| From the foundation of this world, there has been one | | | | The prophesy of Isaiah in 9: 6-7 was talking about an |
| crises or the other between two parties i.e. people, | | | | everlasting peace and kingdom. Christ's kingship and |
| tribes, nations etc. In fact one of the first fought wars | | | | peace is spiritual which was why he rejected their |
| was as a result of Lucifer's rebellion against God | | | | desire to make him their (earthly, political) King. The |
| before he was cast out of heaven. | | | | King and the ruler of this world is the devil himself. |
| Throughout the Old Testament, there were different | | | | Jesus was speaking to his disciples and said," Peace I |
| types of conflicts. These included: the territorial | | | | leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the |
| conquest (Israel-Jericho, Judges 10:8) | | | | world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be |
| Regime alteration (by all Ishmael, Samuel 15) | | | | troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27. Note that |
| Boarder dispute (Abraham and King David, 2 Samuel | | | | Christ said'...the world.' This world belongs to the devil |
| 15:1-2, 17:24-26, 18:9-18) | | | | which is why peace normally brokered most of the |
| Civil war (the kingdom of Israel war; 1 Kings 12:16-24) | | | | time is flawed.' |
| The list above shows one thing: whatever form of | | | | Come to think of it, we have witnessed a lot of peace |
| conflict we are experiencing now it had been | | | | treaties like the Abuja Peace Accord, the Geneva |
| witnessed in the time of old. This clearly confirms what | | | | Peace Convention. Camp David Peace Accord, Accra |
| the bible says about nothing new happening. | | | | Peace Talk etc. How many of these have been kept |
| Now to our contemporary world, we have also | | | | to the letter? Very few, if any at all. So why do we still |
| witnessed a great number of conflicts, crises or wars. | | | | run after this type of peace; neglecting the right type- |
| Some of the very prominent ones are the first World | | | | the peace of Jesus Christ. This is dangerous because |
| War (1914-1919) Second World War (1939-1945), the | | | | in like manner will many be deceived by the great ruler |
| Gulf War ( 1991, 2003) the American Independence | | | | foretold in the book of Revelations. He will promise the |
| War (1775- 1783), The American Civil War (1861- 1865), | | | | world the peace he will never ever be able to give. |
| The Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), the Vietnam War | | | | Let's see the contrast between Jesus' peace and the |
| (1954- 1975), the Fork Land War (1987). The Rwandan | | | | peace of this world. The peace of Jesus Christ is |
| Genocide (1994), the Yugoslavian War (1994), The | | | | ever-lasting, ever present and ever-satisfying. There is |
| Apartheid Years etc. These events have always left | | | | a great calm experienced within once you are in |
| a nasty and unforgettable experience in the minds of | | | | agreement with him. This contrast seriously with that |
| people. | | | | of the world which is for a moment, always sought |
| To avoid this kind of experience, many have | | | | after and always with a clause that is not always |
| considered an option against war. This, they have | | | | accepted by all parties. Jesus peace is never sought |
| referred to as Peace. This peace they have defined | | | | for after a crisis but is always there before, during and |
| as not only the absence of conflict but the presence | | | | after a crisis. Why is this so? Simple, it dwells within |
| of justice. Unfortunately though, this peace is always | | | | anyone that has Christ as his' or her master. If you |
| being sought for after every conflict, crises or war. | | | | cannot have peace within you will always experience |
| And justice? I don't want to talk about it. | | | | crisis and feel disturbed by events going on around |
| As such, several organizations and bodies have been | | | | you. |
| set up to always prevent war and to administer peace | | | | In your seeming distressed situation caused by |
| to warring factions. These include African Union, | | | | sickness, poverty, unemployment, marital crisis and |
| European Union, NATO, ECOWAS and United Nations | | | | natural disasters, this type of peace calms you without |
| and so on. They have been functioning ever since their | | | | and iota of doubt. This peace is everlasting in the |
| formations but how far have they gone in achieving | | | | sense that it does not last here on earth but translated |
| the purpose for which they were formed is worth | | | | to eternity with Jesus. Another important thing is that it |
| considering. Have they really been able to prevent war, | | | | is easy to arrive at this peace because a uni-lateral |
