[Biblemat] S) BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS (2)

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a continuation of the
study on this subject.  Use to the glory of God.

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS  (2)

       One of the Friends moved westward to a little frontier settle-
ment called Cincinnati.  One time the rumor was spread that Indian bands were 
on the warpath.  The settlers moved into the
fort and armed themselves to fight the Indians.  This particular
Friend didn't go to the fort for he said he was a man of peace and wanted to 
follow after things which make for peace.  He 
would simply trust in God and stay in his cabin with his wife, even though 
they had no gun with which to defend themselves.
In those days the doors of log cabins were fastened on the in-
side with a latch.  A string was attached to the latch and was
pushed through a little hole in the door.  From that comes the ex-
pression, "the latch-string is on the outside."  One night the hus-
band pulled the latch-string through the hole to the inside before
retiring.  He and his wife spent several sleepless hours and final-
ly he said, "It just doesn't seem as if we are trusting God when we pull the 
latch-string in."  So the man got up and pushed the
latch-string through the hole again to the outside.  Later in the
night they heard the war whoops and savage crys of the Indians.  Soon the 
Indians began to creep up to their cabin.  One
Indian tried the door and it came open.  In his amazement he 
stopped and then withdrew and called all the other Indians to the edge of the 
woods for a conference.  The man and his wife
watched them from the window.  The didn't know whether the
Indians were deciding to take them as prisoners or to kill them.
After a short time one of the Indians who appeared to be the 
chief arose and walked toward the cabin with a white feather in
his hand.  He fastened the feather to the door and the Indians
left.  The man and his wife allowed that feather to hang there for
a number of years, and later a friendly Indian told them that the 
feather meant "This is the house of a man of peace, do not harm."  He said 
the Indians knew that if a man would leave his
door open to welcome the stranger in the night that he must be
a man of peace and one who should not be harmed.

       Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers."  But we will 
never make peace with the artificial means of man.  We may put
war off a few years, and that seems to be the only hope many of
our leaders have.  Some of them are even expressing doubt as to whether it is 
best to try to put war off.  The suggest it would be better to have it now 
while we are superior to our enemies.
We must learn that only when we come to God and follow Him; 
and replace greed, distrust and hatred with love, mercy and kind-
ness wil there be anything upon which to build peace.

       We can't expect nations to be at peace until we as individ-
uals live at peace with each other.  All of the attempts that are
being made for peace on the national and international level; but
if we are to have peace, we must start down on the level of the
individual.  Only when individuals begin following God will the
nations, made up of these individuals, be able to get along.  As
long as people are selfish and greedy, and are lying and cheat-
ing, and are jealous and contentious and feuding there will be no peace.  
Peace must start with us.  And as long as we take un-
fair advantage of others, and as long as families are fighting and
neighbors are quarreling and the merchant on the corner is
cheating his customers, and as long as some men will prey upon their fellow 
citizens by selling them alcoholic drinks, and as long as labor and management 
are fighting, yes, even as long
as there are contentions in the church there will be no basis for
peace.  Since we want peace, let us think about the contribution
we can make toward peace.  What can we do that there might be
peace in the world?  Let me suggest three things:

       First of all: -- we should pray, for there is great power in pray-
er.  James tells us that the prayers of a righteous man availeth
much.  I hope every Christian will pray daily to God for peace, if
it be in accordance with His Will.

       Second, as Paul tells us, we can "follow after things which
make for peace"; we can do those things which make for peace
at home, at work, in our community and in the church.

       Third, we can try to teach the people of the world with the
message of the Prince of Peace.  It may be that we could avoid
war if we would send our enemies missionaries of peace and 
not threats of war.  ------ Adapted from a sermon by Dorris B. Bill-ingsley 
published in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952.   </HTML>
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