Wars and fighting are prevalent both in the world and in the churches. Only those who are coming to maturity in Christ have the spiritual strength to avoid conflict and bitterness and to bring lasting, peaceful solutions to situations that are troublesome.

Wherever there is lust and self-seeking there are wars. Pastor James rebuked the church members because of their conduct. They could not be called the sons of God because they were not peacemakers.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:1,2)

The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit of God is love, joy, and peace. The individual whose personality is characterized by strife and violence is not dwelling in the Kingdom nor is the Kingdom dwelling in him.

Receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior gives us the authority to be a child of God. We may be a person who is accustomed to gaining our desires by fighting. But as the Prince of Peace is formed in us we cease forcing our will on other people. We learn to wait on the Lord for victory, sometimes, as did Isaac, allowing ourselves to be defrauded (Genesis 26:22).

When we are strong enough spiritually to seek peace, allowing the Lord to fight our battles and to justify and vindicate us, then we are peacemakers. Then we shall be called the sons of God.

There is no end to the peace of Christ's Kingdom (Isaiah 9:7). We cannot abide in the Kingdom of Heaven until we are healed of our willingness to accomplish our ends by means of strife.

One of the expressed goals of the world leaders of today is to establish peace among the nations. Yet wars and rumors of war continue, as Jesus said would be true. It is impossible for there to be peace on earth until the Kingdom of Heaven comes down from Heaven and is established on the earth. The Kingdom of Heaven consists of the Prince of Peace, Christ, and those in whom Christ's peace reigns through the Holy Spirit.

There never will be a true peace until the Day in which Christ rules totally and completely over the nations of the earth. That peace is being created in us now. The Kingdom of Heaven is being created in us now. The personal day of the Lord has come when Jesus rules totally and completely in us.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)

The Kingdom of Heaven is not accepted by the world. The Lord Jesus warned us that the world will hate the saint as it hates Him. All attempts to make the Christian churches acceptable to the world are an abomination to God. The moment we try to reconcile the Church to the world the power of God will leave. The Church of Christ is not of the world. It is not a social institution. It is the prophet of God among men.

To be continued.