Peace

When I was asked to speak at the service this year it got me thinking. What do I have to offer at a time like this? What can I saw to speak into remembrance day and what it means? so I started to do a bit of digging.

It started With my family.

I started to do some digging into my family and there role in any wars. I have one Grandparent left alive, turning 95 next year. He was to young to fight in WW2 but told me I had 2 great uncles, both named William, They where married into our family. They fought in WW2 one in the Navy, one in the army. I knew them but not well. Even my grandpa said that they never did talk much about their role in the war.

My Grandpa’s brother was old enough to fight in world war 2, He was working for a farmer at the time. They allowed Him to stay at home and work the farm because we needed some farmers to stay back and work the land. After that generation we had no one involved that I know of in Military service.

My mom’s side is a different case. I traced our ancestry as far back so far as southern Russia. Her ancestry is Mennonite. They started out as a religious movement that came out after the events of the reformation in the 16th century. They Where a strict pacifist group that fled and migrated to other countries rather then fight. They held firm to their beliefs. They ended up in Russia and got chased out of there and came to Canada signing an agreement with the Government of Canada at the time In the agreement they signed, they again kept their conscientious objector status.

When WW2 broke out, a lot of them where required to go help at work camps to help the war effort. My grandpa was sent to a lumber camp in BC to help with the war effort. I was debating whether to share this or not, but it is a part of my history.

My Life Lesson

I had a life lesson once. Even though Our family hasn't played much of a part in any war effort my dad still instilled within me a respect for what our veterans have done. I remember once after I graduated High School It was time to vote in some sort of government election. I told my dad That I did not want to vote, for I had no knowledge of what was going on in the world. I was attending Bible College at the time and was sort of out of the loop.

He reminded me that people died for my freedom to vote in a democratic election, and I will start to take that seriously. I would learn and vote.

Peace in Jesus

I was contemplating these things as I was preparing to speak to you all today as we remember all the people that fought and died, or fought and lived for our freedom, so we can live in the great country that we do in Freedom. What kept coming to my mind is why do we fight? When someone threatens the freedom we live by or is trying to crush the freedom of someone else that maybe cant defend themselves it is usually within us to support them and help them, by joining the fight. We see this throughout the course of Human history. What it is we are fighting towards is peace. we enjoy peace here in Canada currently, but we still see wars raging on in the world around us.

There is a book of Prophecy

What if I told you that there is a book that has foretold many events in the course of the world, and that some of those events has already taken place and there are still more to come?

You see we fight for peace and freedom, not to disrespect or downplay the sacrifice of so many good men and women, but the battle for peace and freedom seems to be a never ending one.

But this book that has foretold events that have happened also speaks of a time when there is an option for you to experience lasting peace and freedom. We continue to fight for the freedom of our countrymen but what if I told you that there will be a possibility for a you for a day when it will be true peace and freedom forever without the need for war and fighting? You may call me crazy but let me lay it down for you here.

Isaiah 11:1–9“Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, he will not execute justice by what he hears with his ears, but he will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with a scepter from his mouth, and he will kill the wicked with a command from his lips. Righteousness will be a belt around his hips; faithfulness will be a belt around his waist. The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together, and a child will lead them. The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle. An in…”

There is a promise given to us. I will paraphrase what the book says here.

over 2000 years ago God spoke to a man and told Him of a promise that was going to come. Now I know some of you might be rolling your eyes right now, but I want you to bear with me for a minute for this is important to remember. There was a promise of a king that was going to come. His first coming was going to be one where He would die for us so that those who believe in Him will have the possibility of living with Him when they die.

This is a matter of history, the King did come, and what God foretold happened as it was said. The king, whom His followers call the messiah, the savior rose from the dead and went up to heaven. but what does this have to do with the peace and freedom we remember from men and women who died for us?

Jesus also died so that we might have peace and freedom, but an everlasting peace. Let me explain a little more.

The promise says that Jesus will come again. He will be able to see peoples hearts, whether they truly believe in Him or not. He will be a righteouss judge. But this is where peace comes in. Those who have given their lives to Him, we are told, will be ushered into a new time of true peace.

One where the lion will be no death at all, no fear, no sorrow. There will not even

Isaiah 2:2–4 “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war.”

It goes on to say that when this happens, that there will be no use for weapons of war anymore. The imagery used says that weapons of war will be of no use, but will be turned into common day tools.

Our eternal peace

I would be remiss, I don't think I would be able to live with myself If I did not take this opportunity to tell you about the peace that I found. The promises are there, the ones that have already come to pass and the ones that are yet to come to pass. God, who gave these promises does not lie.

To all you who served our country that are here today, I want to thank you for your service and for the freedom we all have in this country.

There will one day be eternal peace, for all those who put their trust in The messiah, Jesus. To all you who want to know how to find everlasting peace, someday be in a place where there will be eternal peace, then I invite you to come talk to me.