THURSDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS (CHRISTMAS EVE)

 THURSDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS (CHRISTMAS EVE)

I’m going back to Isaiah 9: 6-7

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.     And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

“His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. “

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Prince - leader - not the King - but generally the King’s son

Peace- freedom from disturbance; tranquility.

The Hebrew word translated as peace is shalom, which means completeness, soundness, and welfare. It comes from the root word shalam which means to make amends or to make whole or complete.

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What might it be like to have a “Prince of Peace”? (Who also is a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and an Everlasting Father)

This Prince will rule with fairness and justice.  And, I think it is implied - it will be a realm of complete peace (completeness, soundness, and welfare - as from the definition)

So - would this be utopia?  You wouldn’t need a key chain - as you wouldn’t need keys to lock your house, or lock your car, or lock your office.  

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One aspect of the Judeo-Christian view of spirituality is that of “free will”.  In this concept - we can do pretty much whatever we want.  If I want to steal something from you, I am ‘free’ to do so.  If I want to be loving, kind, nice, forgiving, etc., I have “free will” to be just that.  The flip view on that is that if I DON’T have free will, I became a ‘robot’ - a ‘puppet’.  “I” get to choose how I act, how I interact.  But, how can that work in a world with a “Prince of Peace”?  I will set my choices to “happy, loving, kind”.  But, what about somebody who sets his or her choice to “mean, nasty, hateful”?  Could that person be accepted into a kingdom of Peace?

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To me, this concept relates to heaven.  

Again:

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.     And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

“His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. “

The concept says “for all eternity” - therefore, I can’t expect this Prince of Peace to be around the Earth - as the Earth will someday slow down and stop (or some other ending - maybe we will have a nuclear war and blow the Earth to smithereens!!!

So, heaven - a concept that is very much beyond me - but I do believe in some heaven.  I may not understand it, but I don’t need to.  That infinite God (that we wrote about earlier this week).

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Heaven is a nice term - and in the infinite, I’m sure it will be lovely!  I’m not sure that the streets will be paved in gold.  Maybe the streets will be paved without something we have never heard of - after all, I don’t think a paving crew is going to repave every ten years or so!!!

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Back to the original verse:

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.     And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

At this time of the year, I am looking forward to this amazing, awesome, eternal, infinite - Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father - and this “out-of-this-world”, PRINCE OF PEACE!!!

Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays!!!

May God (however your view Him (Her / It / The Force)) be with you and put that deepest love, joy, and peace in your heart!!!

LOVE WINS!!!

HUGS!!!

Karen