| administer and maintain peace and justice? | | | | decision by a single individual guarantees it. When you |
| Many times after religious crises in Northern Nigeria | | | | have this kind of peace you do not worry about the |
| where Christians are massacred, you find them ranting | | | | economy of your adopted nation (because as a |
| and raving that we can never live in peace unless we, | | | | Christian, you are a citizen of heaven). You do not |
| (Christian and Muslims) are separated. Have you as a | | | | mind those that are persecuting you, you care less |
| Christian ever thought of that as the solution to peace | | | | about the wars and rumors of wars. All you will |
| in this wicked and perverse generation? If the | | | | concentrate on is your work for God and how to |
| Christian-dominated South is separated form | | | | reach out and win souls for Christ. |
| Muslim-dominated North, do you think peace will reign in | | | | I laugh when after a crisis, Christians say Nigeria must |
| Nigeria? What kind of peace are you talking about? | | | | be separated for peace to reign and also when we |
| Can you define it? What ever made you think there | | | | proffer solutions to improve the economy and better |
| can be peace in this world? | | | | the lives of citizens. Get this clear, God did not put you |
| Do the frequent crisis, wars and blood-letting amongst | | | | in Northern Nigeria by accident. If you think you were, |
| clans, hamlets and villages signify anything to you? | | | | relocate at once. The bible says that brothers will rise |
| What about the armed robbery attacks on luxury | | | | up against each other. Even in your local government, |
| buses especially in the South? Do they speak forth | | | | your relatives will make war with you. About the |
| any meaning to you? For Christ sake, these are a | | | | economy, the book of Revelation makes us to |
| group of people with the same ancestral lineage; yet | | | | understand that things will only get worse on earth till |
| they kill each other. What about communal clashes | | | | rapture takes place and as you read further, you will |
| over land in Nigeria, Catholics and Protestants clashes | | | | notice that after rapture, things will get even worse at |
| in Ireland; Muslim and Hindu crises in India etc? They | | | | a faster rate for seven years before the Prince of |
| are people of the same nation yet they go to war with | | | | Peace returns. |
| each other leaving me to often wonder what if they | | | | Finally there will be peace after the great battle where |
| were of different nations. Even in the peace | | | | good will over come evil and Jesus will reign on earth |
| administering United Nations Organization, the member | | | | for a thousand years. Brethren, you and I may not be |
| countries still go to war: United States and Iraq; Iran and | | | | around at that time so why don't we stop expecting |
| Iraq; USA and Vietnam; USSR and Afghanistan; | | | | the people of this wicked and deceiving world to give |
| England and Argentina, Israel and the Arab nations etc. | | | | us peace. |
| You can see here that peace has hardly ever been | | | | Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken |
| administered politically. | | | | unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world |
| One soothing (?) thing about this is that, it is not only | | | | ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have |
| this generation that has sought peace politically. Even | | | | overcome the world." |
| the Jews when Jesus Christ came, did the same thing. | | | | Brethren, what are we looking for in a place where the |
| They saw that God was with Him and so they | | | | Prince of peace has said that we can only have |
| concluded that the messiah was going to restore the | | | | trouble? Is it that we do not understand the statement |
| kingdom of Israel back to the Jews. | | | | or we have just refused to heed? Why are we |
| "When they therefore were come together, they | | | | searching desperately for a (political) peace that we |
| asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore | | | | will never find? Is this not like looking in a dark room for |
| again the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1: 6. | | | | a black cat that isn't there? Surely we will never find it. |
| They saw Jesus as the king foretold by prophet Isaiah | | | | Peace is only found in Jesus Christ. If you need peace |
| but in a different light. They desired a Jew to be ruler | | | | of mind from the happenings in this world, turn to Christ |
| over them instead of a Roman (the same way many | | | | today and that peace will be yours. |
| of us sought for a Christian Head of State in Nigeria). | | | | |