Abed Rabbo ]

“Hamas demands “the restitution of the Muslim state” on “every inch of Palestine,” including all of what is now Israel. Any compromise, even if every Arab and Palestinian leader were to accept it, would be a violation of Islamic law. All piece initiatives or “so-called peaceful solutions… are… contrary to the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement. For renouncing any part of Palestine means renouncing part of the religion… there is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad.”
[ Hamas Charter ]

“Our agreements with the Israelis are like a Trojan horse. I explain to our people that this is the only way to get into the walls of Jerusalem, like the wooden horse the Greeks used against the Trojans.”
[ Faisal al-Husseini ]

“Because of the ever-present threats to Israel, both external and internal, that nation has developed one of the most high-tech military establishments in the world. From sophisticated robotics to state-of-the-art military software and hardware, Israel has devoted in enormous resources—intellectual as well as financial—two technologies designed to prevent terrorism and assure military superiority against external enemies. Existential necessity has surely been the mother of military invention. Some of Israel’s most innovative scientists have gotten their start in the military and have them turn the knowledge the honed in the army into non-military technologies that have benefited world health, the environment, agriculture, computers, and other causes and businesses.

“Imagine more these is really scientists and technologists could do for humanity if they did not have to play such a high priority on the defense of their country.”
[ Alan Dershowitz ]

“We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.”
[ Golda Meir ]

“You cannot negotiate peace with someone who has come to kill you.”
[ Golda Meir ]

“Since the rise of Israel, the essence of their aspirations has changed. If the central theme of the Jewish people during its exile was to retrieve what had been lost, the purpose now is to secure what has been retrieved.”
[ Benjamin Netanyahu ]

“In the hearts of countless people around the world burns the hope that the Jews will indeed be able to overcome the insurmountable obstacles that are strewn along their journey’s path, ford the stormy river between annihilation and salvation, and build anew their home of promise.”
[ Benjamin Netanyahu ]

“The rebirth of Israel is thus one of humanity’s great parables. It is the story not only of the Jews, but of a human spirit that refuses again and again to succumb to history’s horrors. It is the incomparable quest of a people seeking, at the end of end an unending march, to assume its rightful place among the nations.”
[ Benjamin Netanyahu ]

“I call on all people of goodwill, everyone who truly wants a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict, to stop demonizing Israel, to end the double standard that has been imposed on Israel, to see the name-calling, to terminate the bigoted calls for boycotts and divestment against the Jewish state, and to stop encouraging terrorism, and instead to propose constructive, realistic stepsToward a compromised peace that produces a secure Israel and an economically viable, peaceful, and democratic Palestinian state—and that finally allows the beleaguered people of this war-torn part of the world to enjoy the blessings and benefits of peace, salaam, and shalom.”
[ Alan Dershowitz ]

“The Israeli people and the Palestinian people are among the most innovative, creative, and energetic in the world. Unfortunately for them, as well as for the world at large, these talents have been diverted over the past century to ongoing strife. The peace dividend that could accompany the end of this tragic conflict is virtually limitless. Because of the ever-present threats to Israel, both external and internal, that nation has developed one of the most high-tech military establishments in the world. From sophisticated robotics to state-of-the-art military software and hardware, Israel has devoted enormous resources- intellectual as well as financial to technologies designed to prevent terrorism and assure military superiority against external enemies. Existential necessity has surely been the mother of military invention. Some of Israel’s most innovative scientists have gotten their start in the military and have then turned the knowledge they honed in the army into nonmilitary technologies that have benefited world health, the environment, agriculture, computers, and other causes and businesses.

Imagine how much more these Israeli scientists and technologists could do for humanity if they did not have to place such a high priority on the defense of their country.”
[ Alan Dershowitz ]

“When you learn how to love yourself, you will be better able to love others as yourself.”
[ Mark Besh ]

“Life is eternity’s sunrise.”
[ Mark Besh ]

RELATED SCRIPTURE VERSES:

Peace:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/peace

Finding Peace:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/finding_peace

Longing For Peace:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/longing_for_peace

Peace In Israel:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/peace_in_israel

Pseudo Peace:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/pseudo_peace

Inner Peace:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/inner_peace

Antichrist:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/antichrist

Peacemaker:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/peacemaker

Peace With God:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/peace_with_god

Peace Of God:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/peace_of_god

Prince Of Peace:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/prince_of_peace

Holy Spirit:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/holy_spirit

The Comforter:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_comforter

Millennium:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/millennium

Utopia:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/utopia

“A quick summary of the Christian “Gospel”:
JESUS’ PROPITIATION made our SINS FORGIVEN and IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS to us so that we have GOD’S ACCEPTANCE into His Heaven and receive ETERNAL LIFE.”
[ Mark Besh ]

Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ’pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing. I would like to give credit where credit is due!

<<< FOCUS VERSES >>>

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”
[ Psalm 37:4-5 ]

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”
[ Psalm 42:11 ]

“I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones.”
[ Psalm 85:8 ]

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
[ Isaiah 26:3-4 ]

“Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near, says the LORD, and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. ‘There is no peace’, says my God, ‘for the wicked’.” [ Isaiah 57:19-21 ]

“The way of peace they have not known”
[ Isaiah 59:8 ]

“The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
[ Isaiah 65:17 ]

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper”
[ Jeremiah 29:7 ]

“But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.”
[ Micah 4:1-4 ]

“God blesses those who are peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.”
[ Matthew 5:9 ]

“Your faith has saved you; go in peace”
[ Luke 7:50 ]

“Peace to you!”
[ Luke 24:36d ]

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
[ John 14:21]

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
[ John 14:27 ]

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”
[ John 16:7 ]

“These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
[ John 16:33 ]

“Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
[ Romans 5:1 ]

“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.”
[ Romans 8:18 ]

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.”
[ Romans 15:13 ]

“If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
[ 2 Corinthians 1:6-7 ]

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
[ Ephesians 2:14-18 ]

“Peace by the blood of His Cross”
[ Colossians 1:20 ]

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” [ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ]

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

“The coming of the Lord is at hand.”
[ James 5:8 ]

“According to His promise we are all waiting for New Heavens and a New Earth in which righteousness dwells”
[ 2 Peter 3:13 ]

If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net

Disclaimer: All the above jokes and inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright is used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.

Mark

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