On July 22, 1969 at reporter in Sydney, Australia reported the following:
In two hours, 14 minutes yesterday, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin opened a new world before the wondering eyes of the estimated 600 million people watching them from the Earth.
The watchers saw the shadowy figure of Armstrong make the first step on to the moon's surface - perhaps the most significant single event of the century - and Edwin Aldrin follow him soon after.
They saw the two space-suited astronauts - clumsy in appearance, yet strangely graceful in movement - collect the rock samples they had come so far to touch, and prepare the experiments they had planned so long to achieve.
They saw the astronauts unveil the plaque they were to leave behind and - perhaps the most moving moment of all heard Armstrong read its wording aloud:
"Here men from the planet earth first set foot upon the moon, July, 1969, A.D. We came in peace far all mankind."
This is the best we could offer through our best minds and our highest form of technology and cooperation. This was the ultimate expression of human efforts out into the vast universe before us. The void, the unknown was somehow a little less void . . . a little less unknown.
Today’s Gospel reading is a closer encounter with our very real and very interactive creator of the universe who filled Z. with the Holy Spirit to say He wants to be known and wants His creation to no longer be considered void from true reconciliation. God is beginning to declare “peace” with us. Emmanuel is about to land on earth.
The word PEACE can be an acronym to find five concepts about God’s way of peace.
God PROCLAIMS to you and PLACES you in His way of peace. God then ENCOURAGES and EDIFIES you to continue in His way. He ACCEPTS and ANOINTS you for His service, The Lord CELEBRATES and CHANGES you to be a devoted and committed believer. God continues to ENABLE and EMPOWER you in peace and righteousness for His name’s sake.
P - God PROCLAIMS the Good News of Christ by the Holy Ghost through these devout Jews who waited for the Messiah. Verse in these Gospel stories. Verse 6 of this same chapter of Luke says that Zachariah and Elizabeth were righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. That’s all 628 of the Laws of Moses without ever tripping up once. And yet Zachariah did fail to please God when he questioned the angel Gabriel about how he and Elizabeth were going to have a child when “Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.” God PLACED and POISED this couple for a miraculous intervention in the time locked ways of man. Old folk like Abraham and Sarah are uncommonly gifted with a child and they have the strength and endurance to take care of the child in spite of their old age. We can also minister to the children in our new Sunday School class or behind us in the Learning Center or those coming in droves next Saturday at our Christmas Carnival.
God PROCLAIMS in our dreams that we are to be a vibrant and living remnant of the church that grows with new life, regardless of our PLACE in life. We shall “perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham.” (verses 72-73)
E - The Lord ENCOURAGES us by promising to EDIFY us with spiritual growth with young people like Z’s son John and like our young people. Verse 17 says our children will turn our hearts (even the hearts of the fathers) to children. Even if you are like Z. in verse 76 and 77 coming out of his 9 months of silence, even then you can ENVISION (another word for “dream”) how children before you will be prophets of Jesus . . . preparing the ways of Christ’s peace on which others will walk.
You might be struck dumb for your disbelief like Z., but it will ENCOURAGE and EDIFY you so you can be a good elder of the community and teach by example how to usher in the Christ child and His way of peace.
A - God ACCEPTS all who will respond and walk in His way of peace. In this way you are ANOINTED to do His will. God promises to ACCEPT for eternal blessings. God promises to ANONT you with deliverance from your enemies so that you might serve him without fear (v. 74), through His tender mercy, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high (78).
C - God CELEBRATES you and CHANGES you so that you will be like Z. and his child, sharing peace and grace with others . . . walking in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of your life (verse 75).
E - God ENABLES you to use your gifts in mutual service as an ambassador of peace to the world. You are EMPOWERED with all authority from God to bless and heal others as fulfilling God’s promise and prophesy to save the world from damnation and to reconcile creation back to God. If you go out and responsibly use the power God gives you to witness for the true and living God in Jesus Christ, then you and your children will “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (79)."
Astronauts will probably go to distant planets before Jesus returns to take us all home. I don’t know. Many still sit in darkness and the shadow of death, until we help guide them in the way of peace.
Will you come in peace in truth and in spirit and recognize your PLACE with God to PROCLAIM His word. You must also ENCOURAGE and EDIFY others so the fathers’ hearts will turn away from selfish ENDEAVORS and turn toward EDIFYING (raising up) children. God ACCEPTS you for His plan of salvation, so you must ANOINT and chose others as elected and ACCEPTED into His eternal Kingdom of righteousness and bliss – by sharing the plan of salvation. Come CELEBRATE the CHANGES that God brings in your life so that His peace will pass all understanding. Come Holy Spirit.
If you are ready to receive the gift of peace please pray this with me. Heavenly Father, You are the ENABLER who EMPOWERS me to walk your way of peace. Forgive my unrighteousness and sin. Come into my heart Lord Jesus. Be my rest, my peace, my deliverance in Christ’s name Amen.
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